battleshipmod ([personal profile] battleshipmod) wrote in [community profile] battleshipex2025-07-23 10:42 pm
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Pear, Board 3

The dinner rush is over, the octopus has not caused any problems for a short while, and you look forward to returning to your archaeology. You sigh, seeing if you can spot Professor Fuzang, but suddenly you realize you can't spot much at all – the fog is so thick you can barely see your own hands.

“Oh great. The octopus built a fog machine,” the Manager says.

Perhaps teaching it how to tinker with machinery wasn’t the best idea. You stay incredibly quiet.

“I guess it’ll have to be part of the ambience,” the Manager sighs and walks off.

You take this opportunity to sneak out back to the grounds. The fog is incredibly thick here as well, and you can barely even see where the plot is, let alone what’s in it, but all those bones and machinery pieces have you invested. There’s something in the ground here, and you have a burning urge to discover what it is.

“Ooh,” Professor Fuzang says over your previously excavated pile of bones and machinery. When you walk closer, you can see that he, too, now has a wiggling pear mashed onto his head. He somehow makes it look dignified. “You know, I think I recognize this culture. The Dirt Empire reigned here long ago, and left behind several kinds of artifact, usually attested only as fragments. I believe that these objects usually accompany a much larger object, in roughly this shape.” He sketches a shape on the ground with a talon. “We haven’t ever found the full object, and extant samples are so weathered it’s hard to do more than speculate on the function, but all the other objects you’ve excavated are incredibly well-preserved, so we might be able to discover something new! My colleagues have speculated it is an object for ‘ritual purposes,’ so I would be thrilled to be able to discover the actual function.”

You look at the sketch. Of course, there’s no telling how many pieces it will be in, nor the size, but you’re in too deep now. You must discover what this relic of the Dirt Empire is, and what it is for; and for that, you shall dig down. Long live dirt! Long live the Dirt Empire!

Pear Board 3 Grid and List of Goals

Pear Collection | Prompt Collection (AO3) | Prompt Collection (Automagic App)

ExpandBoard 3 Rules )

The first team to uncover every machine component will win the 2025 round of Battleship Exchange! The remaining teams will continue competing until one claims second place.

resonant: Ray Kowalski (Due South) (Default)
resonant ([personal profile] resonant) wrote2025-07-23 09:25 pm
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Beta wanted: Sinners

Anybody want to beta 400 words of light-as-air Sinners genfic?
brithistorian: (Default)
brithistorian ([personal profile] brithistorian) wrote2025-07-23 08:41 pm
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On writing and humor

When I first started writing, I would get comments about how things I'd written were "so funny." This perplexed, confused, and annoyed me, because most of these times I wasn't trying to be funny. But after a while I realized that this was just sort of how my writing came out — even when I'm trying to be totally serious, I often still end up slipping little funny bits in, and when I'm not trying to be totally serious. . . well, you end up with things like this conversation that I wrote last night, and that I'm particularly amused by:

Lily lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. After a while, she rolled over to look at Jiwoo, who was lying on her bed, watching a drama on her laptop. “So how long do we have to pretend to be dating?”

Jiwoo laughed, then paused her drama and turned to look at Lily. “‘Have to’? You really know how to make a girl feel wanted!”

Lily tossed a throw pillow at Jiwoo. “You know what I mean!” she said teasingly.

“Who knows?” Jiwoo teased back, her eyes sparkling. “Maybe we decide to end it next week. . . or maybe we end up pretending to date for so long that we end up pretending to get married and then we pretend to have kids and end up pretending to live happily ever after.”

“Pretend to have kids?” Lily asked. “How would that even work?”

Jiwoo shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “But we’ve got plenty of time to figure it out. Before we do that, we’ll have to pretend to get married, and before we can do that, you’ve got to pretend to propose to me.”

“I’ve got to?” Lily asked. “Why wouldn’t you pretend to propose to me?”

Jiwoo raised an eyebrow skeptically and scoffed as she looked at Lily and said “Because you’re older than me, so obviously people would expect you to pretend to propose to me. If I pretend to propose to you, it’ll look like I’m pretending to tie you down because I’m not really sure that you pretend to love me.”

Lily laughed. “Should I be worried that this is starting to make sense?”

marycatelli: (Golden Hair)
marycatelli ([personal profile] marycatelli) wrote in [community profile] books2025-07-23 09:34 pm

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 7

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 7 by Kanehito Yamada

Spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes

ExpandRead more... )
cornerofmadness: (Default)
cornerofmadness ([personal profile] cornerofmadness) wrote2025-07-23 09:04 pm
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That Book Thing

I had been short listed for my weird west thing but didn't make it in. I'm sad. I loved those girls. There is another weird west open call but the pay is low and I am not feeling it. Sigh. Had one for my watery colonial monster but that open call doesn't want historicals. Sigh. Sometimes it's hard to feel appreciated as an author that's for sure.

So have the book thing

What I Just Finished Reading:

Cinders of Yesterday - Buffy/Supernatural vibes, urban fantasy, lesbian partners (by a queer author) really liked this. It was set up for a second book but I don't see any yet. Maybe she'll be at the Gettysburg Steampunk con again


Zero at the Bone - an old true crime not badly written saggy in the middle

The Crossing Places - really a good mystery but my god the fat shaming in this

Victoria's Electric Coffin #3 - I had no idea this was gonna end in 3 books but in some ways I like that


What I am Currently Reading:

War Child - a Deep Space Nine Novel lackluster like most Star Trek books

The Wood - an urban fantasy I literally lost under my bed for years

Dark and Dangerous Journey - WWII mystery arc


What I Plan to Read Next:

Pantomine - an LGBT (intersexed main character) fantasy, I like it but i'm shelving it for a bit
stonepicnicking_okapi: letters (letters)
stonepicnicking_okapi ([personal profile] stonepicnicking_okapi) wrote2025-07-23 08:59 pm
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Word: Colophon

Wednesday's word is...

...colophon

[kol-uh-fon, -fuhn]


1. a publisher's or printer's distinctive emblem, used as an identifying device on its books and other works.

2. an inscription at the end of a book or manuscript, used especially in the 15th and 16th centuries, giving the title or subject of the work, its author, the name of the printer or publisher, and the date and place of publication.

---

I found it in The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran:

It [The Bhagavad Gita] is not so much part of the Mahabharata as an Upanishad, slipped into the narrative about a third of the way in – a view supported by the traditional colophon that ends each chapter, which identifies the Gita as an Upanishad on yoga.
stonepicnicking_okapi: Miss Marple (marple)
stonepicnicking_okapi ([personal profile] stonepicnicking_okapi) wrote2025-07-23 08:34 pm
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All of Agatha: The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side

This series of entries is commentary on my lifelong quest to read all of Agatha Christie's works in UK publication order. It was begun in January 2021.

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side [1962] is one of my favorites. There is a lot of unnecessary moaning and whining about the passage of time (Christie would have been in her early 70's when it was published) and the cattiness that Christie sometimes indulges in, and her hobby horse about adoption not being Real Love, but the plot itself and the mystery are very, very sound. The clues are all there, you just have to put them together and weed out the red herrings. And we get Dolly Bantry and Miss Marple together again, which I like.

In the back of my mind, I have an idea for a ficlet series of Miss Marple dreaming about ways to murder Miss Knight (the companion Miss Marple's nephew Raymond West has hired to take care of her).

I am pleased with how this collage turned out. This is in my Agatha Christie notebook.

glitteringstars: (writing)
Lune Soldier ([personal profile] glitteringstars) wrote in [community profile] writethisfanfic2025-07-23 05:28 pm
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Check In: Day 23

Happy Wednesday!

How did writing go today?

-Fantastic!
-Great!
-Moving along!
-Struggling!
-Rest day/Too busy!

Today's discussion: What's your best writing day?
paradoxcase ([personal profile] paradoxcase) wrote in [community profile] rainbowfic2025-07-23 03:24 pm

Dogwood Rose #5, Realgar #9 [The Fulcrum]

Name: Apologies
Story: The Fulcrum
Colors: Dogwood Rose #5: yellow: jealousy, Realgar #9: Escort
Styles and Supplies: Life Drawing, Graffiti (Disability Pride Month), Glue ("Stop trying to feel everyone else's emotions and focus on yours, Leo. Being empathetic is certainly laudable, but at some point you need to face the music and look in the mirror. Make a clear distinction between your needs and those of others. Express your feelings. Ask for help if you need it. Other people aren't mind readers. They probably have no idea what you're feeling."), Novelty Bead ("bend", given here)
Word Count: 1346
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Characters: Setsiana, Cyaru, Qhoroali, and the old man from earlier
Summary: Tensions are resolved in the wake of the attack.

ExpandApologies )
queen_ypolita: A stack of leather-covered books next to an hourglass (ClioBooks by magic_art)
queen_ypolita ([personal profile] queen_ypolita) wrote2025-07-23 06:40 pm
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Wednesday reading

Finished since the last reading post
Seeing, which was a rather slow read because I kept having to go back a couple of pages because I got confused about what was going on. The immediate repression by the government when it encounters something it doesn't understand was rather chilling.

The Dangerous Kingdom of Love, which was focused on Francis Bacon and plotting in James VI/I's court, was a quick and easy read in comparison.

Icebreaker by AL Graziadei, a YA romance novel with rivals turned lovers.

Currently reading
Not much progress with Crypt but it's still on the go. Also reading Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue and Between the Teeth by Taylor Fitzpatrick.

Reading next
I have two library reservations ready to pick up, so probably them. .
geraineon: (Default)
geraineon ([personal profile] geraineon) wrote in [community profile] cnovels2025-07-24 12:35 am

Read-in-Progress Wednesday

This is your weekly read-in-progress post for you to talk about what you're currently reading and reactions and feelings (if any)!

For spoilers:

<details><summary>insert summary</summary>Your spoilers goes here</details>

<b>Highlight for spoilers!*</b><span style="background-color: #FFFFFF; color: #FFFFFF">Your spoilers goes here.</span>*
battleshipmod ([personal profile] battleshipmod) wrote in [community profile] battleshipex2025-07-23 11:18 am
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Grape, Boss 2

You have amassed a large collection of various teapots and tea accessories and donuts you can’t possibly imagine will be of any use to anyone, let alone an archeologist like the professor, but then again you didn’t think anyone would be interested in dirt-dug donuts and they’re selling well.

You walk back into The Enchanted Grape, only to step and slip on some…mud. Well, there is plenty of dirt around, so this shouldn’t be surprising. Taking a closer look you see they look like huge footsteps and, following them, that they’re dropping from the golems, who seem a bit damp and lethargic from all the shoulder dragon steam.

“Here,” the manager says, handing you and your teammates a broom. “Help clean this up, and then –”

She’s cut off by the kitchen door swinging open, and you catch a glimpse of what’s going on inside. A tentacle. Visions of the octopus who picked you up and threw you at the cafe fly through your mind and you brace yourself against the wall, sure you’re about to go up in the air again, but instead the cooks come running back out.

“Okay, forget the brooms,” the manager says, taking yours back into her own hands. “How about you distract this new hire?”

New… hire…?


Grape Boss 2 progress tracker

Grape Collection | Prompt Collection (AO3) | Prompt Collection (Automagic App)

ExpandBoss 2 Rules )

dancing_serpent: (Actors - Hou Minghao - rose)
Phaeton ([personal profile] dancing_serpent) wrote in [community profile] c_ent2025-07-23 02:59 pm
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Did You Make a Thing?

This month is almost over, so, let's hear it. *g* How did it go with your fannish creativity?

Did you manage to make a thing?

Created fanart or made vids? Wrote fic or meta? How about picspams, link collections, character mood boards, themed playlists, promo posts, or whatever else you create for fannish enjoyment?

Here's the place to share it with us! Leave a link in the comments, or elaborate on it as much as you want.
rydra_wong: Lee Miller photo showing two women wearing metal fire masks in England during WWII. (Default)
rydra_wong ([personal profile] rydra_wong) wrote2025-07-23 07:41 am
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battleshipmod ([personal profile] battleshipmod) wrote in [community profile] battleshipex2025-07-23 01:32 am
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Strawberry, Boss 2

You gather your haul of scrolls and coins in a wheelbarrow and head for the back door of the Fraise Lounge, because once again you're too filthy to go in the front. Naturally, while you've been outside digging and sweating and coughing, Professor Zzt has been hanging out in the nice cool cafe. He hasn't even sent a golem to bring you water. Rude!

But when you go around the back, you find a giant steaming mud puddle, Runner's bedraggled tendrils writhing across it to no avail, and a very frustrated Stray. "Oh good, you're done," they say, pushing damp green hair off their forehead. "I'm going to need your help with the dinner rush. If Zzt hadn't commandeered you — well, never mind. Done is done."

"What happened?" you ask, carefully skirting the mud puddle. It's full of pink aprons.

Runner's dragon head coalesces, its long neck drooping. "The sanitizing steam melted the golems," it says sadly. "I need to wait for the dirt to dry out again before I can bring them back."

"We did hire a new dishwasher who can handle the heat," Stray says, "but he's... not ideal."

You hear a crash of dishes from inside the cafe. A deep voice calls out, "Sorrr-reeee!"

Stray growls. "That's the problem with octopuses! They're smart but so easily distracted. They need at least three or four kinds of input at once..."

They turn to look at you. You know what that look means. It means another side quest. Are you ever going to get home?

"Could you maybe... read to Dwayne? Or sing?" they ask hopefully. "Or teach him things — he likes to learn. If you can keep him on task with the dishes, I think the servers and I can handle the rest."

"Fine," you say wearily, setting the wheelbarrow well away from the puddle of melted golem. "Will you tell Professor Zzt his scrolls and coins are here?"

Stray doesn't look thrilled at the mention of the annoying sprite, but there's another crash and another "Sorrr-reeee!" and they wince and rub their head. "Sure," they say. "Just stop Dwayne from breaking all my dishes, and I'll do whatever you want."

You follow Stray back into the kitchen, where you find a creature that's unusual even by your standards: an enormous, bright red, bald human head with eight octopus arms. He's sweeping up shards of glass and pottery with two arms while the other six wash dishes, stir pots, adjust the flame on the stove, embroider strawberry leaves on an apron, and play the clarinet he has stuck in his unnervingly human mouth. "Hi!" he toots. Belatedly, he lowers the clarinet. "Sorry about the dishes, Stray."

"It's fine," Stray says, taking the broom away just before it knocks over another bin of dirty things. "Here, I brought you some bards to keep you focused."

"Oh, wonderful!" Dwayne exclaims. "I love bards! Do you know any sea shanties? Those are really good for getting into a work rhythm."

A new status board appears, set up to count the number of stories you tell. You'd better get started.


Strawberry Boss 2 progress tracker

Strawberry Collection | Prompt Collection (AO3) | Prompt Collection (Automagic App)

ExpandBoss 2 Rules )

cornerofmadness: (tom)
cornerofmadness ([personal profile] cornerofmadness) wrote2025-07-22 09:07 pm
Entry tags:

Finally made it there

And since I love flowers this counts as fannish 50. So today it was like 70 outside so I hurried on to the Pittburgh Botanical Gardens and if not for the lone handicapped spot I wouldn't have gone because every other spot was taken. On a Tuesday morning! Guess all of Pittsburgh and every tourist had the same idea.

As for the Pittsburgh Botanical Garden it's a misnomer all around. It's about 20 miles outside of Pittsburgh in Oakdale where my Great grandfather and great aunts/uncles are buried. It's also WAY more an arboretum than a garden. Very little of it is actual garden. Much of it is trees and a lot of it I can do in my own backyard but I like to go. It had a new art installation I wanted to see and the last time (which was the first) I was still too early in my recover to do more than the lower loop.

What I DO love about the path to the Lotus pond is they have several mailboxes set up, in each is a laminated 'newspaper' about a tree it's in front of, year sprouted and other things that happened that year. It's engaging.

I rather wish they'd stop calling the Asian Woodlands that since it lacks a lot of what would be IN those but it's a nice pond (and they have a nice write up about how they mitigated the nasty water that was once there) The art installation is simple but pretty especially when viewed as intended (reflected in the water).

This time I headed into 'the european woodlands' to see the whimsical follies they put up there. There is a giant nest, a dogwood meadow, the hermit's hut, the bookworm glen and the apiary (closed path). I made it through those and then went back to the garden side of things but not all of it (I did that last time and it was getting hot)

I did go to the garden of five senses, really more designed with kids in mind such as the water fountains and little rocks to feel. I much preferred the sound and sight. Sound were metal flowers with mallets to make music one, a drum and a xylophone and sight was a big pot of flowers with kalideoscopes over it using the flowers as the swirly bits. The sense of smell and taste were veggies and herbs that I touched (as if I don't have chocolate mint, lemon balm and oregano at home)

They had seeds on sale. Since I have a greenhouse at my disposal I picked up greek oregano (could always use more) and blue lake snap beans.

My knee did okay, the leg went numb. It started to recede the longer I pushed it. It's a bit swollen now and gave out a bit ago.


And you get a little extra Fannish 50 from me. I love history. Have you been watching Hazardous History with Henry Winkler. Yeah almost no one on the show is a historian and a lot of it is played for levity but OMG the stuff that was common place especially in the early 20th century. Heck some of the stuff I remember (especially in the toy episode) is scary enough (lawn darts, anyone?) It's a fun show and from what I know accurate (no depth but breadth) I know for instance that yes Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup was 65 mg/Oz of morphine and also, yes lithium was one of the 7 ingredients of 7 Up. Check it out. You might have fun with it.

ExpandWelcome to the Garden )
stonepicnicking_okapi: beach (beach)
stonepicnicking_okapi ([personal profile] stonepicnicking_okapi) wrote2025-07-22 08:46 pm

Sunshine Revival #6

Sunshine-Revival-Carnival-2.png

Journaling prompt: What games do you play, if any? Are you a solo-gamer or do you view games as a social activity?
Creative prompt: Write a story/fic around the theme "game night".


I make my family play board games, usually at least two or three times a month. Per recommendation on DW during the Snowflake Challenge, I bought 2 of the EXIT games, but they were very difficult for us. We had to look at the clues and the solutions for many of the steps.

I also got the game Canvas, which is a kind of art composition game, and the boys, Minisculus in particular, really liked it. So we will be playing that again.

We usually play Ticket to Ride or Exploding Kittens. Sometimes we play Catan or Sorry. I play Monopoly or Yahtzee with the boys. Or Battleship with Minisculus.

I play Wordle, Spelling Bee, and the BTS game In the Seom. Here's a mood board I did for the last.



For the Creative Prompt, I did a double drabble in the Jeeves & Wooster fandom.

Title: Wager
Fandom: Jeeves & Wooster
Rating: Gen
Length: 200
Characters: the Drones minus Bertie
Summary: The Drones are having a wager.

ExpandRead more... )