Early Medieval Church in Rome Draws Attention After Fresco Restoration
Feb. 1st, 2026 08:38 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
medievalists_rss_feedA recent restoration at Rome’s early medieval church of San Lorenzo in Lucina has drawn attention after claims that an angel in a modern fresco resembles Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
Biggles prompt fest for February?
Feb. 1st, 2026 11:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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biggleseventsNow that we're past the exchange and everyone's had a chance to breathe, I was thinking about running a prompt fest for the month of February. It wouldn't be specifically romance-focused, just a general prompt free-for-all with no specific requirements.
I naturally started calling it Biggletines in my head, but I am fully open to other name suggestions that are less ridiculous. (I mean, Biggles February Prompt Fest is also perfectly acceptable.)
If there's interest, I'll get a prompt post up in a day or so!
I naturally started calling it Biggletines in my head, but I am fully open to other name suggestions that are less ridiculous. (I mean, Biggles February Prompt Fest is also perfectly acceptable.)
If there's interest, I'll get a prompt post up in a day or so!
3SP ficlet: Just the Rain (any)
Feb. 1st, 2026 03:08 pmmxcatmoonFor the prompt, any/any kissing in the rain, at threesentenceficathon
Author: Cat Moon
Words: 129
Rating: G
Summary: They don’t notice the rain, only each other
Note: In one of those weird coincidences, as I read this prompt and started writing it, "It's Just the Rain" by Journey came on randomly, lending atmosphere and title (but not thematic inspiration).
( Just the Rain )
threesentenceficathon Author: Cat Moon
Words: 129
Rating: G
Summary: They don’t notice the rain, only each other
Note: In one of those weird coincidences, as I read this prompt and started writing it, "It's Just the Rain" by Journey came on randomly, lending atmosphere and title (but not thematic inspiration).
( Just the Rain )
An ancient desire fulfilled!
Feb. 1st, 2026 02:54 pmoracneI am learning to knit! I am very proud of my casting on, and am working on the tension while actually knitting. Today, I did multiple rows for the first time; I got up to row four before I tangled something too badly to continue and started over.
I am currently using a giant pair of kids' plastic needles that C. had from a kit she did last year, and some neon purple acrylic yarn. I also have a nice pair of circular needles thatdrinkingcocoa helped me to pick out at our local yarn store; I started with those, but am now seeing how a longer row works.
I have no idea how long it will take for me to knit something that I'd actually wear, but the point for me is the process. It requires some concentration plus being in the moment, and will be a good thing to do while waiting for things or, potentially, getting back into listening to audioplays and the like. Plus, it's more mobile than doing a puzzle.
My many friends who knit are so excited..
I am currently using a giant pair of kids' plastic needles that C. had from a kit she did last year, and some neon purple acrylic yarn. I also have a nice pair of circular needles that
drinkingcocoa helped me to pick out at our local yarn store; I started with those, but am now seeing how a longer row works.I have no idea how long it will take for me to knit something that I'd actually wear, but the point for me is the process. It requires some concentration plus being in the moment, and will be a good thing to do while waiting for things or, potentially, getting back into listening to audioplays and the like. Plus, it's more mobile than doing a puzzle.
My many friends who knit are so excited..
Birdfeeding
Feb. 1st, 2026 01:49 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly cloudy and cold.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows, two starlings, a male cardinal, and a wren. The sparrows are widely foraging on the ground under bushes.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/1/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I refilled the hopper feeder.
EDIT 2/1/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I put out more birdseed.
EDIT 2/1/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows, two starlings, a male cardinal, and a wren. The sparrows are widely foraging on the ground under bushes.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/1/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I refilled the hopper feeder.
EDIT 2/1/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I put out more birdseed.
