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meme: fic writer questions

continuing the "this would be too long as a thread on bluesky, so here it is as a dreamwidth post" idea i mentioned in my last post.

i’m also going with a bonus idea: if i like a long meme with numbers, i won’t try to get people to ask me all the questions and i’ll just do the meme. honestly, when i do a meme like this, i’m lucky if i get one reply! no reason to wait, you know?

anyway, here's the meme. let's go!

( fic meme. )

Current Mood: irate

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Game Check-in: Wind Breaker -Rebel Heroes-

Inugami appeared in a hilarious way in chapter 3! Chouji calls him Wan-chan lmao. He's a puppy but he's trying to communicate through meows with an ally cat. Aw, Inugami's upset that Sako left Shishitouren...

It kinda sucks right now that attributes are so important but it's hard to make a full balanced team with so few characters out. The SSR versions are barred behind a low draw rate so you have to make due with one or two SSRs, some S's and the rest A's to split across attribute teams. I have one full same-attribute team but it's not balanced right, I think it's missing a striker and has 2 supporters, plus multiple A's.

Did Inugami tackle Sako?? 🤣 Oh, he though he was trying to kill himself by jumping......

This game made me realize Tsugeura speaks in Kansai-ben, guess I didn't pay attention when I watched the anime.

So Chouji challenged Umemiya, Wanijima challenged Chouji/Togame, then Inugami challenged Sako (who challenged Hiiragi), then Sako told Chouji to challenge him...oh Shishitouren.

It must've been really hard for Kanuma to leave Arima to do what Wanijima asked of him. Man, this group is so dumb, they should've done their research before attacking Shishitouren. 😅 To be fair the big brother didn't know until last minute so the younger brother is the one making him look stupid.

First time seeing Chouji look like that and getting excited! YEAH show Kraken their mistakes!!!

Wow, I got x2 of the highest ranking film rolls, 1 highest ranking notebook and 8k of the green coins for ranking in PVP!

I ended up buying the special pass to support the game and because I'm greedy and want more stuff haha.

I tried to pull for the new event Kaji but got SSR Hiiragi (which is fine), I'll just keep trying.

The chat with Kiryuu about crane games when Sakura compliments him is cute, almost made me ship it. <3 I guess I kinda of already do, in a polyam way? And the chat about games reaching end of service is too relatable. T__T

Oh, I reached the level cap at 38. :O So that's what the yellow coin shop is for... Looks like you get them in place of exp for mission rewards etc, wonder how long it'll take to get 10k.

The chat with Kaji about how the movie he borrowed from Enomoto on the rainy day wasn't as funny as usual because he had no one to watch it with. And encouraging Sakura to spend time after school with his classmates. And you can choose to have Sakura say "I-I'll...try...inviting them." :') Ugh Kaji is a great mentor.

The biggest pain about this game is matching the scene cards to the characters, some are character exclusive, some are attribute exclusive and some are card exclusive. Sometimes I'm gonna need to really sit down and save my parties. I didn't have enough to form full balanced parties before but I might now. And I need to level up more A and S scene cards to make up for some of my SSR scene cards being so exclusive... (You still get some stats if you mismatch a card but I don't know if it's worth it??)

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transformers

(no subject)

Still waffling about going in on the Marvel Transformers compendium Kickstarter. I really want the whole series collected but I really don't love this format. It'll probably be a long time before there's a chance to get it collected again in another way, though. Then another thing to consider is that a lot of people who backed the G.I. Joe collections last year are still waiting to have problems resolved. On the other hand, the people who did get their Joe collections on time and in proper form really like them...

Quite the opposite of these mixed feelings, I found out that the Transformers: The Movie soundtrack is being repressed in a limited "Unicron" edition and I preordered it immediately despite not yet having replaced my record player.

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Fandom stuff

- I signed up for

seasonsofdrabbles. Come join me! ~~So I have someone to write for.~~

- After my first

hurtcomfortex idea got increasingly complicated with less and less direct h/c, I now have a new idea that is directly h/c and much simpler. Which is great, because I can tell it's going to be a long 'un. (That's why the writing period for this exchange is so long, right? Because h/c takes lots of words??) So now I have 400 words, and the deadline isn't for like six weeks! Woo!

Current Mood: hungry
Current Location: House in the woods at the edge of town
Current Music: AstroCanuck Twitch stream

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Rejected video for Earth Day post

I wanted to be spooky, so I posted Storied asks 'Why Does A Ghost Whale Terrorize The Japanese Coast?' An Earth Month ghost story, then I wanted to laugh, so I posted 'The Daily Show' Celebrates Earth Day by Tackling Climate Change.

Watch on YouTube

If you are going to include prescription drugs in your fanfic ... pt 2

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Fandom Bits and Pieces...among other things

1. Everything We Learned at the Star Wars Celebration 2025

Takeaways?

I really want to see Andor S2.

( excerpt )

Also, apparently the new Star Wars movie starring Ryan Gosling, and directed by Shawn Levy, entitled Star Wars: Star Fighter - takes place post Rise of Skywalker, and with all new characters. (Smart move. The better films pull away from the Skywalker story arcs.)

Also, I may try Ashoska again.

2. Not a fandom bit - but R.I.P Pope Francis. I'm saddened by this news.
Also he accomplished a lot in short period of time - shifting the course of the Catholic Church, promoting kindness and humility. (I also hope he talked some sense into devout Catholic and wannabee Fascist, Vance, who saw Francis before he died.)

3. Buffy Redux

So, I've been rewatching Buffy episodes intermittently. Picked up on a few things that I hadn't previously picked up on? ( Read more... )

4. Daredevil Born Again

I liked the season finale, and for the most part the series. It's similar yet different than Netflix's Daredevil, which had defter writing. However both are fairly uneven.

Fisk is clearly Marvel's commentary on the Fascist asshole in the White House or the Hitler Wannabee. Fisk even kind of looks like him, without hair. And that makes watching this - an odd experience.

The message at the end is Daredevil can't take on Fisk alone, which sets up S2 to be more of a group effort. People are speculating already on who will be joining the cast. Already slotted are Karen and Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) aka The Punisher. Also Lily Taylor, and Mathew Lillard in a recurring role.

Garden progress and other musings

Got outside and watered some plants just now. The self-heal and arnica are in the ground as of this weekend, but the salad burnet is still waiting to get planted, along with the chamomile and dill we picked up at the nursery last week. They'll be fine, though. I'm also still trying to figure out where to put the lemon balm where it won't take over everything. I could put it in a pot, I suppose, but last year I did that and it didn't re-seed itself at all so I had to start over again.

There's another bed I've been letting grow into a bit of a catch-all butterfly garden until I sort out what to plant there long-term, and it'll probably have some of the oregano come back that I tried to take out last year. Oregano is pernicious, but also delicious, so I don't necessarily mind, as long as I can keep it from crowding out everything else again. Maybe I'll put the lemon balm there too and let them duke it out over the season. I'm not reclaiming that bed for myself this year, anyway.

Lots of things are blooming. The comfrey and the borage just put out flowers, which are gorgeous as always. Though the borage somehow planted itself in a crack between the steps instead of the garden bed this year, so I'm going to have to figure out a way to move it so it doesn't get stepped on and can seed itself somewhere better next time. The calendula is going absolute gangbusters already, so that's promising for a good harvest this year. I'll have to make more salves or something to make good use of it all. Maybe an arnica-calendula blend? I'll have to think on it.

On another note, poking around on DW is reminding me just how many fandoms I haven't gotten into yet. It makes me so happy to see book reviews and the like, too! It would be a good idea for me to get back into a regular reading habit, I think. It's been hard to find the time, and when I do pick up a book, I usually feel compelled to read something that's serious non-fiction and/or somehow related to research I'm doing for my writing. It's usually depressing stuff, even if it's also very good and interesting, and I could stand to read something more light-hearted from time to time. For some reason I just have a hard time prioritizing happier things. But maybe seeing people get excited about things on DW will help me break out of those habits. If there's an incentive of getting to chat with people about it, I imagine that might make it easier.

Anyway. Blogging is a nice hobby. I'm finding it calming to reflect on the easier beats of the day. The rest we can just pretend doesn't exist, which is nice to do for a little while. I'll be off to dance class soon, attempting to go in person instead of resorting to online like I had to do last week. One of these days I'll be able to get back to dance more than once a week, but probably not yet. And then when I'm home later I might see if I can crank out another chapter, but that might be wishful thinking.

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links

Good News from Earth Day...among other things..

Believe it or not? There has actually been some good news on the Climate Change and Environmental Front and a few other fronts...it's not all grim out there.

1. A partnership between the Miccosukee Tribe and Pinecrest, FL converts food scraps into compost for the tribe’s community garden, improving soil and reducing landfill waste. Go HERE

2. The Iñupiat community of Elim, AK protests a proposed uranium mine during the Iditarod dogsled race to protect their subsistence way of life and the biodiversity of Norton Sound. Go HERE

***

And apparently on the immigration front? So a break from our scheduled programming into that...which is an on-going battle:
( Immigration Legal and Political Battles )

***

Back to the environment:

5.A federal appeals court revives a civil rights lawsuit challenging polluting industries in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley,” opening the door for justice in historically harmed Black communities. Go HERE

6. Climate activists are increasingly suing governments and companies to take action against climate change — and WINNING. Go Here

( excerpt )

7.In 2024, a record 112 million Americans rode bikes, the highest participation rate since 2014, with youth ridership jumping from 49% to 56%. Go HERE

8.The U.S. and China both show significant growth in renewable energy, outpacing traditional power sources. Go HERE

9.Despite budget cuts, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center continues to provide critical climate information. Go HERE

10. Attorneys general in four states—CA, IL, ME, and MN—sue the EPA and Citibank for unlawfully withholding funds from state green banks meant to support climate solutions. Go HERE

( the rest of the 25 items )
***

Non-climate change related, academic law suit:

26. Harvard takes the counter-offensive and sues the Trump administration for freezing billions of dollars in federal funding.

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Red Boar's Baby

As is my usual practice, my latest book as Lauren is available for download for my DW circle for the next week or so!

Download from Bookfunnel.

The download will be up until the book goes live on Amazon on May 2.

(Technically this is Shifter Agents #6, but it's a standalone that shouldn't require any context to read.)

Entry tags:

family,
job hunting

(no subject)

Well, it's been 2 weeks since my last post, so here's an update.

( mentions of health issues )

*

In job news, something pretty huge and happy-making has happened???

One of the 4 companies I interviewed with has gotten back to me (after like 7 stages) to say they want me to work for them and they'll send me a contract offer in the next few days (which is standard). Fingers crossed, nothing certain until papers are signed etc, but. BUT.

It's been over a year, and finally I have a job offer.

At least one company wants to pay me a decent salary with all the nice perks and everything.

Now, if I had no other offers and was not in the running for any other position, I would take this one IN A HEARTBEAT. I would take it and be SO GRATEFUL.

But since I am still somehow in the process with 3 other companies, I'm in the weird position of mentally wondering which one I'd choose if they were to make me an offer.

Company #2 - I've finished all the interviews, and they're supposed to get back to me tomorrow on whether they want to check my references, which usually takes 1-2 days and is more of a formality. There's good reason to assume that if they say yes to me tomorrow they'll make me an offer next week.

Company #3 - I'm doing my final interview with them on Thursday, a big presentation, and after that they'll let me know if they're interested, no reference checks. If they want me they'll just make an offer.

Company #4 - the actual company of my heart, that all other considerations aside I would probably choose to work for because I love their product so much - I'm doing my final interview with them on Monday (next week). Of course they have the WORST HR process, so I actually have no idea what their next step is and whether there's something else they'll want to do before deciding yay/nay after Monday.

Now I'm mostly stressed because Company #1, that's already told me they want me, will probably try to pressure me to finalize a contract with them before Company #4 has a chance to decide whether they want me, sigh.

All of these potential roles are so good. None of them are "I can live with that" compromises. All of them are amazing, it's more a question of specific types of amazing, and of course I ideally want the combination that works best for me.

It is utterly surreal to be in this position after a year and 2 months of being unemployed. UTTERLY SURREAL.

But you know, maybe all the other companies will reject me and only Company #1 will remain, which will still be perfectly fine and even great.

Or maybe I somehow manage to fuck up this whole thing and will be left with nothing ////o\\\\ IDK it's just too good to be true at the moment.

Phew. Deep breath. The next 2 weeks will be continued stress, especially since I have a big presentation on Thursday and on Monday, but then... then. I don't know. Maybe, just maybe. *fingers crossed*

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In which the Bishop of Durham orders two drag kings to parade around two churches for six days, 1417

A tale of medieval women crossing the gender line LITERALLY: in 1417 the Bishop of Durham ordered two Newcastle women to dress as drag kings and parade around two churches on six separate days, because he thought it was an appropriate act of penance, and if the Bishop of Durham thinks parading around a church in drag improves one's chance of getting into Heaven then who am I to argue?

Matilda Burgh and Margaret Ushar were ordered to do this penance after they dressed as men to visit the shrine of Cuthbert, one of England's most popular saints (defo Top Five), because the Bishops of Durham had literally built a misogynist blue line of exclusion into the ground around the shrine and only men were supposed to enter. There's more. The women's employer's wife, Mrs Baxter, who was accused of aiding and abetting the "crime" of female pilgrimage to a saint's shrine, disobeyed the Bishop's order to attend his ecclesiastical court and also disobeyed his order for her to attend the drag king parades because she claimed having twins to look after made her too tired ("& uxor prædicti Petri fic eſt fatigata cum duobus gemellis quod honeſte non poteſt comparere"). Clearly I love this entire escapade, although I did feel mild sympathy for the parish chaplain who had to deal with these three ungovernable women and an out-of-touch Bishop, lol.

( Sources in English and Latin. )

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lecture/reading

[comics] Switchblade stories

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tv:babylon 5

Another thought about B5 5x18

I will be going back to answer recent comments, but first, one more stray B5 thought with spoilers through 5x18.

( Tying up a loose end )

Current Mood: tired

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Manga Check-in: Twisted Wonderland ~Episode of Savanaclaw~ Vol. 2 Ch. 6-7

Spoilers ⬇️

Chapter 6: So Leona's lines at the end of the last chapter were connected to how Scar in The Lion King wasn't a good king, no matter how much you want it or think you deserve it because of lineage, if you can't keep your people alive and happy there's no point in sitting on the throne.

The idea of Jack crouching down a few feet to scare them like this is too funny. And then he had a total tsundere moment. 😂

Cute!!! I always want to screenshot everything in this manga, I'm being fed so well since we don't get to see things like this in the game because of the game style.

Chapter 7: Oh, there are bunny-eared people too?

Man, it's so silly to think Malleus and Lilia would have let themselves be stampeded. Oh Leona...

The notes for Yuuka! "She can shoulder throw Jack". He had to feel some mad respect when she did that.

(no subject)

Took the leftover marshmallows to work and was prompted to put them with the snack table that's been prepared for us for lab week. Didn't look like a lot had been taken when I check but that's fine. Anything left at the end of the week, I'll take home again for the kiddos.

Outside of work... I have a lot of feelings about the passing of the pope. I don't have a lot of love to lose for Francis. He covered up heinous acts just like everyone else at the Vatican and he certainly wasn't free of ignorance or prejudice. But he also made the Church a more welcoming, even safer place for many queer/LGBT+ people and led their families along a path of understanding and acceptance. He offered apologies to indigenous people for the crimes committed against them by the Church. He spoke up for immigrants. He called out the Palestinian genocide for what it is and was on the phone almost nightly with a Christian parish there, to offer solidarity and comfort. And his stance on the matter did not go unnoticed by Catholics or other Christian communities in the West.

More than anything, I'm concerned for what his replacement might bring. No matter what any of us have to say about Francis as a person, his role as a figure of authority carried a great weight and, for all his most significant flaws, he was moving the Church down a more progressive road. There's a reason the most noxious-- and obnoxious-- right-wingers railed so hard against him. The significance of having even a relatively leftist pope in power in the current political and social climate should not be understated. And the potential fallout of the Church taking a hard right turn should not be dismissed. I've seen the list of papal candidates and, uh. I'm largely not favorably impressed, lemme tell ya. Over one hundred of the one hundred and thirty-five cardinals who will vote to confirm the new pope were appointed by Francis, so there is some hope, but I'll be doing my own praying on the matter until we see that white smoke.

Current Mood: pleased

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graphics

MetaballsFib

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Current Mood: busy

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Fanfic: Backup Plans

Originally a prompt fill from here. The original prompt was 'Pink.'

Title: Backup Plans
Fandom: Mega Man Battle Network
Characters: Yuichiro Hikari, Haruka Hikari, Lan Hikari, Megaman.exe
Length: 3k+
Content notes: Character Death (offscreen)
Author notes: This fic assumes you know what a NetNavi is. For the purposes of this fic, all you really need to know is that it's a little digital guy who lives in your phone that you can customize and befriend, and that basically everyone has one.

Summary: Pre-series. Yuichiro Hikari becomes a father to twins. Yuichiro Hikari becomes a father thrice over.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: nostalgic

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In honor of the 20 April 2025 holiday overlap.

( Image_description. )

This poster, issued in 1972 by Saladin Productions, is by the prolific Joe Petagno, famous for not only a zillion Recreational Botany endorsements in blacklight but a legendary body of rock artwork, including Motörhead’s Snaggletooth mascot and Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song falling angel (the latter a homage to William Rimmer’s Evening AKA The Fall of Day.)

Current Mood: hot

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Game Check-in: Honkai Star Rail

I started playing again after some time. I last finished Penacony and started the Wardance ceremony quest. The introductions just happened with Fuming's arbiter-general. I don't like Yunli's attitude but she's not wrong about Yanqing, he has things to work on. Just as she does.

What was with Dan Heng's comment about how he hoped Caelus and Jing Yuan just spent some time together and that's why they're close? What else would the case have been for them acting so chummy??

Oh, meeting Moze and Jiaoqiu!

I love how your only options for describing Yanqing to Lingsha are: Young, Cute, Miniature. I'm surprised he didn't protest.

Oh, a wild Sushang. Why do we have the option to say 'you look so pretty when you're serious' WTF.

The Yanli vs Yanqing thing is annoying, just communicate! Yanqing, learn to take criticism, Yanli, learn to give it in a non-abrasive way. You're proving that you're immature.

I like Feixiao, she's cool. :)

"I'm a healer."

Oo nice bit of Yanqing growth, he realized why he continues to do swordplay despite the fear of losing.

Dan Heng saving and protecting Caelus!

Jiaqiou: I'm a healer, fighting isn't everything
Also Jiaoqiou: *doesn't have a healing ability, is a fire attacker*

How did Hoolay get out of the gate?? What did Hoolay mean his first meal was one of his own.

So Xueyi's body is ingenium but her soul is still the same. How the heck did she get permission for that. Hanya was the most effusive I've ever heard her when Xueyi came back as the cycrane. :')

Hahaha Caelus can tell Moze "you look better when you're silent". Moze: "...Really?". I feel like Caelus has some experience reading silent people's expressions because of Dan Heng.

I wasn't expecting to get to see Jiaoqiu's thoughts, I felt like he had things under control in some way but no, he's calling himself a loser and blaming himself already for not doing anything. :'(

The time jump was kind of weird. Like, Yanqing saying 'I WAS planning on showing them the Skysplitter' but he DID do that, and Dan Heng saying the guards protected them and showing he, Caelus and Hanya surrounding by mech. Like...that's not what happened. Or it's not clear enough.

Poor Dan Heng finding new stuff out about his past because Lingsha held a huge grudge against Jing Yuan without knowing the truth about her mentor. At least she's quick to own up. But I want to know more about how the mentor did something to Dan Heng's cocoon to try to make him keep his memories after rebirth. I'm surprised her mentor didn't tell her the truth before she went to the Luofu.

So Feixiao was a slave to the borisin? Geeeze. But she got away and used what she learned against them. Are foxians who grow up with borisin immune to lupitoxin or something?