abka | Network

Seven recs at my journal for:

True Detective: Night Country
Kyle Murchison Booth Stories
Companion
Kraken
My Sister and the Prince
Dragonriders of Pern (2x)

Tags:

recs

You guys, I love Yuletide. So many things I can read, I got great gifts, people are reading what I wrote... incredible. Here, have some recs.

First, my gifts:
Endless Night, True Detective: Night Country, Danvers/Navarro, 4.6k. My author took my prompt "what if the sun didn't come back" and ran with it. Great apostalyptic vibe here, and my shiiiiip. <3

The Inheritance of Imogen Dearborn, Kyle Murchison Booth Stories, Booth/Ratcliffe, 13!!!!!k. Booth needs Ratcliffe's help with an acquisition at a decaying house in the country, and things get weird, as they so often do around Booth. I freaking love this fandom's dedication to casefic*, and this is a wonderful example of a case that's great on its own merits and all the better because the relationship growing around the edges. <3 <3 <3

(*I'm developing the theory that the KMB stories are basically the perfect canon for producing casefic: the canon is already a series of casefics, already in prose, and they're nearly all pretty short. Put that all together, and writers have the perfect model to work from.)

And now for the other fics I've loved so far:
boot error, Companion (2025), Iris gen, 2.6k. Iris confronts life without an operating system. It was great to see Iris here, trying to figure out exactly what it means to be a person when one's whole personality is made of code.

Written in squid ink, Kraken - China Mieville, Billy/Dane, 3k. Not everyone in the Church of the Kraken was blessed with a tattoo in squid ink, but Dane was one of the lucky few, and at a young age too. I loved seeing an interpretation of soulmate marks specifically for this canon, and I loved all of Dane's weird fantasies and fetishes and imagined acts of religious devotion, and how they all got tangled up together.

Touching the Moon, My Sister and the Prince, Marie gen, 4k. This is how it happened; and what happened, after. The canon is a short film that is incredibly compelling considering it's two actors on one set for a single scene. You should watch it and then read this structurally creative and heartwrenching answer to the question of what came next.

Hunger, Dragonriders of Pern, Kylara/Lessa, 2.7k. Both Lessa and Kylara are Searched for Nemorth's final clutch. This Kylara feels exactly right to me: scheming, focused on her own desires and ambitions, fully aware of her own strengths and at least some of the weaknesses of others, and above all with an eye for opportunity. And the actual events, brief though they, promise a very interesting future for this version of canon. :D

The day the riders came, Dragonriders of Pern, OC gen, 1.8k. What if the dragons of Pern and the Impression bond were anything *but* benevolent? Or, alternately: what if the dragons were Lovecraftian horrors? This gets so dark in the best way, and the last line is a knockout punch.

Tags:

While they're all hidden right now since the archive is still anonymous at the moment, the fics that I wrote for Yuletide this year have put me at 799 fanworks total on the AO3. And, me being me, I very much want to post #800 sometime before the end of the year.

I'm not sure if I can pull it off or not, but I'm really leaning towards trying to get it posted on Monday. The very first fic that I posted online went up on 12/29/2000, so it seems kinda fitting to post #800 exactly 25 years later.

We'll see if I can pull it off? I have enough WIPs that I should be able to finish something that isn't for an exchange that I can go ahead and post publicly that day. Theoretically, at least.

Current Mood: impressed

Tags:

rambling: fanfiction

16 recs in: The Summer Hikaru Died, Karaoke Iko!, The Apothecary Diaries, Hustlers, Edge of Tomorrow, Sinners, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Carmilla, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, When Destiny Brings the Demon, Soulmate Goose AU/Australian biosecurity, Womens Literary RPF, Manchild (Sabrina Carpenter video), Hamlet, French fetish terms

Tags:

recs

Lots of recs in lots of fandoms from both collections: All of Us Murderers / Amadeus / Bend It Like Beckham / Blackadder / Blue Castle / Born with Teeth & Richard III / Cotillion / Doctrine of Labyrinths / France's Language Watchdog / Galavant / Galaxy Quest / The Goblin Emperor / Jennifer's Body / John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme / Knives Out / Life / Lord Peter Wimsey / The Lottery & The New Yorker RPF / Ludwig / Mansfield Park / Murdle / My Fair Lady / The Nonesuch / North and South / Only Murders in the Building / Page & Sommers / Point Break / Poker Face / The Residence / Revenge / Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead / Running Close to the Wind / The Saint of Steel / Sense and Sensibility / Shadow of the Leviathan / Sinners / Speed / The Sting / Swordcrossed / Swordheart / The X-Files & The Lone Gunmen

Tags:

recs

Glitter (Like Blood) Gets Everywhere - Lestat Crossover Prompt Meme

Open as of right now. Prompt Rock Star (or otherwise Vampiric) Lestat getting glitter and/or blood on the canon of your choice. See what other people have prompted. Fill prompts with fanworks of any length. Leave comments. Have fun!

