Reading

Weekly chat reminder

Please join us for the weekly TS chat on Saturday, September 27th, at 7 pm Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)/19:00 UTC. That could be as early as 12 pm if you’re on the west coast of North America, or 3 pm if you’re on the east coast, or 8 pm in the UK, or early Sunday morning in Australia or New Zealand.

We’re in the usual place: http://us25.chatzy.com/81935648447483. There’s nothing to download or install, just choose a name and a color and click on “join chat.”

Sign-ups for the Exchange portion of TS Secret Santa are open now! It’s the 20^th year, so let’s make it a fantastic one! Instructions on how to sign up are here: https://ts-secret-santa.livejournal.com/236446.html

Our topic this week: we know that Jim’s spirit animal is the panther, and Blair’s is the wolf, but what if we didn’t know that? What other spirit animals would fit them? And what do you think of spirit animals? Should they stay non-material, or should they be able to affect the world around them?

See you there!

Entry tags:

yuletide

My promos for Yuletide

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

Entry tags:

2025

Author reveals, and some other stuff

Authors are now revealed - go check out the collection, and remember to leave kudos and comments on works you enjoyed!

As a reminder, you are required to leave a comment on your gift in order to participate in the next round of RelationShipping, and it's also just good practice. If you cannot leave a comment on your gift for whatever reason, either reject the work or give a heads-up to the mod email before the next round.

If you've been around the exchange-focused anon memes lately, you're probably aware of some backlash regarding the way an EPH request was handled by the lead mod this round. The recipient affected has been contacted privately and the exchange will be under new management going forward - by a mod who isn't a member of the "mod cabal" discord, if that counts for anything. More information to follow.

Entry tags:

2025,
nominations

Nominations Closing Soon

We need your fandom & character nominations by 1pm UTC 27 September. That’s 12 hours away!

See countdown!

If your fandom requires evidence, please also submit it by that time.

Please check previous posts in this community for guidance on what can be nominated.

Schedule, Rules, & Collection [still being tweaked for this year] | Contact Mods | Tag Set | Community DW | Community LJ | Discord | Pinch hits on Dreamwidth

Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.

Entry tags:

Leverage: simple machines, by vexedquestion

Fandom: Leverage
Pairings/Characters: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer
Rating: M
Length: 61264 word long series (first work with 20345 words, second with 40919)
Creator Links:

vexedquestion
Theme: food & cooking, bisexual/pansexual characters, polyamory, series

Summary:
part 1: you do not have to be good.
Come hell or high water, Eliot is going to figure this out.

part 2: your place in the family of things
He's here, he's queer, he's sort of getting used to it, or, Eliot realizes that he still has some work to do on understanding himself. With bonus new!team members.

Reccer's Notes:

Bisexual/pansexual Characters

This story features an Eliot Spencer who might have, in the back of his mind, known that he wasn't fully straight, but didn't let it sink in until he got close to having a relationship with Parker and Hardison. Growing up with the background homophobia of his childhood, and then the Don't Ask, Don't Tell of the military, he didn't think about it, didn't apply labels such as "bisexual" to himself. So realizing that he indeed wants a relationship with Parker and with Hardison leads to some serious reconsidering and soul-searching as he works through that. It is very much a "coming out later in life" story. The first part focuses on coming out to himself and his partners, and the second part focuses on finding his place in the wider queer community.

Food & Cooking

These stories feature a copious amount of food metaphors in the likes of "bretzels", actually co-owning a brewpub, and Eliot working through his feelings in late-night visits to the kitchen, and showing Parker and Hardison he loves them by cooking them food. The second part of the series especially is set in the brewpub as kind of a home base and develops the location as a legit place of business. For example Eliot creates longdrinks for the pub that convey his feelings, and they each are described at the end of chapter, it's delightful.

Polyamory

I like how the story portrays it as a multidimensional three-way-relationship: Each of the duos have their own relationship, and also the three of them function together in a way that's different than their two-way-relationships. Much like in canon, actually. Eliot is the POV character, and he has important scenes with Parker along, with Hardison alone, and with them both.
The first part is about figuring out how they work as a relationship together, about Eliot figuring out his queerness in relation to Parker and Hardison. The second part is about how that interacts with the outside world, portrayed through some very nicely flashed out side characters from the brewpub as well as another group of (rather young, very queer) criminals they're recruiting. In the second part especially, the focus is on their polyamory in that outsiders learn about it, and especially Eliot learns to show his love for his people.

Fanwork Links:
simple machines series link, ao3-locked
you do not have to be good. part one, ao3-locked
your place in the family of thingspart two, ao3-locked

Steel Magnolias + Global Fest

We've hit the busy season at work, so I haven't been posting much, but a student just canceled at the last minute and I have a couple of recent shows I want to write about!

1. The local Civic Theater put on Steel Magnolias. I've seen the movie (in a packed cinema full of women about twenty years older than I am; this must have been a formative film for a generation) and although I didn't love it, I was curious about the stage play because I heard that it all took place in one room, the hair-dresser's salon.

So of course when I had a chance to see the stage play I jumped at it, and of course Civic Theater was ALSO full of women about twenty years older than I am, because once again this film was apparently formative for a generation. I thought the first act dragged a bit, but overall I quite liked it. The single set and limited cast (you hear about but never see the men) heightens the emotion, I think. M'Lynn knocked it out of the park in the last act, and of course grumpy Eeyore-ish Ouiser is always a good time.

2. I also went to Global Fest, which is not a show per se but a festival with food booths, craft booths, a stage with mostly dance and singing shows, etc. When I was a kid we went every year (my mom helped with the food booths for years) and I always liked to hit up the bonsai room, watch the bobbin lace makers, stop in the pottery workshop... The pottery was not exactly global-themed, but the pottery workshop lived in the building where most of Global Fest took place, so why not?

In the intervening years, Global Fest has changed management, and I was distrait to discover that the only free attraction remaining is the stage show. Which is not negligible! Who doesn't love a lion dance! But there's no more bonsai room, no more craft demonstrations, no more pottery, just a bunch of booths selling stuff. I enjoy buying a pastry as much as the next person, but it felt like a lot of the soul had gone out of the event.

Current Mood: a little bit genghis khan
Current Music: I don't want you to get it on with nobody else but me

Entry tags:

Small joy and a rec

Less exciting by a long shot than yesterday's Huntington treatment news, but I was feeling extremely icky today and then Genghis Khan by Miike Snow came on in the café where I stopped for lunch, and it made me chair dance.

I didn't link the official video. I linked a shot-for-shot remake from Phineas and Ferb, a tv show about which I know approximately nothing not found in the vid. And I ship it anyway.

Current Mood: tired

Small victories

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Collection Tags and Improvements to Collection Filters

Posted by therealmorticia

https://www.transformativeworks.org/collection-tags-and-improvements-to-collection-filters/

https://www.transformativeworks.org/?p=268822

We’ve just given the code for collection browsing and filtering a much-needed overhaul! In addition to some long overdue performance improvements, this update introduces collection tags — a new way to find collections featuring the fandoms, relationships, tropes, and other topics you enjoy.

How do collection tags work?

Collection owners can now use up to 10 tags of any type (What are the different types of tags?) to describe their collection. The tags are listed on the collection blurb, and the collection filters have a new “Filter by tag” autocomplete field to help users find collections matching their interests.

While it is possible to use brand new tags on collections, we strongly encourage owners to use existing canonical tags or their synonyms. This makes it easier for users to find your collection using the autocomplete options in the collection filters.

We’ve also added a “Multifandom” option specifically for collections that feature a wide variety of fandoms. Collection owners can select this option to help users find collections where the focus isn’t a specific fandom, but rather a theme like fanvids of old films or fic written in first person. We think this will be particularly useful for users whose fandoms don’t have their own prompt memes or gift exchanges, but who want to find challenges they might be able to participate in.

Please note that while we encourage collection owners to start using the “Multifandom” option right away, there are a few more changes we need to make before it will be possible to filter collections based on their multifandom status. We’ll update this post when multifandom filtering becomes available.

What about existing collections?

Together with the collection tags feature going live, we automatically tagged existing collections with the fandoms from their works and bookmarks, as well as any works or bookmarks in their subcollections.

Additionally, collections with more than one unrelated fandom were automatically marked as multifandom. We used our tag wrangling system to determine whether fandoms are related, just like we do when marking works as crossovers. Collections with more than 10 fandoms (the limit for collection tags) were marked as multifandom but did not have any fandom tags added.

Collection owners are welcome to edit their collection and change any information we automatically added.

Other changes

As part of the browsing and filtering overhaul, there are a few other noticeable changes to collections.

Subcollections are now listed on the main Collections page and included in the results when filtering.
In order to make room for collection tags, we’ve combined the list of owners and moderators in blurbs, similar to the way they’re combined on the collection profile. Because we know this distinction may be important to some users, we’ve made it possible to style owners and moderators separately by using the a.owner and a.mod selectors in a site skin. (Your styles will apply in the blurb and on the collection profile.)
The Open Challenges page, including the Open Gift Exchanges and Open Prompt Memes pages, now list collections that are closing the soonest at the top of the page.

https://www.transformativeworks.org/collection-tags-and-improvements-to-collection-filters/

https://www.transformativeworks.org/?p=268822

Entry tags:

Multifandom: Late Treat Bonanza - sign-ups/posting open

An assortment of presents on a light green background with the text "Late Treat Bonanza."

Link:

latetreatbonanza | AO3 Collection

Description: Do you have a late gift that you started a long time ago and need a little push to finish up? Post it for Late Treat Bonanza! Late Treat Bonanza is an event designed to motivate people to finish up old gifts for a deadline. You can add your late gifts to our collection, which will keep it hidden until everything gets revealed all at once on December 25th! We also provide a 1-week anonymous period to make it a Secret Santa-like gifting occasion. If you've been having trouble finishing up a late treat, maybe this event will provide you the motivation you need!

Even if you aren't planning on making anything, if you've signed up for exchanges and other gift-giving events in the past, you may want to sign up to indicate your interest in receiving late gifts. People already working on treats or looking for some old requests for inspiration might be motivated to create something for you!

* Note that Late Treat Bonanza is now running once a year during this Christmas time period, so get your late treats in now while you can!

Schedule:
Sign-ups end/works due: 24 December 23:59 PST (UTC-8)
Creator reveals/collection closed: 31 December 23:59 PST (UTC-8)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

( You're about to view content that a community administrator has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

15 years from now, I know it feels remote but picture it somehow in your head

IT's Friday! I'm actually working tomorrow, so it's not that big of a deal, but Fridays are still nice. I'm kind of sorry that I'm scheduled for tomorrow and next week, but that's okay. I shall deal.

Jess' drains are still being difficult, so we're not driving to DC today. They're just stubbornly refusing to get below a 25ml output for 24 hours, so they said to just call when they do, and they'll work Jess in. We adjusted the compression vest a bit, and we'll see if that helps. The actual site looks really good. Everything seems to be healing well, and the incision site doesn't look bad at all. Dr. Chen really did some awesome work. I can't wait for the tape to fall off, so we can get a good look.

I got an email from the people doing my ring. They're getting ready to mock it up in the CAD, and then they'll send the proof to me to approve, and then it'll go into production. It's going to take about 4-6 weeks to arrive, same as my dress. I had a pendant made for me, but that was years ago.

As per my usual, I've done a ton of research about the vow renewal. It looks nice, though. People who have done it seem very happy with the service. Our first handfasting was in our friend's attic, which doubled as the ritual room for our coven. There was maybe a dozen people there, none of whom I'm in regular contact with now. Our first marriage was done as a quickie in a now closed Irish restaurant with

poisontaster signing our official certificate. Both were special in their own way, but I'm also looking forward to a vow renewal with Holland America.

It'll be the first time I've worn a full length gown. Our first wedding, I wore a denim dress, and the second, I wore jeans and a nice shirt. This one is going to be a lot more...catered. We'll have the passed appetizers, and staff waiting on us, and a cake!

I think it'll be very cool, and hopefully meaningful.

Yesterday, I was productive. I both took out trash and did laundry and washed Jess hair as a bonus. I still have a load of laundry to do this weekend, but that's not too bad.

Tonight, we have game which the lovely

poisontaster is running. Then tomorrow I have a game, and Sunday i have a morning game that

coyotegestalt is running and I think that's it for the weekend.

Sunday, I might have a quiet day. But we'll see.

Okay, I'm going to go get a nice hot shower and get ready for the day. Everyone have a most excellent Friday!

Entry tags:

anime,
binge

DC Slash Online Binge: Short Anime Series - Saturday, September 27

This Saturday's binge features anime series so short that we'll be able to watch more than one in their entirety!

The binge will include the gay Korean romance Hyperventilation as well as the Japanese comedy Merman in my Tub (Orenchi no Furo Jijou). Join us!

The binge begins at 2 p.m. Eastern time (US) and usually runs until 5 or 6 pm. Here's the Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83088355896

Please be sure not to share the link outside of fandom. Thanks!

Fic I wrote for Ray Vecchio Day 2025

Title: Bend It Like Benton

Author:

ride_4ever

Fandoms: due South x FlashForward crossover

Categories: Gen, M/M

Archive warnings: creator chose not to use archive warnings

Characters: Ray Vecchio, Stella Vecchio (formerly Stella Kowalski) mentioned, Benton Fraser mentioned, Ray Kowalski implied

Relationships: Ray Vecchio/Stella, Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski implied

Rating: Teen and Up

Length: 300 words (triple drabble)

Summary: On Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 11:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time nearly everyone in the world lost consciousness for two minutes and seventeen seconds during which time most saw a vision – a “flash forward” – of their lives six months into the future: April 29, 2010 at 10:00 PM PDT. Some people, however, merely lost consciousness without experiencing a vision…people who were then presumed to be fated to die by April 29, 2010.

AN: Written for both Ray Vecchio Day and for the dSC6D snippets comm on DW.

Fic on AO3.

Current Mood: feel like saying hooray
Current Location: near the lake they call Michigan

Entry tags:

Fannish 50 Challenge 2025: Post # 30: fic I wrote for Ray Vecchio Day 2025

Title: Bend It Like Benton

Author:

Entry tags:

Fic I wrote for Ray Vecchio Day 2025

Title: Bend It Like Benton

Author:

Entry tags:

snippet I wrote for Ray Vecchio Day

( You're about to view content that a community administrator has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

Announcement! Global Pros Watch, Tues, 30 Sept, 2025!

Announcement! It's time for our Global Pros Watch. We will be watching Not A Very Civil Civil Servant, on Tuesday, 30 September, 2025, at 9PM Eastern US time. Please check your time zone clock in your part of the world. We will stream the episode on Zoom. Before the viewing, at approx. 8PM Eastern US time, we will have an open Zoom chat. I will post the link on Monday, 29 September, 2025.

Come and watch Cowley do his usual triple think and the lads looking good.

Announcement! Global Pros Watch, Tues, 30 Sept, 2025!

( You're about to view content that a community administrator has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )