#yuletide letter 2021

[naryrising]

So you like imaginary fandoms...

With the recent success of Goncharov, I thought I'd make a post to mention some of the previous times this has happened in fandom, and a brief explanation and some links on how you can find works for them. I don't claim that this is a comprehensive list, it's just ones that came to me off the top of my head based on several decades of fandom involvement.

Ghost Soup Infidel Blue. Originates from the annual Yuletide exchange, specifically a post by liviapenn in 2007 that used it as a default fandom to help explain how to write 'dear author' letters. The relevant quote (meant to illustrate the kind of letter that would be too specific) was "'Bad: "I would like a Ghost Soup story where Luke makes out with Angela's clone and Angela gets mad and seduces Moira just to make Luke mad, and then Ryan and Luke duel to the death with their lightsabers and it ends up in an Angela/Angela's clone/Moira threesome. And Ryan feels really bad and flies off to Mars forever."" Consensus is that it is a sprawling space opera anime series, something like Gundam or Macross, with many sub-parts and spin-offs. Part of the dynamic of Ghost Soup 'fandom' is people arguing in the notes and comments about the continuity or quality of these various spinoffs (e.g. Purple is reputed to be bad, but some people will staunchly defend it just to be contrary.) Deliberate wank and badfic is part of the humour. You can read the Fanlore post about Ghost Soup here and find works for it and its related fandoms here

Winterblumensaat. Again, this comes out of Yuletide, specifically a nomination in 2021 for what was strongly suspected to be a nonexistent German book. The nominator's sister found it in a flea market! It very definitely was real! They couldn't provide any evidence or a photo of the book, but they promise it was definitely a real book! Despite being rejected from Yuletide nominations as not having any basis in reality, it has nevertheless had some fics written for it. The AO3 tag is merged into Original Work, so you can find them by searching in Original Work for Winterblumensaat (results here). It seems to be a moody, dark mid-century European novel, with characters named Florientina, Mailia, Schnail, and Markus. A related non-existent fandom with the same origin story is Nur die Sonne - Maria Moßer, but this has only attracted one work so far (a crossover with Winterblumensaat).

Cordelia (Movie Poster). In 2020 a movie poster for the movie Cordelia came out that inspired fandom in ways probably not intended by the movie's creators. While the actual movie Cordelia is a contemporary horror/thriller, the poster gave people the impression that it might be about Victorian femdom with pegging. Needless to say, they were disappointed by whatever was in the actual film, and made up fic based on what they thought the poster was about instead. Currently ALL works in the Cordelia (2020) tag on AO3 are actually about the poster and not the movie.

Invisible Ficathon. In 2014 an exchange called Invisible Ficathon ran, which was based around "stories that never were". Nominated "canons" had to be nonexistent fictional works referenced in another work. Examples given included "The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes - Joan Watson" (from Elementary), "The Itchy and Scratchy Show" (from The Simpsons), the books in Lucien's library in The Sandman that only exist in dreams, and so on. The collections on AO3 contain 71 works for nonexistent fandoms. Alas that this exchange only ran once, because it was a fun concept. I think with the renewed interest in Goncharov, it would be ripe for revival.

[liminal-zone]

fanfic round up 2023

(2021, 2022)

LIST OF FANWORKS

Posted

Crave (LOTR | haladriel | tentacles and rings of power | rated E)

somewhere in the haze (LOTR | Celeborn/Sauron | mutual stockholm syndrome | rated M)

taking me with your song (The Little Mermaid (2023) | Ariel/Eric, Ariel/Ursula | tentacles and possession and mindfuckery | rated E)

can't escape the ghost of you (The 100 | clexa, clarke/the judge | being fucked by the divine wearing the face of your dead lover is better than therapy | rated M)

Eating fire (SPN | Claire Novak | the girl who was castiel grieves for her fathers | rated T)

Bound (SPN | megstiel | a demon and her angel | rated NR)

uncharted territory (Supergirl | supercorp | the dangers of being hated by a luthor | rated M) (technically, just chapter 4 counts for 2023)

nothing can go wrong when you're in love (Nimona (2023) | Nimona/Gloreth | when your boss’ boyfriend looks like your ex, ugh! | rated Gen)

through a father’s eyes (Narnia | King Lune | dads gotta dad | rated Gen)

atomic blonde (Narnia, LOTR | Susan/Eowyn | it’s not the first time a power beyond understanding ripped Susan away from her home to fight in another world’s war | rated M)

Beware how you give your heart (LOTR | haladriel | a fourth age haunting | rated M) (a wip!!)

a little touch in the night (LOTR | haladriel | a love letter in tiny bites | rated T)

+three yuletide offerings to be revealed in January!

WIPS

MCU: the king and queen of Asgard wrt Valkyrie/Carol Danvers

MCU: the final conclusion of my winterbaron sugar daddy fic

LOTR: Doriath trash party wrt Melian/Galadriel

LOTR: “Sauron becomes a tree”

LOTR: dark Galadriel/Samwise and their garden of the world

LOTR: healing generational trauma with fourth age Arwen and her peepaw

The Matrix: Trinity and Smith as mirrors

Good Omens: Crowley haunted by his angel

Star Wars: A really scandalous dinluke sex pollen

Total number of completed works/fandoms written in: fifteen completed works in 2023 for a total of just over 32k words; six LOTR, two SPN, two Narnia, the rest sundry & various.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: ::taps the top of this car:: you can put so much monsterfucking in this bad boy, jfc.

PERSONAL FAVORITE: Getting unblocked by the most unlikeliest of sources and FINISHING MY SUPERCORP HATESEX. uncharted territory finished FIVE YEARS LATER. This has been a weight on my shoulders for years; I always knew it ended with a sadistic Lex Luthor torturing Kara (oop), but it was time passing and The Flash (2023) that got me where I needed to be to get that banged out. I’m really really pleased how that ended, and that I actually can finish a WIP.

MOST UNDERAPPRECIATED: Bound is really exceptional. It was part of my WIP amnesty week, and a revisitation and remix of a meg masters fic I wrote in 2013 after I had a terrible life-altering accident. My favorite 2023 additions are how she can only speak in the language of Sodom at the end. It’s not a GREAT fic, but I really love Meg and I love Meg & Castiel.

MOST POPULAR: Definitely Nimona (nothing can go wrong when you're in love) with 1,200+ kudos. Y’all, the teen/gen fic in younger fandoms hits hard. OOPS. re: my deeply funny stats for the little mermaid tentacles fic with over 3k hits and 86 kudos. AHAHHAHAH. welp.

STORY WITH THE SEXIEST MOMENT: OKAY, so this is sexy specific to me: in Crave, Galadriel taunts Sauron about how he has to fuck Ar-Pharazôn (a mini love letter to my beloved 5ummit!) and this, to me, is everything: “And you’ll never enjoy Ar-Pharazôn’s little prick again,” she says, drinking in the horror of his recent memories, a soured scheme. “Your play at feigned pleasure in service to a base creature will be ash in your mouth now. You will only think of the taste of my cunt with his cock shoved in your whore mouth.” The crass words burn on her lips but she can sense how he trembles, even in this form. “You’ll hunger for the taste of me. And when he’s dead, when you’ve sucked the miserable mortal life out of him, you’ll never take a lover again for the rest of your unnatural life,” she says. “You know where your dick should be sheathed. In me and no where else.”

MOST FUN STORY TO WRITE: Okay, I traveled for work a LOT this year and one night I was feeling down and angry about the world and asked on twitter that for every like, I’d write a soft haladriel headcanon and by the end of the night, i had the bulk of a little touch in the night and I was such a happy delighted lil soul. Such a highlight of the year.

HARDEST: A tie between Crave, which was writing on hard mode since I’m violently anti dominant Sauron (oop), and uncharted territory since I had been blocked for years.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: The delicious lush connection of Celeborn/Sauron in somewhere in the haze that STARTED AS A JOKE and now I’m full rarepair conspiracy theory into it.

DID YOU TAKE ANY RISKS IN WRITING THIS YEAR? Posting SPN in 2023, lol what was that. And neither of them explicitly destiel. Girl. Both tanked but I love those two fics.

MOST UNINTENTIONALLY TELLING STORY: Okay, one of my yuletides this year is really too close to something I’m working through in therapy. Oop.

FAVORITE LINES/SCENES: Okay literally everything in atomic blonde, that fic is nonstop bangers imho. I love this especially:

“Ah, there it is,” he replies. Stops, and turns to look into her eyes. To drink in her fury. “This isn’t your world, Daughter of Eve. Take your cursed horn and your beautiful face and take the little shieldmaiden too for all I care and leave Middle Earth to me. Grow old and find joy in women’s work.” He blinks, nonsense words emerging out of him: “In Christian Dior dresses and Chanel lipstick, in Italian leather handbags and silk nylons, in handsome British officers and those American boys who offer more than kisses, in the rumble of a Jaguar and the cries of healthy babies who do not fear war. Live and die on an island far, far away.” He blinks again. “I do not want you here.”

MY FAVE PART OF FANDOM IN 2023: Repeatedly saying “you hear me, baby? hold together” at the haladriel fandom like Han Solo does to the Millennium Falcon and we did! We made it another year!!! Let’s go, 2024!!!! (YOU HEAR ME, BABY. HOLD TOGETHER.)

2024 WRITING AMBITIONS: same as last year’s: Write more steadily and consistently. Get back into the drabble mode. Make time, take time, just do it. It doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, it just has to be creating something. The joy of creation is like nothing else. Chase that high.

2024 FICS ON THE IMMEDIATE HORIZON: Jan 1 - htp trash fic exchange Feb 3 - rffa exchange March - haladriel exchange!

[diana-fortyseven]

Look at this magnificent Yuletide tag set!

Time to plan your sign-up and start working on your letter. Yes, I'm also talking to myself here, but you should do it too. :)

Here are the Hitman fics that were written for Yuletide in 2023, 2022, and 2021! Yours could be part of the 2024 collection, as could be one written just for you!

Sign-ups open on Tuesday!

