gifts - out now!
Jul. 19th, 2025 05:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luninosityNew short story out today (at JMS Books) & tomorrow (wide): “Gifts,” a bonus story for Gareth/Lorre from Magician: their first anniversary!
In which our magician and his hero learn how to celebrate! Or, the story in which Lorre has never cared so much about making someone happy, and Gareth has a a very good idea, and water is important…and oh, right, there’s only one tiny volcano to deal with…
No True Pair: Crossover mini-event
Jul. 19th, 2025 11:20 amsenmutWary Arrival (400 words) by Sharpest_Asp
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragonlance, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Raistlin Majere, Dalamar [Dragonlance], Drizzt Do'Urden
Additional Tags: Crossover
Summary:
Drizzt Do'Urden was not a man to allow anything to leave him flat-footed for long. The tail had whipped around too fast, flung him back through the gate when it stole his breath with the thud against his chest, but he rolled with the blow, and came up, swords already back in their ready position… to find the gate had no visible sign on this side, and his eyes were streaming tears from the change of tree-dappled shade and sun to the glare of multiple light sources in a confined space.
Sound told him two bodies, both in loose rustling clothes, and the air pressure spoke of several obstacles in a small space.
"Deal with him; he's some sort of elf," a voice said, and Drizzt realized the sound of it was being translated through the arm-band he'd been gifted with, an artifact for translation.
Thankfully, it worked on his words too.
"Peace, unless you are in league with the dark ranger and druid I was fighting," Drizzt said.
"Magic," a second voice said, and now Drizzt knew where both were more clearly.
"How interesting," came a sardonic reply to that, and Drizzt could all but feel the jaded sense in the speaker.
"If you are both familiar with magic," he hazarded, "I can try and trade knowledge," he offered, smelling books and ink, "for a return to my rightful place before any of the archmages I work with come seeking me."
"Deal," the second voice answered, with only the slightest sigh from the first. As a show of peace, Drizzt flipped his swords into their scabbards, and ignored his injuries in favor of forcing his eyes to work. One elf, one… that was not quite a human, if he were to guess, for all the man likely had begun as such.
"Drizzt Do'Urden."
"Dalamar Nightson," the elf with bronze skin said. "And he is Raistlin Majere," he added when the once-human did not respond to the question of names implicit in the introduction. "Let us get our impressions of the portal that spit you out, and then we will decide further how to proceed."
Drizzt nodded once, and started working on his injuries, relieved that Mielikki's magic could aid him still — and aware that the one called Raistlin was studying him more than where he'd fallen from. There was a sense of foreboding, and Drizzt would stay on guard.
Or read at the community![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
no_true_pair
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragonlance, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Raistlin Majere, Dalamar [Dragonlance], Drizzt Do'Urden
Additional Tags: Crossover
Summary:
Drizzt gets shoved off-plane and meets a Dark Elf... by some standards.
Wary Arrival
Drizzt Do'Urden was not a man to allow anything to leave him flat-footed for long. The tail had whipped around too fast, flung him back through the gate when it stole his breath with the thud against his chest, but he rolled with the blow, and came up, swords already back in their ready position… to find the gate had no visible sign on this side, and his eyes were streaming tears from the change of tree-dappled shade and sun to the glare of multiple light sources in a confined space.
Sound told him two bodies, both in loose rustling clothes, and the air pressure spoke of several obstacles in a small space.
"Deal with him; he's some sort of elf," a voice said, and Drizzt realized the sound of it was being translated through the arm-band he'd been gifted with, an artifact for translation.
Thankfully, it worked on his words too.
"Peace, unless you are in league with the dark ranger and druid I was fighting," Drizzt said.
"Magic," a second voice said, and now Drizzt knew where both were more clearly.
"How interesting," came a sardonic reply to that, and Drizzt could all but feel the jaded sense in the speaker.
"If you are both familiar with magic," he hazarded, "I can try and trade knowledge," he offered, smelling books and ink, "for a return to my rightful place before any of the archmages I work with come seeking me."
"Deal," the second voice answered, with only the slightest sigh from the first. As a show of peace, Drizzt flipped his swords into their scabbards, and ignored his injuries in favor of forcing his eyes to work. One elf, one… that was not quite a human, if he were to guess, for all the man likely had begun as such.
"Drizzt Do'Urden."
"Dalamar Nightson," the elf with bronze skin said. "And he is Raistlin Majere," he added when the once-human did not respond to the question of names implicit in the introduction. "Let us get our impressions of the portal that spit you out, and then we will decide further how to proceed."
Drizzt nodded once, and started working on his injuries, relieved that Mielikki's magic could aid him still — and aware that the one called Raistlin was studying him more than where he'd fallen from. There was a sense of foreboding, and Drizzt would stay on guard.
Or read at the community
no_true_pairMy latest Guardian fanworks
Jul. 19th, 2025 10:41 amfacethestrange in sid_guardian2 novel Weilan fics, Zhubai fic, Zhubai art. :)
Found (472 words) by facethestrange
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian - priest
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Characters: Shen Wei (Guardian), Zhao Yunlan
Additional Tags: Set During the Hanga Arc, Hypothermia, Confusion, Rescue, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, alternate identity reveal, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Summary: Maybe none of that happened. Maybe they're both in the hut, or in Dragon City, and Zhao Yunlan is not actually dying at the bottom of some mountain in the middle of nowhere.
Too Hot for Work (559 words) by facethestrange
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian - priest
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Characters: Shen Wei (Guardian), Zhao Yunlan
Additional Tags: Hot Weather, Implied/Referenced Sex, Established Relationship, Banter, Zhao Yunlan Being Zhao Yunlan, Shameless Zhao Yunlan
Summary: "Fine, you work and I'll just do this—" Zhao Yunlan continues to unbutton the shirt, and then lies down with his face in Shen Wei's lap, pressing his forehead against Shen Wei's bare stomach. "You're so cold. This is heaven."
I Look Over at You and See Sunshine (894 words) by facethestrange
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018) RPF, Chinese Actor RPF
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Bai Yu/Zhu Yilong
Characters: Bai Yu (Actor), Zhu Yilong
Additional Tags: 5+1 Things, Fluff, Tenderness, Banter, Implied Sexual Content, (very non-explicit), Summer
Summary: Five snapshots of summer memories and one present moment.
But Love Is Long by facethestrange
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018) RPF, Chinese Actor RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Bai Yu/Zhu Yilong
Characters: Bai Yu (Actor), Zhu Yilong
Additional Tags: Wedding, Wedding Rings, Hand Kisses, Guardian Bingo, Fanart, Drawing
Series: Part 8 of Zhubai ~canon~ but with more kissing, Part 5 of Guardian Bingo 2025
Summary: The wedding photo shoot, but it's not just a photo shoot this time.
Found (472 words) by facethestrange
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian - priest
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Characters: Shen Wei (Guardian), Zhao Yunlan
Additional Tags: Set During the Hanga Arc, Hypothermia, Confusion, Rescue, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, alternate identity reveal, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Summary: Maybe none of that happened. Maybe they're both in the hut, or in Dragon City, and Zhao Yunlan is not actually dying at the bottom of some mountain in the middle of nowhere.
Too Hot for Work (559 words) by facethestrange
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian - priest
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Characters: Shen Wei (Guardian), Zhao Yunlan
Additional Tags: Hot Weather, Implied/Referenced Sex, Established Relationship, Banter, Zhao Yunlan Being Zhao Yunlan, Shameless Zhao Yunlan
Summary: "Fine, you work and I'll just do this—" Zhao Yunlan continues to unbutton the shirt, and then lies down with his face in Shen Wei's lap, pressing his forehead against Shen Wei's bare stomach. "You're so cold. This is heaven."
I Look Over at You and See Sunshine (894 words) by facethestrange
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018) RPF, Chinese Actor RPF
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Bai Yu/Zhu Yilong
Characters: Bai Yu (Actor), Zhu Yilong
Additional Tags: 5+1 Things, Fluff, Tenderness, Banter, Implied Sexual Content, (very non-explicit), Summer
Summary: Five snapshots of summer memories and one present moment.
But Love Is Long by facethestrange
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018) RPF, Chinese Actor RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Bai Yu/Zhu Yilong
Characters: Bai Yu (Actor), Zhu Yilong
Additional Tags: Wedding, Wedding Rings, Hand Kisses, Guardian Bingo, Fanart, Drawing
Series: Part 8 of Zhubai ~canon~ but with more kissing, Part 5 of Guardian Bingo 2025
Summary: The wedding photo shoot, but it's not just a photo shoot this time.
A DA scam, more AI scams, and ChatGPT pulling a Drunk Janet
Jul. 19th, 2025 01:32 amerinptahNew scam going around DeviantArt. It opens when you get DM’d the line “Pardon me, may I have a moment of your time? I have a concern I’d like to share.”
The scammers are doing these from real people’s hacked accounts, so if you get suspicious and look at the user’s profile, everything about it suggests “genuine non-bot person.” I got suspicious and googled a whole sentence of their text, and found the above post about other scammers using the same script. Stay alert out there.
—
This post is from 2018, but I was looking for the link again recently, so I’m bringing it back. Concrete examples of ways you can change an image that don’t affect what a human brain perceives in them, but wildly messes with what a computer algorithm detects in them. (I’m pretty sure “AI poisoning” art algorithms, like Glaze and Nightshade, are doing a variation of this.)
“Builder.ai, once touted as a revolutionary AI startup backed by Microsoft, has collapsed into insolvency after revelations that its flagship no-code development platform was powered not by artificial intelligence—but by 700 human engineers in India.“
“We conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to understand how early-2025 AI tools affect the productivity of experienced open-source developers working on their own repositories. Surprisingly, we find that when developers use AI tools, they take 19% longer than without—AI makes them slower.” (Narrator: Nobody was surprised.)
“”Tasks that seemed straightforward often took days rather than hours, with [LLM “coding” bot] Devin getting stuck in technical dead-ends or producing overly complex, unusable solutions,” the researchers explain in their report. “Even more concerning was Devin’s tendency to press forward with tasks that weren’t actually possible.”“
It’s worth watching the full “actual coder exposes the scam what Devin actually did” Youtube video linked in the previous article. (The speaker says he’s pro-AI! He’s just exhausted by all the fake hype!) Among other things, Devin gets access to a Github codebase, writes a completely new file that duplicates (badly) the functions of a file the project already had, fixes at least some of the bugs it just created in the redundant new file, and then submits this as “fulfilling the task to review the project for bugs.”
Reddit post: ChatGPT, you have the file and not a cactus?
No True Pair: Crossover mini-event
Jul. 19th, 2025 12:14 amsenmutBlue (300 words) by Sharpest_Asp
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragonlance, Sword-Dancer Saga - Jennifer Roberson
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Kitiara uth Matar [Dragonlance], Skie [Dragonlance], Delilah [Sword-Dancer Saga]
Additional Tags: Crossover, Triple Drabble
Summary:
These lands that Del explores are nothing like the homeland she is exiled from. There are strange beings, stranger creatures, and this one… huge, reptilian, graceful fills her view and she is unafraid. Only as an afterthought does she take in the human woman upon the creature whose hide is so blue as to rival sapphires in their brilliance.
"She's not afraid of us, Skye," the human says aloud, voice meant to carry, and Del can understand, because of the exile ritual that cast her here.
"I fear nothing on sight, and few on action," Del declares, and the woman laughs.
"Skie, should we keep this strange woman, so pale and pretty who carries her sword on her back like a gladiator?"
The blue creature turns its head to appraise Del with one baleful eye. "Such lack of fear is commendable," a basso voice comes from it, and Del stands her ground when the large head pokes toward her. "I would consent to allowing you to bring her back."
"I suggest you climb up here swiftly, as the army is not far behind me… and most of them will only see your curves, not that steel," the hard-muscled woman says with a quirk of her mouth that says much on her opinions of such.
Del doesn't hesitate. This woman has power, and the — Skie — Skie radiates it as well. If she is to be exiled, she wishes power of her own, to find her way home some day.
"Call me Del." She climbs swiftly, aided by one long line tossed down.
"Kitiara. And Skie, as mentioned."
No more words follow, as Skie flings himself back into the blue heavens above, and Del learns the thrill of wind rushing around her, tucked in behind Kitiara.
This is a good start here.
Or read at the communityno_true_pair (and see the other people playing!)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragonlance, Sword-Dancer Saga - Jennifer Roberson
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Kitiara uth Matar [Dragonlance], Skie [Dragonlance], Delilah [Sword-Dancer Saga]
Additional Tags: Crossover, Triple Drabble
Summary:
Del, exiled to a new world, meets another woman
Blue
These lands that Del explores are nothing like the homeland she is exiled from. There are strange beings, stranger creatures, and this one… huge, reptilian, graceful fills her view and she is unafraid. Only as an afterthought does she take in the human woman upon the creature whose hide is so blue as to rival sapphires in their brilliance.
"She's not afraid of us, Skye," the human says aloud, voice meant to carry, and Del can understand, because of the exile ritual that cast her here.
"I fear nothing on sight, and few on action," Del declares, and the woman laughs.
"Skie, should we keep this strange woman, so pale and pretty who carries her sword on her back like a gladiator?"
The blue creature turns its head to appraise Del with one baleful eye. "Such lack of fear is commendable," a basso voice comes from it, and Del stands her ground when the large head pokes toward her. "I would consent to allowing you to bring her back."
"I suggest you climb up here swiftly, as the army is not far behind me… and most of them will only see your curves, not that steel," the hard-muscled woman says with a quirk of her mouth that says much on her opinions of such.
Del doesn't hesitate. This woman has power, and the — Skie — Skie radiates it as well. If she is to be exiled, she wishes power of her own, to find her way home some day.
"Call me Del." She climbs swiftly, aided by one long line tossed down.
"Kitiara. And Skie, as mentioned."
No more words follow, as Skie flings himself back into the blue heavens above, and Del learns the thrill of wind rushing around her, tucked in behind Kitiara.
This is a good start here.
Or read at the community
no_true_pair (and see the other people playing!)Sinners (2025)
Jul. 19th, 2025 12:03 amsenmutOkay, because I don't always play right with horror flicks, I'd let myself get as spoilered as I could for this movie. I have been LOVING the gifs and the art and the meta and the analysis.
Tonight, I finally got to watch Sinners for the first time, beginning to end. What is below the cut is my live-reaction. I don't have cohesive thoughts. I am still at BEST VAMPIRE MOVIE BEST BLUES MOVIE BEST MAKE ME THINK MOVIE. Oh right, warning for my potty mouth. I do tend to curse as emphasis.
So far, loving the shit out of it
So rural Mississippi
Shoots a pair of would be thieves, and pays to have them patched up? My kinda guys
Love the Asian couple
DelRoy Lindo is solid
Love the music.
The characters feel solid fast
Feeling all the pain of what we did to the black man
So uncouth, lol
That was in reference to all the sex talk
Aww fuck the flowers were for his dead baby girl
I love that Annie follows older traditions
Smoke is named Elijah
Yoruba language (ETA: The actress has been studying it since 2020, and it is her heritage)
Aww yeah the Choctaw scene
Oh man I haven't heard that language in years
Messy vampires
Mary passing gives her trouble with the black folk
Gods I need a trilogy of these people before this
Stack trying to protect Mary
Michael B Jordan must have had a vocal coach
ETA: actually, I rather liked that the accents came off as they did in ALL of them, despite a bunch of non-Southern actors. It was a conscious way of shifting vowels, swallowing some of the words, a particular pattern to the speaking that never jarred me out of the setting. Then again, I have been accused of talking like a Yankee my whole life because I grew up at a military base and didn't fall full on into the accent of my blood kin.
Sammie is stealing my heart
Trippy effect
The mix of past and future is phenomenal
Have goosebumps from this scene
Shit is about to break out
Remmick, Joan and Bert...
Something uncanny in how the trio moved
Oh hellfire. Mary trying to find a way to make the money. That's how this starts the horror fest
Oh man. The power pole making a cross behind the trio
Remmick is ... Very Toreador, presence and auspex
Even celerity
And Mary is in. As a vampire
Stack is Elias
Cornbread is next victim
The drooling is weird
And we started
Stack!
Smoke is so broken and Annie is trying and it hurts
Haint. Love it
Aww fuck yeah horror time
Stack, honey. You're not yourself any more
Annie switched up to vampire instead of haint. Used pickled garlic
I love the lore
Smoke holds Stack better than himself so this hurts so much
Jack O'Connell does Irish song well
Grace and Bo, it hurts
This is so fucking good
Poor Grace
Family, freedom, ties and chains... All solid themes
Grace broke and I can't blame her
Hell yeah
Fucking hell, Stack got Annie
Slim!!!!!
The brothers fighting
Everyone trying to save Sammie
Protean as well (ETA: back to World of Darkness Disciplines I was seeing in play; Protean is very NOT Toreador)
Smoke with the save
Gods this is fucking so good
And Smoke about to finish the mortal evil
Klan about to die
Oh oh oh I cry
Fuck this movie is perfect
Stack and Mary, coming to see Sammie
Smoke made him promise and he kept it
Love them
Favorite vampire movie
Okay maybe cohesive, lifted from reading that. Themes: Family. Ties that bind. Ties that choke. Freedom. Chains. Racism, of course. Setting your own rules in an unjust world, keeping to your set of morals. Choosing not to be evil doesn't mean choosing to be pure. LOVE.
If you like vampire movies, watch this. If you like movies that showcase the struggle of black lives trying to rise up, watch this movie. If you like complicated leads, watch this movie. One jumpscare that I noticed, and the gore has that 'real enough for the movie vibe, not real enough to gross me out' and it is mostly fake blood.
Tonight, I finally got to watch Sinners for the first time, beginning to end. What is below the cut is my live-reaction. I don't have cohesive thoughts. I am still at BEST VAMPIRE MOVIE BEST BLUES MOVIE BEST MAKE ME THINK MOVIE. Oh right, warning for my potty mouth. I do tend to curse as emphasis.
No, really, I was posting in a Discord thread as I watched, so if you HAVE NOT seen it, do not click this line
So far, loving the shit out of it
So rural Mississippi
Shoots a pair of would be thieves, and pays to have them patched up? My kinda guys
Love the Asian couple
DelRoy Lindo is solid
Love the music.
The characters feel solid fast
Feeling all the pain of what we did to the black man
So uncouth, lol
That was in reference to all the sex talk
Aww fuck the flowers were for his dead baby girl
I love that Annie follows older traditions
Smoke is named Elijah
Yoruba language (ETA: The actress has been studying it since 2020, and it is her heritage)
Aww yeah the Choctaw scene
Oh man I haven't heard that language in years
Messy vampires
Mary passing gives her trouble with the black folk
Gods I need a trilogy of these people before this
Stack trying to protect Mary
Michael B Jordan must have had a vocal coach
ETA: actually, I rather liked that the accents came off as they did in ALL of them, despite a bunch of non-Southern actors. It was a conscious way of shifting vowels, swallowing some of the words, a particular pattern to the speaking that never jarred me out of the setting. Then again, I have been accused of talking like a Yankee my whole life because I grew up at a military base and didn't fall full on into the accent of my blood kin.
Sammie is stealing my heart
Trippy effect
The mix of past and future is phenomenal
Have goosebumps from this scene
Shit is about to break out
Remmick, Joan and Bert...
Something uncanny in how the trio moved
Oh hellfire. Mary trying to find a way to make the money. That's how this starts the horror fest
Oh man. The power pole making a cross behind the trio
Remmick is ... Very Toreador, presence and auspex
Even celerity
And Mary is in. As a vampire
Stack is Elias
Cornbread is next victim
The drooling is weird
And we started
Stack!
Smoke is so broken and Annie is trying and it hurts
Haint. Love it
Aww fuck yeah horror time
Stack, honey. You're not yourself any more
Annie switched up to vampire instead of haint. Used pickled garlic
I love the lore
Smoke holds Stack better than himself so this hurts so much
Jack O'Connell does Irish song well
Grace and Bo, it hurts
This is so fucking good
Poor Grace
Family, freedom, ties and chains... All solid themes
Grace broke and I can't blame her
Hell yeah
Fucking hell, Stack got Annie
Slim!!!!!
The brothers fighting
Everyone trying to save Sammie
Protean as well (ETA: back to World of Darkness Disciplines I was seeing in play; Protean is very NOT Toreador)
Smoke with the save
Gods this is fucking so good
And Smoke about to finish the mortal evil
Klan about to die
Oh oh oh I cry
Fuck this movie is perfect
Stack and Mary, coming to see Sammie
Smoke made him promise and he kept it
Love them
Favorite vampire movie
Okay maybe cohesive, lifted from reading that. Themes: Family. Ties that bind. Ties that choke. Freedom. Chains. Racism, of course. Setting your own rules in an unjust world, keeping to your set of morals. Choosing not to be evil doesn't mean choosing to be pure. LOVE.
If you like vampire movies, watch this. If you like movies that showcase the struggle of black lives trying to rise up, watch this movie. If you like complicated leads, watch this movie. One jumpscare that I noticed, and the gore has that 'real enough for the movie vibe, not real enough to gross me out' and it is mostly fake blood.
Disaster Squadron
Jul. 18th, 2025 09:20 pmsettiaiLook at these amazing emotes that the DM commissioned for the group to use on Discord!
The artist is WillowPotato on Bluesky.
The artist is WillowPotato on Bluesky.
new Gareth/Lorre bonus story out Saturday!
Jul. 17th, 2025 09:16 pmluninosityI’ve got a new short story out Saturday: “Gifts,” for the JMS Books anniversary month! A bonus story for Gareth/Lorre from Magician: it’s their first anniversary!
Lorre has never cared so much about making someone happy, and Gareth has an idea, and water is important…oh, and there’s only one tiny volcano…
JMS link here, where it’s on sale! (Also available at Amazon etc!)
PSA: Across America Let's Make "Good Trouble"
Jul. 17th, 2025 01:04 pmride_4everFive years ago today Representative John Lewis -- an icon of civil rights -- died, but his message lives on and we declare it today all across America with this Good Trouble Lives On National Day of Action. As Representative John Lewis said: "Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America".
Click here to find today's event details including a map that shows where a "Good Trouble" event is taking place near you today.
Click here to find today's event details including a map that shows where a "Good Trouble" event is taking place near you today.
. . .
Jul. 17th, 2025 12:02 amsettiaiToday was certainly a day. Well, technically yesterday at this point since it's a few minutes after midnight, but still. I haven't gone to bed yet, so we'll just call it "today" and be done with it.
( More under the cut. )
And once I get out of the shower, I have something like five or six more things that I have to get done online before I go to bed despite it already being after midnight. I'm going to have so much fun in a few hours when I need to get up early to take care of some things before work. 🙃
( More under the cut. )
And once I get out of the shower, I have something like five or six more things that I have to get done online before I go to bed despite it already being after midnight. I'm going to have so much fun in a few hours when I need to get up early to take care of some things before work. 🙃
Picspam & poll: Zhao Yunlan & Da Qing (drama)
Jul. 17th, 2025 02:02 pmchina_shop in sid_guardian
( More pics! )
Poll #33369 Zhao Yunlan & Da Qing
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 15
Your favourite Zhao Yunlan & Da Qing moment
View Answers
At the flat, speculating about Shen Wei before the break-in (ep 6)
2 (14.3%)
Breaking into Shen Wei's flat (ep 6)
5 (35.7%)
Da Qing teasingly pretending to call for Hei Pao Shi (ep 6)
4 (28.6%)
Kunlun fastening Da Qing's bells around his neck (ep 36)
6 (42.9%)
Da Qing shifting into cat form so Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei can meet cute (ep 1)
5 (35.7%)
Hanging out at the hospital during the blindness arc, with snacks (ep 21)
7 (50.0%)
Da Qing explaining his Shen Wei suspicions in the Dixing bedroom (ep 23)
1 (7.1%)
Going jogging (ep 5)
0 (0.0%)
Da Qing waking Zhao Yunlan by miaowing (and Zhao Yunlan knocking him onto the floor) (ep 12)
5 (35.7%)
Other
2 (14.3%)
Does Da Qing take showers?
View Answers
Only under duress
3 (21.4%)
He shifts and licks himself
5 (35.7%)
Shifting cleans him
5 (35.7%)
Cats are naturally clean
2 (14.3%)
He hogs the bathroom indulging in long bubble baths, to Zhao Yunlan's endless annoyance (cats only don't like water when it makes their fur wet)
6 (42.9%)
Other
1 (7.1%)
Guardian Wishlist 2025 is coming!
Jul. 16th, 2025 11:52 pmtrobadora in sid_guardianNext month, Guardian Wishlist 2025 will open for business at guardian_wishlist!
This gifting fest runs along the lines offandomtrees and its ilk, but is specifically for Guardian (show, novel, and RPF) and related fandoms (main actors' other roles). It works like this:
It’s been really fantastic the last four years, and we're looking forward to another round to celebrate this year's Reunion Festival (Mid-Autumn Festival) - so start thinking about what kinds of things you want to ask for. (Don't hold back! Your wishlist could prompt someone to finally make the thing they've been meaning to make for ages - or something they hadn't realised they were dying to put together!)
The Mid-Autumn Festival is late this year, so our schedule starts at the end of August. We'll be back closer to the date with updated rules and guidelines (all announcements and such are crossposted here onsid_guardian), but we wanted to let you know the schedule now:
If you have any questions, suggestions or other feedback, please comment here or PMtrobadora or china_shop.
guardian_wishlist! This gifting fest runs along the lines of
fandomtrees and its ilk, but is specifically for Guardian (show, novel, and RPF) and related fandoms (main actors' other roles). It works like this:- People sign up with a wishlist of prompts and things they'd like to receive. Requests can include any media, including transformative works like fic, art, icons, vids, podfic, and also picspams and meta, translation advice, related music links,
lollipops, dried fish snacks, powerful ancient artefactsanything. - Anyone can write, draw, record, or otherwise create gifts for any sign-up. Gifts can be posted directly in comments (which are screened until reveals) or to an AO3 collection. Gift posting continues right up until reveals. There are no minimums for gifts.
It’s been really fantastic the last four years, and we're looking forward to another round to celebrate this year's Reunion Festival (Mid-Autumn Festival) - so start thinking about what kinds of things you want to ask for. (Don't hold back! Your wishlist could prompt someone to finally make the thing they've been meaning to make for ages - or something they hadn't realised they were dying to put together!)
The Mid-Autumn Festival is late this year, so our schedule starts at the end of August. We'll be back closer to the date with updated rules and guidelines (all announcements and such are crossposted here on
sid_guardian), but we wanted to let you know the schedule now:- 28 August: sign-ups open
- 5 September: first wishlists posted
- 15 September: sign-ups close
- 16 September: final wishlists posted
- 6 October (Reunion Festival): gifts revealed
Poll #33367 Guardian fandom gifting fest
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 13
Guardian Wishlist 2025
View Answers
Yay!
6 (46.2%)
I will definitely sign up with a wishlist!
5 (38.5%)
I might sign up with a wishlist
6 (46.2%)
I'll definitely write/draw/record/make some fills!
5 (38.5%)
I might write/draw/record/make some fills
5 (38.5%)
I wish I could make fills, but I probably won't have time
2 (15.4%)
I can post a promo to Tumblr/Twitter/Discord/elsewhere, to spread the word (we'll PM you a reminder)
3 (23.1%)
If you have any questions, suggestions or other feedback, please comment here or PM
trobadora or china_shop.
Commission me?
Jul. 16th, 2025 03:41 pmsenmutHey all,
Phone started repeatedly throwing bad errors, overheating, etc. I have a replacement on the way (god I hope I did not get ripped off cheap as it was) but if anyone wants to ask for a story in exchange for donations, my ko-fi is here and you can DM or leave a screened comment.
Normal rate is 100 words per dollar. I do typically make a limit of 5K words, but that's negotiable for the right idea.
(This on top of being shorted pay that is STILL not sorted out has made for depression icing on the depressed cake.)
Phone started repeatedly throwing bad errors, overheating, etc. I have a replacement on the way (god I hope I did not get ripped off cheap as it was) but if anyone wants to ask for a story in exchange for donations, my ko-fi is here and you can DM or leave a screened comment.
Normal rate is 100 words per dollar. I do typically make a limit of 5K words, but that's negotiable for the right idea.
(This on top of being shorted pay that is STILL not sorted out has made for depression icing on the depressed cake.)
Erin Watches: Murderbot (TV), season 1
Jul. 16th, 2025 02:41 pmerinptahGot an Apple TV trial, just in time to binge the whole Murderbot TV adaptation before the Friday finale.
(General note: The platform doesn’t have a watchlist? Just a “continue watching” list, which removes anything you finish — no saving a list of faves to rewatch! — and adds stuff it autoplays, whether you want to see more or not? Weird and unpleasant design choice.)
I like it! Plot-wise, it’s a very close adaptation of the first book, All Systems Red. Same overarching plot, a few things rearranged along the way. Character-wise…a bunch of things have been shifted around. Everyone is recognizable as a version of their original self, but. If you’re already a book fan, the question of “will you like the TV series?” may hinge on “when they changed Character X, did they keep or discard the traits you were most invested in?”
General, no-spoilers overview:
Some of the changes are obvious “doing it this way worked better on-screen” things. Scenes that were just-MB in the book become group efforts, giving the PresAux actors more to do. Plot points that were just inner-monologue realizations in the book are delivered in conversations instead.
I mostly like them! Even with the characters, even a few dramatic personality shifts — look, I’ll be mad if some of them start bleeding into book!fandom, and fans stop writing the original versions of the characters. But as a standalone AU, most of them work really well.
The few changes I actively don’t like are all “why did you even add this, what was the point?” kind of things. No huge dealbreakers. Just some low-key annoyances.
There are a few particular exchanges from the book that you really have to get right to make a satisfying adaptation. They’ve all landed. And a bunch of the comedy moments have been had-to-stop-the-episode-while-I-cracked-up funny.
The biggest advantage of doing Murderbot on TV is, The Rise And Fall Of Sanctuary Moon is also TV. Which means the showrunners can film Actual 100% Authentic Sanctuary Moon Footage, and cut to it while MB is watching. It’s ridiculous and amazing.