#Annual Holiday Variety Show

[antimony-medusa]

Is that— bells ringing? Keyboards clacking? The sound of two thousand stressed writers pancing furiously about the floor? Ah yes, Yuletide.

Hello. MCYTblr. I am back again.

You are looking fine today as we move towards the end of the year. Is that a new cologne you're trying? New shirt? New glasses? It's working for you. How have I been? Well.

Well.

*I smack the wall, curtains spring aside, revealing my flip chart presentation that I've had lying in wait*

It is time for me to talk to you about Yuletide again. I was here earlier during tag nominations, but it's sign-up time, and I want to make sure everybody has a change to participate in this if they want to.

What's Yuletide?

Yuletide is an annual mega-exchange for small and rare fandoms. It runs in the close of the year, with a 1000 word minimum for gifts, with gifts revealed anonymously on the 25th of December and de-anoned on the 1st of January. It is easily the biggest exchange in multi-fandom-exchange-world, and last year more than 1,350 people signed up.

Why does everyone sign up?

Well, it's tradition, for one. There are a lot of people that only do Yuletide as their big exchange every year. It's a big holiday spectacle, it's really fun to see it operate and see pinch hits come out and get nabbed in minutes, and people kind of put on their holiday outfits and turn out for it.

For another thing, if you are in a small fandom, it's the one exchange where you can actually have a shot of getting a gift for an obscure manga fandom, or an out-of-print book, or a tv show from the eighties. If your fandom has five people in it, the odds are higher than average that two of them are signing up for this exchange, and hey presto, suddenly you're matchable in your fandom for an obscure podcast.

For another, and this is the biggie, the fact that this is an exchange for small and rare fandoms has led to a certain tradition and vibe for the fandoms that people nominate. People bring their most obscure and fun ideas, going, "hehehehe wouldn't it be fun if someone wrote a story about this", and into the tag set it goes. There is SUCH a spectrum of fandoms in the tag set.

This year there are 4,263 fandoms and 16,735 characters in the tag set. Let me just skim through and look at some of them.

There are commercials, web sketches, art pieces, songs, music videos, board games, podcasts, a dizzying assortment of anthropomorphising different places, items, and ideas, and RPF from a marvelous variety of historical periods (so, y'know, historical fiction if it was published professionally). There are people who nominated tik tok sketches. Twitter threads. A bridge. Book binding techniques. You ever wanted to write a romance between Knitting and Crochet? That's in the tag set, and someone wants to prompt you to do that. Happy Yuletide.

So if you are at all the sort of person who likes a prompt challenge, BOY is this one just a MARVELOUS one. I know I personally am going to be signing up for Humans are Space Orcs (tumblr post) and Fandom Exchanges (Anthropomorphic) amid my more traditional fandoms.

And as for my more traditional fandoms, and the reason why this post has the tags it does (I would get to it eventually)— there is a lot of MCYT in the tag set! I put out a post saying GUYS, the smaller fandoms might apply for this, and BOY did people show up for it. I scanned through it, and the MCYT (and adjacent) that made it in is:

Karmaland SMP

Legacy SMP

Lifesteal SMP

Moonlight SMP

New Life SMP

Outsiders SMP

Rats SMP

SMPEarth

SMPLive

Witchcraft SMP

Pirates SMP

Mianite

Slimecicle Cinematic Universe

SBI Rust

Generation Loss

You could make an entire sign up, 3 minimum requests and 4 minimum requests, and only select MCYT fandoms. The wild thing is that you can only select a max of 10 fandoms to offer, so you actually couldn't offer all of the MCYT. ZombieCleo Witchraft SMP is in. Tommyinnit SMPEarth. Clownpierce Lifesteal. Tubbo SBI Rust. Oli Rats SMP. A wealth of options for the block folks.

So come, join me! What's that? You say this sounds excellent, you're in? You want to know how to sign up? Well this post is already long enough so I'm putting the rest below a cut.

You sign up on the collection here, using fandoms listed in the tagset here. Before you do so though, I'd recommend you check out the blog, especially their "how to sign up" post here, because even if you're used to exchanges, the way Yuletide works is a little bit different. Let me do a quick breakdown here.

Requests

# of Fandoms

You have to select a minimum of 3 fandoms that you are Requesting (a gift that you want made for you), up to a maximum of 6 fandoms. Each fandom has to be unique. For each fandom, you can request between 0 to 4 characters in that fandom, and 0 means "literally you can hit me with anybody", and the up-to-4 characters are the people you definately want to show up in the fic.

AND MATCHING

This is one of the things that Yuletide does differently, because most fandom exchanges do "or" matching, where they match you on either characer A OR character B, (maybe you only offered character B) and you can pick among any of the selected characters on the person's request to write for. Because Yuletide does AND matching, you will only be matched if you offered every single one of the characters the person has selected, and then you get to write for every single one they have listed in their fandom, unless they say differently in their letter. If they requested character A and Character B, you get to deliver a gift that includes them both, according to the rules.

Bu like, in practice, a lot of people are a bit more like "you can pick only one of these guys if you'd like", because that is how everyone is used to things running in most other exchanges, plus people don't want to be too picky, so you can specify in your letter if you definately 100% want characters A, B, and C, or if you're fine with just A, or just A and C, or whatever constellation of characters you're chill with.

This year they have added optional freeform tags you will click on, that will specify either A) use every single one of these guys I selected. B) I have specified in my letter which guys I need for sure and which ones you can swap, C) Dealer's Choice Of Guys Go Crazy.

DNW and Optional Details

Yuletide is an "Optional Details Are Optional" (ODAO) exchange, so technically you could request (or receive) an offer that just has the characters and then you get to go absolutely buckwild for the two month writing period. Most people, however, do not want to do that, so that is where you'll put in Do Not Wants (anything that would ruin the gift for you, from major archive warnings to kinks that you don't vibe with to headcanons you loathe), and some prompts and/or likes for your person to jump off of.

DNWs absolutely must be abided by, and breaking a person's DNW is grounds for getting turfed from the exchange. Following a person's prompts or lists of likes is technically optional, but definately best practice, and y'know, part of the whole spirit of the exchange. Most people are doing their best to adhere to both the DNW and the Optional Details when they do their gift.

You can just format your DNW and Optional Details on the Ao3 signup page (easy, fast), or you can link them offsite in a letter (fancy, you can do formatting, people do them in google docs or dreamwidth pages (the traditional and more accessible option)). There's a tradition of people posting their letter links here, so that people can get an idea for what sort of prompts and signups people are offering, and make sure they're matchable to people with especially fun ideas. Note: you do have to duplicate the data if you're doing a letter, cause if you put your DNW in your letter but NOT in your Ao3, the mods won't enforce it.

And while we're here, that last link is to a community blog that includes a place where you can promo your fandoms to lure people into signing up for your guys, or participate in mini-challenges within yuletide for people who specificially want poly relationships (Three Doves Challenge), or characters of colour (Chromatic Yuletide), or horror/darkfic (Crueltide), or smut (Yuleporn), or art (Wrapping Paper), or even more. There's even a poetry challenge!

Offers

# of Fandoms

You have to sign up with a minimum of 4 fandoms, to a maximum of 10, for fandoms you are Offering (a gift you are willing to make). You must offer at least 2 characters for each fandom, to a maximum of 20— but there's also an "any" tick box if you want to go full "hit me, I like a challenge" and you'll write anything (in the tag set) within a fandom. Each of your fandoms must be unique.

Writing Period:

Signups are open through the 21st, with assignments out by the 23rd, and then you have until the 18th of December to deliver your gift.

Important Notes

You must be 18 or over to participate in Yuletide (because you might be matched with someone who requests smut), and signups close on 9pm UTC on Saturday, 21 October.

There's a known issue where the safari browser isn't letting people sign up properly, (when you get an exchange this big sometimes things break), so they say to either sign up on mobile or use a different browser. So that will be fun for me.

--

And that's it! Yuletide! Just under a week left to sign up, and 351 people have signed up as I write this letter at 1:30am. I just refreshed it and now it's 352. You can sign up on the Ao3 page here!

JOIN ME EXCHANGES SUCH FUN LETS GO.

[yueliie]

⊹ ׁ݂ ꒰꒰🍬 ˸ 𝐅𝐋𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐓𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐑⋅꒷

CARAMEL. it's that time of the year once again...a month long annual of fluffy sweetness enough to have your teeth rotted! are you ready to dive in the land of sweet dreams?

CONTENT. all entries will be written as sfw only, the themes are varieties of different holidays such as halloween, christmas, valentine's day, tanabata (star festival) and etc. this event is open for all walk of life!

NOTE. welcome to my first flufftober event, where it was originally wbk-centric but I've decided to add some candies of other fandoms! the prompts are all prepared by me but special thanks to my little mousy, @zylophie for helping me on deciding for the remaining cast members. any of the prompts below may change, very unlikely but just a heads up. if you would like to be tagged in any and all fics please let a comment or send me a dm/ask! all works will be tagged with ⊹ ׁ݂ ꒰꒰🍬— flufftober.

LINKS. general masterlist ,,

“a single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities...don't you agree, oh dear visitor?“

OCT 1ST, YOUR VALENTINE.

featuring kn8 + valentine's day, slightly yandere!narumi gen x fem!reader

— synopsis. “both you and your chocolate should belong to me only”

OCT 2ND, LITTLE SANTA CLAUS.

featuring kn8 + silly moments & costume ideas for halloween, ashiro mina x gn!reader

— synopsis. “...why a santa's helper outfit?”

OCT 3RD, MINE.

featuring wbk + first time making a bento box & established relationship, kaji ren x gn!reader

— synopsis. “...make these only for me from now on”

OCT 4TH, INDIRECT CONFESSION.

featuring wbk + tanabata, kiryu mitsuki x gn!reader

— synopsis. “the moon is beautiful, isn't it?”

OCT 5TH, CAN I KISS YOU?.

featuring kn8 + mutual pining & friends to lovers, ichikawa reno x fem!reader

— synopsis. “before you go...can I kiss you?”

OCT 6TH, HOLD MY HAND.

featuring wbk, togame jo x gn!reader

— synopsis. “I'll hold your hand until you fall asleep...”

OCT 7TH, MONSTER.

featuring wbk + valentine's day & established relationship, yandere!takiishi chika x fem!reader

— synopsis. “call me a monster, but I'm a monster who only wants your heart”

OCT 8TH, KISS YOUR TEARS AWAY.

featuring wbk, suo hayato x gn!reader

— synopsis. “don't show your crying face to anyone else but me”

OCT 9TH, PROOF OF LOVE.

featuring wbk, endo yamato x gn!reader

— synopsis. “why are you acting so embarrassed about?”

OCT 10TH, I DON'T WANNA EAT THAT MEDICINE!.

featuring wbk, kiryu mitsuki x fem!reader

— synopsis. “don't move around so much when you're sick!”

OCT 11TH, WOULD A HUG MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER?.

featuring wbk, togame jo x fem!reader

— synopsis. “do you want a hug?”

OCT 12TH, HOLDING HANDS.

featuring wbk + newly established relationship & first time, kusumi yuto x gn!reader

— synopsis. “can we hold hands?”

OCT 13TH, YOUR HEARTBEAT.

featuring wbk + childhood sweethearts & slightly hurt/comfort to fluff, umemiya hajime x fem!reader

— synopsis. “hearing your heartbeat, it's a melody I will never forget”

OCT 14TH, A PLACE TO CALLED HOME.

featuring kny, tomioka giyu x fem!reader

— synopsis. “with you, I find a sense of belonging, it's as if I'm always home”

OCT 15TH, STAY.

featuring wbk, endo yamato x gn!reader

— synopsis. “I don't know when to let you go”

OCT 16TH, TIME WITH YOU.

featuring wbk + established relationship & inexperienced bf, sakura haruka x fem!reader

— synopsis. “I don't care what we do, I just want to be with you”

OCT 17TH, FAR AWAY FROM YOU.

featuring genshin impact, furina x gn!reader

— synopsis. “I hate being so far away from you ”

OCT 18TH, GIFT.

featuring honkai star rail, feixiao x gn!reader

— synopsis. “I only accept gifts from the person I like”

OCT 19TH, THANK YOU.

featuring wbk + tanabata, hiragi toma x gn!reader

— synopsis. “thank you for loving me and... for being you”

OCT 20TH, CAN'T STOP THINKING OF YOU.

featuring genshin impact, kaeya x gn!reader

— synopsis. “I can't stop thinking about you”

OCT 21ST, SNACKS?.

featuring honkai star rail, aventurine x fem!reader

— synopsis. “It's your favourite snack, right?”

OCT 22ND, SILENT DESIRE.

featuring genshin impact, lyney x fem! reader

— synopsis. “I want to be with you forever”

OCT 23RD, DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW?.

featuring wbk + valentine's day, hiragi toma x fem!reader

— synopsis. “you really want to know how I feel?”

OCT 24TH, SWEETER THAN CHOCOLATE.

featuring honkai star rail, robin x gn!reader

— synopsis. “you're way sweeter than any chocolate”

OCT 25TH, GOOD MORNING KISS?.

featuring honkai star rail, blade x fem!reader

— synopsis. “...good morning kiss?”

