Member Posts

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plot bunny dust off challenge 2025

Distraction

I might have ideas aplenty, but when it comes to sitting down and putting the work into it....

This post is an excellent example. I could have pulled up my current WiP but oh-no instead I hunted down a picture of distracted prairie dogs for this post.

*headdesk*

It's a very fine line between distraction and procrastination.

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PODFIC!

Teaching and Appreciation [Podfic] (48 words) by blackglass
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Leverage
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer
Characters: Eliot Spencer (Leverage), Parker (Leverage), Alec Hardison
Additional Tags: Triple Drabble, Podfic, Podfic Length: 0-10 Minutes, Audio Format: MP3, Audio Format: Streaming
Summary:

A podfic of Teaching and Appreciation by Merfilly.

"A set of kisses"

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Fic: Murder, She Wrote/The Unusuals: The Mystery of the Purloined Coin (Jessica & Jason; PG13)

I wrote most of this fic before the Fest opened for prompt claims, and just had to give it a final read-through. I'm excited to finally share it with you. I hope you enjoy it!

Title: The Mystery of the Purloined Coin
Author: Spikedluv
Fandom: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/The Unusuals(tv)
Rating: PG13/Gen
Pairing/Characters: Jessica Fletcher & Jason Walsh (appearance by Casey Shraeger)
Length: 3,785 words
Spoilers: Takes place post-season eight of Murder, She Wrote and no particular time in The Unusuals. Very possibly post-series.
Summary: Jessica Fletcher runs into trouble when she takes a day to do some sightseeing in NYC.
Author’s Notes: Written for Round 37 of

smallfandomfest for the prompt: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/Unusuals, The (tv), Jessica & Jason, Solving a mystery together.
Feedback: Would be greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.
Posted: May 27, 2025

Read Fic @ AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/65941696

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personal

The Day in Spikedluv (Monday, May 26)

Happy (belated) Memorial Day! My deepest thanks to all who served.

I hit Walmart while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. Yes, you read that right! Just one lap, so a short one. I’m really out of walking shape after 8 weeks of zero walking and weeks before that of only doing a limited number of walks due to cold/snow and my foot hurting.

(Saturday I wore sneakers out of the house (instead of the walking shoe on one foot). I’m still wearing the walking shoes at home because I don’t normally leave the sneakers on, and the slippers I’d wear don’t offer much support. I expect I’ll stop doing that after Friday’s final follow-up appointment with the surgeon. Maybe.)

I hit Stewart’s (for milk) on the way home. I did three loads of laundry (including bed sheets, so also stripped and remade the bed). I did the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, as well as a load in the dishwasher, and scooped kitty litter. And I did mow the lawn! While I didn’t need the scarf and gloves, I did need the sweatshirt.

I watched some HGTV programs (I have a backlog of House Hunters International) and read some more. (Another group of shows I like to watch are the heavy duty tow shows on TWC (Highway Thru Hell, Heavy Rescue: 401, and the new Rocky Mountain Wreckers. I like to have them on as background noise when I’m playing games or writing, and I can glance up to watch as much of it as I want. I record them because they don’t air at convenient times.)

I grilled steak for Pip’s supper. (I had Cheerios. o_O)

Temps started out at 48.7(F) and reached 73.2. We had sun most of the day, but there was a chill breeze. We got surprise rain storms around 5pm that lasted several hours, then the sun came out again.

Current Mood: drained

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Here Lies Balduin... Again

This is the year of The Student of Prague. First, a BluRay release. Now, the Bundesarchiv makes a different restoration available on the Digitaler Lesesaal. A little shorter than the Filmmuseum München one, with different intertitles and it's not tinted. Not sure about other differences.

Also Wilhelm Tell 1923. The best print of it that I've seen.

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(no subject)

- Saw some pap photos of most of the returning members of Oasis, got all excited, spent a bunch of time on the forum catching up with convos and speculation, reading linked articles, etc. Two months from today I will see them live! Ahhhhhhh!

