#christmas armistice

[jotun-philosopher]

I was watching Twice Upon A Time today, and had the thought that this episode in particular highlights that Doctor Who and Good Omens have a lot of mutual thematic sympathy.

First off, there's the whole thing about the Christmas Armistice of 1914 -- a thoroughly human miracle of people on opposite sides of a war choosing to lay down their weapons, find their common humanity and lack of deep-down differences, and above all be kind.

And parts of Twelve's farewell speech, too:

"Never be cruel, never be cowardly. [...] Remember, hate is always foolish and love is always wise. [...] Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind. [...]"

That's kind of the fundamental moral backbone of DW, and the Ineffable Husbands would be pretty sympathetic to those sentiments, no? (One wonders how they reacted to the Christmas Truce, too)

Just some random late-night ramblings of mine XD

(The fact that One's costume resembles the outfit worn by Derek Jacobi's character in TF15 is one of those genuine coincidences, for all that there's probably an off-the-wall meta in analysing the thematic wossnames XD)

[queenvhagar]

Merry Christmas HOTD fandom + happy 10 year anniversary to this Emily Carey + Harry Collett "Baby It's Cold Outside" music video collab I just discovered?! 🎄❄️

[as-dreamers-do]

what guardian angel do I have to thank for never getting spoiled for THAT Clara moment in twice upon a time and do you think they accept mint chocolate from aldi bc that's all I have

[madnessofmen]

why was im westen nichts neues translated as all quiet on the western front. it's kind of the opposite of that innit

[ddarker-dreams]

omg i love your yandere giorno series!! I was wondering if you could write a little thing where giorno witnesses his darling having a lowkey mental breakdown/epiphany because she realizes she’s in love with him? sorta like expanding on the little moments in the other fics where reader questions her feelings for him. and she just confesses to him that it’s so hard to accept what he’s done but she can’t help but love him

i'd recently been wanting to expand on the scarlet ribbons yandere bad endings and this meshes well with a christmas-y idea i had 👁👁

This time of year packs your schedule to the brim.

Being the wife of Don Giovanna comes with its unique obligations, which you once stumbled through with the naïveté of a newborn doe. Time and difficult lessons sanded away your inexperience. These trials weren't unlike those he'd undergone since ousting Diavolo, reality proving itself a stubborn foe against youthful idealism.

After what felt like ages apart, he reunites with you in the evening, where he notes some unusual behavior.

For starters, you're eerily silent. While he's no stranger to you giving him the cold shoulder, it's never without reason, like when he restricts your travel for citing security concerns. He can't recall doing anything to earn your ire. If anything, you'd been uncharacteristically amicable recently, regarding him as a collaborator rather than your warden.

Natale was almost like an armistice. You get to engage in charitable pursuits, while he oversees their seedy underbelly. Ultimately, everything is about business, image, and prestige. He doesn't insult your intelligence by pretending otherwise.

It's when you (and your conspicuous Stand) sneak a glance his way for the third time that he speaks up.

"Is something troubling you?"

He could whittle away at your defenses over an extensive campaign, but, feeling the day's exhaustion weigh him down, he opts for a direct approach. You consider him, your Stand peering over your shoulder with suspicious eyes.

"... Your meeting went long," you comment.

He nods, sensing that you're getting at something. When you refuse to elaborate, he offers to show his hand.

"There were some mild disagreements," Giorno replies. "They've been put to rest."

"If what I suggested is causing tension—"

You cut yourself off when he sits beside you on the loveseat, leaving little room between your persons. It's an unusual line for him to cross. He rarely infringes upon your physical space, owing to a courteous code of conduct that you struggled to comprehend. He thinks you want him to be terrible; a cartoonish villain that you could pour all your energy into resisting.

"I'll see it through," he reassures, the tenderness in his voice reserved solely for your ears. "I think the scholarship program is an admirable idea. The funds are there, it's simply a matter of ironing out the details."

You shuffle around. "It's not a lucrative venture."

