I'm a tad worried that covid loves me a little too much. Despite being a mild dose compared to last time, the same tiredness nonsense that dogged me for two or three months after the first bout continues after this one too. I nap heavily every day, and yeah. Whole new insight into CFS daughter's frustration and grumps.
Part time work manageable, garden not a complete shambles (pink princess dahlia lives up to her name, roses still alive), kitchen a total shambles, and no writing. Bah!
I've watched the gay hockey show. I enjoyed it, but I'm not fannish about it. At least I have a reference point now. :-)
Tabby Little isn't the hunter that Miss Calico was, which is good. But she's still a cat. Miss Calico was an embarrassing exemplar of the cat that lengthily toys with its prey, but Tabby Little has a catch and dispatch approach. It's less distressing even if the clean-up after remains rather gross and generally feathery.
Part time work manageable, garden not a complete shambles (pink princess dahlia lives up to her name, roses still alive), kitchen a total shambles, and no writing. Bah!
I've watched the gay hockey show. I enjoyed it, but I'm not fannish about it. At least I have a reference point now. :-)
Tabby Little isn't the hunter that Miss Calico was, which is good. But she's still a cat. Miss Calico was an embarrassing exemplar of the cat that lengthily toys with its prey, but Tabby Little has a catch and dispatch approach. It's less distressing even if the clean-up after remains rather gross and generally feathery.
Title: "Goddamn Bugs"
Artist:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
magnavox_23
Character/Pairing: Team
Rating: G
(click to embiggen)
2x10 Bane
Artist:
magnavox_23 Character/Pairing: Team
Rating: G
(click to embiggen)
2x10 Bane
People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
I'm dropping in a different topic today. Recently I posted an article and a video about a cow performing versatile tool use. It turns out that cows also have prehensile tongues, and having a manipulatory appendage correlates with both tool use and intelligence. Does this information change how you feel about cows? How they should be treated? Your choices to use cow products such as milk, meat, and/or leather? Why or why not? Discuss.
I'm dropping in a different topic today. Recently I posted an article and a video about a cow performing versatile tool use. It turns out that cows also have prehensile tongues, and having a manipulatory appendage correlates with both tool use and intelligence. Does this information change how you feel about cows? How they should be treated? Your choices to use cow products such as milk, meat, and/or leather? Why or why not? Discuss.
Tonight I made thumbprint cookies. I'm still trying to find a recipe that I really like. The texture on the dough here is a bit fiddly, but they bake up well and taste good.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
haven’t had time to play sims the last week or so, but i do have some screenshots i’ve taken since getting my new PC and the quality is slowly but surely getting better 🙂
the last time i posted about the sims i mentioned the game was crashing just trying to take screenshots but NO MORE!
( guess this will also somewhat serve as a save file update LOL )
the last time i posted about the sims i mentioned the game was crashing just trying to take screenshots but NO MORE!
( guess this will also somewhat serve as a save file update LOL )
Stargate SG-1 is coming to Aussie Netflix, February 14! <3
We have almost reached the end of January! \o/ By now, most New Year's resolutions that are going to hit roadblocks or fail completely have already done so. About 95% crash and burn before the end of January. If you're still going, you've passed the roughest part. If you're having trouble or you've given up, there are options.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV
Rating: Mature
Archive Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Urianger Augurelt/Moenbryda Wilfsunnwyn, Urianger Augurelt & Moenbryda Wilfsunnwyn, Ardbert & Urianger Augurelt, Unrealized Ardbert/Urianger Augurelt, Pre-Urianger Augurelt/Warrior of Light
Characters: Urianger Augurelt, Moenbryda Wilfsunnwyn, Ardbert Hylfyst, Elidibus, Unukalhai, Tataru Taru, Minfilia Warde, Warrior of Light, Dewlala Dewla, Y'shtola Rhul, Yugiri Mistwalker, Thancred Waters, J'Rhoomale, Blanhaerz, Lamimi, Naillebert, Haneko Burneko
Additional Tags: Grief/Mourning, Angst, Religion, Isolation, Loneliness, Patch 3.4: Soul Surrender Spoilers (Final Fantasy XIV), Elezen Warrior of Light, Female Warrior of Light, Canon-Typical Violence, Guilt, Emotional Repression, Child Neglect, Childhood Memories, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Series: With Lilies and With Laurel
Length: 34,805 / 92,000
Chapter: 6/15
Summary:
Heartbroken after the loss of his dearest companion, Urianger labors to save two worlds in which he has never felt more alone.
Notes:
If you're new here, please start with Chapter 1!
Final Fantasy XIV is owned by Square Enix. This is a non-commercial work of fanfiction.
( Read on AO3 )
( ...or below! )
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Gray wolves are hunting sea otters and no one knows how
On a remote Alaskan island, gray wolves are rewriting the rulebook by hunting sea otters — a behavior few scientists ever expected to see. Researchers are now uncovering how these coastal wolves adapted to marine hunting, what it means for land–sea ecosystems, and whether this ancient predator–prey relationship is re-emerging as sea otters recover.
My best guess is that the wolves prey on sea otters during brief times the otters come ashore. Maybe on ice, which can work rather like land, but there is a lot less ice now than there used to be. It's hard to image a less-marine-adapted predator catching more-marine-adapted prey actually in the water. Then again, if that's happening, it would push the otters to move into waters the wolves can't reach -- which is one way that semi-aquatic species become fully-aquatic species.
On a remote Alaskan island, gray wolves are rewriting the rulebook by hunting sea otters — a behavior few scientists ever expected to see. Researchers are now uncovering how these coastal wolves adapted to marine hunting, what it means for land–sea ecosystems, and whether this ancient predator–prey relationship is re-emerging as sea otters recover.
My best guess is that the wolves prey on sea otters during brief times the otters come ashore. Maybe on ice, which can work rather like land, but there is a lot less ice now than there used to be. It's hard to image a less-marine-adapted predator catching more-marine-adapted prey actually in the water. Then again, if that's happening, it would push the otters to move into waters the wolves can't reach -- which is one way that semi-aquatic species become fully-aquatic species.
The 2026 Rose and Bay Awards are still open for excellence in crowdfunding. Today and tomorrow are the last days to nominate your favorite projects and patrons. If you have not yet done so, please do that now.
The award period for eligible activities spans January 1-December 31, 2025.
The nomination period spans January 1-January 31, 2026.
The voting period spans February 1-February 28, 2026.
These are the handlers for the 2026 award season:
The award period for eligible activities spans January 1-December 31, 2025.
The nomination period spans January 1-January 31, 2026.
The voting period spans February 1-February 28, 2026.
These are the handlers for the 2026 award season:
Art:
Fiction:
Poetry:
Webcomic:
Other Project:
Patron:
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
thestoryinside, a community where you sign up and pick three books for an assigned partner off their TBR based on voted for themes and vice versa, is open for February sign-ups until January 31st.halfamoon, a 14 day fest to celebrate women, is running again during the first two weeks of February. This year's prompt list is here.lul_soulmatesex, a soulmate themed exchange, is open for sign-ups until February 1st, 11:59am CST.caseficexchange, a fanwork exchange focusing on investigations, is open for sign-ups until February 1st, 11:59PM EST.space_swap, an exchange for all fandoms related to space, is accepting nominations until February 3rd, 5PM CET.fandomtrumpshate is open for creator sign-ups until February 8th.dcfemslashevents is running dcu femslash february comment fest. threesentenceficathon has opened its third post for prompting and fills. Post 1 and 2 are still open for fills. There is also a Friending Meme!(Well, it's a series, but I'm still going to count it as one continuous story.)
We Don't Talk About the Drawerfic
It was only this past December that I posted anything to AO3 longer than 10k. My public output up to that point was largely one-shots and drabbles. Over the years, I think my productivity has slowed as my writing quality improved. My mounds of unposted drawerfic are a testament to this. For instance: over the span of 4 months in 2013, I wrote nearly 100k words. Most of that is terrible and will not see the light of day.
Though, I have been a bit inspired by a postdeerna made about Obsidian to at least organize those old fics more nicely. My current setup is just dumping them all into zip files and backing those up on a couple different devices.
Anyway, I think the revision process has always been a challenge for me. I'm comfortable with the act of editing itself, but I'm highly critical of my own writing, and the amount of things I want to fix can be overwhelming, especially when the solution doesn't feel clear. But I think I've finally found a way that works for me, and as such, I have not only been able to post a 14k fic for Yuletide, but also to write and post a 24k series! It consists of a prequel set in the future ("Closing the Loop"), a fic building out the tension and action ("Playing the Part"), and then the porn chapter ("Deepening the Craft"), which I posted on a separate archive-locked account.
I've found plot structure the best way to get unstuck. For the Yuletide fic, I very much drew upon the nuts and bolts of three acts. They so helpfully segment out the rising of the stakes, the worsening of short- and long-term problems, the evolution of internal and external conflict, the introduction of pinch points... as I wrote and revised, I kept coming back to those elements. It helped me get a handle on things instead of becoming overwhelmed.
I don't do this every time, but when I feel that something about a scene is unsatisfying, I make myself write out answers to several questions until I feel clarity. Who are the characters before versus after this scene? Does it increase tension, advance the plot, or reveal a character's goal (it should do at least one of those)? Does it show character development, show the cause/effect of the characters' conflict, reinforce or raise the stakes, or reveal something about the character's motivation? Does the scene change negatively or positively? Is it a scene that follow the "goal -> conflict -> disaster" pattern, or is it a "reaction to disaster -> dilemma -> decision" deal?
This does feel rather excessive when I recall that I began to write this particular series simply because I wanted to write two characters fucking. But so it goes, in the world of fanfiction. I swear, I tried really hard to just make them have sex and be done with it, but they insisted on 17k of set-up first.
The Fic Itself
( More detail about the canonical context and where I diverged )
Some fun AO3 tags I got to use for this: Identity Porn, this time literal, Fake Femdom, Idiots in Lust
We Don't Talk About the Drawerfic
It was only this past December that I posted anything to AO3 longer than 10k. My public output up to that point was largely one-shots and drabbles. Over the years, I think my productivity has slowed as my writing quality improved. My mounds of unposted drawerfic are a testament to this. For instance: over the span of 4 months in 2013, I wrote nearly 100k words. Most of that is terrible and will not see the light of day.
Though, I have been a bit inspired by a post
deerna made about Obsidian to at least organize those old fics more nicely. My current setup is just dumping them all into zip files and backing those up on a couple different devices.Anyway, I think the revision process has always been a challenge for me. I'm comfortable with the act of editing itself, but I'm highly critical of my own writing, and the amount of things I want to fix can be overwhelming, especially when the solution doesn't feel clear. But I think I've finally found a way that works for me, and as such, I have not only been able to post a 14k fic for Yuletide, but also to write and post a 24k series! It consists of a prequel set in the future ("Closing the Loop"), a fic building out the tension and action ("Playing the Part"), and then the porn chapter ("Deepening the Craft"), which I posted on a separate archive-locked account.
I've found plot structure the best way to get unstuck. For the Yuletide fic, I very much drew upon the nuts and bolts of three acts. They so helpfully segment out the rising of the stakes, the worsening of short- and long-term problems, the evolution of internal and external conflict, the introduction of pinch points... as I wrote and revised, I kept coming back to those elements. It helped me get a handle on things instead of becoming overwhelmed.
I don't do this every time, but when I feel that something about a scene is unsatisfying, I make myself write out answers to several questions until I feel clarity. Who are the characters before versus after this scene? Does it increase tension, advance the plot, or reveal a character's goal (it should do at least one of those)? Does it show character development, show the cause/effect of the characters' conflict, reinforce or raise the stakes, or reveal something about the character's motivation? Does the scene change negatively or positively? Is it a scene that follow the "goal -> conflict -> disaster" pattern, or is it a "reaction to disaster -> dilemma -> decision" deal?
This does feel rather excessive when I recall that I began to write this particular series simply because I wanted to write two characters fucking. But so it goes, in the world of fanfiction. I swear, I tried really hard to just make them have sex and be done with it, but they insisted on 17k of set-up first.
The Fic Itself
( More detail about the canonical context and where I diverged )
Some fun AO3 tags I got to use for this: Identity Porn, this time literal, Fake Femdom, Idiots in Lust
Today is sunny and cold.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows and a male cardinal.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/30/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I refilled the hopper feeder. Lots more sparrows out now.
EDIT 1/30/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I put more seed in the hopper feeder.
EDIT 1/30/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I saw a wren.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows and a male cardinal.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/30/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I refilled the hopper feeder. Lots more sparrows out now.
EDIT 1/30/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I put more seed in the hopper feeder.
EDIT 1/30/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I saw a wren.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Roll for resistance: How a fantasy game defended the commons
In 2023, the world’s most popular role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), faced a rebellion. This wasn’t brought on by imaginary goblins or dragons, but by its players.
( Read more... )
In 2023, the world’s most popular role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), faced a rebellion. This wasn’t brought on by imaginary goblins or dragons, but by its players.
( Read more... )
This month's theme was "Short Forms." I wrote from 1:15 PM to 4 AM, so about 12 hours 45 minutes, allowing for lunch and supper breaks. I wrote 12 poems on Tuesday plus 15 later in the week.
Participation was down slightly, with 13 comments on LiveJournal and another 25 on Dreamwidth. A total of 9 people sent prompts. There were no new prompters.
Read Some Poetry!
The following poems from the January 6, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl have been posted:
"Beneath the Sea"
"Cakes and Ale"
"Decreases"
"Done to Perfection"
"Fight Less, Cuddle More"
Haiku for Natural Monuments of Japan
"Hemma Bäst"
"lacquerware poet"
"A Fountain of Energy" (Polychrome Heroics: Rutledge, October 7, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl)
Buy some poetry!
If you plan to sponsor some poetry but haven't made up your mind yet, see the unsold poetry list from January 6. That includes the title, length, price, and the original thumbnail description for the poems still available.
This month's donors include:janetmiles, fuzzyred, and Anthony Barrette. All sponsored poems from this fishbowl have been posted. There are 2 tallies toward a bonus fishbowl.
The Poetry Fishbowl has a landing page.
Participation was down slightly, with 13 comments on LiveJournal and another 25 on Dreamwidth. A total of 9 people sent prompts. There were no new prompters.
Read Some Poetry!
The following poems from the January 6, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl have been posted:
"Beneath the Sea"
"Cakes and Ale"
"Decreases"
"Done to Perfection"
"Fight Less, Cuddle More"
Haiku for Natural Monuments of Japan
"Hemma Bäst"
"lacquerware poet"
"A Fountain of Energy" (Polychrome Heroics: Rutledge, October 7, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl)
Buy some poetry!
If you plan to sponsor some poetry but haven't made up your mind yet, see the unsold poetry list from January 6. That includes the title, length, price, and the original thumbnail description for the poems still available.
This month's donors include:
janetmiles, fuzzyred, and Anthony Barrette. All sponsored poems from this fishbowl have been posted. There are 2 tallies toward a bonus fishbowl.The Poetry Fishbowl has a landing page.