Riches

Apr. 13th, 2026 03:09 pm
So I'm into hockey fics now, and just realised there's a treasure trove of Helenish hockey rpf to be read. HR has taught me the basics of the hockey world, which makes the rpf easier to get into even if I don't really know the players. And I'll follow Helenish pretty much everywhere.

Two recs for now, Leon Draisaitl/Connor McDavid. Both locked to AO3.

Obligations. A long, slow burn story in an alpha/beta/omega-verse, and Helenish's worldbuilding within that is extraordinary, just as good as the way 'Take Clothes Off As Directed' deepened BDSM-verse. They're teammates on the Oilers, interacting with a mass of assumptions, miscommunication, hopeless denial, and obliviousness, so most of the fic is pining and unspoken longing badly hidden behind defences. They get there in the end, despite knowing how bad it'll be with the Press and twitter and their coaches and agents (the reactions of others plus their own idiocy replace RL homophobia as barriers), and there's finally some gorgeous hot as hell sex to enjoy after being edged for the rest of the story. It's from Leon's pov, and ends with a quiet paean to the hockey life. (17,681)

Silver Lining Playbook. Connor's pov, set at and after the recent Olympics. Non-linear plot, starting with them hooking up angrily and fake-casually, and only later we learn they used to be together then broke up due to the usual miscommunication and stubbornness. The ending's hopeful rather than resolved, and Connor's characterisation is excellent. Where the fic above was all repressed feelings and eventual fucking, this one's all fucking until eventually they talk about feelings. Very nice. (7212)

HR vid rec - To be a princess

Apr. 13th, 2026 01:54 am
Ok I lied about going to bed.

Hilarious vid β€œTo Be A Princess” -
set to some musical song, possibly Disney? By theburialofstrawberries.

https://www.tumblr.com/mific/813728132898177024/shane-as-princess

Damp squib

Apr. 12th, 2026 11:29 pm
As often happens, after all the dramatic warnings cyclone Vaianu was only a period of heavy rain and moderate winds where I live. Just another Sunday. More flooding elsewhere, but not too bad. Oh well, at least I got my camping gear out ready for any future power cuts. off to bed with me now, night all!

(no subject)

Apr. 11th, 2026 05:32 pm
Seen at [community profile] justcreate. I thought these were cool questions so I'm repeating them here.

What are you working on? What have you finished? What do you need encouragement on?

Are there any cool events or challenges happening that you want to hype?

What do you just want to talk about?

What have you been watching or reading?

Chores and other not-fun things count?

(I'm tossing my own answers in a comment to this)

I am alerted!

Apr. 11th, 2026 02:28 pm
Minor update to yesterday's post.

One of those scary buzzy alerts on my phone just now, for the cyclone later today and tomorrow. No change from yesterday, just grumbling that I hate how those alerts startle me and raise my anxiety. Which is the point, I know! The eerie calm has broken - a light wind now and I just looked up and saw sun on the garden, but a sky becoming dark and lowering beyond. Peak cyclone time is the small hours of Sunday morning. Guess I'd better go outside and see what needs tidying away, then find the camping gas box in the garage. I'm very lucky that's all I need to do.

life

Apr. 10th, 2026 05:32 pm
Finally, I'm on the upswing of a wicked head cold. Naps helped. Lots of naps.

I'm digging into my Fandom Trumps Hate fic. I hope my bidder likes it. In any event it's keeping my brain occupied and keeping me out of trouble.

I came across this article 7 tiny hacks that can improve your to do list and it reminded me that years ago I made a to do list every morning.

It's been awhile since I did that. Life's a little simpler now that I'm retired and my kids are grown with families of their own. I gotta say, it did help.

How 'bout you? Are To do lists a part of your day?

I'm going to admit right now, my list were far too ambitious and I did well if I could finish one half of the tasks.

Autumn garden views, and cyclone prep

Apr. 10th, 2026 03:48 pm
I haven't posted garden pics for a while due to autumn untidyness - so far as Auckland has an autumn, which is not very. Still green, just cooler and wetter. Also, I've been busy enjoying and making fanworks and have neglected the garden as it slides inexorably into disrepair. But everything's still green, and I do enjoy looking out at it so I thought you might like some views from my windows and doors. Overcast today so not ideal photography conditions, but as Cyclone Vaianu is bearing down on us in 36 hrs I figured I'd get pics now in case it's chaos by Monday. First time my landlord's property manager has ever emailed tenants with a cyclone warning and info about how to batten down! If I was still in my leaky house in the bush I'd be very worried but this flat's in a safe place - solid construction, high ground but not exposed, no big unsafe trees nearby - so fingers crossed. I'll roust out my camping gas stove and lamp in case of power cuts, and we'll see. Hope you're all safe from extreme weather events!

pics here... )

Wrote another fic

Apr. 6th, 2026 01:14 pm
Some mildy porny, romantic fun, in which Shane gets tattooed for Ilya. There's even an Easter mention!

Words To Live By (Explicit, ~3600 words)

I should of course be writing my Hollanov Big Bang fic, but no, this one happened.

Happy hot cross buns to everyone.

writing

Apr. 4th, 2026 02:43 pm
I'm rereading a bunch of Terry Pratchett particularly the ones with Sam Vimes. I had to take note of this.
When Sam is asked about his views on writing...

Well it can't be a difficult job, given that all the words have probably been invented already, so there's savings in time right there, considering that you simply have to put them together in a different order.


Great advice, Sam, but what freaking order???!!!!

March 2026 Reading Wrap-Up

Apr. 4th, 2026 01:48 pm
March had absolutely no plan.
No TBR. No structure. No 'I will read X books this month.' Just vibes, mood shifts, and whatever my brain decided it could focus on that day.
And somehow... I finished five books.

🌱 March Intentions
πŸ“– Read gently
🎨 Create something small
🧑 Protect my energy
😴 Rest often
πŸ“ Simplify tasks
Looking back, March really did lean into these. The reading wasn't forced, creativity stayed small and manageable, and I gave myself permission to rest without turning it into a failure.

πŸ“Š By the Numbers
Books read: 5
Average rating:3.9 ⭐
A very solid, quietly successful month - especially coming out of February's one-book energy.

⭐ Standout Vibes
Not a single overwhelming five-star this month, but a strong run of *consistently good* reads - the kind that keep you engaged without wrecking you emotionally (which, honestly, was exactly the energy I needed).

πŸ“š Everything I Read
Ali Hazelwood - Loathe to Love You ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to Happiness ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Alison Maloney - Life Below Stairs ⭐⭐⭐½
Seanan McGuire - Beneath the Sugar Sky ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nancy Warren - Mosaics and Magic ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A genuinely chaotic mix of romance, nonfiction, cosy mystery, and portal fantasy - which feels very on-brand for an unplanned reading month.

🧭 Reading Mood
March felt like a recovery month

After February's lack of focus, I found myself:
Picking up whatever held my attention fastest
Letting go of books without guilt
Leaning into comfort, familiarity, and lower-pressure reads
No overthinking. No forcing it. Just following the thread of 'does this work for me right now?'
And it worked.

πŸ’¬ Mini Thoughts
Ali Hazelwood continues to be ridiculously readable - perfect for getting out of a slump
Beneath the Sugar Sky scratched that slightly surreal, emotional fantasy itch
Mosaics and Magic delivered peak cosy mystery vibes
Life Below Stairs was interesting, but didn't quite grip me the same way
Bill Bailey was exactly the kind of gentle, thoughtful nonfiction I needed this month

🌱 Final Thoughts
March didn't need structure to be successful.
It just needed permission.
Permission to read inconsistently. To follow moods. To enjoy books without turning them into a checklist.
And somehow, that led to one of the most balanced reading months I've had in a while.
If February was about softness, March was about trust.
Let's see what April brings.

Three works

Apr. 3rd, 2026 04:42 pm
A few things I recently posted to AO3:
  • a long SGA podfic for the Podfic Big Bang: Sihaya Black's And Hope (John/Rodney, AU, drama and romance, 03:35:12)
  • an HR fanart for Easter Ilya's Easter Treat (featuring Shane in bunny ears) (not quite SFW: bare torsos)
  • and just now, Ecology, a meta poem about the rise and complexities of HR as a speedrun megafandom, basically me processing my last post. Also it's National Poetry Month in the US.

And now, time for a nice cup of tea.

(no subject)

Apr. 2nd, 2026 06:42 pm
UC Banner

It's that time of year again for [community profile] unconventionalcourtship

This is one of my all time favorite challenges.

sign up info here

Goddamn it

Apr. 2nd, 2026 04:24 pm
I've been protected from HR fandom wank by only being active on DW and tumblr, but it's affecting AO3 as well now. As a megafandom doing a speedrun, I gather Heated Rivalry has attracted a fair number of idiots and trolls, and maybe just new fans ignorant of fandom etiquette, over on crap sites like twitter and instagram. I think hanging out in those places and on facebook can also turn you to the dark side teach you bad habits, maybe. Celestial_abyss who's podficcing OpalApparition's WIP Wolfbird, wrote an etiquette post about it.

So, a few BNF HR writers (OpalApparition being one) have I gather been trolled and harassed in those places (but honestly, why be on instagram or twitter at all!) and have reacted in a hurt/angry way by going on hiatus or, now, with Evilharlowe, a writer I enjoy, by deleting their entire AO3 profile and all works. Crap! I mean, their main WIP was a bit worrying as the projected chapter count kept climbing from 50 to 100 to 200 (they made it to just over 100), which seemed either unrealistic or not great for the writer's wellbeing, but still. They wrote a lot of other excellent stuff but are presumably too pissed off or unhappy to keep posting. The works haven't been made anon or orphaned, either, which feels like an angry reaction. Jesus, all that work, all those excellent fics, just gone from AO3. Fuck.

I have a lot of their fics saved as I usually read longer stuff as ebooks and EH almost never wrote short, but I don't have the latest updates on their two main WIPs. However, if you want a copy of any their completed works, hit me up in a message as I should have most of them, and can convert to any format you like.

But yeah, bummer.

(final)ETA: thanks to [personal profile] trillingstar pointing out that fichub had all of EH's fics saved with the latest updates, these are now all present/updated in this gdrive folder. 20 fics, with Step-Sibling Rivalry to ch107 and Heated Designation to ch15. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14Gh16_GJ7eN31XrkIzLKB0t4GaHIyBXC?usp=sharing

Artemis II launch

Apr. 1st, 2026 08:16 pm
To the Moon

I'm old enough to remember the Apollo missions. It makes me happy to see a revival to the moon missions and the excitement it brings to a new generation.

Profile

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Stargate Atlantis Reverse Big Bang

2014 Schedule

Artist sign-ups: Jan 6th-Jan 26th
Author sign-ups: Jan 6th-Feb 28th
Art for claiming due: March 4th
Claiming: March 11th, time TBD
Drop-out deadline for authors: May 6th. (If authors drop out after this date, they risk being banned from the next round)
Posting period: Roughly May 19th to June 13th, depending on the number of sign-ups

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