Fanfiction: Broken Hearts and Broken Bones (The Goes Wrong Show, Robert/Chris)
Jan. 12th, 2026 12:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rionaleonhartI love this stupid show so much. It's a shame that I've run out of episodes; it brings me so much joy. Still, at least there's fanfiction! (And rewatching. I've now seen the episode '90 Degrees' four times in the course of approximately a month, on account of showing it to everyone I know.)
There's something very nostalgic about how loud and ridiculous Robert is; writing him brings me back to writing Jeremy Clarkson, back in my Top Gear days. They're both a lot of fun to write!
Thank you toapiphile, who helped to inspire this fic; I wrote a couple of lines as a joke in response to one of his comments, and then I just kept going!
Title: Broken Hearts and Broken Bones
Fandom: The Goes Wrong Show
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Robert/Chris
Wordcount: 2,300
Summary: Robert attempts to seduce Chris. His techniques leave a little to be desired.
( Broken Hearts and Broken Bones )
There's something very nostalgic about how loud and ridiculous Robert is; writing him brings me back to writing Jeremy Clarkson, back in my Top Gear days. They're both a lot of fun to write!
Thank you to
apiphile, who helped to inspire this fic; I wrote a couple of lines as a joke in response to one of his comments, and then I just kept going!Title: Broken Hearts and Broken Bones
Fandom: The Goes Wrong Show
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Robert/Chris
Wordcount: 2,300
Summary: Robert attempts to seduce Chris. His techniques leave a little to be desired.
( Broken Hearts and Broken Bones )
January Meme: Favourite Show to watch in 2025
Jan. 12th, 2026 01:48 pmselenakThere were severa new onesl I enjoyed a lot, like Alien: Earth and Pluribus, with the later being hands down the best new series I saw in 2025. And Andor, some minor (for me) nitpicks aside, ended superbly, plus unfortunately more current day politically relevant than ever. But my favourite series in 2025 was Foundation, season 3. And here are some reasons why:
For the third time, this show managed to present a new ensemble of characters per season (plus the few recurring ones) and made me care about them. Now I remember several shows that were originally intended to be "anthology" shows - the one that immediately comes to mind is Heroes - i.e. where the idea was to present a new cast of characters every season - and which when the first season was a success changed their mind because the audience had fallen in love with these characters. Unfortunately, this also meant that the subsequent seasons showed there had been no plan, not even a vague character arc kind of plan, for those characters, and the show quality rapidly diminished, making me wish they'd stuck to the anthology concept. Now Foundation, to me, found a happy medium between the "anthology" concept which its intended huge time spam demands and the fact that most viewers do want some characters to remain attached to, or at least interested in, who are around for more than one season. And they manage it twofold: courtesy of in-universe plot devices, there are in fact some characters around through all three seasons so far - Gail Dornick, Demerzel and sort, kinda, Hari Seldon ( in a spoilery fashion ). And there are three more actors araound through all three seasons playing different characters who are at the same time variations of the same character, i.e. the Cleonic Dynasty exponents, clones in different stages of aging. (It's not unimportant that they play clones because the stories and developments each Cleon takes in each season are richer and more interesting if you have other Cleons to compare them to.)
But, and this is an important but: the show also offers characters who are around only in one season/era the show takes place. (Or two at most, sob.) And manages to make them interesting and different from each other. Here I would argue the show grew from season 1 - where there were some interesting, memorable characters around, like the Luminarian priestess, but also some which for me didn't work in the way they were intended (the Huntress) - to season 2, where basically every single new character was interesting - Constant, Hober Mallow, Space!Belisarius etc.. In fact, I was so attached to the s2 newbies that I kept wondering whether the show would manage to do it again after the next time jump, and the first s3 episode or two left me a bit sceptical on that count - but then I changed my mind. Granted, I still am lukewarm about Pritcher, but Toran and Bayta were great (not just due to the spoilery thing at the end of the season, though it makes the rewatch of s3 I just finished even more rewarding), I loved Ambassador Quent, and the First Speaker as well.
Another reason: s3 offered the pay off to several long term mysteries and developments - from who was responsible for the destruction of the Star Bridge (and why) to why ( a spoilery for s2 thing happened ) - , wrapped up one of THE major storylines of the show ( which is spoilery for s3 ), and did it in a way that was both unepected yet made perfect character sense, and set up enough new questions and storylines which make glad there is a season 4 already secured: ( For example, Spoilery Questions asked )
And then there's the superb long term character development.bimo commented s1 Gaal would be horrified by s3 Gaal's actions, and yet they are perfecty ic due to the development in between and bring things full circle, in a way. Rewatching s3, I noticed ( spoilery things about Demerzel in particular. ) And the Cleons! That Lee Pace is excellent is almost a given, and s3's Day's development went from seeming comic relief to absolutely shattering, but s3's Dusk and Dawn both got more to do than in previous seasons, and both Terence Mann and Cassian Bilton ran with it. In fact, when I find the time I'll do a poll asking about everyone's favourites Day, Dawn and Dusk, if such a thing exists, taking all three seasons into account. Speaking of things paying off even more upon rewatch, Dusk's first scene in s3 is watching the recording of other Dusks becoming Brother Darkness and "ascending", which, yeah. S3 does a lot not just with the confrontation with mortality, but also the search for meaning especially for the long term characters. ( Hari Seldon related spoilery observation )
And there's the way the show asks questions the books couldn't, lacking the concept of the Cleonic Dynasty. ( Demerzel and the Cleons: A Tale in Three Seasons )
Lastly: I loved s3 for the way it gave us new combinations of long term characters. ( Which are spoilery. ) And for being such an acting showcase for both recurring actors - Terence Mann certainly owned those last three episodes when he was on screen - and new to the show ones: Synnøve Karlsen as Bayta first and foremost, with again rewatching letting me additionally admire what she does there. (Though this time around I knew she was the same actress who had played Clarice Orsini in I Medici and young Cassandra Austen in Miss Austen, I forgot all about it again when watching her on screen. "We're good at making people love us, you and I", as she says to Magnifico. Indeed.
The other days
For the third time, this show managed to present a new ensemble of characters per season (plus the few recurring ones) and made me care about them. Now I remember several shows that were originally intended to be "anthology" shows - the one that immediately comes to mind is Heroes - i.e. where the idea was to present a new cast of characters every season - and which when the first season was a success changed their mind because the audience had fallen in love with these characters. Unfortunately, this also meant that the subsequent seasons showed there had been no plan, not even a vague character arc kind of plan, for those characters, and the show quality rapidly diminished, making me wish they'd stuck to the anthology concept. Now Foundation, to me, found a happy medium between the "anthology" concept which its intended huge time spam demands and the fact that most viewers do want some characters to remain attached to, or at least interested in, who are around for more than one season. And they manage it twofold: courtesy of in-universe plot devices, there are in fact some characters around through all three seasons so far - Gail Dornick, Demerzel and sort, kinda, Hari Seldon ( in a spoilery fashion ). And there are three more actors araound through all three seasons playing different characters who are at the same time variations of the same character, i.e. the Cleonic Dynasty exponents, clones in different stages of aging. (It's not unimportant that they play clones because the stories and developments each Cleon takes in each season are richer and more interesting if you have other Cleons to compare them to.)
But, and this is an important but: the show also offers characters who are around only in one season/era the show takes place. (Or two at most, sob.) And manages to make them interesting and different from each other. Here I would argue the show grew from season 1 - where there were some interesting, memorable characters around, like the Luminarian priestess, but also some which for me didn't work in the way they were intended (the Huntress) - to season 2, where basically every single new character was interesting - Constant, Hober Mallow, Space!Belisarius etc.. In fact, I was so attached to the s2 newbies that I kept wondering whether the show would manage to do it again after the next time jump, and the first s3 episode or two left me a bit sceptical on that count - but then I changed my mind. Granted, I still am lukewarm about Pritcher, but Toran and Bayta were great (not just due to the spoilery thing at the end of the season, though it makes the rewatch of s3 I just finished even more rewarding), I loved Ambassador Quent, and the First Speaker as well.
Another reason: s3 offered the pay off to several long term mysteries and developments - from who was responsible for the destruction of the Star Bridge (and why) to why ( a spoilery for s2 thing happened ) - , wrapped up one of THE major storylines of the show ( which is spoilery for s3 ), and did it in a way that was both unepected yet made perfect character sense, and set up enough new questions and storylines which make glad there is a season 4 already secured: ( For example, Spoilery Questions asked )
And then there's the superb long term character development.
bimo commented s1 Gaal would be horrified by s3 Gaal's actions, and yet they are perfecty ic due to the development in between and bring things full circle, in a way. Rewatching s3, I noticed ( spoilery things about Demerzel in particular. ) And the Cleons! That Lee Pace is excellent is almost a given, and s3's Day's development went from seeming comic relief to absolutely shattering, but s3's Dusk and Dawn both got more to do than in previous seasons, and both Terence Mann and Cassian Bilton ran with it. In fact, when I find the time I'll do a poll asking about everyone's favourites Day, Dawn and Dusk, if such a thing exists, taking all three seasons into account. Speaking of things paying off even more upon rewatch, Dusk's first scene in s3 is watching the recording of other Dusks becoming Brother Darkness and "ascending", which, yeah. S3 does a lot not just with the confrontation with mortality, but also the search for meaning especially for the long term characters. ( Hari Seldon related spoilery observation )And there's the way the show asks questions the books couldn't, lacking the concept of the Cleonic Dynasty. ( Demerzel and the Cleons: A Tale in Three Seasons )
Lastly: I loved s3 for the way it gave us new combinations of long term characters. ( Which are spoilery. ) And for being such an acting showcase for both recurring actors - Terence Mann certainly owned those last three episodes when he was on screen - and new to the show ones: Synnøve Karlsen as Bayta first and foremost, with again rewatching letting me additionally admire what she does there. (Though this time around I knew she was the same actress who had played Clarice Orsini in I Medici and young Cassandra Austen in Miss Austen, I forgot all about it again when watching her on screen. "We're good at making people love us, you and I", as she says to Magnifico. Indeed.
The other days
Recent media
Jan. 12th, 2026 05:43 pmhalfcactusMobius | 不眠日
Finished this at the end of 2025. Based on 张小猫's first 逆时侦查组 novel, this is an action/thriller cdrama set in a ~*fictional*~ country where the world sometimes falls into a timeloop. Every loop day repeats itself four times, with the fifth loop becoming the "canon" event. Our MC is the only one aware of the loops and he uses his abilities to solve crime.
This was... okay, I guess? It has some neat HK action movie-inspired fighting and parkour scenes, interesting plot points, and a lot of missed opportunities. The show presents itself as a mystery in which the objective is to discover the true identity of a serial killer and prevent them from succeeding in their nefarious plan. The problem is that the show itself isn't structured as a mystery. The script had no idea how to relay information to the audience, create real tension, or set up suspects, and it treated every single morsel of information as a major twist. IMO it should have focused on the thriller aspects and highlighted thehomoeroticism cat-and-mouse relationship of the MC and the villain. And also given us more angst a la the webtoon Surviving Romance where the MC had a lot of hidden trauma from dying and watching people die over and over again.
The soundscaping was also really funny. They only had like maybe 3 BGMs and they used the same Intense Music so much, sometimes in mundane situations, and once three times in a 15-minute span. Maybe they were just being true to form by making us reexperience the same level of intensity that the MC was trapped in. XD
PS. I skimmed the first chapters of the novel and it seemed to be a bit different, a more standard mystery/procedural with timey-wimey elements. And potentially more interesting conflict—the MC and the FL get together because of a previous loop, and are already together at the start of the CEO case where they have to pretend to not be dating. The plot aspects still seem largely similar, though.
Uketsu, "Strange Pictures" (tr. Jim Rion)
A.k.a. the green mystery novel that is all over #booktwt and my sign to stop following booktwt hype.
I really liked the gimmick with the drawings but after the first chapter (the mystery of the blog), it just fell off for me. It was neither a mystery nor a thriller, just a story that the author wanted to tell that they should have focused on developing. The "interlocking" cases felt forced into place, without sufficient plot logic or emotional build-up to make the "reveal" satisfying. The way the story is told feels like a cross between a Youtube true crime video and a videogame, like it was never meant to be a novel at all. As a visual person with information processing issues, the pictures, little diagrams, and timeline recap felt almost made for me but it gets to a point, you now? Must we bold every "important detail" like we're in an Ace Attorney dialogue box?
2/5 because it ended up being a slog for me, especially towards the end where everything was being explained in the dullest way possible. But I think it could have been a decent page-turner if the author was actually interested in the story as something more than a gamified series of events. The way the plot gives so much emotional weight to dubious psychoanalyses of drawings unintentionally shows us society's lack of regard for mental wellness and rehabilitation. I honestly feel like this would have been much better in any other medium. The writing (as far as I can tell from the translation) is so dry and the English is very stilted. Simple is fine, but the dependence on pictures and amount of emphatic handholding make it pretty obvious that the author has 0 confidence in his ability to write and communicate his vision.
Her Story | 好東西 (2024)
Directed by Shao Yihui, who also did B Is For Busy, which is apparently the "prequel" and touches on similar themes (though the POV character in B Is For Busy is a 50-year-old man who teaches painting).
This is a nice, low-key little movie that's not so much about feminism as it is about being a feminist and how your values interact with the real world. And how community is, at the end of the day, about trying your best. Everyone is just trying their best to be a good adult and it's really sweet.
Our characters are: Wang Tiemei, a very feminist single mom, and her neighbor Xiao Ye, a sound artist by day and band vocalist at night. They each bring their people to this new relationship—a precocious but troubled daughter, an ex-husband, a drummer, a situationship, and, well, the rest of Xiao Ye's band.
This was surprisingly restrained and focused—there were a lot of opportunities for big PSA moments that it takes in a more casual-conversational stride to let the different dynamics play out. The movie instead favors character chemistry and relationships, showing us how human connections fill up space and build rhythms into our lives.
Wang Tiemei's "love interests" are less love interests and more mirrors to her own feminist beliefs. Her ex-husband (played by Mark Chao) is a #performative male who gets into reading feminist literature and earnestly parroting lines about the patriarchy. He visits his daughter and his ex-wife often and says a lot of stupid things and gets folded into their growing community and accidentally bonds with his love rival (the drummer of Xiao Ye's band) in the process of competing with him. This is much more effective than writing him as a cartoonishly evil ex which is the standard easy path for the trendy faux-feminist/girlboss stories in East Asian web fiction.
The styling was very on-point, everyone dressing to their personalities so it's part of the characterization. Wang Tiemei's statement shirts and her statement novels (tbh I didn't actually notice them, butsuperborb did haha), Xiao Ye's charmingly messy rocker chic aesthetic, the drummer boy's tattered knit sweater (he doesn't have enough aura for this to be feel like a deliberate aesthetic choice) and the same black shirt that he wears on multiple days.
My favorite scene was the one where Xiao Ye takes Wang Moli (the daughter) to her workspace and makes her guess sounds! What starts out as a fun little exercise becomes, like Xiao Ye's other line of work, music, as she plays a series of recordings that are nothing but Wang Tiemei. SUCH a good scene and so much warm light.
CW: a brief (unintentional?) self-harm scene + conversations about childhood trauma
Finished this at the end of 2025. Based on 张小猫's first 逆时侦查组 novel, this is an action/thriller cdrama set in a ~*fictional*~ country where the world sometimes falls into a timeloop. Every loop day repeats itself four times, with the fifth loop becoming the "canon" event. Our MC is the only one aware of the loops and he uses his abilities to solve crime.
Thoughts
This was... okay, I guess? It has some neat HK action movie-inspired fighting and parkour scenes, interesting plot points, and a lot of missed opportunities. The show presents itself as a mystery in which the objective is to discover the true identity of a serial killer and prevent them from succeeding in their nefarious plan. The problem is that the show itself isn't structured as a mystery. The script had no idea how to relay information to the audience, create real tension, or set up suspects, and it treated every single morsel of information as a major twist. IMO it should have focused on the thriller aspects and highlighted the
The soundscaping was also really funny. They only had like maybe 3 BGMs and they used the same Intense Music so much, sometimes in mundane situations, and once three times in a 15-minute span. Maybe they were just being true to form by making us reexperience the same level of intensity that the MC was trapped in. XD
PS. I skimmed the first chapters of the novel and it seemed to be a bit different, a more standard mystery/procedural with timey-wimey elements. And potentially more interesting conflict—the MC and the FL get together because of a previous loop, and are already together at the start of the CEO case where they have to pretend to not be dating. The plot aspects still seem largely similar, though.
Uketsu, "Strange Pictures" (tr. Jim Rion)
A.k.a. the green mystery novel that is all over #booktwt and my sign to stop following booktwt hype.
Thoughts
I really liked the gimmick with the drawings but after the first chapter (the mystery of the blog), it just fell off for me. It was neither a mystery nor a thriller, just a story that the author wanted to tell that they should have focused on developing. The "interlocking" cases felt forced into place, without sufficient plot logic or emotional build-up to make the "reveal" satisfying. The way the story is told feels like a cross between a Youtube true crime video and a videogame, like it was never meant to be a novel at all. As a visual person with information processing issues, the pictures, little diagrams, and timeline recap felt almost made for me but it gets to a point, you now? Must we bold every "important detail" like we're in an Ace Attorney dialogue box?
2/5 because it ended up being a slog for me, especially towards the end where everything was being explained in the dullest way possible. But I think it could have been a decent page-turner if the author was actually interested in the story as something more than a gamified series of events. The way the plot gives so much emotional weight to dubious psychoanalyses of drawings unintentionally shows us society's lack of regard for mental wellness and rehabilitation. I honestly feel like this would have been much better in any other medium. The writing (as far as I can tell from the translation) is so dry and the English is very stilted. Simple is fine, but the dependence on pictures and amount of emphatic handholding make it pretty obvious that the author has 0 confidence in his ability to write and communicate his vision.
Her Story | 好東西 (2024)
Directed by Shao Yihui, who also did B Is For Busy, which is apparently the "prequel" and touches on similar themes (though the POV character in B Is For Busy is a 50-year-old man who teaches painting).
This is a nice, low-key little movie that's not so much about feminism as it is about being a feminist and how your values interact with the real world. And how community is, at the end of the day, about trying your best. Everyone is just trying their best to be a good adult and it's really sweet.
Our characters are: Wang Tiemei, a very feminist single mom, and her neighbor Xiao Ye, a sound artist by day and band vocalist at night. They each bring their people to this new relationship—a precocious but troubled daughter, an ex-husband, a drummer, a situationship, and, well, the rest of Xiao Ye's band.
Thoughts
This was surprisingly restrained and focused—there were a lot of opportunities for big PSA moments that it takes in a more casual-conversational stride to let the different dynamics play out. The movie instead favors character chemistry and relationships, showing us how human connections fill up space and build rhythms into our lives.
Wang Tiemei's "love interests" are less love interests and more mirrors to her own feminist beliefs. Her ex-husband (played by Mark Chao) is a #performative male who gets into reading feminist literature and earnestly parroting lines about the patriarchy. He visits his daughter and his ex-wife often and says a lot of stupid things and gets folded into their growing community and accidentally bonds with his love rival (the drummer of Xiao Ye's band) in the process of competing with him. This is much more effective than writing him as a cartoonishly evil ex which is the standard easy path for the trendy faux-feminist/girlboss stories in East Asian web fiction.
