Yuletide collection opens!

Ahhh, how is it almost the end of December? The last few months have been a blur. Christmas Day and Boxing Day were hectic in a good way with family celebrations, and now there's the chance to settle down with the Yuletide collection! This time I was lucky enough to receive two amazing gifts. Both for the same fandom, but taking different angles.

Title: Adventure! Romantic couple's activities! Rubbery lumps! [archive-locked]
Fandom: Fallen London | Echo Bazaar
Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, Player (Fallen London)/Your Lover Returned (Fallen London), Player (Fallen London) & Your Lover Returned (Fallen London), Player (Fallen London), Your Lover Returned (Fallen London), Fruits of the Zee Festival (Fallen London), the joy and agony of reconnecting with someone you love but no longer know
Summary: A new ship rests in the marina. A ferry, headed to Mutton Island for their annual festival, you gather by the yells of its zailors. When you make the mistake of catching one's eye, their cries get much louder in your direction. Adventure! Wholesome family activities! Romantic couple's activities! Rubbery lumps!
You and your companion share a glance. A smile tugs at their lips, and they tilt their head invitingly in the ferry's direction. Well, it's not like either of you have something better to do today. You scrounge payment and gallantly help your companion aboard.

A lovely and wistful adventure together. Gorgeous and atmospheric.

Title: To Take Tea With an Ostensible Stranger [archive-locked]
Fandom: Fallen London | Echo Bazaar
Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, Player/Your Lover Returned (Fallen London), Player (Fallen London), Your Lover Returned (Fallen London), Original Fallen London Character(s), This is tagged f/f because one of the characters is a he/him butch lesbian lmao, Spoilers for Ambition: Nemesis (Fallen London), Third Person POV
Summary: Joaquín didn't remember her. He didn't remember a lot of things. Maybe Petunia could help him sort a few things out.
Contains major spoilers for Ambition: Nemesis. Written for Yuletide 2025.

All the exploration of aftermath I could want. Beautiful angst with a hopeful ending.

Thank you so much, dear authors! You've really made my Yuletide.

Sometimes I wonder, is this nomination too niche? Too obscure? Do I need to make an evidence post? Is anyone else even interested in this weird corner of the canon? To find out that someone else is - it's just so good.

Exchanges can be exhausting or frustrating or unpredictable. But this is the kind of thing that keeps me coming back: the magic of releasing your requests out into the world, and sometimes them returning with a brand new story that would never have existed otherwise.

1538 stories in 1075 fandoms in the Yuletide collection, and 226 stories in 194 fandoms in the Yuletide Madness collection. Happy Yuletide!