EDIT 2/1/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
January book bingo
Feb. 1st, 2026 07:26 pmtellshannon815
Graphic novel or comic: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232479447-fate
No sex/romance: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77661.The_Daughter_of_Time
Novella: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201750645-queen-b
Substitution list:
*Over 300 Pages
*Book in Series
*LGBTQ+
*Recommended
*POC Author
*Multiple POVs - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/81307313-the-birthday-reunion
*Classic/Retelling
*Sci-fi/Fantasy
*Free Space
*Anthology/Collection
*Biography/Memoir
*Friendship
*Name in the Title
*Movie/TV Tie-in
*With a Woman Protagonist
*From the Library
*Thriller/Suspense
*Set Somewhere You've Been
*Non-Human POV
*Fairy Tale or Fairy Tale Retelling
*Under 100 Pages - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230824619-death-row
*Romance Plot or Sub-plot
*Translated
*With a Blue Cover - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213713209-the-wasp-trap
*Horror or Paranormal - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203578707-what-the-woods-took
*Colour in the Title
*Seasonal Read
*Number in title
*Three word title
*Craft, Hobby or Cookbook
*Written by an author from your state or country
*Animal on the cover
*Disability or Mental health
*Read a book from the year you were born
*Mythology
*Title begins with first letter of your name
*Dystopian
*Book mentioned in another book
*Diverse reads
*One word title
*Award Winning/Bestseller
*Disabled Author
*Non-western Setting
*Set in your state/country
*Title is at Least Five Words Long
*Indigenous author
*Has illustrations (but not a comic or graphic novel)
*Re-read
Media Roundup: Working on The Graphic Novel Pile
Feb. 1st, 2026 11:23 amforestofgloryThis time I have nothing to talk about but things from my pile of graphic novels from the library. I picked up another set of holds, and then put in even more holds, but I’m getting to the end of things I want to check out so it's possible the pile will diminish eventually.
I read so many books in January, after so long of not reading very much. It’s nice but my brain sure confuses me.
Estranged by Ethan M. Aldridge—I really liked this author’s other book, The Pale Queen, so I thought I’d look into other graphic novels he created. This one is good too! The same lovely art, cool world building and some nice found family feelings.
The Lost Sunday by Iléana Surducan—A sweet kids graphic novel inspired by fairy tales. It’s very short. As a non-christian I don’t love the association of Sunday with the day of rest, but it is otherwise lovely. The art is very fun, very expressive with good use of colors.
Gotham Academy, issues 1-18 by Becky Cloonan et al.— I was always going to love a story about plucky girl investigators at a boarding school who are friends with each other! The fact that this is set in Gotham and features appearances by members of the bat family is just a bonus. It’s got kinda a spooky vibe but it’s not really scary. I've been reading comics from the 90s, so it was fun to check out something more recent, and nice to have some different art styles. (I’m not really a fan of 90’s comic art styles even if the city scapes are good)
Mia “Maps” Mizoguchi is so much fun! She's clever and excitable and so enthusiastic about everything! I love her! I'm going to have to track down all the stories she appears in so I can read them.
Stage Dreams by Melanie Gillman—A fun queer western adventure – I appreciated the author’s historical notes in the back. The subdued but warm color plate for this really added a nice touch.
Sanity & Tallulah, Field Trip,and Shortcuts by Molly Brooks—The first two of these were rereads, as I read them a while back and didn't remember them that well. These graphic novels are fun! Sanity and Tallulah are two girls living on a space station. They are friends with each other and have slightly madcap adventures. I also liked how this handled worldbuilding with each book showing a larger and more complicated section of Sanity and Tullaulah’s universe, especially the way the earlier books drop hints about the larger situation but you don’t fully see it until the third book.
I read so many books in January, after so long of not reading very much. It’s nice but my brain sure confuses me.
Estranged by Ethan M. Aldridge—I really liked this author’s other book, The Pale Queen, so I thought I’d look into other graphic novels he created. This one is good too! The same lovely art, cool world building and some nice found family feelings.
The Lost Sunday by Iléana Surducan—A sweet kids graphic novel inspired by fairy tales. It’s very short. As a non-christian I don’t love the association of Sunday with the day of rest, but it is otherwise lovely. The art is very fun, very expressive with good use of colors.