OCT 26TH, KISS THE CHEF.

featuring wbk, first time cooking & bento for him and its kind failed miserably, suo hayato x gn!reader

— synopsis. “I love everything you make though”

OCT 27TH, GUIDE ME.

featuring wbk, sakura haruka x gn!reader

— synopsis. “I lose my way, your hand guide me back to the right path”

OCT 28TH, MAKE ME FORGET.

featuring kny, aftermath of muzan's downfall & marriage life with self-healing, shinazugawa sanemi x fem!reader

— synopsis. “holding your hand...you made me forget all my worries”

OCT 29TH, THE FIRST ONE.

featuring wbk + valentine's day & coworkers to lovers?, suzuri shuhei x gn!reader

— synopsis. “I want your gift to be the first one I get”

OCT 30TH, ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU.

featuring wbk + halloween, hoshina soshiro x fem!reader

— synopsis. “how long are you going to stare when I'm right in front of you?”

OCT 31ST, WARMTH.

featuring wbk + christmas & established relationship—engagement?, umemiya hajime x fem!reader

— synopsis. “keep me warm tonight”

BONUS!! UNSCHEDULE DRABBLE!!

god!suo hayato x human!reader ,,

— synopsis. “you returned to your hometown with news of your engagement with your long-term fiancé; it was the happiest day of your life. However, everything changes when you encounter a small shrine dedicated to the god who seemed to be infatuated with you, and he seems to know you ever since childhood...”

© yueliie 2024. do not steal, copy, repost, edit, translate or use my works on any platforms.

[dayenurose]

I know this is a bit late in coming, but it is here (at last!). For @roguegambitweek Day 3 - MojoWorld.

I decided to do something a bit different this year for my annual Romy fic rec list. Instead of simply making a list, I decided to write a fanfic fic rec fic. This layers within layers effort was certainly a stretch of creativity, but I think it turned out rather well. I hope you enjoy!

TGIRomy by DayenuRose

Summary:

Rogue and Gambit receive a mysterious invitation to a movie night. Will the accept the invitation, or is it a trap? Will Rogue, Remy, Jubilee, Kitty and Logan agree on what to watch? And, why is no one paying attention to the commercials? Find out all this and so much more when you tune in for TGIR!—Thank God It’s Romy! Fridays at 8/7 Central.

(Read on [ao3])

And now for the main feature…

T.G.I.Romy - A MojoVerse Fic Rec List

The premise of this rec list is relatively simple–fics which could be a show on Mojo-verse TV. Most of these are some variety of AU or crossover, although a few are a bit more ‘canon compliant’. I’ve broken the list into two. The first half are the ones which appear in my fic rec fanfic. The second are those fics which fit the topic, but I wasn’t able to include in the fic. I hope you enjoy these fics.

Reality TV

Beauty and the Geek, X-Men Style by Chellerbelle @chellerbelles [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: T | Universe: Evo | Words: 73,969 | Status: Complete

Summary: AU: The cast of X-Men Evolution does the reality TV show Beauty and the Geek. Can ten beautiful women and men, and ten intelligent men and women learn to become a whole lot more?

Notes: Chelle created a fun opening credits of the show. There’s a link in the first chapter “Notes.”

Sitcom/Holiday Special

Everyone Loves ROMY! - HOLIDAY SPECIAL Episode by NicoPony @nicopony79 [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: G | Universe: Comics | Words: 12,610 | Status: Complete

Summary: It’s Christmas Eve on Krakoa with Mr. & Mrs. X. What holiday surprises are in store for our favorite couple and their family? It’s up to one merry Elf to make the season bright! Guest appearance by the Man in the Red Suit!

Notes: Written in script format.

Hallmark Movie

Chapter 5 - Day 4: So Close to Reaching That Famous Hallmark End of Fourteen Ways to Fall for You by lettersfromnowhere @lettersfromn0where [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: G | Universe: X-Men | Words: 2,549 (Chapter 5) | Status: Complete

Summary: Day 4: this is why you should never give aliens access to TV movies - you’ll probably end up with a simulation somewhat like this over-the-top royal-and-commoner AU straight out of a Hallmark movie.

Notes: Each chapter is a different ‘genre.’ Chapter 5 focuses on our Hallmark Movie theme, though the whole story is a fun read. While the chapter begins (and ends) with a framing device which is part of the greater story plot, the chapter does work as a standalone.

Western

Gambler’s Bounty by Sandmans_Raven @sandmansraven [ao3]

Rating: T | Universe: X-Men | Words: 31,150 | Status: WIP

Summary: Shady things are afoot in Colorado. Who is Dr. Millbury and what does his miracle elixir actually do?

Notes: All of Sandmans’ fics are a great read. I highly recommend all of them.

Heist

Lebeau’s Eleven by IlargiKat @ilargikat [ao3]

Rating: G | Universe: Comics | Words: 14,182 | Status: WIP

Summary: Planning a heist is not easy, especially when you need special skills to pull it off. The luck of being an X-Men is that the skills are within reach, maybe not people willing to commit a heist.

Notes: While the G Rating is fine for the majority of the story, Chapter 5 is really more of a M rating.

Sci-Fi - X-Files

Strange Encounter by Valerie J [ff.net]

Rating: T | Universe: Comics | Words: 16,662 | Status: Complete

Summary: When a strange woman falls out of the sky without being harmed, Mulder and Scully are sent to investigate. X Men X Files crossover.

Faith and Dreams by Valerie J [ff.net]

Rating: T | Universe: Comics | Words: 64,232

Summary: Sequel to Strange Encounter. Dana Scully never really expected to see the mutants again. But when tragedy strikes, Dana finds herself embroiled in an alien conspiracy that threatens not only her world. But the Xmen’s as well. X Men X Files crossover.

Notes: Here’s two episodes for the price of one.

Special Features

Heist - Round 2

Counting Drinks by Sandmans_Raven @sandmansraven [ao3]

Rating: T | Universe: Comics | Words: 2,092 | Status: Complete

Summary: It’s a hot one at Gus’s Saloon.

Notes: If I could choose the way Rogue and Gambit the live action universe, it would be in a Leverage-esque series where Rogue and Gambit pull off heists and cons in order to help those who get taken advantage of by the rich and powerful. From time to time, they are joined by the Thieves Guild and their closest friends—Storm, Nightcrawler, Wolverine (Laura and Logan). When I read this fic, I felt like it would be a perfect episode of this show.

Bonus Heist Non-Fic

Playing for Keeps by NickBateman [YouTube]

FanFilm: (no summary on site) - Gambit is invited to an exclusive poker game featuring the worst of the worst. When the stakes are this high, did anybody actually expect this to play out differently?

Note: Who said all fan creations must be fanfics? Enjoy a fanfilm. This heist/con would also fit for an episode of my imagined series.

Sci-Fi - Matrix

Chapter 4 - Real Love of Threads by Ludi_Ling @ludi-ling [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: M | Universe: X-Men | Words: 11,176 (Chapter 4) | Status: Complete

Summary: Whilst on a mission Rogue and Gambit become stranded in a world where the very reality of their love is tested. Movie-crossover.

Notes: Like “Fourteen Ways to Fall for You,” each chapter is a different universe. This was also another fic I read early in my Romy journey. It introduced me to many different worlds where we might find Romy (some worlds are comics adjacent while others are created out of whole cloth for this fic).

Quick content warning for the Matrix chapter - there’s some Rogneto and cheating. The OTP is definitely Romy, but Rogue is ‘technically’ in a relationship with Magneto, so your mileage may vary.

Sci-Fi - Pacific Rim

Compatible by DayenuRose @dayenurose [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: T | Universe: Comics | Words: 2,891 | Status: WIP

Summary: Rogue is a former Jaeger pilot who has no interest in finding a new drift-compatible partner. Gambit is a potential Jaeger pilot who is unable to find a drift-compatible partner. Sparks fly–both figurative and literal–when these two meet. She wants nothing to do with him. He wants to understand her. WIll Rogue and Gambit be able to help each other gain control of their powers and reach their full potential in time to help save the world?

Sci-Fi - Star Wars (Clone Wars)

A Long, Long Time Ago: X by Seagull18 (crossoverqueen9703 on ff.net) [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: G | Universe: Evo | Words: 22,928 | Status: WIP

Summary: “Routine missions” are a joke to anyone remotely connected to a Skywalker, but if really shouldn’t include Anakin and Ahsoka getting caught by pirates and escaping with the master bounty hunter that caught them in the first place.

Or: Remy Lebeau, better known as Gambit, had never been one for subtlety; when he wants something, he rarely lets petty things like laws and common sense get in his way. If common sense said kidnapping Jedi and selling them out to pirates after siad pirates tried to kill him for cheating at gambling was a bad idea, he had no intention of listening to it.

Or: The only people with worse luck than the Skywalker lineage are X-Men. Rogue planned on spending her week freeing prisoners, test subjects, and slaves from a bunch of lame space pirates. The plan did not work.

Or: Post X-Men: Evolution Gambit and Rogue in Clone Wars.

Notes: This fic appears to end at Chapter 17, but the fic is marked as a WIP. Take that as you will.

War Film/Period Piece

Uncanny X-Men 1943 by stellarose [ao3]

Rating: M | Universe: X-Men | Words: 44,114 | Status: Complete

Summary: X-Men AU. Emma Frost runs Division X, a classified squad within the secretive Special Operations Executive based in London. It isn’t their job to win the war, only to save those they can. Emma’s squad of Psylocke, Angel, Logan, and Fantomex set out [to] rescue three mutants trapped in occupied and increasingly hostile France. But when the mission takes a turn for the worse, Emma and the team must decide if they cut their losses, or fight twice as hard to bring everyone home.

Notes: Romy is a secondary couple in this fic, but I do enjoy and highly recommend it. I read this early on in my Romy journey and this fic has always stuck with me.

[mittensmorgul]

Christmas, Present

Pairings: Dean/Cas, Charlie/Gilda Words: 6102 Tags: Holiday fluff, college au, getting together, matchmaker charlie Rating: T

Summary:

Charlie just wants her best friend to be happy, and has been trying for four years to help Dean meet his perfect match. A last-ditch effort and a laid back holiday party in the woods could either help Dean find the Christmas spirit he'd been missing out on most of his life, or else backfire spectacularly. She could honestly use a Christmas miracle...

Read it now on Ao3, or the entire story below the cut :)

Two Weeks Before The Party

Charlie only ever wandered through the earth sciences department once a week on her way to class, but she was thrilled the day she actually managed to catch Benny hanging up a flier for the forestry department’s annual Christmas tree harvest blowout bash. Every year, it was the biggest unofficial holiday party on campus, and every year she tried to use it as an excuse to play matchmaker for Dean Winchester. It wasn’t the only time she tried to play matchmaker for him, obviously, but she always put in her best effort for that party.

Not only was it just sad to spend the holidays alone every year, the guy worked himself to the bone year round. And since Charlie had failed for three and a half years to convince him he needed an occasional excuse to let loose once in a while, even consider dating seriously and having a social life outside of their small group of friends, she was worried about him. Sure, he went on an occasional date, but nothing ever seemed to stick for long before he went right back to his old routines.

She’d been convinced that the only person who could succeed at the task of winning Dean’s heart was someone who magically didn’t seem to exist. She’d devoted an exceedingly large portion of her free time to trying to find that person anyway. And since they were seniors, she felt like she was running out of time to find Dean’s unicorn.

She sidestepped her way through the crowded hallway and zipped in right behind Benny.

“How’s the planning coming?”

Benny slowly looked over his shoulder, and then dropped his gaze down to her with a grin on his face.

“We got the last of this year’s harvest cleared out today. Brought in a tidy little profit, but tomorrow we start clearing the ground and preparing for spring planting of the new saplings. We got a ways to go before we can move into party planning mode yet,” he warned her. “Plus we got two weeks yet before the big night.”

She peered around his shoulder to read the flier. Every year it was essentially the same. The forestry majors decorated the clearing, set up a big tent and hauled out tables and chairs, but it was really the guests themselves who were expected to do most of the work. It was bring your own everything. Most folks showed up with their choice of alcohol— which was mostly the cheapest beer they could get their hands on, and the assortment of holiday-themed adult beverages like cider, egg nog and mulled wine— and a wide variety of takeout. One year, someone managed to haul out an entire living room set, including the fake fireplace with stockings nailed to it.

For a college party, it was practically sedate, and always felt more like a bunch of kids hiding in the forest pretending to be adults than a literal group of adults throwing a raucous party. Not that things didn’t get wild out there in their own way, but your typical frat party it was not.

The vibe could best be summed up as a decompression session between finishing exams and preparing to venture home and face the family for a few weeks. For an event that took place in an often snow-covered forest clearing, it was cozy. Sheltered from the wind by next year’s nearly grown Christmas trees decorated with random assorted lights and garlands, and a big bonfire with all the scraps trimmed from the most recent harvest of pine tree branches that crackled and popped as people drunkenly attempted to toast marshmallows over it. But it definitely fostered an atmosphere of getting cozy with your neighbor, and as such Charlie was borderline desperate to get Dean to connect with someone there. This was her last chance to spark that kind of magical holiday cheer and romance for Dean before they graduated and inevitably all went their separate ways.

Now she just had to convince him to show up.

Six Days Before The Party

“Charlie, for the last time I am not gonna hike out into the woods to freeze my ass off and make nicey nicey with a bunch of people I barely know,” Dean said a week and a half later.

She really was running out of time now. The party was in less than a week, exams were almost over, and while she knew Dean was staying on campus over the holiday break, he’d overextended himself again and was still struggling to put the finishing touches on all the portraits he was painting people as holiday gifts.

“It’s just a few hours, Dean,” she wheedled, lying on his bed and studying for her final exam while Dean painted at his desk. “And you know me and Gilda, and Benny, and Max and Alicia, and a bunch of our other friends will be there too. You deserve a break.”

Dean snorted, turning toward her with a little glob of blue paint smeared on his cheek. “Yeah, and I’m gonna get three whole weeks of break just as soon as everyone else clears out of here and leaves me with peace and quiet.”

Charlie frowned at him, getting up and crossing over to him to remove the blue streak from his face with her thumb, showing him the results of her efforts when he gave her an odd look. He batted her hand away and grumbled as he went back to his work.

“You need a social break,” she replied. “You know, where you talk to actual living people instead of just the portraits you paint of them.”

“I’m talking to you right now,” he replied without bothering to look up at her.

She dropped back on to the edge of the bed, crossing her arms and watching him for another moment.

“Why are you so grinchy about the holidays? Because it usually doesn’t take this much work to get you to at least be sociable for an hour or two. There’s gotta be something there…”

Dean stiffened, and took a deep breath. Charlie was worried for a second that she’d crossed a line, struck a too-painful nerve, but she just waited to see how Dean would react. At least he wasn’t yelling. Eventually he dropped his paintbrush in the cup of dirty paint water, clasped his hands, and spun his chair around to face her.

“Well aside from the fact I don’t enjoy freezing my ass off—”

“You know there is a bonfire, right? It’s plenty warm around the fire.”

Dean continued as if she hadn’t interrupted him. “I hate all that fake holiday magic shit. The cheesy music, the plastic decorations, it all just sucks and I get enough of that just walking through the grocery store this time of year. I don’t need to seek it out on purpose.”

Charlie frowned at him. “You do understand that we mostly sit around complaining about exams and professors, and all the stupid shit our families are gonna drag us to back home, or all the stupid shit they made us do as kids. Worst holiday memory story wins a case of beer,” she said, hoping that might entice his inner Scrooge.

“Yeah, well, my worst holiday memory was the year our house burned down and took my mom with it. Dad spent it in a bottle, and I spent it trying to keep my infant brother alive. I was five.”

He’d watched the look of horror spread across Charlie’s face as he ranted at her, and then looked contrite. In a much gentler voice, and with a sad smile, he continued.

“Look, that’s all in the distant past, but I really fucking hate dredging it up every year under the guise of celebrating something most people think is jolly fun, you know? I really ain’t good company this time of year.”

“I’m so sorry, Dean, I had no idea,” she said.

His smile turned more genuine as he reached out and patted her knee. “It’s okay, you couldn’t have known. Sometimes it’s just easier to just stay out of everyone else’s way rather than be a constant wet blanket about it. I’m not here to piss in anyone’s egg nog.”

She nodded slowly, and took a deep breath. “That’s why you make paintings for everyone every year,” she realized. “Giving people the piece of yourself you can, showing them they’re loved, without having to say it out loud.”

Dean frowned at her, but didn’t disagree. “Sounds dumb when you just say it like that, but yeah. I can’t really be part of it, but I’m still there with everyone in spirit, I guess.”

After a few quiet minutes, Charlie dared to speak again.

“Have you thought that maybe you just need to make some better memories to pin to the holidays? Not that you could ever erase the pain, but maybe it doesn’t have to control the rest of your life.”

Dean sighed, and nodded. “Yeah, I tried a few times back in high school. Took a job as an elf at the mall one year and earned enough to buy Sammy some decent presents for once, but that didn’t really do much to improve my opinion of the holidays in general.”

“Yeah, capitalism will do that to you,” she replied, commiserating. “The mall is not known for being an epicenter of the true spirit of Christmas.”

Dean snorted. “Yeah, it definitely didn’t inspire the whole peace and goodwill shit, anyway.”

Charlie smiled at him. “Well, I promise I won’t push if you really don’t want to come, but if you do…”

Dean held up a hand like he was gonna protest again, but Charlie just talked louder at him.

“If you DO come, I also promise a chance to make some more pleasant holiday memories with a bunch of people who actually care about you. Worst case scenario, you get to hang out with me for an hour or two, and I’ll bring you home the second you decide you can’t take it anymore. I’ll even make you a thermos of that hot cinnamon cider you like that tastes like alcoholic apple pie.”

Dean actually let out a little laugh at that, and shook his head. “I appreciate that, Charlie, and I swear I’ll think about it, okay? But right now, I gotta get back to work here. And you probably do, too,” he reminded her, pointing at her open textbook and piles of notes.

Charlie knew she’d at least done the best she could. Now she just had to tackle the other side of her problem. Who to introduce Dean to at the party that had the power to not only un-grinchify him, but convince him the holiday spirit was more than just the ghosts of Christmas past.

Three Days Before The Party

“Hey, Cas,” Charlie said to the library clerk who helped her check out the last stack of books she needed to plow through before her final exam in the morning.

She and Dean had both known Cas for years, even if he was an even bigger enigma to her than Dean was. He was an art history major, and Charlie knew he shared a few classes with Dean every semester, but he’d been even more difficult to convince to let loose and have a good time than Dean. The only time she’d been able to convince him to join them for a game night had been using Dean himself as a lure, and then Dean had had the nerve to bail on them for a date that he ended up bailing on halfway through dinner when it was clear they really didn’t have anything in common. When Cas had shown up and learned Dean wouldn’t be there after all, he awkwardly tried to make the best of it, but ended up excusing himself after a single round of Cards Against Humanity. Charlie had tried to invite him again many times, but he always had some excuse at the ready.

She knew he worked hard, between his classes and long hours in the library, but she really didn’t know him well outside of that. Aside from what Dean had told her about him— since Dean spent a suspicious amount of time talking about him— she really didn’t know him at all. But maybe that was just the thing… maybe she’d been trying too hard to find the perfect person for Dean when he’d been right there all along. But if she wasn’t even sure Dean would drag his sorry ass out to the party, she couldn’t very well invite Cas based on the tenuous hope that Dean would be there, too. No, she realized standing there wearily pondering her options. This would require subterfuge. But like, mistletoe-festooned subterfuge. She was struck with a bolt of inspiration, and began laying the groundwork for a plan that was practically foolproof, even if these two idiots didn’t want to cooperate.

“Oh, hello, Charlie,” Cas said when he blearily scanned in her card and finally recognized her. “Still studying for your finals?”

“Yeah, four down, one to go. What about you? Are you finally free yet?”

Cas nodded, looking like he was about to pass out on the desk. “One more,” he replied, lifting up the open textbook from behind the counter to show her. “I’ve been cramming between helping desperate people find last minute study resources.”

“Sheesh, they don’t even cut you a break during finals week? You look like you need a coffee. Or maybe a nap.”

“I can sleep tomorrow at three o’clock, after I finish my last exam. I have it penciled in on my calendar.”

“Well, if you’re recovered by Saturday night, you should really come out to the forestry department’s Christmas party. It’s a nice, relaxing way to end out the semester.”

Cas squinted at her, confused. “I was unaware you studied forestry.”

Charlie couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. “I don’t, they just put on the best holiday do on campus. You met Benny at that game night, right? He’s the current mastermind behind the party planning.”

Cas nodded slowly. “Yes, I remember Benny.” He frowned then. “I see him with Dean a lot.”

Charlie knew she was losing him, and considering his current lack of focus it probably hadn’t been the best time to bring it up, but it wasn’t like she had a lot of time.

“Well, it’s totally worth delaying your plans to go home for a day or two for. If you need a little warmth and human kindness.”

“Those things all sound lovely, but I am home, so I suppose I won’t be going anywhere for winter break.”

Charlie blinked at him. “Wait, I thought you were from Boston or something? Or is it Chicago? How did I get that so wrong?”

Cas let out an ugly little laugh. “Well, I was from Boston until my parents decided that I was no longer welcome in their home.”

“Oh, oh Cas, I’m sorry…” Charlie said, and between stumbling across Dean’s childhood trauma and now faceplanting directly into Cas’s family drama in an effort to get them both in the same place at the same time, she was pretty convinced she’d failed completely.

“It’s fine, Charlie,” Cas replied with a sad smile. “It’s better this way.”

“Well, then you have twice the reason to come out and share a little holiday cheer with friends,” she replied, smiling encouragingly at him and sliding one of the fliers with the party details across the counter to him when he handed back her books. “We’ll be glad to have you.”

“I’ll think about it,” Cas replied, taking the paper and setting it down on his textbook. “Good luck with your exam tomorrow.”

“Yeah, Cas, you too,” she replied, collecting her things and heading for home. She was pretty sure there was at least a 50-50 shot that either of them might show up. But at least she’d paved the way for part two of her dastardly plan.

Party Day

Charlie arrived at the clearing before dusk. She expected to pitch in with the setup, and had brought a massive collection of ornaments she’d pulled out of the trees after last year’s party. Benny and his crew were nearly done stringing up all the lights, the tent and dozens of tables and chairs had already been assembled and arranged, and the bonfire pit was nearly ready to set ablaze. The weather had been unexpectedly cooperative, and it was warmer than usual, if still technically cold. At least it wasn’t raining, Charlie thought as she set her tote bags down and began hanging sparkly plastic baubles on lit trees.

“We were wondering where all those went off to,” Benny said, grinning at her and making his way over with a large box of new ornaments to add to Charlie’s.

“Well, you guys usually end up chucking them out or losing them every year, so last year I decided to take matters into my own hands,” she said, hanging another bauble and then turning her own grin on Benny. “Reduce, reuse, recycle, right?”

“That’s much appreciated, Red. Shame you didn’t go into forestry.”

“Even the forestry service needs IT people,” Charlie replied. “It’s not too late to recruit me.”

Benny laughed. “Yeah, well, I tried recruiting Dean after he said something similar about architects and artists, and yet…” he waved his hands around at everyone busily working around the clearing. “He’s nowhere to be found.”

Charlie frowned. “Did he tell you he was coming?”

“I know better than to ask him, but when he dropped off me and Andrea’s Christmas presents last night, I mentioned we hoped to see him here. He was… noncommittal about it.”

Charlie snorted. “Yeah, I’ve been nagging him since last weekend. I figure it would take a miracle to get him to show his pretty face, even for an hour or two.”

“The boy is set in his ways,” Benny replied. “He’s got his reasons, and I’m not gonna pry too hard into them.”

“Well, if you do see him tonight, just let him be, okay?” Charlie pleaded. “If he shows up, he’s got his reasons, and I don’t think it would help to tease him about it.”

Benny considered her for a moment, really thinking about what she was trying to tell him. “What sort of shenanigans do you have up those big pink puffy sleeves, Bradbury?” Benny asked with one suspiciously raised eyebrow.

“I’m just here to have a good time,” Charlie replied, a little more sing-songy than she’d intended.

“You just leave me out of any trouble you’re thinking of stirring up,” Benny replied. “The whole point of this shindig is to leave for the holidays on good feelings.”

“That’s the goal,” Charlie muttered under her breath, and then shot Benny a winning smile and patted his shoulder with her fuzzy mitten.

“Mmhmmm,” Benny replied, and then sighed, getting back to his work. “Just don’t let me hear you were causing problems, and we’re all good.”

Charlie waited until after dark, patiently keeping an eye out for Dean and Cas, hoping she wouldn’t have to activate her emergency protocol. She tried to enjoy the Thai takeout her girlfriend Gilda brought a few hours later, only having a couple of drinks and not really letting herself go too crazy, but of course Gilda noticed how distracted she seemed.

“Okay, so what’s really bothering you?” Gilda asked after watching Charlie anxiously pick at her food for half an hour. “You’re not worried about meeting my parents, are you? Because I told you they’re going to adore you.”

“What? No, absolutely not,” Charlie replied, turning a reassuring smile on her girlfriend. “I know we’re gonna have an amazing time with your family. I was just hoping to see Dean before we leave. I worry about him all alone here over break.”

Gilda smiled fondly at her. “This is why I love you. You care so much about all the people in your life. If he doesn’t show up by the time we leave, we can stop by his place on our way out tomorrow. Maybe take him out for lunch and call it our own little party.”

Charlie felt the tension melt from her shoulders. “See, this is why I love you, too. You get me. That I just don’t know how not to care so much.”

They finished their food, then moved over to the fire pit where Max was handing out little prepackaged kits to make s’mores and tending the flames. Alicia passed out mulled wine in little paper cups, ladled from a huge soup pot perched carefully on a large flat stone by the fire while conversation turned toward everyone’s plans for the long break. Charlie let herself relax for a little while, but when she checked her watch she knew it was now or never for her little plan. She sighed, leaned in and kissed Gilda’s cheek, and then stood up.

“You just wait here, I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”

Gilda nodded, only a little confused as Charlie pulled her phone out of her pocket and stepped away from the warmth of the fire. Her first call was to Cas, because if she couldn’t convince him to come, there was no point to making her second call. He was a good guy, though, and she only hoped he’d recovered from his post-exam exhaustion enough to actually be awake as she pulled up his contact info. It was still early, she convinced herself. At least, it wasn’t too late to ask a favor from a friend.

She took a deep breath and dialed the phone. If she swayed a little on her feet to help herself get into character, nobody else had to know.

“Hello, Charlie, how are you this evening?” Cas said when he answered.

