Collected Thoughts

I hit Walmart while I was downtown. (I got to see Baby A – should I change that to Toddler A now?!! *g* – again when I was at BK and Sister S was going through the drive-thru with her. Apparently she loves the hash browns. *g* They were on their way to PT, then school.)

I drove mom to her appointments, did two loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, went for a walk with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered. I also hit the post office and the bank.

I ended up making a crustless broccoli and cheese quiche for supper. I'll put the ziti together for tomorrow instead.

I finished the Amelia Peabody book.

Temps started out at -3.3(F) (why so freaking cold already?!!) and reached 25.9 (that I saw). BRR!


Mom Update:

Mom was not feeling great today. ( more back here )

Fandom: Night at the Museum
Pairings/Characters: Jedediah/Octavius
Rating: T
Length: 10,180
Creator Links: liviapenn
Theme: Amnesty, Cultural Differences, Enemies to Friends (to Lovers), Enemies Working Together, Missing Scenes

Summary: There are secret articles in our treaties with the gods, of more importance than all the rest, which the historian can never know. -- Henry David Thoreau

This hour I tell things in confidence,
I might not tell everybody, but I will tell you.
-- Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself"

Reccer's Notes: This is so much fun, charting the growth in these boys' friendship starting from their trek through the snow in the movie to their awkward, gradual romantic advances post-canon ❤️

Fanwork Links: if this was a cowboy movie (i'd give you my boots)

Times are trying, but my cats are on the job.

Sweetie, who now looks like a furry tabby bowling ball with legs, comes downstairs to support my efforts when I'm on the weight bench. She has learned not to walk under the moving parts (the weights) when they're moving, which means I don't get a cramp letting them back down sloooooowly to avoid her. And she tells me she loves me and would I skritch ... there? Ohhh thanks. And asks to be let into the storage room to check for mice. Why would I say no to that?

Zoomy doesn't do that, but he has taken to shoving his favorite toy mouse under the bedroom door for me at night, so that I will have it to play with if I want or to sleep with. (I don't, but he doesn't understand a lot about humans yet. He's only about 18 months old.) I give it back to him in the morning, and then find it again later. He also curls up (during the day) next to me and sighs and sleeps with only a little whuffling snore. (I'd let him sleep here at night but it would screw up my breathing; he sheds a lot. A lint roller is a must with him, for use on anywhere he's been lying.)

Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3
Pairings/Characters: Wyll/Astarion
Rating: T
Length: 25,638
Creator Links: partingxshot
Theme: Amnesty, Black Characters, Characters of Colour, Character Development, Established Relationship, Family, Just Plain Fun, Marriage, Outsider POV, Politics, Post-Canon, Unconventional Format & Style, Working Together

Summary: You are ULDER RAVENGARD.

Your son is completely besotted with his fiancé, but you can’t figure out the appeal. He’s spoiled, and petty, and seems chiefly concerned with draining the Ravengard coffers. You are, frankly, at your wits’ fucking end.

Surely the only solution is to declare an INSANE SECRET WAR on him before he can ruin the MIDWINTER'S EVE BALL. This cannot possibly backfire.

[A choose-your-own-adventure Astarion son-in-law simulator. Happy Holidays! Or possibly the opposite of that.]

Reccer's Notes: This is just so much fun 😄 The notion of how Astarion would fit in at Wyll's childhood home is a common topic for Wyllstarions, and this is such a fun take on it!! It's remarkably coherent no matter which paths you take, and there are so many fun running jokes or weird endings to find! (And also, if you enjoy the writing style... Might I have a particular webcomic called Homestuck to recommend? Because it was very clearly an inspiration :D)

Fanwork Links: Glad Tidings

I need a Baldur's Gate fandom tag please, mods!!

Fandom: Blackadder Goes Forth
Pairings/Characters: Blackadder/Darling
Rating: T
Length: 20,605
Creator Links: nomadicwriter
Theme: Amnesty, Casefic, Cuddling Snuggling & Bed-Sharing, Enemies to Lovers, Enemies Working Together, Forced Proximity, Historical Settings, Just Plain Fun, Old Fandoms, Rare Pairings, Pretend Couple, Small Fandoms, Time Travel, Uncommon Settings, Undercover as a Couple

Summary: Darling's remarkable resemblance to French traitor the Duc de Darling - no relation - sees him unwillingly sent to infiltrate a German-occupied château. Blackadder accompanies him even less willingly, especially when he learns exactly what it is they're looking for.

(Baldrick is also there, but no one bothered to find out if it was willingly or otherwise.)

Reccer's Notes: This is just so fucking good. It has been an age since I last watched Blackadder but this fic brought me all the way back immediately: the character voices are just chef's kiss! It really feels like it could've been a special episode, except with added totally in-character shippiness! 10/10, perfect characterisation, perfect dynamics, perfect silliness, no notes ❤️

Fanwork Links: General Relativity

⌈ Secret Post #6913 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


01.


( More! )

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 28 secrets from Secret Submission Post #987.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Although it's becoming more common now to use CGI to let the same actor play younger and older versions of themselves, a lot of TV still casts different people for these parts. What makes a good casting choice? Similar appearance/voice/charisma/mannerisms?

What are good examples for such casting choices?

9-1-1: On hiatus until Jan 8.


Matlock: Mom and I have not yet watched this episode. I’m actually kind of dreading it because I’m worried things are going to backfire.


Tracker: This was a good ep. ( spoilers )

I had a dr appt this morning, my annual. I had been putting off several appointments I need to make while taking care of mom and driving her to appointments, so I made several today, including two ultrasounds and my mammogram. I also got a tetanus shot (which I later completely forgot about until my arm started aching a bit in the evening). I was told I could get the pneumonia vaccine, but turned it down for now. (For those of you who get it, what are your thoughts on it?)

I made quickie trips to Dollar Tree and Price Chopper while I was downtown. I had planned to stay home tomorrow morning, since I’ll be driving mom to her appointment, but now I’m not sure what I’m going to do. We’re supposed to get snow on Wednesday, so perhaps I need to get food to plan more meals, just in case. However, we’re only supposed to get 1-3, and as long as they don’t close school the roads should be fine, AND I have my chiropractic appointment Wednesday morning, which I don’t want to miss . . . Ahhh! *pulls hair* Decisions!

I visited mom, did a load of laundry, browned ground beef for tomorrow’s ziti, hand-washed dishes, ran a load in the dishwasher, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter. I also hit the post office to mail more cards and Stewart's (for gas and milk). I shake 'n baked chicken legs for Pip's supper and had some cheese tortellini with butter and grated cheese for mine.

I watched Tracker and read more in Amelia Peabody.

Temps started out at 10.6(F) and reached 17.4. Cold.


Mom Update:

Mom was doing okay when I saw her. ( more back here )

Not exactly the way I might have pictured, obvs, but the ornaments that I gave Mom last year look pretty good.

⌈ Secret Post #6912 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


01.
[Wuthering Heights]



( More! )

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 35 secrets from Secret Submission Post #987.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

I did two loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, ran a load in the dishwasher, went for a walk with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and changed kitty litter. I also placed a couple of Christmas orders. I made corned beef (one of Pip’s faves) for supper.

I started the next Amelia Peabody book and watched an HGTV program and most of the Bills game. I say most because I missed the entire fourth quarter (Best Part of the Game!!) due to making supper at that time. When I left the bedroom tv, the score was 28–18, Bills losing. The final was 39–34, Bills won! I mean, I’m glad they won, but I wish I’d seen it!

I also got more Christmas cards done! (If you haven't requested one, but would like a Christmas card from me, comment here!)

Temps started out at 30.9(F) and reached 37.9. The top layer of snow melted enough to be slippery, but it didn't feel warm.


Mom Update:

Mom was not feeling well today when I talked to her. ( more back here )

Fandom: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
Pairings/Characters: Luo Binghe/Shen Qingqiu
Rating: Explicit
Length: 18,992
Creator Links: benwisehart
Theme: Amnesty, Book Fandoms, Domestic, Established Relationship, Humor, Trauma & Recovery

Summary: The System gives Shen Qingqiu the ability to exchange B-Points for items, and what better way to earn points than by raising the satisfaction level of Zhongdian's favourite protagonist?

OR: The one where Shen Qingqiu starts seducing the fuck out of Binghe in order to enable his caffeine addiction.

Reccer's Notes: This one seems like it'd be just a fun kinky romp (which it also is!), but it's also very thoughtful about why Shen Qingqiu was reluctant to indulge in some of these things to begin with. Sometimes it's just his self-conscious personality, and sometimes it's because he was too quick to judge, but he's also his own person with his own preferences and traumas and those deserve to be respected, too! Really, the ultimate benefit out of this whole sequence of events might just have been allowing these two a sliver of genuine open communication, even if that's sometimes a hard-won lesson.

Fanwork Links: The Scum Villain's Sex and Pleasure Catalogue

⌈ Secret Post #6911 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


01.


( More! )

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 42 secrets from Secret Submission Post #987.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Fandom: Lord of the Rings; How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Pairings/Characters: Gen; Sauron, the Mouth of Sauron, Pippin, Sam Gamgee, the Hobbit community
Rating: General Audiences
Length: (Fic) 957 words; (Comic) 30 panels
Content Notes: No Archive Warnings Apply
Creator Tags:
Erisif | Valarhalla: #i could have done something useful today #instead i wrote this #i hate myself
english-history-trip: #lotr #nonsense #well that was my day how was yours #why is sauron in a cave and then a tower #go to hell that's why #why is frodo bartholomew cubbins instead of a who #the answer won't surprise you

Creator Links:
(Fic): Elisif: (AO3) Elisif; (Tumblr) valarhalla
(Fancomic): english-history-trip: (Tumblr) english-history-trip

Theme: Amnesty, Crack, Crossovers/Fusions, Just Plain Fun, Non-Fic Recs: Fanart, Non-Fic Recs: Fancomic, Poetry, Tumblore

Summary: Every being in Eä liked peacetime a lot…
But Sauron, who was also in Eä, did NOT.

Reccer's Notes: Elisif’s retelling of The War of the Ring in Seussian rhyming verse, firmly informed by The Lore, maps the Shire onto Whoville without introducing an anachronistic Christmas (that’s for Narnia.)

And then, in proper cumulative Tumbloric fashion, english-history-trip proceeds to remix Seussian illustrations to match. (Spoiler: Sauron does not experience redemptive cardiac enlargement; another character gets to preside over the grand climactic celebration.)

Fanwork Links:

Fic: AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26135110
Tumblr: https://valarhalla.tumblr.com/post/190955320437/every-being-in-eä-liked-peacetime-a-lot-but

Fancomic: https://english-history-trip.tumblr.com/post/636994579930939392/english-history-trip-english-history-trip-part