29 January 2026 @ 07:20 am
I had a chiropractic appointment and a pedicure this morning. I chose a pinkish-salmon-y color and she gave me hearts for the design. Very pretty. I hit Price Chopper and the Pharmacy while I was downtown, and then Stewart’s later (for gas and milk).

I hand-washed dishes, did a load in the dishwasher, went for several walks with Pip/the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter. I made shake ‘n bake pork chops with mashed butternut squash for supper.

I read fanfic and watched Best Medicine and Fixer to Fabulous on HGTV. I’ve seen a couple eps where they help out with a build for a St. Jude’s family; in this ep they worked with Habitat for Humanity. It’s nice to see them do that.

ETA: Thank you so much, [personal profile] mific, for the card! It came a few days ago, but I keep forgetting to thank you. It's lovely and I really appreciate it.

Cat update: I’ve already told you the ‘redneck cat door’ was a success as they saw one cat inside the garage. Then there were two. Now there are three. They’re all some form of black and white, so we believe they’re all from the same litter. (There was a farm next door that is no longer a working farm, so it’s very likely they came from that farm.) No rat sightings since the cat(s) moved in! And one cat was seen sniffing around where the rat disappears, so perhaps that will be the brave fellow to eventually catch it/them. So far the cats have remained hidden in the woodshed (still attached to the garage and heated) while people are up there and the dogs remain completely unaware of their presence. Some guard dogs they’d make, lol!

Pip came home with the toothache from hell. He'd already been to his dentist (a local woman who is technically retired but does stuff for Pip because she knows he won't go anywhere else to get his teeth fixed) and he claimed she'd opened an absess and did a root canal, but he was still having A LOT of pain, so she said she'd have to do something with a bridge to make sure she got all the root. He did not have a fun evening. And she didn't prescribe antibiotics, which I thought was weird. Then again, perhaps she no longer ~can if she's not practicing any longer? Pip called, but plans to call her again tomorrow morning (today).

Temps started out at 10.4(F) (and dropped to 9.1 before I left the house) and reached 24.4. It’s funny that we get our high temps before noon, and then they start dropping. There was sun, which was nice. Didn’t heat things up, but helped my mood.


Mom Update:

Mom sounded okay when I talked to her. She said she hadn’t had anything good to eat, but couldn’t really say if it was because it tasted bad to her or it didn’t sit well. Sister S was visiting when I called. Mom got a call from another woman from the village who wants to visit. She kept things pretty close to the vest when she was recovering from surgery and going through treatments (ie, no posts to FB talking about how she was doing; only told close friends), but the word is getting out now.
 
 
30 January 2026 @ 12:51 am
OMG this HR vid by Nestra! I love it!

from the beginning

 
 
29 January 2026 @ 11:07 am
You Are Here by David Nicholls was recommended to me by someone I trust - but it was still a tough sell because the only other book I've read by this author was One Day, which I hated!
Still, I gave it a go and ended up being glad I did, especially since the audiobook narrators were excellent and definitely enhanced the dual perspective narrative.
It's about Marnie and Michael, who are both recovering from bad relationships and meet on a walking holiday, suggested by a mutual friend, who intends to set them both up but with different people. The chapters alternate their POVs, as they end up the only two left walking by day three.
I liked both protagonists, though there were some very painful, awkward, cringey moments (particularly in Marnie's chapters) early on that made me question my dedication to reading more from David Nicholls.
However, Marnie is a freelance copy editor and all the bits about her job (which I share) were absolutely hilarious and also spot on, which definitely add to the reading experience for me. The bits about Michael's teaching job were also both amusing and relatable (I used to be a teacher too).
And I also liked the slow burn of the relationship (it felt slow, even though most of the book took place over only seven days) and how the narrative gradually revealed more about the characters to both the reader and to each other.
Given the perceived 'slow burn' nature of the main narrative, the resolution felt a bit abrupt, but also satisfying overall.
 
 
29 January 2026 @ 01:31 am
Quote:

"Do silly things. Foolishness is a great deal more vital and healthy than our straining and striving after a meaningful life."

"The task of a writer is not to solve the problem but to state the problem correctly."

~ Anton Chekhov
Tags:
 
 
 
 
28 January 2026 @ 10:49 pm
So I did try to get out of here. My hill is an ice floe but I got up there and the main highway is fine. BUT both counties are still on level 2 snow emergencies. Students are whining about it. I point to Canvas where I left them a message saying if you don't feel safe don't come. I'll put up a recording and you go suffer through that.

Rocket is being the best boy, finally using the damn litter box. Guess it got too cold to go pee outside. (He has only used that box a handful of times in 4 years. Today he walked in and did his business while I'm there like a good boy. He still wants out mind you but then he gets over it.

Another day of failing to clean (I have no energy today) but I made an eye appt, paid my membership dues for my pro organization, bought the work con and the hotel, contacted the steampunk con about their teacher discount, got the hotel for the loveland frogman festival in march (watch me get snowed into Loveland)

I did a bad thing. I took an Amazon prime trial membership because I HAD to spend the gift cards I got last work con and the items I wanted were over 50$ cheaper when I did that. Now to remember to cancel it in march.


What I Just Finished Reading:

A Curious Kind of Magic - I enjoyed this cozy mystery/fantasy thought the flawed main character did get on my nerves some times

Sugar and Vice - it was fairly fun

Sally Ride - I thought this was a YA book it was barely middle grade, more like 5-6th grade (I hate that my library system uses some reading level thing that means nothing to people who aren't parents. It's from the line that Chelsea Clinton started after the whole and yet she persisted dust up and it was nice for what it was.


What I am Currently Reading:

Zombie Day Care and something by Alison Bechdel about being superhuman. Oh joy an exercise memoir. Nearly done.

Luna Park history - it was an amusement park in Pittsburgh around 1910. Mostly interested because it feels like a place to set a story. I mean a lion escaped from it and ate a woman.

What I Plan to Read Next: La Grand Familia and some fantasy sapphic comic where chefs fight monsters...with giant forks. I know I know, the prompt is sapphic comic and this is the only one I haven't read yet at my library (I didn't like their other offerings enough to reread)
Tags: ,
 
 
Current Music: Killer Confessions
Current Mood: blank
 
 
28 January 2026 @ 10:05 pm
Reading
  • I've been working from home due to the weather this week, so no book reading. Plenty of fic reading though! Still mostly on JunDylan, with a bit of VegasPete. Currently I'm reading face2face by [archiveofourown.org profile] praystation , which I'm enjoying a lot. I love characters who lie to everyone and especially themselves lol
Watching
  • The roommate and I finished Head 2 Head. SeaKeen were so good, I love their chemistry. Really liked SurfJava too. Interesting storyline that I really just kept wishing would crossover with My Magic Prophecy lol
  • Forgot to post last week, but the roommate and I watched DMD Friendship the Reality. We were already familiar with most of the actors, but it was fun seeing the partners interacting. Especially TleFirstone, like damn. Also, Gems, my love <3
  • The roommate and I also watched DMD Friendship the Reality, It Takes Two. Also mostly familiar with the actors, but still fun to see the partners interacting. JimmyOhm were the highlight for sure, I love them.
  • The roommate and I watched Thee and Thee, a short vertical series that's sort of an AU of Me and Thee. Very silly!
  • The roommate and I started watching Dangerous Romance. Came in with the bullying way more intensely than I expected lol But I'm very interested to see how they redeem Perth's character.
  • The roommate, best friend, and I watched the latest episode of Goddess Bless You From Death. Oh shit's really going down now! Loving it.
  • The roommate, best friend, and I watched the latest episode of Melody of Secrets. Remains so strange. Idk.
  • The roommate, best friend, and I watched the latest episode of Dare You to Death. It is kind of funny how fast the romance is going and how not the murder investigation is going lol But I'm enjoying it.
  • The roommate, best friend, and I watched the latest episode of Burnout Syndrome. A moment of lovely domesticity that is already starting to implode, and I love that lol
  • The roommate, best friend, and I started watching Cat for Cash. So cute! Also much more emotional than I was expecting, but I think it'll be much more lighthearted the rest of the time.
  • The roommate, best friend, and I watched more of Kidnap. Very much enjoying this rewatch. OhmLeng are just so good.
  • The roommate and I went to see Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in theaters, but had to see Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at home due to the weather. I saw them in theaters when they first came out, but I was just a kid then, so it was really fun to see them again! Very likely that I will be back on my Gigolas bullshit soon lol
Listening
  • Some random t-pop, nothing much else.
Writing
  • Started another Thundercloud Rainstorm fic. I should actually finish one sometime...
  • Wrote some poetry.
Learning
  • I read a couple of articles about figure skating. Which I know doesn't really sound like a learning thing! But I wanted to learn more about the terminology and history of figure skating, since while I've always liked figure skating, I don't know that much about it. So I've decided to treat this as a little personal course and teach myself about it before the Olympics.

 
 
28 January 2026 @ 10:43 pm
  1. Many thanks to [personal profile] sakana17 for offering to host WED in February! We'll continue next month over at [personal profile] sakanawords. :D

  2. This morning I had the plumber in to have my my gas boiler serviced and the flue replaced. "Oh no, you don't need to remove the stuff under it, it'll be fine," they said. - Never mind the stuff directly under the boiler, the entire room ended up covered in dirt.

  3. Mystery of the day: am I developing a cold, or did I just breathe in too much dust/soot? /o\

Today's writing

More exchange fic wrangling.

Tally

Days 1-25 )

Day 26: [personal profile] badly_knitted, [personal profile] brithistorian, [personal profile] carenejeans, [personal profile] china_shop, [personal profile] cornerofmadness, [personal profile] goddess47, [personal profile] luzula, [personal profile] sanguinity, [personal profile] shadaras, [personal profile] sylvanwitch, [personal profile] the_siobhan, [personal profile] trobadora, [personal profile] ysilme

Day 27: [personal profile] badly_knitted, [personal profile] brithistorian, [personal profile] carenejeans, [personal profile] china_shop, [personal profile] cornerofmadness, [personal profile] goddess47, [personal profile] luzula, [personal profile] sanguinity, [personal profile] shadaras, [personal profile] sylvanwitch, [personal profile] the_siobhan, [personal profile] trobadora, [personal profile] ysilme

Day 28: [personal profile] china_shop, [personal profile] trobadora, [personal profile] ysilme

Let me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
 
 
28 January 2026 @ 04:30 pm
( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )
 
 
Current Location: standing desk
Current Music: Love & Light by Maddie & Tae
Current Mood: accomplished
 
 
28 January 2026 @ 01:55 pm
Inhospitable commuting conditions have kept me home the last few days. (Fun fact: the city counts any road as plowed that 1) a city vehicle has driven down, or 2) has less than two inches of snow on it...which may explain why a truly perplexing number of people have tried to drive—and ended up marooned—on so many of them.) If nothing else, it's been a great boon to my page count totals.

What I Finished Reading This Week

Mannaz – Malene Sølvsten
The final volume in the Whisper of Ravens series, after Ansuz and Fehu. These books are by no means Literature, but they are a great deal of fun. Although they are original fiction, they have the vibe of a really excellent fanfic epic, if that makes sense. There are definite strengths and weaknesses to the story itself, but by this point in the trilogy I was just along for the ride and enjoying myself despite whatever happened.Read more... ) But at the end of the day, this novel—and the entire trilogy—were entertaining reads and ones that I will return to again.

Freya the Deer – Meg Richman
This book is very well written. It will frustrate—if not anger—many readers with its almost complete refusal to pull punches, but will also probably frustrate the remainder of its readers by easing backing from the few punches it does pull at absolutely critical moments.

What it does well:
  • There's no moralizing (or even handwringing) to be found about women's sexuality here.
  • Richman's nuanced, uncompromising portrayal of Freya's autism. This is not "neurodivergence" i.e., just an informed attribute, or conflation of feeling socially awkward with fundamental mental difference, or something that's "solved" with the right romantic partner or found family. Freya is differently made from most of the people around her.
  • That fundamental difference just is: sometimes it helps Freya, sometimes it hurts her; she is not always aware that it's doing one or the other, and even when she knows or suspects, she doesn't necessarily know why.
  • Richman's characters—even the secondary and tertiary ones—are generally complex and well-rounded. These are real human beings with opinions, motivations, virtues, and flaws that don't fall into easily defined (or easy to stomach) categories.
  • The same goes for novel's approach to the complexity and messiness of human existence. Good and bad can exist in the same person, institution, or event, and by and large Richman avoids railroading the reader into intellectual straitjackets or moralizing about any of it. It doesn't shy away from asking uncomfortable questions and refuses to provide facile answers, even at the risk of upseting or alienating readers who'd rather be comforted with easy, packaged solutions.
  • Richman can evoke a three-dimensional scene, interpersonal interaction, emotion, or psychological state with an absolute economy of words.
Where it fumbles (major spoilers ahead): )

TL;DR—This book is not perfect, but it does things that many other authors are not talented or courageous enough to attempt, let alone succeed at, and frequently does them very, very well.


What I Am Currently Reading

The Dog Stars – Peter Heller
So far, this is The Road, if that novel were written by a far less precious and pretentious author who—unlike McCarthy—is not a child rapist.

The Stations of the Sun - Ronald Hutton
I read the chapter on Imbolc this week.

The Bone Chests - Cat Jarman
With about 100 pages left to go I can confidently say that this is a well-written book about a subject that does not interest me.

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish vol. 1 – Xue Shan Fei Hu
Is the premise silly? Yes. Does the author know this? Yes. Is the book great fun for precisely these reasons? Yes. I'm currently a third of the way through and will probably pick this up as my next main-focus read.


What I’m Reading Next

I acquired no new books this week.


これで以上です。
Tags:
 
 
28 January 2026 @ 12:41 pm
I've rewatched the first two eps (but have seen the entire season, so if you want to compare these early eps to later eps in comments, please feel free). spoilers )
 
 
28 January 2026 @ 12:34 pm
What I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: Nothing. This week's meme is exactly the same as last week because I have made very little progress with reading.


What I am Currently Reading: Still working on Husband Material (London Calling) by Alexis Hall.


What I Plan to Read Next: Probably the other library book I have out because I'm running out of renewals on these. o_O
Tags:
 
 
28 January 2026 @ 07:09 am
Quote:

"I'm not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different from yours."

"I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then."

"But, I nearly forgot, you must close your eyes otherwise you won't see anything."

~ Lewis Carroll
Tags:
 
 
 
 
28 January 2026 @ 12:25 pm
A good start to the year as I've read 9 books.

The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin by Georges Simenon
The first of this year's Maigret books.  Set in Liège and written in 1931, an interesting plot, different from those I've read.  Once again I enjoyed both the story and the sense of setting.

The Man Who Didn't Burn by Ian Moore
Having read the Follett Valley series, which are humorous, I thought I would try reading the Juge Lombard stories, of which is the first.  Also set in France, in the Loire Valley, this is a more standard mystery, convoluted and clever.  I plan on reading the second in the series later this year.

Payment Deferred by C S Forrester
The runner-up for the Shedunnit category of books published 100 years ago (so 1926).  More of a character study, not a whodunnit (that is known from when the murder happens), it's a well-written story of how events happen and the effect they have on the characters.  It has a strong sense of the life of a lower middle-class clerk and his family at the time.

Still Waters by E C R Lorac
A new British Library Crime Classic publication sees Lorac's Chief Inspector MacDonald back in the Lake District.  I always enjoy reading Lorac, and especially being back in the Lake District.  An interesting plot, which has several layers.

A Vow of Chastity by Veronica Black
The first of the three Sister Joan mysteries I plan on reading this year, and the second in the series.  Although the primary setting of a convent might seem like a cozy mystery, the crime itself is not cozy, although there is nothing graphic, which suits me.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

Sky High by Michael Gilbert
The newest British Library Crime Classic release, I have been a great fan of Michael Gilbert for many years.  This definitely has thriller aspects to it, which I enjoy, and account for a few late nights reading.

An Extremely Unlikely Death by Hannah Hendy
The latest in the Dinner Lady Detectives series.  I'm still enjoying this series, and have noted the two books due out later this year.  Qualifies as cozy crime, but a well-constructed plot, with some subtle, but effective, red herrings.

The Misty Harbour by Georges Simenon
My second Maigret, this time set in Oisterham in Normandy.  I've been there a few times, since it was one of the landing beaches on D-Day.  The descriptions of the harbour area in 1931 are excellent, and although it has changed in the 95 years since the book was written, I can still imagine it.  Another quite different plot.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
I had this book on my reading list for this year, and when I saw the latest Goodreads Challenge included it in one of the categories, I bumped it up the list - and was delighted when it turned out to be in three categories and so counted three times.  It's an interesting book, the idea is that a few people are brought to the present (book present, some decades ahead of our present) by a time machine.  Each of the 'survivors' are assigned a bridge, whose job it is to assimilate them into the modern world.  As the book progresses, more details are discovered, which add to the drama.  Worth reading, but to me suffers from the inherent contradictions of time travel.


And here's my book bingo card so far - January is always the easiest month, since all the categories are open.

book bingo )
Tags:
 
 
28 January 2026 @ 07:18 am
I hit Walmart while I was downtown and the bank drive-thru later on.

I did two loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, emptied the dishwasher, went for several walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and shaved. I roasted a chicken for supper, with mashed potatoes and corn. The worst part is picking all the meat off of it after.

I finished rewatching the second ep of Heated Rivalry and some House Hunters International.

Temps started out at 9.5(F) (and dropped to 9.0 before I left the house) and reached 21.7. The sun was shining but it was C-O-L-D.

Irony: I had checked the two week weather forecast and was pleased that we wouldn't have snow again for almost two weeks. Then Pip comes home and tells me about the N'oreaster that's going to hit around Sunday. Snow totals depend on how far out the storm stays, but could be more than we got this past weekend. Really DNW. Also, WTF, TWC app, why is this information not on the front page to give me a heads up?!!


Mom Update:

Mom was just okay when I saw her. She complained that she feels good one day (yesterday) and then not great the next (today). She had an appointment with the Hospice nurse after I left and planned to ask if she was ever going to feel better, or if it’s basically, she’s going to feel like shit until she dies from the cancer. I’m afraid it’s the second, since the nurse basically told her not to worry about eating as she’s not expending much energy (if she was going to get well she’d need to eat) and when mom asked if the nurse could guesstimate how much time she had left, the answer was a very discouraging, ‘not less than a month’. WTF does that mean?!!

I wrote out a check (and put it in the mailbox), made a deposit, and added some tax papers to the folder for 2025. I finally returned the laundry I’d done for her last week. o_O And brought some groceries she’d asked for. There’s little I can do to make her feel better, so doing these tasks for her is something.

When I called her later, both Sisters A and S were there, so that's good.
 
 
28 January 2026 @ 09:06 am
This is my fourth Netgalley ARC and it was another winner!
Through All Our Heavens by Olivia Hawker is a split narrative novel. One thread follows Helen Bywater throughout the American Civil War in the 1860s, as she struggles to keep her Southern estate running while also doing whatever she can to help the Northern cause. The other thread is set in 2053, after the US has split apart and is in the throes of another civil war. Derryn, an art historian is called behind the Blockade to study a cache of paintings that's been discovered - which seem to date back to the 1860s but depict scenes from the 2050s.
But it didn't proceed how I was expecting at all. The ways in which the two storylines connect are more thematic than actual, with both women taking parallel journeys within the turbulence of their respective times.
The themes themselves are explored and stated rather bluntly, with the author perhaps overexplaining her point throughout and both storylines felt a bit dragged out in the second half - but the writing is beautiful, both historical and futuristic settings are vivid and immersive (though the potential prescience of the events leading up to Derryn's not-too-distant world is chilling), I connected with and got invested in both protagonists, and the ending felt satisfying and deeply resonant.
 
 
27 January 2026 @ 05:37 pm
I use the same name everywhere so I am [personal profile] beatrice_otter on AO3. Treats are awesome.

I would rather get a story you were happy with than "well, she said she liked x, so I guess I have to do x even though I don't like x and/or am not inspired that way." This letter is long with lots of suggestions and preferences if you find it helpful, but feel free to ignore it if it is not helpful. I'm fairly easy to please; I've been doing ficathons for a long time and am usually very happy with my gifts.

The most important thing for me in a fic is that the characters are well-written and recognizably themselves. Even when I don't like a character, I don't go in for character-bashing. If nothing else, if the rest of this letter is too much or my kinks don't fit yours, just concentrate on writing a story with everyone in character and good spelling and grammar and I will almost certainly love what you come up with.

I have an embarrassment squick, which makes humor kind of hit-or-miss sometimes. The kind of humor where someone does something embarrassing and the audience is laughing at them makes me uncomfortable. On the other hand, the kind of humor where the audience is laughing with the characters I really enjoy.

General Likes and Dislikes )

Notorious (1946) )

Enola Holmes movies )

Elementary )

Terminator: tSCC )

Goblin Emperor )

Peter Wimsey )

Crossovers )

Rivers of London )

DS9 )

 
 
27 January 2026 @ 09:49 pm
First off, the top ten Jonas Brothers collaborations from 2025! During the Greetings from Your Hometown Tour, the Jonas Brothers invited different artists/bands to every show. Each time it was a total surprise. The collaborations were a part of the larger theme of coming together as family and enjoying americana and also reminiscing about the 2000s. In some instances, the bands that played together hadn't even played live in years! I really loved seeing the Jonas Brothers pay homage to all these bands that came before them, and I also loved seeing them share the stage so humbly. Nearly all of my favorite bands were invited onto the tour!

10 vids under the cut )

I've also put together my top ten 5 Seconds of Summer songs of all time! They just dropped their new album (my top two songs are off that album) and they're going on tour this summer and I'm STOKED.

01. Evolve
Out for a week
Freak energy
You know what I mean


^This song is saying something about gender and bisexuality (and/or pegging??) and partying culture and simple desires and I could go on - but it's also a BOP.

02. Telephone Busy
World is spinning, I'm not dizzy
Call you, but your telephone busy
I been thinking, do you miss me?


^This song is probably going to inspire my new username!

03. Easier (featuring Luke tied up and still singing without any explanation. And his makeup is SO hot)
04. Jet Black Heart (off of their second studio album back in 2015 but it still SENDS me)
05. More
06. Lover of Mine (The most romantic song they've written!)
07. Ghost of You
08. Moving Along (live version because of Calum's curls and Luke's nail polish)
09. Old Me
10. Ghost (the song they wrote after Liam Payne passed away)
 
 
And there is about 6 inches of snow which is relatively less than we were expecting right? But there is a thick layer of sleet ice between the snow. Someone plowed the drive some but obviously not near the cars. It's a thick snowbank there and ontop my car is several inches inside an ice shell that I have to get off because if I don't and it blows off it will shatter a windshield of anyone behind me. It's dangerous.

The ice is holding me up as I jackhammer this stuff off the roof of my CR-V...until it didn't. Naturally it gives out on my bad leg side so down I go onto my bad knee and shoulder. My head hits and my hat takes off. It takes a second to realize that was a cushioned fall and I'm fine. My knee bent the natural way so I didn't hurt it (and at this point I can't damage the cartilage more. It's gone) My next thought is, well glad no one saw that. I crawl to my back car door because I will need a handhold to get that bad leg under me on the ice. Had to look like a walrus trying to get up on the rocks to wave to the crowd.

My pants are covered with ice. Ditto my wool pea coat. I get my hat and at least my glasses didn't break. I finish cleaning the car. The ice breaks again but under my left leg so I could catch myself. It takes an hour to do this. Roscoe the three legged mini chichuahua races out to yap at me. I talk to his mom who is furious that the cleaner only cleaned in front of HER apartment and not the other three buildings. She gives me the rest of the salt so I deal with that

My knee is sore. My shin has a goose egg because the blood thinners made a big-ass hematoma but otherwise, I have bruises on my ribs/arm/shoulder but nothing bad. BUT my county and the county the school is in are both still at level 2 snow emergency so no school tomorrow either. I.e. we ran out of salt to fix the roads so we're fucked.




That's the ice sandwich I was walking on and knocking off my car. I otherwise did nothing else I said I was doing today but did get distracted by [profile] 3sentenceficathon somebody come slap me.

For Fannish 50 I had a few things I wanted to talk about but now I'm forced to deal with fans needing a good grip on reality. Between Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, the Mighty Nein and the Amazing Digital Circus, it has to be said, YOUR head canon is just that. Yours. You don't get to threaten the creators when actual canon doesn't match it. You can disappointed sure. You can even quit the fandom. But nothing gives you the right to threaten the creators, the voice actors and other fans. I keep having to write this same blog post time and again (not that the ill behaved members are going to see it).


One of the big name Huskerdust fans quit in a huff (no threats, just they're done). I was wondering who'd be the next BNF (not me, my stories don't seem to hit well in this fandom for the most part but I have a small loyal following that I appreciate) but they're basically 'if you're following me for the fandom might as well unfriend me now. I refuse to have anything to do with this because...basically it didn't match their head canon and they'll be deleting stuff.

Have you ever done this? I mean I'm sure we've all quit a fandom for various reasons. I hated what Marti Noxon did to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I didn't see half of S6 of Buffy and most of S7 (I only watched a tiny part of it knowing it was the end and I hated what I saw) Ditto the last season of Angel and part of S3 of Angel. I've faded away in other fandoms. What I haven't done is get so mad that fandom didn't match my head canon that I deleted my profiles, erased my stories etc.

I'm not saying that it's wrong. That's something personal to you (not like the death threats and other threats of violence I'm seeing) But I'm curious if you have gotten that mad, why did you feel compelled to delete it all? (Then again I've known some people who have deleted everything just because).
 
 
Current Mood: sore
Current Music: Harlen Cobin's Final Twist
 
 
28 January 2026 @ 01:15 pm
I dropped the difficulty on Alan Wake II (just in time to get attacked by some exceedingly fast-moving wolves that I would have totally failed to deal with otherwise) and played for a bit more, long enough to switch POV character to Alan himself. This meant a shift from small rural town to big grimy city, and also brings into play the writing mechanic, where once you discover a piece of information you can rewrite an earlier scene and open up new possibilities. It had some neat moments, but it still wasn’t enough to keep me interested. It doesn’t help that I don’t like having to use a gun as my sole weapon (I do now have a crossbow, but with only three bolts and only in Saga’s POV) and I’m not thrilled by playing as an FBI agent, which is Saga’s job. I have therefore abandoned it for now.

As per last update I had started playing LEGO Horizons with my son, and I’m sure it will come as no surprise that after playing through two levels of that (Cauldrons! Thunderjaws! Varl!) I loaded Horizon Forbidden West back on to the Playstation. Originally I’d intended to only play the DLC, Burning Shores, but my only save was right before the final mission arc (on the beach at Singularity, where you’re about to call everyone in) and it felt wrong to start there, plus I would be completely out of practice with all the weapons. So obviously the only logical answer was to replay all of HFW, which, ahem, I have now done. I am now on to Burning Shores, and zipping round the half-drowned and occasionally erupting remnants of Los Angeles.

I think as a game in and of itself HZD still has the edge, but there’s a lot I love about HFW as well, including some amazing new characters, expanded weapons (I have finally gotten the hang of the shredder gauntlet, woo hoo), and new mounts. And I do like what they do with the story - the Far Zeniths, and especially Tilda, are good antagonists. I do not like Machine Strike (I have played the tutorial and the two games required to get the trophy, and no more) and I never bother with the face paint, although I do like that they’ve stuck a Pride option in to annoy all those gamer gate types complaining about having to play as a queer woman.
Tags: