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Thursday, December 25th, 2025 10:55 pm
In the afternoon there was eggnog, in the evening there was roast beef, and after dinner with my parents and my husbands and [personal profile] nineweaving, there was plum pudding with an extremely suitable amount of brandy on fire.



At the end of a battering year, it was a small and a nice Christmas. There was thin frozen snow on the ground. In addition to the traditional and necessary socks and a joint gift with [personal profile] spatch of wooden kitchen utensils to replace our archaically cracked spoons, I seem to have ended up with a considerable stack of books including Robert Macfarlane's Ghostways: Two Journeys in Unquiet Places (2020), Monique Roffey's The Mermaid of Black Conch (2020), and the third edition of Oakes Plimpton's Robbins Farm Park, Arlington, Massachusetts: A Local History from the Revolutionary War to the Present (1995/2007) with addenda as late as 2014 pasted into the endpapers by hand, a partly oral history I'd had no idea anyone had ever conducted of a place I have known for sledding and star-watching and the setting off of model rockets since childhood. The moon was a ice-white crescent at 18 °F. After everything, as we were driving home, I saw the unmistakable flare of a shooting star to the northwest, a stray shot of the Ursids perhaps after all.
Friday, December 26th, 2025 12:48 am
Too late to write more, I'll catch up tomorrow.
Friday, December 26th, 2025 12:15 am
This is just a quick drive-by post to say: hello! I hope that those of you who are celebrating Christmas have had a lovely one, and that those of you who aren't have had a nice Thursday.

We're at my parents' place having a pleasantly low-key celebration (lots of joy! but also, us plus two elderly people = a lot of lying around on the couch reading, and not a lot of impetus to go all-out for the decorations and feasting), and meanwhile the weather is giving us scenic snow all around.

And also! I got an INCREDIBLY GOOD Yuletide fic!

The Villainous Princess Saves Her Kingdom is a note-perfect post-canon story for Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born. I mostly enjoyed the heck out of that kdrama, in which everyone is a dramatic lesbian who cares deeply about their all-female melodramatic theater, but the heroine makes many incredibly stupid choices and there were various things that frustrated me about the ending. This story focuses on Seo Hyerang, a secondary character who does not care at all about our beloved stupid heroine (and that's beautiful to me), and it deftly and delightfully fixes almost all of my complaints, and made me cackle several times. It's everything I hoped and dreamed for in a Jeongnyeon fic! I'm so happy!!!

I think it's readable without canon knowledge, but you'll have to do a certain amount of piecing things together as you go, and the emotions won't hit as hard. I had many emotions, though. What a treat, what a delight!
Thursday, December 25th, 2025 10:44 pm
This poem is spillover from the November 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from [personal profile] siliconshaman, [personal profile] fuzzyred, [personal profile] mama_kestrel , and [personal profile] see_also_friend. It also fills the "Fairies" square in my 11-1-25 card for the Fairy Tales and Fantasy Stories Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with [personal profile] fuzzyred. It belongs to the Big One thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.

Read more... )
Thursday, December 25th, 2025 11:57 pm
Fandom: Original Work, Christmas Tales & Traditions, Barbie
Pairings/Characters: OCs; a child & her faithful dolls.
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 612
Content Notes: No Content Warnings Apply
Creator Tags: Barbie Dolls, Christmas, Christmas Tree

Creator Links: (AO3) [archiveofourown.org profile] Rubynye; (Dreamwidth) [personal profile] minoanmiss; (Tumblr) [tumblr.com profile] rubynye

Theme: Amnesty, Female Relationships, Action/Adventure, Comfort Fic, Female Friendships, Folklore & Fairytales, Teams

Summary: All around her spread the magnificent brilliance of the shining tree, its decorations alight and glittering.

Author’s Notes: Merry Christmas to my dear friend Amaebi!

Reccer's Notes: A little girl’s Barbie dolls come to life to keep her company on Christmas Eve. The author maintains a keenly lived-in sense of scale; acting as a team in the fashion of the Madagascar Penguins, the dolls scale the California redwood heights and marvel in the celestial lighting of the Christmas tree (while remaining vigilant against the approach of the Parents—or, worse, the Kitty!)

A nostalgic snapshot of the fierce Velveteen Rabbit Reality of our imaginary friends.

Fanwork Links: How to View a Christmas Tree, by [archiveofourown.org profile] Rubynye for [personal profile] amaebi.
Part 18 of How To Indulge Your Writerly Soul.
Thursday, December 25th, 2025 11:36 pm



It was a better one than I was imagining. The people I didn't want to be there didn't come. Whoo hoo.

We had dinner at mom's. We got fried chicken from the store (they do a nice chicken) a few days ago. My cousins made stuffed shells. Yum. And of course, cookies, so many cookies

Mostly we drank (booze helps) played games (I won trivia and the gambling ones) and they finally left like quarter to Midnight.

And literally that was the whole day so I'll leave you with this, happy holidays, if you celebrate, and if not, hope you had a great day. And also enjoy my pictures of Gallipolis in Lights. They're pretty

All the pretty sparkling lights )
Thursday, December 25th, 2025 10:07 pm
Fandom: Chen Qing Ling; A Christmas Carol
Pairings/Characters: Meng Yao | Jin Guangyao, Jin Guangshan, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Wen Ruohan, Background & Cameo Characters
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Length: 7,500
Content Notes: No Archive Warnings Apply, (although Jin Guangshan is his own content warning.)
Creator Tags: Minor Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Inspired by A Christmas Carol, Crack, Christmas Crack, Breaking the Fourth Wall, Jin Guangyao is gonna soften his dad's heart if it kills him, Jiang Cheng wasn't even supposed to be here today, Lan Wangji is only here for the snacks, (Wei Ying is the snack), Daddy Issues: The Play, It's WangXian but that's not the focus here

Creator Links: (AO3) [archiveofourown.org profile] Mikkeneko; (Tumblr) [tumblr.com profile] mikkeneko

Theme: Amnesty, Uncommon Settings, Crack, Crossovers/Fusions, Humor, Research, Trope Subversion & Inversion

Summary: It's Christmas Eve in the Jianghu, and Jin Guangyao is determined to show his father the meaning of charity and generosity and the brotherhood of man if it kills him.

(It will.)


Author’s Notes: You know, throughout this fandom I've seen fans extend grace towards all sorts of morally grey characters. There are Xue Yang stans, Su She truthers, Wen Ruohan fuckers and Meng Yao apologists, I've even seen Jin Zixun have something like a redemption arc! But the one thing I've never, ever seen is a redemption story for Jin Guangshan.

This fic isn't one either.

… Thanks for reading! I'm so sorry.

I referenced this copy of Charles Dickens' ACC while writing this fic. How come nobody told me Dickens was such a fuckin' comedian? The adaptations only ever quote the dramatic lines.


Reccer's Notes: This is one of the most meticulous, erudite, and considered pieces of crack I’ve ever read; the characters themselves are constantly lampshading the incompatibility of the crossover. Mikkeneko manages, somehow, to keep everyone in character while shoehorned into the Christmas Carol roles and to transpose this Christian morality play into the context of a Xianxia China unbothered by missionaries—demonstrating a thorough understanding of both the canons she’s Frankenstitched together. There’s a smidgen of Shakespeare in there too; the Christmas Carol scenario is a stage play, presented by Jin Guangyao in a Hamletesque ploy to lay a ruler’s sins bare.

Fanwork Links: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35699251
Thursday, December 25th, 2025 09:28 pm
This poem came out of the June 4, 2024 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from [personal profile] siliconshaman and [personal profile] wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "Family" square in my 6-1-24 card for the Pride Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with [personal profile] fuzzyred. It belongs to the Big One and Kraken threads of the Polychrome Heroics series.

Read more... )
Thursday, December 25th, 2025 07:21 pm
1. We had a really fun day at Universal Studios today. It didn't rain nearly as much as we feared. We'd prepped for a lot of rain, but this morning the forecast was saying it would be dry most of the day with just a little light rain here and there, so we ended up leaving the parkas and umbrellas in the car, and as it turned out it was dry 98% of the time and the bit of rain we did have was mostly just very light with one brief harder shower that was over quickly (and even that was not really hard rain).

2. It feels like Saturday but I still have three more days of weekend! Tomorrow we're staying in and Alex is coming over and Carla is making a roast for dinner, so that will be fun. If the weather's still nice we're planning to go to Knott's on Saturday for one last go at their holiday food.

3. Gemma loves these crinkly stuffed carrot toys.

Thursday, December 25th, 2025 09:03 pm
Yuletide recs:


We Are Lady Parts/Riot Women | TRON | Sinners | Some Like It Hot | Home Alone | The Fugitive (TV) | The Fugitive (Movie) | Farscape | Dragonriders of Pern

10 fics )
Thursday, December 25th, 2025 05:00 pm

Posted by Sarah Brown

A small black kitten was discovered tucked under a porch and wasted no time making it clear he wanted to be around people. A quick vet visit confirmed he was healthy, chip-free, and likely a stray, though the search for a possible owner is still ongoing. At only a few months old, he is full of energy, curiosity, and an impressive amount of affection.

Even with how quickly attachment sets in, there is a lot of care being taken to do the right thing. Lost-and-found pages are checked daily, and there is a conscious pause before fully claiming him as family. That balance between hope and responsibility can be tough, especially when a kitten is already curling up for pets and following every step around the house. Still, giving space for the chance of a reunion feels important.

The timing adds an emotional layer. His arrival comes not long after the loss of another beloved black cat, making the situation feel quietly meaningful without forcing it. Whether coincidence or comfort, the presence of a small, warm companion has already changed the tone of the home.

With cold weather outside and plenty of strays nearby, keeping him indoors feels like the safest option. He spends most of his time seeking attention, making photos difficult because hands are better used for petting. No matter what happens next, this little porch find has already brought warmth, softness, and a sense of connection back into everyday life.

Thursday, December 25th, 2025 08:36 pm
16 Cats Cozying Up Next To The Fireplace

And by cozying up I mean literally getting as close to it as they can — without self-combusting.
Thursday, December 25th, 2025 07:02 pm
I hope that everyone who celebrates has had (and is still having) a merry Christmas! (And if you don't celebrate... I hope it was a great Thursday!)

Maybe it's our record-breaking heat (71° today!), but it really hasn't felt terribly Christmas-y. Last year I got hit with the Christmas spirit atypically hard, but not so much this year. Not feeling un-Christmas-y or anything, just... not feeling a ton of hype.

Even so, I had a lovely day. I never sleep well the night before Christmas (or the night before any big event, like vacation, or a big show we're going to, etc.), even though I'm well beyond the "kid at Christmas" excitement phase, haha. I especially can't say I sleep well on my mom's tiny loveseat, though Jaspurr was a pleasant sleeping buddy, and even let us sleep in until there was light in the sky!

Mom and Taylor and I exchanged gifts: I mostly got books, haha. (I also mostly gave books.)

Alex came and joined us a few hours later, and we all hung out for a while. He made some delicious chocolate crinkle cookies and a pan of gingerbread blondies, which are SO GOOD.

Alex and I then came home and exchanged our gifts. Then I fairly quickly fell asleep. Just as I was waking up from my nap, Alex fell asleep, haha.


Highlights of my received gifts. <3

I got lots of books from my mom and Taylor! All are books I'm very excited to read. What Moves the Dead (which I did have an ebook of, but wanted a physical copy), What Feasts at Night and What Stalks the Deep. The Scholomance trilogy. Hell Bent. The Strange Bird. The Ballad of Black Tom.
From Alex, I got Sinners and Late Night With the Devil, which were two of my favorite horror movies from the last couple years, and that I wanted copies of. He also got me a couple nice blank notebooks. (I'll have to psych myself up to use the nicer of the two, haha.) He also got me some candy, the cute spider plush keychain, and the fluffy blanket that everything is sitting on.
Not pictured: A shirt, some hot chocolate, and some bubble bath stuff from Alex. My mom bought us a seat cover for the truck.
And of course, Bella got a million treats, haha.

Our remaining plans for the evening are eating a frozen pizza (er... we will bake it first), since we're both very tired of making food, and then maybe some sort of holiday movie. We meant to try and watch a few before today, but never got around to it. My vote is for The Muppet Christmas Carol, but Christams Twister (sic) is truly our longest movie tradition, and he's more likely to vote for A Christmas Story or It's a Wonderful Life. So we'll see which one we land on!

ETA:

Christams Twister is the winner again! A misspelled title card is truly the best indicator of quality that I can imagine.
Thursday, December 18th, 2025 06:21 am
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pairings/Characters: F/M; Emily Prentiss/Spencer Reid, Aaron Hotchner/Jennifer "JJ" Jareau; Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, Penelope Garcia, Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, Henry LaMontagne, Derek Morgan, Spencer Reid
Rating: Teen and Up
Length: 50,833
Content Notes: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, bittersweet ending, canon-typical violence, colorism, period-characteristic prevalence of smoking, period-characteristic attitudes toward mental illness, PTSD, war-typical gore
Creator Tags: Alternate Universe - Historical, Everybody's Looking Sharp, Get Some Benny Goodman on the Radio, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Author is a Research Nerd, And Not Ashamed of It Either, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, Period-Typical Sexism, Alternate Universe - 1940s
Creator Links: (AO3) [archiveofourown.org profile] mosylu, (Dreamwidth) [personal profile] mosylu, (FF.net) [fanfiction.net profile] mosylu, (Tumblr) [tumblr.com profile] mosylufanfic

Theme: Amnesty, Mystery & Suspense, Uncommon Settings, Casefic, Characters of Color, FANCAKE IS FIFTEEN, Fandom Classics, Historical AUs, Research, Women Being Awesome

Summary: Historical AU. In 1947 New York, a motley group of strangers are about to come face-to-face with the idea that you can catch a criminal from within his own mind.

Author’s Notes: Honestly, this came about because of Garcia's hair. Yes, Garcia's hair. Follow me here. There was an episode where she was wearing it in this marvelous retro-40's do, and I started picturing how she'd look in a whole 40's ensemble. And then I started picturing the entire cast in 40's styles. (Boy howdy, would it suit Reid, and Morgan would rock a fedora like nobody's business.) Then I started thinking about how different their lives would have been sixty years ago, and then the social and cultural upheaval of an entire nation coming back from WWII, and . . . well . . . enjoy.

Historical Note: Shell shock was the World War I term, and battle fatigue the WWII term, for what we now call PTSD.


Reccer's Notes: A post-WWII noir mystery AU in which an oddly assorted bunch of cops, academics, veterans, and civilians, coordinated by their friendly neighborhood reference librarian and gossip networker, band together to solve some violent local crimes—and proceed to pioneer criminal profiling in the process.

(When this fic debuted in October 2010, the mystery of Reid’s chronic migraines was an ongoing canon subplot; this setting provides a ruthlessly plausible explanation. That’s all I’m going to say.)

Fanwork Links:
AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3161369
Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6391786/1/War-Crimes
Thursday, December 25th, 2025 08:18 pm
My parents' apartment building is in a U shape, and on the roof, the bottom of the U is the social area - tables, chairs, plants, tiles. The two sides are closed off from general use - the water tower, electrical system access, stuff where you need it clear for safety.

I recently found out someone's been sneaking up onto the roof to smoke, and they've been doing it in the social area, or so close to it to make no difference. I figure that if they could smoke in their apartment, they would, so this is probably someone's kid, and it's easier to go to the roof to smoke than head out to the breezeway next to the building.

My concern's not any of that, but rather that they're doing it badly. When I was told about the sneaking, I remarked that they'd do better to sneak farther away from the social area so the smell doesn't linger. I said if it's cigarettes, they should do it over the breezeway so they can tap the ash away, and if they're really dedicated, they should bring along a tin of some kind to carry the refuse away with them to dispose of the evidence later. The smoking's one thing to protest, and what really gets to me is the person's total lack of tradecraft.
Thursday, December 25th, 2025 04:00 pm

Posted by Sarah Brown

Little drummer cats show up right on time for the holidays, ready to add their own spin to the season. While carols play in the background, these tiny purrcussionists tap out beats on wrapped presents, coffee tables, and anything that echoes nicely. Boxes become bass drums, tree skirts turn into stages, and every paw strike feels like part of a very serious holiday performance. They may not know the words, but they absolutely know the rhythm.

Their technique is festive and fearless. There is the polite tap during quiet moments, the enthusiastic drumroll when guests arrive, and the bold solo delivered directly to your chest during cuddle time. Kneading turns into holiday percussion, complete with focused expressions and perfectly timed pauses. Somewhere between curiosity and chaos, the beat goes on.

What really makes little drummer cats shine is their confidence. They drum like the entire room is watching, because in their minds, it is. No sheet music required, no rehearsal needed. Just paws, rhythm, and holiday spirit. Whether they are keeping time near the tree or leading an uninvited midnight jam session, these cats prove one thing every season. The holidays always sound better with a little extra purrcussion.

Thursday, December 25th, 2025 03:00 pm

Posted by Briana Viser

If you're not nice for Catmas then the Cat Grinch will get you. 

The holidays are officially upon us, which means family time, hibernation, cuddle weather, festivities, celebrations, and scrolling cat memes. We all need a little something to get us out of the family zone, the smiles and nods and answering repeated questions about when you're going to get married and have kids. When you think about your cat, no one is asking him these kinds of questions! He just gets to show up, eat a chicken, and get pets before bed. Why couldn't we have been born a cat?!

Cat memes are essential during the holidays. When you're up to your neck in your Uncle Borris talking about the old country, and how much harder it was in his day, there's no kind of escape like that of scrolling cat memes. Their innocence, wholesomeness, and hilarious countenances will bring you back to life in a heartbeat. There's something deeply comforting about watching a grumpy tabby glare at a Christmas tree like it personally offended them. From cats tangled in tinsel to kittens perched triumphantly atop trees they absolutely should not have climbed, these 25 memes capture the true spirit of feline family festivities: mischief, entitlement, and zero remorse.

Thursday, December 25th, 2025 04:40 pm
Without the Santa Clones





Thursday, December 25th, 2025 06:22 pm
 Merry Christmas/ Happy Early Boxing Day!  Or any of the long list of holidays happening around this time of year. 

The final prompt is up: therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1215998.html

W
hat did the Wheel bring you today?
Thursday, December 25th, 2025 04:04 pm
I hope those of you who celebrate had a wonderful day! And that those of you who don't had a nice day off, maybe with Chinese food and movies.

Both our kids are here, and this was our first ever Christmas with thunderstorms. Whoo! \o/