Issue 974 (Christmas/Holiday) Discussion Thread

[RielCZ]

So many many more great stories from this issue! Here are some reviews/thoughts on a random selection I read (better late than never!):

Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Meal by skeletonic

I thought this was a nice heartwarming story about various acts of charity and goodwill toward less fortunate Neopians. The various scenes throughout Lena's life of hope despite poverty were well crafted, and culminated sensibly into the ending where she gives back. The only minor critique I have is that I thought it would have been a nice bookend if the last part (in the present) had been in first person, just like the first part, but that's not a huge issue. Also I totall ship Larry and Lena, not sure if that was intended though.

Holiday Greetings by flaiyper

I only came to be aware of this meme through Rabbit ♠ , and like... it actually works here. Dat Chadley tho

The Cherry Tree and The Mynci at Christmas by dudeiloled

Awwwww this story left me feeling sad, which clearly was the point. This is a bittersweet tale about the passage of time, and as Stephanie said, it serves as a reminder that not everything is happy for everyone, even on some of the most joyful days of the year. I liked the various juxtapositions (e.g. between old and young, progress and sentimentality) and that even the seeming antagonists (Harmonica and Daisy) were sympathetic.

A Thief's Way of Giving by casper_nepenthes

I dig the art style and the doily border but man I wanna know what was in that gift box!

An Open New Year's Letter to Dr. Sloth by loyalty_sustained

I have learned so much about Dr. Sloth. I was bemused by the many open challenges to the cartoon supervillain throughout the letter. The whole letter is essentially "have you considered being nice for a change in the new year? " and oh boy I can't wait to see Dr. Sloth's op-ed reply. (From that vantage point the footnote totally works.)

The Perfect Request by queen_potema

Aww, what a cute little plot! I had toys like that too that I absolutely refused to abandon as a kid (some are still in my room heh) and the "punchline" was very sweet.

The Night Before Advent by sin_hui_ryoma

Heyyy, a poem-story! I quite liked it, it's nice to see a Petpet trying to find a gift for their Pet/owner! Some of the rhymes/visuals were also quite clever and humourous -- I've never thought about not having a present meaning you're unarmed at Christmas heh. What the Bika ended up doing was pretty fun, and it was a nice reminder that sometimes the best gifts are those created from the heart.

Decorating with Sophie by izzywizard

OK, that was cute. And, knowing cats, relatable. And nice throwback (or premonition depending on when this was made?) to the Meowclops in the Advent Calendar.

How to Give Gifts to Chocolatiers by Kat

What an admittedly interesting story! Like Twillie, I did not expect the MC to be a magical girl, but as soon as it happened it made a lot of sense honestly. It also really picked up the storyline from the relatable "what do for gift " to something that was pretty exciting and action-packed. I also like how her boss will never know what she gifted him -- sometimes those are the best gifts heh.

A True Neopian Holiday by safemoon

This is even truer with the way the Advent Calendar worked out this year.

Holiday Gift Ideas From Neopia’s Most Notable Faeries by ahh_choo

First of all, I am 100% on board with Fyora being Stan S. Stanman someone to take any opportunity to just promote her wares for her benefit alone. This is a pretty fun concept for an article, and though some faeries' answers may have been somewhat cliche, they were all sensible in terms of faerie interviewed (or not interviewed in some cases). I agree that Jhudora's answer was one of the better ones! It was a fun read.

5 Neopian Charities who Embodied the Spirit of Giving in 2022 by coraisweird

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and humour throughout this article that took Neopian lore/locations/events (or in the case of Charity Corner, lack of events) and put a fun spin on / tied them together; I was sucked in by the second paragraph at the mention of the glaring inaction by the Pocket Change Redistribution Committee. All the various "charities" were well described; I especially liked the Money Tree's idealistic personality, and the quips about dung at the Second Hand Shoppe! Never heard of the The Neovian Fashion Fund, though. (About the only thing I'd thought of as a potentially missed opportunity for humour was saying something like "The Wishing Well would like to remind its patrons that even with a deep supply of magic, it cannot for legal reasons gift any more Neopets 22nd Birthday Goodie Bags.") Anyway, great article!

Dinner with the Scarlets: Another Holiday by June Scarlet

I like the art style, simple and detailed at the same time. On Christmas day I am totally the girl in the first panel with the excitement and snowflakes in her eyes haha. Also I can't help but think the "another holiday" is a jab at the continuous string of holiday NTs heh.

And as quick reply to Stephanie (swordlilly) , I'm glad you are enjoying it! Fun fact, I checked out ebook and audiobook copies of A Christmas Carol from my local library's digital collection. I listened to the audiobook, and then wrote my NT story whilst flipping along with the ebook because I wanted to make sure I followed the general plot structure as closely as possible. (Sorry to those who like the movie version better heh.) And hey, Dickens used Carol to critique his society, thought I could do the same with our "society" too. *wink and fingergun*

And I think that's it for me on this edition! Merry belated Christmas and such.