- Tried American Psycho because Todd in the Shadows talks about it a lot and because I knew the director was a woman. Unfortunately these were not enough for me to care about satire of 80s capitalism. I DNFed about halfway through. Christian Bale was very good, though.

- I am rereading SA Harian's novel Briardark so I have some hope of understanding the sequel. The character writing is not that great, but the scary weird parts are SO scary and weird that it's worth it. It's also nice being able to reread knowing the biggest spoiler, and being able to interpret things in that light. Still, I'm excited to get to new material.

- Made a tiny bit of progress on an old Oasis WIP. Zero additional progress on H/C Ex. I have 1100 words, but now I need to write the rest of the story. I've got six days to do it in...

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Izzy Hands Bingo 2025

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

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rl: health

Daily Check In

This month has been a terror for remembering these, and tonight, the 26th, I realized my numbers were off on the grid. Backtracked via recording the step count... I totally missed posting one on the 15th, even backdated. While I did have my step count (thanks tracker), I am arbitrarily assigning 100 words as the count that day, as I cannot backtrack that number. I know it was non-zero, as I ALWAYS notice my goose-egg days, and the two I am showing this month are the only two I recall.

*\o/*	Word Count	Step Count	Headache?
Daily	1,397	8,590	no
Monthly	17,655	251,726	9 days

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reading

where have you buried your best days?

Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Intense depiction of the failures of a group project (survival on deserted island). Shocked to discover this does not actually have cannibalism, although there is the strong implication that there would have been cannibalism if the events of the last chapter went differently.

White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky. A Russian man meets a woman waiting for her fiance to return after a year. I wanted to like this more but I just found it so rambling and repetitive.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein. A man raised on Mars returns to Earth and tries to understand it. I found the disconnects between Mike and humanity compelling and this did have some things to say about religion and society but it is really obviously written by a dude in the 60s and it's very sexist and explicitly homophobic.

I need to go read some more books written by women now.

(no subject)

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Doctor Who: "The Story and the Engine"

I enjoyed this one, although again, I feel that certain aspects would not withstand much scrutiny, so I will be trying not to look directly at them. The whole felt much greater to me than the sum of its parts.

( Spoilers )

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Please play Ys

Flow chart of which Ys game to start with

Which game should I start with? > Does chronology matter? > no > Whatever you want.
Chronology matters > Lore order or Release order? > Release order! > Do you like 80's style retrogaming? > Yes, I like pain > Play Ys I & II: Ancient Ys Vanished.
No, I need something more modern. > BACK TO START.

I want to play in game lore order > Play Ys Origin.

I don't care about chronology, but I need more direction than "whatever you want". > is SNES era ok? > Yeah, sure > Play Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand. (There's a patch for the SNES version, but not the PS1 version. You can beat this game in a weekend, maybe 10 hours.)

SNES era is not ok. I want a longer adventure. > Solo or Party? > Solo! > Play Ys Origin.

I want a solo adventure starring Adol Christin. Origin is 700 years BC (Before Christin) > In that case, the other Three Weapon system games are your best bet—Ys III: The Oath In Felghana or Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtam. You can clear these in 35 hours or less.
(note: Ys III: Wanderers from Ys is a prior version of Oath, and has less polish. Play Oath for Quality of Life.)

I want a party adventure! > Under 30 hours? > Yeah, short and sweet> Play Ys IV: Memories of Celceta or Ys Seven.
(note: Ys IV has two alternate versions which are not considered canon, Dawn of Ys and Mask of the Sun.)

I want a party adventure that lasts more than 30 hours. I need modern quality of life that justifies an 80 hour adventure. > Two's a plenty > Play Ys X: Nordics—
Actually, hold out for Proud Nordics if you can. It's supposed to be a Switch 2 launch title, and has an extra chapter that base version of Nordics does not contain.

Three's a party!!!> Play Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana or Ys IX: Monstrum Nox.

OP's personal recommendation between the two is Ys VIII for people who insist on modern QoL. It has the best "adventure" vibes.