"That's inconsequential."

"I'm sure your Capos feel otherwise."

"They can be shortsighted," Giorno argues. "And they don't have the final say — I do."

"That's..." you trail off, gnawing your bottom lip, "Why are you so...?"

Giorno, realizing that he's approaching the heart of the issue, can't let this chance go. He sees you contemplating retreat, as you cross your arms over your chest and squeeze your lips shut. If he were a fully benevolent man, he'd grant you your reprieve. Maybe he'll come to regret pushing you too far. Nonetheless, you are his vice, and even he can't always suppress his selfish yearning.

"So...?" he encourages, nearly crooning the word.

You shake your head. "I never know how to feel about you. Hating you used to come easy, now it's just... pointless. Impossible. I don't know. Sometimes, I think I might even lo—"

Aghast, you slap your hand over your mouth, cutting yourself off.

For his part, Giorno wasn't expecting such a vulnerable admission to nearly slip out. Not wanting to push his luck, he leans back, allowing you some space. You appear to be in deep thought. Your Stand has since dissipated, leaving you truly alone.

It's then that he recalls one of the final requests Bucciarati made of him:

"Please ensure her safety and happiness in my stead."

In the years that have followed, the latter has proven trickier than the former.

His hand finds yours. You jump, snapping your head in his direction, shock rippling across your countenance. He responds by giving your hand a firm squeeze. You don't reciprocate, nor do you pull away. Instead, you stare at where your bodies are joined, almost in a trance.

Giorno feels the cool band of your wedding ring flush against his skin. You made efforts in the past to be rid of it, though his Stand's ability ensured it'd always find its way back to you. He wonders at what point you decided to abandon that little rebellion.

Perhaps the revelations surfacing tonight have something to do with it.

Eventually, you exhale a shaky breath. "All this planning has me worn out. I'm not thinking straight. So please... forget I said anything."

And because he cares for you above all else, he nods, prolonging the farce you've both been cast the leads in.

[vidavalor]

Fraternizing

There is some historical context to the 1862 scene that I think might be of interest to quite a few of you, if it's not something you already know. It deals with the evolution in meaning of the word fraternizing.

In 1862, the word fraternizing did not have any sexual connotation whatsoever. Like the words fraternal and fraternity, fraternizing comes from the Latin fraternus, which means brotherly. It was, originally, a very specifically non-sexual word that meant to bond as brothers, either by blood or by choice.

It is from this that it developed its definition as a military term meaning to be on friendly terms with enemy soldiers. The first known use of fraternizing in that way, though, was as a then-apparently-relatively new term that was first recorded in 1897, some 35 years after the 1862 scene. Fraternizing apparently didn't really fully come into common use as a military term until during and after WW1, though, when it was used to describe actions by soldiers during the Christmas Armistice of 1914.

It isn't until after World War II that the word fraternizing developed a sexual connotation. Then, it had evolved across several Allied armies to mean to have sex with women in enemy countries. No one is entirely sure how this word that was so absolutely about brotherhood and nothing else came to refer to sex across enemy lines but the most common theory is that it began amongst the soldiers as sarcasm over the military definition of fraternizing being condemning soldiers for viewing those of the opposing armies as human. The idea is that they were probably using the same word because of the military frowning on relationships with people in enemy countries in a general way, whether that was a sexual relationship or a non-sexual one. It's off of this connotation that we get the other, modern one, where the word fraternizing is sometimes used with relationship to company policies regarding social interaction, both in a general way and with regards to sexual relationships, in workplace environments.

Anyway, the point is that, in 1862, when Crowley is asking Aziraphale for holy water in the park where they could be overheard, it causes Aziraphale to need to reply in such a way that he needs to find a word to describe his relationship with Crowley that could be overheard by people working for Heaven/Hell. Aziraphale is worried then that Heaven/Hell will find out about them. He knows that, if they get caught, they'd have a far better chance of surviving it if they could play their relationship off as sibling-like because Aziraphale thinks (and likely isn't wrong) that they are as good as dead if Heaven/Hell finds out that they're lovers.

