Having To Do Anything At Gunpoint Is Stressful.
Dec. 29th, 2025 06:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rionaleonhartLast year, I posted a reflection on my favourite characters of 2024. It was a lot of fun, so I thought I'd do the same thing again!
As with 2024, I'm going to take a quick look at the preexisting favourites who've particularly occupied my mind this year, and then I'm going to comb through my 'first impressions' tag and give my favourite character from each canon I first posted about in 2025. (If no favourite character comes to mind, I'll skip the canon.) I might also cover a couple of canons I've tried out this year but haven't yet posted about.
( My favourite characters of 2025. )
Dexter is a surprising omission here! I watched a lot of that show earlier in the year, but I just don't have an answer to the 'who's your favourite character?' question. I like Deb, but not passionately enough to say with confidence that she's my favourite; I find Dexter interesting, but I can't say for certain whether I like him. I tend to be a very character-focused fan, so it's always a little surprising to me when I get into something without latching strongly on to any of the characters.
As with 2024, I'm going to take a quick look at the preexisting favourites who've particularly occupied my mind this year, and then I'm going to comb through my 'first impressions' tag and give my favourite character from each canon I first posted about in 2025. (If no favourite character comes to mind, I'll skip the canon.) I might also cover a couple of canons I've tried out this year but haven't yet posted about.
( My favourite characters of 2025. )
Dexter is a surprising omission here! I watched a lot of that show earlier in the year, but I just don't have an answer to the 'who's your favourite character?' question. I like Deb, but not passionately enough to say with confidence that she's my favourite; I find Dexter interesting, but I can't say for certain whether I like him. I tend to be a very character-focused fan, so it's always a little surprising to me when I get into something without latching strongly on to any of the characters.
Tags:
In Which I Discover a New Fandom and, Wow! Fandom's Changed
Dec. 29th, 2025 08:57 amloup_noirI've always been a fan of cartoons, pardon me, animations, anime, graphic novels. The freedom that that artwork gives a story, especially a good one, ignores all fleshly restrictions. What's making me happy right now? Hazbin Hotel on Prime is.
The Princess of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar's daughter Charlie (Why Charlie? That's a question I'd like to ask the creator of the show.) believes in redemption, and she wants to help the damned achieve that state. With songs! Angst! And surprisingly good Catholic dogma, says the very lapsed Catholic here. It was fun as it was, but when the Seraphim showed up with all the eyes, I was in for the ride.
I had no expectation that it would survive for a second season, but it did and the storyline continued to be good. In many ways, it has A Knight's Tale feeling. There's a silly, shiny layer, but there's also a lot of history holding it together. All that reading for my Durmstrang series on the levels of heaven and hell, who inhabits where, etc. made Hazbin a lot more fun.
What was completely new to me was the fandom. Amazon has Hazbin Hotel Live on Broadway. All the voice actors, a lot of the songs, and wonderful, lingering shots of the fans, who know all the words and motions to the songs and many wearing fantastic costumes. The Alastors were especially good.
youtu.be/G1C1MFv7CKU Hope that works. It's a link to the show-stopper for S2. If you haven't seen the series, Lute (again, why that name?) is the angel, the dark male figure is Adam (as in Adam and Eve), and the angel at the door is Abel.
The Princess of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar's daughter Charlie (Why Charlie? That's a question I'd like to ask the creator of the show.) believes in redemption, and she wants to help the damned achieve that state. With songs! Angst! And surprisingly good Catholic dogma, says the very lapsed Catholic here. It was fun as it was, but when the Seraphim showed up with all the eyes, I was in for the ride.
I had no expectation that it would survive for a second season, but it did and the storyline continued to be good. In many ways, it has A Knight's Tale feeling. There's a silly, shiny layer, but there's also a lot of history holding it together. All that reading for my Durmstrang series on the levels of heaven and hell, who inhabits where, etc. made Hazbin a lot more fun.
What was completely new to me was the fandom. Amazon has Hazbin Hotel Live on Broadway. All the voice actors, a lot of the songs, and wonderful, lingering shots of the fans, who know all the words and motions to the songs and many wearing fantastic costumes. The Alastors were especially good.
youtu.be/G1C1MFv7CKU Hope that works. It's a link to the show-stopper for S2. If you haven't seen the series, Lute (again, why that name?) is the angel, the dark male figure is Adam (as in Adam and Eve), and the angel at the door is Abel.
Cats
Dec. 29th, 2025 10:09 amlexinGeraint has blotted his copybook and no mistake. He scratched aunty_marion. I think she quite liked him until then. He is quite an unpredictable cat. He’s due at the vets to get his booster shots tomorrow.
Opal has a big area on her back where she’s bitten all her fur off. She looks a mess and I’m going to try to get her to the vet as soon as I’m paid again, because I have no idea what to do for her.
aunty_marion. I think she quite liked him until then. He is quite an unpredictable cat. He’s due at the vets to get his booster shots tomorrow. Opal has a big area on her back where she’s bitten all her fur off. She looks a mess and I’m going to try to get her to the vet as soon as I’m paid again, because I have no idea what to do for her.
Birdfeeding
Dec. 29th, 2025 01:00 amysabetwordsmith posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
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birdfeeding is a community started on January 1, 2023. It's all about birdfeeding, birdwatching, and other topics relating to birds. It also touches on nature in general, and observations that may effect bird activity such as local weather. Both text and image posts are welcome. Now is a great time to join as hungry birds are easy to attract with a feeder.Community resources include posts about birding events, nurseries that sell seeds or plants attractive to birds, bird identification apps, the benefits of birdwatching, and other useful materials. Check out the anchor posts from Three Weeks for Dreamwidth.
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Photos: House Yard
Christmas Bird Count
Birds
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Dec. 28th, 2025 05:15 pmloup_noir2025 can go now. It wasn't that bad, but it was annoying. For me, there were physical issues. My back, my shoulder, my elbow, and most came from a couple of bad falls on one pelagic birding trip. I now know that it takes about three months for that particular soft tissue injury(ies) to heal up, and it doesn't help if you're a klutz and fall down again after tangling feet in a hose and then a blackberry cane. Currently finishing up a back episode. Seriously, universe, I'm only sixty-five. Not going to go into the current state of politics.
The state had a huge storm system. Power went out all over, not just here, but here it was out for almost a week. Yeah, we have a generator, a generator on what sounds like its last few uses. The FiL bought it during the lead up to Y2K. Not sure if he ever used it, but we certainly have. The WBH isn't eager to buy another, but when you live where we do, it's either a generator, a propane back-up, or pretending you live in the 19th Century.
I don't make New Year's Resolutions. I hate breaking promises to myself or anyone else, and let's face it, most resolutions never make it past January. Goals. I like goals, especially goals you can check off.
The last few things I've read have been cookbooks. I need more ways to use fruit, and a retired caterer friend has been making suggestions. There's only one small crate of apples left, and they've gone mushy and tasteless. See, if I had more recipes, I could throw out less and probably have to buy more jars.
I haven't seen anything I feel comfortable recommending lately. We tried "Cemetery Road," which was not bad until the last couple of episodes, when we yelled at the characters for being stupid. Currently, it's "House of Guinness." I've stopped paying attention to the plot in favor of enjoying the costumes and set dressing. Any recs for things streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple +?
The state had a huge storm system. Power went out all over, not just here, but here it was out for almost a week. Yeah, we have a generator, a generator on what sounds like its last few uses. The FiL bought it during the lead up to Y2K. Not sure if he ever used it, but we certainly have. The WBH isn't eager to buy another, but when you live where we do, it's either a generator, a propane back-up, or pretending you live in the 19th Century.
I don't make New Year's Resolutions. I hate breaking promises to myself or anyone else, and let's face it, most resolutions never make it past January. Goals. I like goals, especially goals you can check off.
The last few things I've read have been cookbooks. I need more ways to use fruit, and a retired caterer friend has been making suggestions. There's only one small crate of apples left, and they've gone mushy and tasteless. See, if I had more recipes, I could throw out less and probably have to buy more jars.
I haven't seen anything I feel comfortable recommending lately. We tried "Cemetery Road," which was not bad until the last couple of episodes, when we yelled at the characters for being stupid. Currently, it's "House of Guinness." I've stopped paying attention to the plot in favor of enjoying the costumes and set dressing. Any recs for things streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple +?
but now that's how i'm getting paid
Dec. 27th, 2025 05:55 pmmusesfoolChristmas was lovely! On Christmas Eve, it was just me, my sister, and my brother-in-law, so we ordered in and watched a godawful Hallmark Christmas movie with Teri Hatcher in it. Then they went to bed and I did a Die Hard rewatch - I hadn't seen it in some number of years and for all its flaws, it is still a good time.
Christmas morning, my niece and her husband came over so Baby Miss L could unwrap the first set of presents - she still gets bored with it and wants to play with whatever she's opened instead of opening the next gift, so it's a process - and she LOVED the 30 second dance party button, as I knew she would. I am SO HAPPY I saw it somewhere (Wirecutter, maybe?) and ordered it, and that it arrived in time for me to see her play with it. (The adults got a kick out of it too, but it was hilarious watching her run up and press it each time it ended.) She liked the dinosaur cape and the books (especially "The Little Book of Cheese," which is in the same series as "The Little Book of Pasta," which I got for her last year and which she LOVES - apparently she will just bust out with "FARFALLE!" at any given moment), but did not care about the wings at all. Also when Alyssa told her I would be there, she said, "books!" so she knows I am the books and clothes aunt. *g*
The while elephant swap was pretty hilarious too, and my niece Nicki ended up with the cat-shaped measuring cups and spoons that were my contribution. I got a waterproof bluetooth speaker I'm going to have to set up in the bathroom to have tunes in the shower.
The funfetti cupcakes were a big hit. (I made sure to put cream cheese frosting on the ones for my sister; she tried one with the American buttercream and made the same face I made when I tasted it - it's disgustingly sweet.) There's picture of this year's selection here.
As for gifts, I received a handful of gift cards, a KRYPTO squishmallow from Baby Miss L, a pair of earrings made from chips of vintage pyrex, a stand mixer tree ornament, a copy of Dorrie's Anytime Cakes, some candles, and a pair of super warm and fuzzy grippy socks. I also bought myself a new winter coat, a new 9 x 13" pyrex baking dish, a new vibrator, some new bras, and a new pair of black ankle boots, so I'm doing all right in the gift department. *g*
Yesterday, I got home early and vegged out for most of the day. And then it snowed, just like they said it would!
Today, I made a new batch of dough and tomorrow I'll finish baking off the fig cookies for this year. I also want to try those orange cranberry rolls now that I have room in the fridge to let them rise overnight. I still have so many eggs left over, though, so I see at least one frittata in my future, plus at least one batch of Nadiya's egg wraps, which are delicious and I recommend them highly!
Now I should look into having dinner and maybe watching the Rangers game.
*
Christmas morning, my niece and her husband came over so Baby Miss L could unwrap the first set of presents - she still gets bored with it and wants to play with whatever she's opened instead of opening the next gift, so it's a process - and she LOVED the 30 second dance party button, as I knew she would. I am SO HAPPY I saw it somewhere (Wirecutter, maybe?) and ordered it, and that it arrived in time for me to see her play with it. (The adults got a kick out of it too, but it was hilarious watching her run up and press it each time it ended.) She liked the dinosaur cape and the books (especially "The Little Book of Cheese," which is in the same series as "The Little Book of Pasta," which I got for her last year and which she LOVES - apparently she will just bust out with "FARFALLE!" at any given moment), but did not care about the wings at all. Also when Alyssa told her I would be there, she said, "books!" so she knows I am the books and clothes aunt. *g*
The while elephant swap was pretty hilarious too, and my niece Nicki ended up with the cat-shaped measuring cups and spoons that were my contribution. I got a waterproof bluetooth speaker I'm going to have to set up in the bathroom to have tunes in the shower.
The funfetti cupcakes were a big hit. (I made sure to put cream cheese frosting on the ones for my sister; she tried one with the American buttercream and made the same face I made when I tasted it - it's disgustingly sweet.) There's picture of this year's selection here.
As for gifts, I received a handful of gift cards, a KRYPTO squishmallow from Baby Miss L, a pair of earrings made from chips of vintage pyrex, a stand mixer tree ornament, a copy of Dorrie's Anytime Cakes, some candles, and a pair of super warm and fuzzy grippy socks. I also bought myself a new winter coat, a new 9 x 13" pyrex baking dish, a new vibrator, some new bras, and a new pair of black ankle boots, so I'm doing all right in the gift department. *g*
Yesterday, I got home early and vegged out for most of the day. And then it snowed, just like they said it would!
Today, I made a new batch of dough and tomorrow I'll finish baking off the fig cookies for this year. I also want to try those orange cranberry rolls now that I have room in the fridge to let them rise overnight. I still have so many eggs left over, though, so I see at least one frittata in my future, plus at least one batch of Nadiya's egg wraps, which are delicious and I recommend them highly!
Now I should look into having dinner and maybe watching the Rangers game.
*
2025 52 Card Project: Week 51: Rest
Dec. 26th, 2025 12:47 pmpegkerrEric had surgery last Friday and needed to have someone accompany him and stay with him for twenty-four hours afterward. The aftercare turned out to be a bit more intense than expected afterward, and so I ended up staying at his place all weekend to assist him.
We were very quiet together. It occurred to me on Sunday, as we sat together in his living room, drinking coffee and looking out the living room window at the winter landscape, that it was the winter Solstice. A year ago on the winter Solstice, I was hosting a solstice party. If I had been at home, I would have lit all my candles to mark the day. Being with him on that day as he was recovering seemed fitting.
The winter solstice is a time for deep rest and healing, for reflection and resilience.
He is feeling much better now and counts the surgery as a success.
Image description: A window with a winter view outside. A pair of feet clad in red and white striped socks are propped up on the windowsill beside a red mug with a steaming hot beverage. A hand holding a couple of pills hovers above the feet.
Rest
Click on the links to see the 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.
We were very quiet together. It occurred to me on Sunday, as we sat together in his living room, drinking coffee and looking out the living room window at the winter landscape, that it was the winter Solstice. A year ago on the winter Solstice, I was hosting a solstice party. If I had been at home, I would have lit all my candles to mark the day. Being with him on that day as he was recovering seemed fitting.
The winter solstice is a time for deep rest and healing, for reflection and resilience.
He is feeling much better now and counts the surgery as a success.
Image description: A window with a winter view outside. A pair of feet clad in red and white striped socks are propped up on the windowsill beside a red mug with a steaming hot beverage. A hand holding a couple of pills hovers above the feet.
Click on the links to see the 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.
Top 10 Reads of 2025
Dec. 26th, 2025 02:31 pmkiwiriaA bit early, I know, but none of my current books seem like they're likely to shove any of these off the list, so here we go! New discoveries only - rereads don't count. All links go to goodreads.
The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady - Sharon Mondragón Probably the best book I've read all year. Definite shades of "The Yada Yada Prayer Group" and had me itching to go cast on a prayer shawl right away!
Going Overboard - Portia Mc Portia Mc is a bit hit-and-miss for me, but this time she blew it out of the park! No third-act breakup, some of my favourite chick-lit tropes and one of my all-time favourite settings. What's not to like?!
Nobody's Girl - Virginia Roberts Giuffre One of the very few non-fictional books I've read this year. Heartbreaking and sadly relevant. Very interesting read.
The Naturalists - Jennifer Lynn Barnes The FBI BAU for teenagers X-D Completely unrealistic of course, but a fun and easy read. I really enjoyed the rest of the series as well, but figured I should just stick to one of the books here.
Lykkeriddere - Claus Holm I've always been a fan of Claus' books, and this is his best so far! "Treasure Island" meets "Our Flag Means Death". I loved every minute of it, and can't wait for the sequel!
Family for Beginners - Sarah Morgan An adorably sweet book that had the added bonus of having people actually communicate, instead of forcing a third-act breakup on us! Great comfort read.
The Enchanted Greenhouse - Sarah Beth Durst Even better than "The Spellshop"! I love the cozy fantasy genre, and this is one of the best I've come across :-D
The Christmas Tree Farm - Laurie Gilmore Christmas rom-com that's heavier on the "romcom" bit than the "Christmas" bit, but a sweet story all the same. At the end of the day, it's nothing special, but it was the right book at the right time for me :-)
Delilah Green Doesn't Care - Ashley Herring Blake Really, really cute book! And while I loved seeing the romance develop, what really made the book for me (other than the precocious kid of course!) was seeing Delilah start to make friends and set down roots. I loved her chemistry with Iris and Ruby!
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping - Sangu Mandanna I really want to go visit Sera's inn now! I loved reading about the inhabitants, and of Sera's quest to find the spell that would restore her magic. The ending was perhaps a bit too easy, but I loved everything about it up until that point, so it still deserves a spot on this list.
The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady - Sharon Mondragón Probably the best book I've read all year. Definite shades of "The Yada Yada Prayer Group" and had me itching to go cast on a prayer shawl right away!
Going Overboard - Portia Mc Portia Mc is a bit hit-and-miss for me, but this time she blew it out of the park! No third-act breakup, some of my favourite chick-lit tropes and one of my all-time favourite settings. What's not to like?!
Nobody's Girl - Virginia Roberts Giuffre One of the very few non-fictional books I've read this year. Heartbreaking and sadly relevant. Very interesting read.
The Naturalists - Jennifer Lynn Barnes The FBI BAU for teenagers X-D Completely unrealistic of course, but a fun and easy read. I really enjoyed the rest of the series as well, but figured I should just stick to one of the books here.
Lykkeriddere - Claus Holm I've always been a fan of Claus' books, and this is his best so far! "Treasure Island" meets "Our Flag Means Death". I loved every minute of it, and can't wait for the sequel!
Family for Beginners - Sarah Morgan An adorably sweet book that had the added bonus of having people actually communicate, instead of forcing a third-act breakup on us! Great comfort read.
The Enchanted Greenhouse - Sarah Beth Durst Even better than "The Spellshop"! I love the cozy fantasy genre, and this is one of the best I've come across :-D
The Christmas Tree Farm - Laurie Gilmore Christmas rom-com that's heavier on the "romcom" bit than the "Christmas" bit, but a sweet story all the same. At the end of the day, it's nothing special, but it was the right book at the right time for me :-)
Delilah Green Doesn't Care - Ashley Herring Blake Really, really cute book! And while I loved seeing the romance develop, what really made the book for me (other than the precocious kid of course!) was seeing Delilah start to make friends and set down roots. I loved her chemistry with Iris and Ruby!
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping - Sangu Mandanna I really want to go visit Sera's inn now! I loved reading about the inhabitants, and of Sera's quest to find the spell that would restore her magic. The ending was perhaps a bit too easy, but I loved everything about it up until that point, so it still deserves a spot on this list.
Yuletide Madness Is Live
Dec. 25th, 2025 09:28 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
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Merry and bright.
Dec. 24th, 2025 11:53 pmashkittyOutside revisiting old fics, I've been at my parents for the better part of a week. It's been a lot of work, but I love Christmas and I love my family, so I'm happy to be able to do things for them.
My mom got to come home today. After the long-term care hospital she was in a skilled nursing facility for a while, getting OT and PT to build her strength back up. Recovery takes a long time (I read somewhere you should assume a month of recovery for every week you were bedridden - I don't expect this to take a whole seven years, but it's fine if it's slow going for a while). She's still in a wheelchair a lot of the time and likely will be for a while. We went to church, and everyone was very kind. The point is that she's home for Christmas, which is the one thing I wanted most.
Nadolig llawen, friends. I hope you all have whatever sort of holiday you like best.
My mom got to come home today. After the long-term care hospital she was in a skilled nursing facility for a while, getting OT and PT to build her strength back up. Recovery takes a long time (I read somewhere you should assume a month of recovery for every week you were bedridden - I don't expect this to take a whole seven years, but it's fine if it's slow going for a while). She's still in a wheelchair a lot of the time and likely will be for a while. We went to church, and everyone was very kind. The point is that she's home for Christmas, which is the one thing I wanted most.
Nadolig llawen, friends. I hope you all have whatever sort of holiday you like best.
12 Days (til) Christmas Day 12
Dec. 24th, 2025 10:45 pmashkittyDay 12! We made it!
We end where we began, with Star Trek. This is the first K/S Advent fic I wrote, and the most enduring. I loved being able to make a world that is completely strange, completely alien, and to give the Enterprise a mission where while there is danger, there’s nothing trying to attack or harm them. Space is dangerous, but also wondrous, and the crew should get to enjoy that sometimes.
Snowflakes (Star Trek Reboot, Kirk/Spock, G)
‘Spock was already pulling out his tricorder. "It appears to be...life, Jim. Plant life," he said slowly. Spock had a lot of ways of speaking slowly. There was the way that meant he was thinking, and the way that meant he was thinking Jim was an idiot. There was a way that meant he was absolutely determined not to laugh, and a way that meant he was still processing something shocking. This was a new one, though, Jim thought. It was almost wonder.’
Song: O Holy Night
Rec: Wizards in Winter by Vibishan (Calvin & Hobbes/Young Wizards, G)
The one where Calvin becomes a wizard. I don't know what else to say about it beyond that - but look, you know (if you know Young Wizards) that the younger the wizard, the more raw power. And that wizards are offered the Oath when they're needed. Anyway, I knew from the beginning this was the rec I wanted to end on.
Merry Christmas.🎄🎁❄️
Back to Day 11.
We end where we began, with Star Trek. This is the first K/S Advent fic I wrote, and the most enduring. I loved being able to make a world that is completely strange, completely alien, and to give the Enterprise a mission where while there is danger, there’s nothing trying to attack or harm them. Space is dangerous, but also wondrous, and the crew should get to enjoy that sometimes.
Snowflakes (Star Trek Reboot, Kirk/Spock, G)
‘Spock was already pulling out his tricorder. "It appears to be...life, Jim. Plant life," he said slowly. Spock had a lot of ways of speaking slowly. There was the way that meant he was thinking, and the way that meant he was thinking Jim was an idiot. There was a way that meant he was absolutely determined not to laugh, and a way that meant he was still processing something shocking. This was a new one, though, Jim thought. It was almost wonder.’
Song: O Holy Night
Rec: Wizards in Winter by Vibishan (Calvin & Hobbes/Young Wizards, G)
The one where Calvin becomes a wizard. I don't know what else to say about it beyond that - but look, you know (if you know Young Wizards) that the younger the wizard, the more raw power. And that wizards are offered the Oath when they're needed. Anyway, I knew from the beginning this was the rec I wanted to end on.
Merry Christmas.🎄🎁❄️
Back to Day 11.
Yuletide 2025 Anonymous Period
Dec. 24th, 2025 10:35 pmyuletide_admin_feedThere's a new post up on the Yuletide Admin comm regarding
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Yuletide 2025 is live!
Dec. 24th, 2025 09:36 pmyuletide_admin_feedThere's a new post up on the Yuletide Admin comm regarding
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Yuletide 2025 gift
Dec. 24th, 2025 05:14 pmellen_fremedonHappy Yuletide! I got an excellent Impromptu fic from my Mystery Writer!
la femme comme il (en) faut (3283 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Impromptu (1991), 19th Century CE RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: George Sand (1804-1876), Franz Liszt, Eugène Delacroix, Duchess Claudette d’Antan, Pauline Viardot, Gustav Courbet
Additional Tags: french romantic era, Misses Clause Challenge
Summary:
A story about hanging out with artists, highly recommended for anyone who likes hanging out with artists. Thank you so much, mystery writer!
And I wrote one story this year. I will make my usual offer of a drabble to anyone who guesses it before reveals, but this is basically me offering a drabble to everyone, because boy howdy is it obvious which story is mine.
la femme comme il (en) faut (3283 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Impromptu (1991), 19th Century CE RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: George Sand (1804-1876), Franz Liszt, Eugène Delacroix, Duchess Claudette d’Antan, Pauline Viardot, Gustav Courbet
Additional Tags: french romantic era, Misses Clause Challenge
Summary:
“That Duchess, what’s her name, is at your door,” remarked Liszt, looking down into the street. It was a nasty, windy November afternoon, with rubbish scudding down the avenues and rain threatening in the east, terrible for making calls. “The one with a thing for artists.”
“Oh, balls,” George said, and threw down her hookah pipe.
A story about hanging out with artists, highly recommended for anyone who likes hanging out with artists. Thank you so much, mystery writer!
And I wrote one story this year. I will make my usual offer of a drabble to anyone who guesses it before reveals, but this is basically me offering a drabble to everyone, because boy howdy is it obvious which story is mine.
let nothing you dismay
Dec. 24th, 2025 01:13 pmmusesfoolGanache: made!
Cupcakes: frosted!
Bags: packed!
Garbage: taken out!
Dishwasher: running!
Me: showered, dressed, and waiting for my ride!
Whew!
It is all done and packed and only the last anxiety-inducing part - waiting for the car and schlepping everything down to the car - is left.
There were ZERO frosting explosions this year, though I did need to re-whip the strawberry buttercream, so I left it for last. There are still a bunch of stuff in the sink to be washed on Friday, but all the containers that...contained frosting are in the dishwasher, so they won't be all gross upon my return.
I did miscount and make one extra package of cupcakes, so I just addressed it to Baby Miss L - I'm sure her parents will love that. 😉 Also, the last gift I ordered for her - very late - is allegedly going to be delivered today! It's the 30 second dance party button! Which looks so fun and since I know Baby Miss L loves a dance party, it seemed like fate that I should get it for her.
I have only been skimming ye olde flist, but once I'm back home on Friday, all obligations are met and the next week is mine to do with as I will, so I will try to be more present here.
Merry Christmas to those who are celebrating! Happy Yuletide to those of you participating! And happy hump day to everyone else! See you on the flip side!
( 6-day plan, day 6 )
***
Cupcakes: frosted!
Bags: packed!
Garbage: taken out!
Dishwasher: running!
Me: showered, dressed, and waiting for my ride!
Whew!
It is all done and packed and only the last anxiety-inducing part - waiting for the car and schlepping everything down to the car - is left.
There were ZERO frosting explosions this year, though I did need to re-whip the strawberry buttercream, so I left it for last. There are still a bunch of stuff in the sink to be washed on Friday, but all the containers that...contained frosting are in the dishwasher, so they won't be all gross upon my return.
I did miscount and make one extra package of cupcakes, so I just addressed it to Baby Miss L - I'm sure her parents will love that. 😉 Also, the last gift I ordered for her - very late - is allegedly going to be delivered today! It's the 30 second dance party button! Which looks so fun and since I know Baby Miss L loves a dance party, it seemed like fate that I should get it for her.
I have only been skimming ye olde flist, but once I'm back home on Friday, all obligations are met and the next week is mine to do with as I will, so I will try to be more present here.
Merry Christmas to those who are celebrating! Happy Yuletide to those of you participating! And happy hump day to everyone else! See you on the flip side!
( 6-day plan, day 6 )
***
12 Days (til) Christmas Day 11
Dec. 23rd, 2025 11:08 pmashkittyAlmost to the end! So the thing with the Arthurian legend is that you can write almost anything, but it still ends badly. This story stops before that happens, but it’s still hovering in the background, casting its shadow. Still, I very much enjoyed writing it (hey, sometimes you’re a PhD student working on Arthurian literature and just happen to draw ‘Arthurian legend’ in Yuletide).
I don’t have a lot of OT3s – my affection for codependent couples doesn’t really lend itself to polyamory – but this one has always been formative. I think I read T. H. White in high school and thought, Aha! So that’s what’s going on! and ended up years later doing queer stuff with medieval knights for an actual job. Anyway it’s not a long read – I want to keep it short because I’m sure the holiday season is really getting busy by now – but I hope you enjoy it.
The Art of Courtly Love (Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere, Arthurian Legend)
Rated M
‘It was Christmas night, so the king and queen held a feast. The hall was trimmed with holly and mistletoe above the doors, and a poet from the North had sung of heroes and lovers. Arthur sat in the centre of the high table with Guinevere and Lancelot on his left and his right. The stewards had brought in the second subtlety, the Blessed Virgin standing atop a map of the world with a gilded model of Camelot in her cupped hands.’
Song: Personent Hodie (Mediæval Bæbes version). Attested in a 16th-century Finnish hymbook, it seems to come from a 14th-century song and who knows prior to that. Not the oldest medieval Christmas hymn I have, but one that catches the feeling of the fic better than some others.
Rec: So Pleasing a Thing by Raja815.(Star Trek TOS, Kirk/Spock)
Rated T
This follows Kirk and Spock after they've sorted themselves out post-Gol and post-V'ger and got married, but both being devoted to their careers as well as each other, they have some rough patches. What I love is how the author shows the difficulties they're facing, without being melodramatic--just the very real tensions of two overworked people who are devoted to their vocations as well as to each other; there are cultural differences and errors of ignorance, but the depth of their love is never actually in question.
Back to Day 10 | On to Day 12
I don’t have a lot of OT3s – my affection for codependent couples doesn’t really lend itself to polyamory – but this one has always been formative. I think I read T. H. White in high school and thought, Aha! So that’s what’s going on! and ended up years later doing queer stuff with medieval knights for an actual job. Anyway it’s not a long read – I want to keep it short because I’m sure the holiday season is really getting busy by now – but I hope you enjoy it.
The Art of Courtly Love (Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere, Arthurian Legend)
Rated M
‘It was Christmas night, so the king and queen held a feast. The hall was trimmed with holly and mistletoe above the doors, and a poet from the North had sung of heroes and lovers. Arthur sat in the centre of the high table with Guinevere and Lancelot on his left and his right. The stewards had brought in the second subtlety, the Blessed Virgin standing atop a map of the world with a gilded model of Camelot in her cupped hands.’
Song: Personent Hodie (Mediæval Bæbes version). Attested in a 16th-century Finnish hymbook, it seems to come from a 14th-century song and who knows prior to that. Not the oldest medieval Christmas hymn I have, but one that catches the feeling of the fic better than some others.
Rec: So Pleasing a Thing by Raja815.(Star Trek TOS, Kirk/Spock)
Rated T
This follows Kirk and Spock after they've sorted themselves out post-Gol and post-V'ger and got married, but both being devoted to their careers as well as each other, they have some rough patches. What I love is how the author shows the difficulties they're facing, without being melodramatic--just the very real tensions of two overworked people who are devoted to their vocations as well as to each other; there are cultural differences and errors of ignorance, but the depth of their love is never actually in question.
Back to Day 10 | On to Day 12
find a way to get the next one
Dec. 23rd, 2025 09:21 pmmusesfoolI just cleaned off the kitchen counter and put the last bowl/spatulas in the sink to soak (the dishwasher is already running, and all the cupcakes are cooked and 4 out of 5 frostings are made (I just finished the strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream) - tomorrow I will make the ganache and possibly also a whipped ganache (I've never done it with butter in it - does that make it more buttercream-ish?) just to change things up a bit.
Today, I baked the strawberry (doubled to make 80), apple cider (60), and funfetti (doubled to make 80) cupcakes - there could have been more funfetti, but not enough to fill a whole pan, so I didn't bother. I added cinnamon bits from King Arthur to the apple cider ones and dipped them in maple cinnamon sugar, which is a change, one that hopefully people will like.
I also discovered that the cupcake carriers I've had sitting in a box under a chair in my living room for a few months are the wrong size (they are for standard-sized cupcakes) so I only have 10 mini ones and I need 13, so I will use the some foil lasagna pans for my brother and sister and one of the kids - they'll get a few more cupcakes out of it, since the carriers hold 2 dozen but the 9 x 13" tray fits about 30. *hands* I'm just glad I still have a pack of them left to use; otherwise, I'd have been up a creek.
Tomorrow is Pipe-a-palooza 7: The Pipening! (yeah, it's kind of shocking to me I've been doing cupcakes for 7 years now - I started in 2019 - but I like it more than the chocolates [and it's also less time-consuming than the chocolates were] and I can't do ice creams anymore due to logistics, though they remain my all-time favorite of the homemade Christmas gifts I've done over the years.) Wish me luck! It's always the hardest part for me. Hopefully I will remember to take pictures to share afterwards.
Whoops, I started this entry an hour ago and got distracted by stuff like packing my overnight bag and refilling my water bottle etc. so I'm just gonna hit post now and work up the energy to go wash my hair.
***
( 6-day plan, day 5 )
***
Today, I baked the strawberry (doubled to make 80), apple cider (60), and funfetti (doubled to make 80) cupcakes - there could have been more funfetti, but not enough to fill a whole pan, so I didn't bother. I added cinnamon bits from King Arthur to the apple cider ones and dipped them in maple cinnamon sugar, which is a change, one that hopefully people will like.
I also discovered that the cupcake carriers I've had sitting in a box under a chair in my living room for a few months are the wrong size (they are for standard-sized cupcakes) so I only have 10 mini ones and I need 13, so I will use the some foil lasagna pans for my brother and sister and one of the kids - they'll get a few more cupcakes out of it, since the carriers hold 2 dozen but the 9 x 13" tray fits about 30. *hands* I'm just glad I still have a pack of them left to use; otherwise, I'd have been up a creek.
Tomorrow is Pipe-a-palooza 7: The Pipening! (yeah, it's kind of shocking to me I've been doing cupcakes for 7 years now - I started in 2019 - but I like it more than the chocolates [and it's also less time-consuming than the chocolates were] and I can't do ice creams anymore due to logistics, though they remain my all-time favorite of the homemade Christmas gifts I've done over the years.) Wish me luck! It's always the hardest part for me. Hopefully I will remember to take pictures to share afterwards.
Whoops, I started this entry an hour ago and got distracted by stuff like packing my overnight bag and refilling my water bottle etc. so I'm just gonna hit post now and work up the energy to go wash my hair.
***
( 6-day plan, day 5 )
***
36 Hours to Reveals
Dec. 23rd, 2025 09:28 amyuletide_admin_feedThere's a new post up on the Yuletide Admin comm regarding
36 Hours to Reveals. Please note that there may have been
a delay between that post and this crosspost.
You can go through to DW to check the details:
Dreamwidth Post
If you have follow-up questions, they can be asked in the DW comment section using a DW login, OpenID with another login, or a signed anonymous comment.
You can go through to DW to check the details:
Dreamwidth Post
If you have follow-up questions, they can be asked in the DW comment section using a DW login, OpenID with another login, or a signed anonymous comment.
2025 Soundtrack
Dec. 23rd, 2025 10:06 amkiwiria... and in case embedding doesn't work, here's the direct link instead.
Prayer and a Bible - Megan Woods
As always I have to start off this list with a recommendation from Simon as he always sends me links to the best songs. I think this might be my favourite of his recommendations this year. It's not my usual fare, but it's just got a certain charm that I can't resist.
And I found healin' / In those ancient words of wisdom
I found what I was missin' / Livin' on a prayer and a Bible
Buzzkill - Lanie Gardner
I have absolutely no memory of how I came across this song, but I love its energy. I think I heard it in a TV series, and immediately used soundhound to add it to my list ... but my google skills are coming up short, so it might just have been that I heard it on the radio instead.
Take Me to Church - Hozier
So, I've been living under a rock, and only actually heard this song this year. A good friend of mine would quote it whenever I mentioned going to church on a given Sunday, and I had NO idea what he was talking about ... until I suddenly heard it on TikTok one day, and went "Oh ... OH!!!"
... so now I tease him that I automatically think of him whenever I hear it ;-)
Affirmation - Savage Garden
Before we left for New Zealand, Henriette and I made a joint playlist to listen to on our long drives. We ended up vastly underestimating how long time we'd spend in the car, and probably listened to it 6 or 7 times all the way through! This was one of Henriette's additions, and I'm back in the car, driving through gorgeous scenery whenever I listen to it.
idk - Allison Eide
A random TikTok find, but I was instantly hooked. It's got a good rhythm, and I really like the message. I might not know the answers to everything - but I know the one who'll see me through it all.
The Life of a Showgirl - Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift seems to be a bit hit-and-miss for me, but every now again she releases a song that I just can't resist. I don't know that I would even have heard this, if it hadn't been for a friend sending me the spotify link, but for awhile there we'd constantly quote it to each other, and now it's just a firm part of my 2025 soundtrack.
I'm Always Talking to Jesus - Newsong
Another recommendation from Simon, and one where I actually want to be able to say "I'm in this picture and I
I'm always talking to Jesus / And He's always talking to me
A comfort again and again / Oh, what a friend
He's always listening
I'm always talking to Jesus / Telling him all of my troubles
I know: wherever I go, I'm not alone / He always hears me
New Heart - Crash Adams
Another song I found thanks to TikTok - I first heard the version where Sophie Powers freestyled a rap as one of the verses, and that version is still my favourite, but unfortunately not available on Spotify. It is ridiculously catchy, and I get the chorus stuck in my mind at the drop of a hat ... but I love it all the same.
A Feeling We Can't Hide - Lyra Vesperi
Simon introduced me to Lyra just a few months ago, and I immediately fell in love. The music is so catchy, and could easily work as a soundtrack to a cartoon I used to read as a child ("Elverfolket" to any other Danes out there). I had a VERY hard time deciding which song to choose, and could just as easily have picked "Dance Upon the Green", "Your Only World" or "An Oath Made in Ale" but ended with this one, as it's the one that most consistently has me tapping my foot in response.
Goodbye Yesterday - Elevation Rhythm & Gracie Binion
We sang this at Arc Church Copenhagen the Sunday my sisters and I visited, and I couldn't get it out of my head afterwards.
You rescued me out of the mess I was in
You traded my sorrow for something to sing
Now, I'm dancin' on the grave that I once lived in
Free Like - Maddie & Tae
This has almost the same vibe to it as "Shoot Tequilla" by Tigirlily Gold which was on my list a few years ago. Instant add :-D
Dusty Bible - The River Sons
Another recommendation from Simon. In fact, there were quite a number of songs I could have added by The River Sons, but this one ended up being my favourite. Even when we stop talking to him, God is never far away - "he just sits idle".
Like Jesus - Ross King
I have a feeling Simon is even more heavily represented on this list than usual X-D Because yes, this is a recommendation from him too. The lyrics by themselves instantly earned them an inclusion on this list.
wanna be like Him when He tells the Pharisees the depth of their own sin
But I don't really wanna be like Jesus, later
When He dies for them
I refuse to pick and choose / The parts of Jesus that are easiest to bow down to
And I won't use / His name in vain to prove
Who I want Him to be / That's just idolatry
I wanna be like Jesus
I don't want Him to be like me
DON'T - LØLØ
Okay, first of all - WHAT is up with English-speaking people using Ø instead of O??? I've seen it so many places, and it makes me roll my eyes every time. Ø is its own letter with its own sound, people!!! It's not just a fancy way of writing O.
... Aaaaaaanyways ...
A random TikTok find that immediately appealled to me. Weirdly enough the singer reminds me a LOT of the actress who plays the mother in "How I Met Your Mother".
God of Promises - Newsboys
I've loved Newsboys ever since I first discovered them back in 1996. I even got to hear them in concert at a music festival in New Zealand. So I'm always pleased when I see that they release something new.
I See a Light - We Are Messengers
Picking just one song by We Are Messengers was hard y'all!! At one point I think I had four or five contenders. But "Joy Comes in the Morning" has always been one of my go-to comforts, so at the end of the day, I knew this song had to make the cut.
When the night comes / Hope is still bright.
Tears may fall in the evening / But joy comes in the light.
Matter to You - We Are Messengers
... I couldn't stick to just one though. The entire album "Where the Joy Is" is worth a listen, but these were my two favourites. Once again these songs come curtesy of Simon, which I guess comes as a surprise to absolutely nobody ;-)
All I really want is to matter to you.
Close - We Are Messengers
I know, I know!!! But you guys, the lyrics to this one!!! This is a longer quote than I usually add, but give it a read anyways.
God, You know the the tears I've cried / And the times I couldn't breathe
Oh, You never left my side / So I rest here at Your feet
I know You're working all things for my good / In the way that only You could
Maybe the why just don't matter / What if it's not for me to know
Maybe the point is just to trust You / Find the faith to let it go
Cause sometimes falling feels like flying / It's the only way I know
So I won't hurry through the heartache / If it's what it takes
To draw me close
Make America Danish - Maximillian Tee
I kept wavering about whether or not to add this song - another TikTok find, made popular in the beginning of the year, when Trump first started talking about purchasing Greenland. It somehow seemed too silly to deserve a place on this list ... but honestly, isn't silly exactly what we need sometimes?
Forget fast food, we're bringing the charm
Butter cookies and Carlsberg on every farm
Make America Danish, it's time to reboot.
Redesign the White House, make it cute
God Is With Us - The Afters
Simon sent this to me waaaay back in January, and I immediately teared up when reading the lyrics - but had no idea how much they would come to mean to me. The message is much the same as "Closer" by We Are Messengers, so I considered only adding one of them - but they approach it so differently, so in the end, I had to include both.
Where is God in the heartache?
Where is God in the fear?
Where is God when it hurts so bad that you can't hold back the tears?
Where is God in the sickness that the prayers didn't fix?
When it don't make sense, where is God in all of this?
Haven't we all had times where we ponder this question?
He is right here where He's always been
He never left, and He never will
Where is God?
God is with us
He is right hеre where Hе's always been
It's where He'll be 'til the very end
Where is God?
God is with us
Lost in the Weeds - Christian Music Creations
Changing music styles completely. I don't know if it's quite right to call this 'country', but it's definitely more country'ish than I usually listen to, yet there is something about it that just appeals to me.
I was lost in the weeds / but you found me there.
The Carousel Waltz - Richard Rodgers
And finally, a bit of an unusual addition as I don't often include classical music here. But thanks to a friend of mine, I fell in love with this arrangement over the year, and thought it a fitting conclusion to my playlist.
12 Days (til) Christmas Day 10
Dec. 22nd, 2025 11:23 pmashkittyA tricky one. This was written for Yuletide, but is not, technically, a Christmas fic. But a large and important section of it does happen over the Christmas holidays, so I have decided it’s close enough, especially since it means I made it to 12 without having to dig out old Gundam fic from the back of a closet. Also, I’m pretty proud of it. This is the only time I have written Dead Poets Society, and probably the only time I will, because I threw absolutely everything I had to say about it into this one story. (It was also the most popular thing I had on AO3 by a long shot, until I started writing in MDZS/Untamed fandom which is a lot more active.) There were actually two things I wanted to write – one about Todd and Neil, and one about Todd in the aftermath of what happens – and then some part of my brain was like JUST DO BOTH AT ONCE and the structure ended up working out pretty well.
(CW for suicidal thoughts in this one, outside the canonical)
Apo Koinou (Dead Poets Society, Neil/Todd)
Rated T
‘They've all retired for the night, or at least scattered. Jeffrey's gone to phone his girlfriend in Boston, his parents have gone to their room to read. Todd sits alone on the living room floor in his pyjamas and bathrobe, knees pulled up to his chest, watching the twinkling coloured lights on the Christmas tree. He lets his eyes unfocus slowly, and the lights become blurry, dancing flickers of colour, shifting at the edges of his vision.’
Song: River, Joni Mitchell
Fic rec: Renovation by EdosianOrchids901 (Good Omens, G)
This is a tiny wee drabble, but so sweet: Aziraphale presents Crowley with a Christmas tree. Crowley pretends (tries?) to hate it.
Back to Day 9 | On to Day 11
(CW for suicidal thoughts in this one, outside the canonical)
Apo Koinou (Dead Poets Society, Neil/Todd)
Rated T
‘They've all retired for the night, or at least scattered. Jeffrey's gone to phone his girlfriend in Boston, his parents have gone to their room to read. Todd sits alone on the living room floor in his pyjamas and bathrobe, knees pulled up to his chest, watching the twinkling coloured lights on the Christmas tree. He lets his eyes unfocus slowly, and the lights become blurry, dancing flickers of colour, shifting at the edges of his vision.’
Song: River, Joni Mitchell
Fic rec: Renovation by EdosianOrchids901 (Good Omens, G)
This is a tiny wee drabble, but so sweet: Aziraphale presents Crowley with a Christmas tree. Crowley pretends (tries?) to hate it.
Back to Day 9 | On to Day 11
you gotta be real smart then if you're gonna try to bring pressure
Dec. 22nd, 2025 09:21 pmmusesfoolI managed to get into bed by 11 last night, and my alarm went off at 7:20 and I hit snooze a couple of extra times, but I was up and ready to go by 8, which was the goal. It turned out that they only turned the water off in one set of apartments, so at least I didn't have to deal with that! (After the Big Leak of January 2023, I believe one of the "upgrades" was the ability to do this so they don't have to turn the water off for everyone every time, though I could have that wrong.)
Chocolate, mocha, and red velvet (mini) cupcakes are done! I got 80 of the chocolate and the red velvet using the smaller scoop, which is typical of my experience (though one of the chocolate ones got messed up when I put the pan in the oven, so I technically only have 79 cupcakes), and I got 92 of the mocha (usually also 80, though I guess I used the bigger scoop before?), but 2 exploded - a phenomenon I had not seen except on vanilla cupcakes before - so I have 90 usable ones of those. Then I stopped to have dinner and run the dishwasher and take the garbage out, and it was hard to get back in the kitchen then, but I did it. I made mocha Swiss meringue buttercream, and as frequently happens, it curdled when i added the flavoring, so I had to melt it, wait for it to cool down (about 12 minutes) and start whipping it again, which worked, thankfully. Then I made an outlandish amount of vanilla American buttercream for the funfetti cupcakes I will bake tomorrow, since that is what the boys prefer, but I find it grossly sweet.
I used up enough butter and eggs today that I had space for the containers of frosting, which is good. I still need to empty and reload the dishwasher, take a shower, and then run the dishwasher again so it's done for the next round. I mean, I have 4 bowls for my KitchenAid, and multiples of each type of attachment (e.g., beater, whisk, dough hook, etc.) but it's best to start the day with everything clean, just for my own peace of mind, though of course on Wednesday, the sink will be full of dirty things since I generally don't have time to empty and reload the dishwasher on Christmas Eve morning, what with all the piping and frosting and packing to go. We'll see what happens this year, since I don't have to leave as early as in past years, since we don't have an early reservation, but I still don't want to push it too late so I can avoid the worst of the traffic. We'll see how it goes.
***
( 6-day plan, day 4 )
***
Chocolate, mocha, and red velvet (mini) cupcakes are done! I got 80 of the chocolate and the red velvet using the smaller scoop, which is typical of my experience (though one of the chocolate ones got messed up when I put the pan in the oven, so I technically only have 79 cupcakes), and I got 92 of the mocha (usually also 80, though I guess I used the bigger scoop before?), but 2 exploded - a phenomenon I had not seen except on vanilla cupcakes before - so I have 90 usable ones of those. Then I stopped to have dinner and run the dishwasher and take the garbage out, and it was hard to get back in the kitchen then, but I did it. I made mocha Swiss meringue buttercream, and as frequently happens, it curdled when i added the flavoring, so I had to melt it, wait for it to cool down (about 12 minutes) and start whipping it again, which worked, thankfully. Then I made an outlandish amount of vanilla American buttercream for the funfetti cupcakes I will bake tomorrow, since that is what the boys prefer, but I find it grossly sweet.
I used up enough butter and eggs today that I had space for the containers of frosting, which is good. I still need to empty and reload the dishwasher, take a shower, and then run the dishwasher again so it's done for the next round. I mean, I have 4 bowls for my KitchenAid, and multiples of each type of attachment (e.g., beater, whisk, dough hook, etc.) but it's best to start the day with everything clean, just for my own peace of mind, though of course on Wednesday, the sink will be full of dirty things since I generally don't have time to empty and reload the dishwasher on Christmas Eve morning, what with all the piping and frosting and packing to go. We'll see what happens this year, since I don't have to leave as early as in past years, since we don't have an early reservation, but I still don't want to push it too late so I can avoid the worst of the traffic. We'll see how it goes.
***
( 6-day plan, day 4 )
***
I’m a nit
Dec. 22nd, 2025 03:52 pmlexinI had a Tesco delivery last Friday. No problem.
I forgot that I’d booked one for yesterday by mistake and then forgot to cancel it. So we got a load more food. I’m sureaunty_marion and I will manage to eat most of it. At least, we can hope.
Cat news
Geraint is beginning to settle in, he hasn’t yet bitten Marion. And we’re managing to train him to be a bit less hit-and-miss with his litter tray. He’s also beginning to get on with Opal. So, progress.
Edited to add: we have discovered that Geraint is deaf.
I forgot that I’d booked one for yesterday by mistake and then forgot to cancel it. So we got a load more food. I’m sure
aunty_marion and I will manage to eat most of it. At least, we can hope.Cat news
Geraint is beginning to settle in, he hasn’t yet bitten Marion. And we’re managing to train him to be a bit less hit-and-miss with his litter tray. He’s also beginning to get on with Opal. So, progress.
Edited to add: we have discovered that Geraint is deaf.
I've Been Vastly Oversold On The Power Of Friendship.
Dec. 22nd, 2025 09:02 amrionaleonhartMy household is celebrating House Christmas today, before most of us visit our respective families for Official Christmas, so it's time for the annual bad Christmas manip!
The James image I used as a base is a still from one of these gorgeous GIFs made by![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
stdismas! James is extremely pretty here. Possibly slightly less pretty once I've badly drawn a Father Christmas outfit onto him, but these are the sacrifices we must make in the festive season.
Merry Christmas, if you're celebrating! May you have a better time than James Sunderland. (I don't know exactly how James spends Christmas, but I feel there's a solid chance he spends it just like every other day: having an absolute psychological breakdown.)
The James image I used as a base is a still from one of these gorgeous GIFs made by
Merry Christmas, if you're celebrating! May you have a better time than James Sunderland. (I don't know exactly how James spends Christmas, but I feel there's a solid chance he spends it just like every other day: having an absolute psychological breakdown.)
12 Days (til) Christmas Day 9
Dec. 21st, 2025 10:49 pmashkittyIt is now Will Stanton’s birthday, which means I had to save a Dark is Rising offering for it. Gonna be up front here – I love this story. I loved the experience of writing it (which started on a delayed train home, staring out the window), and my own connection to it. It is a long, rambling love-letter to my adopted home and perennial OTP.
There was actually meant to be at least one sequel, but I’ve still not finished it, so now I have the entire future of this version of these characters in my head. (Will ends up getting a job in Aberystwyth, so he can live with Bran – part of the difficulty there is the awkwardness about what RL people to include and how to get around that, but oh well. The next part was less complicated; it was Bran visiting Will in Oxford for Valentine’s day. There was rugby.) Anyway, enjoy.
In the Bleak Midwinter (TDIR, Bran/Will)
Rated M
‘He set aside the pile of undergraduate essays he'd been marking, leaning against the window to stare out of it for a while, watching Wales unfold welcoming before him. At least, he mused, that was how it felt – like the prodigal son returning to his father's fold. It was different from going home, where he could feel the fields of Buckinghamshire folding around him whenever he went back to see his parents, but it was similar, too. I know you, the land seemed to say. I remember you. You belong here.’
Song: In the Bleak Midwinter, a Carols from King's version for our choir boy (though Let It Snow might work too, of course!)
Fic rec:forever can never be long enough for me by isshun (modern wangxian)
Rated T
A Dongzhi fic for solstice. WWX takes LWJ along to his family celebrations, where LWJ and JYL bond over making him food. It's a bit soppy and very sweet, which is just what the longest night of the year needs.
Back to Day 8 | On to Day 10
There was actually meant to be at least one sequel, but I’ve still not finished it, so now I have the entire future of this version of these characters in my head. (Will ends up getting a job in Aberystwyth, so he can live with Bran – part of the difficulty there is the awkwardness about what RL people to include and how to get around that, but oh well. The next part was less complicated; it was Bran visiting Will in Oxford for Valentine’s day. There was rugby.) Anyway, enjoy.
In the Bleak Midwinter (TDIR, Bran/Will)
Rated M
‘He set aside the pile of undergraduate essays he'd been marking, leaning against the window to stare out of it for a while, watching Wales unfold welcoming before him. At least, he mused, that was how it felt – like the prodigal son returning to his father's fold. It was different from going home, where he could feel the fields of Buckinghamshire folding around him whenever he went back to see his parents, but it was similar, too. I know you, the land seemed to say. I remember you. You belong here.’
Song: In the Bleak Midwinter, a Carols from King's version for our choir boy (though Let It Snow might work too, of course!)
Fic rec:forever can never be long enough for me by isshun (modern wangxian)
Rated T
A Dongzhi fic for solstice. WWX takes LWJ along to his family celebrations, where LWJ and JYL bond over making him food. It's a bit soppy and very sweet, which is just what the longest night of the year needs.
Back to Day 8 | On to Day 10
when this guy moves around, good things happen
Dec. 21st, 2025 08:38 pmmusesfoolStayed up too late last night and got a late start this morning, so I am already behind on my plan. But I will try to go to bed earlier tonight and get up earlier tomorrow to get back on track. Unfortunately, there is another planned water shut-off for plumbing repairs from 9 am - 12 pm, so I'll have to make sure to make the coffee required for both the chocolate and the mocha cupcakes ahead of time (it has to be room temp anyway), as well as making sure I have an extra bowl for handwashing.
I did get all the fig cookies made and packed into the cute cookie tins I bought so I'm not always giving away my ziploc containers (they are useful and they changed the shape so I can't get any more of the ones I really like), and the pork buns as well (pics) but I didn't eat dinner until after 7 pm and now the dishwasher is running, so I'm done for the night.
oh, I wanted to note that this year, I bought some fancy holiday/red-and-green sprinkles from KAB for the cookies - normally I just use multicolor nonpareils, but these look kind of festive, I thought. I also got red/green sprinkles for the funfetti cupcakes so I will be very on-theme.
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( 6-day plan, day 3 )
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I did get all the fig cookies made and packed into the cute cookie tins I bought so I'm not always giving away my ziploc containers (they are useful and they changed the shape so I can't get any more of the ones I really like), and the pork buns as well (pics) but I didn't eat dinner until after 7 pm and now the dishwasher is running, so I'm done for the night.
oh, I wanted to note that this year, I bought some fancy holiday/red-and-green sprinkles from KAB for the cookies - normally I just use multicolor nonpareils, but these look kind of festive, I thought. I also got red/green sprinkles for the funfetti cupcakes so I will be very on-theme.
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( 6-day plan, day 3 )
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12 Days (til) Christmas Day 8
Dec. 20th, 2025 10:57 pmashkittyOne more Trek fic for the road? (There’s one more still to come, but I’ve tried to put a little more space between them now!) This one takes place after Into Darkness, which was a pretty awful movie with one single redeeming feature: it basically only makes sense if Kirk and Spock are desperately in love.
Anyway, after the events of that film, Spock wants to check on Kirk’s recovery process and ends up getting a bit more explanation than he expected.
The Ghost of Christmas Past
‘Jim's face was as warm as his hands, and his pulse beat solidly beneath Spock's fingertips. He blinked slowly, and Spock's vision blurred as he was pulled into the depths of Jim Kirk's memory. He could tell that Jim, despite having no expertise in mind-melds, was trying desperately to keep the chaos of his mind in order, and push to the forefront the things that had to with the other Spock. But there was a sense as well, beneath the solidness of memory, that he was offering so much more.’
A song to go with it: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan)
About a million years ago, Barenaked Ladies were (one of?) the first band(s) I ever saw live in concert, mostly because they were opening for the Violent Femmes. Teenage!me queued up for a free show at a Seattle festival for hours and it was so worth it.
A fic rec: The Maine Thing (Is That You Send a Card) (wangxian modern au) by Comfect
Look, I binged a lot of Christmas fics last year, and this is one I remember enjoying. It's a Hallmark-inspired wangxian fic. but unlike actual Hallmark movies, the characterisation is top-notch. And wangxian, so the pining is of course delicious.
Back to Day 7 | On to Day 9
Anyway, after the events of that film, Spock wants to check on Kirk’s recovery process and ends up getting a bit more explanation than he expected.
The Ghost of Christmas Past
‘Jim's face was as warm as his hands, and his pulse beat solidly beneath Spock's fingertips. He blinked slowly, and Spock's vision blurred as he was pulled into the depths of Jim Kirk's memory. He could tell that Jim, despite having no expertise in mind-melds, was trying desperately to keep the chaos of his mind in order, and push to the forefront the things that had to with the other Spock. But there was a sense as well, beneath the solidness of memory, that he was offering so much more.’
A song to go with it: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan)
About a million years ago, Barenaked Ladies were (one of?) the first band(s) I ever saw live in concert, mostly because they were opening for the Violent Femmes. Teenage!me queued up for a free show at a Seattle festival for hours and it was so worth it.
A fic rec: The Maine Thing (Is That You Send a Card) (wangxian modern au) by Comfect
Look, I binged a lot of Christmas fics last year, and this is one I remember enjoying. It's a Hallmark-inspired wangxian fic. but unlike actual Hallmark movies, the characterisation is top-notch. And wangxian, so the pining is of course delicious.
Back to Day 7 | On to Day 9
fanmix_monthly
Dec. 21st, 2025 10:17 ammatsushima posting in dw_community_promo
fanmix_monthly is a new fanmix community on Dreamwidth! Posting is now open. Optional prompts will start in January 2026.
let's see what approach they take here
Dec. 20th, 2025 06:06 pmmusesfoolSo I may have been a little...over ambitious in purchasing eggs and butter and expecting it all to fit into my tiny apartment-size fridge. I did get all of it in there, but there was literally no room to let orange rolls rise overnight so I knocked that off the list. Maybe I will do them for New Year's morning instead.
I also had an unfortunate start to the fig cookies. I made the filling yesterday and I might have put too much cocoa in as I thought it was the bottom of the container so I just dumped it in and well, there was more than I expected in there. *hands* It's fine. Then when I made the dough earlier, it smelled weird. I think maybe the Crisco had gone off? Idk, but I threw out what I'd made and did it again with the newly opened can of Crisco and it smelled correct, so I didn't really get to make cookies this afternoon as planned, but I might make some after dinner, which is how we did it when I was a kid - every night for the 2 weeks before Christmas we were in the kitchen making fig cookies.
I did marinate the pork country ribs last night and they are now in the oven roasting, so that at least is on track.
I also watched Wake Up Dead Man yesterday, and I liked but didn't love it? I'm not sure why? ( spoilers )
This is a long essay about the movie (spoilers, obvs) that goes much deeper into it: Entirely Too Many Thoughts About Wake Up Dead Man by Leah Schnelbach.
Oh, the timer just went off so I have to take the ribs out of the oven, so I guess I'll just hit post!
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( 6-day plan, day 2 )
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I also had an unfortunate start to the fig cookies. I made the filling yesterday and I might have put too much cocoa in as I thought it was the bottom of the container so I just dumped it in and well, there was more than I expected in there. *hands* It's fine. Then when I made the dough earlier, it smelled weird. I think maybe the Crisco had gone off? Idk, but I threw out what I'd made and did it again with the newly opened can of Crisco and it smelled correct, so I didn't really get to make cookies this afternoon as planned, but I might make some after dinner, which is how we did it when I was a kid - every night for the 2 weeks before Christmas we were in the kitchen making fig cookies.
I did marinate the pork country ribs last night and they are now in the oven roasting, so that at least is on track.
I also watched Wake Up Dead Man yesterday, and I liked but didn't love it? I'm not sure why? ( spoilers )
This is a long essay about the movie (spoilers, obvs) that goes much deeper into it: Entirely Too Many Thoughts About Wake Up Dead Man by Leah Schnelbach.
Oh, the timer just went off so I have to take the ribs out of the oven, so I guess I'll just hit post!
***
( 6-day plan, day 2 )
***
2025 52 Card Project: Week 50: Celebrations
Dec. 20th, 2025 04:09 pmpegkerrThis past weekend was our seventeenth annual cookie baking. We were baking for nine households, and after so many years, we have the whole process down to a well-oiled machine. Each of us brought two batches of cookies, one already baked and the other baked that day at my sister's house.
As it was December 13, Santa Lucia Day, I also brought lussekatter, for us to have with our coffee as we baked. We spread the cookies out on a long table in my sister's living room. By taking up columns of cookies, we each had a nice mix.
M came along with Alona and Fiona, to the joy of all. Her first cookie baking!
Description: Background: a table covered with rows of Christmas cookies: bottom: a group of women smile at the camera. Top: three lussekatter
Celebrations
Click on the links to see the 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.
As it was December 13, Santa Lucia Day, I also brought lussekatter, for us to have with our coffee as we baked. We spread the cookies out on a long table in my sister's living room. By taking up columns of cookies, we each had a nice mix.
M came along with Alona and Fiona, to the joy of all. Her first cookie baking!
Description: Background: a table covered with rows of Christmas cookies: bottom: a group of women smile at the camera. Top: three lussekatter
Click on the links to see the 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.
12 Days (til) Christmas Day 7
Dec. 19th, 2025 10:50 pmashkittySo I got on a plane this morning and saw my parents and then took my mom to the hospital AGAIN because the dialysis catheter keeps jiggling itself loose or whatever, so it's been a long day. But you know what's not long? Today's fic!
Even shorter than some of the others, this treat is TINY! Also not technically Christmas, because the Dragon Age universe doesn’t have Christmas. They do have Satinalia, which also involves giving presents and some medieval-Christmas-ish traditions, so I have decided that’s close enough.
Dragon Age Calendar 2023: An Appreciative Audience. Varric tells stories. It’s too short to say more.
‘Varric coughs pointedly. “If none of you want to hear this….” A chorus of apologies, as if anyone could stop Varric telling a story once he’s started. There’s a bite in the crisp Satinalia air, beneath the bonfire-scent of autumn, and lazy sparks float from the crackling fire like tiny stars. There are toasts and gifts and ghost stories, and laughter echoing across the hazy hillside.’
A song:I did actually manage to find a Christmas song about a dragon, but it was incredibly cheesy, so you're getting Six White Boomers instead.
And a rec for the road! hurry down my chimney tonight by gusuvibes. (Untamed AU, wangxian)
Rated T
NHS convinces JC and WWX to work as Santa's Elves for the local mall's Christmas grotto. LWJ brings his adorable child A-Yuan to see Santa. You see where things are going.
Back to Day 6 | On to Day 8
Even shorter than some of the others, this treat is TINY! Also not technically Christmas, because the Dragon Age universe doesn’t have Christmas. They do have Satinalia, which also involves giving presents and some medieval-Christmas-ish traditions, so I have decided that’s close enough.
Dragon Age Calendar 2023: An Appreciative Audience. Varric tells stories. It’s too short to say more.
‘Varric coughs pointedly. “If none of you want to hear this….” A chorus of apologies, as if anyone could stop Varric telling a story once he’s started. There’s a bite in the crisp Satinalia air, beneath the bonfire-scent of autumn, and lazy sparks float from the crackling fire like tiny stars. There are toasts and gifts and ghost stories, and laughter echoing across the hazy hillside.’
A song:I did actually manage to find a Christmas song about a dragon, but it was incredibly cheesy, so you're getting Six White Boomers instead.
And a rec for the road! hurry down my chimney tonight by gusuvibes. (Untamed AU, wangxian)
Rated T
NHS convinces JC and WWX to work as Santa's Elves for the local mall's Christmas grotto. LWJ brings his adorable child A-Yuan to see Santa. You see where things are going.
Back to Day 6 | On to Day 8
Reveals approaching! Help us get there!
Dec. 20th, 2025 02:28 amyuletide_admin_feedThere's a new post up on the Yuletide Admin comm regarding
Reveals approaching! Help us get there!. Please note that
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You can go through to DW to check the details:
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You can go through to DW to check the details:
Dreamwidth Post
If you have follow-up questions, they can be asked in the DW comment section using a DW login, OpenID with another login, or a signed anonymous comment.