The styling was very on-point, everyone dressing to their personalities so it's part of the characterization. Wang Tiemei's statement shirts and her statement novels (tbh I didn't actually notice them, but
superborb did haha), Xiao Ye's charmingly messy rocker chic aesthetic, the drummer boy's tattered knit sweater (he doesn't have enough aura for this to be feel like a deliberate aesthetic choice) and the same black shirt that he wears on multiple days.My favorite scene was the one where Xiao Ye takes Wang Moli (the daughter) to her workspace and makes her guess sounds! What starts out as a fun little exercise becomes, like Xiao Ye's other line of work, music, as she plays a series of recordings that are nothing but Wang Tiemei. SUCH a good scene and so much warm light.
CW: a brief (unintentional?) self-harm scene + conversations about childhood trauma
Snowflake Challenge #6: Top 10 Challenge
Jan. 13th, 2026 07:28 pmsnowynightI fell into the Conclave (2024) movie rabbit hole in 2025. There are lots of talented artists in the fandom. Here are ten fanarts I love. Mostly SFW
Vincent Benítez/Goffredo Tedesco dancing by![[twitter.com profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico)
nis_tema : I really like their smile!
Young!Thomas Lawrence & Raymond O'Malley with matching keychains byralphater : Love the warm colour,
Conclavification of diptych by Albrecht Durer byasai_ne : it really looks like a medieval church painting.
the bright Morning Star byasai_ne by : gorgeous Vincent Benítez in the desert
pumpkin head Vincent Benítez/Lawrence dancing byValeryMadHatter : so adorable!
Cornus Kousa by dambobodam7 : Vincent Benítez surrounded by lilies
Vincent Benítez/Goffredo Tedesco dancing by
Young!Thomas Lawrence & Raymond O'Malley with matching keychains by
Conclavification of diptych by Albrecht Durer by
the bright Morning Star by
pumpkin head Vincent Benítez/Lawrence dancing by
Cornus Kousa by dambobodam7 : Vincent Benítez surrounded by lilies
I'm a heartless man at worst, babe / And a helpless one at best by popekisser : Cardial Vincent Benítez/Pope Goffredo Tedesco kiss. It's very heartwarming!
Thomas Lawrence starring in a heartburn ad by9179797778_may : It's really funny!
Let’s have a conclave by![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
deathcomequickly : impressive animated pixel fanart
Vincent Benítez catching a plushie bybontmercy : so cute!
Thomas Lawrence starring in a heartburn ad by
Let’s have a conclave by
Vincent Benítez catching a plushie by
Come vs cum: a vocabulary discussion
Jan. 12th, 2026 11:33 pmmific posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fan_writersHi everyone and welcome to 2026!
I wrote a brief discussion of this important topic on my journal, so feel free to hop over and join in. I was inspired to write it by my current fannish obsession, but it's a multifandom, and indeed, profic, topic.
The post's here.
I wrote a brief discussion of this important topic on my journal, so feel free to hop over and join in. I was inspired to write it by my current fannish obsession, but it's a multifandom, and indeed, profic, topic.
The post's here.
IYKYK [cur ev]
Jan. 12th, 2026 05:05 amsiderea"What I 'erd, this nobby, 'iz bird got fingered over a tin o'beans, only shot the poor cow, didn't they? So, like, everybody's tooled up, an'..."
– V for Vendetta, Alan Moore & David Lloyd, 1988
Shockingly good advice from Hariette
Jan. 12th, 2026 04:33 amconuly posting in agonyauntDEAR HARRIETTE: My brother and I were raised in the same household by the same parents, yet as adults we have two very different views of our father. I see my dad as someone who worked hard, showed up in the ways he could and consistently supported us throughout our lives. I'm deeply grateful for him and everything he's done. My brother, on the other hand, seems to carry a lot of resentment. Whenever the subject of our dad comes up, he focuses on his shortcomings and disappointments, often listing ways he feels let down or overlooked. Listening to this has become exhausting and painful for me. It feels like he's erasing the good and ignoring the sacrifices our dad made, and I can't help but hear it as ungratefulness. At the same time, I don't want to dismiss my brother's experience or silence his truth just because it differs from mine. How do I respect his feelings without sitting through what feels like constant criticism of someone I love? -- Oh, Brother
( As always, we grade her on a curve because she's usually so terrible )
( As always, we grade her on a curve because she's usually so terrible )
Trip, part 2
Jan. 11th, 2026 09:44 pmsakana17From Hong Kong, thevetia and I flew to Hangzhou, China (~2 hours' flight). Hangzhou, a sprawling city of over 11 million, is the capital of Zhejiang Province and is most famous for its West Lake. It was the capital city of the Southern Song dynasty from 1132-1276. It's where Chinese tech giant Alibaba is headquartered, is home to several universities, and has been referred to as a tech capital/Silicon Valley. Zhejiang Province's history includes the Neolithic Liangzhu culture (~3300-2300 BCE), and the region is known for its longjing ("dragonwell") green tea.
( Hangzhou )
( Logistical stuff )
thevetia and I flew to Hangzhou, China (~2 hours' flight). Hangzhou, a sprawling city of over 11 million, is the capital of Zhejiang Province and is most famous for its West Lake. It was the capital city of the Southern Song dynasty from 1132-1276. It's where Chinese tech giant Alibaba is headquartered, is home to several universities, and has been referred to as a tech capital/Silicon Valley. Zhejiang Province's history includes the Neolithic Liangzhu culture (~3300-2300 BCE), and the region is known for its longjing ("dragonwell") green tea.( Hangzhou )
( Logistical stuff )
I guess I had this tab open two weeks and forgot about it
Jan. 14th, 2026 04:12 amconulyWell, I meant to post it then, and I guess I'll belatedly post it now - a New Year's Friend Meme!
Click the banner to join us and make some new friends!
Click the banner to join us and make some new friends!
Sigh.
Jan. 15th, 2026 03:32 amconulyI got a set of cute little penguin pens. They're very cute. So cute.
I didn't realize that each pen has a little motto on it, or I might've not bought them. You see, one continuing annoyance since childhood is that writing on pens is always upside down if you're left-handed. Oh, you can get pens where the writing is oriented correctly, that is, for lefties, but for some reason all that writing inevitably is left-handed themed! I don't want my right side up pen motto to say something like "Only lefties are in their right mind!", I want it to say something like "Hope you are happy every day", which is the upside down motto on this purple penguin.
It's the same with left-handed rulers, incidentally. I just want the numbers to go in a sensible direction, I don't need my ruler to affirm how wonderful it is that I'm drawing lines with my left hand.
On a related note, I'm seriously considering buying another pair of lefty kitchen shears for work. I don't really have to spend much time in the kitchen, but if I am in the kitchen and using kitchen shears (almost inevitably to cut up the next day's lunch sandwiches but sometimes to cut up breakfast pancakes and sausages) I'd rather use mine than theirs, because cutting with the wrong scissors is painful and messy. But if I bring my sole pair - which is amazing, I love it, best Christmas present ever! - back and forth with me then sometimes I use it at home, forget to put it back in my bag, and then am irritated for three days until I finally remember again. I could ask them to supply shears for me and keep them in the kitchen drawer, it's a legitimate (and small!) expense, but honestly, I know from experience that righties are terrible and when they accidentally use left-handed scissors they get very confused and irritated. Amusing for me, but undoubtedly an exercise in frustration for a workplace. It's really better all around to bring my own.
****************
( Read more... )
I didn't realize that each pen has a little motto on it, or I might've not bought them. You see, one continuing annoyance since childhood is that writing on pens is always upside down if you're left-handed. Oh, you can get pens where the writing is oriented correctly, that is, for lefties, but for some reason all that writing inevitably is left-handed themed! I don't want my right side up pen motto to say something like "Only lefties are in their right mind!", I want it to say something like "Hope you are happy every day", which is the upside down motto on this purple penguin.
It's the same with left-handed rulers, incidentally. I just want the numbers to go in a sensible direction, I don't need my ruler to affirm how wonderful it is that I'm drawing lines with my left hand.
On a related note, I'm seriously considering buying another pair of lefty kitchen shears for work. I don't really have to spend much time in the kitchen, but if I am in the kitchen and using kitchen shears (almost inevitably to cut up the next day's lunch sandwiches but sometimes to cut up breakfast pancakes and sausages) I'd rather use mine than theirs, because cutting with the wrong scissors is painful and messy. But if I bring my sole pair - which is amazing, I love it, best Christmas present ever! - back and forth with me then sometimes I use it at home, forget to put it back in my bag, and then am irritated for three days until I finally remember again. I could ask them to supply shears for me and keep them in the kitchen drawer, it's a legitimate (and small!) expense, but honestly, I know from experience that righties are terrible and when they accidentally use left-handed scissors they get very confused and irritated. Amusing for me, but undoubtedly an exercise in frustration for a workplace. It's really better all around to bring my own.
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Fandom Snowflake Challenge: Why I'm Participating
Jan. 12th, 2026 12:50 amrogueslayer452Challenge #01: The Icebreaker Challenge: Introduce yourself. Tell us why you're doing the challenge, and what you hope to gain from it.
I'm a fangirl who has been involved with fandom for a very long time, started my online fandom journey on LJ in 2003 and I haven't stopped since. As one can see on my profile just a taste of the various fandoms and interests that I'm into.
When it comes tosnowflake_challenge, I have participated in the challenge itself for some years because, ultimately, it's just fun. I like being given prompts where I can give insightful answers to, I like the level of engagement it provides with interacting with others with fannish interests, from just those on your friendslist to others who participated in this challenge. Which is another thing, last year was the first time I actively participated in the challenge by linking my posts to the community and reading/commenting on others who also participated in the challenge, as well. I miss fandom engagement like that, and that's why I like doing this challenge every year.
I'm a fangirl who has been involved with fandom for a very long time, started my online fandom journey on LJ in 2003 and I haven't stopped since. As one can see on my profile just a taste of the various fandoms and interests that I'm into.
When it comes to
snowflake_challenge, I have participated in the challenge itself for some years because, ultimately, it's just fun. I like being given prompts where I can give insightful answers to, I like the level of engagement it provides with interacting with others with fannish interests, from just those on your friendslist to others who participated in this challenge. Which is another thing, last year was the first time I actively participated in the challenge by linking my posts to the community and reading/commenting on others who also participated in the challenge, as well. I miss fandom engagement like that, and that's why I like doing this challenge every year.
A couple of classic horror movies
Jan. 12th, 2026 07:52 pmlucymonsterI haven't watched a horror movie since my slasher phase all the way back in high school. Now I've just watched two in as many evenings. Not sure what's come over me but I'm having fun!
The Blair Witch Project was really, really scary. :D It's about three young filmmakers who get lost in the woods while filming a documentary about a monster of local folklore called the Blair Witch. They go missing and are never seen alive again; the film is ostensibly pieced together from the recently discovered footage they recorded during the ordeal. Everything about it just worked. I loved the shaky handcam, the found footage styling, and the choice to keep the lurking, stalking menace 100% offscreen. I kept expecting jumpscares - we were blundering around in pitch dark wilderness, the setting was practically made for jumpscares - but they never came and the resulting suspense without any catharsis was somehow so much scarier.
Aside from the...you know, horror part...there's something strangely nostalgic about watching movies like this where the premise depends so heavily on a pre-internet technological environment. Obviously I'm not saying you can't get lost in the woods anymore, but the specific trappings here - the characters being so isolated with no way to call for help or for anyone to track their location, filming in low quality with dismal night vision, entirely reliant for navigation on a paper map that can so easily get lost - feel dated in a way that cast me right back to my 90s childhood. If my appetite for horror continues, I'll have to watch some much newer movies next to find out what we're all scared of in the era of GPS and sprawling 5G coverage.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was also extremely scary. Five young adults run out of fuel while on a van roadtrip through rural Texas; seeking help from the locals, they stumble into the hands of a family of deranged cannibals who set about killing them, sometimes with a chainsaw but more often with (false advertising!) a simple hammer.
This film had none of the subtlety of Blair Witch, but it also wasn't the tasteless, mindless splatterfest I'd osmosed it to be (possibly relevant disclaimer: my osmosis dates from primary school, courtesy of my parents and their seething disapproval when they found out that several of my friends had been allowed to watch it). The onscreen blood and gore were actually very muted, with most of the viscera obscured by camera angles or placed offscreen entirely. It was unhinged and suspenseful and intentionally, powerfully gross but just honestly not that gory. I think the single most horrifying moment for me was seeing Pam thrown onto the cattle hook, and we never even saw the puncture, just the look on her face. The production values weren't high but by God, the directors made the most of what they had. The stench of the abbatoir, the taste of that horrible "barbecue", the drip of putrescent corpses and the relentless, baking heat all somehow leapt right off the page. I spent the whole ninety minutes feeling as much queasy and unsettled as frightened.
The Blair Witch Project was really, really scary. :D It's about three young filmmakers who get lost in the woods while filming a documentary about a monster of local folklore called the Blair Witch. They go missing and are never seen alive again; the film is ostensibly pieced together from the recently discovered footage they recorded during the ordeal. Everything about it just worked. I loved the shaky handcam, the found footage styling, and the choice to keep the lurking, stalking menace 100% offscreen. I kept expecting jumpscares - we were blundering around in pitch dark wilderness, the setting was practically made for jumpscares - but they never came and the resulting suspense without any catharsis was somehow so much scarier.
Aside from the...you know, horror part...there's something strangely nostalgic about watching movies like this where the premise depends so heavily on a pre-internet technological environment. Obviously I'm not saying you can't get lost in the woods anymore, but the specific trappings here - the characters being so isolated with no way to call for help or for anyone to track their location, filming in low quality with dismal night vision, entirely reliant for navigation on a paper map that can so easily get lost - feel dated in a way that cast me right back to my 90s childhood. If my appetite for horror continues, I'll have to watch some much newer movies next to find out what we're all scared of in the era of GPS and sprawling 5G coverage.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was also extremely scary. Five young adults run out of fuel while on a van roadtrip through rural Texas; seeking help from the locals, they stumble into the hands of a family of deranged cannibals who set about killing them, sometimes with a chainsaw but more often with (false advertising!) a simple hammer.
This film had none of the subtlety of Blair Witch, but it also wasn't the tasteless, mindless splatterfest I'd osmosed it to be (possibly relevant disclaimer: my osmosis dates from primary school, courtesy of my parents and their seething disapproval when they found out that several of my friends had been allowed to watch it). The onscreen blood and gore were actually very muted, with most of the viscera obscured by camera angles or placed offscreen entirely. It was unhinged and suspenseful and intentionally, powerfully gross but just honestly not that gory. I think the single most horrifying moment for me was seeing Pam thrown onto the cattle hook, and we never even saw the puncture, just the look on her face. The production values weren't high but by God, the directors made the most of what they had. The stench of the abbatoir, the taste of that horrible "barbecue", the drip of putrescent corpses and the relentless, baking heat all somehow leapt right off the page. I spent the whole ninety minutes feeling as much queasy and unsettled as frightened.
Diversity
Jan. 12th, 2026 02:48 amysabetwordsmithMattel adds an autistic Barbie to doll line
NEW YORK -- Mattel Inc. is introducing an autistic Barbie on Monday as the newest member of its line intended to celebrate diversity, joining a collection that already includes Barbies with Down syndrome, a blind Barbie, a Barbie and a Ken with vitiligo, and other models the toymaker added to make its fashion dolls more inclusive.
[---8<---]
For example, the eyes of the new Barbie shift slightly to the side to represent how some people with autism sometimes avoid direct eye contact, he said. The doll also was given articulated elbows and wrists to acknowledge stimming, hand flapping and other gestures that some autistic people use to process sensory information or to express excitement, according to Mattel.
NEW YORK -- Mattel Inc. is introducing an autistic Barbie on Monday as the newest member of its line intended to celebrate diversity, joining a collection that already includes Barbies with Down syndrome, a blind Barbie, a Barbie and a Ken with vitiligo, and other models the toymaker added to make its fashion dolls more inclusive.
[---8<---]
For example, the eyes of the new Barbie shift slightly to the side to represent how some people with autism sometimes avoid direct eye contact, he said. The doll also was given articulated elbows and wrists to acknowledge stimming, hand flapping and other gestures that some autistic people use to process sensory information or to express excitement, according to Mattel.
Winter Moon by Langston Hughes
Jan. 13th, 2026 02:20 amconulyHow thin and sharp is the moon tonight!
How thin and sharp and ghostly white
Is the slim curved crook of the moon tonight!
*********
In fact, the moon is kinda orange just now, but I'm sure it'll grow pale once it clears the bridge.
How thin and sharp and ghostly white
Is the slim curved crook of the moon tonight!
In fact, the moon is kinda orange just now, but I'm sure it'll grow pale once it clears the bridge.
(no subject)
Jan. 11th, 2026 03:23 amconuly posting in agonyauntDear Eric: My husband has just one sibling, a brother. For many years, we all invited each other to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other holidays. A few years ago, my brother-in-law and his wife stopped inviting us. (They still invite my husband's parents to everything).
We don't know the reason; there was no fight or misunderstanding or awkward interactions. We in turn no longer invite them to our smaller occasions. Weddings and other big occasions are different; everyone is invited.
However, every time we are celebrating our birthdays or anniversary, my husband starts insisting on inviting his brother. No matter how many times I remind him that they no longer invite us, he says it is still his only sibling and it's important to him that his brother be there.
I refuse to agree to invite them, the only exception I make is for my husband's birthday because that's him we are celebrating so he can invite them if he wants. They attend his birthday but do not reciprocate. It's very weird.
I still cannot figure out why it's important to have people at our table that do not care about seeing us at theirs.
Can you help me formulate a response that would stop my husband from asking me to invite them? Apparently my saying no every time for years and explaining why is not sufficient. I am tired of these arguments, and it does not change anything. I need an ironclad reason that he will agree with.
– Tired of the One-Way Street
( Read more... )
We don't know the reason; there was no fight or misunderstanding or awkward interactions. We in turn no longer invite them to our smaller occasions. Weddings and other big occasions are different; everyone is invited.
However, every time we are celebrating our birthdays or anniversary, my husband starts insisting on inviting his brother. No matter how many times I remind him that they no longer invite us, he says it is still his only sibling and it's important to him that his brother be there.
I refuse to agree to invite them, the only exception I make is for my husband's birthday because that's him we are celebrating so he can invite them if he wants. They attend his birthday but do not reciprocate. It's very weird.
I still cannot figure out why it's important to have people at our table that do not care about seeing us at theirs.
Can you help me formulate a response that would stop my husband from asking me to invite them? Apparently my saying no every time for years and explaining why is not sufficient. I am tired of these arguments, and it does not change anything. I need an ironclad reason that he will agree with.
– Tired of the One-Way Street
( Read more... )
423 Prompt Post
Jan. 12th, 2026 01:54 amlove_jackianto1 posting in anythingdrabbleThis week's prompt is:
Tale
Have fun!
P.s. I'll take care of tagging.
Have fun!
P.s. I'll take care of tagging.