Poem: "Help Others to Grow Up"
Jan. 3rd, 2026 04:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the June 6, 2023 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from mama_kestrel. It also fills the "Main character has to use odds and ends to fix a problem" square in my 6-1-23 card for the Kinky and Unusual Situations Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to Aquariana, Cuoio & Chiara, and Marionettes threads of the Polychrome Heroics series.
Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes reference to past injuries, reference to traumatic loss of teammates, volcanic activity, traumatic stress, human trafficking, surprise baby, moving to a new home, dramatic scars, attachment, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
( Read more... )
mama_kestrel. It also fills the "Main character has to use odds and ends to fix a problem" square in my 6-1-23 card for the Kinky and Unusual Situations Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to Aquariana, Cuoio & Chiara, and Marionettes threads of the Polychrome Heroics series.Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes reference to past injuries, reference to traumatic loss of teammates, volcanic activity, traumatic stress, human trafficking, surprise baby, moving to a new home, dramatic scars, attachment, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
( Read more... )
Star Wars: Just Go Kill Palpatine by nevertheless_turtle
Jan. 3rd, 2026 06:10 pmmarginaliana posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fancakeFandom: Star Wars
Pairings/Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Rating: Mature
Length: 11,604
Creator Links:![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
nevertheless_turtle
Theme: crack treated seriously
Summary: In Which Obi-Wan Kenobi is Shown Holofootage of His 12-Year Old Padawan in a Seedy Nightclub With The Chancellor of the Republic And Has A Proportionate Response.
Reccer's Notes: What I love about this fic is the way that Obi-Wan does put in a certain amount of forethought into his actions, but it just happens to be the wrong forethought. You can see where he's coming from and why it seems like the right idea at the time, and yet it still goes completely off the rails. :D Truly delightful.
Content warning for discussion of child sexual assault but no actual sexual assault.
Fanwork Links: Just Go Kill Palpatine
Pairings/Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Rating: Mature
Length: 11,604
Creator Links:
Theme: crack treated seriously
Summary: In Which Obi-Wan Kenobi is Shown Holofootage of His 12-Year Old Padawan in a Seedy Nightclub With The Chancellor of the Republic And Has A Proportionate Response.
Reccer's Notes: What I love about this fic is the way that Obi-Wan does put in a certain amount of forethought into his actions, but it just happens to be the wrong forethought. You can see where he's coming from and why it seems like the right idea at the time, and yet it still goes completely off the rails. :D Truly delightful.
Content warning for discussion of child sexual assault but no actual sexual assault.
Fanwork Links: Just Go Kill Palpatine
Question of the Day for January. Thank you Kazzy_cee
Jan. 3rd, 2026 02:46 pmpattrose1. What’s the first thing you think of when you consider the year ahead?
A certain person will hopefully be gone and soon. You all know who I'm talking about.
2. What’s the weather like today (warmer or cooler than average)?
It's 69° F. So it's a beautiful January 3rd. This is pretty normal for Arizona.
3. There is a Wolf Moon tonight - it will be the fourth supermoon in a row. Have you seen a supermoon before?
I'm sure I have, but I can't remember for sure. I will check it out tonight.
A certain person will hopefully be gone and soon. You all know who I'm talking about.
2. What’s the weather like today (warmer or cooler than average)?
It's 69° F. So it's a beautiful January 3rd. This is pretty normal for Arizona.
3. There is a Wolf Moon tonight - it will be the fourth supermoon in a row. Have you seen a supermoon before?
I'm sure I have, but I can't remember for sure. I will check it out tonight.
Prompt History | Moonlight | "Safer With Him"
Jan. 3rd, 2026 04:49 pmflareonfury posting in 100fandomsTitle: Safer With Him
Fandoms: Moonlight
Pairings: Beth/Josef
Rating: Teen
Warnings/Spoilers: AU - No Mick. Episode 10 "Sleeping Beauty" & 13 "Fated To Pretend". Mentions of side character's canon death.
Summary: What if Beth never met Mick and asked for Josef to provide her protection?
Notes: Written forsmallfandomfest prompt see summary by corinalannister, 100ships prompt moonlight and 100fandoms prompt history.
[...100ships Table...] [...100fandoms Table...]
Read here at dreamwidth or at AO3
Fandoms: Moonlight
Pairings: Beth/Josef
Rating: Teen
Warnings/Spoilers: AU - No Mick. Episode 10 "Sleeping Beauty" & 13 "Fated To Pretend". Mentions of side character's canon death.
Summary: What if Beth never met Mick and asked for Josef to provide her protection?
Notes: Written for
smallfandomfest prompt see summary by corinalannister, 100ships prompt moonlight and 100fandoms prompt history. [...100ships Table...] [...100fandoms Table...]
Read here at dreamwidth or at AO3
Snowflake Challenge #2. Pets of Fandom
Jan. 3rd, 2026 02:25 pmpattroseThis is Dakota Rose. She is our 14 1/2 year old Labradoodle. She is such a mama’s girl. But we love her. We used to have another doodle named Lily Rayne. She passed away in early 2025. She was 15.
My favorite dog in fandom would be Diefenbaker from Due South.
Click on the photo to see a larger one.
My favorite dog in fandom would be Diefenbaker from Due South.
Click on the photo to see a larger one.
Fossils
Jan. 3rd, 2026 03:22 pmysabetwordsmithFossilized bones are revealing secrets from a lost world
Tiny chemical clues trapped inside ancient bones are revealing what animals ate, the diseases they carried, and the environments they lived in.
Researchers have uncovered thousands of preserved metabolic molecules inside fossilized bones millions of years old, offering a surprising new window into prehistoric life. The findings reveal animals’ diets, diseases, and even their surrounding climate, including evidence of warmer, wetter environments. One fossil even showed signs of a parasite still known today. This approach could transform how scientists reconstruct ancient ecosystems.
That which is small can still hold volumes. :D
Tiny chemical clues trapped inside ancient bones are revealing what animals ate, the diseases they carried, and the environments they lived in.
Researchers have uncovered thousands of preserved metabolic molecules inside fossilized bones millions of years old, offering a surprising new window into prehistoric life. The findings reveal animals’ diets, diseases, and even their surrounding climate, including evidence of warmer, wetter environments. One fossil even showed signs of a parasite still known today. This approach could transform how scientists reconstruct ancient ecosystems.
That which is small can still hold volumes. :D
Heated Rivalry Icons
Jan. 3rd, 2026 04:21 pmflareonfury posting in fandom_iconsMost of these were created for lgbtrainbow challenge.
[03] Ilya Rozanov
[08] Ilya/Shane
[02] Kip/Scott
[02] Scott Hunter
Preview:
see them here
lgbtrainbow challenge.[03] Ilya Rozanov
[08] Ilya/Shane
[02] Kip/Scott
[02] Scott Hunter
Preview:
see them here
Birdfeeding
Jan. 3rd, 2026 02:35 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly sunny and cool.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled a trolley with sticks from the brushpile beside the driveway, then dumped that in the firepit.
I saw a flock of mourning doves in the ritual meadow.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled another trolley with sticks, then dumped that in the firepit.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled another trolley with sticks, then dumped that in the firepit.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night. It's 4:50 and still twilight, a big improvement over 4:30!
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled a trolley with sticks from the brushpile beside the driveway, then dumped that in the firepit.
I saw a flock of mourning doves in the ritual meadow.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled another trolley with sticks, then dumped that in the firepit.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled another trolley with sticks, then dumped that in the firepit.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night. It's 4:50 and still twilight, a big improvement over 4:30!
Sexy Solitaire
Jan. 3rd, 2026 02:57 pmmxcatmoonI'm a simple person. I don't play video games. The only concession I have is the basic Solitaire game, I play that pretty often for the mindless stress relief.
Some of you may not know that there is the option to create custom decks. With my old computer, I had a Torchwood (mostly Ianto) deck. For the new one, I created a new one for Miami Vice. Photos can be used for all the face cards. The background is also customizable (in this case it's Sonny sucking on an ice cube). It makes the game more fun.
Yes, Sonny and Jack are the queens. That's just the way it is. 😉
Some of you may not know that there is the option to create custom decks. With my old computer, I had a Torchwood (mostly Ianto) deck. For the new one, I created a new one for Miami Vice. Photos can be used for all the face cards. The background is also customizable (in this case it's Sonny sucking on an ice cube). It makes the game more fun.
Yes, Sonny and Jack are the queens. That's just the way it is. 😉
flareonfury posting in smallfandomfestTitle: Safer With Him
Author:flareonfury
Fandom: Moonlight
Pairing/Characters: Beth Turner/Josef Kostan
Rating/Category: PG-13/Teen, Het
Prompt: What if Beth never met Mick and asked for Josef to provide her protection?
Spoilers: AU - No Mick. Episode 10 "Sleeping Beauty" & 13 "Fated To Pretend". Mentions of side character's canon death.
Summary: (see prompt)
Notes/Warnings: n/a
Read here at dreamwidth or at AO3
Author:
flareonfuryFandom: Moonlight
Pairing/Characters: Beth Turner/Josef Kostan
Rating/Category: PG-13/Teen, Het
Prompt: What if Beth never met Mick and asked for Josef to provide her protection?
Spoilers: AU - No Mick. Episode 10 "Sleeping Beauty" & 13 "Fated To Pretend". Mentions of side character's canon death.
Summary: (see prompt)
Notes/Warnings: n/a
Read here at dreamwidth or at AO3
Brains
Jan. 3rd, 2026 01:28 pmysabetwordsmithBad Brains
Your brain on revenge looks a lot like your brain on drugs—and there’s only one twisted way to get your fix.
( Read more... )
Your brain on revenge looks a lot like your brain on drugs—and there’s only one twisted way to get your fix.
( Read more... )
2026 Snowflake Challenge #2 – Pets of Fandom (or: puppies on tour)
Jan. 3rd, 2026 09:42 pmbadfalconI don't actually have any pets, and haven't for... nearly twenty years now. So this challenge sent me rummaging around my fandoms rather than my living room.
I briefly considered writing about Jannik's cat, Yeti - especially since we finally got a picture of him during Cincinnati - but the more I thought about it, the more it felt a little disingenuous. Jannik is very protective of his personal life, and anything that isn't directly related to tennis performance tends to stay carefully private. Enjoying the existence of Yeti from afar feels fine; dissecting it less so.
What I kept coming back to instead was something I genuinely love about the North American swing: the way tournaments often partner with local shelters and rescues, bringing in adoptable puppies and dogs for players to meet. It's good publicity, yes, but it's also genuinely lovely, and it reliably produces some of the softest, most joyful content of the season.
There's something about watching elite athletes, usually framed as machines of focus and discipline, sitting on the floor making kissy noises at a puppy that is deeply grounding. It also has a way of reminding you just how young so many of these players are. Stripped of competition and expectations, they're just... ( kids with dogs )
(and, as I'm realising, some of these are from Roland Garros!)
And for me, personally, last year delivered some particularly excellent examples.
At Cincinnati, we got ( Darren with a puppy ) - all warmth and ease, completely at home with a small, wiggly creature in his arms and a smile that killed me utterly DED
(also, the man posts pictures of his own dogs to Instagram, including him ( asleep with them ) So. Really. What's a llama to do?!)
[edit] OH! Also, this lovely pupper that Darren and Jannik had been playing with actually got adopted by one of the security guards at the tournament, who changed the pupper's name to Jannik!
And then at the US Open, we got ( Simone with a puppy ), which was... exactly as soft and quietly devastating as you'd expect.
(Simone, on the other hand, posts pictures of ( his cat ) like a proper millennial 🤣
I briefly considered writing about Jannik's cat, Yeti - especially since we finally got a picture of him during Cincinnati - but the more I thought about it, the more it felt a little disingenuous. Jannik is very protective of his personal life, and anything that isn't directly related to tennis performance tends to stay carefully private. Enjoying the existence of Yeti from afar feels fine; dissecting it less so.
What I kept coming back to instead was something I genuinely love about the North American swing: the way tournaments often partner with local shelters and rescues, bringing in adoptable puppies and dogs for players to meet. It's good publicity, yes, but it's also genuinely lovely, and it reliably produces some of the softest, most joyful content of the season.
There's something about watching elite athletes, usually framed as machines of focus and discipline, sitting on the floor making kissy noises at a puppy that is deeply grounding. It also has a way of reminding you just how young so many of these players are. Stripped of competition and expectations, they're just... ( kids with dogs )
(and, as I'm realising, some of these are from Roland Garros!)
And for me, personally, last year delivered some particularly excellent examples.
At Cincinnati, we got ( Darren with a puppy ) - all warmth and ease, completely at home with a small, wiggly creature in his arms and a smile that killed me utterly DED
(also, the man posts pictures of his own dogs to Instagram, including him ( asleep with them ) So. Really. What's a llama to do?!)
[edit] OH! Also, this lovely pupper that Darren and Jannik had been playing with actually got adopted by one of the security guards at the tournament, who changed the pupper's name to Jannik!
And then at the US Open, we got ( Simone with a puppy ), which was... exactly as soft and quietly devastating as you'd expect.
(Simone, on the other hand, posts pictures of ( his cat ) like a proper millennial 🤣
Star Wars: Will Save the Galaxy for Better Credit Ratings by zuzeca
Jan. 3rd, 2026 07:08 pmsasheneskywalker posting in fancakeFandom: Star Wars
Pairings/Characters: Darth Maul & Darth Plagueis, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Darth Maul
Rating: Mature
Length: 19,072 words
Creator Links:zuzeca
Theme: crack treated seriously, enemies to lovers, angst with a happy ending
Summary: In which Darth Maul applies for a loan, discovers a forgotten heirloom, experiments with space drugs, complains about his nemesis to a captive audience, and learns the value of bank fraud. Also love and friendship, but mostly bank fraud.
Reccer's Notes: A delightful story that starts with a cracky premise and takes it in an interesting direction. There’s a lovely exploration of Maul’s character and his relationship with Obi-Wan. It’s very funny with a heartwarming ending <3
Fanwork Links: Will Save the Galaxy for Better Credit Ratings
Pairings/Characters: Darth Maul & Darth Plagueis, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Darth Maul
Rating: Mature
Length: 19,072 words
Creator Links:
Theme: crack treated seriously, enemies to lovers, angst with a happy ending
Summary: In which Darth Maul applies for a loan, discovers a forgotten heirloom, experiments with space drugs, complains about his nemesis to a captive audience, and learns the value of bank fraud. Also love and friendship, but mostly bank fraud.
Reccer's Notes: A delightful story that starts with a cracky premise and takes it in an interesting direction. There’s a lovely exploration of Maul’s character and his relationship with Obi-Wan. It’s very funny with a heartwarming ending <3
Fanwork Links: Will Save the Galaxy for Better Credit Ratings
Snowflake Challenge 2: Pets of Fandom
Jan. 3rd, 2026 12:06 pmysabetwordsmithSnowflake Challenge 2: Pets of Fandom
Loosely defined! Post about your pets, pets from your canon, anything you want!
( Read more... )
Loosely defined! Post about your pets, pets from your canon, anything you want!
( Read more... )
Tags:
Books: Looking Back, Looking Forward
Jan. 3rd, 2026 05:47 pmsmallhobbitLooking back to 2025, I did a quick analysis of my books read into three categories:
1) Library/Non-library
40.5 library, 41.5 non-library. (49.5%/50.5%) The half book is because I started off borrowing one from the library, realised it would take me a very long time to read it, so bought a cheap second hand copy and read it over nine months. I'm definitely pleased that half my reading was library books, which is an increase on 2024.
2) Crime/Other Fiction/Non-fiction
38 crime, 35 other fiction, 9 non-fiction. (46%/43%/9%) Which will be no surprise at all to most of my friends. The proportion of crime novels has dropped to below half of my reading, which I'm pleased about, as I am keen to broaden my reading.
3) Male/Female authors
43 male, 39 female. (52.5%/47.5%) Not very much in it. For anthologies I count half each.
As usual for 2026 I have split my reading into 6 lists, with the aim being to read at least one book from each list each month. They are:
A) Library - initial list of 16 books, which allows for returning one or two unfinished
B) Library - 15 Maigret books, all the Maigret's in the library which I haven't read
C) Book shelf - 15 books, 12 last year's purchases plus 3 crime anthologies
D) Mixed Bag - 12 books, split as follows: 4 odd purchases from years ago; 3 Sister Joan mysteries; 3 Yarn Retreat mysteries; 2 Christmas presents from Son
E) Book Club - aiming for 1 per month, from Shedunnit, an online group I join occasionally, read Christie etc
F) New Books - purchased new releases or new books in the library
I have signed up for a Goodreads goal of 75 books again. I realise there are more on my lists, but there's bound to be the odd DNF and I'd rather exceed by a few books than struggle to make it.
( graphics )
1) Library/Non-library
40.5 library, 41.5 non-library. (49.5%/50.5%) The half book is because I started off borrowing one from the library, realised it would take me a very long time to read it, so bought a cheap second hand copy and read it over nine months. I'm definitely pleased that half my reading was library books, which is an increase on 2024.
2) Crime/Other Fiction/Non-fiction
38 crime, 35 other fiction, 9 non-fiction. (46%/43%/9%) Which will be no surprise at all to most of my friends. The proportion of crime novels has dropped to below half of my reading, which I'm pleased about, as I am keen to broaden my reading.
3) Male/Female authors
43 male, 39 female. (52.5%/47.5%) Not very much in it. For anthologies I count half each.
As usual for 2026 I have split my reading into 6 lists, with the aim being to read at least one book from each list each month. They are:
A) Library - initial list of 16 books, which allows for returning one or two unfinished
B) Library - 15 Maigret books, all the Maigret's in the library which I haven't read
C) Book shelf - 15 books, 12 last year's purchases plus 3 crime anthologies
D) Mixed Bag - 12 books, split as follows: 4 odd purchases from years ago; 3 Sister Joan mysteries; 3 Yarn Retreat mysteries; 2 Christmas presents from Son
E) Book Club - aiming for 1 per month, from Shedunnit, an online group I join occasionally, read Christie etc
F) New Books - purchased new releases or new books in the library
I have signed up for a Goodreads goal of 75 books again. I realise there are more on my lists, but there's bound to be the odd DNF and I'd rather exceed by a few books than struggle to make it.
( graphics )