#medieval holiday cards

[vooruitmariek]

New set of medieval-inspired holiday cards available in my Etsy shop ✨

[proteidaes]

Hello, Mutuals! I have my holiday card form open if anyone would like a print from me this year ✨✨✨

Star berry ✨

--

photoshop

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

A purrfect Christmas

Written for day 16 of the @steddieholidaydrabbles, and the 12 Days of Christmas bonus card of the @steddiebingo

Prompt: Tree (for both)

Rated: G

Tags: Established relationship; Domestic fluff; Cat dads Steddie; Christmas

Notes: Set in the same universe as this one

Steve chucks off his muddy boots in front of the apartment, groaning when his grocery bags almost slip from his hands in his attempt to unlock the door. 

“I’m home,” he calls, swiftly kicking the door shut again. Alfie has a tendency to escape, and if there’s one thing he doesn’t feel like doing tonight, it’s chasing an adventurous kitten all through the apartment building. “Just so you know, I’m not setting foot into another store before the holidays are over, it’s madness out there.” 

The only answer he gets is a delighted mrrrrp. That, and the feeling of a small, furry body rubbing against his calves. 

“Hey Gus,” Steve says. “Where’s your brother and dad?” 

“Meowr,” says Gus helpfully, weaving between Steve’s legs as he makes his way into the apartment. 

“Yeah yeah, I bought you food,” Steve grouses. “At least let me walk into the kitchen? I swear to God, one of us is going to break all the bones in his body if- Jesus Christ!” 

One of the bags lands on the floor as Steve clutches the living room door for support. The ornament he just slipped on rolls off into the shadows and Gus gives chase with a delighted mewl.

“What the hell?” Steve mutters, bending down to retrieve his fallen bag. There’s two more ornaments lying a few feet off, and another one behind those. An entire trail of them, leading all the way into the living room, right up to … 

The second bag thunks to the floor. 

“Eddie?” Steve calls, voice weak and shaky. “Eddie, why is the tree upside down?” 

“Oh, you’re home!” Eddie pops his head out of the kitchen. “Do you like it?” 

“Do I- what?” Steve stammers. The grocery bags are left abandoned in the hallway as he wanders further into the living room, eyes glued to the sight in front of him. “Why- … It was normal when I left, why did you-” 

“Pffff, define normal.” Eddie walks into the room, Gus trailing by his heels, tail raised in a high, excited arch. Alfie is perched on his shoulder, eyeing the hanging tree with shivering whiskers and a twitching tail. “Did you know that the tradition of hanging fir trees from the ceiling actually dates back to all the way to medieval Germany? Lore has it that it was invented by Saint Boniface in an attempt to remind his fellow citizens-” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Steve interrupts him. Eddie snaps his mouth shut but doesn’t stop grinning. “Thanks for the history lesson, but- … I don’t see why … What’s Saint What’s His Face got to do with our Christmas tree?” 

Eddie watches him gesture helplessly at the inverted tree and shrugs.  

“Excellent question, honey. Legend says it was a symbol for the Holy Trinity, but my personal assumption is that the good man must’ve been a cat dad.” 

Steve stares at him. Eddie grins proudly. On his shoulder, Alfie starts to purr, like he knows they’re talking about him. 

“Okay, I’ll bite,” Steve says at long length. “Tell me why the dead German dude had cats.” 

“Well, it’s obvious,” Eddie claims. He throws out a hand to point at the hanging tree. Alfie makes an indignant sound as he sways on his shoulder. Gus stares up at him with the adoring look of a younger sibling wishing they could be half as cool as their older brother. “You know how our two charming little rascals here have been wreaking havoc on the tree? Well, you can’t climb and tip over something you can’t reach, can you, boys?” 

Gus lets out a pathetic little mewl, like a child deprived of their favorite toy. Alfie tilts his head like he's hoping it will magically turn the tree back around. Steve, who spent the better part of yesterday putting the tree back up and gathering scattered ornaments and snapped branches off the living room floor, shuts his mouth and wrinkles his brow.

“That's… actually a good idea.” 

Eddie's chest puffs out. “I know, right? Took me the better part of the day to set up, and I still need to find a way to keep the ornaments from falling off, but it might be worth the effort if- Alfie, no!” 

Steve is just on time to see Alfie crouch, ears pressed flat against his head, ass wiggling in the air as he takes aim. Then he jumps. He hits the tree like a tiny, furry projectile, sending it swaying with the force of his impact, and immediately starts swatting at the nearest ornament. On the ground, Gus mewls his adoration. 

The ceiling creaks. 

“Okay,” Eddie breathes, deliberately calm, holding out his hands and approaching Alfie one inch at a time. “Okay, lesson learned. Nobody’s using me as a climbing post for the next four weeks. Now come back down and everything-” 

Gus jumps, grabbing the tip of the tree with all four paws. For a moment, he hangs there, smug satisfaction written all over his face. 

Then the tree comes down. 

A rain of pine needles and mortar and ornaments descends on the living room. Two shrieking blurs of fur shoot over Steve’s feet and out of the door, claws leaving marks in the carpet.

“Gandalf and Radagast Harrington-Munson!” Eddie hollers. “Come back here and- Why are you laughing?” 

“Y’know, this is on us, really,” Steve says, wiping the tears from his eyes and reaching out to pick a twig out of Eddie’s hair. “Maybe we should wait until they’re older before we try putting up a tree again.”

Eddie scowls, so he leans in to kiss it off his lips. 

“I thought this was a good idea,” Eddie whines when they pull apart. “And now look at this. It’ll take forever to clean up.” 

Steve shrugs, pecking his cheek and grabbing his hand to pull him from the room. “Leave it for tomorrow. For now, we have two traumatized kittens to check on.” 

More holiday drabbles

More Steddie Bingo

[autumngracy]

What are some things you guys collect?

I'll go first

Antique display plates ft. nature, such as Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates

Pokemon cards (and some figures/plushies)

Kutani style cobalt blue porcelain pieces

Books (usually fiction and graphic novels), especially hardcover editions

Antiquated drinkware (we're talking fancy steins, drinking horns, blue salt glaze/cobalt blue German stoneware, patterned porcelain tea cups/mugs, etc.)

Pusheen stuff

Vintage colored glassware (a particular favorite of mine is a pink chicken basket)

Handmade ceramic pieces with cool designs or glaze patterns

Napier seasonal/holiday brooches

Various other antiques, as the fancy strikes me (one example is a beautiful little silver Japanese salt and pepper set of a floral branch with two removable songbirds)

Swords/daggers/knives, etc

Some Sanrio stuff (mostly Cinnamoroll)

Viking, Celtic, Saxon, American Frontier, Maritime/Age of Sail, early-mid medieval European, and late 1700's-early 1900's period related items. Idk lol there's. a lot

Chopstick sets and decorative noodle/rice bowls

[whencyclopedia]

How Christmas Was Shaped by 19th-Century Literature

How we celebrate Christmas today is largely shaped by a small group of authors who recorded festive traditions in the 19th century. These authors include Washington Irving (1783-1859), Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863), and Charles Dickens (1812-1870). By capturing in popular print festive traditions, many of which dated back to medieval times, these authors caused something of a Christmas revival.

19th-century literature, sometimes expressly concentrating on Christmas and at other times merely using the holiday as a jovial setting for a fictional story, captured what were, in many cases, fast-disappearing traditions, which future generations would return to and update. Thus, such activities as carol singing and masque balls returned to fashion. In addition, writers of Christmas stories, which were often serialised in hugely popular weekly magazines, helped spread newer ways to celebrate such as the sending of Christmas cards and the decorating of a Christmas tree. In this article, we present through selected extracts just how some of these 19th-century authors managed to capture the spirit of Christmas for posterity.

Christmas Literature

Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Irving's Christmas

Washington Irving was an American author who travelled through England in 1818. In his Sketch Book, Irving devoted five chapters to recording how Christmas was celebrated in rural England.

Travelling any great distance in the 19th century often involved a long, tiresome, and uncomfortable journey in a stagecoach. Nevertheless, the certainty of seeing friends and family again, revelling in home comforts, and feasting on festive fare made the journey one of high anticipation. Irving describes the joys of travelling home for Christmas:

In the course of a December tour in Yorkshire, I rode for a long distance in one of the public coaches, on the day preceding Christmas. The coach was crowded, both inside and out, with passengers, who, by their talk, seemed principally bound to the mansions of relations or friends, to eat the Christmas dinner. It was loaded also with hampers of game, and baskets and boxes of delicacies; and hares hung dangling by their long ears about the coachman's box, presents from distant friends for the impending feast. I had three fine rosy-cheeked schoolboys for my fellow-passengers inside

…I could not but notice the more than ordinary air of bustle and importance of the coachman, who wore his hat a little on one side, and had a large bunch of Christmas greens stuck in the button-hole of his coat.

…Perhaps the impending holiday might have given a more than usual animation to the country, for it seemed to me as if everybody was in good looks and good spirits. Game, poultry, and other luxuries of the table, were in brisk circulation in the villages; the grocers', butchers', and fruiterers' shops were thronged with customers. The housewives were stirring briskly about, putting their dwellings in order; and the glossy branches of holly, with their bright red berries, began to appear at windows.

My little travelling companions had been looking out of the coach windows for the last few miles, recognizing every tree and cottage as they approached home… (The Stage-Coach, 94-9)

19th-Century Coach Caught in Snow

Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Irving finally arrives at the old English hall where he has been invited to spend Christmas. Still Christmas Eve, he describes the decorated interior:

The grate had been removed from the wide overwhelming fireplace, to make way for a fire of wood, in the midst of which was an enormous log glowing and blazing and sending forth a vast volume of light and heat; this I understood was the Yule log, which the squire was particular in having brought in and illumined on a Christmas Eve, according to ancient custom.

…Supper was announced shortly after our arrival. It was served up in a spacious oaken chamber, the panels of which shone with wax, and around which were several family portraits decorated with holly and ivy. Besides the accustomed lights, two great wax tapers, called Christmas candles, wreathed with greens, were placed on a highly-polished buffet among the family plate. The table was spread with substantial fare; but the squire made his supper of frumenty, a dish made of wheat cakes boiled in milk, with rich spices, being a standing dish in old times for Christmas Eve. (Christmas Eve, 110-11)

Irving goes on to describe the traditional activities of Christmas morning.

When I woke the next morning, it seemed as if all the events of the preceding evening had been a dream…While I lay musing on my pillow, I heard the sound of little feet pattering outside the door, and a whispering consultation. Presently a choir of small voices chanted forth an old Christmas carol, the burden of which was

Rejoice, our Saviour he was born On Christmas Day in the morning

…the morning was extremely frosty; the light vapour of the preceding evening had been precipitated by the cold, and covered all the trees and every blade of grass with its fine crystallizations. The rays of a bright morning sun had a dazzling effect among the glittering foliage. A robin, perched upon the top of a mountain ash that hung its clusters of red berries just before my window, was basking himself in the sunshine… (Christmas Day, 117-18)

Christmas Eve by Hoover

Library of Congress (Public Domain)

After attending the family prayers, Irving has a hearty breakfast before walking to the local church for the traditional morning service.

Our breakfast consisted of what the squire denominated true old English fare…there was a brave display of cold meats, wine, and ale on the sideboard.

…On reaching the church porch, we found the parson rebuking the grey-headed sexton for having used mistletoe among the greens with which the church was decorated. It was, he observed, an unholy plant, profaned by having been used by the Druids in their mystic ceremonies…

turned over the leaves of a folio prayer-book with something of a flourish; possibly to show off an enormous seal-ring which enriched one of his fingers, and which had the look of a family relic…

The orchestra was in a small gallery, and presented a most whimsical grouping of heads…There were two or three pretty faces among the female singers, to which the keen air of a frosty morning had given a bright rosy tint; but the gentleman choristers had evidently been chosen, like old Cremona fiddles, more for tone than looks…

…The parson gave us a most erudite sermon on the rites and ceremonies of Christmas, and the propriety of observing it not merely as a day of thanksgiving, but of rejoicing��and concluded by urging his hearers, in the most solemn and affecting manner, to stand to the traditional customs of their fathers, and feast and make merry on this joyful anniversary of the Church…I have seldom known a sermon attended apparently with more immediate effects… (Christmas Day, 119-126)

Going to Church on Christmas Day

Library of Congress (Public Domain)

Irving returned to the hall, and as he dressed for the triumph of the day, the Christmas dinner, the local poor were given meat and ale in return for their contribution to the general air of merriment with their dancing, singing, and making of music.

The old squire kept up old customs in kitchen as well as hall; and the rolling-pin struck upon the dresser by the cook, summoned the service to carry in the meats.

The dinner was served up in the great hall, where the squire always held his Christmas banquet…The Butler entered the hall with some degree of bustle: he was attended by a servant on each side with a large wax-light, and bore a silver dish, on which was an enormous pig's head, decorated with rosemary, with a lemon in its mouth, which was placed at the head of the table.

The table was literally loaded with good cheer, and presented an epitome of country abundance, in this season of overflowing larders. A distinguished post was allotted to 'ancient sirloin'…There were several dishes quaintly decorated…a pie, magnificently decorated with peacock's feathers, in imitation of the tail of that bird, which overshadowed a considerable tract of the table…I found the tide of wine fast gaining on the dry land of sober judgment. The company grew merrier and louder as their jokes grew duller.

After the dinner table was removed, the hall was given up to the younger members of the family, who…played at romping games…Blind-man's-buff… a burlesque imitation of an antique mask…which, from its medley of costumes, seemed as though the old family portraits had skipped down from their frames to join in the sport…and as the old manor-house almost reeled with mirth and wassail, it seemed echoing back the joviality of long departed years. (Christmas Dinner, 132-44)

Santa Claus by William Holbrook Beard

William Holbrook Beard (Public Domain)

Continue reading...

[sihtricfedaraaahvicius]

Hi. I was wondering if you'd be willing to write an kind of AU where Sihtric can actually hear people's thoughts. Something like telepathy. And he meets Reader and he can hear all her thoughts also about himself. That would be kind of scary 😂 but also I'm sure you'd make it super fun. I don't care if you make it medieval or modern,anything you'd like.

Note: giving u all a break from my Halloween fic as I edit the next chapters. And oh my god, this idea was so cute! I could've made this SUCH a long fic, but I got too much going on already, so I kept it simple. hope you like it!

Warnings: suggestive, lots of curse words...

pairing: Modern!Sihtric x you (f)

Summary: Sihtric noticed a new library employee, and you certainly had loud thoughts about him.

Word count: 1,8k 

Masterlist

'I just can't focus on the words anymore.'

Sihtric worked from home, as it was the only way he could keep a job. And to prevent himself from isolating, he goes to the library every day, when his work was done. He had been going to the library ever since he recently moved, and by now he already knew all the employees by face, and thoughts. But today, as he had to return a book he had borrowed, he saw someone new behind the service desk. Someone seemingly innocent who took his breath away at first glance.

*******************

Sihtric was blessed with a curse. He was one of the very few who was able to hear other people's thoughts. It had driven him insane when he grew up. But as he got older, he learned how to deal with it. He could almost tune it out, so to speak, but it was still always there. He was sick and tired of the people in his hometown, so he had recently moved. He found the library in his new city a lovely place, as it was quiet and with little people around, and those who were around usually had no thoughts going on, because they were reading or writing in peace.

'Hi,' you looked up from your computer, 'how can I help you?' Holy shit, you thought, which Sihtric heard.

'Hey,' Sihtric smiled, 'eh, I'd like to return this book.'

'Sure thing, you got your library card?' what the fuck…

'Of course, hold on, it's somewhere in my backpack,' Sihtric said and started rummaging around in the bag.

Where did this guy come from? Oh my god… what a babe. That jawline, that accent, those arms- wait, are those scars on his face? Oh my… I sure like a bad boy. And that hair! Oh, sweet Jesus, the wild hair. Wait, what book is he returning… you glanced at the book on your desk, damn, A Brief History of Time? Okay… pretty boy got the brains too...

Sihtric smirked as he looked for his library card. He usually didn't enjoy hearing what people thought of him, but you had to be the prettiest lady he had ever seen. And he was happy to hear you thought he wasn't bad himself.

'Here,' he handed you the card and looked into your eyes.

What the fuck, he has two different coloured eyes? IS THAT EYELINER? Oh my fucking god, I am very unwell right now…

'Thanks,' you smiled as you took his card. 

Are those lines tattooed on his fingers? Jesus fucking christ, I'd let this guy rail me in the backroom right now…

Sihtric suddenly coughed and tried to compose himself as you scanned his card and the book he's returning.

'There you go. Anything else?' you pushed his library card back over your desk and smiled. If you need any help… anything… ANYTHING

'It's taken care of?' he asked while putting the card back in his backpack, trying not to smile.

'Yep, you can borrow another book again if you wish.' do you want me to read you anything? At night? In bed perhaps?

'Thanks,' he smiled, 'not to be nosy, but… are you new here? I've been here daily for a few weeks now, ever since I moved, and I haven't seen you before.'

Aha, new guy in town I see… well, hello...

'Oh, no, I've been working here for years,' you said, 'but I was on holiday, only returning last weekend. So back to work it is.' you are hotter than the temperature on that island I was at…

'I see,' Sihtric chuckled, 'a damn shame time flies when you're on holiday, right?'

'A damn shame,' you smiled. A damn shame you're probably not single…

'I am,' Sihtric blurted out.

'W-what?' you froze. What the fuck?! 

'I mean,' Sihtric cleared his throat, 'I… I am Sihtric,' he saved himself, holding his hand out to you.

'S-Sihtric,' you smiled, 'I'm (y/n),' you said and shook his hand. Fuck, I love a guy with a firm handshake. I wonder what else is firm about him…

'Nice to meet you,' Sihtric tried to suppress a grin, 'I'll be seeing you around.' He winked before he turned his back to you, on his way to pick another book to read.

He did not just wink. Did he wink? Oh my god. OH. MY. GOD. I have to text the girls…

Sihtric chuckled to himself as he heard your thoughts. He scanned his eyes over numerous titles until he found something that seemed interesting, before he purposely went to sit close to the service desk. Close to you. 

You looked up as you saw movements in the corner of your eye, and you found Sihtric smiling at you as he sat down. Sir, the whole library is free… why… why must you sit there. A torture.

'Found a new one to read,' Sihtric said, holding up a book.

'Enjoy,' you chuckled. My god, he is cute. He is ridiculously cute. And hot. That's it, I'm calling the cops. This is a whole crime… I better call the fire brigade too. AND the medics, because someone needs to check my pulse…

Sihtric hid his face behind his book and couldn't stop smiling. He thought you were cute, yet not that innocent though. But Sihtric didn't mind that, because if he was honest; he would totally rail you in the backroom too right now. But he was a gentleman, for now, and you were at work. 

******************

Do your job, girl, come on. Stop letting your eyes wander to the insanely hot guy with the strange name- oh, fuck no!

Sihtric looked up from his book.

'Hello, beautiful!' a man said as he walked up to you.

'Shhh! This is a library!' you hissed quietly, 'how many times do I have to tell you?'

'I know, I know,' the man said more quietly now, 'just came here to see you again.'

I know, you fucking creep. You smiled.

'So, you never answered my question the other day… when I was here?' the man said and leaned over the counter, peeking at your legs under your work skirt. I'd make good work of those legs, mhm.

Sihtric grimaced at the unheard interaction. You were clearly creeped out by the guy, and rightfully so, he was old enough to be your grandfather, but he clearly had other ideas than slipping you some money to go and buy an ice cream, you know, the thing grandfathers are supposed to do.

'I'm sorry, but it's a work policy that I cannot go out with customers,' you said politely. This lie better fucking work…

'Oh, come on,' the man said. One night, he thought, that's all I need to ravag-

'Lady?' Sihtric called out to you, 'do you have a moment?'

'Yes!' you rushed away from the old creep. Oh thank god, praise the lord. Wait, better grab that clipboard and hold it behind my back so the creep can't check out my ass…

'Do you need something?' you asked Sihtric.

'Not really,' he whispered, 'but, I couldn't help noticing…' Sihtric cocked his head slightly towards the old man.

Fucking hell, that's how obvious it is? This is so embarrassing…

'Yeah,' you said softly, 'he's been hitting on me for months,' you made a grossed out face, 'I keep telling him no but he keeps coming back.'

'Won't your boss do anything about that?'

'My boss?' you scoffed, 'he doesn't give a shit about the employees.' He only cares about money. He doesn't even care that the creep waits outside until closing time, following me home…

'Can I help you somehow?' Sihtric asked, concerned about the behaviour of the man and the way no one seemed to care.

Oh my god, he's so fucking cute… why can't this guy wait outside for me until closing time...

'No,' you smiled weakly, 'that's…that's really sweet, but there's nothing you can do, I'm afraid.' But you could hold me in those muscular arms…

'Okay,' Sihtric said, 'does he… does he stick around?' he carefully asked.

'Yeah, the creep figured out my shifts… his name is Aethelhelm, by the way, I guess calling "the creep" is a bit rude.'

'No worries,' Sihtric smiled, 'he looks like a creep.'

'He is,' you laughed softly and looked into Sihtric's eyes. Fuck… this guy is so beautiful. Wait, did his eyes just light up?

Sihtric quickly looked away and bit down on his lip.

'Anyway,' you cleared your throat, 'I… I should get back to work. Back to the creep,' you made a face, to which Sihtric smiled. 'But thanks for the distraction.'

'Anytime, lady,' Sihtric said and gave you a small nod. And he couldn't help checking out your ass when you walked back to your desk, and he bit down a smile when he heard your thoughts.

Yeah... I'd totally let him do me in the backroom…

**********************

'You finished that book already?' you asked about an hour later, when you saw Sihtric got up and was on his way to head out of the library. What kind of question is that, you dumbass. Well done being smooth…

'I guess,' you smiled. I hope so…

'No,' Sihtric smiled and shrugged. He had been glancing at you the whole time when you managed to focus on your work again, and his eyes kept trailing back to you. 

'I just can't focus on the words anymore,' Sihtric continued, 'so that's my signal to go home. I'll see you around.'

*******************

'No, no, no,' you sighed when you saw Aethelhelm was waiting for you again as you closed the library. Maybe if I'm really fast he won't be able to catch up with me...

You quickly locked the door and almost sprinted around the corner, where you bumped into someone.

'I'm sorry!' you blurted out. Oh my god… oh no…oh no, I'm feeling myself blush!

'Oh, hey,' Sihtric smiled, 'are you okay? You look a little spooked.'

'Yeah, fine,' you lied and glanced back over your shoulder, 'just eager to get home.' 

And get away from that fucking creep! Oh, no. No he's coming over. Oh for fuck sakes.

You looked back at Sihtric. I hope you will forgive me…

You grabbed Sihtric by his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. It took him a few seconds to adapt to the situation. He already knew you were hiding from Aethelhelm, but didn't quite expect this. Yet he wasn't complaining, and he kissed you back without hesitation.

Fuck he's a good kisser, you thought, and Sihtric smiled against your lips as he pulled you closer. 

Oh my god, you moaned softly against his lips, oh my god, fuck, he's so hot. Wait, what is he doing, you felt Sihtric's hands slide down your lower back, onto your ass. Sihtric knew "the creep" would see it, and he also knew what you had been thinking about earlier that day, so he amusingly squeezed your ass, firmly.

Oh, fuck, those hands… oh dear lord, I will be thinking about him tonight…  

You raked your fingers through his loose hair, kissing him as Sihtric pushed you back towards the library entrance while "the creep" had already turned and left, looking upset. 

Wait… you thought as you were pushed up against the library door, his lips still pressed onto yours, what… what is he doing… the library is closed…

'You wish to be railed in the backroom, lady?' Sihtric grinned

Oh, sweet Jesus, it's like he can read my thoughts, yes, please...

******************

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[vigilskeep]

How do you think the Thedas holidays are celebrated in the circles?

because they’re andrastian holidays and circles are an andrastian institution, i would be very surprised if they weren’t celebrated! but a little differently, due to the circumstances. more sermons than getting out and celebrating, i fear. nevertheless, good plentiful food and a break from work are the typical markers of a medieval-ish holiday. i would certainly expect a day off from studies and a feast in the great hall for circle mages! perhaps performances and displays of their work... here’s a great canon letter from a retired knight-commander to his knight-templar grandson that gives us some insight:

“My Dear Boy,

Your pious outrage might earn you some approval with your knight-lieutenant, but I beg you to join the rest of us in the real world, lad. Do you have any idea just how wealthy the Circle of Magi can be? The amount of gold the nobility pays for enchanted goods would overflow a well. Many mages—particularly Lucrosians—are from good families, used to entertainments and the finer things in life... and Maker knows they can afford them. So why shouldn’t they indulge a little?

Besides, a few musicians and dancers and an elaborate dinner is nothing. There are a dozen acting troupes in Val Royeaux and Halamshiral who specialise in bringing plays and stories into Circle Towers. A little collapsible scenery, the right costumes, a sprinkle of artfully chosen scent, and they can transform a workshop into an enchanted forest, a cold courtyard into a war tent on the eve of battle, or a dining hall into a darkspawn lair.

It does the mages good, too. When you see the same dreary walls day after day, a change to the familiar is a taste of freedom.

When mages entertain themselves, now, that’s a sight. No mere “tricks” there. I’ve seen ones who could juggle fire into ice or breathe a word into one hand and release a song from the other. I once saw a mage build a cathedral out of playing cards, upside down, yet it was impossible to knock it over! Even a game of battledore and shuttlecock takes on a new dimension when the players can move objects with their minds.

It isn’t all idle entertainment, either; most mages I know are eager to put their hands to useful work. Those gorgeous wooden panels in the teyrn’s castle at Ostwick? The ones that show the Qunari Wars on the Waking Sea? All carved by an enchanter at the city’s Circle, over the ten years he spent there. More than a few palaces have benefited from the artistry of mages: tapestries, stained glass, anything that takes time and patience.

In some day, some knight-captains frowned on mages spending their time and magical power for “frivolous ends.” Frivolous? Any mage with enough fine control to keep an audience enthralled, or to build a mosaic of Andraste, has better mastery of their magic than one who only uses it to destroy. Leave the moralising to the revered mothers, my boy. It’s not for us to say how a person should stay occupied in their own home.”

as for the more specific festival traditions, i wouldn’t be surprised if city-based circle mages were asked to send talent to perform magic for some festivals. the fires on funalis, perhaps. and i wonder if the most lenient circles ever have some kind of templar mage role swap for the day on satinalia lmao. or at the very least have a little apprentice be first enchanter for the day. i wouldn’t imagine they have much of a coming of age for summerday because maturity is much more marked by your harrowing

[ashleywool]

health update/diatribe/infodump BUT THERE'S A CAT VIDEO AT THE END

Dearest reader: This should be a simple health update, but instead, it's an obnoxiously detailed info-dump written by the kind of person who knows more than most people about American health insurance but is still surprised at how it continues to find new and innovative ways to suck. If this is not the type of thing your brain or nervous system wants to wrap itself around, I don't blame you one bit, but if it is, I hope you'll at least walk away having learned something or being at least mildly entertained. If not, feel free to

SCROLL TO THE END FOR A HTDIO-ADJACENT CAT VIDEO!

When last we left our third-or-fourth-favorite mildly niche-famous T-list Broadway person, she was finally on the brink of getting a brain and pituitary MRI. This was supposed to happen on Friday.

But I wasn't allowed to get the MRI on Friday because Cigna's pre-authorization was still pending and there was nothing my doctor could do to escalate its urgency, nor could they withdraw the order. They couldn't do anything at all until the third-party organization that approves the pre-authorizations signed off on its medical necessity.

Look, I get it. This is an expensive and labor-intensive procedure, so they have to be thorough. I mean, sure, my doctor said it was medically necessary, and sure, they sent the additional clinical information to confirm its medically necessity, and sure, every order at every stage was marked as urgently medically necessary, and it was sent for processing on Monday, but how can they REALLY be sure it's medically necessary until my case is also reviewed by doctors who have NEVER seen me, and don't work weekends or holidays, and will get around to reviewing it at their own leisure? The folks at the radiology clinic rescheduled me in their next available spot and maintained that they'd contact me as soon as possible to fill any upcoming cancellation spots.

A ridiculous mildly annoying setback was that their next available appointment wasn't until July 26. They couldn't attempt to book me at any of the other dozens of clinics affiliated with this hospital network, because the pre-authorization is site-specific, which is like buying someone a gift card from the Starbucks on my block only to find out that they won't honor it at the Starbucks two blocks down perfectly reasonable, because I'm sure every site has differences that can't be perceived from a patient perspective.

Oh, and the existence of a pending pre-authorization prevented them from doing the MRI that day even if I'd had $8K in cash to pay out of pocket for the procedure. Which is perfectly reasonable, because why shouldn't American healthcare policy punish rich people too? I'm sure it's many flavors of unethical for one doctor to do something without the approval of another doctor even though the doctor whose approval it hangs on has NEVER SEEN ME.

One fellow in particular--I'll call him Quincy--gave me some insider info on how to prepare for the types of advocacy he's had to do in the past with this particular pre-authorization team, and which numbers to call and questions to ask. He isn't technically supposed to know this stuff and also isn't technically supposed to share it, but says he does it all the time anyway--hence why I'm keeping him anonymous. Quincy isn't his real name, but Quincy is a real one, and I took in his information like a medieval warrior selecting the choicest armor to prepare for battle the informed and fully compliant patient I strive to be.

Anyway, a few persistent phone calls later, a Cigna rep informed me that the middlemen would approve the pre-authorization for the MRI on the condition that I get the procedure done at a standalone radiology facility instead of a hospital-affiliated facility. Which is like buying someone a gift card that could only be honored at Starbucks kiosks located inside Target stores, but not at a standalone Starbucks or anywhere else in Target perfectly reasonable, I know the insurance companies don't wanna have to spend hospital prices any more than I do. So I spent a great deal of time yesterday looking up non-hospital-affiliated radiology clinics that were in-network.

I made an appointment with one clinic for Thursday. But I also made an appointment request at a different clinic for Monday morning, just in case they could see me sooner--because I knew this clinic didn't accept Medicare or Medicaid, and were therefore exempt from the requirement of third-party pre-authorization. (Pro-tip: even if you do have Medicare or Medicaid, always try to bypass pre-authorization for diagnostic procedures, especially if you have a particularly high in-network deductible--it's entirely possible that paying out of pocket for a service at an out-of-network provider could cost less than the amount you'd have to pay towards your deductible at at in-network facility. American math.)

THIS MORNING, I woke up at 8am to a phone call from the latter clinic, saying that if I sent them the doctor's prescription, they could pre-authorize the procedure and see me tomorrow. So that's what I did...and then I got an email saying that they couldn't accept a prescription for an MRI with and without contrast because they don't have contrast at that facility. Which is like finally securing a coveted reservation at an elite steakhouse only to find out they don't season their steak or even have steak sauce perfectly reasonable, because not everyone needs contrast, but I do, so that place was out.

But as far as I've been told, Thursday's appointment should go off without a hitch as long as I call EviCore (the pre-authorization middlemen) tomorrow morning to tell them all about the not-hospital that will be giving me a not-hospital-priced MRI, so that they can grant the pre-authorization at long last.

Perhaps if I plead my case and bat my eyes at them real cute-like through the phone, they'll give me some other reason why it's actually not medically necessary for me to know definitively whether or not I have a literal brain tumor I can get seen even sooner than Thursday.

FUNNY STORY THOUGH...

A couple weeks ago I was talking to a friend from church who was going through a lot of the same stuff as I was, and I was like "idk, maybe get your cortisol checked?" and lo and behold, he messaged me back a few days ago saying that he'd found a new doctor and asked him to do just that, and WITHIN A DAY his doctor ordered ALL the labs I'd fought for (serum blood cortisol, low-dose dexamethasone suppression test, 24-hour urine, saliva, etc.) AND an MRI for suspected Cushing's.

And he completed ALL OF THAT within a week.

Although he did have to suffer for quite a while before I floated the possibility of Cushing's, just like my friend Alan had to suffer for years before his own endocrinologists floated the possibility of Cushing's. Still, they both got that MRI the second it WAS floated, without a fight, and I'm genuinely happy for them.

But I can't help wondering how much quicker and easier this whole process would have been for me if I were a man. Or if I was neurotypical. Or if I still had a choice about whether or not to disclose being autistic. But mostly if I were a man.

THIS IS THE END! HERE IS THE HTDIO-ADJACENT CAT VIDEO YOU WERE PROMISED!

I'm fostering my friends' exquisite tuxedo princessfloof for a few weeks. Chevy and Tex are being very accommodating foster siblings, but she's much younger and is used to being the only pet, so naturally it took her a while to acclimate.

But there was one thing she took to immediately: the How to Dance in Ohio fidget spinner.

[vooruitmariek]

Holiday card designs In love with the medieval manuscript creatures (need to draw more of them)

[d34dpulse]

Official BakuDeku content because the brain rot is rotting

This is 4 silly funsies btw so if u don't ship bakudeku plz don't jump me :(

Official Ship Art

One of Horikoshi's assistants Noguchi (@/nstime23) posts A LOT of bakudeku art on their twt which, since she publicly works on the manga and Horikoshi follows her account, he definitely knows she makes this.

In BNHA Smash, an official spin-off of BNHA that's approved by Horikoshi and made by another one of his assistants, Hirofumi Neda, there's a running joke that Deku is a yandere who stalks Katsuki and is obsessed with him "noticing him", even blushing when Katsuki praises him.

To promote the new movie, Horikoshi drew Katsuki dressed as Godzilla and Izuku dressed as Mothra. In the Godzilla series, Godzilla and Mothra are a couple and are referred to as the king and queen of monsters.

Katsuki calls himself Kacchan before killing himself for him... Speaks for itself.

When Tomura kills Katsuki, he specifically said that he did it because of Izuku's "sheer fury" when he nearly killed him, funny since Tomura not only hurt but killed other people Izuku was close to.

In a set of official licensed poker cards for the series. Izuku represents the Ace of Hearts, Katsuki represents the Ace of Diamonds and together, they represent the King of Hearts.

Medieval AU

In the outro song for the second season of the anime (Datte Atashi no Hero), the songwriter Risa Oribe said that the lyrics are Izuku’s true feelings for Katsuki and with lyrics like “If you're facing a monumental effort, one that comes once in a lifetime, I want to be there to see it” and “No matter how many fools there are in this world, I'll always be by your foolish side” it sorta speaks for itself lol.

Also, in the cover page of Chapter 214, it shows that All Mights buster sword from the original fantasy spread has been split in two, and that Katsuki and Izuku are each wielding the two halves.

Steampunk AU

In the mobile game, they celebrated the 3rd anniversary of the game by having a plot with Izuku convincing Katsuki to celebrate their anniversary. Doing this event would give you a bunch of heart balloons and flowers with a number 3 balloon.

For the 2020 Steampunk-themed popularity poll art (the cover of Chapter 293), Izuku and Katsuki seem to be wearing each other's shoes for some reason.

Sakura Season Stuff 🌸

For the first image, there's a superstition in Japan that if you catch three sakura petals while they're falling, your wish for love will come true, but you need to be with your crush at the time for it to work.

For the second image, cherry blossoms generally represent new beginnings which makes perfect sense with these two, because after years of rivalry, they're now friends and deeply care for each other, especially since this came out around the same time as chapter 424, where the war they fought together in is now officially over and they're starting their second year of UA together.

White Day

For anyone like me who has never heard of this, White Day is a holiday in Japan that takes place on the day after Valentine's Day, where you're supposed to give someone you love gifts to repay them for giving you gifts on Valentine's Day. Now, with this context, look at their matching white day cards where one has a bag of cookies and the other has a tray of them.

[yiddishknights]

Please allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite Renaissance manuscripts, BnF Hébreu 586. It's a Yiddish Sefer minhagim, or book of religious customs, created in Italy in the early 16th century. The book describes the customs and traditions associated with various Jewish holidays. Although such Yiddish-language books were not uncommon in the medieval and Renaissance periods, this one is unique for its illustrations, which were clearly done by an amateur artist and cover 94 of the manuscript's 120 folios. While many 19th and 20th century scholars were dismissive of the artwork, which they described as ugly or crude, I think they give the manuscript a lot of its charm.

Art historian Diane Wolfthal notes that, while many of the illustrations depict the actions described in the text, this is not always the case. Sometimes, as with the card game pictured above, the illustrations are not directly related to the text. It seems that the scribe/illustrator chose to focus on the most joyous and vibrant aspects of Jewish ritual. As Wolfthal writes, the illustrations "envision Jewish customs from the scribe’s viewpoint and construct an idyllic vision of Jewish society."

A Hebrew list of names and important dates at the back of the book suggests that it was probably privately owned and passed down through generations of a family. The scribe/illustrator may have been a member of the family and produced it for personal use.

Above is a selection of a few of my favorite illustrations which have clearly legible captions. These read, from top to bottom:

fol. 1r: "דיא שפילן קרטן אם ראש חדש" ["They play cards on Rosh Chodesh."]

fol. 4r: "דיא געבן סדר" ["They are giving a seder."]

fol. 8r: "דיא לײאן אין דער ספר תורה" ["They are reading the Torah."]

fol. 22r: "דיא מכן הבדלה" ["They are making havdalah."]

fol. 73r: "דער אישט אין דער סוכה" ["He is in the sukkah."]

There are so many more interesting illustrations in this book that I could not include, so I highly recommend flipping through it yourself!

Sources

Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS Héb. 586

Diane Wolfthal, Picturing Yiddish: Gender, Identity, and Memory in the Illustrated Yiddish Books of Renaissance Italy, Brill, 2004.

[mrstellmeafuckingsecret]

*clears throat*

my dads side of the fam owns a house in the south of France and I spend all my summers there

I went to London last month and it fucking slapped and I went to see hamilton

I've never gotten less than a 1.4 average on any report card in my life ever and that's not about to change

I'm going to England again this year to visit family

also my mum wants to go on holiday w us in the summer too but idk where yet lol

I've been taking uni courses for almost a year and a half now and it's so fucking fun

my family has an old family crest from the medieval times

pls donate 2 me im poor 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[scarfacemarston]

I went No Contact from my birth family a loooong time ago and we live pretty distantly from the most conservative in-laws so I'm personally doing fine this particular holiday weekend, but I saw your post and I'm *trying* to interact more with folks when I'm free and have the spoons, and I'd love to help distract if you're stuck with unpleasant company--I remember how holidays with toxic family are. You are not alone!

So for asks... I remembered those traditional "anniversary gift" themes recently and I think they would have been a thing in the early 1900s in America if I understand the history correctly? (I am not a historian so apologies if I am way off base.) Either way, I was wondering if you think Abigail and John would like to partake in those sort of things, whatever was established tradition, or do you think they'd prefer to have less-traditional celebrations or gifts?

I'm so sorry you've had family struggles. It sounds like you're doing better now, but that doesn't erase the pain of it happening in the first place. Thank you for reaching out. It's so appreciated. <3 As for your question:

It took a while for me to look this up because there is so little information on the topic! I even went academic and went through sites like JSTOR. (It's a vast database.)

So we have a problem to start with. This is a question about social history, which is essentially any history that is not about a rich, white, Christian man. They were written about in "traditional history." The problem is that social history is difficult to study as the "other" (that's the legitimate term) does not leave as many records. Suppose you want to write about another race, gender, working class, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. In that case, you have to be prepared to research outside of the box and go against the grain, as historians call it. Therefore, researching anything about the RDR gang can be super challenging. Abigail and John are from the "Wild West" and were working class, so there isn't much information on people like them. However, we do have shopping trends from middle-class people to give us clues.

Anniversaries, as we know them, didn't seem to be widely celebrated until around 1910. Hallmark, a really popular card company, helped boost anniversaries with their cards. They opened up in the 1920s. The jewelry boom of the 1940s also encouraged people to buy jewelry for people's anniversaries.

That is not to say that no one ever celebrated anniversaries. Multiple sites mention Medieval people celebrating it, but it does not appear as prevalent an event until very late in the Victorian era/early Edwardian era. Abigail and John were on the cusp of that timeline, with John dying in 1911.

Now, Valentine's Day seemed to be a far larger ordeal. Many Valentine's Day cards and ads for Valentine's Day gifts exist. That has a long history and was celebrated at that time. I'd be shocked if John and Arthur didn't see Bessie and Hosea celebrate it. (They could have also celebrated their anniversary, who knows.) Same with Dutch if he was super serious with Anabelle. I think Jake and Sadie could have celebrated something similar; it just seems to be in Jake's personality. I think it's possible that Arthur celebrated Valentine's Day with Mary and later John with Abigail. (Of course, Dutch with Anabelle or Molly, Bessie and Hosea, and Jake and Sadie.)

I know that may not be the answer you were looking for, but it was what I could find. Let me know if you want links to my sources. They're nothing fancy.

[grimvestige]

Mixed Grab Bag of OC Asks!

Let's do this!! Send a number + an OC to my ask box and I'll answer!

I'll tag a few of my OCs I want to talk about, but you can ask about any of mine!

If you're going to reblog an ask meme be nice and send one or two to the person you reblogged it from <3

---

What is their gender/sexuality/pronouns? How did that come about for them?

What event has shaped their present view of the world the most?

What is their most important personal value/ethos? (I.e. do they value strength, determination, etc etc)

If they're not aro, how do/did they fall in love? Quickly? In and out? Drawn to a specific trait?

What are their flaws and do you want to see them work through them?

Share a song from their playlist and talk about how it reminds you of them/interpret the lyrics/etc! Drop the whole playlist link too if you're comfy >:]

Who is the most important person in the world to them?

What are your character's pet peeves?

What kind of clothing are they most comfortable in?

What does your OC do to relax or take care of themselves?

What can lead/tempt them to making poor decisions?

Gamer AU time! What do they play? How are they at it?

Modern/Medieval AU time! (Take the opposite of whatever they currently are) What is their job? How are they living?

Which deadly sin are they most guilty of? (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth)

Which virtue do they demonstrate the most? (chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility)

Assign them a tarot or other divination card! Talk about why!

What is your character's go to meal on a busy day?

Do they like/dislike the holidays? Why?

What do they like to read? If they don't like to read, what do they prefer and why?

What's one wrong assumption people make about this character a lot? Either IRL or in their world.

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

And that's a wrap! From the 27th to the 30h of December I have a set of Dead Dove fics and taboo relationship fics lined up for posting. Enjoy your holidays, and have a virtual hug from me if it's not turning out the way you hoped it would be. Cheers!

Minors DNI/🔞

Christmas fic requests:

12th December – Aegon the Conqueror x Fem. Reader: Gift giving/part 1

13th December – Aemon the Dragonknight x Fem. Reader: The first snowfall

14th December – Balerion (the deity) x Fem. Reader: Gift giving/part 2

15th December – Modern! Beleg x Fem. Reader: Christmas morning breakfast

16th December – Modern! Celebrimbor x Reader: Secret Santa

17th December – Elrond x Fem. Reader: Snowball fight

18th December – Modern! Eönwë x Modern! Tulkas: Mistletoe

19th December – Fëanor x Fem. Reader : Twas the night before Christmas

20th December – Modern! Fingon x Reader: Hot chocolate and marshmallows

21st December – Glorfindel x Ecthelion: Winter Solstice

22ndDecember – Modern! Mairon x Fem. Reader: Baking

23rd December – Modern! Thranduil x Reader: Snowman

Winter Prompts for the @ainursecretsanta side event, and inspired by these prompts created by @cilil

12th December – Candles and light: Varda x Uinen

13th December – Decorating: Tevildo x Thû

14th December – Gift giving: Makar x Meássë

15th December – Hope: Estë x Elrond | Elrond x Celebrian

16th December – Letters and cards: Eönwë x Arien

17th December – Memories: Medieval! Melkor x Medieval! Manwë

18th December – Mistletoe: Aulë x Yavanna

19th December – Regrets and resolutions: Maedhros x Tulkas

20th December – Reindeer and sleighs: Vána x Nessa

21st December – Songs and carols: Gothmog and the Balrogs

23rd December – Ugly sweaters: Modern! Námo x Modern! Vairë

Whimsy's Christmas pick-a-gift special