“A little drunk,” she said, slurring her words just enough to be believable. “I’m so sorry, Cas, but I didn’t know who else to call. Everyone else I know has already left for break, and you’re a solid dude who might take pity on a drunk girl and help her get home safe.”

Cas sighed, but she could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke again. “Where are you, I can come and get you.”

“At the forestry school party. I think someone spiked the cider, and things just got away from me after my third or fourth cup.”

Cas laughed outright at that. “Okay, I might need a few minutes to get ready. Will you be okay until I get there?”

“I’ll just stay by the bonfire. You won’t be able to miss me. I’m the one in a hot pink parka and a toboggan hat with pointy elf ears glued to the ear flaps.”

“Yes, your coat is rather memorable. I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes. You just stay put, and maybe don’t have any more cider.”

“Good advice,” Charlie replied. “Though it would’ve been better advice an hour ago.”

“See you soon,” Cas said.

“Thank you, Cas,” Charlie mumbled into her phone, and then hung up and quickly dialed Dean.

The drunk story wouldn’t work on him, she knew from long experience. Dean would just tell her to have Gilda or Benny drive her home. And without getting into a long back and forth, or lying and telling him she and Gilda broke up— which he would never believe anyway— it was easier to concoct an entirely different lie for Dean. One absolutely consistent trait of his was his reflexive impulse to help any of his friends out of a sticky situation. It overrode even his ingrained dislike of Christmas parties.

“What’s up, Charles. I thought you were supposed to be out partying tonight?” Dean asked when he answered.

“Well, I was having a lovely evening at this little soiree, but now my car won’t start and I’m kind of stranded here.”

Dean sighed, and she could hear him fumbling around already pulling his boots on to come out. “So you need a rescue? What’s the problem? Is it turning over at all or is your battery shot?”

“It just clicks and nothing,” Charlie said.

“Yeah, it’s probably a dead battery. Did you leave the lights on?”

“I don’t think so,” Charlie replied.

“Well, I got jumper cables in the trunk, but worst case scenario, I’ll just bring you home and we can figure out what’s wrong with it tomorrow when we got some daylight to work with.”

“Thank you so much, Dean. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

“Where are you parked?”

“Right up close, not far from the bonfire pit. I’ll meet you there.”

“Stay warm, Charles. I’ll be there in less than ten,” he said, and Charle heard him juggle the phone to pull on his coat as he grabbed his keys and then hung up.

She stood there in the dark for a moment, eyes closed, and then took a deep, fortifying breath. This was all either going to go very, very well, or horribly, awfully wrong. There was no turning back now, though. She marched back to the fire pit and took Gilda’s hand.

“Would you care for a romantic stroll through the woods?” Charlie asked her.

“Only if you promise to tell me all the juicy details of whatever scheme you’ve been planning all night,” Gilda replied, getting to her feet with a knowing smile.

“Of course, now that we’ve crossed the Rubicon, I’ve been dying to tell someone for weeks, actually.”

“Well, then,” Gilda replied. “Lead the way.”

Before they ducked into the trees, Charlie made sure to tell Alicia, Max, and Benny they were going for a little walk. Now that her unwitting accomplices were all primed to play their parts, Charlie led her girlfriend through the softly glowing trees at the edge of the clearing. She led them a couple rows further into the dark, and then looped around under cover of the trees to the other side of the clearing to wait and watch.

While they walked, over the muffled sounds of talking and laughter coming from their friends a short way away through the trees, Charlie explained what she’d done.

“I just couldn’t stand the thought of them both being alone anymore,” she finished with, and Gilda touched a hand to her cheek.

“You are a good friend, Charlie,” she said. “Maybe a little overzealous, but your heart is in the right place.”

“So you don’t think they’re both gonna disown me for this?” Charlie asked, sounding genuinely nervous, because now that everything was out of her hands, she was.

Gilda shrugged. “Dean might not talk to you for a while, but he’ll have three grumpy, lonely weeks to get over it before you have to face him again. He’ll probably have forgiven you by then.”

Charlie let out a shuddering breath and gave a nervous laugh. “I hope so.”

Gilda peeked out through the trees when they heard the engine of Dean’s car pull up. Charlie snatched her arm and tugged her back into the shadows with a warning look. The plan would fall apart before they even had a chance for it to work if Dean caught them now, before Cas even showed up.

Charlie dared a glance, and saw Dean looking at her car briefly, and then wandering over toward the bonfire. He greeted Max, who tried to force a s’mores kit on him, and eventually Dean relented, taking the stick and the little bag of cookies, marshmallows, and chocolate bars from him before apparently asking where Charlie was. Max pointed off in the general direction of the tent, and Dean thanked him before heading over that way. A moment later, he found Benny, who gave him a big hug and offered him a drink that he declined. They talked for a few minutes before Dean remembered his mission, and Benny sent him off into the woods in the direction Charlie and Gilda had gone.

“It’s working perfectly,” Charlie muttered excitedly, as Cas arrived and wandered over to the bonfire moments later, and was also directed toward the tent after a short conversation with Alicia. A few seconds later, he disappeared into the woods, as well.

“So what do we do now?” Gilda asked, sounding as quietly excited and invested in their little game as Charlie was.

“Now, we wait. And if they don’t storm back out in the next few minutes and tear me a new one, we quietly slip away and let nature take its course,” Charlie replied.

In The Woods, Right Friggin’ Now

“Charlie?” Dean called out. “Where the fuck did you go?”

He stomped down the row of lighted trees bordering the clearing, and then pushed his way into the next row, muttering under his breath.

“So much for staying put where I could find you.”

It was only a few minutes before he heard a distinctly familiar voice call out nearby. He shuddered at the sound that had filled some of his most frustrated fantasies over the last few years since they’d become friends, and shoved all those unrequited feelings down when he realized what Cas was doing out there. Also, apparently, looking for Charlie. Well, that was a disheartening development. But at least he figured he could have some help, and possibly even a little company while he scoured the woods for his wayward friend.

Dean took a deep breath and called out for Charlie again. Not far away, Cas’s footsteps froze in their tracks. After an extremely awkward moment, Cas called out again, this time sounding a little confused.

“Dean? Is that you?”

Dean steeled himself, and headed toward Cas’s voice. “Yeah, it’s me. You looking for Charlie, too?”

Cas fought his way through a row of trees and appeared on the path just a few feet from him with a relieved sigh.

“Yes. It’s concerning that she apparently wandered off into the forest in her state.”

“Her state?” Dean asked, taking in the pine needles sticking out of Cas’s disheveled hair.

Cas nodded, brushing more needles from his coat. Dean couldn’t help but think he looked adorably festive.

“She called me asking for a ride home. She was quite inebriated, and she shouldn’t be wandering alone like that.”

Dean snorted, shaking his head, and realized exactly what Charlie had done. “She was deadass sober when she called me ten minutes ago because she was having car trouble.”

Cas’s eyes went wide, still not having fully understood what was going on, or why he was standing in a cold, dark forest. “Then why did she tell me she was drunk if she’s actually having difficulty with her car?”

Dean reached out without thinking and laid a hand on Cas’s shoulder, brushing some more pine needles away and grinning at him. “Dude, I don’t think she’s drunk or stranded. I’m pretty sure we’re being set up.”

“Set up?” Cas asked, tilting his head to the side in that adorable way of his. “For what?”

Dean shrugged, letting his hand drop. He hated to pass up his chance, especially since Charlie had plotted and schemed to get them both out there for some reason. But he knew Cas wasn’t into him in that way, much as it had pained him to realize it years ago. When Cas had pointedly ignored all his flirting when they’d first met, Dean took the hint and had accepted that Cas wasn’t interested in anything other than his friendship. It had been a struggle, and those feelings had never really gone away, but Dean had endured. Cas was far too important to him to cut ties with, even if it broke his heart just a little bit every time Cas smiled at him.

“I think she was trying to get the two of us, out here, alone in the woods.”

Cas’s confusion was not alleviated by that information, so Dean pressed on with a heavy sigh.

“Dude, she was hoping we’d run into each other, laugh about it, and forget all about her as the magic of holiday romance swept us away.”

Cas squinted at him for a moment, before a look of recognition finally crossed his features. “Oh, is this supposed to be like one of those Hallmark Channel movies she talks about?”

Dean snorted, feeling relieved that Cas was finally catching on, but still disappointed that it wouldn’t change anything between them.

“Yeah, her heart’s in the right place, but sometimes her head ain’t quite screwed on all the way.”

Cas nodded, apparently understanding. “Because you’re not gay. I’m surprised she made that kind of mistake.”

Dean blinked at Cas, wondering if he actually heard that right. “What?” was all he could muster.

“She is one of your closest friends, it seems strange she would set you up for a holiday romance with me.” His eyes narrowed again. “Unless this is some sort of prank on us?”

“What?” Dean blurted again, and then shook himself off. Maybe it was the cold wind that had picked up freezing his frontal lobe, or maybe it was just the shock of Cas’s certain but entirely wrong declarations about his sexuality in general and his interest in Cas more specifically. After years of dutifully repressing all those tangled feelings, Dean was entirely unable to stop the flood of words that escaped his mouth next.

“Dude… she set us up because she probably knows I’ve been borderline lovesick over you since the day we met. And for the record, she’s fully aware that I’m bi, which she figured out when I spent the first six weeks of freshman year dating Max.”

“What?” Cas blurted out after staring openmouthed at Dean for a full thirty seconds.

“I thought you knew. I mean, after I spent the first few months after I met you putting all my best moves on you, I figured you just weren’t interested in me that way, and I let it go.”

“What?” Cas repeated, looking truly shocked now.

Dean stared at him for a moment, and then just broke down laughing. “Oh my god, you really didn’t know. You just… didn’t get that I was flirting with you, like at all.”

Cas slowly shook his head. “No, I didn’t. You know I’m not very good at picking up on that sort of thing.”

“Yeah, I’ve come to realize that pretty recently,” Dean said, feeling a giddy kindling of hope in his chest for the first time in years. Maybe Charlie hadn’t been as entirely off the mark as he’d thought. Or maybe she’d just finally accidentally stumbled into the mark. “At the time, I thought you were just trying to let me down easy.”

After a few moments, Cas quietly asked, almost like he was too afraid to hope for the answer he wanted to hear, “So does this mean you would still consider flirting with me now?”

Dean raised an eyebrow and stepped right up into Cas’s personal space. “Does this mean you’d be interested if I was?”

Cas nodded slowly. “I have also been, as you say, borderline lovesick over you, so yes, I would.”

“Huh,” Dean replied as his heart threatened to beat through his ribs. “I guess I’m not about to pass up a Christmas miracle when it’s practically gift wrapped and handed to me.”

Cas didn’t even have time to ask what Dean meant before Dean leaned in and kissed him. A split second was all it took for Cas to recover from his shock and kiss Dean back.

Charlie, Gilda, and their car were long gone by the time Dean and Cas wandered back out of the woods. When he got back to his car, waiting to follow Cas back to his place for a warmer and more comfortable continuation of the evening’s events, Dean sent Charlie a message.

“You were right, I should’ve just agreed to come to the damn party.”

“Everything worked out, then? You’re not gonna hunt me for sport?”

Dean laughed, and replied. “Not for this. We probably owe you a better Christmas present now.”

Charlie just replied, “No more ghosts of Christmas past. You just go and make some happy new memories with Cas, and we’ll call it even.”

Dean sighed and started his engine. He waved to Cas as he got in his car and they headed out together. Yeah, maybe this was exactly the kind of holiday spirit he could live with.

Read it again (or just leave comments or kudos!) on ao3!

[dynamoe]

Billy Quizboy as the rabbit-toothed guitarist DAVE HILL of glam rock band SLADE— sporter of the worst bangs in rock n' roll history*— circa their 1973 Christmas #2 Merry Christmas Everybody**, which was covered as the annual Venture Bros holiday song this year by Pete White, Master Billy Quizboy, his mom and her lovers (the elderly superhero polycule).

→ hear the cover on KenPlume's youtube → go to the Billy Quizboy & Pete White index

(I know with the orange hair/eyepatch he looks like Ziggy Stardust— the Quizboy:Slade ratio is a delicate balance.)

Merriest Twelfth Day of Christmas to you, to Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer and to Slade and anyone else still reading who gives a shit.

Slade is more of a British thing, really. They had a ton of British hits in the 1970s as a glam rock band, but didn't break into the US until the 1980s (when they replaced Ozzy Osborne at the Reading Festival) with Cum on Feel the Noize, pivoting to be more hard rock/metal.

Noddy Holder was more of the “face” of Slade (head to toe plaid, mutton chops, tophat covered in mirrors). I suspect the all-plaid outfit on Col. Gentleman in the Vbros cover art is a take on Noddy's look... or he ignored the brief and dressed as one of Scotland's own Bay City Rollers. Slade suffered from a lesser case of Cheap Trick syndrome, where every member dressed like they were in a different band. Dave dressed full spaceman-- face glitter, every variety of metallic fabric available (lurex, glitter knit, vinyl, lamé) in shades of silver. The other guitarist whose name I won't look up wore a red lurex suit (I guess that would be Pete's outfit in their cover band) which he had to keep replacing because he sweated so much on stage the fibers literally melted (one of the suits was preserved by the V&A on an episode of Secrets of the Museum)... No one cares about the drummer. 

The only reason I know anything about Slade — I'm no rock trivia geek, I’m a comedy nerd — Slade was a constant punchline in 1990s Brit Comedy. Noddy appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks in the LaMar era. 1993 sketch show The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer had a recurring mini-sitcom “Slade in Residence” (the band living in a suburban home together, wearing their stage costumes, eating nothing but cup-of-soup, obsessing over monster truck rallies and­— the key to their appeal to Vic and Bob, I imagine­— whining in thick Black Country accents.)

Billy is my Covid muse and if he stars in the annual Christmas cover (he had only sung before on 2006's VentureAid; read poems on their take on the Beatles Fan Club records), it's not like I CAN'T draw something despite saying I was done with this shit. I promised you guys a *technically* Christmas Billy drawing and I *technically* delivered.

Now I'm gonna switch to drawing characters I own so I can finally make some money. Godblessuseveryone. ___

*Dave Hill was just being a futuristic spaceman, those micro-bangs were the hottness on all the skater girls of the late 1990s. I even had 'em.

**Having the #1 song at Christmas is a big deal in the UK (as you may remember from the Bill Nighy segments from Love Actually) and the 1973 slug match between Slade's Merry Christmas Everybody and the eventual winner Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday looms large in music trivia, to the degree that I was sure Astrobot Go was going to release a cover a day later of some other (more fan-favored) characters doing their version of Wizzard to rain on Billy et. al’s parade.

→ Wizzard

So which character dons the beard and harlequin eye facepaint to be the guy from Wizzard? Probably Hank, right?

→ go to the Billy Quizboy & Pete White index → Nobody'sSweetheart on Instagram

[tgrailwar-zero]

I would like to turn on some Christmas/Holiday movies in the tv to celebrate the season with my fellow masters

It wasn't hard to find a remote and turn on the TV-- again, still slightly disorienting as you felt a part of yourself remain still while also focusing on completing this task.

Instantly, you heard the jingling of bells, snazzy music, and a familiar voice.

QUETZALCOATL(?): [ "What's that? Jingle bells on the horizon? No! This is the sound of a new round beginning! The annual Flaming Bout in the Transient Megalopolis is coming soon!" ]

This must be an old recording. For obvious reasons.

Focusing on the TV screen, it was QUETZALCOATL… though the outfit was certainly… a lot.

QUETZALCOATL: [ "Warriors from across the Solar Cell, and maybe beyond, traveling to A grand prize of 15,000 PPT, and a special gift from the Pharaoh! Wow! A total knock out of an opportunity!" ]

Various clips showing a variety of fights. Warriors, animals, Attack Programs, all going at it in one-on-one battles. It seemed like anyone who could get into the gates had a chance at participating.

QUETZALCOATL: [ "Come, and fight with all of your might! Communicate your resolve with your bodies! Never back down! In the Flaming Bout, everyone has a chance, yes!" ]

The announcement ended, after a brief disclaimer announcing further details on the time later on. Still, an upcoming tournament on the Solar Cell…

…Through the magical energy connections you had with your Servants, you could swear that you could feel a brief surge in KUKULKAN's mana.

After that, the programming changed. It seemed relatively normal, honestly. It wasn't that hard to find a channel that seemed dedicated to holiday programming no matter the time of year… which was a bit odd, yet convenient.

[wanderingwilsons]

When our friends told us that there's a town where rice farmers create art with their rice paddy fields, I knew I had to see it for myself.

A few weeks ago we ventured an hour and a half away to a town called Inakadate to see the creativity on display. You might be wondering what is so significant about this. And it's simple: decades of art in the making.

According to the information flyer we were given, rice paddy art is seen as a canvas "by planting a variety of different rice plants." There are more than 10 varieties and 7 colors of rice which include orange, red, white, green, dark green, yellow, and purple. The process from start to finish not only takes strategic planning, but it's all done by hand!

Before planting the rice in early June, farmers start with a rough sketch of their design by using surveying techniques and perspective drawing. Even though the history of the village's rice fields goes back over 2,000 years ago, in an effort to promote "historical roots in rice farming," Inakadate, a village only comprising of 7,500 people, started creating rice paddy art in the early 1990s.

As you can see above, there are photos of the rice paddy art in years past displayed at the town cultural center. They are so intricate and detailed! I particularly thought the Star Wars and Roman Holiday ones were impressive.

The town of Inakadate takes great pride in not only their rice paddy fields and its art, but the generational element involved to create it. It is said that multiple generations will work in the fields to ensure beautiful images by mid July, when the art exhibits are open to the public. The rice fields in Inakadate get over 200,000 visitors annually.

Fun fact: each town/village has their own mascot and I'm sure you can guess Inakadate's. (If you guessed the rice paddy, you are right. Isn't it cute?)

The first location at the Inakadate Village Cultural Center shows the newest 1000 yen designs comprising of the Kanagawa-oki Nami Ura (The Great Wave off Kanagawa) and Kitasato Shibasaburo.

The historical significance of the two images is to honor the woodblock print by Japanese artist Hokusai who created this image in 1831. The person on the right side of the field is the portrait of Japanese physician and bacteriologist, Kitasato Shibasaburo.

In the second location, we only traveled about 5 minutes to an observation tower overlooking an image of a famous manga set in the Tsugaru region called Jisan Basan Wakagaeru.

"This manga tells the story of an old apple farmer couple who eat a mysterious golden apple and become rejuvenated. In the center of the rice paddy art, you can see [the] couple holding a golden apple. [It's] the same composition as the opening of the anime." (According to the informational flyer).

Japanese language lesson: Jisan means grandfather Basan means grandmother

Alongside the impressive rice paddy art were other forms of art known as "pebble art."

This year's pebble art image is of the late graphic artist, Shiko Munakata.

Isn't that so cool?!

Apparently, this amazing artist lived in the city of Aomori at one point, which is why he is so revered by the community as Aomori is only 45 minutes away from them. I looked up some of his work and it's actually displayed in Aomori's Museum of Art. I think I am going to add it to my list of places to explore...

Japan is rich with ancient art and individuals that take pride in the work that they do for others. It's such a humble culture. Doing for others to display history that not only draws people in, but pulls them together. It's beautiful to get to witness it.

Japan has such a deep respect for one another and the space they occupy. Everything is intentional and thought out. It's refreshing.

This life we are living has the capacity to either keep us holed up or push us out. I'm so glad we have decided to get out and see what there is to see. I am proud of us for not allowing fear to hold us back even when we know that in most spaces we take up, we are the minority with broken Japanese and louder-than-ideal American kids. I love getting to display these acts of bravery to our children, though. I don't even think they realize how brave they are being themselves.

If there's one thing I have learned, it's this: you need to expand yourself outside of your comfort zone. That is where horizons are broadened, paradigms are shifted, and empathy is born. When we can reach outside of ourselves and step reverently into the space of another we are only doing one another a service. Even as we walk with shaking feet and trembling hands, I've learned it is best to simply lean into the discomfort.

For it is on the other side of discomfort and fear that we find we are braver than we think.

[brokenmusicboxwolfe]

You know, I quite enjoy that Star Wars tv thing that shows the struggles of ordinary folks living under imperial occupation. I am, of course, talking about The Star Wars Holiday Special!

I’m not entirely joking. I was a little kid when I first saw it, and Chewie having an ordinary family delighted me. They were normal, relatable folks just trying to celebrate annual holiday, but here comes the empire. The imperial troops have no trouble forcing merchants to give them things for free or maliciously tearing apart a young child’s stuffed toy.

In fact, again as a little kid, thinking Chewie’s family was out there somewhere, proud but worrying, added something to it all. Luke, Leia, Han, Lando, the droids…none of them had loved ones endangered by their activities, but with Chewie there was risk. And it was a risk that represented what the population forced to lived under the empire suffered. Of course, this was all wrapped up in the trapping of a 1970’s variety show special like the majority of live action holiday shows of that era**.

I adore Andor. I can honestly say it’s one of my favorite Star Wars things ever. But maybe part of my love is just that grown up me is not that different than tiny me.

See, I’m interested in the folks that we don’t usually see as the stories follow the heroes and villains. The pain of a child whose beloved toy is wrecked by bullying adults is distinctly emotionally relatable in a way that a princess having her world destroyed can’t be. It isn’t that I can’t enjoy epic scale stuff, but I always find myself thinking about the poor canon fodder, the ones without names, the ones that own the car the superhero throws or is the cleaning staff at the big bad’s base when it gets blown up, the people stuck living messy lives in the worlds the legends shape.

Anyway, tonight I’m just thinking Andor and The Star Wars Holiday Special, one them highly acclaimed and other so maligned they have tried to bury it, have more in common than I thought. I mean more than a place in my affections.***

**Though honestly, it is NOT the worst of these. A few years ago I saw a Sesame Street one that aired on one of the networks. Now I don’t know why when PBS had their own classic Christmas Eve on Sesame Street they would also let a network do one of their typical Christmas special. Ok, money. Anyway, I expect such specials were less irritating when they were spun around singers or comedians, not characters.

*** I have to admit there is a LOT of Star Wars I don’t like much. In fact I gotta admit there may be more I don’t care for than I actually like at this point. That’s all vintages. It’s not just “new sucks, old good” like you see in long in the tooth fandoms. For example, I think I feel about those Ewok tv movies from the 1980s like others feel about the holiday special, but I really like The Last Jedi.

[itstravelersnoteb00k]

Experience Magic and Celebrations Holidays and Special Events in Tagaytay

By: Shaina Robles

Welcome to Tagaytay, a charming city nestled in the highlands of the Philippines. Beyond its breathtaking landscapes and serene atmosphere, Tagaytay is also a hub of festivities and celebrations throughout the year. From vibrant festivals to religious events, there's always something special happening in this enchanting city. Let's explore the holidays and special events that make Tagaytay a must-visit destination for travelers seeking a memorable experience.

Every May 15th, Tagaytay comes alive with vibrant colors and lively energy during the Pahiyas Festival. This annual celebration commemorates the abundant harvest while highlighting local talent and artistry. The streets are adorned with colorful decorations made of rice, vegetables, and locally sourced materials. Don't pass up the opportunity to sample local dishes and witness street dance and cultural performances that highlight the region's rich heritage.

Prepare to be stunned by the breathtaking sight of hot air balloons filling the sky during the Tagaytay Highlands International Balloon Festival. This annual festival displays multicolored hot air balloons in a variety of shapes and sizes. Enjoy a day of exciting activities, live music, food vendors, and family-friendly games. Don't forget to photograph the picture-perfect moments when the balloons take flight against the backdrop of Tagaytay's natural beauty.

Tagaytay celebrates the spirit of Christmas like no other location. Experience the romance of the holiday season at "Christmas in the Sky," a spectacular fireworks and light show performed at Sky Ranch. Admire the magnificent lights, listen to cheerful Christmas carols, and savor wonderful holiday snacks. This fascinating event is ideal for families and couples seeking to make great memories.

Tagaytay is a destination for leisure, natural beauty, and unique events. It offers cultural activities, Plan your visit around holidays or special events to make your trip memorable and enjoy the beauty of Tagaytay's festivities.

[palimpsessed]

The third annual! Questions by @captain-aralias .

Complete Fics for 2022:

I Can't Believe He's Not Butter

4,941 words

by any other name…

3,035 words

Simon Snow and Dracula's Curse, A Scooby Doo AU

46,064 words

In Progress Fics for 2022:

Slings and Eros

70,055 words added in 2022

Total:

4 complete fics, 1 fic in progress

Word count:

124,095

Thoughts:

I thought my output this year had really waned, but I only completed one more fic in 2020 and 2021. My word count has been pretty consistent, with this year's actually being higher than 2021 (107k) and 2020 (113k). So maybe I need to be kinder to myself. It's truly just having the specter of a massively long wip looming for a second year running.

Since I included SAE in last year's review, I'm going to stick with the three fics I haven't talked about yet. All I ever talk about is SAE anyway. However, I think this works better for writers with more fics to talk about because there would be less repetition in the answers.

best/worst title?

best:

I Can't Believe He's Not Butter

What else is there to say? This fic is about an emo syrup container watching an attractive tub of margarine being spread seductively over pancakes.

worst:

by any other name...

I like this but perhaps it doesn't pin down the point of the fic well enough. But I really couldn't lead with "dicknames" or "cocktail" so. Shakespeare it is.

best/worst summary?

best:

SSADC

"The gang is invited to spend Halloween weekend in famed seaside town Whitby, North Yorkshire. It's supposed to be a holiday filled with music, history, and more vampire fangs than Simon Snow has ever dreamed of. But when a flying fiend claiming to be Count Dracula himself shows up, warning tourists and locals alike to stay away from the famous ruins of Whitby Abbey, Simon and the rest of the Enigma Ltd. gang know they've got another mystery on their hands. Matters are only further complicated when Simon's longtime professional rival, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Grimm-Pitch of Pitch Paranormal Investigations, swoops in with perfect hair to steal Enigma Ltd.'s case.

"Will the gang manage to solve the mystery in time to save Whitby from the Count and his Curse? And more importantly, will Simon solve the mystery of his very confusing feelings for Baz?"

I could see this one printed on the back of a Scooby Doo DVD clamshell. (I absolutely do check out Scooby Doo DVDs from my library every Halloween.)

worst:

BAON

"Baz has been making a new list and he’s decided it’s time to share it with his unsuspecting boyfriend."

Again, I was being coy. This probably should have been something like: "Baz decides to give Simon's cock a worthy nickname. Unapologetic puns ensue." You know, after I did this last year, I actually revised my worst summary to make the changes that I felt would improve it. Maybe I'll do that with this one, too. Maybe.

best/worst first line?

best:

ICBHNB

"The existence (if one can be so bold as to call it that) of a blue plate diner denizen holds all the shine one can find on a cloudy-water-spotted soup spoon. There are occasional flashes of warm, bright pink neon ("open 24 hours") to give you the sense of a rose-tinted view, but by and large, the days offer little more variety and adventure than stuck-on food and creeping rust stains.

"In this place, soup spoons are to solitary condiments like myself what reflecting pools are to Narcissus."

Okay, maybe this is a bit too long to consider a line, but oh well. I hate writing descriptions of physical places. I would much prefer my characters just float around in a void and have endless amounts of banter-laden dialogue. But the diner was integral to this story and I think I did a pretty good job with it, introducing it along with our narrator, pancake syrup!Baz, and using it to set the mood.

worst:

SSADC

"It was a dark and stormy night."

This was obviously intentionally done, so I'm okay with it. Except for the fact that somewhere along the way, the period disappeared without me noticing so it just sat there with no punctuation for weeks. The very first sentence. Off to a strong start.

best/worst last line?

best:

SSADC

"Hey, Baz," she said. "How come you're not in costume?"

You need the context for this one to make sense, but trust me. I love how punchy it turned out, and also that it wasn't planned. I just knew in the moment.

Also, ICBHNB is somewhat open-ended, but I do really like how the last sentence revisits the opening of the fic and shows how much Baz has changed his mind about his "life" now that Simon is in it.

worst

BAON

"We never do get back to Baz’s list."

It's okay, but it's a bit lacking in impact after the repartee immediately before it. This was just my way of fading to black so I didn't have to actually write the sex.

looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, fewer than you thought, or about what you predicted?

Fewer. I thought I'd finally wrap on SAE and be able to tackle more of my other ideas. I had been determined not to write anything else until it was complete, but at some point I decided it was healthier for me to indulge a side fic now and again for the sake of my creative sanity. I didn't want to start resenting SAE because I couldn't work on other things. More to look forward to next year…

what pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?

I didn't think I'd ever have cause to write pancake syrup/margarine. But here we are.

what's your favorite story this year? not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest?

It's so hard to choose. I'm really happy with all of them and they're all very different things. I suppose SSADC because I've been working on that concept off and on since I got into fandom and it was nowhere near as clever or funny in my early drafts and planning. I was frustrated with it for a long time, but then it ended up being so much better for the delay. And it's done!!!!! I'm incredibly proud of it.

okay, now your most popular story?

I never know what the best metric is to judge this by? I suppose kudos?

BAON leads in kudos for the year, so I'll say that. Which makes sense. It's the closest I came to smut.

story most underappreciated by the universe?

SSADC and ICBHNB are my least kudoesed(?) over all years so I think they just didn’t find their audience.

story that could have been better?

I know I said I wasn't going to talk about SAE, but damn it could be SHORTER. I find myself most critical of it because I've sat with it for so long. But I still wouldn't change any of it. I always kind of avoid this question.

sexiest story?

Hmm. It probably should be BAON since it is about cocks, but I kind of want to say ICBHNB because that margarine!Simon does spread on awfully smooth… How many fics can boast a completely appropriate use of the word 'nubbin' anyway?

saddest story?

None of my finished fics were sad, but SAE definitely goes there with the deep emotions, so that one gets the honor.

most fun?

SSADC

I wrote a theme song! Lucy the dog dashes into action against "Dracula" wearing a Dracula dog costume. Simon chucks bricks at creepy hooded cultists because Penny didn't let him bring his sword. Baz and Simon absolutely do not speedwalk race down the street to the Whitby library. Penny’s skirt has pockets! No one ever gives Baz a leaflet. BJ and the CUNTS! Penis window. I need to reread this fic.

story with the single sweetest moment?

SSADC

Simon feeds Baz pieces of mint Aero while they're sharing a bed. That was pretty sweet. (Get it, sweet?)

Honorable mention to ICBHNB for being sweetest fic overall, in that the narrator is literally pancake syrup.

hardest story to write?

SSADC

Which I've been trying to write unsuccessfully since very early 2020 (does anyone remember very early 2020?). This version of the fic did give me some hiccups along the way, but finally sorting out the POV and tone of the fic was key, as was the timely Dracula tie-in. It finally felt right this time and I look forward to continuing the adventures of Enigma Ltd. and Pitch Paranormal Investigations.

easiest/most fun story to write?

I'm being difficult and answering with all three fics!

Easiest is a tie between the one shots: ICBHNB and BAON. Short and also mostly crack. I'd had both ideas tossing around in my head for a while and once the mood hit for each of them, they came about pretty quickly.

Most fun: SSADC (for the reasons stated under the other kind of "most fun" above)

did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

I'm boring with this one and usually say 'no', but I will say that SSADC was my first time really writing the classic SnowBaz "enemies" to lovers dynamic. I think I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, because I tend to shy away from that. Not sure if that will inform fic writing decisions going forward, but considering that nearly all of my ideas at the moment are But-What-If-SnowBaz AUs, the dynamics are mostly determined by how I'm adapting the worlds of the various AUs.

most overdue story?

hahaha

I can finally say SSADC and know that it's DONE!!!!!

did you take any writing risks this year? what did you learn from them?

Everything felt like a risk while I had a 100k+ wip. Staying in more lighthearted and cracky territory wasn't necessarily a risk, but certainly something that took me out of my comfort zone as a fic writer. Really, I think I just needed to give myself permission for it.

this year's theme and the story that demonstrates it?

Perseverance.

SSADC and SAE

I finished one and am determined to finish the other.

what are your fic writing goals for next year?

See above.

Seriously, though, my main goal is to wrap SAE and make sure it's satisfying for all the build up—for me and its readers. Aside from that, I have a whole list of prompts for myself and I think I'm really just waiting to get inspired about which one to work on first. I have my Bond AU pretty much entirely plotted out, so you'd think it would be that one. But I also want to do a second part for my Scooby AU. And maybe finally write that The Holiday AU. Or Galaxy Quest. Or Troop Beverly Hills. Or Bell Book and Candle. Or or or…

Here's a good goal: I would like to not write any more dactylic hexameter.

If you read all this way, thanks for taking this journey with me. See you for more words and more fics in 2023!

[valpoupdates]

FEBRUARY CALENDAR POSTING...

So much to see, so much to do, so little time ! Lucky for you, here in the Valparaíso Region, we keep track of it just for you ! Unless stated otherwise, these activities are optional. Residents do not have to take part in these if they don't wish to ! These can be used for threads throughout the month but new threads can't be started for these activities once the month is up. Please track the valpocalendar tag to stay updated month to month ( ©️ )

Casablanca Activities:

February 3rd-4th: Aire Libre will be hosting two romance-a-thon nights, one in Spanish and one in English (with Spanish closed captioning).  There will be a Valentine’s Day themed snack box consisting of a metal heart popcorn bowl, pink popcorn, a variety of candy, and heart-shaped alfajores provided by Dulce Sueño’s Sweets and Treats.

February 3rd 5 PM: La vida de los peces: Andrés se reencuentra con su antiguo amor. 7 PM: Play: Dos personas buscan amor, pero nunca se encuentran. 10:00 PM: Los Fuertes: Lucas y Antonio empiezan un gran amor. February 4th 5 PM: Shrek: Un ogro y un burro tienen una aventura. 7 PM: Crazy Rich Asians: El novio de Rachel Chu, una profesora de economía, tiene un gran secreto. 10 PM: The Notebook: Duke lee una historia romántica a una paciente.

February 8th: Casablanca Blooms and Coffee will be hosting two Valentine’s Day-themed events: from 5 PM - 6 PM will be a bouquet-making class where you can create a beautiful bouquet for a loved one, and from 6 PM - 7 PM will be a coffee blending class where you can create your own sweet blend.

February 14th: Dulce Sueño’s Sweets and Treats is hosting a Valentine’s Day dessert decorating session from 12 PM - 2 PM.  Come decorate cookies, brownies, and mini-cakes; then take home your goodies and share them with your loved ones.

Quilpué Activities:

February 9th: Caos Tattoos is hosting the Anti-Romance Tattoo Sale.  There will be affordable flash sheets around themes of anti-love and heartbreak.

February 18th: The Annual Beastly Brunch is happening again at the Quilpué Zoo from 11 PM - 1 PM.  Feast on delicious bites and sip brunch cocktails while learning and celebrating the feathered friends you have in your own backyard!  Brunch will be served.

February 22nd: Plantas Altas is having their Customer Appreciation Day. Plants will be up to 40% off, and there will be complimentary food and a DJ.  First 40 customers get a free t-shirt or tote bag with the store logo.

Valparaíso Activities:

February 1st: A Santa Moneda resident has some dozen leftover tickets for Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and has offered to fly people out to Carnival for a small fee. Carnival takes place February 9th-17th, and it is one of the largest yearly festivals in Brazil that celebrates their history, culture, and traditions. The itinerary is already made, hotel rooms have been booked, and VIP events have been reserved; all you need to do is reach out to Santa Moneda Front Desk and we can get you in touch with the resident. Serious inquiries only!

February 10th: Parque Cultural de Valparaíso is hosting a Lunar New Year Festival from 12 PM - 9 PM, celebrating the Year of the Wood Dragon. There will be foods from many different countries that celebrate the holiday, including China, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia, stalls that sell clothes, art, and knick-knacks, lion dancing, and presentations and reading corners for people of all ages to learn more about the history, culture, and traditions behind the holiday from each country. The festival will close out with fireworks.

February 23rd: The Universidad de Bellas Artes Poets play against the Pontifical Catholic University Pumas at 6 PM. Come show your school spirit or come support your local fútbol team.

February 24th: Biblioteca Santiago Severín is hosting a community shred day from 8 AM - 8 PM. With a small donation, you can bring any personal papers and documents to be shredded.  Volunteers are still needed; if interested, please sign up on our website, <santiagoseverin.cl>. 

Viña del Mar Activities:

February 11th-24th: The Ballet de Valparaíso will be performing Cinderella at The Teatro Municipal. Come laugh, be surprised, and fall in love with a new interpretation of an age-old fairytale.

February 14th: There will be speed dating in the Jardín Botánico Nacional from 2 PM - 4 PM, with complimentary coffee provided by Combi Coffee. Casual attire; no sign ups necessary.

February 17th: There is free admission for all tours, all day, at Castillo Wulff. If you and your kids or friends are looking for a fun way to pass the time, come learn about the beautiful, historic castle overlooking the sea.

February 25th - March 1st: The Quinta Vergara Amphitheater is hosting the LXII Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña. It is the oldest and largest music festival in Latin America; the 6-day festival is broadcasted on the radio, television, and online streaming platforms. This year’s headlines include Maná, Peso Pluma, Allison Mandel, Andrea Bocelli with special guest Matteo Bocelli, Maria Becerra, and more!

February 29th: The restaurant inside the Casino de Viña del Mar is a popular place for people to get proposed to, and on Leap Year, that popularity dramatically increases as women will propose to their significant others.  No one knows when this tradition started, but it’s been going on for years; the restaurant even has a special menu for this day. Come grab a table and watch some potential impromptu proposals! Who cares if the rumors say most of them are staged!

[hobbit-in-kuroshitsuji]

Kuroshitcember 2022 Prompt Nr. 25 - Christmas Special 3/3

prompt: Sebastian bears an awful resemblance to someone held near. Pick a character and let them realise this!

You can find all prompts here!

All of these will be uploaded/archived to this blog's Ao3 eventually

📌Because I ended up not being able to participate in quite a lot of prompts lately, I decided to put together a 3 part little story for 23rd, 24th, and 25th of December, each chapter inspired by that day's prompt. I tried incorporating as many characters as I could <3 I hope you enjoy!! I hope I can keep up writing after Christmas though <3 these prompts have been amazing, and it's been so much fun participating <3

Summary: On Christmas Day, the Phantomhives host a special Christmas Dinner. This year, it's even more special than they anticipated... as memories of Vincent flood everyone's minds. CW: kuroshitsuji spoilers (if you don't know about o!ciel and r!ciel, do not read this 3 parter!!), mentions death, suicide, anatomy study, workhouses - please be careful if you are easily triggered by real events that happened in the past. oh, if you don't ship Vincent/Undertaker, please don't send hate <3 it's just a fleeting mention, but still <3

“What…” Sebastian and Ciel stood in the dining room, forty minutes before the annual Christmas Dinner was set to begin.

The decorations that the servants, along with Agni and Prince Soma, had put together were………..

Interesting.

It was all made of paper and glittering glue. Tanaka had tried to show everyone the best way to create Christmas crafts to decorate everything – but the servants weren’t the greatest at following orders.

Amidst well presented art made by Tanaka were some that were… either plain ugly, burned to a crisp, or confusing imitations of Christmas trees.

Sebastian hoped they were Christmas trees, at least…

Oh, and the Undertaker had shown up early to the party, inviting himself to aid in the Christmas crafts to add some “festive skulls” to the decorations – of course, because why not?

Prince Soma had also taken it upon himself to change the way the table had been carefully prepared by Mey-Rin, removing all chairs for everyone to sit on cushions on the floor, and removing the “confusing amounts of cutlery”. How Prince Soma had managed to find a low enough table that housed over 14 people, no one knew. Not even Agni.

“He looks positively pale. That means we succeeded in what dear Finnian called the ‘wow’ factor,” the Undertaker said with an air of sarcasm only Ciel and Sebastian seemed to pick up on. The glares they sent his way only made the Undertaker fall into a fit of laughter.

“My lord, I will immediately change–“

“Don’t.” Ciel interrupted his butler. He sighed. “Despite what I might think of the decorations… it does incorporate the culture and personalities of everyone at the estate including the varieties of guests we’re serving. Christmas doesn’t belong to aesthetics. It belongs to the people. Just leave it. Spend the time double checking the food is… up to standards though. I’m starving.” Ciel turned to leave, but paused to add a quick: “Focus on the desert, actually.”

Sebastian sighed. This Christmas was definitely not running the smooth, traditional way it usually did. Then again, what else did he really expect at the Phantomhive estate?

“I think he liked our decorations,” Finny whispered to the others with glee.

Shaking his head, Sebastian left them to their joy to double check Agni had saved the food.

…

“He acts awfully fatherly, doesn’t he?” Ronald pointed out. He and his red dressed reaper partner were on their way to give William the… (sort of) bad news.

The holidays were a time when reapers had to work overtime. For a full 24 hours, they had to deal with suicides (this was not on Ronald’s pay-roll, only certain reapers were allowed to handle these), murders, starvations, people freezing to death, and other freak accidents (a lot of people die from candles, surprisingly)… Normally, there was a night shift. But with the added family drama humans often brought to the holidays, the night shift also had to work 24 hours alongside the day shift.

“Who?” Grelle asked.

With three more hours to go, things were starting to calm down. When Ronald and Grelle walked through the office, people weren’t running around with papers and bloody scythes anymore. People were starting to clean up instead, or slumping down in their chairs with a hot beverage to calm down.

Ronald pitied the reapers that had to take first shift in the morning after all these hours – but this was the life of a reaper. They had to suck it up.

“That demon of his. Of Phantomhive’s.”

“If you ask me, it only shows what good potentials he would have as a husband,” Grelle said simply, smirking.

“You want children?”

“If they’re mine I wouldn’t quite hate them so much,” Grelle scolded. “If they were mine, they would have impeccable taste and not shout so much. Obviously.”

Shaking his head at Grelle’s words, Ronald refrained from commenting on it. Truth be told, Ronald could see her being quite a good mother. There was empathy and gentleness hidden away behind a façade of craziness.

Though… that was not what either reaper should be focused on anyway, because they had just reached William T. Spears’ office door. Preparing themselves for the scolding of a life time, they opened the door to find their supervisor hunched over his table, paper everywhere from table to floor to even one stuck on the ceiling, and with his hair a complete mess. The long shift had taken a toll on him too, it seemed.

Which most likely only meant the scolding was going to be ten times worse.

“Ehm…” Grelle pushed Ronald ahead, forcing him to take point on the bad news. “Mister Spears, sir. We uh… We just came back from London-“

“Yes?” William snapped, lifting his gaze from piles of papers to try and locate a report in Ronald’s hands. Upon not seeing one, his eyes narrowed into anger which was dangerously murderous.

“Uh – Well, you see… Those uh, workhouse children you asked us to reap?”

“Yes?” Despite only speaking so few words, it was crystal clear what William still meant. Honestly, it was a gift that he could portray so much with just the inclination of tone… and glares…

Hurry it up, Knox, I have work to finish.

“Uh, we didn’t get their souls. The demon – Sebastian Michaelis – got in the way… We did, however, get some other souls that took their place if that’s-“

“What?” William straightened up behind his desk. “What do you mean he interfered? We- We would have known if he was going to! Those children were set for death, we were not told of any inclinations of possible fate twisting changes-”

Standing up, William began rummaging through the mess on his desk, lifting papers, throwing some to the floor even, to try and find what he was looking for.

It was madness, really. William T. Spears was never disorganised.

“William, darling,” Grelle piped up, stepping up beside Ronald with a less crazy look in her eyes than she usually had around Will. “Have you allowed yourself even a second’s break?”

“What does that have to do with the – There,” William found what he was looking for, apparently, and lifted one folder for him to read through. “Six souls, aged between 6 and 10…”

Then it got quiet.

“They’re not deceased?” William asked again for clarification.

“No, sir.”

“None of them?”

“None.”

William flopped back down into his chair, folder falling to the floor as he let out such an exhausted sigh that it looked like he had given up on life – again.

“It’s not in the report. Which means Sebastian acted upon a nature which was not predicted by fate, which indicates it even goes against demon nature… Those are four separate reports for me to fill in after work, not to mention the two reports I will have to write taking your statements, then write up a full conclusion of my own investigation as I go down there-“

“William,” Grelle interrupted. “That’s impossible for you to do all alone after this shift.” She walked up to him, noting he was still listing reports and documents he needed to take care of because of this one incident under his breath, not listening to her.

He was beyond exhausted. He was getting delirious.

“William…”

“No, you cannot help. There is a Christmas dinner being served for all who have participated in this long shift.” The words ‘you both should go, I’ll handle this’ were not said, but it was heavily implied.

“William, darling, you do so much for us all…” Grelle tried with a frown, earning nothing more but a shake of his head. Approaching him, she sat down on the arm rest of his office chair, wrapping herself around him, arm around his shoulders. William didn’t budge, not even leaning away from her to try and recover some personal space.

It was both an act of affection from Grelle, and her making good use of this version of William so she could have some intimacy… But it was mainly a testament to William’s exhaustion. If William had been feeling alright, he would have pushed further, moved away from Grelle’s attempts to let her help him.

“How about, we give you a break not for you, but for someone else?” That sentence was entirely confusing, even for Ronald. Both male reapers glanced at Grelle in confusion. Gently, she brushed some stray strands of hair away from William’s face, an act normally not needed should the supervisor be feeling like himself. “If you can’t take a break for yourself, then take a break for someone else…” That didn’t clarify it either. “Besides, you have to go there anyway to investigate the premises and search for that demon.”

…

Apologising profusely, Mey-Rin wobbled up the ladder. Her glasses were fogging up from the sheer anxiety… But she soon calmed down when Agni remained gently smiling at her, doing nothing more but climb the second ladder to assist her.

The entrance hall to the Phantomhive Manor was huge. Literally. It was a testament to the wealth of the Phantomhives, and a testament to the dramatic flair of a certain demon who had “helped” rebuild it.

Of course, the servants and everyone else didn’t know about the latter part.

Its grandness meant that the walls were extremely tall, perfect for fitting large portraits of long lost family relatives onto it; watching over the going-ons in what used to be their domain.

One such portrait was that of Earl Vincent Phantomhive, the previous head of the family before Ciel.

“Sorry to disturb you, sir,” Mey-Rin whispered to the portrait. “Twas all my fault, I’m too clumsy.”

In harmony, Agni and Mey-Rin lifted the long line of tinsel up and stuffed it back behind the top corners of the portrait. Around the entire hall, Christmas decorations were put up high up to create a flair of glistening beauty as a welcome to the guests. Mey-Rin had… somehow… tripped and let one plate fly up into the air, only for it to bring the decorations down with it.

Agni had been present, catching Mey-Rin before she fell face first onto the floor, before then proceeding to help her fix the decorations.

“There we are,” Agni calmly said, “all fixed again, and no one will ever know anything even occurred here.”

Yet, despite being done, both stayed up on the ladders, staring at the portrait. It was immaculately done, with details only the finest of artist, or closest of friend, would have known existed on Vincent’s face.

“He looked like a kind gentleman,” Agni eventually said. His voice echoed against the walls, but no one paid it any attention. All guests were currently in the dining hall, enjoying the peculiar decorations, the fine food and each other’s company. Even Ciel had been seen cracking a smile from time to time when Elizabeth said something – that in and of itself was a Christmas Miracle, truly.

“I wish I could have known him… I bet it woulda gladdened the Earl plenty if someone could tell stories about his dad,” Mey-Rin pondered.

“Tanaka could, no?”

“Tanaka does, but… There’s something between the two of them. I can’t tell what, but sometimes it feels like Tanaka doesn’t want to remind Ciel of the past, even the good stuff.”

“It can be painful sometimes… To know the good will never come back.” Agni sighed. “I see it in my prince’s eyes sometimes. He does not want to go back home, but he does miss it… I know he does.”

“But there’s new good things here,” Mey-Rin said.

“Yes.” Agni smiled at that, offering an appreciative smile toward the maid. “And that is the case for your master too.” Slowly, the two started heading down the ladder again. “I heard he spent the afternoon helping the poor.”

“Yes he did indeed, sir. My master is the kindest. He took us all in too, even if we were… not exactly the best of servants.” Done on the marble floor once more, the two continued to stare up at the portrait. “I wish he could have something other than a portrait of the good times, I do.”

“He has a great Khansama. Actually…” Both servants suddenly cocked their heads to the side, realisation hitting them both. “His Khansama looks a little like…”

“Yes,” a third voice said, “so you’ve noticed it too?”

…

“That was mighty kind of you, sir,” Ronald praised, stuffing his mouth full with leftover stuffing.

“You are meant to eat that with the turkey – Oh why do I bother? You’re going to do whatever you want anyway,” William sighed, rolling his eyes.

He, Grelle and Ronald were perched atop the church roof once more. Down below them, Christmas carols were being sung by a choir, their voices a beautiful background to a Christmas morning sunset. Across the road, the workhouse stirred with laughter, cheers and prays of gratitude. Not only had the children been offered toys that day, but the children had also been given a mysterious feast of Christmas food – prepared, unknowingly to them, by the reapers who had wrongfully predicted their deaths.

Sitting atop foldable beach chairs, the reapers took in the sight of their charity as kids rushed around sharing the food amongst each other; food they otherwise would have never gotten, not even a goose to share between them.

“It wasn’t my idea, Knox,” William corrected. “Though I suppose no one will ever believe it if we said Sutcliff offered up a luxury of hers.”

“Hey,” Grelle commented with offense, “I can be nice sometimes. Besides, you really needed a break from working with the dead.”

“That’s… awfully insightful of you,” William said in surprise. In his hands, he held a plate of food he was enjoying at the end of their shift. His held more turkey than the others. He’d been forced to have more turkey on his as he had made a simple comment that he enjoyed turkey – apparently, hearing William say he ‘enjoyed’ something was seen as a Christmas Miracle, which then urged Ronald and Grelle to fill his plate with turkey.

“I take offense to the fact you sound so surprised.”

“And I am surprised Miss Sutcliff isn’t throwing a tantrum over all these offenses thrown her way,” Ronald teased. “’Tis a Christmas Miracle!”

Ronald’s last words were said in unison with one of the kids rushing outside to throw themselves into the snow, creating a little snow angel out of glee to have new toys and food all within the span of 12 hours.

All three reapers – yes, even William – chuckled at that.

Sometimes, working with the dead meant little appreciation was offered to the living. All they saw was the suffering toward the end, moving past the good they saw in the cinematic records like it was nothing, but always taking note of the bad. The good… was easy to forget, and easy to set aside when in reality that should be what people focused on the most. Successfully eating three meals a day, successfully brushing one’s teeth, seeing a puppy on the street, having access to one’s favourite books, being able to go for a walk, laughing with friends – or, in this case, sharing Christmas dinner on the roof of a church whilst enjoying the merriment of happy children being fed by luxuries no one on Earth had (William was going to get in trouble for this, but for now… he didn’t worry about it).

As shifts ended, other reapers joined them too. It wouldn’t become a tradition, but it was a pleasant way of spending Christmas morning together as a found family in the afterlife.

…

“Yes,” a third voice said, “so you’ve noticed it too?”

The Undertaker had been taking a break from the merriment of nobles. He didn’t mind it so much, really, he was used to accompanying the Phantomhives at holidays. It was just… a lot, and a lot of colour and a lot of jokes that only made half sense to him as a being who knew the intricacies of the universe.

It got tiring to dumb it down sometimes.

Besides… lately… these holidays had been a tad more difficult for him. It used to be that Vincent sat at the head of that table, Rachel by his side and twins running around the table until they were told off by Madam Red. It used to be that the Undertaker sat on one end of the table, next to Vincent, whilst Rachel sat opposite him on the other side of Vincent.

It used to be that Vincent would hold both their hands under the table, offering glittering, appreciative glances to both as they secretly celebrated a shared holiday as a family bigger than the onlookers thought it was.

It used to be…

But it wasn’t no more.

Now, a child pretending to be another child sat at the head of the table, with the Undertaker far away… watching as a demon who had stolen the looks of his beloved tended to the butler duties and whispered in the young lord’s ear. It was suffocating to know more than even demon and master…

But it was also pleasant to be reminded of the old days, in a sad sort of way. And it was pleasant to be reminded of what he was attempting to change… what he was trying to accomplish…

So when he had walked back to the bathroom and heard the maid and prince’s butler talk about Vincent, the Undertaker had stayed in the shadows to listen in. He couldn’t quite help it.

Nor could he help but butt in once they realised a truth he so desperately wanted others to realise too.

Why did the demon choose a father’s face if demons could not care for humans?

“Yes, so you’ve noticed it too?” Mey-Rin and Agni spun around so quickly that the Undertaker simply had to cover his lips with oversized sleeves as he let out a giggle. “The face of a dead father returns in the shape of a black butler, mimicking the human like a raven found at cemeteries, picking at the dead… waiting to pounce…”

“I… sir?” Agni voiced as Mey-Rin was too scared to ask anything at all.

This particular guest was always an enigma to all. He helped the young lord, yet he also… was curious. Scary, sometimes. As if he was an antagonist waiting to show his true colours.

“teeeheee – look at your faces,” the Undertaker giggled. “Did I fool you? Vincent was a great friend of mine. If you want to know anything ever all you have to do is call on me. I aid not just the dead.” The Undertaker was beginning to walk away, when Agni stopped him with his words.

“Sir? Do you think Earl Ciel chose Sebastian as his Khansama because he felt… that the familiar face was comforting?”

The Undertaker dramatically turned around in a slow gesture, tilted his head to the side and offered a tooth revealing grin as he said: “Oh no, I think it was the exact opposite. Those with dark hearts are not meant to become attached, but I think something in the past of our beloved hell of a butler changed the man to want the child to choose him as his most trusted protector. Like a father. I think the man chose the son.” The Undertaker grinned at their confusion. “But then again, I’m just a crazy fool speaking far too many truths. I should return to the feast.”

Indeed… the Undertaker had a feeling that the face was chosen purposefully, so Ciel would feel calm around that which was a demon of hell, meant to scare kids. Whatever past the demon held had meant that the demon understood how a child’s mind works… It knew Ciel needed a father figure to help feel comfortable as he exacted revenge. To keep motivated.

And to feel safe.

…

“I don’t mean to speak ill of the master’s guests but… What a strange man,” Mey-Rin pointed out.

Agni quietly nodded his head, not wanting to speak ill of anyone either. “Let’s return to our work. The feast will be over soon.”

…

“Sebastian?”

The demon paused in the doorway. Room dark from the night. The only light source was the candle held by Sebastian, and the moon shining brightly outside. The child barely saw Sebastian. But the demon saw him as he turned to look.

It had been a long day, and Ciel was exhausted, his breathing even a little ragged from poor health making him even more easily tired.

“Yes, my lord?”

“If Timothy wanted you to be his father, how could you… take his soul?”

The question struck deep within the demon, eyes turning red. Enough about Timmy, already. His master really needed to learn to let go of the past – then again, if Sebastian started teaching Ciel that, his work to get Ciel’s vengeful soul to perfection would fail.

“In truth, my lord, I found ways to extend the contract. I am not proud of it, but I did. It was… a confusing couple of years.” Staying in the doorway, Sebastian only felt comfortable admitting this because of the distance between them, and the fact that Ciel’s question had come out slurred, indicating the boy was half asleep and might not remember this. “And it was not easy to take the child’s soul. Nor will it be this time.”

There was no reply. Sebastian assumed Ciel had gone to sleep and left the bedroom, locking the door behind him.

Left alone in the darkness, Ciel, quietly, pondered those words. The face of his father had spoken those words… It felt… Strange. Oddly comforting.

When Christmas Day ended, Ciel fell asleep with a peaceful smile on his lips…

__

taglist: @eemoo1o-animoo

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Dougie Vipond, Scottish musician and television personality, born 15th October 1966.

Dougie studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, graduating in 1985. He was one of the founding members of Scottish band, Deacon Blue.

Dougie Vipond is also one of the busiest and most versatile broadcasters in the country., hosting shows covering a vast range of events from football’s Scottish Cup Finals to Rugby’s Calcutta Cup.Other sports he’s covered over the years include World Championship Mountain Biking, Three Day Eventing and The Bowls World Championship.

Dougie spent four years reporting for the BBC’s Holiday strand and his love of the outdoors has led to him presenting BBC Scotland’s The Adventure Show, an extreme sport series in which he reports from and takes part in a variety of adventure sports and competitions, most recently he had been working for the Sports network, PremierSports, now called Viaplay.

He became the new presenter of BBC Scotland’s award winning rural affairs series, Landward in April 2009.Vipond has also presented a number of educational films produced by Historic Scotland, such as the film installations at Rothesay Castle and Cardoness Castle. Dougie also presents coverage of the annual Royal Highland Show from Ingliston, Edinburgh.

As for Deacon Blue, 38 years on from their formation, Deacon Blue are still as popular as ever.

And they're currently embarking on what's been described as their biggest tour ever, that will take them all across the globe.

Deacon Blue wrapped up the UK leg if their tour last night at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow.

Next they head to Australia for seven huge shows, followed by performances in New Zealand.

And for the first time in their history, they're off to South Africa in early 2024 with February slots in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The band had been invited during the 80’s and 90's to tour there, but always turned it down due to the apartheid regime.

[providencepeakrp]

PROVIDENCE PEAK’S 80TH ANNUAL  — HOLIDAY MARKET WEEK AND TREE LIGHTING.

Considered the busiest week of the year, most of Providence Peak’s residents spend the entire year waiting for it. A time when sparkling lights are strung up and down the streets of downtown and shop windows are decorated with all kinds of seasonal displays. The skating rink in the middle of the downtown square has been iced over and open for the season, the tree lighting ceremony just on the horizon, and the Hot Cocoa Stop is making it’s rounds through the neighborhoods. It’s holiday market week in Providence Peak and the city has an entire week filled to the brim with events to celebrate the warmth of the season.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

All Week (December 17th - December 24th) - From Saturday to Saturday, the residents of the city can find the holiday market returned to it’s usual downtown location, lining the glowing streets leading up to the large tree in the center of the city. The market will feature a variety of vendors (which can be found here) with the ice skating rink open just beneath the large tree in the center of the market. Hot Cocoa Stop can be found just off of the rink all week and a list of the following daily events can be found at the Town Hall.

Saturday (December 17th) - A rather unsanctioned event and not one associated with the city’s holiday celebrations, Atlas and Molly Williams have decided to take it upon themselves to spread holiday cheer and host an Ugly Sweater Party at the Williams’ house. The party will be bring your own beer and ugliest holiday apparel and if you’re thinking the combination of alcohol, ugly sweaters, and unbridled holiday cheer is bound to be messy, you would be entirely correct. 

Sunday (December 18th) - Join Holy Spirits for a Sunday Mass that’s unlike any you’ve ever attended before. Starting at 8am sharp, stop in for a light brunch spreads of breads and cheeses and holiday-themed cocktails created by the bartenders themselves! After Sunday Mass, gather with the rest of the city at 6pm for the lighting of the tree performed by the head director of True Colors, Miles Cohen!

Monday (December 19th) - Running behind on wrapping those holiday gifts? Never fear. Stop by the Skyline Shopping Center and follow the signs to the wrapping station hosted by Chief-of-Police Jordan Walker where he and a few volunteers will be offering free wrapping in exchange for a donated toy of your choosing! Be sure to take advantage of all of the last minute holiday sales the stores will be running through the week.

Tuesday (December 20th) - If you find yourself craving more of the chilly season, find your way to Spruce Mountain Ski Lodge and Resort in Bighorn Hills for individual or family fun alike. Tickets will be buy one get one free for the duration of the day for all snow activities (skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing) and the resort will be offering a deal on their rooms with the purchase of an activity ticket. If you’re feeling a little too chilly, warm up in their heated outdoor springs or by the large fireplace in the lobby with one of their specialty winter drinks.

Wednesday (December 21st) -  In a time where many are feeling festive, come celebrate the feeling with the holiday market’s Holidays Around the World Showcase where attendees can find displays, food and drink, and crafts for sale centered around the world’s most popular winter holidays. The showcase can be found in a large tent in a central location in the holiday market downtown.

Thursday (December 22nd) - Get out of the cold and find solace in Cinematic’s showings of Home Alone and Die Hard. Be sure to take advantage of their deals on popcorn and drinks with a special offering of eggnog milkshakes and caramel popcorn.

Friday (December 23rd) - Feeling brave? Itching to add some more ink to your collection? Meander over to A Touch of Ink for a flash holiday tattoo sale. Pick one, or several, small tattoos from the artists’ sheets to show your true festive self and in return, all proceeds will be donated to the local food bank just in time for the season.

Saturday (December 24th) -   Never forget about the true meaning of the season; romance. Join The Glass Onion for a truly romantic dinner in an intimate setting with a four course tasting menu and festive drink pairings to boot, giving one last sparkle to the holiday season.

EVENT DETAILS

This event will be kicking off Friday, December 16th at 12pm EST. It will run until Wednesday, December 28th at 12pm EST. No new starters should be posted after this time, but members may take the next few days to wrap up their threads.

Previous threads should be paused or completed by the end of Friday, December 16th.

Activity checks and acceptances will be held as usual.

Temperature is expected to be in the mid 30s, so be sure to bundle up!

Have fun and be sure to relax and enjoy this event! Please tag all event related posts with providence.event and be sure to check the starter blog for open event starters.

[principallajara]

Steel always makes sure to celebrate a variety of cultures, annual days, and the work that our staff does.

This school year, students honored the Lunar New Year with our attendance incentive partners Tzu Chi. Tzu Chi hosts a school store once a month for students to buy items based upon good attendance as well as food drop offs to provide needed items to families that can't afford to get basic food necessities for their homes. We also celebrate Black History Month, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays that our community honors.

World Peace Day was celebrated with the local police district as students chalked up the school yard with their wishes for peace. This year we have collaborated with our local police department on multiple occasions to foster a safe space for our students to interact and build trust with police in spite of the police brutality raging on social media across the country.

We also commemorate staff on annual days like the photo attached that highlights our school nurse Ms. Levitsky. Steel strives to acknowledge staff on every possible occasion. A few times staff has been recognized has been for Counselor Appreciation Week and School Administrator/Secretary Week. Coming up later this month in May, Steel will be showing support for our Climate team by specifically celebrating them for two days.

[onenettvchannel]

CONSUMER HEALTH NEWS: 'BAN Toxics' launches Holiday Ber-months Campaign against Hazardous Toys for the Filipino shopping consumers

MANDALUYONG, MANILA -- Calenderic 'Ber' months are now approaching, particularly with the annual and upcoming yuletide season, the environmental non-government organization 'BAN Toxics' has just initiated an important awareness campaign in the 1st week of September this year in 2024, to protect Filipino children from the hazards of toxic toys. As the year-end holiday seasons are usually associated with gift-giving, the organization released an educational infographic titled "Mag-Ingat sa mga Laruang Toxic! (Beware of Toxic Toys!)" teaching all of its consumers to watch out for toxic chemicals that may be hiding in toys, especially those sold at neighborhood markets and cheap bargain shops.

(ART PHOTO COURTESY: BAN Toxics via PR / A female kid sat toxic toy to be disguised as a playable friend)

The infographic, as presented digitally and in traditional pamphlet-like papers, shows that there is a wide variety of toxic chemicals, including Lead, Phthalates, Cadmium, Bisphenol A (BPA), Chromium, Formaldehyde, Bromine, Chlorinated Paraffins, Mercury and Arsenic. Many of these chemical additives might be used in the manufacturing processes from factories, and could create very serious health risks for our children.

Mr. Thony Dizon, who is a campaign and advocacy officer of 'BAN Toxics', many of those toys lacked proper labeling and safety information, meaning they may not have been tested correctly, or complied with health and safety regulations. All toys sold in the Philippines were supposed to be affixed with safety labeling under the Republic Act #10620, also called the "Toy and Gaming Safety Act of 2013", but many products still manage to slip through.

The toxic nature of such chemicals exposes humans to alarming health implications, as exposures may cause a variety of diseases that may include endocrine disruption, carcinogenicity and neurotoxicity; several of which, may persist throughout childhood and even thereafter in our adulthood life.

Dizon urges lawmakers in the nationals, to prioritize the legislation of the "Safe and Non-Hazardous Children's Products Law", a newly-proposed measure which provides for tighter regulation of the importation, manufacture, distribution, and sale of toys and other children's products containing hazardous chemicals. This forthcoming legislative drive is relevant to ensure safeguards for the kids against substances that could jeopardize their health and well-being.

In addition to the infographic, BAN Toxics plans to distribute thru partner schools and communities through their Toxic and Waste-Free Schools Program (TFSP), which potentially later expanded here in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, including Dumaguete City, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. This is to ensure that there is always an assurance of the safest and cleanest environment in schools, including these examples of 'West City Elementary School' and 'Magsaysay Memorial Elementary School', while also educating children on the risks and giving them a head start on making legitimate and responsible choices about the toys they play with.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Philippines plays a very crucial role in this regard through periodic issuance of advisories on the proper use of toys, including those with mandatory labeling. It has taken charge in conducting research and testing of available toys and childcare articles in the market and is presently drafting an administrative order containing product standards on chemicals to be at par with international guidelines. Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has established the Philippine National Safety Standard (PNSS) for toys, in response to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

'BAN Toxics' is committed to continuous market monitoring and testing of toys, and more activities are planned for the coming months to keep the public informed of any new findings. As the 'Ber' months are just around the corner, it is now high-time for consumers to be more vigilant and informed about the toys they are going to buy, whether in-store or online.

Today, and for the future, the unveiling of "Mag-Ingat sa mga Laruang Toxic!" continually reminds us that even in seemingly innocent gifts, the worm of hazard may be concealing itself. Through awareness and a call for better regulations, 'BAN Toxics' hopes to protect the health of Filipino children and ensure that the joy of giving is not transposed into an act at the expense of their safety. Even when Santa Claus should check first, without secretly adding toxics in toys.

ART PHOTO COURTESY: BAN Toxics via PR BACKGROUND PROVIDED BY: Tegna

-- OneNETnews Online Publication Team