#yuletide 2015

[creations-by-chaosfay]

I have a second border, a batik tonal blue, to add. That will be done tomorrow, and handquilting will also begin tomorrow.

All the black highlights in the prints are sparkly. Crows, cats, candles, pumpkinss and roses. Pink, orange, blue, and white. I have a feeling some goth folks may love this.

This is one of the first quilt patterns I used. It's from the book Simple Style: Easy Weekend Quilts by Sara Diepersloot, and was a gift from my mom back in...2015. I think. It's a great book for beginners!

The most difficult part was arranging thr blocks. It took nearly a dozen arrangements over the course at least an hour, before I was found an arrangement that satisfied.

This will finish at around 44x44 inches. The fabric is from the Totally Twilight collection by Robert Kaufman. I'm using 10 of the prints from said collection.

There are plenty of scraps left, so I'm gonna see about making a pine tree wallhanging using them. That's right, a Halloween themed Yuletide tree. Because I can.

More pics tomorrow! Right now, I'm hungry and dizzy from said hunger.

[oldguardleatherdog]

For Father's Day:

"The One Decent Thing I Ever Did"

This is a monograph from 2015, previously posted here some time ago, a tale of my maternal grandmother, a below-zero winter night, the New York City subway West Side express during post-9/11, that mentions my father only in passing... and it's about my father.

THE ONE DECENT THING I EVER DID.

I.

A long time ago, during a time of struggle, I did one decent thing:

I'd just gotten on the subway in Midtown Manhattan on a brutal winter night, the No. 2 uptown express, when a couple with a small child boarded the car I was riding.

They were having a very loud conversation with their child (about four years old, I think) who was crying or somehow behaving in a way that was "bad". The mother took the belt from her jeans and raised her arm to strike her child with it.

Don’t ask me why I did this, but I rose from my seat, grabbed the mother’s arm mid-swing, and said, “As long as I am on this train, you will not hit that child with that belt.” She and the child’s father were stunned into silence for a moment as I made my way back to my seat.

Immediately after I sat down, the mother and father began leveling all kinds of vitriol my way, calling me every name in the book, including all the variations of “faggot” in use at the time. I just sat there, smiled wide, laughed loud, and shined ‘em on:

“You can call me ‘faggot.’ You can call me anything you like. Because every minute you focus on me, you are not beating that child with that belt.”

The crowded train car fell silent.

II.

Yuletide, 1982. I was in the service in Germany and took leave to see my grandmother in Florida. My grandfather had passed away the previous March, and something told me to seize the chance to see Grandma while she was still with us. I was only 20, born late in life to my parents, and never got to know my grandparents in the way my older brothers did.

We were in my Grandma's airy, air-conditioned Fort Lauderdale kitchen having coffee one morning when the rest of the family had gone out for breakfast. “Would you like a little pick-me-up in your cup, dear?” I laughed. “No thanks, Gramma, it's a little early for me.” The joys of Florida.

I'd had a rough upbringing by any measure - my father was first-gen shanty Irish born in the early 1920's with a mean spirit and a violent edge, mother not Irish but still violent - but at age 20 I hadn't yet realized just how rough it had been.

“You know,” I said to Grandma, “Harold and Evelyn did the best they could. I mean, I turned out all right, right?”

Grandma leaned back in her chair, took a nice drag off one of her unfiltered Camels, and said in her declarative New England way the words that always meant Listen up, you're about to hear gospel truth:

“Well, I'll tell ya, Joe.” I was all ears.

She took another hit off of her cigarette. “I held my tongue. More than once, I held my tongue.

“But one day, your mother and father were in the front yard with your grandfather and me, and I walked up to your father and said, “Harold, I just want to tell you something. It takes a real man to beat a child with a belt.”

...Wow.

I only wish she hadn’t held her tongue!

I sipped my coffee, looked for palmetto bugs on the lanai. “Grandma,” I said, “I'm all right.”

She looked away, and I saw the colors of the rainbow in the prism of her pendant.

III.

What was I doing on the 2 train heading uptown in the bitter blistering freezing cold New York winter?

Heading “home” – that is, to one of the many rundown firetrap SRO hotels paid by the City of New York to house homeless people with HIV. The City's AIDS regulations set the policy: if you showed up at the HIV center at 30th and 8th before 7 PM on a given day, New York City was obliged to find you housing for the same night and for the next 30 days in a row at the very least.

Strange - in those days, New York would house you but not feed you, and San Francisco would feed you but not house you. Come to think of it, that's the way it is these days.

My dank, filthy, crawling with roaches and vermin crack-house "shelter" was way uptown, near 96th and Broadway. (I had always dreamed about making it to Broadway, ha ha.)

96th Street and Broadway stop was next. The train car was still silent as the parents sat sullenly and the child - Jesus, he can't be older than 3 or 4 years old, I thought - was staring at me, no expression on his little face, but eyes wide as saucers.

The train screeched to a stop. I got up and headed to the door, passing the couple with the small child and the loose belt. They were silent and did not regard me as I passed; the child, I think, might have glanced at me, but I’m not sure. I knew that after I got off the train, or after they got off the train, that poor kid was probably going to get beaten. Severely.

Out the door and onto the bone-chilling platform at 96th Street. A young woman who had witnessed the mother wield that belt came up to me and said, “I’m so glad you did that, I wanted to say something, but I was too…” Her voice trailed off as the pained look on her face finished her thought.

“I understand,” I said to her as our eyes met in that New York way of speaking the unspeakable, then made my way up the stairs into the below-zero winter breezes of the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

What the hell, I thought as I made my way out of the station, I had nothing to lose. Those were dark times, desperate days. I'm no angel. But just once, on that long-ago Number 2 train, I was granted the grace to do one decent thing.

Animal J. Smith San Francisco, California July 22, 2015 and June 18, 2023 v2.0

My maternal grandparents, Ed and Ethel (Schirmer) Olson, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, c. 1980

[sitp-recs]

any fic recs where harry falls first??? thanks :p

Sure! Sometimes it’s hard to identify whoever’s falling first because of different POVs, but you might enjoy these:

Play Dates by bixgirl1 (2017, E, 8k)

Harry never thought seeing Malfoy as a dad would affect him this way.

Blind Date by josephine_wenteworth (2016, T, 8.6k)

Draco’s been working with Harry for years when another one of his relationships goes stale. He has to be married within a year, and though the WizNet has burned him in the past, Draco finds a new possibility in man as desperate to marry as he is.

Solve Us Like a Mystery by tryslora (2013, T, 12k)

When Harry stops in at the bookstore where Draco works, they find a surprising shared interest in mysteries.

In Which Harry is Magnetic North and Draco Is An Idiot by bryoneybrynn (2014, T, 13k)

For as long as he can remember, Draco’s been bringing fake dates to his family’s annual Yuletide celebration in order to evade his mother’s matchmaking.

Voices From The Fog by noeon (2010, E, 13k)

After years of running away, Harry crosses paths with an all-too familiar face and follows him to Amsterdam.

Take the Moon by @tackytigerfic (2022, M, 15k)

Harry Potter has always wanted a family of his own, and when a deadly blood curse forces him into a marriage bond with his best friend Draco Malfoy, it looks like he might just have found one.

Magical Menagerie by DorthyAnn (2017, T, 16k)

Convinced by Hermione to get a new pet, Harry goes to Magical Menagerie and finds it's now owned by Draco Malfoy who has changed since the war... in a good way, a really good way.

Take These Lies by @pennygalleon (2021, E, 20k)

There’s a portrait of his godfather in Draco Malfoy’s potions shop and Harry needs to know why. But that’s not why he keeps coming back.

With Great Yawns and Stretchings by sugar_screw (2016, T, 22k)

The coffee is very good. Really. And the cats are so cute. That's why Harry goes so often.

I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor by birdsofshore (2015, E, 28k)

Harry felt lit up from inside as soon as he entered the bar. There were blokes dancing together, their bodies close to one another, not keeping a wary distance as Harry was always careful to do when he was near another man.

The Gentlewizard Club by Sophie_French (2014, E, 28k)

Draco wants what Draco wants. And if he has to snuggle up to Harry to get it, well, surely, Draco can handle that. Problem is, not sure Harry can.

Potential Gravity by zeitgeistic (2014, E, 32k)

Draco is not good at Cards Against Humanity, but Harry’s not good at being human, so it all works out. Except for the explosions. And Harry’s inability to live when Draco’s not around.

The Moon Looks Lovely Tonight by Omi_Ohmy (2014, M, 35k)

When Harry moves into the damp and empty Black house, it doesn’t quite feel like home. And then the first owl moves in. After that, it’s a steep slope leading to bed-sharing, more owls, assorted housemates, strange potions experiments, and terrible cooking. And a bit of waltzing, too.

The Vanishing Department by dictacontrion (2014, E, 47k)

The things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, even if that involves a lot more form-filling, bickering, covert glancing, miscommunication, and flying furniture than we might expect.

Here's The Pencil, Make It Work by ignatiustrout (2013, M, 50k)

Harry thinks "Why is Malfoy working in a coffee shop in muggle London?" is a much simpler question than, "Are you going to accept that auror offer and, if you don't, what will you do?"

Take the Air by dysonrules (2018, M, 51k)

Someone or something is attacking Muggles and leaving them for dead. Auror Harry Potter is assigned to the case, but with his usual partner unavailable, he is stuck with the most annoying Auror ever to walk the halls of the Ministry.

The Trouble with Wanting by waldorph (2021, E, 60k)

Draco Malfoy is cleared of all charges; this is what happens next.

Tea and No Sympathy by who_la_hoop (2014, E, 70k)

It's been nearly a year since the unpleasant business at Hogwarts, and Draco's getting on with his life quite nicely, thank you, until Harry sodding Potter steps in and ruins it all, just like always.

