let there be light

I put up my Christmas tree today.

I mean, it's one of these extremely stylized fake trees that are literally just a spiral cone of lights. But it is nevertheless a Christmas tree.

Daylight Savings time just ended, it's now dark at 5 pm, my apartment's badly lit, and I wanted something a bit cheery. Also, I mostly missed Christmas last year because of my back injury, and I will always resent that fact.

I just hope I'm not tempting fate.

*knocks on every wood or possibly-wood surface in the apartment*

but the pandemic is over!

I heard from my co-worker with COVID. She's feeling a bit better, which is good, especially since she hasn't been able to get either an official test or access to antivirals due to wait times at all clinics. Which are due to many people being sick from the nonexistent pandemic illness, as well as flu and RSV. Meanwhile, HR contacted her to say that she can come back on Wednesday (!) if she feels up to it, and she doesn't have to test at all before returning. (She said she's going to test anyway, and fortunately, she's in a position where she's financially able to stay home if she either tests positive or doesn't feel recovered.)

HR also contacted me, since I'm considered to have been exposed, to tell me that I don't have to test either and can come in as usual if I don't feel sick. (I feel fine so far, but I'm going to test tomorrow morning anyway.)

This is all so messed up.

OFMD ficlet: "Companions"

Halloween's over, but it's still fall, right? I can still write some fills for my Fall Festival Bingo card. This one's for the prompt "Honoring the Dead."


Companions (887 words) by kindkit
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Our Flag Means Death (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Stede Bonnet, Nigel Badminton, Chauncey Badminton
Additional Tags: Ghosts, Ficlet, Mild Gore
Series: Part 7 of OFMD Fall Festival Bingo Ficlets
Summary: Stede receives visitors with some ideas to help him.