(no subject)
Feb. 8th, 2026 11:18 amPairings/Characters: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Rating: Mature
Length: wc 5541
Content Notes No AO3 warning apply
Creator Links: AO3 profile
Theme: Inept in Love
Summary: "We had a fight and he dumped me." Foofy humor.
Reccer's Notes This is a funny and delightful gem that just goes to show you that even when in an established relationship, John and Rodney (esp John) are horribly inept in love.
Link Proof
This is the February 8th Weekly Megapost & Chat!
Feb. 8th, 2026 09:56 amThings you can do in the comments-
- trade friend codes
- ask about games
- post about in-game events
- anything you don't want to make an individual post about
- share how the RNG is treating you
Challenge #27
Feb. 8th, 2026 06:15 pmGeneral Prompt: Soft
Relationship Prompt: Dedication
Posting runs from now until the challenge roundup post next Sunday, February 15, 2026. More information here.
New Vid: Dolores Claiborne "You've Got Time"
Feb. 8th, 2026 09:32 amFandom: Dolores Claiborne
Music: You've Got Time by Regina Spektor
Characters: Dolores, Selena, Vera, ensemble
Summary: Everything looks different the second time around
Warnings: mind the tags on AO3
Vid is here on AO3
PDPH #5, 16-17, 19-27
Feb. 7th, 2026 11:43 pmTo claim a pinch hit, you can comment on this post (comments are screened) with your AO3 username and the pinch hit # that you want or you can reach out via email at rarefemslashexchangemod@gmail.com. While you can comment anonymously, please remember that you won't be able to get notified or see the reply.
If you are a pinch hitter who hasn't signed up for the exchange or someone who would like to treat a pinch hitter, there is now a post for Pinch Hitter Prompts.
( Pinch Hit #5 (fic): Psychonauts (Video Games), Umineko no Naku Koro ni | When the Seagulls Cry, Dragon Ball, Tekken (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics) )
CLAIMED!
( Pinch Hit #17 (fic, art): Warhammer 40.000: Rogue Trader (Video Game), Baldur's Gate (Video Games), Stardew Valley (Video Game), True Detective (TV 2014), Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), Doctor Who (2005) )
( Pinch Hit #19 (fic, art): アキバ冥途戦争 | Akiba Maid War (Anime), かげきしょうじょ!! | Kageki Shoujo!! | Opera Girl! (Anime), ちはやふる | Chihayafuru (Anime & Manga), ユリ熊嵐 | Yuri Kuma Arashi )
( Pinch Hit #20 (fic, art): Nana (Anime & Manga), The Wicked + The Divine, The Power Fantasy (Comics), DCU (Comics), Snotgirl (Comics) )
( Pinch Hit #21 (fic, art): The Magnus Archives (Podcast), The Magnus Protocol (Podcast), Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke, The Locked Tomb Series | Gideon the Ninth Series - Tamsyn Muir, The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells, This is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone, DCU (Comics), The Old Guard (Movies 2020 2025), Leverage (US TV 2008), Foundation (TV 2021) )
( Pinch Hit #22 (fic, art): ヴァ二タスの手記 - 望月淳 | Vanitas no Carte | The Case Study of Vanitas - Mochizuki Jun (Manga), ささやくように恋を唄う | Sasayaku You ni Koi wo Utau | Whispering You a Love Song (Manga), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga), 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga), 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs, 薬屋のひとりごと | Kusuriya no Hitorigoto | The Apothecary Diaries (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series) )
( Pinch Hit #23 (fic): Andor (TV), Mad Max Series (Movies), The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager )
( Pinch Hit #24 (fic): 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney, 大逆転裁判 | Dai Gyakuten Saiban | The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (Video Games), Metaphor: ReFantazio (Video Game), Persona 3, Persona 5, Persona 5: The Phantom X (Video Game) )
( Pinch Hit #25 (fic, art): Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005), A Man on the Inside (TV), The Pitt (TV), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TV), Ted Lasso (TV), Crossover Fandom (ATLA/Frozen, BATB/Aladdin), Original Work )
( Pinch Hit #26 (fic, art): Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Lower Decks (Cartoon), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TV), Dimension 20 (Web Series), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Original Work, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Enterprise )
( Pinch Hit #27 (fic): The Game and the Candle - Eleanor M. Ingram, Don Estevan's Honor - Eleanor M. Ingram, Lucifer's Wife - Eleanor M. Ingram )
cheese slices.
