The universal solder that connects all of us and dissolves all of us
Jun. 14th, 2026 12:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolorosa_12I've returned from a week away in Amsterdam, which I visited with my mum. The two of us were last there together in the winter of 2005 (although I've been back since, mainly to change trains en route to Matthias's family in Germany), and it was great to revisit the same places in the sunshine — and discover the city, much changed.
I kept a haphazard paper journal throughout the week, and will transcribe it behind the cut.
( Canals like the veins of a city )
I've put up two photosets over at![[instagram.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png)
ronnidolorosa: a general Amsterdam batch, and a collection of cats.
The less said about the chaotic journey home the better (suffice it to say that I made it onto my Eurostar train in Brussels with twenty minutes to spare), but I returned to a fully stocked fridge (so many strawberries and tomatoes!), a bottle of pink sparkling wine, and an incredibly lush garden.
I'm only peripherally engaged with the men's World Cup, but I accidentally stumbled into a very Balkans corner of Instagram, and discovered the absolute banger that is the Bosnian team anthem (a thirteen-year-old song about the bittersweet experience of being an immigrant, reworked by the surprised and ecstatic fans into an anthem for their team). It's so catchy, and the video is gold!
Now to catch up with ten days' worth of Dreamwidth!
I kept a haphazard paper journal throughout the week, and will transcribe it behind the cut.
( Canals like the veins of a city )
I've put up two photosets over at
ronnidolorosa: a general Amsterdam batch, and a collection of cats.The less said about the chaotic journey home the better (suffice it to say that I made it onto my Eurostar train in Brussels with twenty minutes to spare), but I returned to a fully stocked fridge (so many strawberries and tomatoes!), a bottle of pink sparkling wine, and an incredibly lush garden.
I'm only peripherally engaged with the men's World Cup, but I accidentally stumbled into a very Balkans corner of Instagram, and discovered the absolute banger that is the Bosnian team anthem (a thirteen-year-old song about the bittersweet experience of being an immigrant, reworked by the surprised and ecstatic fans into an anthem for their team). It's so catchy, and the video is gold!
Now to catch up with ten days' worth of Dreamwidth!
Fic: Web of Fate, Chapter 4
Jun. 14th, 2026 12:43 pmrodoTitle: Web of Fate
Fandom: Carnival Row
Author:rodo
Chapter: 4/17+E
Length: 4,238 words (77,000 in total)
Rating: 16+
Genre: Alternate Universe – Canon Divergence, Worldbuilding, Adventure
Characters: Rycroft Philostrate, Jonah Breakspear, Vignette Stonemoss, Runyan Millworthy, Darius Prowell, Absalom Breakspear
Pairing: Philo/Vignette
Warnings/Labels: war, and mentions/occasional depictions of associated atrocities; canon-typical fantasy racism
Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to Amazon, of course
A/N: I started this story in August 2021, and I finished the draft in 2022, so this was all written prior to the second season. So some of the worldbuilding contradicts what was shown in season 2. Still, I had so much fun re-reading this lately that I thought I’d polish it up some more and post it anyway, in case some of you will like it as well. Since it’s an AU, the plot of the second season is not that relevant anyway.
Summary: A year after the attempted assassination of Chancellor Absalom Breakspear, The Burgue is at war, and it’s not going well. In order to break the stalemate at the front, some unlikely soldiers are recruited to fight in a place nobody expected, and Philo and Jonah find themselves caught up in it against their expectations.
( Eavesdropping had become a bad habit that proved difficult to shake for Jonah Breakspear, if only because most of his usual entertainments had fallen by the wayside of late. )
Fandom: Carnival Row
Author:
rodoChapter: 4/17+E
Length: 4,238 words (77,000 in total)
Rating: 16+
Genre: Alternate Universe – Canon Divergence, Worldbuilding, Adventure
Characters: Rycroft Philostrate, Jonah Breakspear, Vignette Stonemoss, Runyan Millworthy, Darius Prowell, Absalom Breakspear
Pairing: Philo/Vignette
Warnings/Labels: war, and mentions/occasional depictions of associated atrocities; canon-typical fantasy racism
Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to Amazon, of course
A/N: I started this story in August 2021, and I finished the draft in 2022, so this was all written prior to the second season. So some of the worldbuilding contradicts what was shown in season 2. Still, I had so much fun re-reading this lately that I thought I’d polish it up some more and post it anyway, in case some of you will like it as well. Since it’s an AU, the plot of the second season is not that relevant anyway.