In 1862, the fact that fraternizing only meant brotherly was why Aziraphale landed on that choice of word, even if his tone of voice doesn't quite successfully sell it.

Crowley being upset with that choice of words is because he knows that they both know that 'brotherly' is a wildly inaccurate description of their relationship. Crowley is in a low place in 1862 and other dialogue in the scene suggests that they're struggling a bit with that relationship, which is probably why Crowley is vulnerable enough to challenge that word choice in the open park. The inaccurate description is the reason for the sarcastic way Crowley uses fraternizing in his reply. He's angry because they are not brothers, they are lovers.

[wonderlanddreamer]

Lydia Shelby is the younger sister of Finn, Ada, John, Tommy, and Arthur Shelby. She was raised alongside her siblings by their Aunt Polly. Lydia has always been closely connected to her family, particularly to Tommy. Her inquisitive nature and quick wit have been both a blessing and a curse, leading her into as much trouble as they have helped her escape. Above all, Lydia's unwavering loyalty means she would do anything for her family.

Important note: On Lydia's timeline, John Shelby lives.

Find my main Peaky Blinders masterlist here.

Armistice Day - Lydia Shelby only has one wish for Christmas. [1918]

Echoes of a Shelby Heart - In the stillness of the Shelby family home, young Lydia's innocent curiosity leads her straight to Tommy's study. [1918]

Bridge Of Light - When Thomas Shelby finds his mind consumed by chaos, Lydia's presence soothes his storm and brings him peace. [1918]

A Girl and her Dog - The story of how Lydia (and Arthur) convinced Tommy to let her keep a Great Dane who followed her home. [1919]

Daddy Dearest - The unexpected return of their estranged father ignites tension within the Shelby household, particularly for Lydia, who faces the daunting presence of a man she's never known. [1919]

Busy Being Shelbys - In the shadow of giants, Lydia proves that courage comes in all sizes. [1919]

Happy Halloween - Young Lydia investigates some frightening sounds at Watery Lane. [1920]

Little Soldier - In the aftermath of a violent ambush on their home, the Shelby family must act quickly to help Lydia, who has been struck by a bullet. [1923]

Still Standing - When Luca Changretta sent the Italians to ambush John Shelby, he didn’t count on somebody being there to give him a heads up. [1925]

Our Little Secret - Bonnie Gold should not have been boxing in an illegal, underground fight club, and Lydia Shelby certainly should not have been there watching. [1929]

Not Just A Pretty Girl - Frustrated by the assumption that she always relies on her siblings to fight her battles, Lydia decides to take matters into her own hands. [1930]

[hero-israel]

I've never heard the phrases "Hanukkah is a minor holiday" or "Hanukkah is not a major holiday" made in good faith. Ever. And at least half the time I hear people say it, it's coming from non-Jews. 100% of the time, it's someone trying to knock Hanukkah down a peg. And it makes me sad. And angry. Yeah, I get that Hanukkah isn't a high holiday and that it's the most well-known and marketable Jewish holiday because of its proximity to Christmas, but I hate how it's dismissed as borderline frivolous even by some Jewish people.

Hanukkah is an important holiday (commemorating our indigenous rights and freedom) celebrated in an unimportant way (conspicuous gift-giving so Jewish kids wouldn't feel left out of Christmas).

But in a VERY meta way, maybe the gift-ification of Hanukkah is itself a survival adaptation. Maybe that was the only way to keep it from being swallowed up by Christmas altogether.

If you had Armistice Day vs Christmas, nobody would ever hear of Armistice Day again. But add "giving presents" to Armistice Day right around Christmas, and it might have a chance - and in the midst of the gift-giving, people would remember the war. It would never be what it used to be, but it would still be something.

[behindthecrowns]

🎄Merry Christmas!🎄

Christmas was spent in the real old style at Sandringham, the happiest Christmas that the Royal Family had spent for many years-for the Christmas after the Armistice had been marred by the illness of little Prince John. Sometimes I could hardly believe that the young men and the beautiful young woman who rode and played "Squash" and teased each other, could possibly be the same as the little children, who had played and romped in these grounds not so very long ago.

[george-the-good]

QUEEN ELIZABETH II makes her first televised Christmas Broadcast in 1957.

In the background can be seen a 1951 photograph of her parents and sister:

The Queen often had a variety of personal family photos on display during her Christmas Broadcasts. Below are a few of the times photos of her beloved father were visible:

---

1992

The Queen with photos of her father and grandfather. In 1992 she reflected on her first Christmas message, broadcast over the radio 40 years ago. She also acknowledged that the Christmas message was a tradition started by George V and carried on by George VI.

---

1995

The Queen commemorated the 50th anniversary of VE Day earlier in the year. Behind is a photograph of the Queen with her parents and sister, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during VE Day celebrations.

---

1996

Photos of her father’s last Christmas, taken at Sandringham in 1951.

---

2001

A photograph of George VI by Dorothy Wilding, taken in 1937, the year of his Coronation.

---

2002

Photos of George VI, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. 2002 was the year the Queen lost her mother and sister.

---

2004

The same photos of her parents featured in the 2002 broadcast can be seen in the background.

---

2007

Three photos of George VI in uniform, taken during the early stages of World War II.

---

2013

A 1946 photograph of George VI by Dorothy Wilding.

---

2018

A 1917 photo of George VI (then Prince Albert) as a Midshipman in the Royal Navy. The Queen noted the centenary of the Armistice, and spoke of her father’s participation in the Battle of Jutland.

---

2019

A photo of George VI delivering a broadcast in 1944.

---

[daylilys137]

End of another month and end of the year! Here are some of the fics I've read recently.

Zutara-

Crush, Crush - Super cute ongoing story about Zuko suddenly becoming Katara's roommate. Poor Katara is struggling, trying to keep up the boundaries she believes she should have with a roommate she has a crazy crush on.

Christmas Chef's Kiss- Katara is a homegrown chef with lots of talent. Zuko is a professional chef with years of experience and education. Both are competing on a baking competition. The description on the food is magnificent!

Hot Ice, Strange Snow - Zuko is injured trying to help Aang escape from the Pohuai Stronghold. This forces him to sorta join the gang early. The slow build of trust, of friendship, the beautiful moments Zuko and Katara have together... I'm really enjoying this one so far.

Reylo-

The Perfect Gift - A fluffy cute Christmas one-shot that I enjoyed. I like the idea of Ben being the Guru of gift giving.

Mr and Mrs Solo- an ongoing fic based on Mr and Mrs Smith. So much tension, angst, and I just cannot wait for more of this fic!

Also read several fics by Writingwife83. My favorite was Armistice. Very fluffy, takes place between TLJ and TROS. Ben decides to take a break after the fallout with Rey for a couple of days. Leia orders Rey to take a break and clear her mind. Both Rey and Ben happen to choose the same location to do this. Ben cooks!

[doctorkinktraveller]

When William Hartnell was pushed into retirement in the early days of Doctor Who, the BBC had considered simply having Patrick Troughton take over, with no explanation.

The producers argued that this was too 'cold', and wanted to make the transition special and fantastical.

After much deliberation, they decided that a Time Lord could change their face upon death, and be granted another life. At the time, it was not yet called "regeneration".

According to news sources back then, many families stared at the screen in dumbfounded shock after the change, as nothing like it had ever been done before.

Here's David Bradley in the role of 1st Doctor in 'Twice Upon a time' where he meets his future incarnation 12th [Peter Capaldi] and the further meeting of Alistair's father - Captain Archibald Lethbridge-Stewart .. and the beginning of a promise that would span multiple incarnations to come. All in the midst of the 1914 Christmas armistice

[againaweasel]

How to tell people that I'm obsessed with WW1 but not in the guns-tanks-planes- battles-generals kind of way but more in the 'in all my dreams before my helpless sight' - trench foot-' They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old'--white feathers- 'If I should die, think only this of me'- Christmas armistice 1914- 230 gay soldiers imprisoned kind of way.

[brandonwritesgames]

Dieselpunk 1921 v0.4 is out now! This will be the last pre-release version of Dieselpunk 1921, so be sure to check it out!

In this version of Dieselpunk 1921, you'll find 2 pdf versions! One presents the pages as spreads, maintaining the original layout of the art!

Dieselpunk 1921 is a 92-page all-in-one ttrpg book presenting an alternate history world, where the streets are dominated by towering machines and complicated characters fighting for their survival.

As the horror of the Great War came to a close, the oppressive darkness of the 20s began to set in. With towering smokestacks and oil-stained pipes, the all-consuming march of industry has seen workers seek power in the union, while criminal organizations expand their influence in the crumbling shell of imperial war economies. The once-picturesque city of Paris now sits as a fragile husk of its former self, with the terms of the Christmas Armistice transforming the region into a demilitarized zone. Across Europe, automobiles dominate high-class streets towered over by Art Deco Buildings.

Inside this rulebook you'll find:

An introduction to the setting, with the description of some major events from 1914 to 1921 and fully illustrated descriptions of 20 countries.

A game engine that promotes creative problem solving, investigation, and the resilience of characters.

A system for working with or fighting against factions within the complex shadow of the Great War.

A catalogue of equipment ranging from the familiar day-to-day items to domineering machines called Striders.

A host of lackeys to work with or challenge the player characters.

[vidavalor]

How do you think the Ineffable Husbands reacted to the 1914 Christmas Armistice?

Also, it is autumn now and very cloudy and soggy, so here is a seasonally-appropriate recipe: https://www.hairybikers.com/recipes/view/caramelised-apple-cheesecake

Aw, a recipe! You're lovely. 😊 That looks amazing!

I envy you being in one firm season over there. September is a transition month here in New England. Half-summer, half-fall. It's very strange, though, not terrible. One day is lemonade and watermelon and the next is where's my blanket? and I need an apple something and looking up what day Bake Off starts to air over here. Another week, though, and it'll be pretty much fall from here on out. Definitely going to make that cheesecake. 😊

I think they probably reacted to the Christmas Armistice the same way many of us do when we learn about it-- that it's both beautiful and morbidly depressing at once. It showed people coming together to express a sense of shared humanity but then they went back to killing one another afterwards. It wasn't a new story for Crowley and Aziraphale because they had seen that in people all throughout history but I'm sure they found the same mix of hopefulness and sadness in it that a lot of people do.

The one who understands what it takes to bring about peace now best in the series is actually Gabriel, imho. It's because he understood the deeper meaning of Sandalphon's words that Sandalphon didn't actually understand himself: "you can't have a war without war."

Some short thoughts on ties between war, frozen peas, and one of my favorite of Agnes Nutter's prophecies beneath the cut.

When Sandalphon said: "you can't have a war without war", what he meant was: "Look how clever I think I am to use this word twice in two ways in one sentence! You can't have a war without War: The Character! Mirelle Enos is playing a character that shares a name with large-scale killing and destruction and I pointed it out! I'm so smart!"

Gabriel, though, heard the potential of bigger ideas: "You can't have a war (a large-scale military conflict) without war (people willing to fight in a war and, also, a person's inner struggle leading them to be willing to fight in war)."

Meaning: A war can only happen if people are willing to fight the war.

Meaning: No soldiers, no war.

Gabriel knew Aziraphale heard it like that, too, and was like lol Aziraphale, this guy thinks he's a poet omg let me flatter him enough that he won't notice that I just tried to help you sell more erotica and didn't murder you for having a lover and then we'll get out of here...

Gabriel saying that he "might use that one day" about what Sandalphon says is a line that-- delightfully-- ages quite differently the more we get to know Gabriel.

We know he said it in that moment to make it sound like he was telling Sandalphon that what Sandalphon had said was just so profound that Gabriel was tempted to use it himself... but we also know that Gabriel is neither as dumb nor as vapid as he strategically lets people think he is and that he understood the deeper way of looking at what Sandalphon said more than Sandalphon did.

Looking back on it, it's Gabriel actually joking about mutinying in front of Heaven's most fervent Metatron-worshipping fascist in a way that is very much going over Sandalphon's head. Gabriel is all can't have a war without war-- yeah, true dat, Stasi a Fond. I'm slowly losing it over here and my favorite fantasy is just peacing out entirely of this whole 'Commander of The Heavenly Host' shit and wouldn't that really completely eff up The Ineffable Plan? Oh, my secret daydream... if only I could...

Then, what happens, though, by the end of S1?

Gabriel sees a kid do just that.

The eleven year old spawn of Satan is all yeah, no, you can't have a war without war. I don't want to start a war. I like the world. I've got enough on my plate dealing with my own life-- I don't want to rule over everyone. I want everyone to feel at peace and be happy and take care of each other.

Gabriel was freaked out because of the consequences of this and the fact that he, at the the time, thought The Metatron might kill him for failing to start Armageddon but, after the day was over and Gabriel had a moment to breathe and think about it, you can't tell me he didn't hear Adam saying that it was too much pressure to be in charge of every other living being in existence and he just wanted to chill with the people he liked and live his own life in peace and let everyone else do that, too and think to himself:

Yeah, kid. Me too.

The dude who is told he's responsible for everyone in Heaven and who sees angels falling as partly his fault and whom the humans deify and to whom they make statues was like fucking hell, the little antichrist brat was right.

He realized that it's not about Armageddon, it's about living and building a life until you have all the world you need. It's about what Crowley and Aziraphale have been trying to do and about what he and Beez were as well. Gabriel's proposal to Beez is a simple one:

What if, instead of Armageddon, there was no Armageddon?

What if, instead of war, there's no war?

So, he ended up fulfilling his own prophecy a bit when the one day came when he used what Sandalphon said-- just not in the way that Sandalphon meant it but in the way that Gabriel himself and Aziraphale heard it: you can't have a war without war... no war exists if enough people refuse to fight it.

That's the way to stop Armageddon.

Gabriel came to realize that the best thing he could do as a leader in Heaven and commander of its armed forces was to refuse to fight, come what may. He quits the army and defects to the embassy of the only independent country that exists in the supernatural world: the United States of Crowley and Aziraphale.

As Agnes said:

...the calm cometh when Redde and Whyte and Black and Pale approache to Peas is Our Professioune.

In this case: Redde/Red (Crowley), Whyte/White (Aziraphale), Black (Beez), Pale (Gabriel). To profess: to state. Peas = the talking of frozen peas because homophone: peace.

The calm cometh when Crowley, Aziraphale, Beez and Gabriel talk and each get closer to their own peace and to peace with one another and help each other to spread that mentality throughout all those willing in Heaven and Hell and Earth.

That's what you feed the other ducks-- your frozen peas. Your own stuff that is disturbing your own inner peace and creating inner wars and small-scale conflicts that, if left unchecked, can build into larger-scale ones.

If you break that shit down and talk about it, there needn't be any war.

Sometimes, it means shedding some armor, keeping an open mind, and admitting that you were wrong-- all things that can be difficult...

...especially for those are secretly tender-hearted but put up that armor to survive in worlds steeped in toxic masculinity...

...and, sometimes, it's maddening because people are scared and get set in their ways and do dumb shit and you have to upend power structures and reinforce more positive behaviors to get them to shut up long enough to start listening to one another...

