Lynn | Settiai (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
settiai) wrote2025-05-24 12:40 am
settiai) wrote2025-05-24 12:40 am
Entry tags:
Annie D (scaramouche) wrote2025-05-24 09:19 am
scaramouche) wrote2025-05-24 09:19 am
Entry tags:
Gigi and the Fountain of Youth
Completely by accident, I ended up rewatching Gigi and the Fountain of Youth, the English-dubbed version of the Minky Momo OVA, which I used to watch on VHS as a kid.
Thanks to the near-manic dubbed dialogue that I now, as an adult, fully understand instead of having wash over me as a child, it's so absurdist! There's so many characters and so many things happen! All those accents and OTT delivery! There's barely any pauses between gags! Though I can totally see how I glommed onto Gigi so hard, her ability to easily transform into glamorous adult versions of herself was SUCH a dream to a kid.
Thanks to the near-manic dubbed dialogue that I now, as an adult, fully understand instead of having wash over me as a child, it's so absurdist! There's so many characters and so many things happen! All those accents and OTT delivery! There's barely any pauses between gags! Though I can totally see how I glommed onto Gigi so hard, her ability to easily transform into glamorous adult versions of herself was SUCH a dream to a kid.
Lynn | Settiai (settiai) wrote2025-05-23 05:20 pm
settiai) wrote2025-05-23 05:20 pm
Long Weekend
I'm so very, very thankful that the new CEO at Unnamed Nonprofit hasn't tried to change anything when it comes to us having extra long weekends around holidays. Hell, if anything he's even better than the former CEO on that front, as he's added extra time here and there for us.
On that note: yesterday was my twelve year anniversary at Unnamed Nonprofit. Time really fucking flies, huh? There are only five people in the entire company who've been there longer than me, and two of them are probably going to be retiring within the next year or so. So that's also a bit terrifying.
Anyway, I managed to get a whopping ten hours of sleep last night, and it was lovely. It cut into my plans for today, admittedly, but the fact that I don't have to go back to work until Tuesday means I still have plenty of time for writing fanfiction, and playing video games, and maybe even watching some movies/TV shows if I can focus on them long enough to watch something new-to-me.
To the surprise of everyone, including me, I've stuck with my planned schedule for the week. I went and bought groceries after work yesterday, so I've got enough to cover me until my next paycheck and I can make some burgers this weekend too. I decided to go with edibles for my relaxation aid, so I picked up a pack at the dispensary on my way back from the grocery store, but they were having a holiday sale so I had enough left over to get some beer too without going over my budget.
I'm not planning on leaving the hotel the rest of the long weekend, although that could always potentially change. Honestly, though, I'll be happy if I can manage to not even have to leave my room for the entire time. That would be great.
On that note: yesterday was my twelve year anniversary at Unnamed Nonprofit. Time really fucking flies, huh? There are only five people in the entire company who've been there longer than me, and two of them are probably going to be retiring within the next year or so. So that's also a bit terrifying.
Anyway, I managed to get a whopping ten hours of sleep last night, and it was lovely. It cut into my plans for today, admittedly, but the fact that I don't have to go back to work until Tuesday means I still have plenty of time for writing fanfiction, and playing video games, and maybe even watching some movies/TV shows if I can focus on them long enough to watch something new-to-me.
To the surprise of everyone, including me, I've stuck with my planned schedule for the week. I went and bought groceries after work yesterday, so I've got enough to cover me until my next paycheck and I can make some burgers this weekend too. I decided to go with edibles for my relaxation aid, so I picked up a pack at the dispensary on my way back from the grocery store, but they were having a holiday sale so I had enough left over to get some beer too without going over my budget.
I'm not planning on leaving the hotel the rest of the long weekend, although that could always potentially change. Honestly, though, I'll be happy if I can manage to not even have to leave my room for the entire time. That would be great.
trobadora (trobadora) wrote2025-05-23 07:38 pm
trobadora) wrote2025-05-23 07:38 pm
because I'm at it again ...
After finishing my 520 Day fic, I'm not exactly writing a lot, though I am trying to get into the flow again, but I've been thinking about it, because this sort of thing happens to me so often after I finish something, or even while I'm in the middle of it. So, poll!
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 38
When I write or finish a fic, I think about (or actually start) a sequel ...
These sequels are actually finished and posted ...
Ticky boxes?
View Answers
ticky boxes!
17 (50.0%)
more tickyboxes
9 (26.5%)
tickyboxes propagating further tickyboxes
27 (79.4%)
Annie D (scaramouche) wrote2025-05-23 03:43 pm
scaramouche) wrote2025-05-23 03:43 pm
Book Log: Hannibal
My first time reading about Hannibal of Carthage! Ernle Bradford's Hannibal is a decent intro and well-written, though after reading stuff by Mary Beard and others, it makes the lack of visible scholarship within Bradford's book stand out a bit. He does occasionally mention when Livy and Polybius' takes of Hannibal contradict each other, and does do some speculation on which route Hannibal and his brother may have taken into Italy, but otherwise it mostly presents things to be fact, right down to quotes that Hannibal was reported to have said. (By whom!) Which makes it good for an intro reader like me, but doesn't get into the nitty gritty or discuss other causes and effects of Hannibal's campaign except the overarching consequence that in the aftermath, Rome's influence in the Mediterranean increased and grew out into an empire.
Something like 90% of the book's content covers Hannibal's decade-and-half campaign in Italy, with particular focus on battle tactics. It's generalizing to say that male historians enjoy focusing a great deal on the minutiae of battle tactics in the biographies they write, yet that is a pattern I'm seeing. I would like to know more about the Hannibal's world and the political machinations of Rome in resisting and eventually repelling him. Because Bradford does present the opinion that Hannibal's wartime strategy in Italy was sound for invasion but not for consolidation, and it's the strength of Rome's political institutions that allowed them to resist Hannibal for over a decade of warfare without capitulation or destruction, but those processes are what I would liked to know more about. I would also love to know more about how fear of Hannibal impacted Roman society! But that's a minor thing, and not necessary for an intro read of the topic.
Edited to add: I just remembered! For a book that is so interested in battle tactics and logistical movements, it's surprising that it doesn't have a map. I could've REALLY used one to follow what the heck was going on through those portions.
On a very basic note, the times being what they are, whenever Hannibal's father gets mentioned I have to forcibly read Hamilcar as a name instead of a Pixar AU of Hamilton.
Something like 90% of the book's content covers Hannibal's decade-and-half campaign in Italy, with particular focus on battle tactics. It's generalizing to say that male historians enjoy focusing a great deal on the minutiae of battle tactics in the biographies they write, yet that is a pattern I'm seeing. I would like to know more about the Hannibal's world and the political machinations of Rome in resisting and eventually repelling him. Because Bradford does present the opinion that Hannibal's wartime strategy in Italy was sound for invasion but not for consolidation, and it's the strength of Rome's political institutions that allowed them to resist Hannibal for over a decade of warfare without capitulation or destruction, but those processes are what I would liked to know more about. I would also love to know more about how fear of Hannibal impacted Roman society! But that's a minor thing, and not necessary for an intro read of the topic.
Edited to add: I just remembered! For a book that is so interested in battle tactics and logistical movements, it's surprising that it doesn't have a map. I could've REALLY used one to follow what the heck was going on through those portions.
On a very basic note, the times being what they are, whenever Hannibal's father gets mentioned I have to forcibly read Hamilcar as a name instead of a Pixar AU of Hamilton.
wolfish_willow (wolfish_willow) wrote2025-05-22 08:42 pm
wolfish_willow) wrote2025-05-22 08:42 pmEntry tags:
Four or More Poly Ship Bingo Card
| Food | Holy | Old-fashioned | Home | Memories |
| Kisses | Singing | Awkward positions | Awkward conversations | Knife play |
| Pain | Grief | FREE SPACE | Money | 1990s AU |
| Tied up | Public place | A polycule with 5+ people | Late nights | Complicated relationships |
| Cozy | Recreational substance use | Feral | Flowers | Holidays |
Possible Ideas
Money
- Steve and Chrissy pooling their money together to get a place with enough space for the four of them (Jonathan, Chrissy, Steve, Nancy) to live together. Somewhere they can be themselves without worrying about the prying eyes of anyone else.
trobadora (trobadora) wrote2025-05-22 11:13 pm
trobadora) wrote2025-05-22 11:13 pm520 Day things, part one!
Second day of not-a-zombie-ness! And I do wonder if it's connected to the fact that I finally managedd to write (and finish!) a fic again ...
For this year's Guardian 520 Day exchange, I wrote for![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
AVAAntares. Protective and possessive Shen Wei, yes! And not in the way you'd maybe expect. *g* This story owes a lot to my beta china_shop, who made me make it immeasurably better:
And I received fantastic artwork for another of my stories, A Thread as Red as Blood, which is a post-YOHE first time at the SID. Just look at whatfacethestrange made - it's so good, and captures both the scene in my fic and the canon aesthetic so well!
(This post is part one because once I've made my way through the collection I hope to post recs. Such a bounty in there!)
For this year's Guardian 520 Day exchange, I wrote for
china_shop, who made me make it immeasurably better:The Consultant (3,830 words)
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Relationship: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Characters: Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei, Gao Jingfeng
Content Tags: Episode Related, Episode 13, Canon Divergence, Protective Shěn Wēi, Possessive Shen Wei, Shen Wei's secrets, Dancing Around an Envoy Reveal, Zhao Yunlan's Self-Worth Issues, Pre-Relationship
Summary:
Never mind the chaos of the ruined wedding all around them: this was a different trainwreck altogether. Shen Wei - Dixingren Shen Wei, Black-Cloaked Envoy Shen Wei who must have used his powers to break Zheng Yi's spell - had drawn Minister Gao's attention.
And I received fantastic artwork for another of my stories, A Thread as Red as Blood, which is a post-YOHE first time at the SID. Just look at what
facethestrange made - it's so good, and captures both the scene in my fic and the canon aesthetic so well!Attuned by facethestrange
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Relationship/Characters: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Content Tags: Implied Sexual Content, Post-Coital Cuddling, Tenderness, Forehead Touching, Inspired by Fanfiction, Fanart, Drawing
Summary:They leaned against each other, Shen Wei still straddling him, their foreheads touching, both breathing hard. Zhao Yunlan felt sweat cooling on his skin as his heart came down from its race.Illustration for A Thread as Red as Blood by Trobadora.
"Shen Wei," he murmured, just for the pleasure of saying his name.
"I'm sorry," Shen Wei said, sounding not at all sorry. "I suddenly found I couldn't wait a moment longer."
(This post is part one because once I've made my way through the collection I hope to post recs. Such a bounty in there!)
trobadora (trobadora) wrote2025-05-21 08:52 pm
trobadora) wrote2025-05-21 08:52 pmwait, what?
It's been almost two months since I've posted here?!
In conclusion, hi, everyone! I hope to actually post more again now, and not fall into a slump again right away. (Fingers crossed!)
Coming soon (I HOPE): Guardian 520 Day Reverse Exchange reveals (preview: I wrote a fic! I got fantastic artwork for one of my fics! There's a delightful bounty of stuff in the collection that I need to sit down to properly enjoy and comment on!) and also other updates.
- That can't be right. But it is??
- I mean, I have been in a complete slump for nearly three months now, and today is the first day in ages that I don't feel like a zombie, but still. How did that happen?!
- It didn't and doesn't feel like I was away from here for that long at all!
- But I guess that's because I've actually been commenting a lot - I've been on DW! I've been reading my flist, and replying to posts and comments! And I've been part of the 60-billion-comment club over at
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sid_guardian, aka the excellent Guardian discussions happening in the comments of the novel readalong posts, and china_shop's delightful drama polls, where we can't shut up about our fandom. *g* - What I haven't done in all that time is any real writing, other than the one exchange fic that went live last night. Just a bunch of alibi sentences and false starts. Pretty sure that made the zombie issue worse; I always feel worse when I'm not writing. But in addition to the slump, time and energy have both been at a low ebb.
- So, uh, yeah. Two months! For reasons, but I'm glad to finally be breaking that streak.
In conclusion, hi, everyone! I hope to actually post more again now, and not fall into a slump again right away. (Fingers crossed!)
Coming soon (I HOPE): Guardian 520 Day Reverse Exchange reveals (preview: I wrote a fic! I got fantastic artwork for one of my fics! There's a delightful bounty of stuff in the collection that I need to sit down to properly enjoy and comment on!) and also other updates.
Winger (sideways) wrote2025-05-21 06:03 pm
sideways) wrote2025-05-21 06:03 pmEntry tags:
more auspol because otherwise i will blog about work
Auspol is my favourite sport this year. Election results so savage the conservatives have appointed a woman leader for the first time because they're literally running out of seated men, and then straight-up had an internal collapse that would make it impossible to form government at any other election either if it were to be maintained. (It will not be maintained, for that exact reason, but I can hyena laugh for now.)
And it all happened after the leadership stint of probably my second least favourite Aussie politician ever. It's like Christmas.
And it all happened after the leadership stint of probably my second least favourite Aussie politician ever. It's like Christmas.
Amalthia (amalthia) wrote2025-05-20 11:58 pm
amalthia) wrote2025-05-20 11:58 pmEntry tags:
Being an adult sucks - do not buy furniture from Home Depot
It looks like the new vanities we purchased from Home Depot may not last longer than 3 years. When my husband and I purchased the vanities we didn't know they were particle board, so that's on us for not double checking. I now have questions as to how is it legal for a store to sell furniture that's going into a bathroom that can't withstand any water exposure?
In any case, the base of the vanity is already starting to warp in some spots and I figured I have about a year to find a replacement vanity.
The question is where do people buy vanities that aren't crap?
I considered maybe just buying a more expensive vanity from Home Depot, one made out of plywood, however based off the reviews that's also a bad idea. Or do people just replace bathroom vanities every few years now, like replacing a couch?
I think what's most frustrating is even knowing we had to be careful with this vanity water still somehow made it to the base, and there is water damage in a spot that makes no sense, but it's there.
In my future dream house, there is going to be TONS of space between sink/vanity, toilet, and shower, and all the walls will have tile going to the ceiling!
In any case, the base of the vanity is already starting to warp in some spots and I figured I have about a year to find a replacement vanity.
The question is where do people buy vanities that aren't crap?
I considered maybe just buying a more expensive vanity from Home Depot, one made out of plywood, however based off the reviews that's also a bad idea. Or do people just replace bathroom vanities every few years now, like replacing a couch?
I think what's most frustrating is even knowing we had to be careful with this vanity water still somehow made it to the base, and there is water damage in a spot that makes no sense, but it's there.
In my future dream house, there is going to be TONS of space between sink/vanity, toilet, and shower, and all the walls will have tile going to the ceiling!
Annie D (scaramouche) wrote2025-05-21 11:28 am
scaramouche) wrote2025-05-21 11:28 am
Entry tags:
Outer Wilds
I've watched (or "watched") so many Outer Wilds playthroughs I figured I'd try to remember the ones I liked in case I want to find them again. I've already been unable to find some that are not in my watch history for whatever bizarre reason. I'll probably be editing this post as I re-find the players I remember.
Oliver @ About Oliver (main game supercut & echoes supercut)
An astrophysicist plays Outer Wilds! An easygoing player who enjoys and discusses the science and space details of the game, with little anecdotes on what's accurate to real life and what's not. He notices the time differential when warping and talks about macroscopic quantum behaviour before the game mentions both, and gets excited when the game validates his theorising.
Liera (main game supercut and echoes supercut)
Liera is a very pleasant player, easygoing and cheerful, and thoughtful as she talks out her understanding of the lore. Interestingly, she's thorough but not traditionally methodical, which means that she sometimes finds secrets in the wrong order, which is fascinating (eg. she finds the probe tracking module before ever exploring the remains of the orbital probe cannon, and she finds ALL the burned slide reel rooms before finding the guide in the tower). In playing the main game she develops the Nomai timeline correctly through her notetaking.
Adam @ King Adam XVII
Adam is a fun player, he's not particularly focused but comes into the game with appreciation and commentary on the music (trends, influences, etc. plus he points out that the Prisoner's theme at the end uses a suspension). He sometimes pauses the game to play the music on his own instruments, or perform his Outer Wilds-inspired work, and he loves messing around with the mechanics of the game and seeing what he can do with its physics.
Becca @ BeccaBytes (main game supercut and echoes supercut)
Becca is a cheerful player who has nice reactions and figures out the emotional weight of the game, I think she's the one who calls the anglerfish cave the "place of sadness". She's not a very efficient player and misses some elements of the main game that she fills in with the dlc, but she does figure out some things other players don't (like the Stranger's movement), she gets a very good closeup of an owlk when the dam breaks, and she gets so frustrated with the sneaking that she makes a word doc plan that leads her to solving all three dream locations by entering from different points.
Ryan @ lil indigestion (main game supercut)
I've got this on right now, he's a cheerful, meticulous player who takes his time to look at things and pontificate appreciation for the lore, so he sees a lot of detail (he figures out Solanum grew up in the system before he even recognizes her as the Quantum Moon pilgrim) but also wanders a lot and struggles with the time-sensitive and platforming sections.
Allie @ AllieCat (main game supercut and echoes supercut)
Player with good energy and engagement in the Hearthian and Nomaian lore, and she loves Solanum! Her talking through the story is fun to listen to, though she wasn't as engaged with the Echoes DLC.
Mapocolops (main game supercut and echoes supercut)
Good energy dude, I can't remember other details.
Lukael @ Lukael Plays
I can't remember specific details but I do remember that this player was very pleasant to listen to.
Cohh @ CohhCarnage (main game supercut and echoes supercut)
Another one I can't remember details but that he had good energy and I liked listening to him. I just rewatched a bit and he stumbles into the Ash Twin completely by accident and way too early!
Oliver @ About Oliver (main game supercut & echoes supercut)
An astrophysicist plays Outer Wilds! An easygoing player who enjoys and discusses the science and space details of the game, with little anecdotes on what's accurate to real life and what's not. He notices the time differential when warping and talks about macroscopic quantum behaviour before the game mentions both, and gets excited when the game validates his theorising.
Liera (main game supercut and echoes supercut)
Liera is a very pleasant player, easygoing and cheerful, and thoughtful as she talks out her understanding of the lore. Interestingly, she's thorough but not traditionally methodical, which means that she sometimes finds secrets in the wrong order, which is fascinating (eg. she finds the probe tracking module before ever exploring the remains of the orbital probe cannon, and she finds ALL the burned slide reel rooms before finding the guide in the tower). In playing the main game she develops the Nomai timeline correctly through her notetaking.
Adam @ King Adam XVII
Adam is a fun player, he's not particularly focused but comes into the game with appreciation and commentary on the music (trends, influences, etc. plus he points out that the Prisoner's theme at the end uses a suspension). He sometimes pauses the game to play the music on his own instruments, or perform his Outer Wilds-inspired work, and he loves messing around with the mechanics of the game and seeing what he can do with its physics.
Becca @ BeccaBytes (main game supercut and echoes supercut)
Becca is a cheerful player who has nice reactions and figures out the emotional weight of the game, I think she's the one who calls the anglerfish cave the "place of sadness". She's not a very efficient player and misses some elements of the main game that she fills in with the dlc, but she does figure out some things other players don't (like the Stranger's movement), she gets a very good closeup of an owlk when the dam breaks, and she gets so frustrated with the sneaking that she makes a word doc plan that leads her to solving all three dream locations by entering from different points.
Ryan @ lil indigestion (main game supercut)
I've got this on right now, he's a cheerful, meticulous player who takes his time to look at things and pontificate appreciation for the lore, so he sees a lot of detail (he figures out Solanum grew up in the system before he even recognizes her as the Quantum Moon pilgrim) but also wanders a lot and struggles with the time-sensitive and platforming sections.
Allie @ AllieCat (main game supercut and echoes supercut)
Player with good energy and engagement in the Hearthian and Nomaian lore, and she loves Solanum! Her talking through the story is fun to listen to, though she wasn't as engaged with the Echoes DLC.
Mapocolops (main game supercut and echoes supercut)
Good energy dude, I can't remember other details.
Lukael @ Lukael Plays
I can't remember specific details but I do remember that this player was very pleasant to listen to.
Cohh @ CohhCarnage (main game supercut and echoes supercut)
Another one I can't remember details but that he had good energy and I liked listening to him. I just rewatched a bit and he stumbles into the Ash Twin completely by accident and way too early!