Reading

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Midsomer Murder

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event: album challenge: 2025

Album Challenge 2025 Hazbin Hotel / Hurt So Good

Title: Hurt So Good

author:

cornerofmadness

Summary: Angel and Husk decide to move their relationship into potentially dangerous waters for Angel as they work in the BDSM Angel enjoys but Valentino has damaged. Husk is nervous about it but he wants to make Angel happy and feel safe at the same time.

Rating: explicit

pairing Angel Dust/Husk

Warnings explicit sex, BDSM

Artist: John Mellencamp
Album: Footloose Soundtrack
Song: Hurts So Good

And this one finishes my album!

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Rewite-a-fic Fill 2025

Title Playground After Dark
Creator:

merryghoul
Fandom: WWE
Relationship: Alexa Bliss/Lilly (Alexa Bliss's doll)/Becky Lynch
Rating: Explicit
Word Count: 3454
Warnings: Creator chooses not to use AO3 warnings. Fic contains femdom, mommy kink, and dubious consent; additional tags included in fic.
Link: Playground After Dark

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[Amnesty #027] Kickoff Post

AMNESTY WEEK #027
Challenges # 001-270

Amnesty Weeks are a chance to post any stories you've written that, for whatever reason, weren't submitted during that week's challenge. And if you can't get the entries you want in during this Amnesty, never fear! The next one will include challenges 001-280, so you'll never miss out.

There's no voting for amnesty entries, and there's no limit on how many you can post, so long as each entry meets the usual community requirements (less than 1000 words, not NC-17, etc.) If, however, you manage to end up with 30 of the things you want to post, try to spread them out through the week for the sake of people's reading pages. These entries may also be crossposted and previewed anywhere you like, since there’s no voting to skew.

At the end of this two-week window, a post will be made collecting all the links of the posted entries, which will also signal the end of the posting period, and a new regular challenge will go up.

Entries are titled the same way as normal: [#] Story Title (Fandom)

PAST THEMES: Second Chances, Heartbreak, Devil's Advocate, Victory, Long Shot, Unexpected Company, Travel Plans, Schadenfreude, Missed The Mark, Overindulgence, Interview, Bad Day, Clear Skies, Time of Need, Fever Dream, Fourth Wall, Altered State, Stages of Grief, Stereotype, Hindsight, Blessing in Disguise, Changing Seasons, Inner Child, Starry Night, One-Track Mind, Miracle, Double Trouble, Rival, Ghosts, Moment of Truth, The Road Not Taken, Storms, Family Gatherings, Warning Shot, Mirror Mirror, Caught Red-Handed, Reunion, Betrayal, Premonition, A Walk in the Woods, Resurrection, Winter Nights, Perfection, Day Off, Fall from Grace, Horizons, Rebuilding, Too Much Information, Loyalty, Blaze of Glory, Audition, Voluntold, Silence, Time Travel, Writing on the Wall, High Seas, Martyr, Prehistoric, Camouflage, Careless, Shortcut, Transformation, Priceless, Rainy Day, Long Distance, Gathering Clouds, Shattered, Masks, Ray of Sunshine, Networking, Skeletons in the Closet, Unspoken Things, Burning Bridges, Into the Forest, Hearth and Home, Closed Doors, Confession, Fairy Tales, First Snow, Opposites Attract, Haunted House, Countdown, Below Zero, Dragons, Head in the Clouds, Once in a Lifetime, Leadership, Regrets, Success, Road Trip, Vengeance, Into the Depths, True Love, Secret Lair, Unexpected Weather, Center of Attention, White Lies, Legacy, Roughing It, One Perfect Day, Nobility, Mirror Universe, Into the Jungle, Only One Room, Pirates, Competition, Afterlife, After Midnight, Friends’ Night, To The Library, Pumpkin Patch, Autumn Rain, Bonfire, Unexpected Visitors, Breaking News, First Aid, Happily Ever After, Mistaken Identity, Heartbeat, Technical Difficulties, Brainstorm, Novelty, Snowed In, Best Friends Forever, Come In From the Cold, Illusion, For Science!, Gardening, Candlelight, Moonlight, Nostalgia, Superpowers, Storytelling, Wasteland, Out of Sorts, The North Star, Jumping to Conclusions, Leviathan, Getting Lost, Learning Lessons, Inspiration, Teamwork, Nightmare, Invincible, Temptation, Creation, Trivia, Publicity, Glitch, Paradox, The Dance, Honesty, Insomnia, Atonement, Vampires, Leap of Faith, Quiet Night, Vacation, Memory, Innocence, Homecoming, Hero, Gift, Rescue, Apology, Loneliness, Things In Common, First Kiss, Sick Day, Progress, Confidence, Lost Memories, Escape, Rumor, Late Arrival, Space, Nemesis, Anger Management, Faking It, Eavesdropping, Broken Promise, Investigation, Revolution, Murder, Recklessness, Reputation, Bad Judgment, Partners, Anniversary, Wish, Freedom, Spotlight, Surprise, Falling Leaves, Bad Day, Trust, Good Luck, Harvest Time, Altar, Duct Tape, Pyrrhic Victory, Catastrophe, Celebration, Reminiscence, Procrastination, Siblings, Jealousy, Parallels, Outsider, Chaos, Hesitation, Hope, Protection, Pressure, Normalcy, Meticulous, Recovery, Caught in the Rain, Stress, Overheated, Persistence, At the Beach, Sunrise, Guilt, Alibi, Secret, Spontaneous, Deity, Optimism, Stargazing, Mystery, Coffee Shop, Curse, Comfort, Magic, Cold Snap, Hangover, Apple Picking, Autumn Nights, Future, Stubbornness, Tragedy, Redemption, Picture Perfect, Werewolf, The Common Cold, Lost for Words, Mermaid, Emergency, Quick Exit, Royalty, Midnight Snack, A Light in the Dark, Unexpected Success, Defiance, Man’s Best Friend, Chemistry, Scars, Caves, Mountains, Schemes, Soulmates, Genius, Summer Vacation, Trickster, A Walk in the Park, Poison, Sleeping In, Self-Indulgence, Pride