Summary: A year after the attempted assassination of Chancellor Absalom Breakspear, The Burgue is at war, and it’s not going well. In order to break the stalemate at the front, some unlikely soldiers are recruited to fight in a place nobody expected, and Philo and Jonah find themselves caught up in it against their expectations.
( Eavesdropping had become a bad habit that proved difficult to shake for Jonah Breakspear, if only because most of his usual entertainments had fallen by the wayside of late. )
Tags:
- character: absalom breakspear,
- character: jonah breakspear,
- character: runyan millworthy,
- character: rycroft philostrate,
- character: vignette stonemoss,
- fandom: carnival row,
- fanfic,
- fic: web of fate,
- genre: action/adventure,
- genre: au,
- genre: worldbuilding,
- language: english,
- length: 50k+,
- rating: 16+
Six Sentence Sunday
Jun. 14th, 2026 04:39 pmluthienSix-ish sentences from Chapter 3 of Angry Kitten:
"What are you doing?" Roz asks, frowning ferociously. He's radiating 'keep the fuck away from me' vibes. The tension practically ripples through his shoulders, and he's doing his very best to loom at Cliff despite the fact that Cliff has several inches on him.
"You can't drive to Montreal," Cliff says, and then adds quickly, as Roz's scowl deepens, "Not by yourself. You're tired and your ankle isn't healed" - plus, he doesn't say, you're in a deeply self-destructive mood - "and you'd probably drive yourself into a ditch before you got even halfway there."
"So, what? Are you offering to drive to Montreal with me in the middle of the fucking night, Marly?"
"Yes," Cliff says simply. "Someone has to save you from yourself. Might as well be me."
Book 52, 2026
Jun. 13th, 2026 11:03 pmchez_jae
Alaskan Wolf by Linda O. JohnstonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
View all my reviews
I brought my work book home on Friday. I only had two chapters left, and it was getting tense. LOL! I finished the book last night. It was Alaskan Wolf by Linda O Johnston, and it’s part of Harlequin’s “Nocturne” line of paranormal romance. The main characters are nature journalist Mariah Garver and paramilitary shapeshifter Patrick Worley.
With a recent spate of glacier loss, Mariah wants to document how it is affecting wildlife in Tadoga Bay, AK. Hoping to get out on the glaciers themselves, Mariah hires a dogsled to make the trek. The musher, Patrick, is standoffish, which both annoys and attracts Mariah. As the two of them continually cross paths, Mariah finds herself wanting to know more about the enigmatic Patrick.
Patrick has been sent to AK to learn why the glaciers are calving at a much more rapid pace than can be attributed to climate change. As a shapeshifter, he can learn more in wolf form than as a human. When he keeps encountering Mariah, Patrick doesn’t know if she’s legit or if she’s possibly doing a more investigative piece for her publisher. After joining forces, the two of them get too close to the truth, putting their lives in danger.
I liked this story. It was an unusual setting and an interesting mystery. I appreciated that Mariah and Patrick never declared undying love for one another. Rather, they owned up to their mutual attraction and admiration and agreed to pursue it. Characters were three-dimensional and the plot was well-structured.
Favorite line: Games like that were not appropriate tonight.
“Breath” line: Patrick carefully inhaled and realized he had all but held his breath.
Decent read, four stars.
June 13 - Share a Villain You Love to Hate
Jun. 13th, 2026 06:22 pmsenmutI don't want "misunderstood villains" or "trying for redemption". Tell me a villain that is THE VILLAIN, they did do all that, and you absolutely hope the heroes get the upper hand every time!
The first one that defined this concept for me? J. R. Ewing of Dallas. When I compare Babylon 5's Bester to him, I mean it as a solid compliment. I don't want tragic stories pasted on, other characters 'fixing' them, or any of that. I want them to be as bad and as nasty as they do so well... and I will cheer any and every person that gets the upper hand on them.
Because, my lovely friends, heroes ARE measured by what they overcome, and that includes the antagonist.
The first one that defined this concept for me? J. R. Ewing of Dallas. When I compare Babylon 5's Bester to him, I mean it as a solid compliment. I don't want tragic stories pasted on, other characters 'fixing' them, or any of that. I want them to be as bad and as nasty as they do so well... and I will cheer any and every person that gets the upper hand on them.
Because, my lovely friends, heroes ARE measured by what they overcome, and that includes the antagonist.
Down the smoking sea she came and over the rail of the dory she came and laughing to his arms
Jun. 13th, 2026 06:45 pmsovayI can't remember if it ever occurred to me before last night's re-read of Jane Yolen's Neptune Rising: Songs and Tales of the Undersea Folk (1982) that her Greyling (1968) resembles Gordon Bok's "Peter Kagan and the Wind" (1971) in that both are stories of selkies who return to their seal-selves not despite the bonds of human love but because of them—a father in one case, a husband in the other, both fishermen in peril on the sea. Bok and Yolen knew one another; she partly dedicated the collection to him. It's slightly nuts to me that he never set either of her sea-songs published in it, since it takes so little imagination to hear "The Ballad of the White Seal Maid" or "The Selchie's Midnight Song" in his deep-grained swell of a voice. I don't know whose version coalesced first. I grew up on both of them.
Viaregshoe, a book meme.
General Questions
This week I'm reading: I am currently in the middle of Naomi Mitchison's To the Chapel Perilous (1955), the paperback reprint sent me byboxofdelights in 2022 as a replacement for my long-lost, lent-out college copy. Also re-reading Yolen's Merlin's Booke (1986), the Ace first edition inherited from my god-aunt in 2000 which I had not then read since my childhood in the Cambridge Public Library. For the first time, Jonas Kreppel's Adventures of Max Spitzkopf: The Yiddish Sherlock Holmes (trans. Mikhl Yashinsky, 1908/2025), a present from my parents earlier this year. With snail-mortifying slowness, I am continuing to poke at the modern Greek of Nikos Kavvadias' Πούσι (1947).
My favourite book of all time is: Impossible to answer. I did that hundred books meme last spring and kept having to append titles that had slipped my mind.
My current favourite book (read or re-read in the last 3 months): With apologies to Molly Crabapple and Seamus Heaney, almost certainly Leon Garfield's The Stolen Watch (1988).
The last book I bought was: Joan Coggins' Dancing with Death (1947), a present for my mother which she promptly loaned back to me so that she could discuss it. The last book I bought for myself was Andrew Hiller's Hornytown Chutzpah (2026), brought to my attention bymrissa.
The first book I bought with my own money: No clue. My first real job was in a science fiction and fantasy bookstore when I was fifteen and they might as well have paid me off the shelves.
The first book I received as a gift: Equally impossible to estimate. I can remember receiving Brophy's The Prince and the Wild Geese (1983) early on, but it would not have been the first.
The last book I received as a gift was: Molly Crabapple's Here Where We Live Is Our Country: The Story of the Jewish Bund (2026), courtesy ofa_reasonable_man.
The last book I borrowed from the library: Either Kevin Lynch's The Image of the City (1960) or What Time Is This Place? (1972), whichever was not checked out first.
The book physically closest to me right now: Robinson Jeffers' Such Counsels You Gave to Me (1937), the burgundy-boarded, jacketless first edition from my grandparents' house. After that, Imogen Sara Smith's Buster Keaton: The Persistence of Comedy (2008), which I gave some years ago tospatch.
Do you read bookfic, and if so what is your favourite bookshop fic? I don't think I have ever read a bookshop fic. I read Satoshi Yagisawa's Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (trans. Eric Ozawa, 2010/2023) whenspatch gave it to me for our last anniversary.
This or That
Physical book or e-book: Physical book if at all possible, since I process them differently. E-book in the inevitable event that I can't get hold of something and there's one copy digitized maddeningly on the Internet Archive.
Used or new: As a reading experience, I don't think it makes much difference to me. If I own a book, I try to keep it in good shape.
Fiction or non-fiction: At the moment I seem to be reading more fiction than nonfiction, which may or may not be the case in another three months.
Read at a coffee shop or at the park: I haven't been inside a coffee shop in years. Last Friday I was reading on the stone wall overlooking the water at Spy Pond Park while waiting forladymondegreen.
Paperback or hardcover: In terms of preferred reading format? I don't think it makes much difference to me, either.
Romance or Crime: More crime than romance.
Yes or No
Stream of consciousness? Yes.
Poetry? Yes.
Memoirs? Yes.
Philosophy? Yes.
Thrillers? Yes.
Chronicles? What?
Dialogue heavy? Alan Garner?
Via
regshoe, a book meme.General Questions
This week I'm reading: I am currently in the middle of Naomi Mitchison's To the Chapel Perilous (1955), the paperback reprint sent me by
boxofdelights in 2022 as a replacement for my long-lost, lent-out college copy. Also re-reading Yolen's Merlin's Booke (1986), the Ace first edition inherited from my god-aunt in 2000 which I had not then read since my childhood in the Cambridge Public Library. For the first time, Jonas Kreppel's Adventures of Max Spitzkopf: The Yiddish Sherlock Holmes (trans. Mikhl Yashinsky, 1908/2025), a present from my parents earlier this year. With snail-mortifying slowness, I am continuing to poke at the modern Greek of Nikos Kavvadias' Πούσι (1947).My favourite book of all time is: Impossible to answer. I did that hundred books meme last spring and kept having to append titles that had slipped my mind.
