#santa's granddaughter

[aspoonofsugar]

Weiss's Design

Here comes an appreciation post of our Snowhite's beautiful design! This is also the third installment of my RWBY design series, after Yang and Blake's analyses. As per usual, it uses ideas shared in other Weiss's metas. Enjoy!

A SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE

Monty Oum's early sketch depicts Weiss as a living snowflake:

This is because Weiss's design plays with the idea of "a special snowflake" in two different ways:

"snowflake" is a derogatory term for a person, who is entitled, oversensitive and easily offended; it also holds some political implications linked to white privilege

snowflakes are famous for having unique structures, so each one is different from the others

Weiss is initially a stubborn and pampered heiress, who feels superior because of her name. Still, she is deep down frail and needs to build her own distinctive identity.

These two sides of our Snowhite are conveyed by the Schnees' semblance:

Glyhps are snowflake-shaped and they represent:

the family privilege, as they are inherited by all the Schnees - they are a magical projection of the family crest

the potential of each Schnee to grow into their own person - they gain more complex and individual designs with time

In short, Weiss is a special snowflake, for better or worse. She can give in to her father's mentality and be defined by her name. Or she can step into the world and discover who she is outside her family:

Winter: It sounds to me like you have two choices in front of you. You can either call Father, beg for his money back, and explain once more why you would want to study at Beacon over Atlas, or you could continue to explore Remnant, discovering more about the world and honestly, more about yourself.

Let's see what Weiss's design says about her choice.

SNOW PRINCESS

Let's consider Weiss's concept art:

And let's compare it to Winter's:

The two sisters appear similar:

their color schemes are the same

they look like royalty

they share glyphs as their semblance

they fight with swords

They are designed this way to show that Weiss looks up to Winter and tries to emulate her. This is clear if one considers Weiss and Winter's allusions: Weiss alludes to Snowhite, while Winter alludes to the Snow Queen. And yet, when one looks at Weiss's concept art, it is easier to see the Snow Queen's inspiration, rather than Snowhite's:

She looks like a snowflake

She is the color of ice and snow

She wears a crown, like a queen

Glyphs resemble the Snow Queen's power to turn snowflakes into animals

It is as if Weiss's true self (Snowhite) is hidden behind a mask (the Snow Queen). This conveys Weiss's insecurity, as she is caught between the weight of the family crest (a snowflake) and her idolisation of Winter (the Snow Queen). She is a Snow Princess, who needs to decide which kind of Queen she'll be. Either an Evil Queen like Jacques or an Ice Queen like Winter.

Still, Weiss is her own person and this comes to the surface in her final design:

The main differences with the first version are:

Her bangs and pony-tail do not part in two sides

She has a scar on her left eye instead than a beauty mark

Her necklace is an apple instead of a tear-drop

She has no tear-drops dangling from her sleeves

The golden circles on her bolero become silver and she gains silver decorations on her boots

Weiss loses her tear-drop motif and her color-scheme gets simplified. This gives her more Snowhite-like details:

The apple on the necklace alludes to the poisoned apple

The scar on the eye alludes to the magical mirror cracking

The final design only has black, white (silver) and red, which are Snowhite's defining colors

Moreover, Weiss's appearence grows more asymmetric. Her hair is not perfectly parted, but worn in a side pony-tail. This symbolizes Weiss's struggle against Jacques's expectations. Similarly, the elegant beauty mark is changed with a scar. This gives Weiss more personality and shows that behind the princess there is a fighter.

In short, Weiss's Vale design shows glimpses of our girl's true self. However, they are hidden by the cold ice covering Weiss's soul. Luckily, the Spring Arc comes and the ice melts.

MELTING ICE

In Mistral, Weiss leaves her white dress behind and wears a blue outfit:

This happens because our snowflake is slowly melting into water (white > blue), so that she can become herself. In order to do so, though, she has to first lose all the superficial things that define her identity:

Jacques: You are no longer the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company.

Weiss sees herself as the SDC heiress, so the story takes away her title.

Vernal: Your sister isn't in Mistral anymore. No one is coming to rescue you.

Weiss sees herself as Winter's little sister, so the story has her separated from Winter.

Thanks to this, Weiss faces herself and discovers who "just Weiss" is:

Vernal: Let's see what the Schnee name really means. Weiss: I'm more than a name.

This transformation is mirrored by Weiss's design. She loses all the superficial references to Snowhite:

she wears no apple anymore

she has no black-white-red color pattern

Still, her fairy tale emerges strongly in her glyphs, as she learns to summon:

Weiss's avatars are Snowhite's characters:

The Boarbatusk is the Hunter, who is famous for killing a boar

The Knight is the Prince, who saves Snowhite from the glass coffin

The Queen Lancer is both the Evil Queen and the New Queen Snowhite becomes at the end

Weiss loses all she has to be reborn anew. Similarly, her design is stripped of all the Snowhite's allusions, only for them to be expressed more clealry and in a deeper way by the evolution of her semblance. Weiss's magical snowflakes aquire unique patterns that refer to her personal story.

This process of refinement climaxes in volume 5. Here, Weiss dies, is resurrected and crowns herself queen by summoning the Queen Lancer. This Grimm represents who Weiss truly is. She is neither the Evil Queen, nor the Snow Queen, but a Royal (a queen), who is also a Knight (a lancer). She is a Queen Knight.