...but the more who learn to unlearn the harmful stuff at the core of their own struggles and who open their minds up to listening to others, the more we're professing our peas to our fellow ducks and getting closer to peace within ourselves and within the world as a whole and that's what it's all about. It might always be approaching Peas is Our Professioune rather than a perfectly peaceful world but the point is the effort of the approach and to just keep making steady progress as much as we can while we're walking the Earth. After all...

[wonderlanddreamer]

[Armistice Day] Birmingham.

Lydia Shelby only has one wish for Christmas.

[Part of The Lydia Saga]

The gypsy fair was alive with vibrant laughter and cheerful shouts, a racket of joy echoing from the rides and bustling stalls. The colours of the late afternoon sun painted a lively picture, but little Lydia Shelby found solace in a quieter corner, away from the hustle and bustle. She perched on a wooden bench, her small hands folded in her lap as she stared down at the ground.

Johnny Dogs, ever watchful, had followed her retreat from the noise. His face softened into a gentle smile as he crouched before her. "What's troubling ya, Lil'?" he asked tenderly, his accent a comforting melody to Lydia's ears.

Lydia lifted her eyes to meet his, her gaze filled with thoughts too profound for someone so young. "Johnny, do you believe in Santa?" she whispered.

Johnny moved to sit beside her, pondering her question. "Well, Lil', Santa's as real as the magic we create, y'know? But what's got ya askin'?"

Lydia sighed, her small shoulders bearing the weight of her hopes. "I asked Santa for something," she admitted, her voice quivering. "I wrote it all down, like you and Aunt Pol showed me."

Johnny nodded, recalling the list they had crafted together. "Aye, and what did ya ask for?"

She hesitated, then spoke with the pure innocence of a young child. "I only asked for one thing... for Tommy, John, and Arthur to come home from the war. Do you think Santa can do that, Johnny?"

Johnny felt a pang in his heart at her earnest wish. He gently placed a comforting hand on her back. "Ah, Lil', that's a mighty wish, it is. But your brothers, they're strong and brave. They love ya more than anything. And while Santa might be busy, they're fightin' hard to come back to ya."

Lydia nodded slowly, absorbing his words. "I just miss them," she confessed, her voice small and sad.

Johnny gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll all be here waitin', Lil'. And when they do come back, we'll have the grandest celebration, bigger than this fair, I promise ya that."

A small smile graced Lydia's face, the first he'd seen all day. She leaned against him, comforted by his presence. "Thank you, Johnny," she whispered.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly over Watery Lane. Lydia played joyfully outside her house, her small feet dancing over the stones as she imagined herself in a world of her own creation.

Johnny Dogs strolled down the street, a familiar figure in his cap and coat. He carried with him the news of the day, a hope that had been missing for far too long. As he approached, Lydia spotted him and broke into a run, her little shoes tapping eagerly against the ground.

"Johnny! Johnny!" she called, her voice brimming with excitement.

Johnny bent down to greet her, his eyes twinkling with warmth. "Well, look at ya, Lil! What's got ya all excited today?"

Lydia stopped in front of him, her cheeks flushed with the thrill of her news. "The war's finished, Johnny! The guns have stopped! We heard it on the radio! It's really over!"

Johnny felt a wave of joy at her announcement, it somehow sounding even better coming from her. "Aye, is that so, Lil'? Oh, that's the best news I've heard in ages!"

She nodded vigorously, her smile radiant. "It means Tommy, John, and Arthur can come home now, right? They'll come back to us?"

Johnny knelt to her level, his heart swelling with happiness. "That's right, little Shelby. They'll be comin' home, back to ya and the family. Your wish is comin' true."

Lydia clapped her hands together, her joy uncontainable. "I knew it, Johnny! I knew Santa got my wish! He really did!"

Johnny chuckled, touched by her innocent belief. "Aye, Lil', looks like Santa was listenin' after all, eh? Sometimes, the magic's real, just like we talked about."

As they stood there, basking in newfound hope, the street seemed brighter, the air lighter. The promise of reunion and happiness filled the air like the magic of Lydia's Christmas wish.