(no subject)
Feb. 10th, 2026 09:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yuuagoI'm going on vacation some time soon! :V I'm very excited about it!
My mood has been kind of in the tank lately, so hopefully this'll be a bit of a reset.
Man, I'd better make a list of stuff I want to do, otherwise I'll be trying to figure it out once I get there. And while that's not so bad, it's still not optimal!
My mood has been kind of in the tank lately, so hopefully this'll be a bit of a reset.
Man, I'd better make a list of stuff I want to do, otherwise I'll be trying to figure it out once I get there. And while that's not so bad, it's still not optimal!
Days that make you want to cry
Feb. 10th, 2026 11:33 pmcornerofmadnessIt started out well. Students showed up, did what they're meant to and meeting a prospective student went well.
and then the day fell off a cliff. I was insanely busy.
then I can't find the agars I need to my research students. And when I finally did I don't have the budget for this. sigh.
Then the roof started leaking. Everywhere. I mean everywhere. every lab. every classroom. people who building flat roofs in a snowy area should have their balls kicked repeatedly
My building has issues before this. Got an email. We need a list of what needs fixed in your lab. by tomorrow. well thanksI
Then the online stuff stopped working again just like last year
Then I was reminded my first thought today was I wish I was retired or at least I never did my sabbatical because it was a taste of retirement
Came home. everything is now ice because it was 60 and all the snow is gone but the ice was too thick for that. Looking forward to my death tomorrow
I haven't been wearing my contacts lately because I can't see to read any more and since I read a lot all day it's not worth the reading glasses headaches. Had them in today. Was doing great. Took them out around 7 without a half hour my eye was beet red and I haven't been able to keep it open for nearly 4 hours. I have NO idea what happened. The contact came out easily. it feels more like it rolled up under my eyelid. Flushed it with both my steroid drops and saline but nope. Going to bed early and hope this heals up overnight. Do not want pink eye. Do not want to go to urgent care tomorrow.
Was going to do a cool writing meme but since it feels like someone is removing my eyeball with sandpaper
and then the day fell off a cliff. I was insanely busy.
then I can't find the agars I need to my research students. And when I finally did I don't have the budget for this. sigh.
Then the roof started leaking. Everywhere. I mean everywhere. every lab. every classroom. people who building flat roofs in a snowy area should have their balls kicked repeatedly
My building has issues before this. Got an email. We need a list of what needs fixed in your lab. by tomorrow. well thanksI
Then the online stuff stopped working again just like last year
Then I was reminded my first thought today was I wish I was retired or at least I never did my sabbatical because it was a taste of retirement
Came home. everything is now ice because it was 60 and all the snow is gone but the ice was too thick for that. Looking forward to my death tomorrow
I haven't been wearing my contacts lately because I can't see to read any more and since I read a lot all day it's not worth the reading glasses headaches. Had them in today. Was doing great. Took them out around 7 without a half hour my eye was beet red and I haven't been able to keep it open for nearly 4 hours. I have NO idea what happened. The contact came out easily. it feels more like it rolled up under my eyelid. Flushed it with both my steroid drops and saline but nope. Going to bed early and hope this heals up overnight. Do not want pink eye. Do not want to go to urgent care tomorrow.
Was going to do a cool writing meme but since it feels like someone is removing my eyeball with sandpaper
(no subject)
Feb. 10th, 2026 08:28 pmolivermoss
I am hoping this is going to be recorded and available online, I assume it will be, but am hoping to confirm. Wow, that is going to be a conversation. This is a very often discussed book about the problems of hockey culture. Picking her to interview him is really interesting. (In my experience 'in conversation with' means the second person is basically doing an interview, and has been picked for being someone very well informed/related to a topic as opposed to being picked for interviewing skills)
DAY 10 - FIC - FLEABAG - CLAIRE
Feb. 11th, 2026 01:16 amlovelytomeetyou posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
halfamoonDay 10 - Acting the Fool
Title: In ignorance, there was bliss (or so she thought)
Fandom: Fleabag
Characters: Claire centered
Rating: T
Summary: Claire wishes she were like her sister. She does whatever the fuck she pleases. Whenever she wants. Whoever she so chooses. And god if Claire doesn’t loathe her for that.
Story in ao3
Title: In ignorance, there was bliss (or so she thought)
Fandom: Fleabag
Characters: Claire centered
Rating: T
Summary: Claire wishes she were like her sister. She does whatever the fuck she pleases. Whenever she wants. Whoever she so chooses. And god if Claire doesn’t loathe her for that.
Story in ao3
Poem: "No Friend as Loyal"
Feb. 10th, 2026 10:12 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the February 3, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a post from elinox. It also fills the "Validate Yourself" square in my 2-1-26 card for the Valentines Bingo fest. This poem is the second freebie courtesy of new prompters gs_silva, ionelv, and Laura G.
( Read more... )
elinox. It also fills the "Validate Yourself" square in my 2-1-26 card for the Valentines Bingo fest. This poem is the second freebie courtesy of new prompters gs_silva, ionelv, and Laura G.( Read more... )
The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, February 10
Feb. 10th, 2026 09:02 pmrahirah posting in su_herald
LORNE: Bad news, munchkins. Rumor mill has Dr. Feelbad attached to another slice-and-dice yesterday.
FRED: Who was it?
LORNE: Lovely woman. High and mighty white magick shaman type. But that didn’t even faze the Beast. Tore her poor heart right out of her chest.
WESLEY: The M.O. doesn’t match. Mesektet had some sort of energy sucked from her. He didn’t touch her heart.
FRED: Lorne, you didn’t happen to catch a name, did you? Like Ma’at?
LORNE: Yeah, that’s the lady.
FRED: Another member of the Ra-tet.
GUNN: He’s taking them out, one by one.
FRED: Who was it?
LORNE: Lovely woman. High and mighty white magick shaman type. But that didn’t even faze the Beast. Tore her poor heart right out of her chest.
WESLEY: The M.O. doesn’t match. Mesektet had some sort of energy sucked from her. He didn’t touch her heart.
FRED: Lorne, you didn’t happen to catch a name, did you? Like Ma’at?
LORNE: Yeah, that’s the lady.
FRED: Another member of the Ra-tet.
GUNN: He’s taking them out, one by one.
~~Angel Season IV Episode #75: "Long Days Journey"~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
- Love in Translation (Willow/Kennedy, unrated) by kerk-hiraeth
- Dark Will (Buffy, Giles, T) by
- The Road Not Taken (Buffy/Spike, E) by Pyewacket
[Chaptered Fiction]
- i'm gonna be a fireman, when the floods roll back Ch. 1 (Giles, unrated, Three Musketeers xover) by stealthofdays
- A Guardians Story Ch. 3 (OC, Ensemble, M) by SilverHalloweenHut
- Windows to the Soul (Fix Her Eventually Section 6, S3E18) Ch. 8 (Buffy/Faith, E) by BTVSFE
- Vampire Reference in a Minor Key(If you need me...) Ch. 10 (Spike, M, Interview With the Vampire xover) by Humanzoul
- Better Late Than Never Ch. 2 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Slaymesoftly
- Reprise//Ще раз Ch. 14 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Uraniya
- Phantom Pains Ch. 4 (Angel/Lindsey) by CloudSeeker
- Draugadrottinn Ch. 41 (Willow/Tara, E) by VladimirHarkonnen
- Heartstrings Ch. 17 (Warren/Andrew, E) by Mishafer
- Fresh nights ahead Ch. 19 (Buffy/Faith, E) by Redtheseer
- Red Xandra: Season Two Ch. 52 (Ensemble, T) by Kickaha
- The Leech Ch. 12 (COMPLETE) (OC Slayer, T) by OGSamsa
- The End Is Now Ch. 10 (Buffy/Giles, E) by KatyAmberAuthor
- A Hundred Years of Spike CH. 21 (Buffy/Spike, M) by voidslayerworks98
- Greatest Love Story - Prelude Ch. 13 (Angelus/Spike, M) by FalseGinger
- Where the Forgotten Lie Ch. 6 (Ensemble, T) by Gravitytrips
- Playing With Fire, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, G) by stellugh
- Carol of a missing lipstick , Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike, G) by rossshin
- Hindsight Twenty-Twenty, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, M) by CheekyKitten
- Pick Me Up, Chapter 22 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Dusty
- Undisclosed Desires, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Misti
- Undisclosed Desires, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Misti
- If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck..., Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, E) by zinjadu
- On the Run, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, E) by zinjadu
- A Crushing Need For Help, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Tikiriaaa
- Finality Ch. 5 (Buffy/Spike, T) by flootzavut
[Images, Audio & Video]
- Artwork: Season 6 Buffy () by idontexistbutwhodoes
- Artwork: and then they kissed (Spike/Angel) by brekindelo
- Artwork: Buffy () by _mystereed
[Reviews & Recaps]
- Thoughts on Rewatching S2E15, “Phases” (2/2): Werewolves, it’s one of the classics” by btvsfemslashenjoyer
- PODCAST: BTVS 712 - Potential by Another Buffy Podcast
- PODCAST: S2 E5: "Reptile Boy" by The Bitch Is Back
[Recs & In Search Of]
- The sweetest sanguine lullaby by Ren recced by februaryfangfest
- 15,925 by Higgystar recced by februaryfangfest
[Community Announcements]
- Tuesday, February 10 - Promotion Day Reminder by [community profile] fic_promptly
[Fandom Discussions]
- I’ve been watching Angel with my roommates and we just got to the part where Wesley’s in the hospital after stealing Connor away. by ari-but-unhinged
- Spike’s biggest drives are LOVE and FUN. by kpchrs
- I liked that kiss even for reasons unrelated to Bangel. by ceciliastark
- omg I’ve never considered faith and cordy before by shesnake
- I made a chart bc I’m always thinking about who understood best that they were actually quietly dating all three scoobies actually. by camellcat
- Willow’s will-be-done spell by kinardnatural
- Darla I love you so much. by stormtide-leviathan
- anyway riley finn should’ve died in an act of self-sacrifice in primeval by kindaorangey
- fresh out of prison homotron 3000 faith lehane by theslayerfest
- Poor dawn has her father abandon her by biblicalhorror
- Vote if bunnytailsREACTS should start a REACTIONs journey reacting to every Buffy episode! by djamst
- Lol by Warm_Birthday_3198
- What is a hilarious headcanon you have? by VisibleCoat995
- Which Buffy novels are less dark and more comfy? by DetailConsistent7533
- When does "Angel" get good? by Existing-Worry-97
- Hate the last episode by It-is-whatever
- I was really hoping Spike would do more by izzy-springbolt
- Does getting hit make a SLAYER stronger? by AnxiousConsequence18
- Rewatching Buffy and once again falling in love with Drusilla by AaronMills83
- Morality of killing demons vs killing humans by Existing-Worry-97
- Was wiping Connor's mind the right decision? Is there anything else Angel could've done? by SafiraAshai
[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]
- PUBLICATION: 27 Years Ago Today, Buffy Introduced a Character Who Would End Up With One of the best Franchise Arcs by comicbook.com
Oasis updates
Feb. 10th, 2026 07:59 pmsnickfic(This and the writing post were all going to be one post, but then I had so many Oasis things to say...)
+ LOL Noel won Songwriter of the Year at the Brit Awards for 2025, the first year in probably twenty or so when he did not release a single song. The Brit Awards also happen to be in Manchester this year. Did they give Noel the award to get him to Manchester? Did they put the awards in Manchester because they already planned to give him the award (since it clearly didn't depend on any work he actually produced last year)?
And most importantly: Is Liam going? His answer has varied, but the most recent one seems to be yes. In any case he definitely approves.
+ And they're definitely still talking. :') Here's Noel calling into his favorite sports show.
(And he says he's in the studio!!!!!)
+ Speaking of Noel in the studio, here's what Liam had to say about that. Don't tease us Liam!!
+ One last Liam tweet to send you off. ;____;
+ LOL Noel won Songwriter of the Year at the Brit Awards for 2025, the first year in probably twenty or so when he did not release a single song. The Brit Awards also happen to be in Manchester this year. Did they give Noel the award to get him to Manchester? Did they put the awards in Manchester because they already planned to give him the award (since it clearly didn't depend on any work he actually produced last year)?
And most importantly: Is Liam going? His answer has varied, but the most recent one seems to be yes. In any case he definitely approves.
+ And they're definitely still talking. :') Here's Noel calling into his favorite sports show.
Noel: Our…our…our kid thinks we’re still.. Our kid thinks we’re gonna win the quad.
Andy: Honestly hand on heart, he does?
Noel: Well, that’s what he was telling me last night.
(And he says he's in the studio!!!!!)
+ Speaking of Noel in the studio, here's what Liam had to say about that. Don't tease us Liam!!
+ One last Liam tweet to send you off. ;____;
fandom stuff
Feb. 10th, 2026 07:58 pmsnickfic+ I thought I might not be able to finish anything for Candy Hearts, but I got a new idea at the last minute, and when I read it over again today, I'm pretty happy with it, actually. Yay.
+ In a fit of optimism, I signed up to finish one of my Oasis WIPs forcrackthewip.
+ I also managed to write a thing for Bulletproof. Granted I wrote most of it at the end of December, so it doesn't even count as this year's writing, but I'm glad to have maintained my Bulletproof streak.
+ Anyway, NO MORE EXCHANGE SIGNUPS. I mean it this time. >:(
+ In a fit of optimism, I signed up to finish one of my Oasis WIPs for
crackthewip.+ I also managed to write a thing for Bulletproof. Granted I wrote most of it at the end of December, so it doesn't even count as this year's writing, but I'm glad to have maintained my Bulletproof streak.
+ Anyway, NO MORE EXCHANGE SIGNUPS. I mean it this time. >:(
force is machine
Feb. 10th, 2026 10:47 pmthe_siobhanDear Father, it has been a month since my last confession.
I am so tired, y'all. I've been working overtime for the past three weeks trying to stash some money away for the inevitable basement bullshit and it's been exhausting. (You wouldn't think a job that requires sitting at a desk would be tiring, but I feel like somebody threw sand in my eyes by the end of the day.)
Permit-wrangler is still trying to find an engineer. Apparently the problem is that I can't just dig a hole and have an engineer look at it and yes the foundations are good, they have to figure out how to reverse-engineer whatever was done to create new drawings - and that's going to be expensive regardless.
I sicc'd permit-wrangler on the engineer who got the original permits. "Tell him if he helps me out I might leave him out of the lawsuit."
***
I looked out my window this morning and there was a huge raptor in the trees behind my house. Couldn't get a clear enough view to make a guess at what it was but at least twice the size of the red-tail hawks I normally see back there.
I reiterated to the venerable Lord Brock that no, he is not going outside no matter how much he bonks his head on the window. (He is enormously offended by the squirrels.)
***
Last time I visited my dad I took my laptop over and started quizzing him about family. His memory is shot, but he does remember incidents from his childhood. What's hilarious is that he remembers the kids who pissed him off - I suggested one possible connection and he was all, "Oh yeah, Joey, he visited from the States. What a little prick."
He also remembered the aunt who baked cookies and the heavy-drinking aunt who was a huge bruiser and all the men were afraid of her. So if they left an impression he had me stories about them, even if he doesn't remember how they're related to him.
***
Somebody here was talking about how Skip The Dishes made up a new address for them, and it reminded me that I had the exact experience last time I ordered from them. The system sent the driver to an address a couple of blocks away and I only caught it because I got the ping that the order was five minutes away and when I looked at the map I didn't recognize the streets.
Calling their customer service did nothing because the driver was already showing as "arrived". But as soon as I hung up I got a call from the driver because the address they had given him was a park, so I was able to redirect him and get my food after all.
***
We have reached the part of the winter where I start to worry that I have run out of places to put snow. My yard is maybe five feet square and the snow is already piled up in a pyramid.
I keep wanting to go out with a hose and ice it up and build an igloo or something.
I am so tired, y'all. I've been working overtime for the past three weeks trying to stash some money away for the inevitable basement bullshit and it's been exhausting. (You wouldn't think a job that requires sitting at a desk would be tiring, but I feel like somebody threw sand in my eyes by the end of the day.)
Permit-wrangler is still trying to find an engineer. Apparently the problem is that I can't just dig a hole and have an engineer look at it and yes the foundations are good, they have to figure out how to reverse-engineer whatever was done to create new drawings - and that's going to be expensive regardless.
I sicc'd permit-wrangler on the engineer who got the original permits. "Tell him if he helps me out I might leave him out of the lawsuit."
***
I looked out my window this morning and there was a huge raptor in the trees behind my house. Couldn't get a clear enough view to make a guess at what it was but at least twice the size of the red-tail hawks I normally see back there.
I reiterated to the venerable Lord Brock that no, he is not going outside no matter how much he bonks his head on the window. (He is enormously offended by the squirrels.)
***
Last time I visited my dad I took my laptop over and started quizzing him about family. His memory is shot, but he does remember incidents from his childhood. What's hilarious is that he remembers the kids who pissed him off - I suggested one possible connection and he was all, "Oh yeah, Joey, he visited from the States. What a little prick."
He also remembered the aunt who baked cookies and the heavy-drinking aunt who was a huge bruiser and all the men were afraid of her. So if they left an impression he had me stories about them, even if he doesn't remember how they're related to him.
***
Somebody here was talking about how Skip The Dishes made up a new address for them, and it reminded me that I had the exact experience last time I ordered from them. The system sent the driver to an address a couple of blocks away and I only caught it because I got the ping that the order was five minutes away and when I looked at the map I didn't recognize the streets.
Calling their customer service did nothing because the driver was already showing as "arrived". But as soon as I hung up I got a call from the driver because the address they had given him was a park, so I was able to redirect him and get my food after all.
***
We have reached the part of the winter where I start to worry that I have run out of places to put snow. My yard is maybe five feet square and the snow is already piled up in a pyramid.
I keep wanting to go out with a hose and ice it up and build an igloo or something.
Projects and Bunnies
Feb. 10th, 2026 08:09 pmsenmut~ 10trueloves - 5/10 written
~ 3SF - 15 fills in 14 fandoms, still checking daily for new prompts
~ Ahsoka the Daughter whispering guidance through time in Anakin's head. Starting inAotC TPM. Includes: Okay no wonder some said I was just like you (her reaction to the reckless deal in TPM) / Hey Skykid, what's a guy with all the power thinking to make a point of having time for you? (Comics of the Padawan years) / Oh kriff he's so young (first meeting of Anakin and Rex) / I am SO shiny (Ahsoka arriving) - CURRENTLY AT 623 WORDS
~ Fulcrum and Rex time travel to before Anakin runs to Mace. - NEEDS CANON REVIEW
~ Rachel and Joe meet with BOTH finally aware
~ Drizzt's fallout/Vierna's reactions in the Divining Destiny universe
~ The Broken/Wrong AniSoka from 3SF as a proper fic
~ Fulcrum accidentally pulls Anakin to Malachor in That Fight. - READY TO POST
10trueloves - 5/10 written ~ 3SF - 15 fills in 14 fandoms, still checking daily for new prompts
Random Plot Bunnies in Progress
~ Ahsoka the Daughter whispering guidance through time in Anakin's head. Starting in
~ Fulcrum and Rex time travel to before Anakin runs to Mace. - NEEDS CANON REVIEW
Potential Bunnies Pending Further Bouncing
~ Rachel and Joe meet with BOTH finally aware
~ Drizzt's fallout/Vierna's reactions in the Divining Destiny universe
~ The Broken/Wrong AniSoka from 3SF as a proper fic
Finished
~ Fulcrum accidentally pulls Anakin to Malachor in That Fight. - READY TO POST
(no subject)
Feb. 10th, 2026 09:01 pmwaterswordThis might be the first time that Jo Walton's reading list did not result in a half-dozen new library holds, so I unfroze some existing holds and headed over to rivkat's to catch up on her notes on books. Results: several new holds, as expected and intended. I feel much better.
I fought my way past Amtrak's terrible 2FA and did not have to deal with Julie, which definitely counts as dodging the boss battle, but now I am getting errors when I try to buy my Dessa ticket, and in conclusion, computers were a mistake.
The gherkin is asleep on my chest (tiny tiny tiny snores) and allegedly it is going to go above 0° C for the first time in days, possibly weeks, tomorrow.
Day 10: Fic - Avatar the Last Airbender - Ty Lee
Feb. 10th, 2026 08:54 pmalchemicink posting in halfamoonIt was hard to figure out who to write for "acting the fool" but I think Ty Lee could fit in this category.
Title: Put on a happy face
Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender
Character: Ty Lee
Rating: G
Length: 100 words
Summary: Ty Lee is good at smiling.
Link: here on ao3 or you can read it under the cut below
( Read more... )
Title: Put on a happy face
Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender
Character: Ty Lee
Rating: G
Length: 100 words
Summary: Ty Lee is good at smiling.
