fox

[watch this space] (A letter will be here by the time I finish my submission; I'm making this post now just so I know what the link will be. Carry on!)

Hello, new friend! I'm so happy you're here! . . . I also note that since last year's Yuletide letter I have posted seven (7) times, exactly none of which were on happy topics, including any type of Yuletide wrapup in which—and I can't believe this!, because I remember saying how delightful it was!, but apparently I only did so in a comment on the story itself!—I praised my delightful gift (A Slow Morning, by ConfusedCyndaquil, Will Darling Adventures, Will/Kim) and acknowledged my own submission (Disaster Preparedness, for DWEmma, Sports Night, Casey+Dana). I seem to spend most of my online / social media time on Tumblr (agentreynard) and Discord (agentreynard) these days and just come here to record hard times when I'm struggling, but those platforms don't lend themselves well to Yuletide letters, do they? So here this is, and please believe me when I tell you that a lot more goes on in my life than just nightmares and my aging mother losing her mind. Honest!

I love Yuletide! Except for two years when I couldn't do it for family-emergency reasons and then later the first five years after my son was born [about two weeks before the posting deadline; it wouldn't have been wise for me to sign up that year at all!], I've been here since the second Yuletide. You will have an easy time pleasing me and a hard time disappointing me. Fear not. Let's have a great time together. The fellow fan and Yuletider who knows me best is ellen_fremedon (fremedon), who has agreed that you can ping her if you need insider info.

My general DNWs as I listed them in my signup (did I? I should have. I usually do.) are these:

• character bashing, which I define more or less as giving characters negative traits that are not evident in the text—making nice people mean, mainly, because all the rest is just variations on that (making thoughtful people selfish, for example; it's all the same) (I used to say "making smart people stupid" as another example, but the older I get, the more I leave that kind of thinking behind, I think.)
• 2016+ U.S. politics, because I am here for escapism

If I have further thoughts, I will return and post them here, but like I said, you can also approach Ellen if the signup/this letter leaves you stumped and you need insight.

As we have also been asked in the past to affirm that treats are also welcome, let me assure you: Treats are also welcome! In fact, all the opt-ins you could ever opt in to are also great. Go wild. ❤️

Have a great time and happy Yuletide!