mrissa | Network

For pretty much all video games (at least TTRPGs), I typically have a minimum of three playthroughs going at any time. Baldur's Gate 3 is no exception and, while I'm trying to stay in the habit of playing at least a few times a week, I'm alternating between the playthroughs that I'm focusing on.

The main reason for the multiple playthroughs is that it helps keep me from burning out if I have several different characters who are doing different things at different points in the game. If I'm not in the mood for one particular character's story or the particular part of the plot they're dealing with, I can always switch to another.

On that note? Meet Apophis, my embrace Dark Urge.

I've got to admit, I usually stick with the more good-leaning playthroughs, but it's kinda fun to let loose with the occasional evil one. The playthrough as a whole moves a lot faster than it does when you're playing a good aligned character (and are a completionist like me) since a lot of the various side plots and such start being cut off the later you get in the game, because the characters involved are all dead. And there's some interesting cut scenes and such here and there that you'd otherwise miss, as they're only available when you're taking the evil route.

Major potential spoilers for most of the game, including discussion of some definitely evil actions.

( More under the cut. )

Current Mood: accomplished

sonia

Over the weekend, I was heading out on my bike early in the morning, and saw a small kid's book in the street just off the driveway. I picked it up to toss it to the sidewalk and went on my way.

When I got back, I was pleased to see it was gone, but then saw someone had propped it up on our fence. The next time I was going out, I took it with me and put it in the nearby Little Free Library, even though it mostly has grownup books.

When I was walking home, I ran into a couple with a two year old whom I often see walking up the block, and whom I had chatted with at a recent neighborhood gathering. I saw that the kid was happily clutching the book, and said, "Oh good, you picked it up!" They said he has been obsessed with that character.

Yesterday I was biking home from an appointment, and I saw a phone lying next to a parked car in the street. I pulled over, leaned my bike against a pole, and picked it up. It had a drivers license in the case with the address of the apartment building across the street. There was no way to get in or ring a doorbell at the gated front entrance, but there was a door open around the corner.

The people inside were noisily doing something which sounded kind of like having sex, laughing, maybe just roughhousing, but ... door open? I stood there hesitantly, and a maybe 8 year old kid inside gestured to the other people and they came out (dressed, whew). I said, "I'm so sorry to bother you, but this phone was in the street. Is this (building address)?" They said yes, and they recognized the name on the license and said she's at work. I turned the phone over to them.

I only realized later that it might be unsettling for a Black family to have a white lady come stand at the door. I'm glad I approached them with softness.

So that's two things put closer to where they belong, and hopefully a bad day averted for the phone's owner. Not sure how her phone ended up on the ground next to the driver's side door of a parked car if she's at work.

olivermoss

Someone is having a very normal reaction to our new library having gender neutral bathrooms. I did not run into the van's driver, but I heard reports and those reports where to put as much distance between you and him as possible. Basically, if you see this guy, be elsewhere.

mousme

1-State of the Phnee

A shorter post tonight, I think. Yesterday’s got away from me, but today has mostly consisted of sleeping after my night shift. I was very, very tired after my OT because I hadn’t had the opportunity to take a nap right before work, so I got home, fed and watered the quail, and then (metaphorically) swan-dived into my bed for some mostly restful sleep.

Of course, I had to wake up early to meet with Mary from Ministry & Counsel to discuss the presentation we want to do reporting on the “Conflict in Meetings” workshop we attended last year, so I am not as well rested as I’d like. We had a really nice conversation, though, and have a game plan for the next week for how we’re going to manage the workload between us. Mary is a lovely woman, and I am hoping she and I will be able to get to know each other better in the coming months.

After that I improvised some dinner in the form of leftover goose, rice, and chicken broth for a not-quite soup. It was not as good as if I’d properly cooked it, but it was quick, easy, and tasted fine. If I have more time tomorrow, I may cook it properly in a pot, maybe with some aromatics, and see if that improves it at all.

One of my new coworkers is from Ukraine and he brought me homemade borscht for my late-night meal. I am very excited about this because I loooove borscht and rarely make it myself because KK doesn’t like it. My coworker makes his with pork, whereas my recipe is vegetarian, so I am very curious to see what it’ll taste like. As a thank you I brought him a carton of 18 quail eggs, because he’d mentioned before that he was interested in acquiring some from me. The girls aren’t laying super consistently because it’s winter, but I have more than enough quail eggs for now, so I’m happy to hand them out to folks who appreciate them.