Kept in Cages by sweet_s0rr0w (2022, E, 76k)

Deep in the heart of the Ministry lies the Beast Division: a hidden room where ancient beasts roam, and winged creatures soar, and grumpy giant ferrets eat all your biscuits unless you keep them well hidden. Draco Malfoy would know – he’s been working there for five years now, after all.

Azoth by zeitgeistic (2013, E, 88k)

Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy.

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them (or Draco Malfoy's Guide to Stop Dying and Start Living Instead) by nerakrose (2018, T, 96k)

Malfoy is way too interested in coroner reports for somebody who's definitely not looking for ways to die, Harry wants to be friends with him, and Ginny wants to break up with Harry.

Can't Sit Still by wilteddaisy (2018, E, 193k)

Five years after the war, Harry finds himself drawn to Draco Malfoy by memories that aren't his own.

A Secondary Education by Thunderbird587 (2018, E, 234k)

Fleeing the aftermath of his recent divorce, Draco Malfoy takes up a post as the new Potions Master at Hogwarts. At first he believes his hopes for a fresh start are dashed when he sees that a certain boyhood rival is on staff there as well. But Harry Potter is being weirdly nice to him, leaving Draco no choice but to play along.

[msmargaretmurry]

writing meme

i was tagged by @postoperation AND @bropunzeling AND @vivathewilddog wow ily friends but calm down (❤❤)

Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first fic you ever published there, the last fic you published, any fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship only once, your favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonized over the most, the fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason.

first fic: the oldest timestamped fic on my ao3 is Golden Boys, a quick little pk subban/john tavares fic from 2012. i want to say it's short and sweet but i honestly haven't read it in ten years, so who knows 😂 there are some bandom fics and a tsn rpf fic on there that are older than that one but i imported them from livejournal in like 2015 and didn't backdate them properly, and i don't feel like figuring out which one is actually the oldest, and also don't want to draw attention to them because woof, that is some old old writing of mine.

last fic: this is for keeps, the one-year anniversary timestamp for head above water ❤ i had actually wanted this to be longer/a richer story but i've been struggling a lot with writing this year and so i just ran out of time and decided short and sweet was better than nothing. i am happy with it, though; i think it hit the most important beats i wanted to hit!

any fic written for a fandom/ship only once: homeland, the mighty ducks adam/charlie fic i wrote for yuletide a couple years ago. i feel like i answered an ask about this one recently so sorry to reiterate but if this hadn't been on a deadline it would have been five times as long and five times as angsty, lol. but also if it hadn't been for yuletide i probably wouldn't have written it at all, so it's all a wash i suppose. despite the deadline of it all though i enjoyed writing this one and think there are some really lovely bits of writing in it.

favorite fic in the fandom with the most works: this is one direction, which i wrote exactly one fic for, so i guess it's my favorite by default: the very best of, which i wrote in the complete haze of peak pandemic quarantine and now feels like a total fever dream. but it was fun! i love the bits of fake journalism and fake songwriting i did for it.

a fic you wish more people had read: come and make the hymns of you, which i can't really complain about fewer people reading because it is a fic for a relatively small fandom written twenty years after the thing came out and about a decade after that fandom's fic-writing peak. i'm really proud of it, though! i think it's one of the best things i've written! it was really fun getting to write in a style that i don't usually get to use for present-day rpf stories, and i love the character voice i developed for webster.

the fic you agonized over the most: i agonized a LOT over HAW, but i think that the land between our bodies still wins here. writing that fic was truly like pulling teeth. like i am very glad i finished it for the exchange and also i'm very glad people enjoyed it — tbh people enjoying it is the only reason i have any fondness for it 😅 — but from a personal standpoint i don't know if i'll ever get over how shitty i felt while writing it to properly enjoy it for myself. but maybe i will! i certainly hope so!

fic that sprang fully formed from my mind: The Next Next One, for sure. what a fun and fulfilling writing process that was. i mean, it's a long fic, so there were definitely parts that were a little tougher to get through than others, but overall it was such a smooth creative process. all of the plot pieces just fell into place. huge shoutout to @postoperation and @moregraceful for being my very encouraging captive audience as i word-vomited it into emails until i got the whole story out ❤

a work you are proud of: okay okay yes fine it's head above water ❤❤ i was actually super unsure about it when i posted it, but after taking some time to let it breathe (and to talk with so many of you all about it) i did end up really proud of it, and i've had such a good time continuing to play in that universe 💞

i am tagging (and attempting to tag folks i haven't seen tagged 😂): @irrelevanttous @grittyreadsfic @loveisworry @the-ships-to-rule-them-all @lilcrickee if you want to! no pressure!

[averyqueerchristmas]

I've been putting together this list of Queer Holiday films for a while now and I'm honestly surprised at the amount I have found. Now I haven't seen most of these, a lot of these have Queer side characters and not main characters (I'll be sure to mention which ones are which). I currently have over 40 Holiday films that feature a Queer character, I'll obviously not be watching all of them this year but I'll watch a good bit of them and post my thoughts about the representation and how much said Queer character is actually shown in the movie and whether or not it should be on this list. (Apologies if any of these are wrong, again I haven't seen most of these). I’ll add to this list if I find more. Obviously the ones you don't want to pay for you can probably find *ahem* elsewhere..

Some Of My Best Friends Are... - 1971 (I believe this can be found on Youtube) - Gay, Lesbian (Main).

Home For The Holidays - 1995 (Redbox, Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

What's Cooking - 2000 (Tubi) - Lesbian, Gay (Main).

Holiday Heart - 2000 (Tubi) - Gay (Main).

8 Women - 2002 (DVD) - Lesbian, Bisexual (Main).

Tokyo Godfathers - 2003 (Tubi) - Trans (Main). (There is Transphobia in this but that doesn't put Hana down, she's great. In the Dubbed version she is voiced by a Trans Actress).

Rent - 2005 (HBO Max) - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual (Main).

Imagine Me & You - 2005 (AppleTV, Redbox , you have to pay) - Lesbian, Bisexual (Main).

The Family Stone - 2005 (Starz Subscription, Hulu Premium, Amazon Premium) - Gay (Main).

Regarding Billy - 2005 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

Breakfast With Scot - 2007 (Vudu, SlingTV , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

Make The Yuletide Gay - 2009 (Amazon Premium) - Gay (Main).

Everybody’s Fine - 2009 (PlutoTV) - Bisexual (Main).

Scrooge & Marley - 2012 (Vudu, Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

Red Lodge - 2013 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

Carol - 2015 (Tubi) - Lesbian (Main).

Tangerine - 2015 (Paramount+, Showtime Subscription) - Trans (Main).

Shared Rooms - 2016 (Tubi) - Gay (Main).

Anna And The Apocalypse - 2017 (Tubi) - Sapphic (Main-ish).

We Need A Little Christmas - 2017 (Youtube) - Lesbian (Main).

Lez Bomb - 2018 (Tubi) - Lesbian (Main).

Christmas Around The Corner - 2018 (Vudu, Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Side/Background).

Holiday Help Desk - 2018 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Main).

Season Of Love - 2019 (Tellofilms , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Main).

Let It Snow - 2019 (Netflix) - Lesbian (Main-ish).

Turkey Drop - 2019 (Youtube) - Lesbian (Main-ish).

The Postie - 2019 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Main).

City Of Trees - 2019 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Main).

Moonlit Winter - 2019 (Tubi) - Lesbian (Main).

Twinkle All The Way - 2019 (Amazon Premium) - Gay (Possibly Side but idk).

Ghosting: Spirit Of Christmas - 2019 (Hulu Premium) - Sapphic (Main).

I Hate New Year's - 2020 (Vudu, Amazon , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Main?).

A New York Christmas Wedding - 2020 (Netflix) - Lesbian (Main).

Happiest Season - 2020 (Hulu) - Lesbian, Gay (Main).

Will You Merry Me? -2020 (Lesflicks , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Main).

The Christmas Lottery - 2020 (BET Subscription, Hulu Premium, Amazon Premium) - Lesbian (Main)

Dashing In December - 2020 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

The Christmas House - 2020 (Prime) - Gay (Main).

The Christmas Setup - 2020 (Hulu Premium, Amazon , you have to pay, if you’re in Canada this movie if free on CTV) - Gay (Main).

Friendsgiving - 2020 (Netflix) - Several Queer characters (Main).

Christmas With The Darlings - 2021 (Philo Subscription, FuboTV Subscription) - Lesbian (Side)

Christmas At The Ranch - 2021 (Tubi, Prime, Peacock) - Lesbian (Main).

The Syd Family Xmas Eve Game Night - 2021 (Apologies I don’t know where to find this, they have a website though) - Lesbian (Main).

Silent Night - 2021 (Amazon Premium) - Lesbian (Main-ish).

Christmas ...Again? - 2021 (Disney+) - Gay (Main-ish).

An Unexpected Christmas - 2021 (AppleTV, Amazon, Vudu , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Side).

A Picture Perfect Holiday - 2021 (Lifetime) - Lesbian (Side).

Christmas Is Canceled - 2021 (Amazon Subscription) - Sapphic (Side)

You Make It Feel Like Christmas - 2021 (Peacock Subscription) - Lesbian (Side).

Every time a Bell Rings - 2021 (Amazon Premium) - Lesbian (Main-ish).

Single All The Way - 2021 (Netflix) - Gay (Main).

The Christmas House 2 - 2021 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

Under The Christmas Tree - 2021 (Hulu) - Lesbian (Main).

A Jenkins Family Christmas - 2021 (BET, Hulu Premium, Amazon Premium, you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

The Bitch Who Stole Christmas - 2021 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

The Holiday Sitter - 2022 (Hallmark) - Gay (Main). (Releases Dec.11)

Merry & Gay - 2022 (AppleTV) - Lesbian (Main).