My current favourite book (read or re-read in the last 3 months): With apologies to Molly Crabapple and Seamus Heaney, almost certainly Leon Garfield's The Stolen Watch (1988).
The last book I bought was: Joan Coggins' Dancing with Death (1947), a present for my mother which she promptly loaned back to me so that she could discuss it. The last book I bought for myself was Andrew Hiller's Hornytown Chutzpah (2026), brought to my attention by
mrissa.The first book I bought with my own money: No clue. My first real job was in a science fiction and fantasy bookstore when I was fifteen and they might as well have paid me off the shelves.
The first book I received as a gift: Equally impossible to estimate. I can remember receiving Brophy's The Prince and the Wild Geese (1983) early on, but it would not have been the first.
The last book I received as a gift was: Molly Crabapple's Here Where We Live Is Our Country: The Story of the Jewish Bund (2026), courtesy of
a_reasonable_man.The last book I borrowed from the library: Either Kevin Lynch's The Image of the City (1960) or What Time Is This Place? (1972), whichever was not checked out first.
The book physically closest to me right now: Robinson Jeffers' Such Counsels You Gave to Me (1937), the burgundy-boarded, jacketless first edition from my grandparents' house. After that, Imogen Sara Smith's Buster Keaton: The Persistence of Comedy (2008), which I gave some years ago to
spatch.Do you read bookfic, and if so what is your favourite bookshop fic? I don't think I have ever read a bookshop fic. I read Satoshi Yagisawa's Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (trans. Eric Ozawa, 2010/2023) when
spatch gave it to me for our last anniversary.This or That
Physical book or e-book: Physical book if at all possible, since I process them differently. E-book in the inevitable event that I can't get hold of something and there's one copy digitized maddeningly on the Internet Archive.
Used or new: As a reading experience, I don't think it makes much difference to me. If I own a book, I try to keep it in good shape.
Fiction or non-fiction: At the moment I seem to be reading more fiction than nonfiction, which may or may not be the case in another three months.
Read at a coffee shop or at the park: I haven't been inside a coffee shop in years. Last Friday I was reading on the stone wall overlooking the water at Spy Pond Park while waiting for
ladymondegreen.Paperback or hardcover: In terms of preferred reading format? I don't think it makes much difference to me, either.
Romance or Crime: More crime than romance.
Yes or No
Stream of consciousness? Yes.
Poetry? Yes.
Memoirs? Yes.
Philosophy? Yes.
Thrillers? Yes.
Chronicles? What?
Dialogue heavy? Alan Garner?
Don't mind if I do
Jun. 13th, 2026 05:58 pmasakiyumeWakanomori and I went to the Smith College Museum of Art the other day to see a Japan-related exhibit and ended up also seeing "Don't Mind If I Do," an exhibit centering disability and accessibility. The organizer, artist Finnegan Shannon, has created a space with bunches of comfortable chairs and couches arranged around a central space, and various objects move past you instead of you standing and walking past the objects. You're invited to touch them as well (... which I didn't realize until after).
At the entrance, a sign says "PLEASE WEAR A MASK IN THIS SPACE IN SOLIDARITY W/THE ARTISTS & FELLOW VISITORS."
There's a poem-statement on the walls:
And here's the art moving by on a conveyor belt:
( some of the individual pieces )
There was also an alcove with postcards of various art pieces. You were invited to write a postcard to someone about the exhibit, address it, and they would mail it for you (!)
Finnegan writes
The message is on the wall above the postcard instructions. Finnegan signs it, "With love from my bed."
I was surprised by how moving I found the concept and execution. It's at the Smith College Museum of Art (Northampton, MA) through June 28.
At the entrance, a sign says "PLEASE WEAR A MASK IN THIS SPACE IN SOLIDARITY W/THE ARTISTS & FELLOW VISITORS."
There's a poem-statement on the walls:
And here's the art moving by on a conveyor belt:
( some of the individual pieces )
There was also an alcove with postcards of various art pieces. You were invited to write a postcard to someone about the exhibit, address it, and they would mail it for you (!)
Finnegan writes
Over and over when conceptualizing Don't mind if I do, I used the phrase "the artwork comes to you." But it doesn't really.
I, like many disabled people, am most often at home. Even under the best of circumstances, there are huge logistical, financial, and psychological access barriers to get to an art space. Things like exhaustion, sickness, transportation issues, COVID risk, distance, life responsibilities, doctors' appointments, and more all mean I miss a lot.
Mail art, a creative movement that involves sending art through the postal system, was and continues to be a way to experience art outside of institutions, a way to participate across time and geography. As ableism continues to isolate disabled people, mail art is a tool for connection.
The message is on the wall above the postcard instructions. Finnegan signs it, "With love from my bed."
I was surprised by how moving I found the concept and execution. It's at the Smith College Museum of Art (Northampton, MA) through June 28.
The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, June 13
Jun. 14th, 2026 12:02 amveronyxk84 posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
su_herald
BUFFY: “Something horrible is going to happen, Giles.”
GILES: “It was an earthquake, Buffy. A not uncommon occurrence in southern California. No reason to think it was anything more.”
BUFFY: “Oh, I so have a reason. A darn good reason. The last time we had an earthquake, I died.”
GILES: “Yes, I know that - and - therefore I completely understand your anxiety.”
BUFFY: “Oh, good. Because I’d hate for my little untimely horrible death concern to be ambiguous.”
GILES: “It was an earthquake, Buffy. A not uncommon occurrence in southern California. No reason to think it was anything more.”
BUFFY: “Oh, I so have a reason. A darn good reason. The last time we had an earthquake, I died.”
GILES: “Yes, I know that - and - therefore I completely understand your anxiety.”
BUFFY: “Oh, good. Because I’d hate for my little untimely horrible death concern to be ambiguous.”
The Sunnydale Herald is looking for at least one new editor. Contributing to the Herald is a great way to get your Buffy on! Find out more here.
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
- A Bad Bet? (Xander/Anya, E) by A_Useful_Mouth
- I know what I like (in your wardrobe) (Buffy/Giles, E) by KatyAmberAuthor
- Homecoming (Buffy/Giles, G) by KatyAmberAuthor
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 430 (Xander, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure xover, T) by madimpossibledreamer
- Dress My Body All in Flowers White, Chapter 38/50 (Buffy/Spike, M) by othellia
- What Remains of Hope, Chapter 22/27 (Buffy/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars xover, M) by Angelinasway
- Restructuring Reality [Series Part 3], Chapter 24/? (Buffy/Spike, not rated) by EmpressRagini
- I’m A Slayer (And That’s Okay!), Chapter 24/? (OC Slayers and Watchers, T) by RKWesley
- Ashes to Amber, Chapter 21/41 (Buffy/Jacob Black, Twilight xover, not rated) by Aya1600
- Faiths Vampire Family, Chapter 18/? (Faith, The Originals xover, not rated) by mwimer
- Double Life Dark Heart, Chapter 15/? (Buffy/Giles, M) by Jazer94
- The Circle of Scooby, Chapter 23/30 (Cordelia/Xander/Tara, Jenny/Giles, Willow/Buffy, T) by red_jacobson
- Eclipse, Chapter 14 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Sirabella
- Wrong, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Kazfox
- What Remains of Hope, Chapter 22 (Buffy, Star Wars xover, M) by Angelinasway
- The Circle of Scooby, Chapter 23 (Cordelia/Xander/Tara, Jenny/Giles, Willow/Buffy, T) by redjacobson
- Eclipse, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Sirabella
- Too Wise to Woo Peacefully, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Sirabella
- 10 Things I Hate About Riley Finn, Chapters 17-18 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Kazfox
[Images, Audio & Video]
- Artwork: Screenshot redraw from Faith, Hope and Trick this time starring the titular Faith. (worksafe) by sideartblog999
- Artwork: Rupert Giles played by Anthony Head, 1954-2026 (worksafe) by dymentiontraveller
- Artwork: is he bothering you queen (Buffy/Spike, mildly suggestive) by rabbitmotifs
- Gifset: Buffy Summers + Outfits (52/∞) (worksafe) by clarkgriffon
- Gifset: Do you wanna feel everything? (Buffy/Faith, worksafe) by 5bi5
- WIP Sketch: fanged four family portrait (worksafe) by lycanpunk666
- Vidlet: [Faith] (worksafe) by exorciqsmgrl
- Gifs: Pride Month | Day 4: Sunlight (Tara, worksafe) by in-a-faradaze
- Video: In Memoriam Tony Head by Re-Vamped with Juliet Landau
- Artwork: give that back! (Faith/Spike, G) by mohich
[Reviews & Recaps]
- thoughts on 6x08-6x10 by fallintomidnight
- posting about the last episode i watched, one i call “once more with feeling” by all-the-fun-of-the-cirkus
- ANOTHER APOCALYPSE? Buffy goes back to high school in 'Doomed' - first time watch and commentary by All Bronze, No Brains!
- My Thoughts on Season 2 as a First-Time Watcher by Midnightreader13
- A Love Letter to / In Defense of Season Six by RedWitchyADHD
- Early Season 3 - Willow and Xander/Buffy and Angel by Verystrange129
- First-time Buffy Watcher - Random Thoughts by heijeul
[In Search Of]
- ISO: What is the ship name for Giles and Buffy's mom requested by actuallyjamesagarfield
- ISO: a Gif of that scene in Normal Again where Spike and Xander are bickering and it looks like Spike is going for a kiss requested by aspirationallybutch
[Fandom Discussions]
- [POLL] are the shooting scripts canonical? by lesbvffy
- Also on Buffy- Anya is on the show for Xander. by amongaesthetics
- I can’t wait to see more about the principal and what he really knows by the-and-sign-anon
- I don’t understand when people reccomend something like Once More With Feeling to someone as a new watcher by rebornautumn
- I love how Willow’s wardrobe evolves by evilvampire
- i will never be over what the jenny-giles-buffy dynamic could/should/would’ve been by annie-of-wonderland
- So S7 is a bit of a mess of wise… (potential spoilers) by jordiesboy17
- How is each character a parallel to Buffy? by Visual_Apartment_831
- I love how in season 1, we see Giles progressively becoming closer to Willow and Xander too. by James-Samuel17
- I just noticed, episode 5's of the first three seasons are very Buffy/Cordy centric. by James-Samuel17
- How soon is Showtime after Bring On the Night (S7)? by Infinite-Leader5394
- I love Riley and feel sorry for him. by westknight12
Posting Three Times in a Day Is Definetly Not Procrastinating
Jun. 13th, 2026 02:48 pmmuccamukkRe a conversation I'm having in comments with trepkos.
I think I've mentioned before that growing up without TV reception, I really only saw shows when I was visiting Grandma or one of my cousins, and therefore my knowledge of Star Trek was largely based on the novels, and the very rare episode I caught while in town, or that someone had on VHS (mostly TNG, which was airing at the time).
I relied on the secondhand knowledge provided by the novels, which would refer back to canon events in an entirely muddled way that made it difficult to know what had happened. I was therefore delighted to discover that James Blish had written narrative versions of all the Original Series episodes.
"Great!" I thought, "Now I can get all the details straight, and understand the references in the novels."
I forget how I figured it out, maybe one of the novels contradicted the Blish versions, or maybe it was in one of the other reference books (we had, at one point, the nitpicker's guides and the encyclopedia). But I worked out that Blish was not only changing details, but sometimes changing the entire endings of episodes! Shock! Betrayal! Horror! Imagine the most outraged 9-10 year old you've ever seen!
(In retrospect, I'm wondering if Blish was writing them from memory? Or possibly shooting scripts? Does anyone know? Knowledge of this must exist.)
However, I was actually kind of disappointed when I finally saw "Amok Time," because I low-key liked some of Blish's made-up details? Well, not most of them, but there's a beat in the ending that I fully imprinted on, and that isn't in the original episode. And I know this is blasphemy, because the original ending is fully iconic, with Spock smiling and almost hugging Kirk before he remembers he's not supposed to have feelings. However, hear me out. I went and found the Blish version on Archive.org (they're all there, if you want to delight in corny 1970s renderings of 1960s camp), and it goes thusly:
I know it's not a masterpiece of literary genius,‡ but it does hit the niche trope of "emotionally more open character comes upon emotionally closed character secretly having a good cry, and that leads tobanging revelations of true feelings." Which I could read a hundred thousand versions of and never tire of wanting more, and I have indeed included in at least a couple of my own fic. I'm not sure if this is the first time I ran into it, but it might have been? If so, Thank you, Mr. Blish!
Anyway, hi. I'm actually doing reading for history. Of 12th-century nuns, not mid-20th-century pop culture.
* Definite article in the original?
† Nurse Does Not Have a Last Name!?
‡ Look. The thing about being nine is you don't notice when the prose is Not Very Good.
trepkos.I think I've mentioned before that growing up without TV reception, I really only saw shows when I was visiting Grandma or one of my cousins, and therefore my knowledge of Star Trek was largely based on the novels, and the very rare episode I caught while in town, or that someone had on VHS (mostly TNG, which was airing at the time).
I relied on the secondhand knowledge provided by the novels, which would refer back to canon events in an entirely muddled way that made it difficult to know what had happened. I was therefore delighted to discover that James Blish had written narrative versions of all the Original Series episodes.
"Great!" I thought, "Now I can get all the details straight, and understand the references in the novels."
I forget how I figured it out, maybe one of the novels contradicted the Blish versions, or maybe it was in one of the other reference books (we had, at one point, the nitpicker's guides and the encyclopedia). But I worked out that Blish was not only changing details, but sometimes changing the entire endings of episodes! Shock! Betrayal! Horror! Imagine the most outraged 9-10 year old you've ever seen!
(In retrospect, I'm wondering if Blish was writing them from memory? Or possibly shooting scripts? Does anyone know? Knowledge of this must exist.)
However, I was actually kind of disappointed when I finally saw "Amok Time," because I low-key liked some of Blish's made-up details? Well, not most of them, but there's a beat in the ending that I fully imprinted on, and that isn't in the original episode. And I know this is blasphemy, because the original ending is fully iconic, with Spock smiling and almost hugging Kirk before he remembers he's not supposed to have feelings. However, hear me out. I went and found the Blish version on Archive.org (they're all there, if you want to delight in corny 1970s renderings of 1960s camp), and it goes thusly:
[Kirk] came gradually back to consciousness in the Sickbay.* McCoy was bending over him. Nearby was Spock, his hands over his face. His shoulders were shaking.
Nurse Christine† came into his field of view, and turning Spock towards the Captain, gently pulled his hands away from his face. Kirk smiled weakly, and spoke in a faint but cheerful voice.
"Mr. Spock—I never thought I'd see the day..."
"Captain!" Spock stared down at him, absolutely dazed with astonishment.‡ Then, obviously realizing what his face and voice were revealing, he looked away.
I know it's not a masterpiece of literary genius,‡ but it does hit the niche trope of "emotionally more open character comes upon emotionally closed character secretly having a good cry, and that leads to
Anyway, hi. I'm actually doing reading for history. Of 12th-century nuns, not mid-20th-century pop culture.
* Definite article in the original?
† Nurse Does Not Have a Last Name!?
‡ Look. The thing about being nine is you don't notice when the prose is Not Very Good.
SqWA Default Configuration Change
Jun. 13th, 2026 09:28 pmsquidgestatusWe're going to implement a configuration change for SquidgeWorld Archive that will affect all users that post fanworks and allow comments. Long story short, the "Comment Moderation" functionality will be enabled for all new works by default. This is the one we mean:
Long story long, our recent influx of commission spammers, including the clown that we had to quash multiple times over the last two days, the commission artists no longer care if they use a valid email address. They just want to post their "Give me money for a commission!" and hope that you hit them up on Discord or such. In order to combat this, we are making the default for all new works to have comment moderation enabled. So if you get notification of a comment on your works, you can choose to display it manually after you approve or not. Enabling the behavior by default means it'll be turned on and all comments on that work moderated.
If you don't want the setting, you can simply uncheck it when posting your work, or go in after it's posted and then disable the setting.
This will happen during Sunday morning maintenance, which as always is every Sunday morning from 7am to 9am Pacific Time. Questions?
Long story long, our recent influx of commission spammers, including the clown that we had to quash multiple times over the last two days, the commission artists no longer care if they use a valid email address. They just want to post their "Give me money for a commission!" and hope that you hit them up on Discord or such. In order to combat this, we are making the default for all new works to have comment moderation enabled. So if you get notification of a comment on your works, you can choose to display it manually after you approve or not. Enabling the behavior by default means it'll be turned on and all comments on that work moderated.
If you don't want the setting, you can simply uncheck it when posting your work, or go in after it's posted and then disable the setting.
This will happen during Sunday morning maintenance, which as always is every Sunday morning from 7am to 9am Pacific Time. Questions?
New pinch hits & 1-week delay
Jun. 13th, 2026 02:53 pmlongficmod posting in fandom5kThe first pinch hit deadline is past, and we do have a few more pinch hits available! These are all due 1 July at 22:59 US Eastern time. What time is that for me?
To accommodate these pinch hits, I'm announcing a 1-week delay. The exchange is now scheduled to open 3 July at 22:59 US Eastern time. Creator reveals will also be extended.
If you aren't signed up but are only pinch hitting, please consider our treats for pinch hitters post! Fills for these requests are particularly appreciated.
To claim a pinch hit, please comment with the pinch hit # and your name on AO3. Comments are screened.
( PDPH 4 - Riverdale TV (fic or comics), Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen TV (fic only), Euphoria TV (fic only) )
( PDPH 7 (fic only) - World Trigger (Anime & Manga), 京騒戯画 | Kyousougiga, Crossover Fandom, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Horizon (Video Games) )
( PDPH 8 (fic only) - 杀破狼 | Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang - priest, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga), 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018) )
( PDPH 10 (fic only) - Gran Hotel (TV), 무빙 | Moving (TV), 설강화 | Snowdrop (TV) )
( PDPH 11 (medium varies by relationship) - The Amazing World of Gumball, Osmosis Jones (2001), Dandy's World (Roblox) )
( PDPH 13 (fic only) - Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Video Games), A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (TV), Fargo (TV) )
( PDPH 14 (fic or comics) - 獅子の踊り子 | Shishi no Odoriko (Manga), Noctilucent: Before Dawn (Video Game), Tekken (Video Games), 龍が如く | Ryuu ga Gotoku | Yakuza (Video Games) )
( PDPH 17 (fic only) - A League of Extraordinary Women - Evie Dunmore, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn )
( PDPH 18 (either fic or comics) - One Piece (Live Action TV 2023), Discworld - Terry Pratchett, Original Work, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo, Murderbot (TV), Crossover Fandom, Call of Duty (Video Games), The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), Merlin (TV) )
( PDPH 19 (either fic or comics) - The Pitt (TV), 鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime & Manga), Crossover Fandom )
( PDPH 20 (fic only) - Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga), 僕だけがいない街 | Boku dake ga Inai Machi | ERASED (Anime & Manga), 炎の蜃気楼[ミラージュ] | Honoo no Mirage | Mirage of Blaze, John Wick (Movies), Sneakers (1992), The Fall of the House of Usher (TV 2023), Father Brown (2013), The Queen's Gambit (TV), Squid Game (TV 2021), Death Note (Movies 2006-2016) )
To accommodate these pinch hits, I'm announcing a 1-week delay. The exchange is now scheduled to open 3 July at 22:59 US Eastern time. Creator reveals will also be extended.
If you aren't signed up but are only pinch hitting, please consider our treats for pinch hitters post! Fills for these requests are particularly appreciated.
To claim a pinch hit, please comment with the pinch hit # and your name on AO3. Comments are screened.
( PDPH 4 - Riverdale TV (fic or comics), Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen TV (fic only), Euphoria TV (fic only) )
( PDPH 7 (fic only) - World Trigger (Anime & Manga), 京騒戯画 | Kyousougiga, Crossover Fandom, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Horizon (Video Games) )
( PDPH 8 (fic only) - 杀破狼 | Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang - priest, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga), 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018) )
( PDPH 10 (fic only) - Gran Hotel (TV), 무빙 | Moving (TV), 설강화 | Snowdrop (TV) )
( PDPH 11 (medium varies by relationship) - The Amazing World of Gumball, Osmosis Jones (2001), Dandy's World (Roblox) )
( PDPH 13 (fic only) - Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Video Games), A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (TV), Fargo (TV) )
( PDPH 14 (fic or comics) - 獅子の踊り子 | Shishi no Odoriko (Manga), Noctilucent: Before Dawn (Video Game), Tekken (Video Games), 龍が如く | Ryuu ga Gotoku | Yakuza (Video Games) )
( PDPH 17 (fic only) - A League of Extraordinary Women - Evie Dunmore, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn )
( PDPH 18 (either fic or comics) - One Piece (Live Action TV 2023), Discworld - Terry Pratchett, Original Work, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo, Murderbot (TV), Crossover Fandom, Call of Duty (Video Games), The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), Merlin (TV) )
( PDPH 19 (either fic or comics) - The Pitt (TV), 鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime & Manga), Crossover Fandom )
( PDPH 20 (fic only) - Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga), 僕だけがいない街 | Boku dake ga Inai Machi | ERASED (Anime & Manga), 炎の蜃気楼[ミラージュ] | Honoo no Mirage | Mirage of Blaze, John Wick (Movies), Sneakers (1992), The Fall of the House of Usher (TV 2023), Father Brown (2013), The Queen's Gambit (TV), Squid Game (TV 2021), Death Note (Movies 2006-2016) )