Amnesty posting ends Wednesday, August 27 at 9:00PM EST

• Post your submission as a new entry using the template in the profile
• Tag these entries as: amnesty 027, plus the challenge's theme tag
• For questions about Amnesty Week entries, please ask them here

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[#270 | Pride] Results Post

Here are this week's votes tallied, and below the cut are our winners for Challenge #270 – Pride!

( This week's finalists are... )

Total Challenge Words Written: 2869

Congratulations to both of you, and thank you to everyone who took the time to cast their votes!

autobotscoutriella will be making this week’s banners, so keep an eye out for those next week.

You may now post your Challenge 270 entries to any additional communities, blogs, archives or sites as you'd like! We also have a FandomWeekly AO3 Collection if you'd like to add your stories there!

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Poll: Drugs and lollipops (drama 'verse)

Poll #33486 Drugs and lollipops

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 8

View Respondents

Where does Wang Zheng get the drugs to sedate the others in the mountains?

View Answers

she bought them online before leaving Dragon City
3 (37.5%)

she raided Lin Jing's drug stash at the SID
2 (25.0%)

she raided Da Qing's drug stash at the SID
1 (12.5%)

she found them in Zhu Hong's luggage (along with the syringe of resurrection juice)
0 (0.0%)

she gathered local traditional herbs in the mountains
3 (37.5%)

she slipped out and procured them from a local healer in the village
4 (50.0%)

other
0 (0.0%)

Second best time Zhao Yunlan offers someone a lollipop (the first is YOHE!Shen Wei, obviously)

View Answers

Guo Changcheng upon his arrival at the SID (ep 1)
2 (33.3%)

Zheng Yi when she's in hospital (ep 12)
1 (16.7%)

Cong Bo upon his recruitment (ep 14)
3 (50.0%)

Ying Chun at their first meeting (ep 21)
2 (33.3%)

random lab tech at the Inspectorate (ep 30)
1 (16.7%)

Da Qing, when Zhao Yunlan goes to retrieve xiao-Guo and Shen Wei from Dixing (half-eaten lollipop) (ep 33)
1 (16.7%)

other
0 (0.0%)

When you read "SID", do you mentally hear it as

View Answers

sid
4 (50.0%)

S.I.D.
4 (50.0%)

Special Investigation Department
0 (0.0%)

other
0 (0.0%)

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Fake (Challenge # 462 - Where was I) Passion Flower 7

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第四年第二百十七天

部首
口 part 5
司, to manage; 叹, to sigh; 吃, to eat ( pinyin )
https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?cdqrad=30

语法
To go: 去 vs 走 vs 离开
https://www.chineseboost.com/grammar/qu-zou-likai-to-go/

词汇
选手, athlete/player (pinyin in tags)
https://mandarinbean.com/new-hsk-3-word-list/

Guardian:
你可别忘了我才是你的上司, don't forget it's me that's your boss
我们都不希望他离开, none of us wants him to go
[no 选手]

Me:
你怎么了，一直叹气啊。
你最喜欢的选手是谁？

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Greek Myth: Fanfic: How Can You Laugh?

Title: How Can You Laugh?
Fandom: Greek Myth (post-Iphigenia in Aulis)
Characters: Baby Orestes, Clytemnestra
Rating: G
Length: 100
Summary: “Foolish child,” the grieving queen murmurs, resting a finger over her son’s lips.

( Read more... )

Entry tags:

Misheard

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Summer 2025 Assignments Out!

Assignments have now been sent out!

The deadline is Saturday, August 23 @ 11:59pm Eastern Daylight time (Countdown). If your assignment has not been submitted to AO3 by then, you will be defaulted.

If your recipient did not request a fandom, character, and drabble type you offered, please contact the mods at seasonsofdrabbles@gmail.com ASAP.

If you need to default, please do so via the button on AO3.

For the requirements your drabble must meet, please see our guidelines. The collection is moderated and we will be doing a brief check of submitted works before admitting them into the collection. If we see an issue, we will contact you through email.

If you write a drabble for a fandom in the tagset but it doesn't fit anyone's request, you may post it to the collection anyway, with no recipient.

We'll aim to post initial pinch hits in the next 24 hours. Happy drabbling!

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[Challenge 462 - Where Was I?] - FFXII - A Hideaway with a View

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[August 10 out of 20] FFXII - A Hideaway with a View

Title: A Hideaway with a View
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Characters/Pairings: Penelo, Basch, mention of Vaan
Rating: G
Prompt: Country
Spoilers/Warnings: Post-Canon.
Word Count: 200
Summary: After a few heists, Vaan and Penelo can afford more than one residence, and it is just as well. For their own safety, and for visitors whose identity should also not be disclosed.
Disclaimer: I do not own FFXII or the characters.

( A Hideaway with a View )

Crossposted:

anythingdrabble - Prompt #401 - Backyard

drabble_zone - Prompt #462 - Where Was I?

Entry tags:

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (2005)

This novel is structured as a woman's reminiscences of her life, beginning in the 1990s at an elite boarding school she attended in England. The students are told that they are special and important, and that it is an extreme privilege to attend this school, but they aren't given a clear understanding of why this is or what makes the school so different from others. Throughout the first few chapters, it becomes increasingly apparent that something strange and ominous is going on. The students have close friendships with each other, but nobody ever mentions family or going home for holidays. The teachers are cagey about the nature of the situation, and some seem distressed by it, as if their hands are tied.

What is really going on is stated outright a quarter of the way into the book. The rest of the book is spent exploring that premise and looking at how the characters are shaped by and respond to their circumstances. I don't know whether the author intended to present the premise as a secret or not, but the book has been marketed as though it's a secret, and whether it's a spoiler is subjective. (Thank you all for your input on the poll!)

The premise and my thoughts on treating it as a spoiler

The premise is that the students are clones who are being raised to serve as organ donors. They have limited rights compared to non-clones, and the expectation is that they will die from having their organs harvested sometime in young adulthood.

I knew the premise going in because I saw it discussed years ago, and I suspect it wouldn't be that hard to figure it out even before it's made explicit. But I'm sure it also depends on what your expectations are going into the book, if you're looking for a "twist" and how broad you think the scope of possible twists is. Personally, I think it does the book a disservice to coyly market it as literary fiction, if that's the reason the premise has been treated as a secret. For people who like both litfic and specfic equally maybe it's fine, but that's not everyone, so you're asking for people who only want litfic to be annoyed by the bait-and-switch, and for some proportion of people who would like the book to never pick it up because they think it's not for them (or to be aggravated by the implication that we're not calling it specfic because it's "serious literature" instead). I knew it was speculative fiction and I enjoyed it as speculative fiction, and I think dancing around the genre is unnecessary. So that's where I sit with it.

My thoughts which assume you know the premise but don't necessarily assume you've read the book

Anyway! I really liked the book! Based on the three Ishiguro books I have now read, (this, Klara and the Sun, and The Remains of the Day, I've come to appreciate his skill in writing characters who have a perspective on the world that could be considered "limited" in that the reader and the other characters understand things the POV characters don't, but it's very clear that their lived experience has validity and their inner emotional landscape is as rich as anyone's. No matter how small a person's world may look from the outside, to them it is everything.

Kathy and the other clones see things from a certain angle because of the way they've been raised and what they've been taught to believe. They don't automatically perceive the horror of their existence the way we do because they aren't us, they don't know what we know about how things ought to be. But within their own frame of reference, they live their lives and make choices according to their own understanding of who has authority and what the inevitable facts of life are. Their experiences, memories, feelings, insights, and relationships matter even if we can see how constrained they are by their circumstances. After all, we are also bounded by what we perceive as inevitable facts of life, and we also don't know whether we perceive that correctly.

I think the book reflects how we are socialized not to talk about (let alone question) uncomfortable societal truths. I was struck by Kathy's observation that as the students were growing up, the teachers drip-fed them bits of information that they were not quite old enough to understand. She realizes this may not even have been consciously planned, but it had the effect of making them feel they had "always known" what they were and the life that had been chosen for them, even though they had no specific memories of being told. I think this is a bullseye description of what it feels like to be socialized to accept injustice.

Children don't just learn from what is directly stated to them, they learn from what isn't said, from adults' discomfited grimaces, annoyed dismissals, vague contextless remarks, and awkward changes of subject. The school setting (which was a choice on the part of the characters, to structure the clones' residence as a school—it's not like these kids know what schools are really like in the outside world) to me drives this point home. The adults are trying to educate the students for reasons of their own that we learn later, but the primary lesson they're teaching isn't on the curriculum.

Some specific thoughts that reveal details from the end of the book

Once we got the full explanation of what the school really was, that they were trying to "prove" the clones had souls, I found it just as disturbing as the concept of organ donor clones in itself. Miss Emily's goal wasn't to prove the clones' humanity so they could be liberated and the hideous practice of organ harvest put to an end, it was to prove their humanity so they could be treated a little bit better before the slaughter.

The fact that she is able to tolerate this cognitive dissonance speaks volumes about what she has been indoctrinated to accept, and points to the modes of thought underpinning the broader dystopian world. This, for me, was the true horrifying reveal, and it's all the more horrifying because it is entirely mundane: The belief that a class of people is subhuman can withstand knowledge that disproves the belief, provided that abandoning the belief is inconvenient enough.

By the same token, Miss Emily's description of how public opinion turned against her ideas and led to the closure of Hailsham is so deeply unsettling because it is so familiar and plausible. A push for expanded rights for a marginalized group, even an incremental push, is a precarious thing that can be derailed by a poorly-timed scandal or a negative association, even if the connection is tenuous. As in our own world, many people's beliefs are not based on reason, on consistent principles, or even on a blunt assessment that saving some people justifies sacrificing others. They're based on how much of the truth you can convince yourself to dismiss. If you're looking for a reason to discredit calls for justice, you'll always find one, and you'll find plenty of people happy to validate your conclusion.

Emily's story doesn't spell this out. As always, it's between the lines as she skips over assumed context that Kathy and Tommy don't share. And they're not even looking for justice, only a temporary reprieve from the fate they've already accepted. But they can't get that, not even when they ask nicely. (Does it ever work to ask nicely?)

My biggest takeaway from the book is how difficult it is to independently invent the idea of a just world when that concept has been denied to you. And how much harder when even the people who come the closest to being your allies don't actually want justice—they want injustice with the sharpest of its vulgar edges politely sanded off.

WIP Challenge Check-in, Day 11 -- Wednesday

Hello on Wednesday! How are things going in the world of fic?

Did you write?

- Yes!
- No!
- Not yet!

If yes, what kind of writerly activity did you engage in? How do you feel about it?
If no, what were the obstacles/situations that affected your writerly pursuits? What will you do differently tomorrow to get more writing done?
If not yet, because the day hasn't gotten going yet, what kind of writing activity are you planning (or hoping) to accomplish?

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Still calling for pinch hitter

Lovely TRSBers (and/or lovely folks who might want to become TRSBers!)

We are still looking for a pinch hitter for The Wedding of Aegnor and Andreth, an AU where Aegnor and Andreth defy fate, marry, and live happily ever after. (Silmarillion/HoME, any rating.)

If you are interested, please contact the mods for further details.

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check in,
mod post

Final check-in August 16!

Lovely TRSBers, this Saturday, August 16th, is your final and most important check-in!

If you do not check in, we will count your fic as abandoned and send the art to pinch hitters. If this happens, you will not be permitted to claim art next year.

An email has been sent out to all authors & artists with the check-in details. (As ever, please do not reply to that email to check in - send us a fresh email. It makes life much easier for the mod team as we try to check everyone in.)

Please note that we now require art to be submitted to the AO3 collection, either by embedding the art in the story or by submitting the art as a stand-alone work in the collection. If the art is not embedded, authors must provide a link in the story to where the accompanying art can be found, and artists must provide a link in the art to the accompanying story. You should discuss art posting with your partner prior to the check-in so you are both clear what you will be doing.

Authors, this check-in is also your last chance to abandon your fic to a pinch hitter without penalty. If you have any questions or concerns about your collab, please do not wait until the last minute. Let us know now so we can help you to the best of our abilities!

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[Challenge #462] BtVS / Spuffy — Prank War

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Current Mood: exhausted
Current Music: Out the Door - Got7

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006: Lust; Kingdom; On Watch (Yang Dongsik | Louis, Shim Youngjoon | Hwon)

Creator:

andersenmom
Title: On Watch
Rating: T
Type: Fic
Size/length/word count etc.: 1109
Prompt: 006: Lust
Fandom/Ship: The Kingdom, Yang Dongsik | Louis, Shim Youngjoon | Hwon
Notes/Warnings: None
Summary When Dongsik wakes up, he reveals that his fall wasn't an accident.

Find the table with the list of fics here