Spoiler Alert - 2022 (In Theaters) - Gay (Main).

Looking For Her - 2022 (Tubi) - Lesbian (Main).

A Christmas To Treasure - 2022 (Lifetime) - Gay (Main).

The Christmas Clapback - 2022 (BET+) - Lesbian (Side-ish).

Something From Tiffany's - 2022 (Prime) - Lesbian (Side).

[lamaisongaga]

LADY GAGA ATTENDS HAUS LABS CHRISTMAS PARTY IN ALEJANDRA ALONSO ROJAS

Lady Gaga turned heads at the recent Haus Labs Christmas party two days ago held in Los Angeles, CA. Check out what she wore right after the jump!

In a dazzling display of Yuletide glamour, Gaga looked was dressed in a mesmerizing ensemble from Alejandra Alonso Rojas' Pre-Fall 2023 collection. The avant-garde pop sensation stepped into the festive soiree donning a head-to-toe blue satin suit in the enchanting shade of "Twilight," setting the night ablaze with her signature flair.

The focal point of Gaga's ensemble was the double-breasted boxy blazer, a sartorial masterpiece that showcased Rojas' penchant for casual luxury. The blazer featured a relaxed silhouette, effortlessly combining sophistication with a touch of nonchalant allure. Priced at €1.407,95, this statement piece was a testament to Gaga's unapologetic approach to fashion, proving once again that she is a true trendsetter.

Complementing the blazer were the matching pilar pants, priced at €936,95, which effortlessly flowed with every step, adding a sense of fluidity to Gaga's ensemble.

A little different basic piece to elevate any outfit is Alo Yoga's Airlift All Nighter asymmetrical black sports bra ($110 - sold out).

Shop:

Alejandra Alonso Rojas Oversized Blazer (€1.407,95)

Alejandra Alonso Rojas Pilar Pants (€936,95)

The multi row diamond collar necklace, she’s been rocking since 2015, is made by French jewelry label Le Vian!

We can also spot her favorite Jackson Hole Jewelry Co. Teton diamond on 14k yellow-gold zig-zag stackable ring.

To finish her festive look, Gaga wore her signature sky-high Flamingo-1020 black vinyl platform boots from Pleaser.

[dangerously-human]

Now that a) 2023 is officially complete and b) Yuletide authorship has been revealed, I can do a little AO3 stats post!

Works (including partial - one that I started in 2020 and finished this year; a couple that I started in 2023 and hope to finish in 2024): 25

Fandoms: 6 (The Bear, Continuum, Endeavour, Fringe, Lockwood & Co, Stargate Atlantis)

Set a record for number of works; tied a record for number of fandoms (not counting cross-medium posting for the same overarching fandom). Total works is up to 84, which is just a massive jump from a couple years ago. Partly I've been writing shorter things again, but also I've just been writing more in general!

One thing about writing for Continuum again that was really fun was realizing that actually, I can go back to old favorites at any time. I did that last year with Fringe and SGA - although I'd never written fic for the latter, that was originally my special interest when it was still airing, nearly 15 years prior - and I think there's a comfort to that which makes it feel like a slightly more bearable grief when a current special interest starts to fade. In fact, of the fandoms I've written multiple works for, I think it's quite likely that I'll eventually write more for most of them (with the exception of Supernatural and probably Covert Affairs, although who knows).

Past years for comparison:

2009: 1

2010: 0

2011: 13

2012: 2

2013: 0

2014: 0

2015: 1

2016: 1

2017: 4

2018: 1

2019: 0

2020: 8

2021: 13

2022: 20

2023: 25

As above, some works are counted double if chapters were published in multiple years.

2009: 1 (My Sister's Keeper)

2010: 0

2011: 6 (Covert Affairs, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Kingdom Hearts, Supernatural, Twilight)

2012: 2 (Sherlock, Avengers)

2013: 0

2014: 0

2015: 1 (Fringe)

2016: 1 (Continuum)

2017: 1 (Continuum)

2018: 1 (Continuum)

2019: 0

2020: 1 (Endeavour)

2021: 3 (Community, Endeavour, Grishaverse)

2022: 6 (Continuum, Endeavour, Farscape, Fringe, Grishaverse, Stargate Atlantis)

2023: 6 (The Bear, Continuum, Endeavour, Fringe, Lockwood & Co, Stargate Atlantis)

(Technically 2011 was the start of my intentional fanfiction writing and posting - which means this blog predates my fanfiction authorship! - but I later found a poem I'd written about My Sister's Keeper and backdated it.)

[barbielore]

Between 2010 and 2015, Mattel released a Gold Label collectors series for Barbie Fan Club members, called the Holiday Hostess collection. And oh yes, it was definitely a limited run - some of the dolls in the series had as few as 3100 released, and the most number of any doll in the series was only 5500.

They fetch a relatively high price on the secondary market, with some listings at well over $1000 - but with the recent buzz on Barbie following the film, the secondary market is looking pretty inflated right now.

I feel like this collection is a bit disappointing in a way, though it took me a little while to put my finger on it. See, this was the first doll in the collection - Holiday Hostess Thanksgiving Feast.

This lives up to the name and the branding in every possible way - it is clear to me that this is a Barbie who is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner. She is done up like the idealised housewife and holding out a turkey tray in a pristine kitchen. There is a touch of whimsy in the food pattern on her dress. The box art too fits the theme, with the pattern resembling a tablecloth.

By contrast, this is Yuletide Yummies Barbie, the Christmas-themed doll from the collection.

Barbie is in a plain green dress with red accents. Instead of a backdrop (perhaps with a tree, a fireplace, or a snow scene?), it is a plain red interior. The exterior of the box is plain gold.

But perhaps this design was to look like a tastefully wrapped gift? Well, let's compare to Cupid Kisses Barbie, the Valentine's addition.

I like the design on her dress a little more, as the red embroidery is visually interesting. However, once again the interior and exterior of the box are both plain colours.

I feel as though Thanksgiving Feast Barbie promised something that the rest of the collection straight up did not deliver on, and I am so disappointed. Just imagine how amazing the rest of the collection could have looked if they had used the same design ideas from Thanksgiving Feast!

[liminal-zone]

DEAR YULETIDE WRITER LETTER 2023

IT’S A YULETIDE LETTER. IT’S YULETIDE 2023, BAYBEEE. LET’S FUCKING GO.

2008. 2009. 2010. 2011. 2012. 2013. 2014. 2015. 2016. 2017. 2018. 2019. 

HIIII. I LOVE YOU. THANK YOU. It’s yuletide; it’s the best time of the year. I’ve been gone for a minute but I’m back, baybeee, back with the matrix fandom amongst others. So let’s fucking go! Thank you thank you and thank you.

Likes (generally): I love kisses and angst and smut and darkfic and tension and hurt/comfort and a good adventure and heroism and sacrifice. I love every flavor of sexuality. I love women in dominant roles (including but not limited to domme). I prefer fics in canon or canon divergence. I enjoy the following kinks: enemies to lovers, sex pollen/fuck or die, Stockholm syndrome, voyeurism, fingering, conditioning. Dubcon and non-con and dead dove is always welcome (pls tag it).

Dislikes (generally): Watersports, scat; omegaverse; mpreg/pregnancy/breeding; submissive female characters; domestic fluff; kid fic and curtains; mundane AUs; super sugar ending; hurt no/comfort or utter hopelessness or despair as the final beat of the story (beloved in the opening or middle of a story!)

It’s Yuletide, baybeee, so if you want to write any of these prompts fully gen: I’m so happy to read it!!

THE PROMPTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Matrix (Movies)

Trinity 

If you could please write me a character study of Trinity; dig deep into the character and show me something vulnerable and new and wonderful about her. 

My favorite things about Trinity: she is powerful, vulnerable, steadfast, competent, anxious, loyal, brave, and a twinge of cunt. She’s my favorite character ever; a touchstone, a rock, an icon. Tell me a story about Trinity. 

If the muse strikes, feel free to ship her with Neo, Ghost, Switch, Bane, or Groff!Smith. 

Very emotional that The Matrix is a YT fandom for perhaps one reprise since ffn.net fics were thrown out re: eligibility. I’m a historied Matrix fandom old; this is bittersweet to be eligible again perhaps one last time. Hi, I love you, Matrix fandom <3

The Wheel of Time (TV)

Lanfear 

If you could please write me a character study of Lanfear; dig deep into the character and show me something vulnerable and new and wonderful about her. 

My favorite things about Lanfear: she is powerful, vulnerable, terrifying, terrible, cruel, full of desire, and that she’s a complete cunt. She makes my heart flutter. Tell me a story about Lanfear. 

If the muse strikes, feel free to ship her with Lews, Rand, Moiraine, Moggy, or Ishamael. I don’t mind book spoilers!

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (TV 2022)

Galadriel | Artanis 

If you could please write me a character study of Galadriel; dig deep into the character and show me something vulnerable and new and wonderful about her. 

My favorite things about Galadriel: she is powerful, vulnerable, terrifying, terrible, kind, and sometimes a bit cunt. She’s the dom femme of my life currently. Tell me a story about Galadriel. 

If the muse strikes, feel free to ship her with Sauron, Gandalf, or Celeborn. 

IDK how TROP was eligible this year, but LFG.

Chronicles of Narnia (Movies)

Edmund Pevensie

Lucy Pevensie

Bless my problematic heart but I really want an Edmund/Lucy fic, like. In that way. Any canon era (I am partial to HHB). 

If that’s too rich for your blood, forgive me, and write me a non ship duet about them. I WILL LOVE ANY FIC WITH THEM CODEPENDENT. 