After this metaphorical coronation, Weiss starts showing her interiority outside. This is why she gains back her two missing colors in her journey to Atlas:

she wears a red scarf

she wears black thights

She is back to look like Snowhite (black + white + red)!

Interestingly, both the scarf and the thights are items worn to stay warm. In short, the closer Weiss gets to her Icy Kingdom (Atlas), the more she shows her true warm self (Snowhite).

QUEEN SNOWHITE

Weiss's Atlas design has three layers to it:

it is queen-like

it is Snowhite-like

it has all the colors of the previous outfits

1- Weiss gains a silver tiara with red gems. It is bigger and more refined than the old one because Weiss has grown. She isn't a princess anymore. She is a queen.

2- Weiss wears Snowhite's three colors: a white dress, black gloves and red jewels. interestingly, black and red are not covered by white. The ice is melted and Weiss's different shades are now out in the open. What is more, Weiss's outfit is similar to her Disney's counterpart:

Disney-Snowhite wears a dress with blue puffed sleeves, which are present in Weiss's Atlas design. There is no risk to confuse our girl with the Snow Queen anymore:

Weiss is not Winter's imitation, but her own person. She is 100% Snowhite.

3 - Weiss's clothes are white, black, red and light blue. These are all the colors worn by her throughout the story. In addition, there is a warmer shade of blue, which shows the cold is gone once and for all. These palette symbolizes Weiss's different parts coming together into a more beautiful and stronger person.

This fits Weiss's new summon:

The Nevermore combines all the other glyphs. It is the final form of Weiss's inner snowflake and the culmination of her growth. Aesthetically, it gives Weiss an angelic look, which brings to mind the final inspiration of her design.

MAGICAL SNOW ANGEL

Oh look! Weiss looks like Sailor Moon! This isn't by chance, as Weiss is inspired by the magical girl genre. Magical girls are heroines, who:

transform into ideal versons of themselves

fight metaphors of human emotions in the form of monsters

purify people's hearts

Weiss is the same, but the first heart she needs to cleanse is her own:

Mirror, tell me something, Tell me who's the loneliest of all? Fear of what's inside of me; Tell me can a heart be turned to stone?

Yes, it can:

Pure Heart Crystal (Sailor Moon)

Soul Gem (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

A gem standing for one's heart is a pretty common trope in magical girls' stories. Not only that, but the corruption and healing of these stones come up often. Well, Weiss's heart is a snow-crystal, which needs to be melted and rebuilt into a unique structure.

Weiss purifies it by fighting her inner demons in the form of Grimms. As a matter of fact these monsters symbolize humanity's darkness, so they are the perfect enemy for a magical girl. Weiss defeats them and makes them white like snow. She integrates them and the struggles they represent into herself. Through this process, she slowly changes into her ideal self. She doesn't need a spectacular transformation sequence because her evolution happens inside. It is slow, but deep and here to last. After all, the heart is irreplaceable:

Everyone is entitled to their own sorrow, for the heart has no metrics or forms of measure. And all of it… irreplaceable.

Hearts are like snowflakes because there are no two, which are the same. Weiss learns this lesson and starts teaching it to others. This is how she heals hearts. Empathy is her superpower. Thanks to it, she is ready to save her family legacy:

Weiss: I will not be defined by my name because I will be the one to define it.

Weiss's first step is to define herself outside the Schnee name. Her second step is to give the Schnee name a new meaning. She first refines her heart. Then she cleanses her surname. From her inner snowflake to the family crest. That is the kind of magical girl she is.

In a sense, she is stepping into Nicholas's footsteps. He purifies minerals into Dust. She purifies stones into souls. From Saint Nicholas to Snow Angel.

MAGICAL QUEEN SNOWHITE

In conclusion, Weiss's design describes her evolution in three ways:

She goes from being a snowflake (derogatory) to being a snowflake (unique)

She grows from a princess into a queen

She leaves the Snow Queen behind and becomes Snowhite

This refinement process is nothing, but her magical girl transformation.

#rwby #weiss schnee #rwby meta #my meta #winter schnee #character design #once upon an allusion #semblance of the soul #santa's granddaughter #it is her season! #greenlight volume 10 #greenlightvolume10

[op15-moonwaltz]

"You look so chilly, my dear!"

Jack's been dragged to New York for an After-Christmas gettogether with the Cane family! He couldn't be more terrified and nervous, most children are put-off by his icy nature and appearance.

However he learns that the Cane's are pretty 'chill' when it comes to his icy looks! Read out the little mini-story here for the After-Christmas of '69! (jack's ears definitely twitch around and show how he's feeling if his goofy little noises don't give him away first)

==== It was After-Christmas, 1969. Nick had brought up the idea of me visiting his family with him off in New York for the occasion, but I always came up with an easy lie to get out of going.

Not because I didn't enjoy his company, not at all! I adored having someone around that listened to what I had to say, I just. .

Didn't know how his family would react to me. Icy hair, stark blue eyes, pointy ears, frosty clothes- Not exactly 'huggable and warm,' now is it? And he apparently had a granddaughter now, something with a 'C'. Charlotte? No no, that was his wife's name. .

"Jack, are you alright? You've been staring at that piece of broken cement for the last four minutes like it's gonna move."

I looked up at him and felt my ear twitch as a snowflake floated past. "Huh? Oh! Yes, yep, I'm alright. Just thinking and all that." I watched him raise a brow over his glasses and then push them back up his nose. I flashed him a grin and then I heard the patter of feet, oh gods.