Gotham Academy, issues 1-18 by Becky Cloonan et al.— I was always going to love a story about plucky girl investigators at a boarding school who are friends with each other! The fact that this is set in Gotham and features appearances by members of the bat family is just a bonus. It’s got kinda a spooky vibe but it’s not really scary. I've been reading comics from the 90s, so it was fun to check out something more recent, and nice to have some different art styles. (I’m not really a fan of 90’s comic art styles even if the city scapes are good)
Mia “Maps” Mizoguchi is so much fun! She's clever and excitable and so enthusiastic about everything! I love her! I'm going to have to track down all the stories she appears in so I can read them.
Stage Dreams by Melanie Gillman—A fun queer western adventure – I appreciated the author’s historical notes in the back. The subdued but warm color plate for this really added a nice touch.
Sanity & Tallulah, Field Trip,and Shortcuts by Molly Brooks—The first two of these were rereads, as I read them a while back and didn't remember them that well. These graphic novels are fun! Sanity and Tallulah are two girls living on a space station. They are friends with each other and have slightly madcap adventures. I also liked how this handled worldbuilding with each book showing a larger and more complicated section of Sanity and Tullaulah’s universe, especially the way the earlier books drop hints about the larger situation but you don’t fully see it until the third book.
Infinite January done - February We'll see
Feb. 1st, 2026 11:21 amfresneWelp, Star Fleet: Academy is really enjoyable, and by episode 4 really digs its teeth into the Trek of it all. I can at least say that at this moment. Wonder Man, also quite worth a watch. The new Bridgerton, I have some quibbles with (where is Sophie's bag, why is Eloise still like that, elements of how their going with Franchesca who is the lead in my favorite book of the series), but I always like a Cinderella story. Having as it happens written several.
Turn of the Gorram Worm, which is Cinderella in Firefly(ish - its AU and its the verse not the characters) where every character is from a variation on the Cinderella story, including the male lead.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/295668
Also a Sith Cinderella in Star Princesses of Long Ago and Far Away
https://archiveofourown.org/works/591582
In other good news, I'll be retiring early as a result of inheriting enough money from my father to have exceeded my retirement goal. Thank you dad, your planning, and the very excellent County pension that you had for 30+ years. I've told work and will be working for the next month and a half to give them a soft landing. To give me a soft landing. Getting to exit on my own terms and handing over tasks that should never have been in my department to begin with. I just got them because I am a good tech writer.
The world, is, of course, on fire. So I've been protesting. Phone banking. Postcarding. I fear that things will get worse before they get better, but it's good to see the general reaction to the current WTF building. I had been very worried when Trump 2.0 started to see some resistance, but it was…ok the same middle aged/elderly women who've been doing this for the last decade, and that wasn't going to be enough. So, high school kids walking out of school. General strikes. I participated in the work walk out, which I mean…okay. My job right now is about giving work a soft landing. It turns out there's a lot more room in a schedule when you stop picking up new tasks and focus on how to gracefully hand over old tasks.
Anyway, had my first serious conversation with K & P about possible consequences of going to protests, because No Kings is a party. I've been sanguine about the possibilities of being willing to protest and while I didn't expect the form of what's happening, I did expect the level of authoritarianism. Be nice if others had believed in '24, but ok. We're here now.
Yesterday, I helped a friend move boxes of her mom's stuff from her apartment to her renovated (mold begone) house. Which I might add are about three blocks apart. Her mom is dragging her feet, and said friend requested a Tactical Strike / Force of Nature, and I delivered. Three carloads that seemed to barely make a dent, but probably did make some room. Also, my friend can now threaten to get my help again if her mom doesn't keep dragging her feet on every aspect.
Visiting another friend at a local Historical House / garden today. She's been ill since December and itching to go out. Though per usual her lungs are still phlegmy.
Then after that, we'll see. A couple that I was close to in the past, but now are more FB friends have been going through it with one half being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I've been offering via FB to come provide support and this morning (given the word hospice has come up) emailed him. I'm trying here to be the opposite of Tactical Strike / Force of Nature here and just offer support if he needs it. We'll see if he takes me up on the offer. Both P and I are…happy is the wrong word, but willing to give some context on what the hospice experience is like and what to prepare for. Again, we'll see.
Ok, time to move to the next thing. Keep climbing these hills.
Highlander Sequel Fic
Feb. 1st, 2026 01:07 pmsenmutAO3 Link | Closing Up Shop: Seacouver (1335 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: Highlander Movieverse, Highlander The Series
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Rachel Ellenstein [Highlander Movieverse], Joe Dawson [Highlander the Series]
Additional Tags: First Meetings, Post-The Gathering (Highlander)
Summary:
While Connor and Duncan were being themselves, Rachel was a little out of sorts. Tessa was a nice lady, one so recently brought into knowing what they were. However, Tessa was an artist, and driven currently by a piece that Rachel could already see would be lovely. The boy Richie was a little rash and Rachel didn't fully feel a connection to him yet, but she would work on that, after Connor explained why Duncan and Tessa were watching over him.
No, she just needed to be mindful of her own wishes and need to stretch her legs currently. Dinner could be for socializing. Right now, she had sights to see, stores to discover, and a need to be away from the casual masculinity contests the pair of cousins indulged themselves in during these infrequent reunions.
That in mind, Rachel turned her steps to a brisk walk in the same district the couple lived and worked in, ducking into shops as they caught her idea, pausing to sample the food about midmorning, and slowly circling back around.
A bookstore caught her eye, and she slipped within to browse, hopeful of something to keep her entertained until Connor decided they had played the game of risk long enough in this reunion.
She glanced over to the only other person present —
— and was thrown back to a lovely day spent with a kind young man.
She had not survived for so long as Connor's daughter and self-appointed protector from the world at large to give away her suspicion of the man's convenient location so near to Duncan when he had appeared in her life so close to the changing tides in Connor's own life. For half a moment, she almost wished Brenda had not decided Connor was too overwhelming, that it had been his wife on this trip instead of herself.
But she had never been a coward, and understood perfectly well why Connor and Brenda were separated now. She could — would — handle this meeting now upon her.
"Stepped away from your photography in favor of book collections, Mister Dawson?" she asked in a charming voice, letting her smile reflect the surprise of seeing a man of her past so far from where they had met.
"Miss Ellenstein, what a surprise." He stood, using the cane to do so, and Rachel added more details to the picture she was building. He was noticeably older, as she herself was, the reliance on the cane a bit more pronounced, but his smile was still making his face light up with disarming sincerity.
Who was Joe Dawson, that he was mortal and yet so close to the lives of those like her Connor?
"Also, the books are less finicky about lighting and framing," he added as he walked over to her. "Looking for anything of particular interest?"
"Browsing, actually, passing the time. It's an eclectic neighborhood, it seems."
"You could say that," Joe agreed. "If anything catches your eye, I am always up to negotiate with an astute antiquities dealer such as yourself."
That he was firmly the center of her attention was not something she betrayed, only smiling and moving on to browse.
"Perhaps we could find the dessert we had no room for in New York?" she offered as he was moving back to the table he'd been working from.
"I can think of nothing better for this evening."
Connor would tell her she was playing with fire, when there was something so far amiss. Rachel preferred to see it as gathering intelligence on potential flashpoints.
Rachel passed the first part of the meal with Joe in conversation about what she had seen, and he offered ideas of new places to visit while she was in town. As she played the tourist, she considered just how to go about learning why he was here, so close to Connor's cousin after she'd met him in the aftermath of Connor's endgame against the Kurgan.
As the dessert course was delivered, Rachel glanced over and caught Joe studying her. He gave the smile and bashful look for being caught, and she found herself responding to that on a level she deemed dangerous.
Not necessarily in a physical danger sense, but to Connor's safety, and that of Duncan and his chosen family, she decided firmly.
"I had the impression you were more easterly in your setting, when we first met," Rachel said, giving him the faintest smile.
"Better opportunities out this way for me." He took a bite, chased it with the wine, and then shifted his body language a little. Rachel wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but it put her more on guard. "What about you? No more restoration and purchasing of antiquities?"
"Here and there, but more by appointment with travel benefits." Rachel tried her own tiramisu, decided she could name three places that served better, and sipped her coffee to wash it down. "Retirement allows me more opportunities in many ways, to keep an eye on my interests."
"Most people choose to turn their attention to new things when they let go of their old lives," Joe mused. "I suppose there's exceptions to anything that could be normal about humans, though."
"I find it is a good life, to keep an eye on those people or events that stand out," she answered. "After all, even those of us that prefer to live life a day at a time might be caught up in extraordinary events."
Had that been a shading of his eyes, something in memory haunting him now? Did he have a person like Connor that had saved him, and that was how he was connected? It couldn't be Duncan; she'd mentioned stopping in the book shop and making this date in his hearing without a single spike of interest.
And Duncan, for all he was a veteran of his years, still had difficulty masking himself.
"To observe something is to change it, or be changed by it," Joe pointed out. "Getting caught up in the ways and lives of the unusual ones can be a difficult thing."
"I am certain that is so, but I learned as a child that just standing by doesn't keep you any safer, or those you care about," she said softly. "Which may be why I took to the antiquities so easily. Every object holds some story, if you can just trace the history of it. People can be much the same."
"Very true," Joe said, giving the faint smile and change of body posture to move the conversation away from this.
Who was the one for Joe? And was Joe scouting others to mark targets, or warn of danger? Rachel rather hoped it was the latter, as she asked his opinion of a local museum, letting the double-layered words drop for now.
"Have a good night?" Connor asked as he took her jacket from her.
"Waiting up for me?" Rachel retorted, before leaning in to kiss his cheek.
"Maybe."
"Yes."
He smiled, his eyes crinkling up as that little catching laugh came out, before he offered for her to precede him into the sitting room. She settled in a chair, listening, but it seemed Duncan and Tessa must be out from the quiet. She still wasn't certain if Richie actually lived here or was just in and out.
"I think he knows someone like you, but I also don't think he's a danger," Rachel said, meeting Connor's eyes.
"Then… I'll warn Duncan that he's been seen near us before, and hopefully my little cousin can be a sensible man about the risks he takes."
"Hmm, he's as much a MacLeod as you," she pointed out, getting a warm laugh in response.
"Hey, I can dream!" Connor rebutted. "We are still flying out tomorrow."
Rachel nodded. "For the best." She would also hope this did not cause Duncan new grief in the long run, but her duty was to Connor… even if Connor saw it the other way around.
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: Highlander Movieverse, Highlander The Series
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Rachel Ellenstein [Highlander Movieverse], Joe Dawson [Highlander the Series]
Additional Tags: First Meetings, Post-The Gathering (Highlander)
Summary:
And then a few years passed...
Closing Up Shop: Seacouver
While Connor and Duncan were being themselves, Rachel was a little out of sorts. Tessa was a nice lady, one so recently brought into knowing what they were. However, Tessa was an artist, and driven currently by a piece that Rachel could already see would be lovely. The boy Richie was a little rash and Rachel didn't fully feel a connection to him yet, but she would work on that, after Connor explained why Duncan and Tessa were watching over him.
No, she just needed to be mindful of her own wishes and need to stretch her legs currently. Dinner could be for socializing. Right now, she had sights to see, stores to discover, and a need to be away from the casual masculinity contests the pair of cousins indulged themselves in during these infrequent reunions.
That in mind, Rachel turned her steps to a brisk walk in the same district the couple lived and worked in, ducking into shops as they caught her idea, pausing to sample the food about midmorning, and slowly circling back around.
A bookstore caught her eye, and she slipped within to browse, hopeful of something to keep her entertained until Connor decided they had played the game of risk long enough in this reunion.
She glanced over to the only other person present —
— and was thrown back to a lovely day spent with a kind young man.
She had not survived for so long as Connor's daughter and self-appointed protector from the world at large to give away her suspicion of the man's convenient location so near to Duncan when he had appeared in her life so close to the changing tides in Connor's own life. For half a moment, she almost wished Brenda had not decided Connor was too overwhelming, that it had been his wife on this trip instead of herself.
But she had never been a coward, and understood perfectly well why Connor and Brenda were separated now. She could — would — handle this meeting now upon her.
"Stepped away from your photography in favor of book collections, Mister Dawson?" she asked in a charming voice, letting her smile reflect the surprise of seeing a man of her past so far from where they had met.
"Miss Ellenstein, what a surprise." He stood, using the cane to do so, and Rachel added more details to the picture she was building. He was noticeably older, as she herself was, the reliance on the cane a bit more pronounced, but his smile was still making his face light up with disarming sincerity.
Who was Joe Dawson, that he was mortal and yet so close to the lives of those like her Connor?
"Also, the books are less finicky about lighting and framing," he added as he walked over to her. "Looking for anything of particular interest?"
"Browsing, actually, passing the time. It's an eclectic neighborhood, it seems."
"You could say that," Joe agreed. "If anything catches your eye, I am always up to negotiate with an astute antiquities dealer such as yourself."
That he was firmly the center of her attention was not something she betrayed, only smiling and moving on to browse.
"Perhaps we could find the dessert we had no room for in New York?" she offered as he was moving back to the table he'd been working from.
"I can think of nothing better for this evening."
Connor would tell her she was playing with fire, when there was something so far amiss. Rachel preferred to see it as gathering intelligence on potential flashpoints.
Rachel passed the first part of the meal with Joe in conversation about what she had seen, and he offered ideas of new places to visit while she was in town. As she played the tourist, she considered just how to go about learning why he was here, so close to Connor's cousin after she'd met him in the aftermath of Connor's endgame against the Kurgan.
As the dessert course was delivered, Rachel glanced over and caught Joe studying her. He gave the smile and bashful look for being caught, and she found herself responding to that on a level she deemed dangerous.
Not necessarily in a physical danger sense, but to Connor's safety, and that of Duncan and his chosen family, she decided firmly.
"I had the impression you were more easterly in your setting, when we first met," Rachel said, giving him the faintest smile.
"Better opportunities out this way for me." He took a bite, chased it with the wine, and then shifted his body language a little. Rachel wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but it put her more on guard. "What about you? No more restoration and purchasing of antiquities?"
"Here and there, but more by appointment with travel benefits." Rachel tried her own tiramisu, decided she could name three places that served better, and sipped her coffee to wash it down. "Retirement allows me more opportunities in many ways, to keep an eye on my interests."
"Most people choose to turn their attention to new things when they let go of their old lives," Joe mused. "I suppose there's exceptions to anything that could be normal about humans, though."
"I find it is a good life, to keep an eye on those people or events that stand out," she answered. "After all, even those of us that prefer to live life a day at a time might be caught up in extraordinary events."
Had that been a shading of his eyes, something in memory haunting him now? Did he have a person like Connor that had saved him, and that was how he was connected? It couldn't be Duncan; she'd mentioned stopping in the book shop and making this date in his hearing without a single spike of interest.
And Duncan, for all he was a veteran of his years, still had difficulty masking himself.
"To observe something is to change it, or be changed by it," Joe pointed out. "Getting caught up in the ways and lives of the unusual ones can be a difficult thing."
"I am certain that is so, but I learned as a child that just standing by doesn't keep you any safer, or those you care about," she said softly. "Which may be why I took to the antiquities so easily. Every object holds some story, if you can just trace the history of it. People can be much the same."
"Very true," Joe said, giving the faint smile and change of body posture to move the conversation away from this.
Who was the one for Joe? And was Joe scouting others to mark targets, or warn of danger? Rachel rather hoped it was the latter, as she asked his opinion of a local museum, letting the double-layered words drop for now.
"Have a good night?" Connor asked as he took her jacket from her.
"Waiting up for me?" Rachel retorted, before leaning in to kiss his cheek.
"Maybe."
"Yes."
He smiled, his eyes crinkling up as that little catching laugh came out, before he offered for her to precede him into the sitting room. She settled in a chair, listening, but it seemed Duncan and Tessa must be out from the quiet. She still wasn't certain if Richie actually lived here or was just in and out.
"I think he knows someone like you, but I also don't think he's a danger," Rachel said, meeting Connor's eyes.
"Then… I'll warn Duncan that he's been seen near us before, and hopefully my little cousin can be a sensible man about the risks he takes."
"Hmm, he's as much a MacLeod as you," she pointed out, getting a warm laugh in response.
"Hey, I can dream!" Connor rebutted. "We are still flying out tomorrow."
Rachel nodded. "For the best." She would also hope this did not cause Duncan new grief in the long run, but her duty was to Connor… even if Connor saw it the other way around.
Monthly topic
Feb. 1st, 2026 08:54 pmabomvubuso posting in talkpoliticsHi again, dudes & dudettes! Time for our new installment of the monthly topic. The one you guys chose last time was...
The Return of Power Politics
And here's the poll for March!
What should be the next monthly topic?
1) Permanent Crisis Politics
2) The Battle for the Global South
3) National Identity in an Age of Mass Migration
4) The Privatization of Power
5) Political Predictions That Aged Like Milk
Feel free to suggest more...
The Return of Power Politics
And here's the poll for March!
What should be the next monthly topic?
1) Permanent Crisis Politics
2) The Battle for the Global South
3) National Identity in an Age of Mass Migration
4) The Privatization of Power
5) Political Predictions That Aged Like Milk
Feel free to suggest more...
Military Education in Early Medieval Europe: Learning from Books
Feb. 1st, 2026 05:38 pmmedievalists_rss_feedDiscover how early medieval commanders were trained using books, manuals, and historical texts—revealing the role of reading in preparing leaders for war, sieges, and logistics.
Weekly proof of life: media intake | impending weather | manga work
Feb. 1st, 2026 02:07 pmumadoshiOne link, which hopefully won't be paywalled: "Rachel Reid's wild Heated Rivalry ride" at The Globe and Mail. The whole "local girl makes good" element of the HR show taking over the world is a very nice cherry on top of the whole thing, and I really liked this profile.
Reading: I'm maybe 30% into Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl and wavering about continuing. I've gotten better about DNFing things, and this time I actually have the book out of the library, so the good old financial sunk-cost fallacy isn't in play. But I still don't like DNFing.
I've also read some more of Braiding Sweetgrass and reread vol. 2 of The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service.
Watching: Crunchyroll wasn't in the mood to work when we attempted to watch last week's ep. of Frieren, so we're two episodes behind on that. (Annoyingly, Netflix keeps saying it thinks we'd love the show, but only has season 1.) Hopefully we'll get caught up on the most recent ep. of The Pitt tonight.
On top of those currently-running things, we're now one episode into Midnight Mass.
Playing: Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven continues to delight me.
Weathering: There's another storm heading in, due to arrive tonight, but it looks like it's veered enough that our local forecast is now for a somewhat more reasonable amount of snow than I'd been hearing before yesterday evening or so. Apparently it's also bringing fairly high winds, so there's the usual "will the power stay on?" worry. (Our neighborhood has been really lucky on that front this season, andscruloose and I are pretty well prepared, so it's not a huge worry.)
Working: I turned in the final volume (!) of Pet Shop of Horrors on Friday and immediately tried to switch to the next volume of Now That We Draw, since that's due mid-week, but my brain was Not Having It; I suspect it was the sheer tonal dissonance as much as anything. But then yesterday, what with the storm warning and all, I basically did the last four-fifths of the book in one sitting to make sure I at least had a workable draft, and now my brain is pretty crisped. (It's not a very text-heavy or tricky rewrite, and the translators make it pretty painless, so four-fifths is a lot at once but not the feat it would be with some series.)
So now I have a draft with just a couple tweaks still to be made and a final read-through to be done, and I'm tempting fate a bit by not trying to get that all off my plate today, but I think letting it rest for a day before reviewing it is extra important given that I did the draft so fast. So I'm gambling a bit, but also have something I can submit with caveats if need be, if we do lose power for three days or something.
Sleeping: Sleep has been distinctly Not Great for the last few (?) nights. I've been doing decently at getting to bed in a timely fashion and mostly not taking forever to fall asleep, but I've been having even weirder and more stressful dreams than usual and it's all been very restless.
Reading: I'm maybe 30% into Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl and wavering about continuing. I've gotten better about DNFing things, and this time I actually have the book out of the library, so the good old financial sunk-cost fallacy isn't in play. But I still don't like DNFing.
I've also read some more of Braiding Sweetgrass and reread vol. 2 of The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service.
Watching: Crunchyroll wasn't in the mood to work when we attempted to watch last week's ep. of Frieren, so we're two episodes behind on that. (Annoyingly, Netflix keeps saying it thinks we'd love the show, but only has season 1.) Hopefully we'll get caught up on the most recent ep. of The Pitt tonight.
On top of those currently-running things, we're now one episode into Midnight Mass.
Playing: Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven continues to delight me.
Weathering: There's another storm heading in, due to arrive tonight, but it looks like it's veered enough that our local forecast is now for a somewhat more reasonable amount of snow than I'd been hearing before yesterday evening or so. Apparently it's also bringing fairly high winds, so there's the usual "will the power stay on?" worry. (Our neighborhood has been really lucky on that front this season, and
scruloose and I are pretty well prepared, so it's not a huge worry.)Working: I turned in the final volume (!) of Pet Shop of Horrors on Friday and immediately tried to switch to the next volume of Now That We Draw, since that's due mid-week, but my brain was Not Having It; I suspect it was the sheer tonal dissonance as much as anything. But then yesterday, what with the storm warning and all, I basically did the last four-fifths of the book in one sitting to make sure I at least had a workable draft, and now my brain is pretty crisped. (It's not a very text-heavy or tricky rewrite, and the translators make it pretty painless, so four-fifths is a lot at once but not the feat it would be with some series.)
So now I have a draft with just a couple tweaks still to be made and a final read-through to be done, and I'm tempting fate a bit by not trying to get that all off my plate today, but I think letting it rest for a day before reviewing it is extra important given that I did the draft so fast. So I'm gambling a bit, but also have something I can submit with caveats if need be, if we do lose power for three days or something.
Sleeping: Sleep has been distinctly Not Great for the last few (?) nights. I've been doing decently at getting to bed in a timely fashion and mostly not taking forever to fall asleep, but I've been having even weirder and more stressful dreams than usual and it's all been very restless.
Miami Vice ficathon fills: Heroes, Geese, and Souls
Feb. 1st, 2026 12:52 pmmxcatmoonAlmost caught up with my posting of threesentenceficathon fills. These are the last three (not counting the big one I'm re-writing to make a real fic). Hopefully, I can stay current now!
( Read more... )
threesentenceficathon fills. These are the last three (not counting the big one I'm re-writing to make a real fic). Hopefully, I can stay current now!( Read more... )
Good Omens: The Seduction Malfunction by iamtheenemy
Feb. 1st, 2026 12:56 pmkingstoken posting in fancakeFandom: Good Omens
Pairings/Characters: Aziraphale/Crowley
Rating: T
Length: 5437 words
Creator Links: iamtheenemy (Steph)
Theme: Inept in love
Summary: Crowley gets orders to seduce Aziraphale to the dark side. It goes about as well as you might expect.
Reccer's Notes: Crowley gets orders from Hell to seduce Aziraphale, and Crowley can't really bring himself to try, despite some half-hearted attempts. That's the first half of the fic, the second half is the two of them after the almost apocalypse, and it's very sweet, even if Crowley's brain stops functioning a few times.
Fanwork Links: AO3
Pairings/Characters: Aziraphale/Crowley
Rating: T
Length: 5437 words
Creator Links: iamtheenemy (Steph)
Theme: Inept in love
Summary: Crowley gets orders to seduce Aziraphale to the dark side. It goes about as well as you might expect.
Reccer's Notes: Crowley gets orders from Hell to seduce Aziraphale, and Crowley can't really bring himself to try, despite some half-hearted attempts. That's the first half of the fic, the second half is the two of them after the almost apocalypse, and it's very sweet, even if Crowley's brain stops functioning a few times.
Fanwork Links: AO3
If 2025 was the Year of the Hydra Cypress…
Feb. 1st, 2026 12:51 pmfull_metal_ox posting in c_ent…what form is the Fire Horse (17 February 2026 to 5 February 2027) going to take in the DMBJ fandom bestiary?
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