My favorite things about them together is that they are complementary; he is tainted and a spymaster and Jadis marked him, she is blessed and valiant and Aslan marked her. Tell me a story about Edmund and Lucy Pevensie. 

If the muse strikes, and you need alt ships: throw in Caspian for either, and I have a soft spot for Lucy/Tumnus or Lucy/any woman. Edmund/Jadis is my true love.

A bit emotional that Narnia films are a YT fandom for perhaps one reprise since ffn.net fics were thrown out re: eligibility. LFG.

Willow (TV 2022) 

Elora Danan

Jade Claymore 

Kit Tanthalos

I am desperate to see Jade evolving into Elora’s General Kael; a glorious mirror of her father as a warrior, a leader, and an absolute terror. 

Background (or foreground) Jade/Kit is wonderful, and mixing Elora in there is great if you enjoy that too! My favorite thing about Jade Claymore is that she’s surprise the new General Kael and I’m so obsessed with that concept. 

Dune (2021)

Duncan Idaho 

Paul Atreides

Bless my problematic heart but I really want an Duncan/Paul fic, like. In that way. 

My preference is for the film character dynamic transposed into a book spoiler (so if you know it - that’s my dream; I’d love to see that), and I would also love something messy in current film canon.  

If that’s too rich for your blood, forgive me, and write me a non ship duet about them. I WILL LOVE ANY FIC WITH THEM CODEPENDENT. My favorite things about them together is that Duncan is so loyal (and for what?) and Paul is so needy for that loyalty (and soon, for what?). 

If the muse strikes, and you need alt ships: I also adore me some Duncan/Leto and Paul/Chani. 

//

Xoxoxo love you forever!

[siverwrites]

Yuletide Letter 2023

Ao3: Siver

Thank you so much for taking this on! Here there are some general prompt details if you want them and if you already have some idea of your own, awesome. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

None of my requests require every requested character

Prompts from past letters are up for grabs too where applicable: https://siverwrites.tumblr.com/letters

Treats are welcome!

Requested Fandoms:

Ghost Trick

Final Fantasy VI

King's Quest VI

The Legend of Heroes: Crossbell arc

General Likes:

fluff, hurt/comfort, comfort, mutual care and support

family found or otherwise, bonding, cuddling/hugs/holding, banter, emotional bonding, loyalty, slice of life

sickfic, angst with a happy or at least bittersweet end

supernatural stuff, mystery, adventure, worldbuilding, creepy or unsettling atmospheres

fandom fusions, pre-canon, post-canon, missing scenes, reunited characters

General DNW:

NSFW, non-con, dub-con, incest, underage relationships, unrequested shipping (except those ships listed as liked or background canonical pairings), infidelity

explicit gore

real world modern mundane AUs (eg. coffee shop, college, high-school etc)

terminal illness, permanent-death of requested characters

2nd person pov

–

Ghost Trick

Alma

Cabanela

Jowd

Pigeon Man

Alma/Jowd/Cabanela are the OT3 of my heart but I’m perfectly happy with gen fic for them too with bestest friend Cabanela to Alma/Jowd. I’m also happy to see something focused on only one or two of them–I only ask that if there’s a ship situation between 2/3 it’s simply because that’s where the focus lies. No infidelity.

I’m a big fan of hurt/comfort and the more tenderness on the comfort end the better. However you can’t go wrong with pure fluff either.

I’d be interested in any mix here with Pigeon Man. I’m always a sucker for Pigeon Man and Cabanela during their year working together or any other time like meeting again for the first time in the new timeline! But, Jowd and PM have a history and Alma and PM are a very rare combo I'd love to see more of, or any other combo or subset of these four characters.

I'm a big sucker for Ch. 9 and Ch. 15 always. Anything in there is good stuff.

Big sucker for the year Cabanela and Pigeon Man worked together on Jowd’s case or any point in those five years for just Cabanela.

A case Alma somehow ends up involved in?

Navigating Jowd's whole deal in the early days of having dragged the truth out of him

Jowd knowings things he shouldn't and having to avoid accidentally slipping up but Alma and Cabanela are sharp

Other characters are welcome to make appearances if needed! I love the cast wholeheartedly.

-

Final Fantasy VI

Celes

Edgar

Sabin

I'm quite partial to the World of Ruin explorations as there is a lot of space for character interaction there. Lots to consider in how they're dealing with it and coping and looking for hope and finding each other...

Some general ideas:

Sabin and/or Celes trying to deal with "Gerad" or the aftermath

The trip in Figaro Castle to Kohlingen. It's been saved! Sabin and Edgar are home; Celes not so much but there's some comfort to be found?

Sabin and Celes trip along the Serpent's trench before or after Mobliz, or more during that first visit to Mobliz

Post-game what are they doing? Well, Sabin and Edgar presumably went to Figaro. What about Celes? Maybe they invited her to stay for a bit while she decides what to do with herself?

-

King's Quest VI

Alexander

Cassima

Captain Saladin

Rotten Tomato

Fandom Specific DNW: King's Quest 2015

I played KQ VI for the first time early this year and was completely charmed by it. While I'd like the focus to be on KQVI things I'm good with pulling in details from the other games in the original series too. Just nothing specific to the 2015 reboot please as I've never played or seen it.

I found Alexander quite endearing. I was really interested in Cassima and while she's stuck in the damsel in distress role she felt less like one--she was ready to take action and just needed that opportunity, and was so protective and dedicated to her home.

Saladin could be interesting from a conflicted loyalty to the crown perspective. It's tough being a guard dog!

Rotten Tomato... sometimes you just gotta have fun. He was an entertaining grump nyehh.

Some general ideas:

Even with the genie's help, I'm sure there are still things to take care of after the mess Alhazred left. Or go with the worse ending and Alexander and Cassima having to deal with the fall-out of that.

Exploration of Cassima before Alexander arrives? She's pretty trapped but bound to be something there... Does she managed to communicate anything with Saladin? Does Alhazred just keep wrecking things?

Alexander and Cassima having an adventure after the end possibly tying into that first point but with the land of the green isles anything could go! Maybe they come across Rotten Tomato again and need his help with something.

Cassima doings and thoughts while Alexander is doing his thing in game

-

Crossbell

Alex Dudley

Elie MacDowell

KeA

Lloyd Bannings

Randy Orlando

Sergei Lou

Tio Plato

Zeit

Fandom Specific DNW: Spoilers for Reverie or Daybreak, shipping between any of the characters listed here - gen only, please!

I love the found family feels among the SSS, Dudley yanked in too. Any combination of characters is welcome here.

Tio and Randy sibling like relationship and some shared similarities in childhood trauma

Sergei and Dudley working together in the past or present or just a little break. Totally not getting attached to the SSS

KeA winning over Dudley because none can resist her

Anything relating to KeA's powers. Explore them!

SSS family time

[maroonghoul]

Ranking of all the Christmas Horror Movies I’ve seen (as of 2022)

From worst to best (subjectively):

26: Alien Raiders (2008): There are Christmas decorations you see early on in the grocery store setting, so it counts. Just kind of a hostage thriller, that turned out to be sorta The Thing. Liked the twist ending a bit ,though.

25: Anna & the Apocalypse: I wish I can remember this more, especially the songs.

24: Better Watch Out: Way too effective in making you HATE the villain. Though in hindsight, they got off too easy.

23: Good Tidings: I went in thinking this would be more like a yuletide rip off of the Purge movies. But, we once again get those escaped lunatic tropes I’m not too fond of. It didn’t help that there were way too many points where they blew a chance to off one of these psycho killer Santas. I know that’s one of the themes they were going for. But you couldn’t done more to incapacitate one of them.

22: The Wolf of Snow Hollow: The werewolf reveal is a bit of a letdown, but between those scenes, I was morbidly enjoying our disaster of a human being we had in our protagonist. He really couldn’t do anything right.

21: Jack Frost (1997): Mostly enjoyable goofy slasher movie. But it loses on two points; It’s most famous scene has aged horribly, and the climax takes forever to finish him off. 

20: Slay Belles: This might’ve been the cheapest one of the whole bunch; it looked it. You can tell most of the money went to the Krampus suit, though that’s probably the right call. Plot doesn’t even make whole lot of sense, but after a while, you just don’t care.

19: All the Creatures were Stirring: Pretty out there anthology. I’m pretty sure each segment is meant to be a Horror-Comedy. I got a special kick out of one having a certain famous Christmas character being a killer (I won’t spoil)

18: Sint: More like a killer St. Nicholas movie. Probably the most threatening of these considering he has an army he can besieged a whole city with. Not crazy about anyone dressing up as Black Pete, but at least they get offed.

17: The Lodge: “F around and find out”

16: Black Christmas (2019): This one feels like it has even less to do with Christmas then the original (Yes, that’s part of my criteria). What was subtext before is text here, for better or for worse. Not a bad idea, though maybe we could’ve had more fun in making these villains more pathetic. 

15: Body (2015): If this isn’t a example of when to drop a toxic friend, I don’t know what is. It’s low because Christmas is only used to explain why the house is deserted.

14: Dead End: The most surreal family breakdown of all time

13: Silent Night (2012): Never saw the 1984 original. I know, how dare I?. Effective enough yule-themed slasher, I suppose.

12: Wind Chill: Kind of a Hitchcockian set up ambushed by a good old fashioned ghost story. Considering the holiday’s history, it’s sad there’s not more supernatural Christmas horror films like this these days. Bonus points for using carols as a plot point. I didn’t think they would keep tying it in once the characters were stuck. Also, another ACAB movie. Always good.

11: Christmas Bloody Christmas: first half is a realistic hang out between two friends. second half is the Terminator: Yuletide edition. Good kills, but it could’ve been even more messed up.

10: Santa’s Slay: Remember when they tried to make wrestlers into Slasher villains for a while? Kinda dull plot, but Bill Goldberg is at least fun and the kills are fun.

9: The Children: Little kids really can be the worst.

8: Rare Exports: Not my favorite killer Santa movie, but easily the most well-thought out.

7: A Christmas Horror Story: The stories are hit and miss, especially the endings. But yeah, the North Pole one is the best.

6: Deadly Games: While the premise is bonkers as presented, it also makes me a bit sad. This psychotic homeless man just wanted someone to play with if you think about it, but he’s clearly disturbed so people just keep passing him off until this happens. And that poor kid! Not only did he lose his dog, but he thinks he ruined Christmas at the end because he had to kill Santa! Though I think it proves my point where killer Santas are at their best either terrorizing kids or being helped by them.

5: Christmas Evil: The American Psycho of killer Santa movies. An early take that to the over-commercialization of Christmas and actually keeps the killer somewhat sympathetic even after he snaps and becomes homicidal. Side note, my theory on the ending is that he actually died.

4: Krampus: Christmas Vacation invaded by Gremlins! The amount of effort put in by this movie has spoiled me for all Christmas horror that has come after it. Michael Dougherty’s films need time to sink in for me. It didn’t help with the confusing ending. But even if it’s not the best Christmas Horror film, based on it’s look, themes, variety of killers, and Dickensian story beats, it might be the most Christmassy.

3: Scrooged: This counts just for A Christmas Carol in general, but I mention this one just on being the most effectively scary, even if I don’t buy Bill Murray as a changed man at the end quite. While it’s an old enough story to make fun of and pick apart, an effective enough modern update can remind us that it’s, at it’s heart, not just a ghost story, but a character breakdown and a psychological horror. Did I truly befriend or look up to people who would steer me wrong? Just because I do believed in the cynicism I am championing and subjecting to other people, is that not enough to make me righteous?  Who am I really to the people in my life when I’m not in the room? And ultimately, If I don’t care, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s the essential Christmas story, because it’s about a simple thing; As long as you can act, it’s never too late. So before it looks like things are about to get worst: muster up a little courage, be willing to unlearn toxic habits, reach out to those you depend on, and of course, put a little love in your heart.

2: Black Christmas (1974); One of the original true Slasher movies. And still one of the creepiest. Also, definitely the kind of movie that were it released today would be called “woke”. (pro-abortion, male entitlement being a theme, etc.)

1: Gremlins: A stereotypical picturesque Christmas Movie setting invaded by the monstrous embodiment of the OG Winter Solstice holiday, Saturnalia (look it up). Works as a metaphor of the toll uncontrolled tourism can have on certain places, especially during the holidays. Plus, who doesn’t think Gizmo is cute? 

That’s all the ones I can remember so hopefully that’s all of them. If I forgot one or I see a new one, I’ll do a follow-up saying where it would land on here. I might make a more in-depth post about my feelings for Christmas next week.

[applejuicebegood]

Christmas Time is Afoot

To all who celebrate Christmas, sometimes the music and movies are not enough, sometimes we must turn elsewhere to find that festive feeling. I hope to god I am not the only one who feels like this because I have created a list of the best Christmas themed youtube videos to watch around the holidays. I hope that anyone who see’s this has a comforting, happy Christmas and if you don’t celebrate Christmas and see this please take care of yourself and have a lovely winter break.  GINGERBREAD HOUSE BUILDING CHALLENGE - Markiplier  3 Scary Games #37 3 Scary CHRISTMAS Games Nothing really needs to be said, mark is the best human. 

SHAYTARDS CHRiSTMAS SPECiAL 2014! SHAYTARDS CHRiSTMAS SPECiAL 2015! The Shaytards hold a very special place in my heart. Their Christmas vlogs were always so genuine and comforting to watch as a kid. 

Yuletide Gift Shopping in Harbington (ASMR)

ASMR Holiday Trinkets Show & Tell ASMR Christmas Eve Party

ASMR Christmas Decorations (ft. Acrylic Nails) ASMR Celebrity Personal Assistant: Winter Evening

ASMR Christmas Party Gossip 

ASMR Ornaments Show & Tell

ASMR Christmas Eve Tucking You In This girl, Erin, she is the queen of comfort asmr. I have been watching her for forever and she always delivers the best content every holiday. This isn’t even all of her holiday themed vids. If you like asmr and need someone new to listen to, PLEAse please please check Erin out. 

Cozy Christmas Coffee Shop Ambience with Smooth Jazz Christmas Music, Crackling Fire, & Cafe Sounds

Christmas Music From Another Room - Relaxing Christmas Ambience with Muffled Christmas Music

Home Alone Christmas Party Ambience | Christmas Music From Another Room A Christmas Coffee Shop Ambience with Relaxing Christmas Jazz Music, Crackling Fire, and Cafe Sounds These are amazing too have on in the background while you are working, wrapping gifts, writing letters, or falling asleep on Christmas Eve (from personal experience, 10/10 would recommend).  

If you have your own youtube vids that help you find comfort during the holidays, please please share! I hope that maybe this was helpful to some people in helping find that Christmas spirit. 

Have a wonderful holiday everyone :)) 

[brookston]

Holidays 12.16

Holidays

Barbie and Barney Backlash Day

Beethoven Day

Boston Tea Party Day

Day of Reconciliation (f.k.a. Day of the Vow; South African Afrikaners)

Los Posadas begins (a.k.a. Posadas Navidenas; Mexico, Latin America)

Man Will Never Fly Memorial Society Day

National Sports Day (Thailand)

One Day At A Time Day

O Sapientia (Anglicanism)

Peter Rabbit Day

Pokemon Incident Day

Posadas Navidenas begins (Mexico)

Reconciliation Day (South Africa)

Simbang Gabi begins (Philippines)

Sophia (a.k.a. Sapinetia; Celtic Goddess of Wisdom)

Stupid Toy Day

Three-Tier System Day

Victory Day (a.k.a. Bijoy Dibosh; Bangladesh)

Victory Day (a.k.a. Vijay Diwas; India)

Wan Kila Haeng Chat (National Sports Day; Thailand)

Yuletide Lad #5 arrives (Pottasleikir or Pot-Licker; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Eat What You Want Day

National Chocolate Covered Anything Day

St. Klippenstein's Day (Allagash) [Varies]

3rd Friday in December

National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day [3rd Friday]

Underdog Day [3rd Friday]

Independence Days

Bahrain (from UK, 1971; cerebration day only)

Kazakhstan (from USSR, 1991)

Feast Days

Ado, Archbishop of Vienne (Christian; Saint)

Adelaide of Italy (Christian; Saint)

Alice, Empress of Germany (Christian; Saint)

Beethoven Day (Pastafarian)

Crispin Glover Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Festival of Sapientia (Ancient Roman personification of wisdom & knowledge)

Festival of the Little Heat (Celebrating Bes, Ancient Egyptian Protector of the Home)

Haggai (Christian; Saint)

Martin the Turkey (Muppetism)

Newton (Positivist; Saint)

Philip K. Dick Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Ralph Adams Cram, Richard Upjohn and John La Farge (Episcopal Church USA)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [68 of 71]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [31 of 32]

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

Premieres

Avatar: The Way of Water (Film; 2022)

Battle of the Bulge (Film; 1965)

Hello, Dolly! (Film; 1969)

Hey Joe, by Jimi Hendrix (Song; 1966)

La La Land (Film; 2016)

The Magicians 9TV Series; 2015)

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Film; 2011)

The OA (TV Series; 2016)

Playtime (Jacques Tati French Film’ 1967)

The Producers (Musical Film; 2005)

Rain Man (Film; 1988)

Rogue One (Film; 2016)

Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "New World Symphony," by Antonín Dvořák (Symphony; 1893)

The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Children’s Book; 1901)

200 Motels, by Frank Zappa (Music Film; 1971)

Unplugged, by Nirvana, airs on MTV (TV Concert; 1993)

Today’s Name Days

Adelheid, Elke, Heidi (Austria)

Adela, Hagaj, Sebastijan (Croatia)

Albína (Czech Republic)

Lazarus (Denmark)

Aade, Aale, Adeele, Adelheid, Aliide, Ethel, Haide, Liide, Teele (Estonia)

Aada, Adele, Auli, Aulikki (Finland)

Alice (France)

Adelheid, Elke, Heidi (Germany)

Modestos, Theofano (Greece)

Aletta, Etelka (Hungary)

Albina (Italy)

Alvīne (Latvia)

Albina, Alina, Audronė, Vygaudas (Lithuania)

Oddbjørg, Oddbjørn (Norway)

Adelajda, Ado, Albina, Alina, Ananiasz, Bean, Zdzisława (Poland)

Agheu (Romania)

Albína (Slovakia)

Adela, Adelaida (Spain)

Assar (Sweden)

Addie, Addy, Adela, Adelaide, Adele, Adeline, Adella, Adelle, Alena, Alina, Aline, Della (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 350 of 2022; 15 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 50 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 11 (Dōngyuè), Day 23 (GUI-Mao)

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

Hebrew: 22 Kislev 5783

Islamic: 22 Jumada I 1444

J Cal: 20 Zima; Sixday [20 of 30]

Julian: 3 December 2022

Moon: 50%: 3rd Quarter

Positivist: 14 Bichat (12th Month) [Newton]

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

Season: Autumn (Day 85 of 90)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 24 of 30)

[clarktooncrossing]

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT IS I, SANTA CLARK! Chestnuts are roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost is nipping at your nose. Mom and dad can hardly wait for school to start again. All the dogs in the neighborhood somehow learned to bark Jingle Bells in sync. Yet retail workers are still more annoyed with Mariah Carey. Snow is getting shoveled, tossed, and formed into sentient beings leading parades without permits. It makes for an excellent distraction as the Krampus abducts children for bad behavior. Fruitcake is exchanged only to find its permanent home in the garbage. Terrorists have hijacked the Holiday office party right before your boss can give you a Jelly of the Month Club membership as your bonus. And of course, the Turducken has returned to wreak its fiery vengeance upon an unsuspecting world! If all this doesn’t put you in the Christmas spirit, perhaps this festive slice of cheer from the Clarktoons will!

Let's make like The Ghost of Christmas Past and rewind back to 2014. Folks were suffering from Frozen Fever, both as a result of the movie and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. That year also saw Jimmy Fallon take over The Tonight Show after Leno stepped away for real this time, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 swung low while the Guardians of the Galaxy aimed high, people still cared about Kanye and Kim's relationship as if either people are worth your attention, Bill Cosby was outed as the horrible monster that he is, and most importantly of all, I initiated the 12 Days of Christmas event. Yes, clearly that's as major a moment as those other things I mentioned. Starting December 14th I would post a new pic or comic everyday leading up 'til Christmas. Our first year saw the Pizza Bites writing their oddball letters to Santa (with help from Mr-Herp-Derp), Crocie visualizing his perfect yuletide, and even a full length action comic starring me as a seasonal superhero. And in case anybody asks: no, the Holiday Knight isn't coming back. Sadly, neither will the 12 Days at this rate. Despite my continued best efforts, this festive event hasn't been able to return ever since 2020. Blame that on the last four months of every year becoming an increasingly busy time for. Should the choice arise, I will always pick spending the season with my family over drawing. Weird to hear, I know. Still, that's not to say I haven't been hard at work. You can tell I have considering this giant page of sketches I found lingering in Clarktoon Christmas limbo. Thus we have Dumpster DUDELZ: Regifted Edition! Let's take a peak to what's waiting under the tree?

[1] KARL THE KRAMPUS People credit that crummy 2015 horror movie for introducing Krampus into the popular culture. To that I say; you're all wrong! Clearly I did that a year earlier with my own character, Karl. Being a Clarktoon take on a German folk monster, naturally he became a big, bumbling goofball envisioned to have the voice of Richard Kind. It also meant he encountered Croc's Swamp Gang the most, Xena and Bumper especially. After years of the two (or at least Xena) tormenting the fluffy demon, it was time for a facelift. Honestly this design is a drastic upgrade over the original, making Karl more monstrous while not losing his approachability. Cuz only in the Clarktooniverse will you meet a cuddly monster who drags naughty children of to hell. XD

[2] NUTCRACKER: REB00TED CAST Nutcracker freak'n sucks! I have made my opinions regarding this boring ballet no secret over the years. For crying out loud, I compared going to see it to the Five Stages of Death. Nothing against anybody who does enjoy it, just don't count me among your masses. Getting me to like adaptations lacking Mickey and Minnie is a challenge. Then again, I enjoy a good challenge. While contemplating what I would do with the story one year, an ad for Matrix: Resurrections dropped onto YouTube. After seeing it I thought: what if the world of Nutcracker was set within the Matrix? Hence we have Nutracker: REB00TED! I plan to diverge more plot details later, but for now you can at least meet our cast. Starting from left to right we have Prince Leon, the Nutcracker Prince who's grasp on reality is slipping. Helping to guide him is the Count Drosselmyer, turned into Love-A-Lot Larry Beary. Don't let his cuddly facade fool you, he will whoop yo' @$$! Alongside his niece Clara, the badass ballerina determined to rescue her beloved and free the kingdom from the evil Rat King! What does the king look like? Good things come to those who wait...

[3] ROSIE MEETS THE HOGFATHER Any excuse to draw Rosie Stardust is an awesome one! Even if the sketch is last minute like this one. During the Holiday season last year this random little idea sprung into mind of Rosie exploring Christmas contemporaries across the multiverse. This would include Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, Hearth's Warming Eve, Life Day, and of course Hogswatch. Anyone familiar to the works of Terry Pratchett will recognize the name. Just like those esteemed few will also recognize the mini-Claus counterpart the Cosmic Cutie's encountered. It's not the Hogfather she was expecting, but she will gladly take it!

[4] WILBUR'S PLASTIC TREE You'd think a collection of coupons would be the easiest to complete. Just like you'd think the monkeys would stop flying out of my butt at some point. Nope, that ain't happening. Blame it on my nitpicky attention to details, otherwise Wilbur's White Elephants coupons are already a third of the way done. In fact, the sketch here is already fully colored just waiting to be posted. Being the cheap sonuv'a bush he is, Wilbur naturally won't go for a natural Christmas tree, instead opting for plastic. No, the other kind of plastic. The kind that'll guarantee some poor tree manufacturer in Hoboken will get an angry phone call from an irate store manager. And in case you're wondering what he sounds like, my ideal voice actor is Daran Norris doing his Jameson voice from Spectacular Spider-Man!

[5-7] REDESIGNS FOR RANDOLF, CUPID, AND ZED My, here's a jolly trio that haven't been seen in a good while. Probably because I keep wanting to give them better designs! This is an itch I can't ever seem to scratch! Since I've listed all three of them together, let's go over each character:

RANDOLF: The cocky but caring step-brother of a certain red-nosed reindeer, Randolf hosts the famous North Pole 1 radio show alongside his bear buddy Zed whenever not hosting the even more famous Reindeer Games. Out of all the characters, Randolf is the one who's design if the toughest to crack. I want him to look young, but not super young. Think early to mid 30s if you will. It'd probably help if I could pin down a potential voice for him. Sam Rockwell is the top contender in my mind.

CUPID: Following some messy drama between princessofDisney27 of Disney and I, the original version of Cupid was thrown out and reworked from the top down. With an extreme hairstyle I 'borrowed' from MLP and an athlete's need for speed, Cupid lives up to her namesake who first pulled Santa's sleigh years ago. No idea on who would voice her if I could afford it.

ZED: Raised by gay penguins on a diet of Polar Cola and smooth jazz, Zed is a laid back bear with a beach comber's attitude.  So long as wherever he is has a heater and is populated by his buddies, Zed will go with wherever the flow will take him. His design is the easiest, being a polar bear in a Hawaiian shirt. One of these days I wanna draw him with his two penguin papas too, but for now we at least have the bear. Again, not sure who I'd have voice him.

[8] BUMPER'S A STAR! A sad truth about my Christmas tree is that I can never put a star on top of it. Everything we've tried is too top heavy. For the longest time I meant to make one featuring everybody's favorite floating marshmallow, finally following through on this desire this year. I made a shape template in Illustrator, drew the front and back of Bumper around it, colored it all in Illustrator, printed both sides out and glued them together. I would've just printed both sides on one sheet of paper, but printers are evil devices meant to torture mankind as a whole. I hate them! But I love this tree topper! ^^

[9] PANICKED TURKEY It's a shame Panicked Turkey didn't get to come out of hibernation this year. Especially when I had some good ideas for tips involving Canon Events, certain cartoon rodents, time traveling, dragons, and Rosie. Chances are I'll be able to use these ideas again in the future, but for now I just wanted to post something with the cowardly bird. So here's the sketch detailing his redesign from last year. Like Karl, this is another change I really like, PT feeling more expressive than he previously was. Hopefully we'll get to see this design in action again next year!

[10] I'll Have a BOO Christmas Without You ...I'm not even sorry! XD

[11] ALIENS OF THE ROCKAPOCALYPSE! Hey look, more characters you haven't seen in forever! This is Phil, the Clarktooniverse's resident one-eyed rockstar from outer space. Back in the day I used to do mock album covers for Christmas, Phil's girlfriend Yezzi standing in for Mariah Carey on one particularly great one that still holds up. Sadly there's only so many iconic Holiday CD covers you can do that aren't just the same generic 'things coming out of a box' design. Heck, it's why the last one of these I did was based on a Manowar album. That following year would've seen an all-new, totally original creation depicting Phil and Yezzi rocking around a dried out Christmas tree in a Nuclear Winter Wonderland. Sadly the full sketch was never realized, save for Phil's rocker gear here. Worse still, these characters have been retired until I can iron out the finer details of their story. Once I do, expect the ultimate comeback tour from the Aliens of the Rock! Just in time for the yuletide / end of the world!

[12] PANICKED WHO? What turkey? I don't see any turkey. All I see is this friendly induvial with a mustache! One who was just drawn randomly with no other intent behind it. Totally. XD

[13] KREEPY KRAMPUS Once upon a time I was able to complete entire comic storylines before Christmas. That couldn't be said for this one comic where Bumper and Xena both try to buy each other Christmas gifts, each of them going after different notable Christmas creatures to pay for them. Bumper would've gone after the wild Nog while Xena would've picked a more frightful foe: the Krampus! This image of the German monster is what she'd find while searching for information online, my intent to be truer to the original folklore than my usual interpretation. It would've made Karl's inevitable appearance that much funnier. Part of me still wants to see this comic fully realized someday. Until then; let this haunt your nightmares!

[14] ANGELICIA, THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON Remember earlier when I mentioned a comic centered around me as a Holiday hero? The one I will never bring back? Part of that idea involved a literal spirit of the season named Angelicia, an adopted sister of sorts to Finjix's own character Aklamos. Both of us have tweaked and upgraded her overall appearance over the years, this being her last for an intended Sketch BOOM that was scrapped. I really should use this character again, the question is for what?

[15] A TURKEY DINNER TO GO! Like I said, there was once a Holiday Sketch BOOM that was never completed. This Panicked Turkey sketch is one of the few things to survive from it. Ignoring how this design was pre-2022 makeover, I still think this silly little pic is hilarious! Next Thanksgiving I'll make sure to remake this in full color!

[16] THE NOG Along with Karl, the Nog has become a seasonal staple of the Clarktooniverse. For years mankind has wondered where the eggs for Eggnog have come from. Some silly saps think they come out of chickens, but we all know that's a lie! Obviously the eggs come courtesy of the wild, North American Nog! These rambunctious creatures hail in the colder climates, sticking primarily to the North States where they graze on wild berries, tree bark, and rare flowers. Whenever it's not foraging for food it's fending off wild predators, displaying its tusks for potential mates, running for Congress, or raising their young. That is, the young that actually get to hatch. Good luck drinking that next ice-cold cup knowing the Nog is 100% real and you're feasting on what could've been one of its young you sick monster!

[17-18] TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLE DOVES Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Doves! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Doves! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Doves! Heroes for the Holidays! BIRDY POWER! Back in 2019 I made a silly little parody of the Ninja Turtles based on the beloved Christmas carol "The 12 Days of Christmas". Was it an extremally obvious joke to make? Yes. Does my earlier pun prove I will stoop to such lows? Heck yes! Thus these two goofy characters were born and eventually given the names Currier and Ives by AnimatedTigerGirl. Currier is the one with the bo staff on the left. At home he's a easy-going party animal, but in the field he's a dedicated leader fighting to keep his family safe. Next to him is the nunchuck-wielding Ives, a hot-tempered brainiac with a big heart. Together the two must save their mother, face the 10 Evils of Christmas, and help out their new human friend Ash.

Standing in for their April O'Neal is Ash, one of their few human friends who helps her fine-feathered friends move about New York. Since this story is set during the 90s, she's naturally a skate-boarding tomboy ready to prove to her dad that she's more capable than given credit for. That chance comes suddenly when her father is abducted by the Partridge Crime Family and their ten specifically themed assassins. Now Ash must rescue her dad alongside these two magically enhanced bird-themed ninjas. Y'know, that old chestnut!

[19] SHORT-E AND SHER-I Dang, it's been a while since these two were seen either. I'm sensing a pattern here. At leas these designs have held up the best. Heck, they look especially good in their winter ensemble. SHORT-E wears basic gloves and a jamaica while SHER-I went shopping with EMIL-E to get fancier gloves and a beret! SLAY, QUEEN!

[20] SNOW CONIE MEETS THE NOG Yes, another refuge from the scrapped Sketch BOOM. This one featuring the unofficial mascot of the Sketch BOOMs, the Snow Conies! Or at least one, facing down the angry snout of a mother Nog. I envision these creatures having the temperament of wild hogs, much to the misfortune of this innocent sentient dessert!

[21] SIR PANICKED TURKEY, THE CANADIAN! Along with redesigning this cowardly bird, I also made a special bonus Panicked Turkey tip for Canadian Thanksgiving. It was very last second, going through a few iterations before settling on the final idea. Before then the plan was to either have PT surrounded by angry canucks with guns in a style similar to the John Wick posters or the giant chicken disguising himself as a Mounty, not yet realizing he'll find no peace in the Great White North. Ultimately both were dropped in favor or one menacing Mounty looming over the frightened fowl, which I thought wouldn't work until I saw the final product. Funny how that works, innit? Still, what about the entre in shining armor? That has to do with an idea I mentioned earlier, but I dare not spoil the surprise further than that. Like I mentioned, said idea can be reused for next year. So when Turkey Day rears its ugly head, Sir Turkey turned tail and fled!

[22] UGLY SWEATERS, TROPICAL WEATHER Yet again another idea I hope to bring back, though slightly modified. Originally the plan was to make Ugly Sweater pin-ups for the couples (or friends) of 3K with my friends Finjix and @burningthrucelluloid. This one was the only one sketched before Alec lost his Adobe art programs that would've allowed him to help in this project. Even then, my nitpicky attention to details got the better of me again and too much time was wasted attempting to draw the other pics. All we got out of this failed collaboration were Nerva and her buddy Weed Eater in their Hawaiian-style sweaters, the latter not happy about his situation. He was even depicted eating the sweater and partridge at one point. Who would've guessed the living Christmas tree would be a humbug?

[23-24] CROCZILLA VS TURDUCKEN When I released by Terror of the Turducken posters back in 2020, peeps said they would totally pay to see that movie. Hopefully the same can be said for its sequel, an epic clash between the titular Turducken and the colossal Croczilla! Why are they fighting? Who cares, it's two giant monsters beating the stuffing out'a each other! No doubt the posted to go with this creature feature would've been a legendary one! At least had it not been for my nitpicky attention to details. Plenty of poster designs were drawn up, including this one that was inspired by the then-current Godzillva vs Kong posters. Perhaps I can recycle this idea next year when the sequel comes out and the two fight another giant monkey. Until then, feel free to place your bets on which of these festive Kaijus come out on top!

And if you're rooting for the Turducken, enjoy this redesign of the character where each of its heads feel more distinct. Hey, if nothing else it's cooler to look at than another freak'n ape.

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 12.24

Holidays

Adam and Eve Day (Hungary)

Barahimizong (Sikkim, India)

Calendas (Mexico)

Chil’a (Elder Scrolls)

Christmas Eve (a.k.a. ... 

Aðfangadagskvöld (Iceland)

Apollo 8 Dark Side of the Moon Day

Bonfires on the Levee (Louisiana)

Declaration of Christmas Peace (Turku, Finland)

Drunken Synod's annual beer bash feast

Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italy)

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols (Cambridge, England)

Fishmas [Also 1st Day of Trout Season]

Julaften (Norway)

Julafton (Sweden)

Juleaften (Denmark)

Last-Minute Shopper’s Day

Mistletoe Time

Nittel Nacht (Judaism)

Noche Buena (Spain, Latin America)

Quviasukvik (Inuit New Year; Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia)

Remember to Read the Instructions First Night

Silent Night Holy Night (Austria)

Tolling the Devil’s Knell (West Yorkshire, England)

T’owd ‘oss (North Yorkshire, England)

Weihnachten (Austria)

Wigilia (Poland)

Zerowork Season begins

Day of Military Honour — Siege of Ismail (Russia)

Die Hard Day

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci Day (DC)

Earthrise Day

Heiligabend (Germany)

Helvetica Day

Jólabókaflóðið (Christmas Book Flood; Iceland)

Mōdraniht (Night of the Mothers; Anglo-Saxon Paganism)

Modresnach (German, Scandinavian)

National Consumers Right Day (India)

National Roof-Over-Your-Head Day

Phonograph Patent Day

Sakewa (Sikkim, India)

Santuranticuy (Peru)

Sulphur Day (French Republic)

Utter Day

Yap Constitution Day (Micronesia)

Yuletide Lad #13 arrives (a.k.a. Kertasníkir or Candle-Stealer; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Chocolate Day

National Egg Nog Day

4th Sunday in December

Bluegrass Brunch [4th Sunday]

4th Sunday in Advent [1st Sunday before Xmas] (a.k.a. ... 

Advent Sunday

Peace Sunday

Pyrmera (Southern Solstice; Aretéanism) [4th Sunday] (Fire)

Stories for Invisible Friends [4th Sunday]

Independence Days

Libya (from Italy, 1951)

Ohio Republic (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Adam and Eve (Christian; Saint)

Adela and Irmina (Christian; Saint)

Ad Reinhardt (Artology)

Badnja Vece (ceremony where oak branches are blessed with barley)

Dauntless Dragon (Muppetism)

Egg Nog Day (Pastafarian)

Harvey (Positivist; Saint)

Joseph Cornell (Artology)

Kolada begins (Asatru/Pagan/Slavic)

Krishna Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Larentalia (Pagan)

Mōdraniht (Anglo-Saxon Pagan)

Orgies for World Peace Day (Pastafarian)

Paola Elisabetta Cerioli (Christian; Saint)

Gregory of Spoleto (Christian; Saint)

Sol Invictus (Birth of the Unconquered Sun)

Thrasilla (a.k.a. Trasilla) & Emiliana (Christian; Virgins)

Twelvetide Eve (a.k.a. the Twelve Days of Christmas or Christmastide) [Begins at Sundown]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [70 of 71]

Premieres

Against All Flags (Film; 1952)

Aida, by Giuseppe Verdi (Opera; 1871)

The Aristocats (Animated Disney Film; 1970)

The Brain Drainers or Malice in Wonderland (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 242; 1963)

Dawn of the Cross (Animated TV Series; 2015)

Don’t Look Up (Film; 2021)

Goof Gas Attack, Part 1 (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 241; 1963)

The Interview (Film; 2014)

I Think We’re Alone Now, recorded by Tommy James & the Shondells (Song; 1966)

Kiss Me Goodbye (Film; 1982)

Lonesome Ghosts (Disney Cartoon; 1937)

The Love Bug (Film; 1968)

Mystery in White, by J. Jefferson Farjeon (Novel; 1937)

Philadelphia (Film; 1993)

Silent Night, by Franz Xaver Gruber and Joseph Mohr (Xmas Song; 1818)

The Silent Sea (TV Series; 2021)

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, by Maria Augusta von Trapp (Memoir; 1949)

Summer Wars (Anime Film; 2010)

Tea for Two Hundred (Disney Cartoon; 1948)

The Truth About Father Christmas (UK Radio Play; 1922)

Tombstone (Film; 1993)

Today’s Name Days

Adam, Eva (Austria)

Evgeni, Evgeniya (Bulgaria)

Adam, Delfina, Eva, Irmina (Croatia)

Adam, Eva (Czech Republic)

Adam, Alexandrine (Denmark)

Aadam, Eeva, Eevi, Eva, Eve, Eveli, Evelin, Evi, Iivi, Ivi, Ivika, Tammo, Tamur (Estonia)

Aatami, Eeva, Eevi, Eveliina (Finland)

Adèle (France)

Abend, Adam, Eva (Germany)

Ahmet, Evgenia (Greece)

Ádám, Éva (Hungary)

Adele (Italy)

Ādams, Ieva (Latvia)

Adomas, Girstautas, Ieva, Minvydė (Lithuania)

Adam, Eva (Norway)

Ada, Adam, Adamina, Adela, Ewa, Ewelin, Ewelina, Godzisława, Grzegorz, Grzymisława, Hermina, Herminia, Irma, Irmina, Zenobiusz (Poland)

Eugenia (Romania)

Adam, Eva (Slovakia)

Delfín (Spain)

Eva (Sweden)

Eugenia (Ukraine)

Adan, Adana, Adam, Adamina, Addison, Ava, Eva, Eve, Evelyn (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 358 of 2024; 7 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 51 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 27 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Jia-Zi), Day 12 (Bing-Chen)

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

Hebrew: 12 Teveth 5784

Islamic: 11 Jumada II 1445

J Cal: 28 Zima; Sevenday [28 of 30]

Julian: 11 December 2023

Moon: 94%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 22 Bichat (13th Month) [Harvey]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 14 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 4 of 89)

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 3 of 31)

[blurhawaii]

Yuletide 2023

dear yuletide writer,

hello and happy yuletide! thanks for checking out my letter even if you’re not my assigned writer and are just shopping around, welcome. all the prompts I offer here are just for fun—if you’ve got something else in mind, feel free to go for it.

also, sorry if this is a little more brief than my yuletide letters usually are, as I’m having to copy/paste a lot of this from my phone. I’ve asked for some of these fandoms in previous year tho, if you would like to check out my other letters.

likes:

dysfunctional relationships eg. codependency, messed up father/son dynamics, age differences, enemies to lovers, power imbalances.

vulnerability in men, uncertain intimacy.

UST, slow burn, first times.

supernatural/magical realism/cosmic horror. weird hints of it in an otherwise normal universe.

redemption arcs.

found family

loyalty kink. love it when trust is earned and kept.

praise kink.

open and honest communication between partners.

polyamory. it’s the journey of them getting together and making it work that’s interests me the most. or how a couple goes about bringing in a third person.

stories set in canon. or a divergence of canon. fix-it fics.

soulmate/soulmark fics. I’m mostly interested in unusual takes on these scenarios.

daemon AUs. i’m especially into the intimacy of touching/comforting each other’s daemons, them expressing thoughts they otherwise don’t say out loud.

dark/bleak fics. don’t be afraid to drag characters through the mud. happy endings are welcome but i like the struggle to get there.

I’m fine with anything gen to porn.

canon typical violence is fine and to be expected from my requests, honestly.

characters and the development of their relationships are more important to me than plot.

dislikes:

AUs that are completely disconnected from canon e.g. high school, coffee shop AUs.

established relationship, unless they are already together in canon.

crossovers.

genderbending.

feminisation of male characters.

fics that are entirely fluff.

A/B/O fics.

mpreg.

1st person fics (I have no problem with 2nd person fics tho if you feel like experimenting.)

The Departed (2006)

*Billy Costigan *Sean Dignam

Specific Likes:

dignam and his tough love attitude towards the job | billy’s increasing isolation | the codependency that forms between the person undercover and the person who knows the truth | dignam’s father/son dynamic with queenan contrasted against billy’s father/son dynamic with queenan | the idea that dignam was once an undercover who got out | how that could be both a hopeful thing and an irritant for billy to find out | the constant antagonism and fighting vs the rare moments when dignam softens around billy | good cop/bad cop dynamics | unexpected vulnerability | the weird loyalty that culminates with dignam killing sullivan

Prompts:

billy survives - anything that explores the angst of billy’s ‘where the hell were you when i needed you’ reaction following that ending, maybe dignam still kills sullivan and billy’s reaction to that, emphasis on the loyalty that implies.

i’ve wasted a lot of time thinking about the line ‘why don’t we meet up, sweetheart, let me buy you an ice cream,’ if you can write that into a believable, in character fic then you would earn my eternal respect and gratitude.

daemon AU & soulmate AU - these interest me because i wonder how they would work in a universe where someone goes undercover, how billy & dignam could lie about it or even use it to their advantage.

time loop/groundhog day fic - there are so many ways this film could go better or worse, i’d love to see them even if they don’t end the happiest

Bone Tomahawk (2015)

*Arthur O’Dwyer *Samantha O’Dwyer *John Brooder

Specific Likes:

the dry and brutal nature of westerns | brooder being a weird, vain, loner, dandy man type who is rude to pretty much everyone except the o’dwyers | the way brooder is nothing but respectful towards samantha despite being rejected by her in the past, and is quick to hold himself responsible for putting her in danger once she’s been taken | samantha’s competency as a doctor being a not-so-secret thing around town | arthur and brooder not being pitted against each other | arthur actually being a sap for his wife | arthur trusting brooder to escort his wife while joking about no flirtations | arthur being the only one to ever call him ‘john’ and brooder exclusively referring to arthur as ‘cowboy’ | brooder helping arthur down off his horse | the possibility of so much hurt/comfort, both physical and emotional post film, providing they all survive.

Prompts:

anything pre-film - the mentioned rejection, how they might interact on a day-to-day basis in bright hope, how they reached this weird and respectful level of fondness, how outsiders might view the three of them.

brooder lives AU - maybe they find him not quite dead and all three return home, maybe for convenience sake samantha sets brooder up in their home to recover, so she can tend to him and arthur at the same time.

something that explores brooder having to come to terms and live with the amputation of his hand, considering how vain he is. he explicitly states he’d rather die than live like that, so maybe the o’dwyers help him through it.

From (2022)

*Jade Herrera *Jim Matthews *Tabitha Matthews

Specific Likes:

jade herrera, this weed smoking, bisexual, arrogant rich man in his capri pants + open shirts, his cardigans + kitty cat shirt, his dark hair + big brown eyes | pushing people away, telling them to fuck off, then immediately coming back like a too proud cat | being manhandled | bursting into people’s homes uninvited while ranting about his theories| the town’s ‘what the hell is wrong with this guy?’ reactions | surprising violin skills and his willingness to play for victor | not talking down to ethan | the affectionate nicknames of ‘tea cups’ and ‘sparkplug’ | the way jade softens around maternal characters like tian-chen and tabitha | always believing he’s the smartest man in the room, with the mileage varying | offering up so many facts about himself and his past freely, and maybe even needily | jade carving a space out for himself within the liu household, and then later the matthews family | being one of the few to ask the real question of ‘what the fuck is a cromenockle?’ | characters being trapped in places overnight, being forced to interact | a town they cannot escape | being completely driven by finding the truth | the supernatural horror/creatures being lumped in with the mundane day-to-day life | prophetic drawings | mysterious symbols | characters sharing strange visions | their nightmares becoming reality | jade going down into that cave not just to find answers but because he thinks it might save julie | jade just being a very erratic man that needs a firm hand every now and then

Prompts:

as i’ve just shotgun blasted all my thoughts above, à la homer simpson’s make-up gun, my prompts are gonna be a little more wide spread. my interest lies largely with jade and the various ways he does and does not fit into this town and the other residents.

for a guy with such a horny and bisexual introduction, his hyperfixations have mostly been on figuring out the town. but what if he poured that same focus into trying to get laid?

jade/jim & jade/tabitha - jade sort of bonds with them both. calling jim ‘tea cups’, having someone around who understands tech jargon, building something together, and i’m thinking about what’s going to happen in s3 with jim now that tabitha is suddenly gone. love the mystery solving team jade forms with tabitha, the shared visions with the children, conversations had in kitchens at night. love all these characters still desperately looking for a way out. there’s also the fact that they all arrived in town on the same day, whatever importance that may have.

jade/jim/tabitha - what better way to fix a troubled marriage than bonding over a shared annoyance of being attracted to this horrible, rich asshole who is weirdly charming and keeps forcing his company onto them both? because, come on, from season 2, they are all living under the same cramped roof. maybe the best way to get jade to chill out is for them both to just wreck him, giving jade that firm hand he so often needs.

Indiana Jones Series

*Jurgen Voller *Klaber

Specific Likes:

the loyal right hand man who is devoted to his employer | the shield of muscle that protects the intellectual | wordless communication | trying to learn german and being very bad at it | accent kink | time travel done right and time travel done very wrong | treasure hunting | knowledge of ancient history and mythology | klaber helping voller across the wooden bridge | klaber taking the gun from voller’s hand and voller letting him | klaber referring to voller as ‘boss’ | klaber insisting that people refer to voller as ‘doctor’ | the entire opposites attract vibe they have | taking pleasure in just being evil | klaber being a trigger happy psycho on a very short leash | terrible moustaches | motorcycle chases | their feedback loop of arrogance culminating in their own failure and death | surreptitiously shut doors in hotel rooms | assuming other identities | villainous smoking | age difference

Prompts:

first: while i do find it somewhat interesting that voller’s plan was actually to kill hitler and become a better leader through the war, i would rather there be little to no politics in any fic i might get. definitely no glorifying of nazi ideologies, please.

time travel gone wrong - i think it's more interesting to believe any slight variation of the coordinates could have spit them out at a very different time, past or future. feel free to go wild with that, the idea of them surviving the crash or successfully parachuting out and being trapped in time.

any exploration of klaber’s loyalty towards voller, how they reached this level of trust, able to give and follow orders wordlessly. maybe expand on a scene or add in a missing scene. klaber is very tactile throughout the film and i find it very interesting that voller allows this.

an exchange of knowledge - voller attempting to teach klaber german, or bettering his understanding of history, astrophysics, man landing on the moon, or just the moment when he explains the antikythera and its supposed use. set against klaber teaching voller more practical things like weapons, hand-to-hand self defence, disarming techniques. there’s just something about the contrast of brain and brawn.

+ and as a final note, i would be very happy and very grateful for any treats. :)