"Pa, you're home!" I watched this young woman run out of the house with no coat, just a sweater, bellbottom jeans, boots that looked too fancy to be out in slushy wet snow and a head of fiery orange hair.

"How's my girl? Look at you! How long has it been since I last visited?" I hoped that staying by the sleigh made me more invisible. I kept my ears as flat against my head as I could get them, and part of me wished I thawed my hair out before I agreed to come.

"Over a year, pa. You know this, you ask how long it's been every year!" I could hear Nick laugh and then I watched the woman turn her gaze toward me. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest at her shocked face. "And who's this fella here?"

I tried to put my charm up despite my nervousness and stepped up to her, offering my hand for a handshake. "Frost! Jack Frost, Legendary Figur-" I got cut off as the lady took my hand and shook it, laughing a little as she did. I squinted at her.

"So you're the one Pa's been working with all these years! I've been waiting to meet you, Ma's been too!" I felt my brain stutter and I only realized the handshake ended when snow hit my palm. "My name's Judy, by the way! Now come inside, it's cold out there and I bet yous' are hungry!"

"You sound like your mother!" I heard from Nick and I shook my head slightly to wave off the slap of confusion I felt prior before walking inside with him. The house was beautifully decorated in reds and golds, even some blues and silvers lining certain areas like the front windows of the house.

I let my ears stick up just a little more as I looked at the snowflake paper towel cutouts that hung delicately from the ceilings with what looked like fishing line and thumbtacks. Which not only seemed tedious as all hell, but showed absolute dedication.

"My! You look so chilly, dear!" I looked away from the ceiling when I heard a woman's voice, she was clearly older, hair snow-white, short and curly. I could see her walk up to me, and I realized who this was as I stuck my hand out for a handshake.

"You must be Charlotte, right?" "Righto! You must be Jack Frost, as well. Pleasure to finally meet you, my dear!" I smiled as she shook my hand and then led me over to a playpen. "That there is baby Caroline, she's almost 3 years-old!" I nodded, watching the 2 year-old dance around her playpen a little. Okay. .

Maybe kids were a little adorable. But only this one in particular.

I could feel myself getting led over to the dining room, how long did I have to stay here? I looked at the wide spread of food that covered the dining table and I had to admit, it did smell pretty good. I could hear Nick laugh as he sat near the head of the table. "You've done it, Charlotte. You've got him fascinated by all the food."

"I'm not. . 'fascinated', I've just never seen so much food before." I watched as Judy pulled a chair out and sat down, then Charlotte after hooking little Caroline up in a highchair. And I was left trying to figure out where to sit. I was a guest in the home, so maybe I sat. . somewhere out of the way? Or more toward the far end of the table?

"Here, dear- You can sit next to me if you're a little lost." I watched Charlotte wiggle out a chair for me next to her and I timidly took a seat. "Sorry, I've just uh- Never done a holiday dinner before." I watched Judy look at me with a face of disbelief and Mrs. Cane (should I be formal?) already started fixing me a plate of ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, they even had a various array of wines-

"You've never had a holiday dinner before? Aren't you literally part of a holiday?" I put up a timid smile, nodding a thanks to Mrs. Cane as she placed my plate in front of me. "T-Technically I'm part of a holiday, but I don't have any real Reign over all the Christmas-y stuff-" I heard Nick scoff as he adjusted the bun in his hair.

"You Didn't have any reign over Christmas, you do now though! And I hope to see it stay that way, the blues and silvers you add is a lovely change." I felt my ear twitch and Judy looked at me ecstatic. "The blue and silver decor is you? I love the sparkly look they always have, it's so beautiful!"

I laughed a little, eying the plate of food and trying to ignore the twitches of my ears even though I knew Nick caught sight of them by the smile on his face. "Thank yous', really though it's Nick that deserves the credit! He's done a lot to help me get more recognition in the season." I could hear Nick brush me off and slowly let the conversation drift away from me, deciding to instead enjoy the meal.

Little Caroline was busy mushing around mashed potatoes in her highchair. Nick and his family fell into conversation as I stayed out of it and ate quietly. The silence was. . comfortable. It felt like they still knew I was there, even if I wasn't a part of their conversation. Completely different from how the Council made me feel.

I only realized I had been twitching my ears to the beat of Frank Sinatra's 'Let It Snow!' when Caroline actually giggled. I watched her try to mimic the twitches of my ears with her hands and I felt my chest warm up at the little laughs she did as she flapped her hands around.

I listened to the 'awe's that came from the table as they finally saw what I was doing and I only kept up the ear twitches to keep Caroline laughing, even after my face felt all warm and I knew the tips of my ears were red. "Seems like Jack is finally warming up to kids." I glanced at Nick, almost shooting him a small glare when Caroline started tilting her head side to side like my ears twitching up and down.

Okay, maybe kids weren't horrible. I could maybe get used to this specific tiny human. I smiled.

I could maybe get used to this whole holiday dinner thing too.

#the santa clause 3 #jack frost #martin short #original fiction #saint nicholas' reign #the oinglydoobles #MEET NICK'S WIFE CHARLOTTE #AND LITTLE GRANDDAUGHTER CAROLINE WHEN SHE WAS JUST 2

[okieapache70]

Woke up to find this guy in here! #santaclaus #heseesyouwhenyouresleeping #christmas #christmasmagic #granddaughter #granddaughterlove #anythingforher #loveofagrandmother #toocute #photooftheday #proudgranny #grandma #grandmasjoy #grannysheart #myheart #child #blessed

#photooftheday #love #christmas magic #Santa claus #granddaughter #blessed #he sees you when you're sleeping

[murdermepeacefully]

Not me having another OC cameo as Santa 

#To be fair he's a professional Santa Claus #He does acting jobs and appearances and the like year round #Because he's a total grandpa #Also b/c he exists due to having an OC who was the granddaughter of Father Christmas in sims 4 LMAO #Oh the christmas fic writing to be slow #Reflections of Trauma #Reflections of Trauma; Fic

[kylejsugarman]

love how everyone else was able to maintain some semblance of a successful life while also dealing in the meth empire except for walt. gus was a beloved community member who was like raising money for the local baseball team to go to regionals and serving up chicken good enough to mend broken marriages. mike was a doting pop-pop to his granddaughter and took care of his daughter-in-law while still finding time to sit in his big chair and rest his eyes. lydia was the world's first girl boss. like it was truly just a skill issue with walt, he could've become the patron saint of beta gofundme and dressed up as santa for a st. judes hospital but instead he got his ass fired and fumbled his milf so bad that she actively prayed for his death. SAD!

#syd squeaks #even jesse had his friends and his swag. he could have had it all #breaking bad #walter white #gus fring #mike ehrmantraut #lydia rodarte quayle

[ourlastbastion]

Explaining the plot of the Hogfather to my fam be like

“Okay so the IRS of Reality hired an assassin to kill Santa. Death takes over the reins distributing presents on Christmas night while his granddaughter and the God of Hangovers seek out the assassin, who is now after the tooth fairy, to bring back Santa.”

#discworld #hogfather #I’m reading this for the fourth time it’s so good

[drarryspecificrecs]

2023.12 ~ Top 5 longest fics posted on AO3

1. The Man Who Forgot by @slightweasel [E, 250k]

►After ten years of marriage, Harry forgets. The more things change, the more Draco Malfoy is still up to something.

2. Conjuring Cupid by @sugarplum-senpai [M, 89k]

►Two decades after Hogwarts, Harry's toy shop is ready for the busiest season of the year. Bolstered with an ever-growing work list, plenty of tea, and a sentient puppet always looking for mischief, his life is full. Still, at the end of the day, he’s lonely, and as the boy who lived his search looking for a match is disastrous. When his friends register him for an anonymous dating service, he’s unconvinced. Then again, maybe not knowing each other’s faces right away might just give him everything he’s longing for.

3. City of Quartz by ladygoodman [M, 57k]

►[...] It's 2012, and the granddaughter of Celestina Warbeck is pronounced dead at her home in Los Angeles. Auror Harry Potter finds the case file a little too familiar with other celebrity deaths cropping up all over the UK. The Dark Mark is making an appearance on young witches and wizards as well. There are only a few former Death Eaters who haven't been locked away in Azkaban, and Draco Malfoy is one of them. On that suspicion, Harry follows his tracks all the way to sunny Los Angeles, where he's faced with an entirely new caliber of celebrity culture. Who is Caelum West? How is he mixed in with all of this? And why does he look exactly like Draco Malfoy?

4. Nervous? by @invisible-nerd-girl [T, 46k]

►Harry gets drunk at a party, only to remember a game he over heard muggles talking about. He ends up playing with Draco who doesn't back down. Much to his surprise, it doesn't end there.

5. If I win, lose, or draw, there’s a winner in us all by MystMelody [E, 41k]

►Sixteen years ago, Harry and his England team suffered World Cup heartbreak following an agonisingly close loss at the hands of a single, incorrect umpiring decision. Many years and two World Cup victories later, and Harry is (mostly) sure that he has moved on. As Harry’s final tournament before retirement looms, he is confident that his team have what it takes to lift the trophy a third time - no matter what anyone else might say. Especially Malfoy, who has reinvented himself as a successful Quidditch reporter and seems determined to write as many awful things about the team as possible. [...]

—

※ Word count: 1k ~ 15k

※ Word count: 15k ~ 40k

The Lost Boy by @youhavemyswordandmybow [M, 17k]

Dark Artistry by @sightedkarma [E, 26k]

The infallibility of unicorn hair by mindor [E, 18k]

Just Exist by Kendra_Storm [T, 32k]

More than a Legend by @romaine2424 [M, 17k]

New Beginnings Taste Sweet (Daffodils) by corazon_san [T, 18k]

O Come, All Ye Faithful by toomuchplor [E, 19k]

Secrets Undone (the Lightning Order) by @xx-thedarklord-xx [M, 39k]

Spoils of War by instead_of_sleeping [E, 30k]

What happened at Christmases by ProseMary [?, 15k]

You're Scrooged, Draco Malfoy by @fencer-x [M, 27k]

—

Ongoing Fest/Exchange

※ Fics would be listed elsewhere.

25 Days of Draco and Harry 2023 | @slythindor100

Frottage Cottage FFF

H/D Erised 2023 | @hd-erised

Harry/Draco Owlpost 2023 | @hdowlpost

Wheel of Drarry Mini-Exchange Secret Santa 2023 | @drarrymicrofic

Dark Festivus Gift Exchange 2023 | @harrypotterfesthub

Fanatical Fam Fic Exchange 2023

HP Festival of Stars 2023 | @hpfestofstars

HP Soulmates Secret Santa 2023 | @hp-soulmates-secret-santa

HP Yuletide Bliss 2023 | @hp-yuletide-bliss​

Yuletide and Mulled Wine Fest 2023 | @yuletide-and-mulled-wine

2023 Harry Potter Trans Comfort Fest | @magicaltrans

#drarry #drarry fanfic #drarry fic rec #harry potter #draco malfoy #monthly review #2023

[schweizercomics]

Companions of Christmas day 4: Chyskhaan, Khaarchana, and Ekhe Dyyl

Chyskhaan

One of two traditional giftgivers of the Yakut of Siberia (the other being Ekhe Dyyl), Chyskhaan lives north of Oymyakon, the coldest town in the world. Since time began, people have brought him gifts on the longest night of the year as a tribute, in the hopes that he will mitigate the cold and allow warmth and daylight to return to Siberia (though slowly and evenly, that the villages might not be flooded from the snow melt).

He spends the week of Christmas going through the offerings and taking what he will need for the year, and then, on New Year’s, he distributes the remaining majority of gifts to children and those in need who, regardless of their station, are treated by Chyskhaan with the dignity and ceremony as would befit a king or queen.

Ekhe Dyyl

Ekhe Dyyl is one of two traditional giftgivers of the Yakut people of Siberia (the other being Chyskhaan). Whereas Chyskhaan is imperious and icy, a reminder of the command that winter holds over the lives of those who live most deeply in its grip, Ekhe is warm and unpretentious, a proud bumpkin and boisterous reveler who rides a dirty, shaggy bull named Ükerinto into the towns and villages he visits.

When presented with a bowl of delicious mare’s milk, Ekhe will wave his brushwhip over a child and a gift will appear in their hands.

Khaarchana

Khaarchana is the granddaughter of both Chyskhaan on her mother’s side and Ekhe Dyyl on her father’s. From birth, she learned to bounce back and forth between their very different holiday celebrations and expectations. Chyskhaan’s reverent and solemn traditionalism and Ekhe’s edacious, riotous merrymaking are often at stark contrast, as are the grandfathers themselves: Chyskhaan has, on more than one occasion, called Ekhe a classless, gluttonous yokel, and Ekhe has let Chyskhaan know that the former considers the latter a stuffy, bumptious snob.

When the winter giftgivers were, for a generation, expelled from Russia following its revolution, Khaarchana realized that children across Siberia would suffer greatly from the absence of her grandfathers. Despite the danger posed by Stalin’s minions and the difficulty in reconciling the two seemingly different approaches to the holidays, Khaarchana decided to fill their shoes, making sure that no child in (what is now) the Sakha Republic would go without during winter festivities, and that the festivities themselves would be as rich and wonderful as they had ever been.

Going in with no experience, she consulted the longtime friend and colleague of both grandfathers, Santa Claus, whose advice was to be true to herself. The celebrations of the winter holidays are always changing and growing, and reverence and merrymaking needn’t be mutually exclusive.

Knowing the peril that her mission would put her in, Santa gave Khaarchana a magical snowflake, which, when worn on her head, would render her invisible, allowing her to plan and maneuver under the eyes of the Russian secret police, only removing it and allowing herself to be seen on the New Year when she would hand out the presents she had strategically hidden in homes across Siberia.

When her grandfathers were eventually permitted to return to the Russian-controlled region, they found that Khaarchana had kept the spirit of love and giving alive during their absence, and had unified their two approaches into one one messy, inconsistent, glorious celebration. Though both were resistant to change, and to each other, Chyskhaan and Ehke began to accompany Khaarchana on her rounds, and, though they still bicker like old hens, they have become close friends, while Khaarchana, in addition to her role as giftgiver, is the patron of all who have to navigate the sometimes-conflicting holiday celebrations (and schedules) of more than one family.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Happy December, friends! Each year around this time I post up drawings of Christmas and other winter holiday figures, along with narratives to explain the practices with which folklorists and holiday buffs might be familiar. When stories exist, I use them; when they don't, I do what I can to piece together what folklore surrounds them to fill in the gaps (or, in some instances, defer to the theories of my friend and fellow narrative reconcilianist Benito Cereno). I hope you enjoy them!

#Winter Holidays #Christmas Around the World #Chyskhaan #Khaarchana #Ekhe Dyyl #Siberia

[enelica]

Calendar Omens - Day 4 Santa Claus

Aziraphale has agreed to play Santa for his tenant's granddaughter but Maggie is a little too enthusiastic

#enelicart #good omens #good omens 2 #maggie good omens #aziraphale #CalendarOmens

[everf-redesign]

Alice!

I watched this special like...once the year it came out i remember next to nothing about this child but id like to think shes somehow related to like, whoever the mlp version of santa is as like his great granddaughter. I remember a fic once called him like Holly Hooves? Idk

She's a reindeer, she got magic so she can bound thru the air and give presents idk what else u want from me they didnt lore drop this until the show was basically over 😭

#Alice #Alice the Reindeer #mlp #mlp fim #reindeer #mlp reindeer #mlpfim #mlp friendship is magic #mlp redesign #my little pony #everf.redesign #my little pony friendship is magic #mlp fim redesign #my little pony redesign #mlp g4 #mlp art #mlp fanart

[aspoonofsugar]

Merry Schnees-Mas!

It's Christmas, so here comes a short meta on the Schnees' secondary allusion, which is rooted in the founder of the SDC: Nicholas Schnee.

NICHOLAS AS SANTA CLAUS

Nicholas alludes to Santa Claus:

He is called "Old Nick"

He has a white beard and wears a red cape with white fur

He lives in the Kingdom of Winter and is the Head of the Schnee (snow) family

He is famous for being fair and generous

He is the founder of a company who produces the equivalent of magic (Dust) and is known all around the world

Under his leadership the SDC is small, but famous for its quality, fairness and genuine values.

JACQUES AS A GOBLIN-JACK FROST

Jacques alludes to Jack Frost:

His name Jacques is similar to Jack and his surname Gelè means frost in French

He is associated with cold, as he makes his family's life cold and lonely through his abuse

Jack Frost is often depicted positively and is even considered Santa Claus's helper. For example, he makes snow fall, so that Santa can camouflage himself in the sky. Obviously, Jacques is an inversion, as he tricks Willow and Nicholas in trusting him with the SDC. In short, he is a false friend to them: he acts as the embodyment of winter, only to reveal himself as a cruel goblin. Like the one who builds the evil mirror in The Snow Queen. Or like Santa Claus's most famous enemies.

Under him, the Company grows and starts exporting in the whole world. Still, the workers are exploited and more and more unethical methods are used. The SDC and the Schnee Family both lose their identity.

THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

Let's review:

Nicholas founds a company built on mutual help, fairness and quality

Jacques comes and makes it bigger and more successful, but sacrifices its people for it

Doesn't it sound similar to what capitalism does to Santa Claus and Christmas itself?

Then the point may very well be that the Schnee Family needs to rediscover the "true meaning of Christmas" and Nicholas's original ideals.

Luckily, a certain snowflake is on it:

Weiss: I don’t know who you think you are, but let me tell you who I am: I am the granddaughter of a hero and a child of a villain. I am a citizen of a fallen Kingdom and an heir to nothing. I will not be defined by my name because I will be the one to define it. I am Weiss Schnee, and I am a Huntress!

Weiss is bound to rebuild the Schnee Family legacy and to define what her surname stands for.

Interestingly, our Snowhite is also tied to resurrection (as per her fairy tale) and to religious symbolism:

And what is Christmas, if not the celebration of Jesus's birthday? The child who will die and be reborn to save humanity?

I would say our Snow Angel's chances to succeed are pretty high!

Merry Christmas to whoever celebrates! And Happy Holidays to everybody!

#rwby #rwby meta #once upon an allusion #schnee family #weiss schnee #nicholas schnee #jacques schnee #santa's granddaughter #my meta #merry christmas! #greenlight volume 10

[philtstone]

title: we close our eyes and dream (the world has turned around again)

in the year of our lord 2024 i wrote psych fic ... wow there was this hilarious list of reverse prompts floating around tumblr a little while ago and one of them, instead of high school au, was "nursing home au". something somewhere fundamental in my brain clicked and i thought "this would be perfect for shules. i just know it" and then after many years of being generally too terrified to try my hand at the very unique narrative flavour that is psych, i wrote this. title is from "we close our eyes" by the oingo boingos which plays over the final scene of the series finale and always makes me cry. i hope u enjoy reading this as much as i enjoyed writing it!

Juliet is sitting alone by the couches when she meets him. 

They’re in the dining hall at Glorious Pines, and she’s chewing her lip and staring impotently at her fancy-looking plate of risotto. She hates that risotto is making her feel so weird and insecure. Dinner with Sarah was usually a lot simpler than this; Juliet has never really been a good cook, and her granddaughter was often too busy with work to manage anything more than a mis-mash of premade Trader Joe’s delicacies. Now she’s in this big beautiful building, surrounded by vibrant and dynamic old people who’ve been living here long enough to all know each other and have interesting hobbies and be in on the latest gossip. Juliet’s always loved making new friends, but the risotto is reminding her how out of practice she really is. Up until four days ago she had been taking her meals with Sarah, who’d moved Juliet to Santa Barbara in May so she wouldn’t be all alone in that old house of theirs. And before that – well, she’d been alone. Her hobbies have gotten progressively more old ladyish over the last five years, and while it’s true that she sewed her own pajamas while in her twenties, too, that wasn’t all she spent her time doing. She’s pretty sure her glamorous neighbors by the lemonade bowl who still have the guts to wear red lipstick won’t be too interested in her recent return – for nostalgia purposes only , and not because she likes solving the mysteries before the book does – to her ancient childhood box of Nancy Drew novels. And, gosh, the last time a man flirted with her was … oh, twenty years ago, now.  

She’s pushing the sticky, fragrant rice around and trying not to think too hard about the prospect of socializing with strangers when he materializes into the armchair beside her.

The sudden and graceful materializing is on its own impressive, considering most of the residents of this place have had hip replacements.

“Oh – hello,” Juliet says, mostly just to be polite

“Hi!” says the man. “You’re in my seat.”

Juliet freezes with one spoonful of risotto finally halfway up to her mouth. She narrows her eyes at him from behind her bifocals. “Excuse me?”

“My seat,” he explains. “I was sitting right there. I had, in fact, just gotten up to go grab Gus some orange juice – you know Gus –” Juliet doesn’t “-- And now I am back, and, so, as you can see, that was my seat.”

Juliet blinks. He’s around her own age, early seventies, with a full head of thick grey hair, bright hazel eyes that crease liberally at the corners, no glasses, and a big nose that probably gave him a striking profile in his youth. He’s wearing a garish red polo shirt that says FASHION! on the front in block letters, and house slippers.

READ MORE ON AO3

#my writing #psych #juliet o'hara #shawn spencer #burton guster #shawn x juliet #shules #shawn x gus #a given really but definitely platonic #carlton lassiter #karen vick #plus miscellanious cameos! #i wrote a whole murder mystery for this and everything! #if this doesnt get notes i will probably cry lol jk but for real

[misslavenderlady]

Lost Boys - TransFem AU

Part 3: Santa Carla and The Lost Boys

Truly a babe if ever there was one 💕

Mikayla Emerson

Once Mikayla gets to Santa Carla, she starts turning heads of some very special boys~

part 1 HERE, part 2 HERE

The events of the movie are pretty identical to what happens to Mikayla. She moves to Santa Carla after her parents' divorce and Lucy says it's a good change.

A difference in events is how things go with Grandpa. He's still his goofy self, but is a bit surprised to see how Mikayla looks. The last time he saw her, it was before she began HRT. However, Lucy had a long talk over the phone with him prior to their move, and he was very welcoming to his granddaughter.

As a welcome home present, Grandpa gives her a locket that belonged to her grandmother. Sam still gets taxidermy. Safe to say, Mikayla likes her gift a lot more.

Finding work has its challenges for Mikayla. She's able to use her looks to get a few job applications in to some shops, but the downside is that...80s sexism is very much a thing. It's a pain, but she's determined to help her mother in any way she can.

Mikayla and Sam still go to the concert, and she still spots Star. She's a lot more shy, as she's worried about how Star would feel about a girl having a crush on her. While Sam is at the comic book store, Mikayla decides to suck it up, and talk to Star.

She compliments her beautiful appearance, and to her delight, Star compliments her gorgeous hair and makeup. They have a bonding moment together, developing a friendship with a budding attraction to one another as well. She hopes to see Star again soon.

Little does she know she's going to meet someone else as well.

David and the boys didn't get a chance to see Mikayla the night she spoke to Star. They are, however, still instructed by Max to go after the children. Max is a very old fashioned man with outdated ideas about gender expectations. So he believes Lucy has two sons, not understanding that's not the case.

Because of this, the Lost Boys are on the lookout for a BOY. So when David spots a beautiful girl walking side by side with Star, he gets so captivated by her that he nearly crashed his bike into a lamp post.

The girls catch what happened, and Mikayla is the one to run over to David. Obviously he's not hurt, but she's still worried. Her big, blue eyes widening and her glossy lips pouting as she asks "hey, are you okay?"

David immediately turns on the charm.

"Well I must have gotten into an accident and died since I'm looking at an angel right now~"

Mikayla is FLUSTERED. He thinks her flushed cheeks are extra cute.

When the other boys get a look at her they are in full "babe alert" mode. They circle around her, not crowding her but making it clear they all think she's very beautiful. Star is annoyed that they're trying to cut in on girl time, but still introduces her new friend.

They are all so incredibly smitten, eager to get to know her better. They decide to put Max's plan on the back burner for the time being, not realizing they're inviting their very target to spend some time with them.

The first night in the cave is wildly different this time around. The boys have turned up the charm to 11, and want to make her comfortable, not play mind games with rice and noodles.

Dwayne breaks out his trusty skateboard to show off some tricks and see what she can do too. Paul pulls her onto his lap and gets his lips so close to hers that they're practically kissing before blowing smoke into her mouth (he offers it as a fun alternative to smoking the weed he has). When Marko returns with their food, he shows off his Italian skills to her, even calling her "Bella" and "Principessa".

Mikayla isn't used to such affection from such handsome boys. She enjoys their hospitality, but still holds her underlying fear of being rejected (or God forbid, attacked) if they learned more about her identity. The boys mistake her caution for shyness, and find it extra cute.

Star notices it too, and she begins to worry that Mikayla doesn't like them coming on so strong. She still tells the boys to leave her alone, just in a different context this time.

They enjoy her company all throughout the night. All of them like her, and see a great deal of potential in her as another member of their coven. Towards end of their time, David has some one-on-one time with her, and finds out she has a little brother named Sam. The gears start turning in his head and between that, her recent move from Phoenix and learning her mother works at the video store, he realizes that Mikayla is the one he's supposed to pursue.

He thinks Max is a total idiot for misgendering Mikayla.

David asks her to have some fun with them another night before toasting to her new addition into their club (with the blood, of course). She's still cautious and uncertain as to David's motives, but can't deny she's quite infatuated with him. They drink, and David helps her get home safe by following her on his own bike. He sends her on her way with a kiss on the back of her hand.

yadda yadda yadda train stuff still happens and Mikayla almost attacks Sam as the blood takes over her body.

In an interesting turn of events, David makes sure Star isn't at the cave the night Mikayla comes looking for answers. Mikayla is still very frightened by what's happening to her, but unlike Star saying she can't help, David calms her down, and explains everything.

He's open and honest and patient when she starts to pick a fight, not happy about what's happened to her. David promises her that she is safe, and that all of the boys and Star like her. He's still his manipulative self, twisting her mind to see that they can take care of her. She won't be alone. They want to be with her. The sweet nothings get to Mikayla, as she admits she doesn't want to be alone.

David kisses her, and to Mikayla's relief, he very much accepting of her being trans. This time around, David is the one to have sex with her in the cave~

Sam is worried about his sister and the Frogs are itching to hunt, but Mikayla has fallen in love, and it's about to let her fellow vampires get hurt. She hopes to patch things up with her brother and keep everyone safe. She knows that Max is dangerous, and will do whatever possible to get her happy ending.

Bonus:

Each member of the coven has a special nickname for her

David - My girl/darling

Dwayne - Beautiful

Marko - Principessa

Paul - Mama/Babe

Star - Mickey (It's what the girls on Mikayla's cheer squad called her. It's based off the Toni Basil song "Hey, Mickey")

#transfem Michael Emerson #the lost boys #tlb #lavender lady rambles #michael emerson #mikayla emerson #tlb au

[okieapache70]

Day 20: Santa #santa #shinethelight #shopwithacop #DecemberPhotoChallenge #PhotoOfTheDay #photochallenge #decemberchallenge #winter2023 #winter #december2023 #happylife #fmspad @fatmumslim #itsthemostwonderfultimeoftheyear #DecembertreesbringJanuarysnow #itsBERseason #photoadaychallenge2023

#photooftheday #photochallenge #love #santa #santa and Mrs. claus #shine the light #shop with a cop #Christmas #santa claus #granddaughter

[rapha-reads]

The Church on Ruby Road [spoilers]

First of all: Fifteen is AMAZIIIIIING. I swear I'm going to try and be normal about him, but his energy! His joy! His connection to his feelings, the emotional depth! That moment when he says "I've adopted, I've just discovered that recently", and then his tears when he realises what happened to Ruby, and then how soft and gentle he was with baby Ruby.

I keep remembering Bill's words about Twelve: "With some people you can smell the wind in their clothes." - and that's exactly it with Fifteen. You can feel not only the age, the experience, the heartbreak and trials the Doctor has gone through, but also, and maybe more importantly, the healing, the love, the joy, the endless curiosity about the universe, the limitless desire to always learn and discover new things. Fifteen is the sum of all the previous Doctors, and he's carrying that weight, but he's also something new, something exciting. The trauma is still there, but he's not letting it weigh him down anymore. Even when he has a moment of doubt, when he says "Maybe I'M the bad luck", a previous regeneration would have left - he stayed and let Ruby make her choice. There's growth there.

We definitely are in a new era of Doctor Who. New New Who? New Who 2.0? Modern Who? Do we have a name yet or is still being debated?

Anyway, secondly. Ruby! Aw, she sounds so cool and kind! The mystery around her birth mother is thrilling without taking the precedent over anything else. Either her birth parents aren't that important, though it's Doctor Who - there's always something else, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's a Time Lord kid, or even the Doctor's child themself - or maybe Jenny's child, the Doctor's granddaughter? I'm just wildly theorizing at this point, never mind all of that.

What's interesting is her relationship with her adoptive mother. That scene where Ruby disappears and her mother forgets about her, and the colours themselves literally bleed out, and the joyful, kind, generous woman we've come to know suddenly turns bitter and sad and cold... Man, that scene messed me up. Makes you think about coincidences, about how and when you meet people and you can never know how important they are in your life, because sometimes the influence they have on you are so subtle, so diffuse, it's impossible to see it. Not the first time this happens in Doctor Who, though, time travel does have that impact. Butterflies and all that. But the impact is always the same heart-wrenching feeling.

Third, the language of rope! By which I mean, I was talking with my brother (huge Whovian like me), and he was telling me that he's a bit worried about RTD's decision to go towards fantasy stories. Well, magic is just another language, after all, isn't it? It's just science that we haven't been able to decipher yet. So, fantasy and science-fiction? They go hand in hand, actually. If the TARDIS is a wooden box that's bigger on the inside and can travel through time and space, then sure, why not, goblins exist, they eat baby, they can also move around time, and their science is the science of ropes and wood. Totally plausible in this world. Wouldn't be weirder than that time Ten met Satan in a pit, or Eleven had an ongoing feud with evil snowmen, or Twelve rode on Santa's sleigh, or Thirteen talked to a frog from another universe. That's cool. Love it.

Right. Well. I'm excited for this new series. It's shiny and fresh, it's something else! Moving forward without forgetting the past. And apparently we're going to meet the Beatles? I love historic episodes! And go to some new planets, meet some new aliens, deal once again with holes in the fabric of the universe (not new, but maybe done in a new way?)... This is going to be great. Next episode in Spring, though? At least it's not another full year of wait.

#doctor who #doctor who spoilers #dw spoilers #doctor who christmas special #the church on ruby road #fifteenth doctor #ruby sunday #russell t davies #rapha talks #rapha is being a whovian #dw episode review #dw review #dw theories #whovian rambles

[anthropologist-on-the-loose]

The Hogfather has The Premise of all time. What if someone tried to use the Tooth Fairy as a means to murder Santa Claus and the Grim Reaper had to act as Santa Claus while the Grim Reaper's granddaughter (who just wants to live a normal life as a nanny) has to figure out who, how, and why someone is trying to kill Santa Claus. And in the end the answer to questions of the story is "humans need mythology and belief and stories to truly be human" presented in an extremely poignant and truly heartfelt manner.

#in which i say things