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thoughts on things

Sometimes old movies are good

Last night, Z and I watched The Adventures of Robin Hood, a 1938 film. We got a little curious about the Robin Hood mythos after watching an in-depth video about a Sierra Robin Hood adventure game:

and the 1938 film seemed to be one of the most well-regarded. And we could see why! It was definitely different in style than a modern film, not in a bad way - there still seemed to be a lot of stage theater influence in the acting style, and the fight choreography definitely seemed more like stage fighting than something like chambara choreo, let alone those modern shakycam fight scenes where you can't see what's happening.

While there were a few odd notes (hi Marian, have you met the poor and dispossessed we are helping? We put them behind some trees so they wouldn't spoil the banquet), but overall we really enjoyed it. There's a lot of genuinely good quippy dialogue, and the chemistry between Marian (who does get to be somewhat active in the plot) and Robin was great. I also got a kick out of the costumes, which were pretty and also not trying too hard to be very period. Robin's initial outfit has crystals on it. Marian's dresses are made of the shiniest modern fabrics they could find. The band of Merry Men are indeed very merry, often laughing and smiling, especially when they've pulled one over the Normans.

My favorite scene was the one early on where Robin bursts in on Prince John's banquet, slings down a poached deer on the table, and tells him he's a traitor. It felt exactly like watching a D&D scene with a high-charisma character, so it was a lot of fun. There's also a very neat bit in the final fighting scene where we see the characters go off screen, but the fight is still visible in their enlarged shadows on a pillar until they return to the frame.

In other news, I have added a new library card to my library app, as I found out I was eligible to get one from a much larger system than our local one. Suddenly 90% of the books on my 'plz add this' list are available, and my phone keeps sending me individual notifications for various titles. Just have to choose where to start!

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

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Fic: Friday Plans

Title: Friday Plans
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Jack, Ianto, Owen, Gwen, Tosh.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 682
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: At the morning meeting in the boardroom, Jack announces important plans for Friday.
Written For: Weekend Challenge ‘Something To Celebrate’ at

1_million_words.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.

( Friday Plans... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

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BtVS Ficlet: Hold Me

Title: Hold Me
Fandom: BtVS
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Angel, Buffy.
Rating: PG
Setting: Soon after Helpless.
Summary: Buffy is still feeling vulnerable after experiencing being without her Slayer powers.
Word Count: 923
Written For:

angelus2hot’s prompt ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel/Buffy Summers, hold me,’ at

comment_fic.
Disclaimer: I don’t own BTVS, or the characters.

( Hold Me... )

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New Vid: I Cry for Love (BtVS)

Watch on YouTube

AO3 | Tumblr

Title: I Cry for Love
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Music: "I Cry for Love" by Carrie Rodriguez
Length: 3:33
Summary: I bend I don't break / If I want I just take / If I cut I bleed / If I bleed I don't cry / Don't cry, don't cry
Notes: Fills my "10's Music" square for Vid Bingo.

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Some Rogue One thoughts

I just compared Jyn Erso to Han Solo

This moment, where she protects KayToo from Baze. No hesitation. Just throws herself out there.

She spends so much of the movie pretending not to care when asked about things, that she's only in it to get answers about her dad.

But Jyn, LIKE HAN, has a problem. She CARES deeply. She WANTS to do the RIGHT THING. All else is bluffing, bravado, and an attempt to shield against any more pain.

Jyn is the Han analogue for Rogue One.

(Baze and Chirrut are the R2-D2/C-3PO analogues, you cannot change my mind on this)

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Fannish 50 S3 Post 21: STAYC and Growing Older

I've also wrote abt STAYC two years ago. They're one of those groups I always keep an eye on cuz I do enjoy their music (for the most part. All these years later and "Beautiful Monster" remains a strage (for them) miss, IMO.)

Anyways, they've come back with a marked new approach. "Bebe" is a song that's v. deep in the dance/club music genre. This time, STAYC is blunter as a group but not to the point of offending their audience. The main point of the song is to let everyone know that they ARE adults now (all of the members are in their early 20s). And, in a way, the music and MV definitely reflect that.

Which isn't to say that they're doing a full girl crush thing now. They're not fully ignoring the bubbliness of the teen fresh concept that catapulted them to (mild) fame. It's more of a (successful, imo) attempt at helping their fans get that they need to evolve past that concept. There's a cohesiveness in terms of lyrics and visuals that makes that point v. clear.

Trigger warning: Lots of visual f/x, particularly in terms of the camera movement.

Watch on YouTube

And a dance practice!

Watch on YouTube

Current Music: SEVENTEEN - Thunder

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challenge: write every day

Write Every Day - May 2025 - Day 26

The end of the month is approaching! Anybody up for hosting during June?

Welcome post.

( Days 1-7 )

( Days 8-14 )

( Days 15-21 )

Day 22:

goddess47,

badly_knitted,

sylvanwitch,

larryhammer,

luzula,

china_shop,

cornerofmadness,

brithistorian,

yasaman,

kissed,

ysilme,

trobadora,

nafs

Day 23:

china_shop,

goddess47,

sylvanwitch,

trobadora,

badly_knitted,

larryhammer,

luzula,

cornerofmadness,

brithistorian,

sanguinity,

yasaman,

kissed

Day 24:

china_shop,

falkner,

goddess47,

badly_knitted,

trobadora,

sylvanwitch,

cornerofmadness,

sanguinity,

nafs,

brithistorian,

kissed

Day 25:

falkner,

goddess47,

badly_knitted,

luzula,

sylvanwitch,

trobadora,

china_shop,

kissed,

cornerofmadness,

sanguinity,

brithistorian

Day 26:

china_shop,

goddess47,

sylvanwitch,

kissed,

badly_knitted,

trobadora,

nafs,

cornerofmadness,

brithistorian

Remember that you are free to check in at any time for past days as well, just comment on the most recent post with what days you are checking in for!

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Topic Reading List: Prison Abolition

Back in January 2024, I tried to learn a little more on prison abolition and saved the articles I read on Notion. Since I'm trying to use Dreamwidth as an archive, I thought I'd put all the links here.

Title and Author	Date Read	Summary	Link
"What About the Rapists and Murderers?", by Angel Parker	January 15, 2024	Article trying to answer the question about prison abolition and violent crime - found this one frustrating as it offered no solutions to the issue at all.	https://medium.com/@amparker/what-about-the-rapists-and-murderers-7a81955b772c (web archive)
"Should police officers be able to get away with having sex with detainees?"	January 15, 2024	Stats: In 2015, after a year-long investigation, the Associated Press revealed that in the six-year period from 2009 to 2014, about 550 police officers had lost their badges for rape, sodomy and other types of sexual assault; and a further 440 for possession of child pornography and other sex crimes; or sexual misconduct such as propositioning citizens, sexting juveniles, or having consensual but prohibited sex while on duty.	https://dailytimes.com.pk/549072/549072/ (web archive)
"THE DANGEROUS FEW: TAKING SERIOUSLY PRISON ABOLITION AND ITS SKEPTICS", by Thomas Ward Frampton	January 23, 2024	Notes for this article, which is 40 pages long, under the cut.	https://harvardlawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/135-Harv.-L.-Rev.-2013.pdf (web archive)
"Can Prison Abolition Ever be Pragmatic?", by Nathan J Robinson	February 1, 2024	Prison abolition and prison reform can actually be reconciled fairly easily. The ultimate goal is prison abolition, because in a world without hatred and violence there would be no need for prisons, and the goal is a world without hatred and violence. In the interim, prisons must be made better and more humane.	https://transformharm.org/ab_resource/can-prison-abolition-ever-be-pragmatic/ (web archive)
"NYC to pay $125K to woman who accused two NYPD cops of rape in last-minute civil suit settlement", by John Annese	January 15, 2024	Connected to ‘Should police officers be able to get away with having sex with detainees?’ article.	https://dailytimes.com.pk/549072/549072/ (web archive)

Google Notes for the Hardvard Law Review article: ( Read more... )