[brookston]

Holidays 12.17

Holidays

Accession Day (Bahrain)

Australian Christmas (in “Team Fortress 2”)

Clean Air Day

Cork Day (French Republic)

Day of Ancient Briton

Declaration of the Rights of Peasants Anniversary Day

Depp Movie Night

Druk Gyalpo National Day (Bhutan)

Flag Day (Kurdistan)

International Day To End Violence Against Sex Workers

International Jewish Book Day [5th Day of Tevet]

International Talk with a Fake British Accent Day

John Greenleaf Whittier Day

Kurdish Flag Day

Loki’s Birthday

MegaMan Day

National Day (Bahrain, Bhutan, Qatar)

National Device Appreciation Day

National Heroes and Heroines Day (Anguilla)

National Pensioners Day (India)

Pan American Aviation Day

Revolution and Youth Day (Tunisia)

The Simpsons Day

Sow Day (Orkney Islands)

Take a New Year’s Resolution to Stop Smoking

Wright Brothers Day

Yuletide Lad #6 arrives (Askasleikir or Bowl-Licker; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cookie Cutter Day

National Growler Day [dates varies]

National Maple Syrup Day

3rd Sunday in December

Hammock Day (Australia) [3rd Sunday]

Hang the Mistletoe Day [3rd Sunday]

3rd Sunday in Advent [2nd Sunday before Xmas] (a.k.a. ... 

Advent Sunday

Detinjci (Serbia)

Gaudete Sunday

Joy Sunday

Rose Sunday

Zoology Day [3rd Sunday]

Independence Days

Altavia (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

El Dorado (Declared; 2007) [unrecognized]

Ellesmere (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Zenrax (Declared; 1999) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Barbaras (Christian; Saint)

Begga (Christian; Saint)

Bergmann (Positivist; Saint)

Daniel the Prophet (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Babalu Aye (Healer of Deadly Diseases; Yoruba/Santeria)

Feast of the Fairy Godmothers

Hagoita Ichi (Sensoji Temple, Japan)

Josep Manyanet i Vives (Christian; Saint)

Lazarus of Bethany (Cuba; Christian; Saint)

Little Bird (Muppetism)

Martyrdom Day of Sri Guru Tag Bahadur Ji (Punjab, India)

Martyrdom of Hazrat Fatemeh (Iran)

Olympias the Deaconess (Christian; Saint)

O Sapientia (1st O Antiphon or Great Advent Antiphon; Christian) [O Wisdom; 1 of 7]

Paul Cadmus (Artology)

Paul César Helleu (Artology)

Procession of Agnios Dionysios (Greece)

Wivina (Christian; Saint)

Sacco & Vanzetti Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Saturnalia begins (Ancient Rome) [thru 12.23]

Saturnalia Day 1: Day of Saturn (Pagan)

Sloth Day (Pastafarian)

Sturm (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Friday the 17th (Unlucky Day; Italy) [Friday the 17th]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [32 of 32]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

All That Glitters or Baby, It’s Gold Outside (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 239; 1963)

An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser (Novel; 1925)

Behind the Green Door (Adult Film; 1972)

Boris Wheels and Deals or A Profit Without Honor (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 240; 1963)

Bosko’s Woodland Daze (WB LT Cartoon; 1932)

Chicken Little (Disney Cartoon; 1943)

Count Me Out (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

The Dark Crystal (Film; 1982)

Diamonds Are Forever (US Film; 1971) [James Bond #7]

The Front Page (Film; 1974)

Heart of a Dog, by Mikhail Bulgakov (Novel; 1925)

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Film; 2014) [Hobbit #3]

Hunky Dory, by David Bowie (Album; 1971)

King Kong (Film; 1976)

Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight (Short Story; 1938)

Laughter in the Dark, by Vladimir Nabokov (Novel; 1932)

Life on Mars, by David Bowie (Song; 1971)

Lighter Than Hare (WB MM Cartoon; 1960)

Magnolia (Film; 1999)

The Man Who Would Be King (Film; 1975)

Monster (Film; 2003)

Mother/Android (Film; 2021)

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (TV Special; 2008)

Nightmare Alley (Film; 2021)

Pappy’s Puppy (WB MM Cartoon; 1955)

Porky the Gob (WB LT Cartoon; 1938)

Rabid Rider (WB LT Cartoon; 2010)

Radio, Radio, by Elvis Costello, performed live on SNL instead of the approved Less Than Zero, getting himself banned (Song; 1977)

The Return of the King (Film; 2003) [Lord of the Rings #3]

The Simpsons (Animated TV Series; 1989)

Sleeper (Film; 1973)

Spanglish (Film; 2004)

Spider-Man: No Way Home (Film; 2021)

The Stand (TV Mini-Series; 2020)

Stuart Little (Film; 1999)

Symphony No. 8 (a.k.a. the Unfinished Symphony), by Franz Schubert (Symphony; 1865)

The Tender Bar (Film; 2021)

Tobacco Road, by Erskine Caldwell (Novel; 1932)

Tootsie (Film; 1982)

Trail of the Pink Panther (Film; 1982)

Iron: Legacy (Film; 2010)

The Wanting Seed, by Anthony Burgess (Novel; 1962)

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (Film; 1989)

Wind & Wuthering, by Genesis (Album; 1976)

Yes Man (Film; 2008)

Yogi Bear (Film; 2010)

Today’s Name Days

Jolanda, Lazarus, Viviana (Austria)

Dana, Danail, Danaila, Daniela (Bulgaria)

Hijacint, Lazar, Modest (Croatia)

Daniel (Czech Republic)

Albina (Denmark)

Rahel, Raili (Estonia)

Raakel (Finland)

Adélaïde, Gaël, Judicaël, Olympe (France)

Jolanda, Lazarus, Viviana (Germany)

Daniel, Dionysis, Iakhos (Greece)

Lázár, Olimpia (Hungary)

Lazzaro (Italy)

Brunhilde, Hilda, Teiksma (Latvia)

Drovydė, Jolanta, Mantgailas, Olimpija (Lithuania)

Inga, Inge (Norway)

Florian, Jolanta, Łazarz, Olimpia, Warwara, Żyrosław (Poland)

Daniel (Romania)

Varvara (Russia)

Kornélia (Slovakia)

Lázaro, Yolanda (Spain)

Stig (Sweden)

Daniel (Ukraine)

Eleazar, Lazar, Lazaro, Lazarus, Olympia, Orval, Orville, Storm, Stormie, Stormy, Wilbert, Wilberta, Wilbur (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 351 of 2024; 14 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 50 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 20 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Jia-Zi), Day 5 (Ji-You)

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

Hebrew: 5 Teveth 5784

Islamic: 4 Jumada II 1445

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

Julian: 4 December 2023

Moon: 28%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 15 Bichat (13th Month) [Bergmann]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 85 of 89)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 26 of 30)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 12.17

Holidays

Accession Day (Bahrain)

Australian Christmas (in “Team Fortress 2”)

Clean Air Day

Cork Day (French Republic)

Day of Ancient Briton

Declaration of the Rights of Peasants Anniversary Day

Depp Movie Night

Druk Gyalpo National Day (Bhutan)

Flag Day (Kurdistan)

International Day To End Violence Against Sex Workers

International Jewish Book Day [5th Day of Tevet]

International Talk with a Fake British Accent Day

John Greenleaf Whittier Day

Kurdish Flag Day

Loki’s Birthday

MegaMan Day

National Day (Bahrain, Bhutan, Qatar)

National Device Appreciation Day

National Heroes and Heroines Day (Anguilla)

National Pensioners Day (India)

Pan American Aviation Day

Revolution and Youth Day (Tunisia)

The Simpsons Day

Sow Day (Orkney Islands)

Take a New Year’s Resolution to Stop Smoking

Wright Brothers Day

Yuletide Lad #6 arrives (Askasleikir or Bowl-Licker; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cookie Cutter Day

National Growler Day [dates varies]

National Maple Syrup Day

3rd Sunday in December

Hammock Day (Australia) [3rd Sunday]

Hang the Mistletoe Day [3rd Sunday]

3rd Sunday in Advent [2nd Sunday before Xmas] (a.k.a. ... 

Advent Sunday

Detinjci (Serbia)

Gaudete Sunday

Joy Sunday

Rose Sunday

Zoology Day [3rd Sunday]

Independence Days

Altavia (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

El Dorado (Declared; 2007) [unrecognized]

Ellesmere (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Zenrax (Declared; 1999) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Barbaras (Christian; Saint)

Begga (Christian; Saint)

Bergmann (Positivist; Saint)

Daniel the Prophet (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Babalu Aye (Healer of Deadly Diseases; Yoruba/Santeria)

Feast of the Fairy Godmothers

Hagoita Ichi (Sensoji Temple, Japan)

Josep Manyanet i Vives (Christian; Saint)

Lazarus of Bethany (Cuba; Christian; Saint)

Little Bird (Muppetism)

Martyrdom Day of Sri Guru Tag Bahadur Ji (Punjab, India)

Martyrdom of Hazrat Fatemeh (Iran)

Olympias the Deaconess (Christian; Saint)

O Sapientia (1st O Antiphon or Great Advent Antiphon; Christian) [O Wisdom; 1 of 7]

Paul Cadmus (Artology)

Paul César Helleu (Artology)

Procession of Agnios Dionysios (Greece)

Wivina (Christian; Saint)

Sacco & Vanzetti Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Saturnalia begins (Ancient Rome) [thru 12.23]

Saturnalia Day 1: Day of Saturn (Pagan)

Sloth Day (Pastafarian)

Sturm (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Friday the 17th (Unlucky Day; Italy) [Friday the 17th]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [32 of 32]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

All That Glitters or Baby, It’s Gold Outside (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 239; 1963)

An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser (Novel; 1925)

Behind the Green Door (Adult Film; 1972)

Boris Wheels and Deals or A Profit Without Honor (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 240; 1963)

Bosko’s Woodland Daze (WB LT Cartoon; 1932)

Chicken Little (Disney Cartoon; 1943)

Count Me Out (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

The Dark Crystal (Film; 1982)

Diamonds Are Forever (US Film; 1971) [James Bond #7]

The Front Page (Film; 1974)

Heart of a Dog, by Mikhail Bulgakov (Novel; 1925)

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Film; 2014) [Hobbit #3]

Hunky Dory, by David Bowie (Album; 1971)

King Kong (Film; 1976)

Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight (Short Story; 1938)

Laughter in the Dark, by Vladimir Nabokov (Novel; 1932)

Life on Mars, by David Bowie (Song; 1971)

Lighter Than Hare (WB MM Cartoon; 1960)

Magnolia (Film; 1999)

The Man Who Would Be King (Film; 1975)

Monster (Film; 2003)

Mother/Android (Film; 2021)

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (TV Special; 2008)

Nightmare Alley (Film; 2021)

Pappy’s Puppy (WB MM Cartoon; 1955)

Porky the Gob (WB LT Cartoon; 1938)

Rabid Rider (WB LT Cartoon; 2010)

Radio, Radio, by Elvis Costello, performed live on SNL instead of the approved Less Than Zero, getting himself banned (Song; 1977)

The Return of the King (Film; 2003) [Lord of the Rings #3]

The Simpsons (Animated TV Series; 1989)

Sleeper (Film; 1973)

Spanglish (Film; 2004)

Spider-Man: No Way Home (Film; 2021)

The Stand (TV Mini-Series; 2020)

Stuart Little (Film; 1999)

Symphony No. 8 (a.k.a. the Unfinished Symphony), by Franz Schubert (Symphony; 1865)

The Tender Bar (Film; 2021)

Tobacco Road, by Erskine Caldwell (Novel; 1932)

Tootsie (Film; 1982)

Trail of the Pink Panther (Film; 1982)

Iron: Legacy (Film; 2010)

The Wanting Seed, by Anthony Burgess (Novel; 1962)

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (Film; 1989)

Wind & Wuthering, by Genesis (Album; 1976)

Yes Man (Film; 2008)

Yogi Bear (Film; 2010)

Today’s Name Days

Jolanda, Lazarus, Viviana (Austria)

Dana, Danail, Danaila, Daniela (Bulgaria)

Hijacint, Lazar, Modest (Croatia)

Daniel (Czech Republic)

Albina (Denmark)

Rahel, Raili (Estonia)

Raakel (Finland)

Adélaïde, Gaël, Judicaël, Olympe (France)

Jolanda, Lazarus, Viviana (Germany)

Daniel, Dionysis, Iakhos (Greece)

Lázár, Olimpia (Hungary)

Lazzaro (Italy)

Brunhilde, Hilda, Teiksma (Latvia)

Drovydė, Jolanta, Mantgailas, Olimpija (Lithuania)

Inga, Inge (Norway)

Florian, Jolanta, Łazarz, Olimpia, Warwara, Żyrosław (Poland)

Daniel (Romania)

Varvara (Russia)

Kornélia (Slovakia)

Lázaro, Yolanda (Spain)

Stig (Sweden)

Daniel (Ukraine)

Eleazar, Lazar, Lazaro, Lazarus, Olympia, Orval, Orville, Storm, Stormie, Stormy, Wilbert, Wilberta, Wilbur (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 351 of 2024; 14 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 50 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 20 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Jia-Zi), Day 5 (Ji-You)

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

Hebrew: 5 Teveth 5784

Islamic: 4 Jumada II 1445

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

Julian: 4 December 2023

Moon: 28%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 15 Bichat (13th Month) [Bergmann]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 85 of 89)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 26 of 30)

[daimonclub]

Christmas quotes

Christmas quotes and aphorisms Christmas great quotes and memorable aphorisms by The world of English, that is the English-Culture.com Blog and Carl William Brown. The purpose and cause of the incarnation was that He might illuminate the world by His wisdom and excite it to the love of Himself. Peter Abelard A woman spent all Christmas Day in a telephone box without ringing anyone. If someone comes to phone, she leaves the box, then resumes her place afterwards. No one calls her either, but from a window in the street, someone watched her all day, no doubt since they had nothing better to do. The Christmas syndrome. Jean Baudrillard Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones. This year especially I understand why. Queen Elizabeth II (December 2021) What kind of Christmas present would Jesus ask Santa for? Salman Rushdie Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home. G. K. Chesterton At Christmas we must all be more good-natured, not more stupid! Carl William Brown People can't concentrate properly on blowing other people to pieces if their minds are poisoned by thoughts suitable to the twenty-fifth of December.  Ogden Nash Midnight, and the clock strikes. It is Christmas Day, the werewolves birthday, the door of the solstice still wide enough open to let them all slink through. Angela Carter What life and death may be to a turkey is not my business; but the soul of Scrooge and the body of Cratchit are my business. G.K. Chesterton Whatever else be lost among the years, Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing; Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears, Let us hold close one day, remembering Its poignant meaning for the hearts of men. Let us get back our childlike faith again. Grace Noll Crowell The universal joy of Christmas is certainly wonderful. We ring the bells when princes are born, or toll a mournful dirge when great men pass away. Nations have their red-letter days, their carnivals and festivals, but once in the year and only once, the whole world stands still to celebrate the advent of a life. Only Jesus of Nazareth claims this world-wide, undying remembrance. You cannot cut Christmas out of the Calendar, nor out of the heart of the world. Anonymous Year of the lord 2023, this is the first Christmas without my mam who passed away in October, and I can assure you I am heartbroken, desolate, anguished, sad, melancholic and without much desire either to celebrate or to live. Carl William Brown I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.  Harlan Miller Scrooge went to the church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and for, and patted the children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of homes, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. Charles Dickens Even as an adult I find it difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve. Yuletide excitement is a potent caffeine, no matter your age. Terri Guillemets Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home.  Carol Nelson Any one thinking of the Holy Child as born in December would mean by it exactly what we mean by it; that Christ is not merely a summer sun of the prosperous but a winter fire for the unfortunate. G.K. Chesterton Christmas is just like your job. You do all the work and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit. Author Unknown I never believed in Santa Claus because I knew no white dude would come into my neighborhood after dark Dick Gregory

Great quotes and aphorisms on Christmas I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.  Charles Dickens Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves. Eric Sevareid Christmas is not a date. It is a state of mind. Mary Ellen Chase Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. Calvin Coolidge I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. Charles Dickens Anything that inspires unselfishness makes for our ennoblement. Christmas does that. I am all for Christmas. B.C. Forbes I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. David Grayson Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart. Washington Irving A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together. Garrison Keillor Call a truce, then, to our labors - let us feast with friends and neighbors, and be merry as the custom of our caste. For if "faint and forced the laughter," and if sadness follow after, we are richer by one mocking Christmas past. Rudyard Kipling Wretched excess is an unfortunate human trait that turns a perfectly good idea such as Christmas into a frenzy of last-minute shopping. Jon Anderson Santa Claus wears a Red Suit, he must be a communist. And a beard and long hair, must be a pacifist. What’s in that pipe that he’s smoking? Arlo Guthrie Christmas itself may be called into question, If carried so far it creates indigestion. Ralph Bergengren Christmas is a conspiracy to make single people feel lonely. Armistead Maupin There are some people who want to throw their arms round you simply because it is Christmas; there are other people who want to strangle you simply because it is Christmas. Robert Lynd Please to put a nickel, please to put a dime. How petitions trickle in at Christmas time! Phyllis McGinley This is the month, and this the happy morn, wherein the Son of heaven's eternal King, of wedded Maid and Virgin Mother born, our great redemption from above did bring. John Milton Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart ... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever. Bess Streeter Aldrich I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph. Shirley Temple Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. Norman Vincent Peale Christmas is a holiday that we celebrate not as individuals nor as a nation, but as a human family. Ronald Reagan Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance.  It may weave a spell of nostalgia.  Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.  Augusta E. Rundel Christmas gift suggestions:  To your enemy, forgiveness.  To an opponent, tolerance.  To a friend, your heart.  To a customer, service.  To all, charity.  To every child, a good example.  To yourself, respect.  Oren Arnold When you with velvets mantled o'er, Defy December's tempests frore, Oh! spare one garment from your store, To clothe the poor at Christmas. William Robert Spencer It is the most human and kindly of seasons, as fully penetrated and irradiated with the feeling of human brotherhood, which is the essential spirit of Christianity, as the month of June with sunshine and the balmy breath of roses.  George William Curtis 'Twas Christmas broach'd the mightiest ale; 'Twas Christmas told the merriest tale; A Christmas gambol oft could cheer The poor man's heart through half the year. Walter Scott Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish.  Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man has to be himself.  Francis C. Farley Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. Dale Evans Rogers Christ was born in the first century, yet he belongs to all centuries. He was born a Jew, yet He belongs to all races. He was born in Bethlehem, yet He belongs to all countries. George W. Truett God walked down the stairs of heaven with a Baby in His arms. Paul Scherer 'Twas Christmas broach'd the mightiest ale; 'twas Christmas told the merriest tale; a Christmas gambol oft could cheer the poor man's heart through half the year. Sir Walter Scott It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas when its mighty Founder was a child Himself. Charles Dickens Christmas is the time for looking ahead courageously through the gates of the swiftly approaching new year ... of resolving that the coming months will reflect a kinder, more forgiving and less heedless person than mirrored in the past. Ellen V. Morgan He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. Roy L. Smith Christmas began in the heart of God. It is complete only when it reaches the heart of man. Author Unknown Three phrases that sum up Christmas are:  Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men, and Batteries not Included.  Author Unknown

At Christmas everything is more beautiful I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.  Bernard Manning Merry Christmas! ... What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, and not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in 'em through a round dozen of months presented against you? If I would work my will ... every idiot who goes about with "Merry Christmas," on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Charles Dickens Christmas begins about the first of December with an office party and ends when you finally realize what you spent, around April fifteenth of the next year.  P.J. O'Rourke The message of Christmas is that the visible material world is bound to the invisible spiritual world. Author Unknown Christmas is for children.  But it is for grown-ups too.  Even if it is a headache, a chore, and nightmare, it is a period of necessary defrosting of chill and hide-bound hearts.  Lenora Mattingly Weber May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace, The gladness of Christmas give you hope, The warmth of Christmas grant you love. Author Unknown The spirit of Christmas is always near; it shines like a beacon throughout the year. Don't look in a store or high on a shelf, for sharing and giving are found in yourself. Author Unknown So stick up ivy and the bays, and then restore the heathen ways, green will remind you of the Spring, though this great day denies the thing, and mortifies the earth, and all, but your wild revels, and loose hall. Henry Vaughan From a commercial point of view, if Christmas did not exist it would be necessary to invent it. Katharine Whitehorn Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!  Charles Dickens There is no more dangerous or disgusting habit than that of celebrating Christmas before it comes. G.K. Chesterton Be merry all, be merry all, With holly dress the festive hall; Prepare the song, the feast, the ball, To welcome merry Christmas. William Robert Spencer I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old, familiar carols play, And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men! Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Wouldn't life be worth the living Wouldn't dreams be coming true If we kept the Christmas spirit All the whole year through? Author Unknown The universal joy of Christmas is certainly wonderful.  We ring the bells when princes are born, or toll a mournful dirge when great men pass away.  Nations have their red-letter days, their carnivals and festivals, but once in the year and only once, the whole world stands still to celebrate the advent of a life.  Author Unknown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrPV5qmP7FU Read also our other posts on Christmas  ; Christmas quotes ; 60 great Christmas quotes ; Christmas tree origin and quotes ;  Traditional Christmas Carols ; Christmas jokes ; Christmas cracker jokes ; Christmas food ; Christmas thoughts ; Christmas story ; Christmas in Italy ; Christmas holidays ; Christmas songs ; Christmas poems ; An Essasy on Christmas by Chesterton ; Read the full article

[subzeroiceskater]

I've had two years to process this and I'll be honest, as more time passed by I was actually more hurt by this.

It would have been one thing if OP had put in her character because she loved them and wanted to share them but there wasn't even an indication it was her character in description. I had to find what the hell was going in one of the comments and she answered one person's question saying I was the one requested it when I never did. But she has more views and coverage I'll only known as an afterthought -- person who requests other people's characters, apparently. It's not the presence of said OC, because if she had put it there because she wanted it to share them then that would've been great actually-- it's just being misrepresented so badly and being shown being so little care, and seeing so many other people love and praise that really fucked me up.

I fully recognize that it's my also fault for having a stupid long rambling list that apparently other people don't want to read. But it still fucking hurts to be misunderstood that badly, and then seeing other so many people just being happy or approving of it. I felt really fucking stupid and self-aware when writing my Yuletide letter because there I go again, with the rambling. How will I make the other people fuck this for me this time. It hurts to put down a part of yourself just to minimize of being hurt. Like if I ever keep doing Robot Rumpus, I don't think I'll ever go back to rambling journal style even if it's what the "truer" to my style because all I ever keep thinking is "don't do it, 2021 might happen again". I'm not letting that happen ever again.

That's why it was easier to believe that it was bots or spam than to believe there could be an actual person asking a genuine question about anything about me, much less about my character. No one actually would actually anything I do, because what would they? If it's not weirdly boring, it's just a confusing rambling mess.

If 2021 had happened again, like I get misrepresented or somebody put in their characters even if I hadn't asked for, I'd just like "well what did I expect?" I'd be disappointed, yeah, but I wouldn't be upset. I'd be too hardened and desentisized.

But that didn't happen, 2022, I ended up hurting myself purely because my own fault. It's like some Greek tragedy, at least from my end. A tragedy is only a tragedy because they might have been able to avert the circumstance but they couldn't, because of who they are as a person.

If RR 2021 had hurt me, RR 2022 absolutely devastated me.

Not because they had been careless and absentminded with their work, it hurt because they were so careful and mindful.

Want to know what I really think about my RR2022 gift? That it was so kind. That it was so thoughtful and considerate. It tried so hard to be kind, tried its best, despite everything I fucked for it. And that fucking hurt like nothing else.

That's why I wish it had happened to someone else. I don't know, somebody more normal--not a fuckup prone to histrionics. If I had gotten another hurtful gift, I'd be all "whatever". I've experienced that shittiness before; I can handle again. If I had gotten a normal gift (and despite what I write, this is what I've been expecting), I'd just be like "thank you". Imagine being gifted by something you've always wished for, wanted to do, with the kindest intention, after feeling so broken and hurt... and it's just "unbearable tenderness". "What good is the sky to a creature who'll never do better than crawl?" It really like was meeting one of your favorite bands--how are you supposed to be go on from there? Would it have been never to experienced that--knowing it will never happen again?

"It's just a drawing." To you. For me it is. The Man of La Mancha. The cruelest bastard. Can't you see what your gentle... rob me of anger and give me despair. I just keep replaying "Aldonza" in my head while writing this because that's exactly how I feel. Listen, this is why I wish this had happened to someone normal. With no brain problems and normal, healthy reaction to things.

I was just looking for that funny December 10 comic to reblog because I noticed the date but instead I ended up posting stuff I've been thinking about these past year...or really couple of years.

I've got to finish this other stuff. I just don't want anyone to be hurt like the way I got hurt in RR 2021, but I fear that's possibly impossible. Then again, while I no doubt will disappoint some (all?) people I got on some level, I hope they never get hurt by me misinterpreting their wishlist that much. That really fucking hurt.

I'll never ever affect anyone the way RR 2022 did me, so no worries there,

I think the "put OCs in" could have stemmed from this?

"...A character you don't usually think about". It doesn't specify "original characters" and it's pretty obvious I use the term fan characters and not OCs.

Or maybe it was this bit

It doesn't look like a specific Tundra pairing, either. idk

It's just the wording implied that I specifically asked for OCs to be added but I only ever recalled asking for my own characters. And the presence was unexplained in the descriptions or tags until someone asked why in the comments so that's why I was really confused.

What I can figure is my wording so dense and unclear so it was half-remembered as "put your OCs in" instead.

NGL, after recent disappointments over my art, this is hitting me hard. Not only is YOUR ART BAD but YOUR WORDS WORSE, too.

Yeah, I was already thinking I was just gonna link the 2021's list but if there's gonna be a next time, I'll just make a simple bullet point list.

Maybe next time, Friskafield.

[azurefishnets]

Yuletide Letter 2021

Dear Author,

I’m excited to have you join me for this Yuletide Exchange! I hope you find something that resonates with you here. Feel free to mix and match as necessary; in all cases, all listed characters do not have to be included. In most cases, I've bulleted the ones I'm extra-interested in, but in all cases I've requested any nommed character and would be more than thrilled to get any nommed character.

It’s probably worth noting that I am far, far more interested, in general, in gen fills and missing moments than I am in ship dynamics. Exceptions will be noted in the prompts themselves, but otherwise, I prefer erring on the side of friendly.

LIKES:

worldbuilding (I love prompts where it's like, pick a character and toss them in a location and see what happens)

sensory details (textures and smells especially)

unusual interactions (anything from slice of life to full adventure!)

puns and wordplay

cool symbolism & unexpected parallels

relationship level ups, whether that means platonic bonding or friends-to-more, etc

non-mundane AUs (no coffee shop, school, etc

fandom crossovers or fusions (but taken seriously, not cracky unless specifically requested)

missing moments

emotional support/intimacy

OKAY WITH:

any tense

any amount of plot or none

out-of-the-ordinary story structures

any amount of dialogue from none to screenplay

character explorations

characters appearing that aren’t requested as long as it doesn’t go against my DNWs

DNWS:

any kind of consent issues whatsoever

non-requested romantic relationships

angst without a happy ending or at least some kind of resolution

infidelity

underage relationships, non-canon children

disrespect of the holy & symbol

pandemic stuff (mentions of fantasy illness are fine but please, I don't want fantasy Covid).

GHOST TRICK: PHANTOM DETECTIVE

Worldbuilding

Alma

Cabanela

Jowd

As always I’m really really feeling my OT3 love, so any amount of goodness with them would be great please and thank you. You can split them, you can write just two of them or one of them, that’s OK, as long as no infidelity is implied.

That said, explorations of the times when some or all of them were dead are just fine? Or if you focus on one person…those five years when each of them are alone are of big interest to me in a bunch of ways; I just really really like the various plays on being haunted in this and anything that explores more of that will have my interest…

Or, if romance isn't your bag, any of the other tagged characters are up for grabs and I would LOVE some worldbuilding about Temsik or the Azul country or any kind of unusual interaction between any character. Emma goes on a book signing tour in a foreign country? Missile meets Pigeon Man at last?

Preferred pairings, if necessary:

Alma/Cabanela/Jowd (or any permutation thereof

Fond of Lynne/Memry

Fond of Emma/Justice Minister

LEGEND OF HEROES: TRAILS IN THE SKY

Worldbuilding

Cassius Bright

Celeste D. Auslese

These games are all about the found family and I love it but I also adore the absolute whiplash from adorable fluffiness to profound existential wtf-ness. I would be more than OK with something that explored that, maybe in conjunction with the multiple suggestions we’ve had of cyclical times, forced charisma, a civilization predating the Great Collapse… I don’t know, anything exploring the Mistwald dreams, Phantasma (carnivorous omnivorous bookcases!), the Tetracyclic Towers, or the time on the Ark would be super cool. Interweavings and references to the other two continuities are also extremely cool. Especially now, with Worldbuilding being a viable tag, I REALLY want any worldbuilding thing you care to write. Would love to see anything you've got about Celeste D. Auslese and her time in the Hermit's Garden with any of the other characters. Ooh, especially construct-to-construct conversation like Celeste & Cassius, sort of behind-the-scenes...

Preferred pairings:

Mueller/Olivier

Kevin/Ries

Estelle/Joshua is OK to mention but would rather it not be the focus

Please, no spoilers for Reverie or Kuro.

LEGEND OF HEROES: CROSSBELL ARC

Worldbuilding

Any

In Zero/Ao, explorations of KeA’s powers juxtaposed with her innocence are always cool… as far as locations go, I’m fascinated with the Temple of Moon, the Tower of Stargaze, and the Ancient Battlefield. How are they linked with themselves, and with the rest of Zemuria? What’s the connection to Erebonia? Any of the tag set is fair game. You can throw any character at any location and that would be cool, or I really enjoy Lloyd dadding people / Sergei tired-uncling people / Dudley being a SUPER JUSTICE NERD at people...

Preferred pairings: No ships please from the nominated tags. Fond of Ilya/Rixia if it happens to come up.

Please, no spoilers for Reverie or Kuro.

HEAVEN'S VAULT

Worldbuilding

Any other tag

While I'm fine with any nommed character or indeed any character at all, I'm really really interested in the implied life and culture of the Nebula both past and present, the Loop as either the Ancients understood it or as the current population of the Nebula understands it... also really interested in locations/their hopper links/the gods and how these intersect. Fascinated with robots' Ethical Cores and what they will do versus what they won't do, and how the concept of gardens seems inextricably woven into the Ancients' lives but not so much in the present, especially on Iox... (at least on the surface! Badum-tsh!)

Would love to see more interactions or just reactions from Huang to some of what Aliya is learning, his thoughts on robots, his thoughts post-ending. Or Oroi, prickle prickle prickle, particularly after meeting Enkei or, similarly, after the end of the game. I'm also very interested in Heaven's Vault and the disconnect between what the Ancient's knew, what Enkei knew, and what Aliya knows.

FAR: LONE SAILS

Worldbuilding

Lone Henriksson

The atmosphere of this game is just so fascinating to me. Unlike Heaven's Vault above, there is only ONE path, and yet the pathos is real! I loved the ways Lone made the okomotive a little more personal, a little more like both a home and a friend combined. What does she think about? What are her reactions to some of the places she sees? What are her thoughts on being the last Henriksson with, presumably, the last okomotive her family built? The angst potential is strong...

Or examine the past a bit more... delve into the lore. The resort towns left high n' dry by the sea... a missing moment either in a town or with some of the last wildlife or during the part with oppidumotive, especially in the offices! If Lone could have stopped and looked around, what would she have learned about herself or her family? Or what would she have liked to avoid learning...

CARTO

Worldbuilding

Granny Maldpo

Any other tag

I am really fascinated by the culture of the Navigators and how they can change the world to suit themselves. Explorations of the limits of that power would be cool--can you do it from the airship to the lands below? Or the story chalet... mischief and discoveries with how the chalet is constructed. Would be interesting to throw Carto or puppies or Granny Maldpo at the story chalet man... would LOVE more Granny Maldpo. Let her have cool adventures, let the story chalet man get cool stories about him... not in a shippy way but just like.... older people doing Cool Things way!

[incurable-peppermint]

Dear Yuletide Author

First of all, thanks for writing my Yuletide fic! I'm happy to be part of such a fun exchange with you~ OK K.O.! Let's be Heroes (Enid, Shannon, Elodie) Characters are and/or, don't feel the need to pack all of them in there if you don't have an idea for it. I just like the drama these characters evoke. Enid's poorly upkept cool persona, Shannon's screwy home life, and Elodie's mean girl/good guy duality are all really fun in fic to me! I love femslash and don't mind how you pair these characters together, I think all those combos have potential. Unikitty! (Cartoon) (Unikitty, Dr. Fox, Hawkodile, Feebee) I like the fun hijinks of the cartoon but prefer it being toned down just a bit for fanfiction. Again, characters are and/or, don't feel the need to pack all of them in there if you don't have an idea for it. I imagined all of these characters as about the same age going in and was proven wrong by a wiki, but prefer they be written as if they're around mid 20s for fics? Sorry if that's weird specificity lmao, I just pictured them as adults because they all have jobs. I also don't mind any mix and match shipping in this list of characters, love trans Hawkodile and Feebee HCs, and am weak for cutesy domestic lego fluff. Disenchantment (Tiabeanie, Mora the Mermaid, Tess, Luci) I'm really wanting something that pairs Bean with Mora or Tess, ideally. Even if it's just Luci ribbing Bean for having an obvious crush. I love how much Mora stayed on her mind in the latest season. I also really like the idea of intellectual, moral Tess struggling with her feelings for such a disaster princess. Character requests are and/or~ General Likes Fluff, pining (mutual or one sided), pre-established relationship, domestic fics, future fic, humorous romance, introspective pieces General Dislikes Not big on straight up smut fics, non canon-typical violence

[ardentaislinn]

Yuletide Letter 2021

Hi! I am also ardentaislinn on AO3. Thank you so much for volunteering to write one of my chosen fandoms! I really can’t wait to see what you come up with. Most importantly, I hope you have fun writing whichever of my fandoms it is. Any suggestions I make here are optional.

Here you’ll find:

My general likes

My DNWs

And prompts for the following fandoms:

반도 | Peninsula (2020) (aka Train to Busan 2) - Jung Seok, Min Jung, Joon Yi, Yoo Jin

Free Guy (2021) - Millie Rusk, Walter “Keys” McKeys

Automatic (1995) - J269, Nora Rochester

Zombie Detective | 좀비탐정 - Kim Moo Young/Kang Min Ho, Gong Sun Ji

You Can't Sit With Us - Sunmi (Music Video) - Any (Girl Gang Leader, Girl Gang Member with Slicked Back Hair, Girl Gang Member with Pink Machine Gun, Worldbuilding)

My Likes:

I like getting together fics most of all. I love almost every kind of romance trope (fake dating, slow burn, enemies/rivals-to-lovers, “unrequited” pining (that is really requited), marriage of convenience/arranged marriage, bed sharing, trapped together, etc.) Also, casefic, epistolary fic, consent, forbidden pleasures, beta heroes, found families, masquerades, military kink, physical imperfections, ladies being badass and female relationships (whether romantic or friendship), relationships that build tension before exploding, first kisses, equal relationships, competence, communication, U/RST, positive endings.

You may notice from the below that my ships mostly involve sweet and occasionally broken men being secretly head over heels for badass ladies, (and usually not feeling worthy). So that dynamic is strongly encouraged.

I also like smut, but it certainly isn’t a necessity. For smut, I’m (sadly) fairly vanilla. But I like light bondage, cunnilingus, shower sex, and accidental/consensual voyeurism, (Particularly guys taking matters into their own hands when they think they can’t be with their lady, and the woman stumbling across him mid-act. Possibly my favourite kink ever? Writer’s choice whether the woman joins in or gets embarrassed)

Happy endings (or at least hopeful endings) are preferred. Like, super, super preferred. I don’t mind angst at all, but it kinda has to be on the way out of the darkness by the end.

I have noticed that this year I've requested fics with interesting crossover potential - particularly with regards to Korean zombie canons. It was a total accident - I'm usually neither here nor there on crossovers - but I'm totally down this year if it inspires you!

Dislikes/DNWs:

Miserable endings. Death of requested characters. Baby/Pregnancy fic. Humiliation. Drug use/drug mentions/addiction. Self harm/abuse. Non-con/rape. Heavy kink. A/B/O. M-Preg. Incest. Bestiality, animal harm etc. Underage sexual content. 1st person POV (unless for epistolary). Not big on high school AUs or Rock band AUs. Unbalanced power dynamics in ships without acknowledging/exploring that.

A quick note on the Korean names - I’m fine with however you choose to transliterate them. Hyphen/no hyphen, slight differences in romanisation, etc. Just do what you are comfortable with and I’ll adjust no problem. No need to add the honourifics, though

I think that’s it?

And so, to the fandoms, in no particular order:

반도 | Peninsula (2020) (aka Train to Busan 2)

Jung Seok, Min Jung, Joon Yi, Yoo Jin

While maybe objectively not as good a film as the first one, I still enjoyed the hell out of it. Given that it was essentially a cross between Escape From New York and Mad Max, what isn’t to love? I loved the expansion of the world and the clever uses of zombies in the chase scenes. And I loved that the message was that being logical and self-sacrificing isn’t always the right choice - sometimes you should be driven by heart and empathy. And I really liked the idea that anything can mean happiness when you love and are loved in return - particularly in regards to Joon Yi, but also Jung Seok (and his found family?).

I would love if Jung Seok and Min Jung got together. I do think it would be a bit emotionally messy - they both have baggage (and likely PTSD), but that could be interesting to explore.

What would interest me the most in this fandom is post-movie fics. But if you wanna do a canon divergent/au thing, I’d be cool with that, too.

Some prompts:

Joon Yi struggles a lot more than her sister to readjust to a “normal” life

In order to stay together after being rescued, Jung Seok and Min Jung have to pretend to be married

After four long years of loneliness, Min Jung just wants to be touched

Jung Seok isn’t surprised to find himself in love with Min Jung - and wanting to be a father to her girls - but is he good enough for them? He’s left them behind once - can he forgive himself? Can Min Jung?

The zombie plague escapes from Korea - and Jung Seok, Min Jung, and her girls are the closest thing to experts on how to fight back and contain it that the authorities have. Will their nightmare never be over? Or is this a chance to end it once and for all?

With Min Jung in hospital while her leg heals, Jung Seok suddenly finds himself a surrogate father to two very unruly girls.

Jung Seok and Min Jung end up writing letters to each other - maybe after Jung Seok is drafted into the zombie-fighting army. (Or maybe Min Jung is the one who is drafted and he looks after the girls?) I imagine it might be awkward at first but both of them could grow to love it.

A bit of Worldbuilding? We've seen a bit of what the world is like outside of Korea, but maybe an expansion of that elsewhere through the eyes of one of these characters.

Their first X together as a family? (Christmas, Chuseok, etc) Is it melancholy or filled with relief? Or both?

The family team up with the characters from Zombie Detective or You Can't Sit With Us and aren't quite sure what to make of them.

I'm happy if you want to write a story featuring/focusing on just the adults or just the kids!

Free Guy (2021)

Millie Rusk, Walter “Keys” McKeys

This movie was so much fun! I thought I'd enjoy it before going into it, but I liked it even more than expected. I liked that it tried to have a message about treating people (even fictional ones) better. And that your fate isn't written. But it didn't take itself too seriously. I was highly entertained.

Given that I'm trash for stories where men pine for women who (they think) are too good for them, I clearly shipped Millie and Keys together. I was really surprised but happy with how they resolved things between her and Guy. Ultimately, I'd love more of the getting together part of this ship but also post- and pre-canon would be good, too!

Prompts:

What happens during/after the kiss? Do they go straight to bed or do they have some lingering things to clear up first?

What kind of adventures do they get up to together inside the game? Or a different game they didn't create?

Does the memory of Millie kissing Guy (twice!) cause some lingering jealousy for Keys?

How does Millie feel about Keys' porno cop look IRL?

What did their first meeting look like? And how were the early days of their friendship?

Millie and Keys must use their software development/gaming skills to save the (real?) world.

What happens if some of the AIs from the game somehow get downloaded into the real world like coma patients or experimental robots? What kind of chaos ensues? If Antwan finds out he'll try to use it to his advantage, so how do they stop him?

An AU in which Millie didn't watch the video or didn't figure out what it meant?

Millie and Keys try to play wingman for Guy.

Given that a lot of this canon happens online - feel free to use chat logs or other formats to tell a story!

Automatic (1995)

J269, Nora Rochester

This movie is pretty obscure and hard to find, so here's a link on YouTube!

I love cyborg movies. I love almost-innocent heroes that need to learn how to Person, and the heroines that see them as more human than they are. Despite the obviously low budget of this movie, it’s one of my absolute favourite versions of this trope.

I’m most interested in post-canon fic for this, but I’d really be so thrilled to read anything! I’m fairly certain there’s no fic at all for this movie.

Prompts:

What happens after the movie ends? The two are now on the run. How do they survive? What do they learn about the world and each other? Are there other cyborgs out there? Are they being hunted? This is an opportunity to explore further world-building, too!

How does Nora deal with learning what she did about herself at the end of the movie? (Trying not to spoil it!) She’s probably pretty traumatised and maybe kind of angry about everything that happened.

Did they meet before the movie starts, but one or both had their memories wiped?

What’s their first time like?

J269 learning how to be a person and everything that entails. What kind of mistakes does he make that almost give the game away? What does he like and dislike about being “human”?

J269 dealing with Feelings for the first time and not knowing what to do with them. Nora wants him to make a move but he doesn’t quite Get It.

If they are on the run...bed sharing. Huddling for warmth. U/RST. Fake-relationship. Trope-y goodness.

Zombie Detective | 좀비탐정

Kim Moo Young | Kang Min Ho, Gong Sun Ji

Admittedly I wasn't sure what to make of this show at first. It's a horror comedy, and those two elements don't always mesh perfectly. But I ended up really liking it! It's silly at times but that's part of the fun.

The thing I liked most was actually the clever way they explained how he could be a zombie but also a functional person. Basically someone with special powers but also kinda dead? Amazing. If you want to do a bit of world building around this element I'd be cool with that, too. But also, around how being a zombie and being in a relationship works.

I like that he's a mixture of confidence and feeling unworthy. I feel like his line at the end "How can anyone date a zombie?" is something that he kinda believes and kinda doesn't. I like that! And I like that she's spunky and brave and has her own strengths to match his.

Prompts:

What happens when Moo Young meets another zombie like him? Is it evil? Is it a pretty girl? Is it an evil, pretty girl? Is Sun Ji jealous?

There are zombies in this world, so are there vampires? Werewolves? Ghosts? Gumihos? Do Moo Young and Sun Ji fight with them or team up with them? Or does Sun Ji become a supernatural creature herself?

Casefic! Maybe the murder at the end is more complicated than it first appears? Or maybe one of their friends goes missing?

Fake relationship? Bed sharing? Other tropey goodness?

What happens right after they meet again at the Halloween party? How do they get together from there?

Can Moo Young even get it up? Being dead and all. Does he have to find other ways to please Sun Ji?

I know I said no pregnancy/baby fic and usually that's true...but in this case I'm weirdly fascinated by the idea of Sun Ji getting pregnant by a zombie and whatever half-dead superpowered baby might result. Consider it world building? And whatever emotional consequences it might have for the characters. Happiness? Certainly. Nerves? Probably. Horror? Potentially…

I assume that they make at least some of their money by finding missing people (dead or alive) with Moo Young's special sense of smell. This could be funny or poignant, depending, but maybe they also get in trouble with the law? How do they explain...everything?

Can Moo Young ever really be human again? What if Sun Ji decides she doesn't want him to be?

You Can't Sit With Us - Sunmi (Music Video)

Any (Girl Gang Leader, Girl Gang Member with Slicked Back Hair, Girl Gang Member with Pink Machine Gun, Worldbuilding)

Link to the music video!

This music video is extremely up my alley. Mostly the part when cute girls in cute clothes start killing the crap out of zombies! It's very my jam.

So I'd love an expansion on that idea! I'm undecided on whether the zombie outbreak has been happening for a while and the women were just shocked to find them invading a safe oasis, or whether the zombies are a new threat. Either way is fine for me!

While I'm not really married to a romance in this canon, if it inspires you I'd prefer f/f or f/f/f, but background m/f is fine too if you want to keep the girls as friends! I don’t have any headcanons on names for these characters, but if possible please don’t name them after the actresses (eg Sunmi).

Prompts:

Origin story! How did the girls meet? How did they get their skills and weapon cache? Were they a gang of assassins before the zombie outbreak or did they learn after the fact? Were they enemies or friends first?

What happens after the video? It looks like the leader and her zombie boyfriend are about to get arrested. How do her friends get her out of that mess? (Both the arrest and the boyfriend?)

What kind of adventures do they have together in the apocalypse? How do they keep their clothes looking cute and their hair perfect? (This can be a little tongue in cheek if you’d like!) Are they the Cher Horowitzs of the apocalypse?

Crossover with one of my other zombie requests! Do the family from Peninsula meet the girls on their travels? Do the girls try to kill Moo Young from Zombie Detective and then bond with Sun Ji? You can even make the girls villains or antagonists if you like!

This definitely had a mix of retro vibes - flip phones and video stores, etc, with the song itself and the apartment more 80s - was this set in an alternate universe? A simulation? A video game? Or did they create this world themselves as a nostalgic refuge?

The girls have a rival gang that's a bit T-birds to their pink ladies. Maybe also an all-girl gang? Do they compete for kills? Reluctantly help each other? Kiss each other? Try to kill each other? All of the above?

There's a From Dusk Til Dawn reference in there. Are there also vampires around? Does one of the girls become a vampire or a zombie and her friends have to help her?

An arranged marriage situation? Idk, it's the apocalypse, go wild!

What do celebrations look like in this world? Holidays, weddings, etc?

How did the world get to where we see it in the video? I’d be down for an unusual format for this one - letters/reports/diaries/other in-universe documents.

Thank you so much! I'm sure I'll enjoy whatever you write but I hope this letter holds some useful inspiration for you!

[unofficialyuletide]

YULETIDE 2021 LETTERS POST

Is here!

If you choose to write a letter, you can add it to the post and the app for easy finding.

Or keep it secret to surprise your assigned writer. That can be fun too.

[bookishbea]

Dear Yuletide Letter 2021

Dear Yuletide Letter

FandomisOhana Yuletide 2021 Letter:

Fandoms I want: Florida Man Catches Alligator in Trash bin (Florida Man, Alligator) Because I will never be able to eat Lava (Chaotic Himbo, Put upon Volcanoligist), Humans are Space Orcs (Human, Space Orc, Worldbuilding) Harley Quinn Cartoon (Harleen Quinzell, Pamela Isley), Hot Goth in the Woods Tweet (Hot Goth, Witch)

I would prefer a more humorous fic over a serious fic

Likes: Humor, Crack, Epistolary, Multimedia, lgbt, social media, chatfics, fluff, team as family, hijinks, movie nights, images like memes and gifs, funny video links, interactive fiction, fourth wall breaks, pop culture references, high school au, college au, metafiction, found family, road trips, charecters participating in Yuletide and other fandom related things (characters writing fanics, making fanart, etc), drunken shenanigans (drunk singing and dancing), grump/sunshiney, charecter very protective of their partner

Dislikes/DNW: Angst, gore, ableism, homophobia, offensive words/names, death, self harm, mention of suicide, smut, mention of needles

Florida Man Catches Alligator in trash can:

So maybe this alligator is the mascot of the frat house but the president of the college does not know so he has to go in the trash can every week.

A parody of a nature documentary explaing what is going on

He is very drunk and mistakes the alligator for a ninja turtle

He wanted a pet alligator so he keeps it without his mom knowing

Because I will Never Get to Eat Lava:

The himbo can eat the lava as he has supowerpowers but for some insane never told the scientist

Or similar but the scientist knows the himbo has powers but the himbo doesnt know he has powers and if he knew he had them he would use them for stupid stuff

Grumpy/Sunshine

He is an idiot but he is my idiot

Humans are Space Orcs:

Stabby the Space roomba

somebody saying for science

humans creating weird shit

Journal about the humans

a how to guide about humans

Human dictionary and or enclyopedia

Opportunity (please don’t kill them)

A tony stark like character adopting and creating bots

Aliens learning about neurodivergent humans and some figuring out they might be like that and the humans helping them learn more about themselves

Humans doing stupid things just because they can

Harley Quinn Cartoon:

I would love an autistic Harley who just like infodumps about her special interest, she stims a lot, and loves stuffed animals. Ivy being a supportive and loving girlfriend

High School au where Harley is the adorable nerdy naive girl and ivy is her protective badass artistic girlfriend (i imagine Ivy with tatoos)

College au similar to above plus they are roomates

General slice of life

Maybe spideypool shows up

Hot Goth in the Woods Tweet:

Grumpy/Sunshine

Only I can make fun of him

He uses his magic in increasingly dumb ways to cheer her up

I think of the witch as Jake and the goth as Rosa

[mustlovemustypages]

Yuletide 2021 Letter

Dear potential writer,

I hope this letter finds you well, but if not, then I hope this year's Yuletide gives you an extra dose of happiness to diffuse these chaotic times. A great story can be the simplest way to turn around someone's day and make life just a little bit brighter.

Thank you so much in advance for even taking the time to read this and considering writing for me.

Below are my desired fandoms/pairings and story ideas, but please don't feel stifled by the prompts. I’ve also listed my general likes and dislikes at the very bottom if you decide to go a different route.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021):

Characters: Shaun (Xu Shang-Chi) and Katy Chen (Chen Ruiwen)

I truly think this is one of the best Marvel movies to have come out in several years. There was a wonderful blend of lore, action, and humor. The characters were all so interesting and complex. In particular, I loved the characters of Shaun and Katy. Both were living ordinary and underwhelming lives, but for very different reasons. Shaun was trying to escape a dangerous and brutal childhood while Katy couldn't find her calling and was afraid of failure. By the end of the movie, both had conquered some of their obstacles and were no longer hiding but really living to their full potential.

While their individual journeys were compelling, their journey together was even more so. They had a hilarious dynamic as friends that was played up so well by the actors. They were supportive but also weren't afraid to call the other out. Also, I'll admit that in some of the end scenes, especially when Katy puts her head on Shaun's shoulder and then the whole dinner scene in San Francisco, I felt some potential couple vibes. I'm completely fine if you keep this pairing as friends but am also 100% on board for a romantic relationship.

Story ideas:

Katy's reactions as she found out more about Shaun's true identity and past dealings were hysterical. It would be neat to read some expanded scenes from her perspective (example: bus fight, fight club, meeting his sister/father, etc.) or even in some imagined "missing scenes."

I am always down for outsiders' POV of relationships. Getting the perspectives of several or even just one character on Shaun/Katy would be great. 

While there were definitely some freakout moments during the movie where the characters reacted rationally to some pretty crazy things, all in all, they remained fairly calm. I'd love to see either one or both of the characters break down under the weight of all the pressure and see how they help each other come out of that. This could be during canon or even post-canon. 

That ending leaves room for so many things to happen. Any type of post-canon story is welcome exploring the aftermath of the movie, what they do next, and/or even what a simple slice-of-life day looks like for them. Really, I'm interested in almost anything as long as they're doing it together!

The Queen's Gambit (TV):

Characters: Beth Harmon and Benny Watts

This miniseries is a lesson in character exploration done right. There were dark moments as we explored grief, depression, and addiction. I liked that the showrunners didn't shy away from these very real topics but also knew how to balance them out with lighter moments and not dwell too long in the dark. Beth Harmon was such a fully-fleshed-out character and was both flawed but immensely likable. I wanted her to succeed so much, especially seeing all that she'd gone through. 

The connections she made along the way were some of my favorite parts. In the most unexpected of places, she made these ever-lasting friendships that forever impacted the trajectory of her life. That scene toward the end where it showed all of her friends supporting her actually made me choke up. Of course one of the best of these friendships/relationships was with Benny Watts. Neither was perfect and yet they also worked so well together. They had similar ambitions and truly seemed to get each other. I understand why they broke up, but their sort-of reconciliation phone call at the end has me hopeful that they would have found a way to make it work offscreen. I'm really open to reading anything about the two of them, as long as it has a happy or hopeful ending. 

Story ideas:

While I loved that at the end of the day it was Beth alone that won her last match, it would have been interesting to see how things would have gone differently if Benny had gone to Moscow with her. 

In my head, Beth and Benny got back together after their phone call in Moscow. However you imagine this happening, I want to read it.

If you like all the tropes as I do, I'm up for an AU with these characters - soulmates, roommates, regency, sci-fi, etc. As long as the chess plot point is still there, write them into whatever universe you want.

I mentioned loving all of the different relationships she formed throughout the series. It would be interesting to see how Benny would interact with some of her friends like Mr. Shaibel or Jolene (just as examples).

Fate: The Winx Saga (TV):

Characters: Riven and Musa

This show was better than it had any right to be. I know it has its detractors but as a whole, I found it very enjoyable despite its flaws. It had a dark academia feel without getting too dark. It also was pretty short with its episode count and I need to know more about some of these characters and this world they live in.

Is it possible to ship two characters who only interact on screen (I think) once? Well, it has to be because I full-heartedly ship Riven and Musa. Their one scene together sold me. As with all of these fandoms, if you only want to write them as friends, that's fine. I just think they would have the best chemistry and such an interesting dynamic with their different personalities and roles at the school.

Story ideas:

It seems like one of the main reasons that Musa likes Sam is because things are quiet when she's near him. I don't necessarily think that's the only reason why she's with him, but I also think it could result in her staying with him longer than she should because of how he mutes everyone else's thoughts around her. Please no outright Sam bashing, but I'd like to see how Musa tries to manage the side effects of her powers without Sam and how Riven may play a part in that.

Out of all the fairies, I think Musa is the one I'd most like to see training with the specialists. Maybe it's because her powers are vastly underutilized (in my opinion), but I think she could have a lot to offer. She would have to convince Silva and Farah during canon (or someone else post-canon if you'd prefer) to join those practices. Seeing her train with Riven and become partners would be wonderful, especially having them go through missions or practice scenarios with the Burned Ones together. 

Riven makes a lot of mistakes during the first season and will have to do a lot to earn back the trust of his friends and instructors. I'd like to see how this could play out and how Musa may help him see his potential for redemption.

Any type of enemies-to-lovers story you want to write would be welcome. There is so much potential here for some wonderfully angst-filled scenes! It could be reluctant allies as they work toward a common cause, fake dating to get information on someone, their friends trying to pair them up despite their protests, etc.

Free Guy (2021):

Characters: Millie Rusk and Walter "Keys" McKeys

Video game movies are so much fun to watch and Free Guy was no exception. The back-and-forth from the real world to Free City was well done, allowing characters in both settings to have their own storylines and become people we were rooting for. While Guy was my favorite character because he was so endearingly kind-hearted and pure, it was Millie and Keys that I was most invested in. From their first scene together showing their interview for the game they created, Life Itself, I wanted to know more about their backstory.

It's not something I think much about when playing games, but the creators put in so much time and effort that they can't help but put some of themselves into the games as well. This can be reflected in different ways, but I loved that Keys basically put himself into what ended up being used for Guy's character, and that's why Millie fell so hard for him. I loved seeing her realize that it was Keys and not Guy that she cared for. It was also very satisfying to see Millie and Keys working together on games again along with Mouser after having to overcome so many difficulties with their work being stolen.

Story ideas:

While I love the movie's ending, I would still love to read more about Millie realizing that Keys has feelings for her. What happens after they cross the street?!

Millie and Keys obviously have a long history together, which we only get to hear about briefly in the movie. It would be neat to see how they first met, what they were like working together on Life Itself, what happened when they sold the game, interactions through the years, and then when they came back together again to save the Guy/the game. Essentially, give me some scenes throughout their history together and how their relationship ebbs and flows.

Post-canon, what are Millie and Keys up to? What new projects are they working on (maybe with Mouser) and what new challenges do they face? 

It's hard to believe that someone as self-centered as Antwan gave up so easily. I would love to read an alternative take of the server room scene with both Millie and Keys there. Or even something set after the movie where we find out Antwan lied and then Millie, Keys, and Mouser have to work to get their rights back (through espionage, courtrooms, etc.). 

Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs:

Characters: Leah Cornick and Bran Cornick

The world Patricia Briggs has created with Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega is ever-growing and continues to astound me with its complexity. It feels so real and has such a lush history that every surprise revelation is both shocking and simultaneously feels very organic to the story. I think the urban fantasy/paranormal aspects are handled very well, especially the werewolf dynamics and rules that Briggs has created.

One of the biggest shocks to me from the Alpha and Omega companion series is how much I've come to love Leah. I, like most readers, absolutely hated her when she was introduced in the Mercy Thompson books. But as we've come to learn more about her backstory and her relationship with Bran, I have a new level of understanding of why she is the way she is. She is so much stronger and more nuanced than I would have ever believed her capable. And while I still like Bran, he's also a much more flawed person than I originally thought. I realize there are a lot of books in this world, so don't worry about spoiling anything with your potential story. You can include as much or as little of the newer books as you'd like. I'm also going to keep my prompts relatively simple for this pairing. I only ask that Leah and Bran are not broken up. If you'd like to just write them in an adventure story without any romantic elements, that's totally fine. I would like them to remain together, though.

Story ideas:

What are the dynamics like between Bran and Leah now that he knows more about her past? How has his understanding of her personality and actions changed with these revelations?

For a long time, Bran and Leah were together without really being "together" in the emotional sense. I'd love to see them learning more about each other and falling in love all over again.

Leah is constantly full of surprises. What is something that she does that surprises Bran and/or the pack (preferably for the better), and how do they react?

While some of the more recent books have focused more strongly on Leah and Bran than in the beginning, I'd still not consider them the main characters so we don't always get to see the full fallout of all their storylines. Taking any of the major plots involving them and giving their perspective or showing what happens later would be wonderful.

Things I don’t like:

Non-Con/Rape/BDSM/Sexual Violence/Graphic Sex – I like my characters to be happy and everything within ships to be 100% consensual, no question about it (mentions of non-con if it occurred in canon is fine). I also prefer plot over porn, especially with one-shots.

OT3s – Two people per romantic relationship, please. Any more than that makes me uncomfortable.

Character Bashing - Unless a character is a bad guy in canon, I don’t want to read hundreds of words about how awful they are, especially if they are one of the characters that I requested. Don’t take it out on the characters. If you hate my pairings, just write gen.

Things I love:

Hurt/Comfort – There is nothing I love more than one character comforting another. The hurt can be physical, psychological, or both.  

Happy Endings – I’m all for the realistic endings… but if they could be plausible AND at least happy-ish, that would be amazing.

Expanded Scenes/Contorting Canon – Feel free to expand scenes and change up the canon to your heart’s content as long as it makes logical sense.

Humor/Banter/Snark – I thrive on this stuff.

Bonding/Building Relationships – Whether it be a friendship or a romantic relationship, I adore reading about two people growing closer together. When characters know each other so well that they can have conversations with just their eyes or anticipate the person’s next move (especially if it’s to the surprise/confusion of everyone around them), my shipper heart is thrilled.

Dark to Light – Seeing a character come out of a bad mindset or situation and get better is so satisfying.

Happy writing and I hope you get the Yuletide gift of your dreams!

- Maddy @mustlovemustypages (on Tumblr, Ao3, and FF.net)

[nire-the-mithridatist]

Dear Yuletide Writer...

Thank you for writing for me! Here are some added information to guide your way:

General likes:

Character exploration

Enemies to lovers, enemies to friends to lovers, or variants thereof

Domesticity

Love stored in the little things and gestures

Mutual pining

Hurt/comfort, preferably focusing on the comfort

The intimacy of trusting someone with a secret

Forced proximity tropes

Competence kink

General dislikes:

Unacknowledged/unexplored power dynamics, if one exists

Miscommunication for no good reason (if the characters are normally emotionally constipated or just really bad at communicating, I get that. If they're usually functional adults who talk to each other but suddenly don't... I'm not into it)

Smut without feelings

Infidelity

Requests under the cut. They're the same as the ones on my Ao3 signups. Spoilers for The Locked Tomb series, Hometown Cha Cha Cha, and Dune (2021 movie).

The Locked Tomb Series | Gideon the Ninth Series - Tamsyn Muir

Requested Characters: Gideon Nav, Harrowhark Nonagesimus

I'm a big fan of GriddleHark - specifically, their shifting dynamics from enemies to allies/friends to secret cav in a lyctor's brain. I love how they're oblivious to each other's apparent love, how Gideon fully thinks that Harrow put her away in her brain because she doesn't want her sacrifice/doesn't want Gideon to be part of her - even though Harrow did so because she couldn't bear to annihilate Gideon's soul. I love how much they care about each other even when they were still enemies. I love them! Author, I very much ship them, and I would love to receive a fic where they are written as romantically into each other. I would very much delight in smut, if that's also your inclination. However, I would also be happy with them being platonic partners, as long as they're still devoted to each other.

A few prompt ideas: - A look into them growing up in Drearburh. Maybe their fights over the years? Gideon's past escape attempts? - Anything that jumps off the AUs Harrow conjured in Harrow the Ninth. Either the Bachelor-style mixer, Harrow Nova, or coffeeshop AU would be wonderful. - Their reunion in the future. Who will be in whose body? Are they under Blood of Eden captivity? Is this a perfect lyctorhood situation or something else? - If none of the above inspire you, then anything you wish to write, dear author!

DNWs: non-con, anything more kinky than mild BDSM, detailed and loving descriptions of urine or excrement, any involvement of urine or excrement in sexual situations, detailed description of vomit, anything more gory than the books in canon (canon-typical violence/gore is okay)

갯마을 차차차 | Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (TV)

Requested Characters: Yeo Hwa Jeong, Yu Cho Hui

I love them. I want them to be together. Cho Hui with her gentle caring soul (and a spine of steel, if pushed to it) and Hwa Jeong with her workaholic and independent nature. They're wonderful together, and they clearly care for each other a lot, and I love it when they share meals. If you don't want to write them romantically, dear Author, I would gladly take a friendship fic between them. (Please note that even in this case, I don't want Hwa Jeong to be with Yeong Guk. They squick me out majorly. I don't need their history to be erased, but I just don't want them to get together again/remarry.)

A few prompts: - What if Cho Hui did confess to Hwa Jeong fifteen years ago, when they were young? - Cho Hui taking care of Hwa Jeong for a change. Sickfic? - Cho Hui and Hwa Jeong making their relationship public/telling I Jun about their relationship. I know this request means including characters that aren't requested on the taglist, and I understand completely if you'd like to skip this one! - If none of the above spark joy, anything you want, dear Author!

DNWs: - non-con (or similar sexual assault elements; I was uncomfortable at the home invasion/attempted rape subplot in the early episodes) - Hwa Jeong and Yeong Guk reuniting/remarrying (it's okay if they end up good friends and co-parents!) - due to recent events, I'd appreciate it if you don't give too big a part to Hong Du Sik (a few lines is okay, especially if he's part of the general Gongjin residents) should you decide to take on the third prompt or include other characters in the fic - infidelity and spousal abuse - explicit sexual content or violence. M-rated is fine.

Dune (2021)

Requested Characters: Leto Atreides I (Dune 2021), Jessica (Dune 2021)

I'm confessing this upfront, dear Author: I haven't read the books or consumed any previous Dune productions. I probably will eventually, but it's not going to happen in 2021. I know very little of the world beyond what is explained in this one movie. But these two... phew. The way they ooze competence and trust and respect for each other? Truly upsetting. I need more, please. I'm used to reading SF/F novels, so don't worry about me if you're going to toss in some book elements in there. I'm a fast learner and I can always google the terms. I probably won't get allusions to the grander political factions or past history, but again, I'll manage.

A few prompts: - A backstory on how they fell in love and/or why they never got married. I understand this is touched upon in the books. You can follow that, or not. I don't mind either way. Does it have to do with his aristocratic blood and her Bene Gesserit status? Did they meet at a coffeeshop? Did he fall first, or her? - An AU where Leto lives (or lives long enough for them to have some time on Arrakis before Plot Happens) just... just because. Or maybe just their life on House Atreides' homeworld before the events of the movie? Either way, something domestic. - Smut. This is... look, I don't know how else to put this. I just feel like these two fuck and they fuck HARD. I would like to see that, please. (Bonus points if it includes some Bene Gesserit magic tricks for sexy fun - though if Jessica uses The Voice on Leto for sex purposes, please have him give his consent clearly beforehand) - As ever, anything you want if none of the above inspire you!

DNWs: non-con, anything more kinky than mild BDSM, detailed and loving descriptions of urine or excrement, *any* involvement of urine or excrement in sexual situations, detailed description of vomit, infidelity

[brookston]

Holidays 12.17

Holidays

Accession Day (Bahrain)

Clean Air Day

Day of Ancient Briton

Druk Gyalpo National Day (Bhutan)

International Day To End Violence Against Sex Workers

International Talk with a Fake British Accent Day

Kurdish Flag Day

National Day (Bahrain, Bhutan)

National Heroes and Heroines Day (Anguilla)

Pan American Aviation Day

Revolution and Youth Day (Tunisia)

Sow Day (Orkney Islands)

Take a New Year’s Resolution to Stop Smoking

Wright Brothers Day

Yuletide Lad #6 arrives (Askasleikir or Bowl-Licker; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cookie Cutter Day

National Growler Day [dates varies]

National Maple Syrup Day

3rd Saturday in December

Wreaths Across America Day [3rd Saturday]

Feast Days

Begga (Christian; Saint)

Bergmann (Positivist; Saint)

Daniel the Prophet (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Babalu Aye (Healer of Deadly Diseases; Yoruba/Santeria)

Feast of the Fairy Godmothers

Hagoita Ichi (Sensoji Temple, Japan)

Josep Manyanet i Vives (Christian; Saint)

Lazarus of Bethany (Cuba; Christian; Saint)

Little Bird (Muppetism)

Olympias the Deaconess (Christian; Saint)

O Sapientia (Christian; Saint)

Procession of Agnios Dionysios (Greece)

Wivina (Christian; Saint)

Sacco & Vanzetti Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Saturnalia begins (Ancient Rome) [thru 12.23]

Sloth Day (Pastafarian)

Sturm (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Friday the 17th (Unlucky Day; Italy) [Friday the 17th]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [32 of 32]

Premieres

Hunky Dory, by David Bowie (Album; 1971)

Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight (Story; 1938)

Life on Mars, by David Bowie (Song; 1971)

Magnolia (Film; 1999)

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (TV Special; 2008)

The Return of the King (Film; 2003) [Lord of the Rings #3]

The Simpsons (Animated TV Series; 1989)

Spanglish (Film; 2004)

Spider-Man: No Way Home (Film; 2021)

The Stand (TV Mini-Series; 2020)

Stuart Little (Film; 1999)

Symphony No. 8 (a.k.a. the Unfinished Symphony), by Franz Schubert (Symphony; 1865)

Tootsie (Film; 1982)

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (Film; 1989)

Wind & Wuthering, by Genesis (Album; 1976)

Yes Man (Film; 2008)

Today’s Name Days

Jolanda, Lazarus, Viviana (Austria)

Dana, Danail, Danaila, Daniela (Bulgaria)

Hijacint, Lazar, Modest (Croatia)

Daniel (Czech Republic)

Albina (Denmark)

Rahel, Raili (Estonia)

Raakel (Finland)

Adélaïde, Gaël, Judicaël, Olympe (France)

Jolanda, Lazarus, Viviana (Germany)

Daniel, Dionysis, Iakhos (Greece)

Lázár, Olimpia (Hungary)

Lazzaro (Italy)

Brunhilde, Hilda, Teiksma (Latvia)

Drovydė, Jolanta, Mantgailas, Olimpija (Lithuania)

Inga, Inge (Norway)

Florian, Jolanta, Łazarz, Olimpia, Warwara, Żyrosław (Poland)

Daniel (Romania)

Varvara (Russia)

Kornélia (Slovakia)

Lázaro, Yolanda (Spain)

Stig (Sweden)

Daniel (Ukraine)

Eleazar, Lazar, Lazaro, Lazarus, Olympia, Orval, Orville, Storm, Stormie, Stormy, Wilbert, Wilberta, Wilbur (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 351 of 2022; 14 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 50 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 22 of 28]

Chinese: Month 11 (Dōngyuè), Day 24 (Jia-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 23 Kislev 5783

Islamic: 23 Jumada I 1444

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

Julian: 4 December 2022

Moon: 36%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 15 Bichat (12th Month) [Bergmann]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 8 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 86 of 90)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 25 of 30)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 12.17

Holidays

Accession Day (Bahrain)

Clean Air Day

Day of Ancient Briton

Druk Gyalpo National Day (Bhutan)

International Day To End Violence Against Sex Workers

International Talk with a Fake British Accent Day

Kurdish Flag Day

National Day (Bahrain, Bhutan)

National Heroes and Heroines Day (Anguilla)

Pan American Aviation Day

Revolution and Youth Day (Tunisia)

Sow Day (Orkney Islands)

Take a New Year’s Resolution to Stop Smoking

Wright Brothers Day

Yuletide Lad #6 arrives (Askasleikir or Bowl-Licker; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cookie Cutter Day

National Growler Day [dates varies]

National Maple Syrup Day

3rd Saturday in December

Wreaths Across America Day [3rd Saturday]

Feast Days

Begga (Christian; Saint)

Bergmann (Positivist; Saint)

Daniel the Prophet (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Babalu Aye (Healer of Deadly Diseases; Yoruba/Santeria)

Feast of the Fairy Godmothers

Hagoita Ichi (Sensoji Temple, Japan)

Josep Manyanet i Vives (Christian; Saint)

Lazarus of Bethany (Cuba; Christian; Saint)

Little Bird (Muppetism)

Olympias the Deaconess (Christian; Saint)

O Sapientia (Christian; Saint)

Procession of Agnios Dionysios (Greece)

Wivina (Christian; Saint)

Sacco & Vanzetti Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Saturnalia begins (Ancient Rome) [thru 12.23]

Sloth Day (Pastafarian)

Sturm (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Friday the 17th (Unlucky Day; Italy) [Friday the 17th]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [32 of 32]

Premieres

Hunky Dory, by David Bowie (Album; 1971)

Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight (Story; 1938)

Life on Mars, by David Bowie (Song; 1971)

Magnolia (Film; 1999)

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (TV Special; 2008)

The Return of the King (Film; 2003) [Lord of the Rings #3]

The Simpsons (Animated TV Series; 1989)

Spanglish (Film; 2004)

Spider-Man: No Way Home (Film; 2021)

The Stand (TV Mini-Series; 2020)

Stuart Little (Film; 1999)

Symphony No. 8 (a.k.a. the Unfinished Symphony), by Franz Schubert (Symphony; 1865)

Tootsie (Film; 1982)

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (Film; 1989)

Wind & Wuthering, by Genesis (Album; 1976)

Yes Man (Film; 2008)

Today’s Name Days

Jolanda, Lazarus, Viviana (Austria)

Dana, Danail, Danaila, Daniela (Bulgaria)

Hijacint, Lazar, Modest (Croatia)

Daniel (Czech Republic)

Albina (Denmark)

Rahel, Raili (Estonia)

Raakel (Finland)

Adélaïde, Gaël, Judicaël, Olympe (France)

Jolanda, Lazarus, Viviana (Germany)

Daniel, Dionysis, Iakhos (Greece)

Lázár, Olimpia (Hungary)

Lazzaro (Italy)

Brunhilde, Hilda, Teiksma (Latvia)

Drovydė, Jolanta, Mantgailas, Olimpija (Lithuania)

Inga, Inge (Norway)

Florian, Jolanta, Łazarz, Olimpia, Warwara, Żyrosław (Poland)

Daniel (Romania)

Varvara (Russia)

Kornélia (Slovakia)

Lázaro, Yolanda (Spain)

Stig (Sweden)

Daniel (Ukraine)

Eleazar, Lazar, Lazaro, Lazarus, Olympia, Orval, Orville, Storm, Stormie, Stormy, Wilbert, Wilberta, Wilbur (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 351 of 2022; 14 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 50 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 22 of 28]

Chinese: Month 11 (Dōngyuè), Day 24 (Jia-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 23 Kislev 5783

Islamic: 23 Jumada I 1444

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

Julian: 4 December 2022

Moon: 36%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 15 Bichat (12th Month) [Bergmann]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 8 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 86 of 90)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 25 of 30)