Current Mood: hopeful
Current Music: Time to rewatch the music video

Tags:

My favorite thing about birthdays is emotional blackmail, so my birthday wish is you watch the pilot for Interview With The Vampire.

If you already have, my wish is you post about your Christmas tree if you have one. I'd love to hear about your favorite decoration - especially if it's old or you made it as a kid! - see a picture even.

Love y'all ❤️

Tags:

birthday!

Absolutely wild reading this write-up when the author doesn’t once mention sending spam like this is, uh. Illegal? Very probably illegal, yeah.

Like, American antispam laws aren’t exactly good — as I’m sure you can work out if you’ve looked at your inbox recently — but it still seems like you could make an argument these emails both fall under and are non-compliant with them? (You aren’t just allowed to robo-mail bot-scraped emails with advertising for your company, even if it’s a nonprofit.)

And, like. I don’t think the fact the author of the above fails to mention that is the end of the world or anything (nor does it seem to be mentioned in any of the linked discussions). But it does say something about the relationship between the tech industry and the regulation thereof, whether intentionally or not . . .

Leave a comment.⁺

Yesterday I learned there's curtains you can buy that are controlled by an app. I didn't get into the massive security concerns of this scenario because one of my clients has some and she was paying me to figure out what was wrong with them, not get a lecture. Besides, no small number of the issues involved were laid bare when she explained she'd updated the app and the app said the curtains weren't found on the network.

I knew the first step of figuring out if it's a hardware or a software problem was first making sure the machine's connected to the network - if there was a motor that responded to commands sent by the app, it was essentially working from a more advanced and less secure remote control. To check and make sure the motor had power to run and could connect to the app to begin with, I looked for where the power supply was coming from. It wasn't plugged into anything, instead running on 12 AA batteries. I figured that swapping them out for fresh batteries to see if that'd get them back online would narrow down the possible problems before we'd have to see if the curtains need an update.

My client called the company helpline, and they said that given when she'd installed them, it was probably a power issue and to replace the batteries.

I'd also helped her with a miniature flashlight that wasn't working. When she handed it to me, I pulled at it, inspecting the object, seeing what parts were detachable to find out where its batteries would be located - and in doing so, I got them realigned and working again.

When I explained my problem-solving processes to her and working through the possibilities to try to figure out the issue at hand, she gave me what I hold as a high compliment: "You should've been a mechanical engineer."

Current Mood: geeky
Current Music: nothing now

December has been busy-busy for me between Yuletide preparation (as a mod) and Yuletide preparation (as a participant who also took on a pinch hit), but now, ahh, everything is done and I can reap the rewards!

My awesome gift (5-minute fandom: British Airways "May We Haveth One's Attention" Safety Video):

A British Original: Discovering Haddersford House and Its Residents (2248 words, gen)
Summary: A magazine article from the world where characters in costume drama occasionally come to life of their own--and stick around after the cameras stop rolling and the crews have gone home.

I really had no idea what to expect from this request (just that I had to have something about this marvelous video!) and I love how it's played with an absolutely straight face. Also, there's a nod to Planet Vancouver, hee!

Speaking of the ridiculous played straight, this is understandable (and hilarious) with only osmosis knowledge of The Godfather:

An Offer You Can’t Refuse (Unless You’re Lactose Intolerant) (1008 words, Godfather movies, gen)
Summary: On the day of his daughter’s guinea pig’s wedding, Don Vito Corleone received a request he could not immediately refuse.

Absolutely the best Godfather fic ever.

The rest of my recs really do require canon knowledge, but I know many of you know these canons:

Memories Are Made of This (4002 words, Northern Exposure, Ed Chigliak-centered ensemble gen)
Summary: “So this is Cicely,” Ed said, gazing wide-eyed up and down Main Street. “Where’s the rest of it?”

This is wonderful - like an episode of the show, warm and funny and a little bit off-kilter.

Hoar and Hound (2236 words, Cadfael Chronicles, Brother Cadfael-centered gen)
Summary: On a frigidly cold December night, Cadfael follows a trail through the abbey grounds.

A lovely, thoughtful portrait of the abbey and of Cadfael. The way he quietly assesses the needs of the people (and creatures) around him is perfectly in tune with canon.

Dis Manibus (1364 words, Frontier Wolf, Alexios/Cunorix, Alexios/Hilarion, G)
Summary: Alexios goes out to make an offering to the shades of the dead, but he does not go alone.

This is lovely and tender and measured, and has something of Sutcliff in the descriptions. For me Alexios/Hilarion only works if it honors the close friendship between Alexios and Cunorix, before things went bad - and this is perfect.

We Greet the Peoples of the Tower (1717 words but heavily illustrated; Chants of Sennaar, gen)
Summary: There are some oddly regular scratch marks on a wall in the Alchemists' level...

Basically this is a fangame (though the game part is optional; the first set of chapters are illustrations with glyphs as in the game, and the second half holds the translations), a whole new level in which the Monster goes seeking the other peoples to assert he is a human and their brother. It's a moving story that fits with the game themes, and it's just very cool!

Actually, if you've played Chants of Sennaar, I recommend all the Yuletide works for the game as the fandom has clearly brought its A-game, they're all great. (The one above is just extraordinarily so!) And there are two Madness works I haven't even looked at yet!

Tags:

Not super keen that the integrated fridge in this rental has chosen the holiday period to start periodically making a sound like a prop plane taking off. Mostly between the houses of 1am to 4am.

Did I mention the apartment layout means the fridge is right on the wall to the bedroom?

Ye-ee-ee-eah.

Leave a comment.⁺

Back on, I think, the correct day. (Look, Thursday was a Sunday, Friday was a Monday, today is a Sunday, tomorrow is supposedly a Sunday)

~ North American Indigenous Santa Dance - video, performer is known as "Powwow Santa"
~ Cat figuring how to get in out of a vase - video
~ Frame-slowed, colorized Victorian snowball fight - video

~ The LGBT bookstore saves a man - text, untranscribed, mention of self harm and suicidal ideation (old post, but I reblog when I see it to remember what FAMILY is)
~ Knitted wedding dress - photos and text

~ Trumpeteer gets an unexpected accompaniment - video, sound needed
~ Stonehenge Solstice Cat art - picture

Tags:

recs

部首
心 part 2
忍, to endure; 忐忑, apprehensive ( pinyin )
https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?cdqrad=61

词汇
财产, property; 财富, wealth ( pinyin )
https://mandarinbean.com/new-hsk-4-word-list/

Guardian:
能忍的人就会赢, the one who can endure is the one who wins
财产登记上是两个人的名字, but both our names are registered with the property

Me:
他终于忍不住笑了。
财富买不着幸福。

Tags:

The event is called Rewrite A Fic. It's a multifandom event that gives you eleven months to rewrite a fic you've written before. The event rules are that the work written has to be yours originally, the fic you are rewriting has to be at least 1 1/2 years old, and using generative AI for the fic is strictly prohibited. The length of the fic doesn't matter. There are no content restrictions, but the use of proper content warnings is required when posting the work.

See full comm details, including how to post to the comm and how to add to the comm's AO3 Collection at rewrite_a_fic on DW.

Current Mood: maybe feeling a do-over
Current Location: near the lake they call Michigan

Tags:

1. Fanlore: I was looking over new pages and saw one for Gerard Way/Patrick Stump. I thought I would add some livejournal links, but couldn't find much: gerard_patrick, which turned out to be a barely-used slash community for a different Gerard and Patrick, and two purged usernames not on the Wayback Machine so I can't verify whether they are Bandom communities (patrickxgerard and gerardpatrick). Were there ever any communities, primers, or reclists for this pairing?

Someone also created a new page for KJ Charles fandom and included a discord invite.

2. 2025 reading progress: 112 books.

Since my last post, I've finished four more novels, including one by a new-to-me author: The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi. It's a fantasy novella set in a desert, brutal, anti-authoritarian, possibly Marxist. I need to get my hands on the sequels. Most recently I finished After Hours at Dooryard Books, Cat Sebastian's latest novel. It is set in New York City 1968, but resonates with the present political moment. Nothing dramatic happens to any of the characters, at least not once they are introduced--they all have tragic backstories. Just 300+ pages of people minding a bookstore and not talking about their feelings while American history happens around them. I was genuinely riveted.

Currently reading: Native Nations and Slippery Creatures.

3. I read a new Starsky & Hutch fanfic: Cal's Lounge, Two Thirty-Six AM by triedunture. Highly recommend. It does feature the characters' very dated understanding of sexuality that I've seen mentioned on Fanlore pages--I don't know how accurate it is for real-life 1970s, but it is probably very in character for Starsky & Hutch.

Tags:

Christmas was lovely! On Christmas Eve, it was just me, my sister, and my brother-in-law, so we ordered in and watched a godawful Hallmark Christmas movie with Teri Hatcher in it. Then they went to bed and I did a Die Hard rewatch - I hadn't seen it in some number of years and for all its flaws, it is still a good time.

Christmas morning, my niece and her husband came over so Baby Miss L could unwrap the first set of presents - she still gets bored with it and wants to play with whatever she's opened instead of opening the next gift, so it's a process - and she LOVED the 30 second dance party button, as I knew she would. I am SO HAPPY I saw it somewhere (Wirecutter, maybe?) and ordered it, and that it arrived in time for me to see her play with it. (The adults got a kick out of it too, but it was hilarious watching her run up and press it each time it ended.) She liked the dinosaur cape and the books (especially "The Little Book of Cheese," which is in the same series as "The Little Book of Pasta," which I got for her last year and which she LOVES - apparently she will just bust out with "FARFALLE!" at any given moment), but did not care about the wings at all. Also when Alyssa told her I would be there, she said, "books!" so she knows I am the books and clothes aunt. *g*

The while elephant swap was pretty hilarious too, and my niece Nicki ended up with the cat-shaped measuring cups and spoons that were my contribution. I got a waterproof bluetooth speaker I'm going to have to set up in the bathroom to have tunes in the shower.

The funfetti cupcakes were a big hit. (I made sure to put cream cheese frosting on the ones for my sister; she tried one with the American buttercream and made the same face I made when I tasted it - it's disgustingly sweet.) There's picture of this year's selection here.

As for gifts, I received a handful of gift cards, a KRYPTO squishmallow from Baby Miss L, a pair of earrings made from chips of vintage pyrex, a stand mixer tree ornament, a copy of Dorrie's Anytime Cakes, some candles, and a pair of super warm and fuzzy grippy socks. I also bought myself a new winter coat, a new 9 x 13" pyrex baking dish, a new vibrator, some new bras, and a new pair of black ankle boots, so I'm doing all right in the gift department. *g*

Yesterday, I got home early and vegged out for most of the day. And then it snowed, just like they said it would!

Today, I made a new batch of dough and tomorrow I'll finish baking off the fig cookies for this year. I also want to try those orange cranberry rolls now that I have room in the fridge to let them rise overnight. I still have so many eggs left over, though, so I see at least one frittata in my future, plus at least one batch of Nadiya's egg wraps, which are delicious and I recommend them highly!

Now I should look into having dinner and maybe watching the Rangers game.

*

Current Mood: hungry
Current Music: Golden - Huntr/x

Tags:

📍Phoenix, Arizona - December 2025 / All Photos / Pixelfed

Tags:

( You're about to view content that a community administrator has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

Tags:

I am going through my traditional "How many fests and challenges can I imagine in a week?"

I don't think I'm doing Psychic Wolves this year.

On the other hand, Té suggested a fest of blorbos touching the Rockstar Lestat and now I want it.

hannah points out that, if we want to know what Tom Cruise's Rockstar Lestat would have looked like, we have but to consult this video of Cruise in a jukebox musical singing "Pour Some Sugar On Me."

...it's been a really long time since I was sexually attracted to Tom Cruise, but apparently

hannah has the secret sauce.

Also, I now want vampires:

+ the New Burbage Festival (OMG DARREN NICHOLS) (Slings & Arrows)

+ on G-ERTI (they can only fly at night) (Cabin Pressure)

+ working for Oracle (Birds of Prey and a half)

+ visiting Chicago in the era of the Mountie (experimental hair for all who will) (due South)

+ what-ho'ing Bertram Wilberforce Wooster

+ in the world of the Five Gods (hello, is this The Bastard, I have your king shit devoté on hold) (Chalion)

+ dealing with the Light and the Dark, and falling somewhere between (Dark is Rising)

~~+ eating hockey players~~

+ being in the future and baffling Aral Vorkosigan with being a) not soldiers and b) hot AT THE SAME TIME (Vorkosigan Saga)

+ and Muppets (Lestat as lone "human"?)

+ in Narnia (Aslan would shit a lit. brick)

+ becoming Black Ribboners (time for a sing-song around the harmonium! NOT LIKE THAT, LESTAT) (Discworld)

+ in Night Vale (it's Tuesday)

+ mad, in a coma, AND back in time -- the Life on Mars trifecta -- let's see Lestat trying to eat Gene Hunt

+ calling Car Talk

+ hiring Neal Caffrey to do a spot of forgery (White Collar)

+ with war horses who correspond with Copenhagen and Marengo, gaily (Warhorses of Letters)

+ fit as a fiddle and ready for love (would they love or loathe Lockwood and Lamont?) (Singin' in the Rain)

+ come on Darth Vader gold glitter looks Great on you

+ choosing the lesser of two weevils (Aubreyad)

+ ...okay i just died a little over quentin coldwater fanboying the vampire lestat (The Magicians)

+ side-eyeing and being side-eyed by Magneto (X-Men)

+ and I had a good belly laugh at Lestat meeting Felix Harrowgate: battle of the asshole first-person narrators who think they are special

+ Zaphod! Beeblebrox! would so get it on with Lestat! (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

+ How do you reckon vampires get on with thalergy? Let's Find Out (The Locked Tomb)

+ How do you reckon vampires get on with constructs? Send Lestat to Preservation! (Murderbot)

+ okay hear me out Grantaire is weak for opinionated blonds but what if he met The Wrong One (Les Misérables)

+ it's already a doctor who episode innit but let's get some harkness up in this joint

+ Awful Sykes has a crush and so does Torquil (Archer's Goon)

+ RIVERS OF LONDON which body of water can we blame everyone on

+ Last Week Tonight: Our main story concerns The "Vampire" Lestat (of course John does quote fingers)

+ Jacky Faber met our hero at some point in her meanderings. I bet they shared a stage.

+ James Flint. BWAHAHAHA. WOULD HIT THAT. (Black Sails)

+ Falsettos: writes. itself. Louis IS the gay plague.

+ did you ever want to see Lestat fuck a muppet wearing leather? I DO I DO (Farscape)

+ truly Julian Bashir needs his not-boyfriend to run interference or he's gonna get eaten (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

+ and then I hit Battlestar Galactica (reboot) which seems like a Terrible place to be a vampire but they'd have fun eating Gaius

+ Pern! is in the future! it can have Vampires if it wants 'em! Weirdest Harper Ever.

+ What happens with MCU? I couldn't begin to tell you. But there must be a clever answer.

+ Community: the study group goes to a concert and they all crush, each in their own way. Annie gets... scary.

+ I very much want Ray Person singing The Vampire Lestat across Iraq, but given the givens it makes me want to cry right now. (Generation: Kill, RIP James Ransone)

+ Scott & Bailey -- the teenage girls and Aunt Rachel bond over their crushes

+ Pamela Dean's Tam Lin has immortals. I want to see them emoting at Rice's.

+ And our wailing wonder, Lestat de Lioncourt. // Why, thank you, Sandi. (QI, the other guests are Phill Jupitus and Sue Perkins, because it's a Musical Episode)

+ ST: TOS -- Chekov and Sulu both have posters.

+ Does Venom want one? And how!

Current Mood: inspired
Current Music: In the name of love

Tags:

Before I say anything, A would like you to know how extremely annoying it is that they played those "Arabian Nights" riffs every time the snake (Barry) appeared, and it would be annoying even if the plot ( Read more... )

They wouldn't shut up about it, so there we go. They're not wrong.

( Read more... )

Amelia

Yuletide recs (part 1)

Yuletide!!!

On the fanfiction front...

2025 Yuletide recs

RECS for Yuletide 2025!

Glitter (Like Blood) Gets Everywhere - Lestat Crossover Prompt Meme

🥳

Sunday @ 12:56 pm

Practical problem-solving.

a handful of Yuletide recs

Sunday @ 11:59 am

Various Links 12/22-12/27

第四年第三百五十三天

Fannish Fifty Challenge: Post # 48: Community Pimping: Another Don't-Stress Fanworks Event

misc. updates

but now that's how i'm getting paid

photo: spotted on my morning walk

multifandom: rewrite-a-fic 2026

Happy liminal spacemas, couches!

Finally saw Zootopia 2!

Profile

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags