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( Fun times )

I will say - it was really nice to get some rain this week, late in the season. Also risked an hour-(gasp!)-long drive to go to the Nachsholim area, a little north of Caesarea, on the coast, for a night of basically nothing but chilling in a hotel with a seaside view with

marina, with a stroll down the historic pedestrian mall in Zichron in the afternoon, which felt like being a tourist in some other universe.

Following recs, I've been reading some Heated Rivalry fics, including Apogee by OpalApparition, a 50k space AU which I enjoyed a lot and felt a little like an Andy Weir book but with good UST and sex, and then followed that up with Wolfbird by the same author, a 170k pro-dom!Ilya AU which has taken over my brain and I am now obsessed, destroyed, all of the feels about. It is also a WIP so read at your own risk (but my god, read it).

Movies I have watched this week: Chaplin (1992), Zootopia 2, old home movies.

Words I have written this week: zero. At some point in 2023, before the first war (that one) started, I started writing a KinnPorsche/Discworld crossover, and then later 2023 happened, and I have written zero words since other than yuletide, and I really want to finish it before moving on to other stuff! It has, in fact, the potential to be a very cute story! I just need to... get there. And then I can write at least one of my HR fic ideas, which I would really, really like to happen sometime this year please, fingers crossed.

firebatvillain posting in

sufficiently_advanced_ex

Assignments are out!

Here are some initial Pinch hits. Please reply to this post or email [email protected] to claim. Please include your Ao3 username and the number of the pinch hit you are claiming. These will be due Sun 03 May 2026 10:00PM EDT!

( PH 1 - The Founders Trilogy - Robert Jackson Bennett, The Long Way Round - Naomi Novik, Olondria - Sofia Samatar, Shadow of the Leviathan - Robert Jackson Bennett, Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik )

( PH 2 - Le Petit Prince | The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski, The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle, xxxHoLic (Manga) )

( PH 3 - The Locked Tomb Series | Gideon the Ninth Series - Tamsyn Muir, The Hierarchy - James Islington, Green Creek Series - T.J. Klune, Feast While You Can - Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta, Doctrine of Labyrinths - Sarah Monette )

( PH 4 - The Angel of the Crows - Katherine Addison, Emelan - Tamora Pierce, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien )

tinny posting in

icontalking

This month, your challenge is straightforward: look at the 20 movie posters under the cut and make icons inspired by them. You can get inspired by the textwork, the composition, the coloring, the crops, whatever catches your eye!

I hope you find them inspiring!

( Inspirational Posters under here )

* Please state in your comment which poster(s) inspired you.

* You can make as many icons as you like (if you need a goal, five is a good number :))
* There is no minimum, 1 icon is enough to enter this activity
* Please submit your icons (and URLs!) to this post, all in one comment (if possible)
* Everyone can participate, you don't have to be a member of this community

* I will collect all the icons from the comments and make a result post
* Everyone can leave comments on the inspiration and activity result posts
* There is no voting

Deadline: Saturday, April 11th, your end-of-day

lhune posting in

3_good_things_a_day

1) More gorgeous sunny weather ♥

2) Excellent coffee on my sunny balcony to start the day

3) Nice hot shower

tinny posting in

icontalking

Everyone really went outside their comfort zone, and the results are amazing!

( 44 comic-look icons by 6 makers )

Plus, littlemissnovella linked a texture set she created before: https://i.imgur.com/Iva9yxM.png

Feel free to comment here or on each maker's threads linked next to their name.

Our next activity will be coming up later today.

sholio

We went and saw Project Hail Mary this afternoon. It was terrific. I loved it.

You can read my (positive and spoilery) reactions to the Project Hail Mary book at this post from 2024.

If spoilers matter to you, I recommend very strongly going in as unspoiled as possible, including not watching the trailer.

( Talking about the movie some more, and movie vs book )

firebatvillain posting in

sufficiently_advanced_ex

Hi all, we sent an email a couple hours ago to one participant who is unmatchable currently - please check the email associated with your AO3 account to see if you got this email!

starandrea

♥ Garden update:

Holding steady with 8* out of 22 dahlias sprouted at the two-week mark. (They're gonna need more space and more light.) 2 of 3 canna boxes are still sleeping; I will probably give in and pot some of the more reckless from the top box tomorrow. (They don't need as much light as dahlias, and I do have extra soil, if not space.)

ETA: 12 hours later there's 9 and I genuinely don't know which one is the new one.

Cleaned up some leaves and old pumpkins from the side and dogwood gardens today, pruned the crabapple and montauk daisies yesterday. Still watching the maybe crocus/scilla sprouts in the rock garden, no further evidence at this time. (Now I am even side-eyeing the chiondoxa: maybe it's daffodils this year! Who knows! Apparently not me.)

( pictures )

♥ Miscellaneous notes:

What America Could Learn From Asia's Robot Revolution, article adapted from Candi K. Cann's book augmented. I found the "conclusion" particularly memorable:

"To me, this is the crux of why Americans have such a hard time accepting robots and other new technologies into our everyday lives, and why our science fiction is filled with stories of humans versus robots. In the United States, robots are viewed as soulless, unlike in Asia, where they are viewed as soul-possible or soul-different. For those who cling to the notion of human exceptionalism, if robots could be viewed as sentient, then perhaps humans are not that special after all. Until we take seriously the ways in which our cultural and religious heritages inspire and impede our attitudes toward technologies, the development of these technologies will remain the realm of only a select few."

Finally, Duolingo has added "B2" levels to its Chinese course as A/B. For once I am on the exciting side of A/B testing, so I got to bump my level from 100 to 130 yesterday. According to last year's Duocon, there are no current plans to add further content after B2, but Duolingo has defined levels up to C2/160.

...What does this mean? idk, but probably owls all the way down.

torachan

1. It's still supposed to be unseasonably warm next week, but today seems to be a little break in the weather. When I went out for my walk this morning, it was a bit foggy (though it had burned off by the time I got home), and then while it was sunny for a while midday, around 2pm it got overcast again and has stayed that way. It was really foggy again when we took our walk tonight, too.

2. I made a rhubarb pie earlier and we're going to have some of that for dessert. We still have a bunch of baggies of chopped rhubarb in the freezer from when we were buying it from the farmers market last year lol.

3. Ollie loves to snuggle on my clothes. :)

littlefics posting in

seasonsofdrabbles

The next round of Seasons of Drabbles is right around the corner! See the spring schedule below:

Schedule:
Nominations open: Sunday, March 29 (will remain open through signups)
Signups open: Sunday, April 5
Signups close: Sunday, April 12 @ 11:59pm Eastern Daylight time (Countdown)
Assignments out by: Wednesday, April 15
Assignments due: Saturday, April 25 @ 11:59pm Eastern Daylight time (Countdown)
Collection opens: Saturday, May 2 @ 1:00pm Eastern Daylight time (Countdown)
Authors revealed: Tuesday, May 5 @ 1:00pm Eastern Daylight time

abyss_valkyrie posting in

icontalking

Hello, everyone. I'm running a BBC Merlin battle at

iconbattles .
Check out the themes and details here.

j_crew_guy

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

flemmings

Garage tenant comes round early so I get up the nerve to ask him to flip my futon. Nerving necessary because ingrained cultural training of 'place is a mess, don't let anyone see it.' (Japanese students would ask me what was the English equivalent of the Japanese set phrase asking person in. Used to say, not entirely kidding, 'The place is a mess' because that really is what we always say.) Flipping the futon doesn't make as much difference as I thought it would-- the thing still sags whichever side is up-- but it does help.

Tree people all want to come in the morning. Have another coming next Saturday at 10. Must stop the hurkledurkling I do because out of bed at noon does not help. But must also bump thermostat to uncomfortable highs because it's waking in the cold that makes me not want to get out of bed. Well, that and the delightful dreams I have when I go back to sleep. This morning's involved roommates either moving in or out and a cat that might have been theirs or mine.

torachan

Recently Finished
Lucky Stiff
Third book in the Lillian Byrd murder mystery series.

The Cartographers
When the MC's father dies, she finds an old road map in his things, the source of a massive fight years ago that resulted in him cutting ties with her and blackballing her from the cartography world. In trying to figure out why her father would have kept the map, she learns about not only the secrets of the map itself, but about her parents. I enjoyed this but it was very slow for the first half or so.

The Hanging Tree
A woman goes on a writing retreat at a remote manor and learns of a local legend about a young woman who was hanged as a witch on the property and decides that's what she wants her next book to be about. The book is told in dual timelines with the present being about her research and the past being the actual events. I liked this, but there was way too much romance focus in both the past and present.

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?
Graphic novel about the author's relationship with her parents, especially focused on caring for them in their final years. I really liked this a lot.

Huda F Cares? and Huda F Wants to Know?
Second and third books in the Huda F series of YA graphic novels about a very religious Muslim teen loosely based on the author's life. I continue to enjoy this series.

Hatsukoi no Tsugi vol. 3
Final volume in this companion series to Koi-iji. I liked this a lot.

china_shop posting in

sid_guardian

Zhao Yunlan sprawled on a couch, grinning at his phone. The background shows a purply sky with stars. Text reads "Slo-Mo Rewatch. Guardian - half an episode per week @ sid-guardian.dreamwidth.org."

Hi, and welcome back to the Guardian drama Slo-Mo Rewatch. Watch half an episode a week, at your leisure, and then come and chat about it here in comments. Or you can just jump into the comments without rewatching, of course!

Here are the previous weeks' rewatch posts.

Episode 13, up to 21:44

Summary
Zhao Yunlan & co. break Da Qing out of his frenzy with the help of Lao Li's dried fish. Looking for Tan Xiao, Zheng Yi causes mayhem at the wedding, and Shen Wei arrives and stops it. Zhao Yunlan arrives and intervenes before Minister Gao can blame Shen Wei for any of it, but in fact, Minister Gao is grateful. Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei go head-to-head about Shen Wei's secrets again, neither able to concede. They're called out to the street, where Da Qing and Lin Jing are trying to calm a frenzied Cong Bo. From him, they learn Zhu Jiu and the Crow Yashou have a boss. Zhao Yunlan hints again that he wants to work with Shen Wei, but Shen Wei leaves. Human-form Ya Qing and Zhu Jiu fight in front of Zheng Yi, who just wants her Tan Xiao. Chu Shuzhi stomps through the Snake forest and rescues Guo Changcheng. Tan Xiao has a nightmare and wakes up in the lab, where Zhao Yunlan finds him.

Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei facing off in the Li family's parlour.

Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei facing off in the Li family's parlour.

Quote
Shen Wei: Did I bring you trouble?
Zhao Yunlan: If you are the trouble, I'll take it by the dozen to bother my whole life.

Detail
Ya Qing delivers a message from Ye Zun to Zhu Jiu. Does that mean she's travelled to Dixing as their go-between?

Questions
Dried fish brings Da Qing back to his senses: what would work for some of the other characters? During Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei's standoff in the parlour, who do you sympathise with the most? Is Zhao Yunlan demanding answers in his capacity as chief of the SID or on the basis of their personal relationship? Is it okay for the SID to go around sedating members of the public without first checking their medical histories? What is Zhao Yunlan thinking as he watches Shen Wei leave the alley? (He looks so serious!)

Did you see any parallels in these scenes with other parts of the drama? If you're familiar with the novel, any thoughts about how the drama adaptation compares, if at all?

(As usual, these are all just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like! You don't have to be keeping up with the rewatch to join in. We'd love to hear your thoughts!)

And here is our schedule -- if you can, please sign up to host a post!

petra

Quartetto (146039 words) by Sixthlight
Chapters: 11/11
Fandom: due South
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski/Stella Kowalski/Ray Vecchio, Stella Kowalski/Ray Vecchio, Benton Fraser/Ray Vecchio, Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, Ray Kowalski/Stella Kowalski, Benton Fraser & Stella Kowalski, Ray Kowalski & Ray Vecchio
Characters: Stella Kowalski (due South), Ray Vecchio, Benton Fraser, Ray Kowalski
Additional Tags: Polyamory, Slow Burn, Trauma Recovery, Queer Themes, Feminist Themes, Bisexuality, Female Protagonist, Second Chances, Post-Canon, Roman fleuve, Foursome - F/M/M/M
Summary:

So, men. Maybe Stella was over that.

*

This story digs deep into the situation implied in the phrase, "I swing both Rays," in that Stella always has, and so does Fraser. Eventually, after some lovely family tension and gloriously due South coincidences, they find their way to a dynamic sort of domestic peace, in defiance of all the canon's fear of limerence.

This was very, very good for my heart, with its rampant bisexuality and careful, thoughtful exploration of how these characters -- some of whom have solid reasons at the outset not to like each other very much -- find attraction, and joy, and above all banter. The banter is fucking golden. I love Fraser's voice, and this reflects it; I love RayK when he's flustered, and there is plenty to fluster him here; I love Vecchio when he is sharp and sweet and sardonic, and oh my heart.

And. Possibly most importantly, Stella. I have never spent much time thinking about her, but how I adore her in this piece: incisive, driven, sure of herself even when things are going completely bananas all around her, because women are the real straight men in due South, except when they're Frannie. (Who is also great here, don't get me wrong.) Stella's family works very well in their role in the narrative, both as foils of what her parents will tolerate (Francis!) and as what they thought Stella should be (ah, Jean, heartbreaking to get everything right). Stella with her view of reality that isn't quite the parareality of due South -- she may talk to Dief, but she doesn't entirely believe he understands her, nor that he talks back, despite the convictions of the people around her. She lives on a different wavelength than Fraser, and even RayV, as the quintessential Woman Who Got Away, but it is deeply satisfying that here, she doesn't get away, and instead, she gets everything she ever wanted.

Every single bowling reference made me make the :D face. Thank you, sixthlight, for saving Stella and Vecchio from the bad, bad canon, and instead delivering them to this much better situation.

Current Mood: oh my heart
Current Music: Across the great divide

kaberett

Today was A Travel Day; yesterday, in preparation for same, I Ran Errands, including "acquiring Tiny Cake" and "visiting the pharmacy".

On the way from those two jobs to the next couple, I passed Several Good Things.

One was a new-to-me flavour of completely ridiculous daffodil:

a double daffodil, with white petals and inner trumpet, protruding past a much shorter orange outer trumpet

It's a double not in the sense of having a confusing froth of intermingled trumpets (as of Double Fashion or Double Camparnelle, both of which exist locally), but in the sense of having two nested trumpets, one shorter and orange, from which the longer white one protrudes. I have never! previously! seen a thing like this! I am really enjoying my current streak of encountering varieties of daffodil that make me go "what the fuck???"

Shortly thereafter I checked over my shoulder while crossing a tiny bridge and was startled and delighted to see A COOT UPON THE NEST that, last I passed it, was clearly still derelict. Obviously I went back and Gazed Upon It for Some Time and was eventually rewarded by it STANDING UP to reveal SEVEN??? (possibly) EGGS!!!

And the Egyptian goslings were peeping about the place when I subsequently passed them on my way back up the hill. A+ errands would run again.

nnozomi posting in

guardian_learning

部首
水 part 5
汤, soup; 汽, steam; 沈, family name Shen ( pinyin )
https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?cdqrad=85

词汇
度过, to spend (time), 季度 quarter (of a year) ( pinyin )
https://mandarinbean.com/new-hsk-4-word-list/

Guardian:
我一定也为咱们家买一个这样的小汽车, I'll for sure buy a little car like this for us too
[no 度 words]

Me:
你没带伞吗，回家就这么落汤鸡。
在那里度过一夏天你就懂了。

sanguinity

Life has been very busy and I am behind on posting all the things, but this morning I had a few free hours. I spent it writing fic.

Better than Tons of Gold and Cases of Diamonds

The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas for PhoenixFalls
Edmond Dantès/Abbé Faria
Imprisonment, Canon Compliant, Making the Subtext Text, No Betas We Die Like Abbé Faria
Major Character death, 1300 words

Dantès swore that nothing but death would part them. Nothing but death did. Scenes from a sort of marriage.

The last couple of weeks, I've been reading The Count of Monte Cristo with

monte-cristo-daily. We're only just past the Château d'If, so please don't spoil me, I know nothing. (Right now Dantès is buying everyone boats: I heartily approve!)

But from the moment Abbé Faria was introduced, I shipped it. Alas, when I turned to AO3, I discovered this was a "when not even the sickos on AO3 have your back" kind of moment. So I fixed that. ;-)

Inaugural post for the 'ship, hooray!

sholio

I posted some more Babylon 5 fic in the last couple of days: a new Londo/G'Kar fake dating fic plus a new chapter of the B5 catacomb WIP.

It's been a year this month since I started watching the show - my first post under the B5 tag was posted March 3, 2025 after watching the first couple of episodes. Still completely gone on it! I regret nothing!

In other news, NYT gift link to an article about Paul Brainerd, creator of Aldus PageMaker and inventor of the term "desktop publishing." This was a fascinating nostalgia read for me because, while I had no idea of the actual history, this guy (and Adobe and Apple) created the professional world of my young adulthood. My first job out of college in (I think) 1998 was working in the layout department of a newspaper that had just recently (last few years) gone from paste-up to an all-Mac layout room using a program similar to PageMaker from a third-party software maker that no longer exists. PageMaker - which I also learned to use in the college computer lab, and later at work - was the direct predecessor of InDesign, widely used even today. It's interesting to think back on those old newspaper days and how thoroughly they shaped me and continue to shape me. The computer/layout/marketing experience I got as a layout artist in the late 90s and 2000s has been immensely useful for my current self-publishing career.

It continues to be horrendously cold. We've been sitting under a high-pressure ridge and have had gorgeous sunny days that are absolutely freezing. It was -20F when I got up this morning and it's 0F out there right now. My husband's (uni-age) students are over here today because they wanted to help him dig out an ancient non-working snowblower that someone gave us ages ago from a snowbank and try to get it working again. (We do actually have TWO other snowblowers. This is just for fun.)

I took this picture on a walk up our driveway to the highway to get the mail a couple of days ago:

a long expanse of snow-covered road with piles of snow on each side

At least at this time of year, the sun warms it up SOMEWHAT during the day - in January it can sit at -40 24/7 for weeks; at this time of year we're still experiencing 20-40 degree increases during the day .... which is still barely enough to push us above 0F. The 10-day forecast shows that it will be glacially (haha) warming up, but still may not have crawled into above-freezing temps by the end of the month. UGH, I'M READY FOR SPRING.

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Shay

June 2020

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Page generated Mar. 22nd, 2026 04:39 pm

Someone to fall back on

Network

starting week 4 of life on hold

Pinch Hits #1-4

Activity #104 - At The Movies

Sunday 22/03/2026

Activity Results for #103 Comic

Project Hail Mary movie

Unmatchable email sent

"it's just an ordinary day, and it's all your state of mind" (great big sea)

Daily Happiness

Spring Schedule Announced!

Promo: Merlin battle

Probably not quite down to the exact minute, but...

(no subject)

Weekly Reading

Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 13, part 1

Recommendation - Quartetto, due South story by sixthlight

happy equinox, etc

第五年第七十天

Fic: The Count of Monte Cristo

A quiet Saturday

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June 2020

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