Link: here on ao3 or you can read it under the cut below
( Read more... )
Day 9 - Fic - Resident Alien - Asta Twelvetrees
Feb. 10th, 2026 07:43 pmcmk418 posting in halfamoonTitle: Graduation Day
Fandom: Resident Alien
Character: Asta Twelvetrees
Rating: G
Word Count: 174
Summary: Asta celebrates her graduation from nursing school
( Graduation Day )
Fandom: Resident Alien
Character: Asta Twelvetrees
Rating: G
Word Count: 174
Summary: Asta celebrates her graduation from nursing school
( Graduation Day )
GenPrompt Bingo: Teenagers
Feb. 10th, 2026 07:37 pmsenmutAO3 Link | Overheard (400 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars: Rebels
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Hera Syndulla, Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Community: genprompt_bingo
Summary:
See the AO3 Link for the fic this tags onto.
Chopper had proven able to mostly work with Arseven, once they got back to the real ship that Fulcrum usually worked from. The sound of the two droids razzing each other became quite common, but Hera knew Chopper loved having another droid to talk to.
So did Arseven, who was one of those that had never been memory wiped.
Hera knew both of her new friends were veterans of the war, and it sometimes worried her because she'd seen the holonet. She knew what the soldiers had done… and if Fulcrum had been at Ryloth, that meant Fulcrum was one of the Jedi.
"He's safe," Fulcrum said, after Leverage had headed to the back of the ship to help the droids with maintenance.
"Did you read my mind?"
"No, your lekku language is not that far from mine." Fulcrum smiled. "Leverage saved me, when things happened. Now, we help others resist the Empire, and steal our men back as we can, because it wasn't their choice."
"How can someone do that without choosing it?" Hera asked.
"By using a chip to control them." Fulcrum stood to go lend a hand, and indicated the instrument display. "Keep an eye on the board, and call back if something changes badly.
"You need to get used to it all if you're going to be our pilot."
Hera's eyes went very large, as she realized Fulcrum meant those words. "I'm going to be the best pilot I can be!"
"I have faith in that, my young friend."
"You know she's Syndulla's biter," Leverage was saying, and Hera froze where she was, rather than get any closer.
"And? I didn't set out to recruit her; she made her own choices. He's never going to look off of Ryloth for his efforts. I don't have to worry about offending him."
Hera's heart hammered to hear Fulcrum say what she felt, and that the woman knew!
"Alright, 'Soka. You will do what you think is best. Still think she's young to make this kind of choice. It's not like when we were younger."
"No, it's worse. And we need strong-willed young minds willing to pick up the fight, keep it strong. I believe in her, and will teach her all I can."
Hera felt the belief and promise in those words. She very carefully took herself back to the cockpit, and vowed to never let Fulcrum down.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars: Rebels
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Hera Syndulla, Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Community: genprompt_bingo
Summary:
As Hera settles in with Chopper, she hears words she needed.
See the AO3 Link for the fic this tags onto.
Scrappy Youngling: Overheard
Chopper had proven able to mostly work with Arseven, once they got back to the real ship that Fulcrum usually worked from. The sound of the two droids razzing each other became quite common, but Hera knew Chopper loved having another droid to talk to.
So did Arseven, who was one of those that had never been memory wiped.
Hera knew both of her new friends were veterans of the war, and it sometimes worried her because she'd seen the holonet. She knew what the soldiers had done… and if Fulcrum had been at Ryloth, that meant Fulcrum was one of the Jedi.
"He's safe," Fulcrum said, after Leverage had headed to the back of the ship to help the droids with maintenance.
"Did you read my mind?"
"No, your lekku language is not that far from mine." Fulcrum smiled. "Leverage saved me, when things happened. Now, we help others resist the Empire, and steal our men back as we can, because it wasn't their choice."
"How can someone do that without choosing it?" Hera asked.
"By using a chip to control them." Fulcrum stood to go lend a hand, and indicated the instrument display. "Keep an eye on the board, and call back if something changes badly.
"You need to get used to it all if you're going to be our pilot."
Hera's eyes went very large, as she realized Fulcrum meant those words. "I'm going to be the best pilot I can be!"
"I have faith in that, my young friend."
"You know she's Syndulla's biter," Leverage was saying, and Hera froze where she was, rather than get any closer.
"And? I didn't set out to recruit her; she made her own choices. He's never going to look off of Ryloth for his efforts. I don't have to worry about offending him."
Hera's heart hammered to hear Fulcrum say what she felt, and that the woman knew!
"Alright, 'Soka. You will do what you think is best. Still think she's young to make this kind of choice. It's not like when we were younger."
"No, it's worse. And we need strong-willed young minds willing to pick up the fight, keep it strong. I believe in her, and will teach her all I can."
Hera felt the belief and promise in those words. She very carefully took herself back to the cockpit, and vowed to never let Fulcrum down.
One Year of Embers: Progress and Reflections
Feb. 11th, 2026 12:44 amdouqi posting in baihe_mediaIt's been slightly over a year since I started translating To Embers We Return, so I thought it might be a good time to take stock of my progress.
( douqi rambles about stats )
And finally, to anyone thinking of checking out the translation but not wanting to be stuck on too much of a cliffhanger, Chapter 36 (which is coming up soon) is something of a natural stopping point for what I've started thinking of as 'volume one' of the novel. It's been surprisingly tricky to identify stopping points because Ning Yuan is a very good serial writer and therefore puts little hooks in at the end of each chapter to compel you to come back to the next one, but I think this more-or-less works. By chapter count, it's also about 20% of the main text of the novel (19.78% if you add the extras) so I feel that's a nice chunk of book, and you'll get the next chunk about this time next year, kind of like traditional series publishing (that's the hope, anyway).
( douqi rambles about stats )
And finally, to anyone thinking of checking out the translation but not wanting to be stuck on too much of a cliffhanger, Chapter 36 (which is coming up soon) is something of a natural stopping point for what I've started thinking of as 'volume one' of the novel. It's been surprisingly tricky to identify stopping points because Ning Yuan is a very good serial writer and therefore puts little hooks in at the end of each chapter to compel you to come back to the next one, but I think this more-or-less works. By chapter count, it's also about 20% of the main text of the novel (19.78% if you add the extras) so I feel that's a nice chunk of book, and you'll get the next chunk about this time next year, kind of like traditional series publishing (that's the hope, anyway).
The Black Fantastic: 20 Afrofuturist Stories, ed. andré m. carrington (2025) [part 1]
Feb. 10th, 2026 06:28 pmpauraqueThis is the first part of my book club notes on The Black Fantastic: 20 Afrofuturist Stories. I appreciated the editor's introduction, which highlights connections between the oppressive realities of the past and present to the spark of Black speculative imagination—how can things be different, and whose ideas will shape the future? He's written a nonfiction book on this topic, Speculative Blackness, which I would be interested to check out.
Interesting to note that this collection places the stories in chronological order of first publication. We've had a number of conversations about how editors arrange stories in anthologies (similar themes together? most significant stories first and last?) and this is the first time I've seen this approach. It was mentioned that some books the group read before I joined did this as well, but those were more historical overviews that spanned a longer period of time, while these stories are all from the last 25 years. Perhaps the intention is to suggest a new history still being written.
There was also some discussion of the physical book itself having a good design and high quality paper and feeling nice to hold in the hand, to which I could add nothing because I have the ebook.
"Herbal" by Nalo Hopkinson (2002)
( An elephant suddenly appears in a woman's apartment. )
"All That Touches the Air" by An Owomoyela (2011)
( A human colony exists in uneasy equilibrium with aliens who can parasitize and control people's bodies. )
"Bludgeon" by Thaddeus Howze (2013)
( Conquering aliens are persuaded to wager the fate of Earth on a game of baseball. )
"A Guide to the Fruits of Hawai'i" by Alaya Dawn Johnson (2014)
( In a world dominated by vampires, a human woman collaborates with them to save herself. )
Interesting to note that this collection places the stories in chronological order of first publication. We've had a number of conversations about how editors arrange stories in anthologies (similar themes together? most significant stories first and last?) and this is the first time I've seen this approach. It was mentioned that some books the group read before I joined did this as well, but those were more historical overviews that spanned a longer period of time, while these stories are all from the last 25 years. Perhaps the intention is to suggest a new history still being written.
There was also some discussion of the physical book itself having a good design and high quality paper and feeling nice to hold in the hand, to which I could add nothing because I have the ebook.
"Herbal" by Nalo Hopkinson (2002)
( An elephant suddenly appears in a woman's apartment. )
"All That Touches the Air" by An Owomoyela (2011)
( A human colony exists in uneasy equilibrium with aliens who can parasitize and control people's bodies. )
"Bludgeon" by Thaddeus Howze (2013)
( Conquering aliens are persuaded to wager the fate of Earth on a game of baseball. )
"A Guide to the Fruits of Hawai'i" by Alaya Dawn Johnson (2014)
( In a world dominated by vampires, a human woman collaborates with them to save herself. )