My new treadmill also arrived while I was asleep! I haven’t had the chance to unpack it yet, so I will likely do that when I get home tomorrow and maybe give it a try in the evening after I’ve slept. I learned the hard way many, many years ago that trying to train or do exercise right after my night shifts is a recipe for disaster—I need to sleep before trying anything like that or I hurt myself. The last time, I was working with a trainer, and he was having me do the bench press. He put a weight on that normally I could manage with no trouble, and the next thing I knew, one of my arms buckled and I nearly brained myself with the bench press because the damned thing fell sort of backward. Anyway, the trainer was spotting me, so he grabbed the bar and all was well, but it was a definite learning moment. In short, I will sleep and THEN I will try the new treadmill. Yay!

2-State of the smallholding

I got seven eggs from the quail (in two days, I didn’t check for eggs yesterday, but still!) and Pixie stole one right off the table and ate it because she is a hooligan who can’t be trusted. *sigh* So far, the quail seem to be still doing okay, even though I am now super paranoid ever since the last female died because I just don’t know why it happened. With all the others I could make an educated guess (they got cold and wet, they overheated, they got snagged by a dog, etc.), but this death remains a mystery, so I don’t know what mitigating measures I should be taking. It’s all very frustrating. But yay, eggs!

I need to do some shoveling tomorrow if the weather holds up. I noticed things were warming up again today a little bit, which is perfect for shoveling because it means the snow will be wetter and I won’t have to fight with a layer of ice on the bottom. #CanadianProblems, amirite?

3-State of the news

It kind of feels like more of the same, which is both good and bad. Good, because it means there hasn’t been a new fresh hell to add to the previous fresh hells, but bad because the previous fresh hells are still going strong.

Trump has apparently declared the USMCA to be “irrelevant,” possibly forgetting that he took all the credit for negotiating it the last time he was in power. He’s basically throwing a temper tantrum because Carney is negotiating for trade with China, as far as I can tell

Iran is cracking down on protesters with a swiftness and ferocity that is breathtaking and terrifying. It has classified protesters and dissidents as “foreign agents” that need to be “dealt with.” Drones, CCTV surveillance, signal jammers, and a metric fuckton of propaganda have been their anti-protest tools of choice, according to CNN. They’re using the drones to spy on and record people in their homes, which is especially chilling, and managed a complete internet blackout almost instantaneously with military-grade signal blockers. State television also aired a report from a morgue showing rows of body bags, presumably as an attempt to deter more people from going into the streets to protest. And Trump, of course, is fanning the flames by posting inflammatory things on Truth Social, with no regards for the consequences of his actions.

The Narwhal is suing the RCMP in BC, alleging that they violated the rights of Amber Bracken, a photojournalist, when they arrested her in November 2021 while she was covering the RCMP trying to evict protesters from a camp on Wet’suwet’en territory. Alert readers may not even remember these protests because they were overshadowed by the [censored] Freedom Convoy’s antics in January of 2022, but for a couple of months this was a really big deal. The RCMP had tried to impose an “exclusion zone” that tried to bar people from the camp (including journalists, importantly) so that Coastal GasLink could build their pipeline without being bothered by pesky water protectors and other indigenous people. They arrested Bracken and seized all her equipment (camera, computer, etc.) and held her for three days before releasing her without laying any charges. This is going to be a precedent-setting case about people’s right to protest and the press’ right to cover the protests, so I will be watching the outcome with some interest.

Catch you on the flip side, friends!

ysabetwordsmith

This poem is spillover from the September 6, 2022 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by

chanter1944 and

dividedbyblue. It also fills the "She had to learn it for herself." square in my 9-1-22 card for the Land of Oz Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by

fuzzyred. It belongs to the Iron Horses thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.

Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes the aftermath of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, a survivor of mad science experiments, race-based rivalry, paperwork war, rude language, Dr. Bernhardt is always a warning, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

aurumcalendula

Jan 13 - 'What have you read lately that has stuck with you, either for good reasons or for bad reasons?' for

serrico

( Read more... )

(there are still slots open for the January Talking Meme here)

settiai

Two days of work down, three days to go. Let's see if I can make it through them. Preferably without strangling any coworkers. 🙃

Overall, it's going to be a busy week. I have D&D tomorrow night, as usual, but my Friday game is also supposed to start back this week after three months of not playing. I'm sure that's going to be very chaotic as everyone tries to remember how to play their characters, both mechanically and personality-wise. Especially since we kinda left off on a cliffhanger thanks to my cleric succeeding on a Divine Intervention.

In addition to that, Critical Role starts back this week after several weeks off. And I still haven't watched the last episode of 2025, because I knew it was going to be entirely combat-based. So, uh, I should probably try to do that during work tomorrow or Thursday if I want to be able to try to watch live on Thursday night.

On the fannish side of things, the first quarter of this year is surprisingly exchange-filled for me, mostly because there's a bunch of new Dragon Age exchanges cropping up that are run by people that I know. In the past, the late autumn and early winter has been the busy season, but several of those have died off the last few years (you're very missed,

femslashex) so that time of the year isn't nearly as exchange heavy as it used to be for me.

Holly Poly (multifandom poly relationships) and The Platonic Ideal (Dragon Age platonic relationships) both already have assignments out, the Crow Contracts Exchange (Dragon Age Crows focused) is in the middle of nominations, Spectre Requisitions (Mass Effect rare relationships) starts nominations later this week, Pride's Solace (Dragon Age Solas focused) starts nominations later this month, and Gaatlock & Lyrium (Dragon Age dwarves and qunari focused) is supposed to be sometime in the spring.

In addition to all that, I'm trying my best to set aside at least a little time most days to play video games. It's easier to find the time some days than others, but I'm doing my best. I've learned from past experience that it's healthier for me overall to, you know, set aside some time to actually do things that I enjoy. So I'm giving it a whirl at least. Right now, I'm mainly focusing on Baldur's Gate 3, but Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting a free update in the next day or so which may see me playing a bit more of it for a while.

Speaking of health, the less said about my sleep schedule lately the better. It's very much its usual chaotic self, which is about as fun as it sounds.

Current Mood: tired

olivermoss

* And another hour long interview that seems very worth my time just dropped. I still haven't finished the What Chaos interview with Robbie. Just need to take all the HR content a sip at a time. Well, not all the content. I don't need to see all ten thousand promo vids, but all the content that I want to get to is going to last me a whiiiiille.

* For most of the season the Kraken had a lot of top players in the Injured Reserve list. We aaaaalmost have everyone back except Murray. Which means we might be able to do something wacky called 'play a game with the roster we intended for this season'.

But the downside is returning players means we need at least one person off the roster, and only a few can do so without waivers. ( Hockey talk )

thatjustwontbreak

Keeping on keeping on with the Snowflake action. :D

Challenge #7

LIST THREE (or more) THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF. They don’t have to be your favorite things, just things that you think are good. Feel free to expand as much or as little as you want.

This is a fun prompt because it makes me think about myself like a character that I'm trying to describe to someone else. That may be why these are all things that could be observed if you watched me for a week. Also, all of these things seem incredibly irrelevant in the dreamwidth space.

1. I'm always ready to dance. At a concert, in a grocery store aisle, at 7am at the airport, you name it. Somatic movement, as the kids say.

2. I really like my own image/voice. If I'm having a hard time motivating myself to do something- like practicing my ukulele or cooking- I will record myself for the motivation of being able to watch a recorded version of myself doing it.

3. I love a good party, even with people I don't know. In general, I'm pretty introverted and love spending time by myself, but I know how to work a room and I have fun doing it. I learned this from my mother, who isn't super social either but still really great at chatting up strangers and making people comfortable.

Bonus: I love that so many people doing this are talking about how they like that they write/are good writers. People on dreamwidth are such phenomenal writers (I'm thinking about fic and journal entries and meta and so on). I am continually gobsmacked by the quality of writing on this site, so I'm thrilled that people know it about themselves. Damn straight, everyone. You are good writers. Thank you for sharing it with us.

siderea

Heads up, locals! Observers report evidence of ICE/DHS activity preparing for an operation in MA, imminently.

2026 Jan 13 5pm: u/rarelighting in r/Boston: Boston quietly prepares for an ICE surge, points at:

2026 Jan 13: Axios: Boston quietly prepares for an ICE surge by Mike Deehan

Discussion at Reddit:

OP:

While listening to the Sam Seder podcast today, someone sent in a report about increased activity at the Burlington ICE facilities. Stay alert folks.

u/Neat-Beautiful-5505 • 4h ago

Another Reddit post showed three 18-wheel trucks hauling several new SUVs each to the Burlington ICE facility.

u/_still_truckin_ • 4h ago

Two dozen white Ford Explorers. They’re the same Interceptor models that real police departments use. You can spot them by the searchlight mounted to the driver side A-pillar and lack of tracks for roof racks. Saw them in the parking lot of the Burlington ICE building.

u/ThePirateKing01 • 4h ago

Shoutout to @BearingWitnessBurlington on YouTube and TikTok

To those who say protesting peacefully doesn’t amount to much, this person has been both protesting and monitoring the facility almost 24/7. Without people like this we wouldn’t have the heads up that we do now

u/minilip30 • 4h ago

“The bottom line: While no operation has been officially confirmed, Boston is not waiting to find out — it is mobilizing now.”

Good!

Remember, ICE needs a warrant to enter any private residence or business. Business that aren’t fascist supporting should have signs that they will not allow ICE entry without a warrant.

u/beanandcod • 4h ago

A judicial warrant, signed by a judge

u/Pnoman98 • 4h ago

A lot of police presence at Alewife& Gov Center

u/cccxxxzzzddd • 4h ago

The Rindge / fresh pond apartments at alewife are home to many immigrants, particularly Ethiopians

This is not good

Edit: not good that ice is there

u/mysteriousfrittata • 4h ago

Saw a car full of them parked outside of MGH yesterday evening. All wearing DHS fatigues etc. Naturally the assholes were parked in an ambulance parking spot. I called to report a strange vehicle parked there.

u/HolyMoleyGuacamoly • 4h ago

they appear to be staying at that marriott right next door. was by there for a bit and saw a ton of activity in and out of there of single white men in suvs with beards

Happy_Literature9493 • 3h ago

Copied and pasted from Safari reader mode [the Axios article:]

“Boston quietly prepares for an ICE surge Mike Deehan Boston City Hall is privately getting ready for a potential spike in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.

Why it matters: Even without a confirmed federal operation, the city is "planning for the unthinkable," according to Mayor Michelle Wu.

Escalating tensions and violence in other cities are deepening anxieties within immigrant communities and worsening the friction between sanctuary communities and federal authorities. The latest: Wu confirmed on WBUR this week that she is discussing enforcement scenarios with Boston Police leadership.

Her goal is to establish clear protocols to ensure local police resources are not co-opted into federal immigration efforts. Wu maintains that Boston police will not leak information to ICE, a stance she views as crucial to maintaining community trust. The big picture: Boston isn't alone in bracing for federal action.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has stated plans for a larger presence in Boston, promising more agents following disputes over sanctuary policies. Past initiatives mobilized large-scale enforcement across Massachusetts. Zoom in: Unverified but persistent reports from residents and activists note a delivery of SUVs to the Burlington ICE Field Office last week.

Advocates interpret the arrival of three car carriers hauling SUVs as a sign that the local ICE branch is staffing up. What we're watching: If federal enforcement accelerates, pressure will mount on public-facing institutions and communities with sanctuary policies.

Courthouses are typically a flashpoint for arrests. City community centers and schools will need to know how to respond if agents appear at their doors. ICE likely won't limit large-scale enforcement to Boston. Municipalities with large immigrant populations like Chelsea, Everett, Lawrence, Revere and Lynn could also be in the crosshairs. Threat level: Activists have staked out the Burlington ICE office for months and will likely be among the first to know of any major rollout.

Expect throngs of Massachusetts residents to demonstrate against ICE if a surge happens here. The bottom line: While no operation has been officially confirmed, Boston is not waiting to find out — it is mobilizing now.”

yestoday

WOW. okay. happy 2026. my last semester of my astrophysics bachelor’s begins next week, if that answers where i've been the past four years. not that that means i'm almost free. (grad school applications looming ominously in the background.)

despite feeling like i’ve done nothing but rot and shrivel into a shell of my creative self, there have been a lot of changes. (undergrad does that to people, i guess.) that’s a part of why i’m a bit intimidated of reviving this journal.

the elephant in the room...

...is that i’m not as into k-pop, at least not like that, anymore. it makes me really sad to think about, and it took me a long time to accept losing such a huge hyperfixation. it felt like losing a large part of my life and my personality. there’s a lot more i could go into here, psychoanalyze and self-theraputize, but i think i’ve worked out most of my feelings about it already. i’m okay with it now.

those idols will always be important to me, and i know i still care deeply about them, even if i’m not caught up with every video and every instagram post anymore. i don’t watch survival shows anymore, and i only check in on recent comebacks of most groups every once in a while (maybe every few months… maybe longer).

i still love the beats. in fact, i prioritize them and their solos whenever i find myself dipping my toes back into the k-pop circle. i still love the tensions. i still have friends who update me on inklings of weiyoul dates. i love, i love, i love still. i still love them, and everyone i met when k-pop encompassed my life. my attention just doesn’t lie there anymore. no longer the apple of my eye, but i like to think they’re the berries in the surrounding hedges. i’ve come to terms with that, i think.

the giraffe in the room...

...is that i’m into anime now. (i know. I KNOW, shut up. it was only a matter of time, i know. the k-poppie to weeb pipeline is real, and it’s still claiming victims. it’s bad out here. it’s lethal.) this is why i would say my anilist is much more relevant now than any drama list website i had linked before or k-drama spectacle i tried making in listography.

(i haven’t watched a single k-drama since… well, the last one i talked about, probably. was it golden spoon? i remember i downloaded the second season of weak hero class to watch on the plane trip to taiwan last summer, but. um. i just never ended up watching it. i think i just slept.)

now, i’m not going to go on about anime for too long. i’m gonna say i have been hyperfixated on kaminari denki ryona for a couple years now, at least. (one look at my ao3 and you’ll have clocked most warnings you need to know before interacting with me.) and sure, there’s other twinks i like. sure. but all those extraneous details can come later. my fingers will surely get tired if i get started on two-dimensional twinks and girlfailures. that will be in another blog post, or none at all.

there are some constants: some things i’ll likely continue to talk about.

i still like goodnight moon and asmr. (“like” is probably an understatement. i’m probably more attracted to her than i was before.) a new channel i’ve been very into is mayona. i love her dark doctor roleplays.

i took a long, long break from fallen london, but i logged back in during this winter break and have been on an absolute ambition grind. i’ve probably made more progress in the past few weeks than the rest of the time i’ve had that account. i’m finally establishing a parabola base camp.

i occasionally hop back on genshin and other hoyo games. (did i play star rail yet when i was still posting? i know zenless zone zero definitely wasn’t out yet.) now that i have a proper laptop, i’ve been playing steam games more. sometimes i stream them, just as an archival thing, for myself and my sister. i’m an insatiable completionist and fomo paranoid, so i’ve barely finished anything, though. i promised my friend i would finish up disco elysium soon, so i’m focusing on that these days. the only things that aren’t documented on steam that i can think of are cookie run: kingdom (hopped back on recently for the final dark enchantress war!) and my hero: ultra impact (which i have an embarrassing amount of playtime on).

so: am i back? am i back? why am i back? holy shit, am i back? unfortunately, i can't give a definite “we're so back!”—though i can probably supply a few reasons as to why i'm making this post at all.

first off, the actual trigger that had me start typing this is… okay, hear me out: i read a peak, peak, PEAK bleach fic, and the author responded to my comment so quickly. they were so, so sweet! i then saw on their profile that they had their dreamwidth linked, and that instantly threw me back. to be completely blunt, i wanted to follow their blog, but i didn’t want them to see my outdated ass page the way it was, if they decided to look. lol… am i too concerned about appearances? yeah, probably. they likely wouldn’t even be looking in the first place. nonetheless, it was good enough motivation to make a post, which i had wanted to do anyway. (in the case that the author is looking though, uh… hi! thank you for the magnificent work!)

anyway, like i said, i wanted to revive this journal anyway. frankly, back in the day, i put so much effort into this journal’s aesthetics and organization that i cannot even be humble about it now. i ate this layout up, let’s be honest. it’s so clean and satisfying. and so, it felt like too much of a waste to leave it behind. this page was slowly growing more distant from me, with the contents becoming more and more out-of-date and not so representative of my current interests and thoughts anymore.

future plans? i don’t know; i will need to update my pinned post for sure. i have a new strawpage that is linked to my other twitter (my, let’s say, primary grounds of action these days… kaminari denki-centric, of course). i just need to figure out how to incorporate that while preserving my old pinned, too, since i like how it looks (rentry and all). maybe. we’ll see.

posts-wise? i’ve had some ideas; expect directional changes, for sure. and i'll definitely need to add an anime tag. it’s occurred to me several times over the past few years to post some drafts and excerpts of my fics-to-be, or even the ideas i’ve coke-ranted into discord servers and dms. i might still be too shy for that, though. whatever. the only thing i’m certain of is that there will be plenty of yappings about toxic yaoi and doomed yuri. the aforementioned adjectives for hetgems, even—if i’m feeling that freaky.

or, maybe i’ll never post again after this. who fucking knows!

Current Location: BLEACH [Episode 219]
Current Music: THREEE - CATCH!!!

silveradept

The dreaded "say nice things about yourself" challenge has appeared at

snowflake_challenge!

While we’re busy celebrating fandom, it’s good to remember to celebrate ourselves, too. Fandom is all of us! I know it’s often easier to talk about what we like about other people than it is to talk nicely about ourselves, but challenge yourself here --

Challenge #7

LIST THREE (or more) THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF. They don’t have to be your favorite things, just things that you think are good. Feel free to expand as much or as little as you want.

( Challenge: Say good Things About Yourself. Difficulty: Very )

Current Mood: energetic
Current Music: Yoko Shimomura - Lord of the Castle

ranunculus

Since the sun came out the garden has gotten quite a lot of love. The iris bed with the white irises in it got dug over, the irises lifted and divided. It has been at least two or possibly 3 decades since the iris have been divided and they were in a sorry state. There are great numbers of various iris plants sitting around waiting for new homes most of them quite small. The (few) replanted iris should thrive. They will be extra happy without the grass that was threatening to choke them out. Some of the white iris will be replaced with bronze/pink iris from Henry St, and possibly some other colors.
Elsewhere in the garden; A couple of beds no longer have dying tomatoes in them which makes the fava beans, which were trying to grow in tomato plant shade, really happy. Tons of grass has been pulled out and dead sunflowers pulled out to add to the compost. Still have two big beds to go but things are definitely looking a lot better. Sadly there are vole trails all over. They love all the overgrown plants. Yesterday traps were set out to reduce the vole population. So far I've caught 3.

Today the new metal fence panels for Winter Quarters arrived. Dave and his son Grant came up to help. We removed the old beat up/broken panels that decidedly did not fit and put new ones in their place. It all fits and looks SO much better. Included in this order were several gates, one of which is now hanging from the front-center of the Winter Quarters run in shedrow. For months we have been using a temporary panel as a gate. This meant lifting it and hooking it on a hinge pin fitting that was loosely attached. It worked surprisingly well as a latch, but it was a pain in the neck to use. Today we replaced that panel with a nice gate on real hinges!

This afternoon I had an interview down at the local community radio station. I think it went well. Hopefully I didn't say "um" too many times! It was kind of fun: The lady who was interviewing me was using some new equipment; when she had trouble getting her sound levels right, my Stagehand training kicked in and we were able to solve them together.

questionable_content_feed

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5743

It's technically a novella

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5743

bluapapilio

Episode 6: Poor Hinata, everyone's just making his nerves worse. 😭😅

omggg Hinata knocked the referee off his chair!! And then he hit Kageyama in the back of the head!!! I spit my coffee out on my desk. 😭

Yamaguchi's eye catch was cute.

The slow walk up to Hinata, lordy... I should not be drinking at all this is killing meee.

Of course Tanaka's speech would work on Hinata, they're both simple in ways. 😂 Not that Tanaka was wrong about relying on your teammates.

Lmao at Tsukishima and Kageyama fighting over blocking.

Oikawa...that name sounds familiar, probably saw it in fandom.

Episode 7: So it was Oikawa who asked to play against Kageyama, he's the captain of Seijou and Kageyama's old senpai.

Yamaguchi freaking out for Tsukki. :')

Hinata and Kageyama's last move was badass!

Tanaka catching the bar with his teeth. 😂

Haha, how cute. :')

Oh, I recognize that little guy at the end!! From either official art or fanart I'm guessing. He's shorter than Hinata!!! Man, Hinata is still taller than me. I'm the same height as the new char though...

Current Mood: hot

olivermoss

( Look closer... )

offcntr

For about a week after new year, there'd been no sign of Raj, the black-and-white kitty who comes to my studio, begging for pets (and snacks). Since the weather was horrible, this tended to confirm my theory that he's actually got a home, he's just hitting me up for second breakfast.

About three days ago, I heard the familiar meow! outside the studio door, looked out to see no sign of him. Wasn't by the back yard, wasn't coming around from front, wasn't under the van.

He was on the roof. Right over the studio door.

He's been back every day since, sometimes multiple times, was even on the roof again last night. Then this evening, I saw a black-and-white kitty under the car as I came up from the mail box.

It wasn't him. It was the shy kitty with the jingle collar that we're calling Belle. Same shiny coat and thick short tail, but with no ring around the muzzle. And no pets. She's too shy to let anyone near her.

offcntr

We'd made plans for a short getaway in the week between Christmas and New Years, just up to Portland to visit the zoo and art museum, but our cat sitter didn't return our texts and then the weather got bad and so we stayed home instead. Which was nice, because I couldn't do much in the studio, having only 25 lbs. of clay left, so I read a bit and napped a bit and got all the family Christmas presents packed and shipped by New Year's Eve. So that was nice.

Then I got the Christmas letter to my nephew returned to sender and realized that they'd moved and I had to figure out how to get their Christmas present to the new address which I didn't have yet and that involved a long stay on hold with UPS, who directed me back to Shippo, who then determined that I couldn't redirect the package because of the plan I'd bought for shipping, but I could have it returned to sender, no charge. So we caught it in Minneapolis and it's coming back here tomorrow.

My ton of clay finally got delivered last Tuesday, in the midst of a rain and sleet-storm, so that was fun. And the replacement part for my kiln vent arrived the same day, though one piece--the intake manifold--was rusted solid onto the old unit, so I had to spend an hour on hold with Skutt trying to get the part number for a replacement, while I was moving clay into the studio. I eventually had to give up--they were closing at 5--left a message, then an email, and finally got the number yesterday, ordered this morning. Meanwhile, the tools and parts are cluttering up the top of the kiln.

So throwing 75-100 lbs. of pots a day has been, by comparison, positively relaxing.

highlander_ii

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Crossposts: http://highlander-ii.deadjournal.com/294852.html https://highlander-ii.insanejournal.com/469231.html

senmut

AO3 Link | Touching History as We Go (1014 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Drizzt Do'Urden/Alustriel Silverhand
Characters: Alustriel Silverhand, Drizzt Do'Urden
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Disguises, Grief/Mourning, Inspired by Poetry
Series: Part 9 of Legacy of the Silver Marches
Summary:

Drizzt and Alustriel, in their guises as Gavren and Brielle, on their trek to Silverymoon pass where Methri fell.

From Twilight Calm - Christina Rossetti

But evening now is done
As much as if the sun
Day-giving had arisen in the East:
For night has come; and the great calm has ceased,
The quiet sands have run.

Touching History as We Go

Death comes to all in turn, they say. I have seen it swiftly, I have seen it come slow. Never do I touch its presence without some emotion. Relief, in cases of enemies that would not turn from their path. Sorrow, for the ones it takes by choking off the time ahead of them. Shock, when it braces a young one in their prime.

But I can see it is a needful thing. Not merely for the natural order of things, but for cleansing the way to new thought, new deeds, new ways. Something in age clogs many minds from adapting, changing as thoughts lead in new directions. I find peace in the idea that, when my life is at an end, there will be those who knew of me, of my Companions, who tell the tales we made.

I but hope that they remember not only the daring deeds, but the cautionary mishaps as well.

— Drizzt Do'Urden

The travelers kept their hoods low, even as they knew it would take a powerful magic user to discern their identities. The tavern was quiet and only half-full, but a bard had taken the stage and begun a quiet ballad.

"Someone knows history," the woman said after listening to the first bars.

"As told," the man said with a sigh. "They'll leave out how close it was for him at the end."

"Hmm, likely. But in this day and age, from all we've seen so far, they need to know of heroes, have them to look up to and be inspired by."

He looked at her, his eyes dancing with mirth. "I'll remember that when you protest the ballads composed of your sacrifices and leadership."

"Oh, I've had plenty of time to grow accustomed to such. But you, my dear ranger… what will you do when you hear of your own deeds sung with lusty bardic vigor?"

"Make a nuisance of myself trying to inject truth in the matter," he said, smiling before he applied spoon to bowl, rather than focus on the tale of a wizard he'd known during the Gods' War.

Brielle pulled up short, making Gavren turn back to her. Her face spoke of anguish, and he sucked in a deep breath. The lingering magical traces in this land spoke of past battles, but for her… it had to have been personal.

"What is it, my star?"

"The staff of Silverymoon." She gave up pretense of being able to move from this spot, dropping down on her knees, hands going into the barren soil. Her eyes scanned out, taking note of the vague hillocks and depressions, signs of things buried in haste and rotted away after.

Gavren came and knelt in front of her, drawing her head to his shoulder. With a mere thought, he called to their dear astral friend and Guenhwyvar appeared, no longer constrained by the figure of wondrous power. She took up guard over them in this desolate place, letting him hold his beloved as she mourned.

"Silverymoon's last defense to the west," he murmured. "Your son being impossibly strong-willed and ending the fight that occurred, but at such cost." He stroked down her hair, letting her cry it out. There would be moments like this, over and over, as they wandered the realms in their new guises. Both had been too embroiled in the Gods' War, had known too many of the major players in the pitched battles and back-room scheming.

"Methri made so many mistakes, and yet… he did believe in the people and ideas of Silverymoon and the Silver Marches." She settled back on her heels, reaching up to wipe at her face with a cloth pulled out of her cloak's pocket.

"He did, on both accounts. But we all did, the mistakes making. And for many of us, it was the belief in our people, in each other, that gave us the strength to push through what the gods did to us all in their own madnesses." Gavren stroked her face, then tucked a braid back behind her ear. "It is hardest, in some ways, for you about Methri. Because he was your heir, following in your footsteps."

She sniffled, then nodded. "Once the Refuge took Tyresia from him, he threw himself into everything of Silverymoon I would allow. And he won the position by the vote, when Taern died, so it was on his own merit. I just never saw how deeply his caution could cut across the allies we'd made."

"You cannot second-guess him from this point of history," Gavren told her, placing a kiss on her brow. "All either of us can do is try to help the rebuilding we see, give aid to those who still have the vision of a future that holds knowledge and compassion in the highest regard."

"And use what we knew as truth to provide the bitter stories of how even goodly traits can lead to the wrong choices?" Brielle questioned, before sighing. "Yes, even that will be needed, especially with what we've learned so far of the rising powers in the lands."

"Any trait may be a strength or a weakness," Gavren told her. "You and I can press that point as it is needed. But. For now… we're not so far from the Silverwood, and we can be inside the city by nightfall?"

She considered, then shook her head. "Unless the traces are bothering you, let us stay here, so I can meditate, and be certain he has not become a weave ghost tied to this place?"

"Of course, my star." He pushed back to his feet, a look at Guen bringing her closer. The panther pushed into the moon-elf's space, prompting a small laugh and much petting, while Gavren saw to setting camp. They would tend to the needful matters, and move on to the city where at least one of their children was building anew.

Perhaps, in putting her own sense of Methri to rest, it would help Brielle be ready for the fresh start they had promised one another in truth.

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settiai - Baldur's Gate 3: Apophis
sonia - Found in the street
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ysabetwordsmith - Poem: "The Most Dangerous Animal in the Zoo"
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Page generated Jan. 16th, 2026 06:18 am

Barnstorming on an Invisible Segway

The stories are made up, but the problems are real.

Network

Baldur's Gate 3: Apophis

Found in the street

(no subject)

January 1th. 2026

Poem: "The Most Dangerous Animal in the Zoo"

January Talking Meme - What have you read lately that has stuck with you?

One of those general updates...

(no subject)

snowflake_challenge 2026: Challenge #7

Massachusetts is next [Ω, MA/US]

updates

Snowflake Challenge 02026 #7: Be Nice.

Garden, New Panels, Radio

First Responder

Anime Check-in:🏐 "Haikyuu!!" S1E6-7

(no subject)

One of these things is not like the other

Best-laid plans

Snowflake Challenge #6

Poetry Fiction: Touching History as We Go

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January 2026

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