#questseekers

[myquestformeestaceesm]

Grumpy hedgehog...

[youhadmeathohoho]

Does this movie have a good name?

With Love, Christmas is a bad, forgettable name for this movie, which ought to have been called Dear Secret Santa, but unfortunately Hallmark already used up that name for a Tatyana Ali vehicle back in 2014:

You know guys, that was three whole years ago, since which time you’ve made approximately eight hundred more Christmas movies, so we would actually have allowed you a little recycling.

Are we located in a small, picturesque, snow-covered town?

Yep. The action takes place in a charming Connecticut hamlet straight out of Gilmore Girls. I don’t understand whether the protagonist’s workplace, Farnsworth Advertising, has its HQ here too, or if she travels to a nearby city for work or something. I could find out by watching the movie again, but the thing is that I do not want to watch the movie again. 

Is the lead character’s name festive?

Do you find the name Melanie Welch festive? Well? Do you??

How busy is said lady?

You wouldn’t understand how it feels to be pitching for the crucial Christmas campaign for phone company Evergreen Mobile, while also being told by everyone around you that you are “too nice”, while also needing to find the perfect Secret Santa gift for some guy in your office you don’t know, while also trying to get promoted to the position of Creative Director, while also looking after a cat called Mittens. But it feels busy, I tell you!

How are everyone’s Christmas Spirit levels?

Melanie is into Christmas - you know, the way ladies are:

However! Her standoffish colleague, Donovan, is not!

Non-exhaustive list of Donovan’s Scrooge-like leanings:

Nicknamed “Frosty the Snowman” by a co-worker.

Announces early on that “the only thing magical about Christmas are the sales numbers”.

Doesn’t eat sugar.

Maybe Donovan has some bad yuletide memories from his childhood?

Melanie and Donovan’s different levels of commitment to Christmas come in useful though, when they’re thrown together to work on the aforementioned advertising pitch. Melanie brings the heart, and Donovan brings the male model blankness:

And what do you know? - they win the pitch! It’s a Christmas miracle!

Is this movie bang on trend?

This movie is so modern, it picks up right where You’ve Got Mail left off, just nineteen years ago!

You see, Melanie draws Donovan’s name in the office Secret Santa. But because Donovan is a man of mystery she doesn’t know what to get him, so Melanie super-stalks him - involving setting up a special e-mail account from which to message him:

Things progress, and while Melanie is still trying to figure out whether Donovan would prefer socks or soap-on-a-rope, it starts to get pretty deep:

All this secret sexting with Santa opens Donovan up to the true meaning of Christmas, and he ends up all: UR HOT WANNA B MY GF?

Note: Donovan’s e-mail address is donovan@farnsworthadvertising.com, in case you’d like to flirt with him via the ‘QuestSeek’ e-mail interface; but bear in mind that - spoiler warning! - he does end up with Melanie, and is fictional.

Does anything magical or supernatural happen?

My maths isn’t great, but it seems like an extraordinary coincidence that in the whole advertising agency, Melanie gets Donovan as her Secret Santa, and Donovan gets Melanie. YAY FATE!

Does a misunderstanding threaten the lady’s path to Happy Ever After with the man?

Indeed! Donovan is suspicious at first that Melanie is his Secret Santa. That is until she uses the ‘delayed email feature’ on the new Evergreen mobile phone, which allows her to send Donovan a message while they are face-to-face, so he concludes it can’t possibly be from her.

BUT, Melanie’s so good at throwing him off the trail that he then decides that the co-worker he’s crushing on over e-mail must actually be this chick called Alicia:

And then he literally asks Alicia out and goes on a date with her and there’s no way this can work out which is really mean of Hallmark because Alicia’s NOT EVEN A BAD PERSON! Poor Alicia.

Any missed opportunities?

Why isn’t Alicia a bad person? She has black hair and red lips FFS - make her at least a tad stuck-up.

We only get to see the last 5 seconds of the advert Melanie and Donovan make together. We don’t even get to see them filming it! Owww I want to see it, it hurts :(

I really wish someone at the office party had pushed someone else into the cupcakes in the foreground:

Does anyone make a good face?

Like, constantly!

Best dialogue?

“Santa, I think we should meet.”

On reflection, is this movie about Christmas?

Sure!

Overall rating?

[puzzled-pegasus]

At the request of a random citizen, I will make the List Of Stupid Pretentious NightWing Names :3

Truthful

Oxymoron

Catastrophe

Cacophony

Reasonable

Unfathomable

Immeasurable

Legendwriter

Raze

Amiable

Paradox

Fearsome

Practical

Comettail

Frantic

Phantom

Phobia

Agony

Solemn

Oathholder

Oracle

Retrospect

Afterthought

Unassuming

Storyteller

Soulseller

Enamor

Endearing

Questseeker

Mindhealer

Thankful

Gratitude

Cadence

Capable

Precocious

Silvertongue

Diamondcrusher

Sonnet

Synesthesia

Condolence

Confidence

Adventurous

Valor

Justice

NightWing ocs are really fun to name bc you can literally name them after any concept as long as its a big smart sounding word

Or you could just name it a made up compound word like shadowclaws or smth

The only limit is your vocabulary

Should I make a list of goofy pretentious ones? i think i will

[myquestformeestaceesm]

Sprinkles on one of his Quests, with his friend Lola...  This latest quest is to track down the Meesteecal Blue Butterfly With Pink Spots. See if you can help him find it...

[myquestformeestaceesm]

Sprinkles getting ready for the day. Look at how he is so organized, he has his own checklist and everything.                               Follow for more at: My Quest For Meestaceesm

[myquestformeestaceesm]

What is “Meestaceesm”?

It’s imagination that asks: What could happen? It is a another form of puzzling beauty It is a rainbow without thorough description It is the essence of all good stories It is the glimmer of a glass marble It is the pattern of clouds in the sky It is tiny magic, in which we marvel It is in the little things that fast go by But while they last, oh!, such charm... And such a gift to all... Who can see them... Along with silliness bringing no harm I call this essence “Meestaceesm”.

                                              ---Ava Nerio (My Quest For Meestaceesm)

[myquestformeestaceesm]

The Fairy Music

I heard their music in misty air in cricket clicks from everywhere A swaying sound as soft as earth it sounded of sorrow, it sounded of mirth. I wandered out, I don’t recall when... I heard a melody... Not of Men... Drums and claps, they kept in time with voices singing all in rhyme accompanying flutes and stringed machines played by capable ethereal beings I saw not one but heard them all in a time and place... I don’t recall... I felt I was lifted but I grew not in height in this light of day, on this wondrous night! And what a Wonder! Such a Peace... Such Sorrow I felt, when the music ceased... I wish I had but remembered a tune the sounds that did make my spirit swoon. Earthly music does not come close compared to the rings I now crave most Oh the Joy I felt when I was there! Without pain, and without care! The steadiness and sweetened tones ... by which I knew I was not alone. They sang of love in purest form then sang of quarrels in their storms small things in their biggest state the smallness in a vast long fate... Yes, I will find the music and when I do I will write it down to give to you.

                      ---Ava Nerio (My Quest For Meestaceesm)

[myquestformeestaceesm]

Sprinkles and Quincy have discovered an Ancient Map... They are trying to figure out if it has anything to do with their Quest.... Guess who had to clean it up!? Haha Let’s wish them luck! Here is a Poem:

The Meesteecal Map

Sprinkles was out with a net in his paw to find the butterflies, and to catch them all when he suddenly spotted, perched on a map the Pesky-Blue-Butterfly whom he tried to slap with his little mesh net, with a handle of brass but away flew the Butterfly, far away from his grasp but “What’s this, A Map?” said Sprinkles so calm he held it up high, then flat on his palms he observed the lines and markings so faint and the colors that looked of a fine inky paint This is ANCIENT he thought, then he took it inside this needs investigation, is what he did decide Then Quincy came along with his bunny ears erect and at Sprinkles’ desk he did want to inspect. Together they got started, and fetched lanterns and pens and little brass magnifying lens for it had grown dark and they wanted to know if it was Meestaceesm from this map would flow.                                          ---Ava Nerio (My Quest For Meestaceesm)