Feb. 7th, 2026 09:49 pmAnyway, this entry is about Return to Silent Hill.
Below the cut: full spoilers for both Silent Hill 2 (the video game) and Return to Silent Hill (the movie). tl;dr — do not see this movie. Do literally anything else with your time.
( gravestone )
Two New Festivids '25 Vids: "MONSTER!" & "Fame is a Gun"
Feb. 7th, 2026 10:37 pmFandom: The Summer Hikaru Died (2025 Anime)
Genre(s): Character Study, Relationship Study, POV, Angst, Horror, M/M
Song/Artist: Monster by colby! and Shaya Zamora
Software(s): Vegas Pro 14
Characters/Pairings: Yoshiki / Hikaru
Summary: "I can't seem to let you go." (Yoshiki's POV)
Video for:
Stream/Download/Notes: Archive of our Own | Tumblr (only streaming vid)
Video #2 Title: Fame is a Gun
Fandom: The Ugly Stepsister (2025 Movie)
Genre(s): Character Study, Relationship Study, POV, Angst, Horror
Song/Artist: Fame is a Gun by Addison Rae
Software(s): Vegas Pro 14
Characters/Pairings: Elvira, Agnus, Prince Julian
Summary: "I got a taste of the glamorous life."
Video for:
Stream/Download/Notes: Archive of our Own | Tumblr (only streaming vid)
Festivids vidder reveals and vid nattering
Feb. 7th, 2026 05:45 pmI also added them to my Sholio Vids collection.
Some random notes on this year's vidding under the cut.
( Talking a lot about Babylon 5 )
Lies my parents told me - Buffy S7 Episode 17
Feb. 7th, 2026 07:56 pmMoseyed onto yet another episode of Buffy S7 - Lies My Parents Told Me. It's written by Drew Goddard and David Fury, and directed by Fury (who has a bit of a mean streak and wrote Helpless). ( long and rambling )
Stuff I Love: Top 10 Edition
Feb. 8th, 2026 11:21 amSo without further ado, one shots.
Some of these were easy, but it did take a bit of thinking to come up with the last couple to round it out.
This was the first Disney movie that I was aware of before it hit Australian cinemas. I'd actually seen some trailers and participated in some fan stuff, and I was hyped enough that when Edy and I were planning our first trip away together, I was like, "It's fine it we leave on January 6 as long as we're somewhere with a cinema that night because there's this movie I want to see."
We were in Cairns and our hostel was literally across the road from the cinema complex, so that worked out well. Edy will confirm that I was cross-legged and leaning forward totally invested the whole way through.
I love Rapunzel so much. There is a fine line between portraying her realistically given her circumstances and moving the story forward, and I feel like they struck the balance between her fears and her excitement really well. And her growth, you guys! GROWTH.
Mother Gothel is one of Disney's best villains imo because of how realistic she is. And who doesn't love a jerk with a heart of gold like Eugene Fitzherbert? (We'll ignore all the BS his voice actor has gone on to spout)
To this day I cannot watch the lantern scene without getting choked up. The animation is so beautiful! And then they sing I See the Light and just ugh. So good.
Ugh, this movie. I'm pretty sure it's the reason I'm a sucker for tropes like Heir to Throne/Outspoken Commoner and the Cinderella variations where the Cinderella character knows/has met the Prince before the ball. It's just stellar in every way. The whole cast nails it. This was the first thing I ever saw Angelica Huston in and she's just incredible in that role. The script is perfect. Drew Barrymore and Dougray Scott had so much chemistry and I love the banter between them.
I still go around saying things like "Yes, mother, I'm just here for the food" but no one ever gets the reference.
My only criticism of the movie is that Drew's accent is all over the place throughout.
Fun fact: one of the earliest pieces of fanfiction I remember writing was when I was 10 or 11 and this movie had just come out on VHS and me and a friend were watching it all the time, and I wrote a "sequel". For my age, it was not a terrible concept, I think one of the stepsisters made it back to France and wanted revenge? (I guess it was Marguerite if there was revenge involved). Also I was convinced that I was going to hire a video camera and make this movie myself. My guinea pigs had a guest role somewhere. 😂
( Also did you know they made it a musical? Youtube embeds under the cut. )
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
Reader, when I tell, I sobbed. No, the cat doesn't die! But the ending is just written in such a beautiful way. I was thinking about it often after I read it. It's not something I would usually pick up, it's much more a slice of life kind of story, but I really recommend this one.
This is a YA novel by Jess Rothenberg and it just hits so many of my favourite tropes. Picture Disneyland... but in a near-future with android Princesses. And there's a murder. And nothing is at is seems. I read this when it first came out and gave it five stars, and I read it again last year and it was still a 4.5 even though my tastes in writing have changed a fair bit over the years and I'm a bit pickier about young adult books than I used to be. I just wish there was a sequel. There was definitely room for one, but nothing ever eventuated. I'm not sure if the author was planning one and it fell through or if the ending is supposed to be left up to our imagination. I would definitely have loved more!
The original romcom! This is my favourite of Shakespeare's plays. The banter is god-tier. I've seen it a few times live and my favourite version was set in the 1920s. And the David Tennant/Catherine Tate version is sublime. See it if you can! This was the production that gave me my controversial opinion that David Tennant is better at Shakespeare than Doctor Who. He's actually fine at Doctor Who but he really shines doing Shakespeare!
We saw this show on Broadway in 2019 knowing absolutely nothing about it other than the brief summary on broadway.com and thinking "Oh, that sounds nice." Instant. Favourite.
For those unfamiliar, this musical takes place in the week following the 9/11 attacks in a small town called Gander in Newfoundland, where 38 planes were diverted when the US airspace closed. The town has a population of around 7000 and there were that many people again on the planes. It's just a beautiful story of community and coming together in the face of tragedy. It doesn't shy away from the bad things but it's got so much warmth and heart. I cry every time I listen to it. I've seen it two more times since Broadway and would see it again many times if opportunity presented itself.
I auditioned for a local production last year but they had something like 120 people auditioning for 12 roles! So needless to say, I didn't make it. But they had their pick of the best performers around here and it was an excellent production as a result.
Phantom of the Opera
Winnie-The-Pooh
There is just something about the childlike wonder of this material, both the books and the movies. The whimsy! The way phrases like Bear of Very Little Brain get capitalised just adds to the unique style. My partner and I will play Pooh Sticks any time we walk across an old wooden bridge in the woods. We have it on our bucket list to visit the village/woods that the 100 Acre Woods were inspired by and play Pooh Sticks on the actual bridge. One day.
The Scarlet Pimpernel (BBC)
[AMNESTY: Challenge #91: Tradition] Original Poetry: 'Great Desire'
Feb. 7th, 2026 04:11 pmFandom: Original Poetry
Rating: G
Notes: Crossposted to
( Great Desire )
[navel-gazing] reading, fast & slow
Feb. 7th, 2026 11:21 pmAt some point in proceedings (depression? pain? migraine? dense technical text for the PhD? poetry?), I realise, I have gone from reading Unusually Quickly to still reading More? Than Population Norm? (75ish books last year, of which 15ish were graphic novels or otherwise not-a-novel's-worth-of-words), but no faster than I'd be able to read the text aloud -- "hearing" each word in my head, and often rereading sentences repeatedly.
This is in contrast to how I type, which is much faster than I can speak comprehensibly (... though I now recall that I am in fact often asked to Slow The Fuck Down when providing information verbally).
I have over the last little bit been tentatively experimenting with trying not to read each word "aloud", mentally, and instead treating The Written Word as something that doesn't always need to be (pseudo-)vocalised.
It feels weird. It's an active effort. I am extremely dubious about the impact on how much information I retain; Further Study Required. I think this is probably how I used to read (when?); I'm not sure what changed; I'm unsettled.
(And I want to post something to Dreamwidth before bed, and this is a thing I was thinking about a lot while almost-but-not-quite finishing Index, A History of the -- I'm at a point I'd ordinarily count as "finished" but obviously it is in this instance both important and rewarding to read the index, all two of it, so here y'go.)
Brrr-umph. Hibernating on a Saturday...so a long-winded post
Feb. 7th, 2026 03:16 pm( Read more... )
I did finish "Buffy S7: Storyteller" - and the ending isn't bad? ( Read more... )
Then watched two episodes of The Pitt S2 - which were excellent. I love this series. (It's a hyper-realistic medical procedural that focuses on one 16 hour shift in an American inner city ER. It's less personal than This is Gonna Hurt or ER, in that we don't see the home lives of any of the characters. The only set is the ER and the immediate area into and out of it. We see Dr. Robi riding his motorcycle to the ER to start his last night shift before leaving on sabbatical, but after that? It's indoors. Medical health care workers - have stated that when people ask them to describe what they do? They point to the Pitt.)
I can relate - I have troubles explaining my profession too - although it's not that, and no one in their right mind would do a television show off of it. The viewers would go to sleep, god knows, I do.
Mother called after the figure skating (partly to apologize for the American's short program being a disappointment - it isn't usually) and to tell me about a comedy sketch she's working on for her retirement center's variety program. The center's self-appointed theater director has grown weary of writing sketches and has asked people to write or develop their own acts to be edited together into one program. They just have to write it about the center and issues involving it. Mother's decided to do a "Who's on First, What's on Second" sketch - except using maintenance workers.
( Mother's skit - well so far )
I wished her luck with it. She's presenting it to her friend (the self-appointed theater director) tomorrow. (Mother is 83 turning 84 this year, and her friend is about four-five years older, I think.)
**
The self-appointed Buddhist expert on FB posted a list of things to do to change your life and become...I don't know? Calmer? More empathetic? A better person? One never knows with self-appointed internet Buddhist experts.
Their list?
( 6 month plan to become unrecognizable.. )
Anywho - the first three aren't bad: Get sun regularly, practice gratitude, practice detachment (unless of course it means becoming a sociopath - in which case? Bad Buddhist, and I do not think that's what Buddhism is about). But the fourth one kind of lost me and I fluttered away after that, arguing with the person who posted in my head (assuming of course it is an actual person? It could be Generative AI or a Digitial auto pilot account, one never knows these days. (And also not very Buddhist. Techie, yes, Buddhist, no.)
( Read more... )
**
Against my better judgement, I caved and made brownies. ( Read more... )
**
I've managed to do my knee exercises or most of them - the important ones at any rate. Not necessarily three times today, but the knee was hurting still from yesterday. I'd stood on it too long - so it wanted to rest. It finally stopped hurting sometime around noon.
***
Memage
4. How old is the oldest book you own?
God knows. It appears to be On the Road with Jack Keroack - 1955. I was going to say my copy of the Hobbit or the Last Hurrah, but On the Road wins. (I don't tend to keep old books - since I'm allergic to the dust and book mold - and I don't have the space, and I can barely read the small print any longer.)
5. It’s the 60th anniversary of the game ‘Twister’ – have you ever played it?
Yes. Although not since the 1980s. I vaguely remember enjoying it a lot in the 1970s as a kid.
6. In 1869, Harper's Weekly published the first picture of Uncle Sam with chin whiskers. Do you know anyone with a beard or a moustache?
Most of my neighbors and male co-workers. My boss has a beard and moustache, his boss does. Most of the young men in the neighborhood do. Most of my male neighbors - next door, across the hall, downstairs, the guy in the basement. It's incredibly trendy at the moment?
7. Is there a subject at school which you disliked, but you would consider learning now?
No. The ones I disliked, I ended up learning in spite of myself, and unfortunately doing for a living and figuring out on my own. So I don't think it matters? There's no avoiding math. It's a fact of life. As is business law, contracts, and property law. Whether you go to law school or not. Same with computers. Can't avoid it.
Science? No. I hated biology then, I hate it now. Dissection really wasn't my thing. And chemistry - too many annoying formulas and you kind of need to know calculus.
Must Discover
Feb. 8th, 2026 01:26 amI've been wanting to have him in my roster of character performers on Suno for quite a while... and now I'm more and more sure on the music genre and writing from his perspective on the lyrics.
(Mood: No nonsense. Blunt. On guard and tense. Skeptical in the beginning, and then protective. A half demon and half human found himself a regular human--the only one left alive in a post-apocalyptic state of the world that's jaded and hardened him overtime... Genre: Emo Rock and Rap. The vocalist is sixteen years old. [Music Influence: Strata meets 36 Crazyfists])
( Lyrics )
https://suno.com/s/J7sNkQ5ZkylOSV0L I've used over 1000 credits to get this all done, INCLUDING all the edits. I'm just feeling so accomplished with this hella epic banger, monster of a song lmao...