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Thursday, February 5th, 2026 06:55 am
Most galaxies don't have any rings -- why does this galaxy have three?
Thursday, February 5th, 2026 12:24 am
This year I'm doing Community Thursdays. Some of my activity will involve maintaining communities I run, and my favorites. Some will involve checking my list of subscriptions and posting in lower-traffic ones. Today I have interacted with the following communities...
* Posted "What Are Couple Goals And How Do We Achieve Them?" in![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
goals_on_dw.
* Posted "Sighting a Siberian Superstar: Local birder secures rare red-flanked bluetail for life list" inbirdfeeding.
* Commented inawesomeers.
* Posted "What Are Couple Goals And How Do We Achieve Them?" in
goals_on_dw.* Posted "Sighting a Siberian Superstar: Local birder secures rare red-flanked bluetail for life list" in
birdfeeding.* Commented in
awesomeers.
Tags:
Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 10:11 pm
Branch: refs/heads/main Home: https://github.com/dreamwidth/dreamwidth Commit: 0c56d95cb6eee98db461ea2ac573c4c005441e2b https://github.com/dreamwidth/dreamwidth/commit/0c56d95cb6eee98db461ea2ac573c4c005441e2b Author: Mark Smith mark@dreamwidth.org Date: 2026-02-04 (Wed, 04 Feb 2026)
Changed paths: M terraform/load-balancing.tf M terraform/locals.tf M terraform/web.tf
Log Message:
Configure Starman (port 8080) target groups for canary and shop
- Update ECS services to register with -2 target groups on port 8080 (Starman) instead of 6081 (Varnish) for canary and shop
- Enable traffic to -2 target groups by setting weights to 100
- Refactor target group references to use resource refs instead of hardcoded ARNs, allowing proper dependency tracking
- Remove ignore_changes from shop and canary listener rules to allow Terraform to manage weights
- Fix canary listener rule condition to match AWS (cookie-based routing)
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 noreply@anthropic.com
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Thursday, February 5th, 2026 12:00 am
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 5, 2026 is:
adulation • \aj-uh-LAY-shun\ • noun
Adulation refers to extreme or excessive admiration, flattery, or praise.
// The triumphant players were greeted with shouts of adulation.
Examples:
“Curators focus on the sunnier side of Elvis's tragic story, yet Graceland still provides an intimate glimpse into superstardom and all that comes with it: the adulation, the opulence, the hangers-on and the darkness that counterbalances such a burst of light.” — Rick Rojas, The New York Times, 29 Nov. 2025
Did you know?
If witnessing a display of adulation reminds you of a dog panting after its beloved person, you’ve picked up adulation’s etymological “scent”; the word ultimately comes from the Latin verb adūlārī, meaning “to fawn on” (a sense used specifically of the affectionate behavior of dogs) or “to praise insincerely.” Adulation has been in use in English since the 15th century. The verb adulate, noun adulator, and adjective adulatory followed dutifully behind.
Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 09:37 pm
Branch: refs/heads/main Home: https://github.com/dreamwidth/dreamwidth Commit: 74c1d9d89f13516a90c1feda8564e18a27111d6b https://github.com/dreamwidth/dreamwidth/commit/74c1d9d89f13516a90c1feda8564e18a27111d6b Author: Mark Smith mark@dreamwidth.org Date: 2026-02-04 (Wed, 04 Feb 2026)
Changed paths: M .github/workflows/tasks/web-canary-service.json A .github/workflows/web22-build.yml A .github/workflows/web22-deploy.yml A etc/docker/web22/Dockerfile A etc/docker/web22/config/.dir_scope A etc/docker/web22/config/dreamwidth-dev.conf A etc/docker/web22/config/dreamwidth-prod.conf A etc/docker/web22/config/etc/apache2/apache2.conf A etc/docker/web22/config/etc/apache2/conf-available/charset.conf A etc/docker/web22/config/etc/apache2/conf-available/localized-error-pages.conf A etc/docker/web22/config/etc/apache2/conf-available/other-vhosts-access-log.conf A etc/docker/web22/config/etc/apache2/conf-available/security.conf A etc/docker/web22/config/etc/apache2/conf-available/serve-cgi-bin.conf A etc/docker/web22/config/etc/apache2/conf-enabled/security.conf A etc/docker/web22/config/etc/apache2/envvars A etc/docker/web22/config/etc/apache2/magic A etc/docker/web22/config/etc/apache2/mods-available/access_compat.load A 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A etc/docker/web22/scripts/startup-dev.sh A etc/docker/web22/scripts/startup-prod.sh
Log Message:
Move canary to ubuntu 22.04
This builds canary (ONLY) on the base22 image, which we use for shop, so we can start testing and make sure that Ubuntu 22.04 works with the main service.
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Thursday, February 5th, 2026 12:15 am
Crazy Boys Get Money (D Stories)
Summary: Two teens in Texas hook and heist their way out of danger. True story.
Series: LB autobio (D Stories)
Word Count: 8100
Notes: Winner by a long shot of the February fan poll. Depending on how this story is received, I’ll be pulling out more regarding this period of my life, a series called “the D Stories.” Normally I would break it into 3 installments, but due to the nature of the content, I have chosen to upload it all at once. I feel professionally obligated to disclaim that this story is not appropriate for anyone under 18… but this was my life when I was younger than that, and it's both insulting and degrading to say that my youth is unspeakable to the very age demographic it happens to.
Content warnings for anti-black racism; coerced, underaged, bad sex work, and (separate) consensual, okay teenage sex, along with the circumstances surrounding both. More information is in the comments.
Summary: Two teens in Texas hook and heist their way out of danger. True story.
Series: LB autobio (D Stories)
Word Count: 8100
Notes: Winner by a long shot of the February fan poll. Depending on how this story is received, I’ll be pulling out more regarding this period of my life, a series called “the D Stories.” Normally I would break it into 3 installments, but due to the nature of the content, I have chosen to upload it all at once. I feel professionally obligated to disclaim that this story is not appropriate for anyone under 18… but this was my life when I was younger than that, and it's both insulting and degrading to say that my youth is unspeakable to the very age demographic it happens to.
Content warnings for anti-black racism; coerced, underaged, bad sex work, and (separate) consensual, okay teenage sex, along with the circumstances surrounding both. More information is in the comments.
Tags:
Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 11:20 pm
Title/Link: [Podfic] Doctor, I'm Burning Up
Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi
Character(s): Jiang Yanli/Wen Qing
Rating: Explicit
Prompt: Needs
Summary: Wen Qing privately “checks Jiang Yanli’s health”.
Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi
Character(s): Jiang Yanli/Wen Qing
Rating: Explicit
Prompt: Needs
Summary: Wen Qing privately “checks Jiang Yanli’s health”.
Tags:
Thursday, February 5th, 2026 04:53 am
Exchequers are invited to join the upcoming Quarterly Report Workbook Online Training on Mondday 2/9 and 2/16 from 7pm to 19pm EST. Join us to review and learn the ins and outs of the new quarterly report workbook for all SCA groups.
Additional information including meeting links can be found at the full announcement page, located at: https://www.sca.org/news/new-quarterly-report-workbook-online-training/
Thursday, February 5th, 2026 04:49 am
The Society Office of the Earl Marshal has begun rolling out a number of updates in the past month. There are changes coming for all martial disciplines. Some changes will take effect one discipline at a time. Presently, armored combat, siege, and combat archery are the first disciplines that changes have been implemented to.
The following information applies to marshals of ALL martial disciplines:
•A presentation made at Curia and shared at 100 Minutes War outlines the changes that are coming that will eventually be applied to all disciplines. That presentation is available at https://marshal.eastkingdom.org/index.php/2026/01/21/earl-marshal-digitization-efforts-and-rosters/
The following information applies ONLY to marshals of Armored Combat, Siege, and Combat Archery, for the time being (other disciplines will be added at a later date):
•Digital Marshal Cards are now live. Additional information is available at https://marshal.eastkingdom.org/index.php/2026/01/30/digital-marshal-cards-now-live/
•The East Kingdom Marshal Look Up Tool is now live, available at https://marshal.eastkingdom.org/index.php/marshal-lookup/
•Marshal warrants will now expire. Warrants must be renewed via an online quiz.
•Marshals are required to have an official East Kingdom email address so that, among other things, they can access the quiz. If you have not yet set yours up, now is the time. Information about doing so is at https://webminister.eastkingdom.org/email/east-kingdom-accounts-faq/
•Your warrant expiration date may currently be blank, or it may say “expired.” It will be updated AFTER you complete your quiz and receive your Digital Marshal Card by email.
The following is required action by all Armored Combat Marshals:
•All Armored Combat Marshals are required to complete the warrant quiz no later than February 28th. Completion of this quiz is mandatory in order to be eligible for your warrant. We are doing a full warrant reset of all armored marshals based on knowledge of the updated handbook. So, even if your current warrant was not set to expire for a number of years, you still must take the quiz.
•The quiz is found at SCA Marshal Rules Quiz – A.S. LX
•The updated Armored Combat Handbook is available at https://marshal.eastkingdom.org/index.php/marshals/
•Use the Armored Combat Handbook Wiki to review to complete the quiz. It is available at https://society-rules.fullmesh.co.nz/index.php/Armored_Combat:Handbook
•You will need a score of 75% to pass and receive your warrant. If you miss that on the first try you are welcome to review the handbook and try again.
After completing and passing the quiz, you should receive your Digital Marshal Card by email within about 2 weeks.
If you have questions or encounter issues, please contact the Earl Marshal’s office through this email – earlmarshaloffice@marshal.
Thursday, February 5th, 2026 01:43 am
Day 4 - Needs
Title: Only way out
Fandom: Danganronpa v3
Characters: Iruma Miu focused, with her relationships with Ouma and K1-B0
Rating: M
Summary: Maybe she could trust someone here. Just maybe. But the outside world needed her genius, her inventions... or that's what she needs to tell herself. Or why Miu decided to kill Kokichi.
Story in ao3
Title: Only way out
Fandom: Danganronpa v3
Characters: Iruma Miu focused, with her relationships with Ouma and K1-B0
Rating: M
Summary: Maybe she could trust someone here. Just maybe. But the outside world needed her genius, her inventions... or that's what she needs to tell herself. Or why Miu decided to kill Kokichi.
Story in ao3
Tags:
Thursday, February 5th, 2026 11:46 am
Hey! :) So, I've been working on making English subs for a historical Cdrama (set in the mid 1700s/early Qianlong era), Take Care, Your Highness (it's an old Hong Kong series from the 80s -- probably not something I can exactly recommend unless you're already into old TVB shows, but I did enjoy it and decided to make a project of subtitling it while watching it last summer). I've got all 20 episodes done now, except for a few places where I either still can't understand the Chinese or am not sure how best to translate a historical term. So, some questions! I'd be grateful if anyone can help. :)
(I've included the Mandarin subtitles for most of my questions below, so there's no need to know Cantonese. And I've also converted everything to simplified characters — but you can scroll down and click the spoiler cut at the bottom to see the same post with traditional characters.)
( General translation questions )
( Historical terms and titles )
( Literary stuff )
( A couple of Cantonese questions )
And, since I can't really read simplified and can't guarantee that everything got converted correctly above:
(I've included the Mandarin subtitles for most of my questions below, so there's no need to know Cantonese. And I've also converted everything to simplified characters — but you can scroll down and click the spoiler cut at the bottom to see the same post with traditional characters.)
( General translation questions )
( Historical terms and titles )
( Literary stuff )
( A couple of Cantonese questions )
And, since I can't really read simplified and can't guarantee that everything got converted correctly above:
Click here for the same questions, but with traditional characters instead of simplified.
- Some general translation questions:
- What does "你真是吃了大蒜了" mean? In context, it seems like the speaker is saying something like "you've really lost your mind," but I've tried googling and can't find any reference for the meaning of "eating a garlic." (The Cantonese is the same, "你真係食大蒜喇.") [Possibly solved -- maybe a Cantonese phrase meaning someone is boastful??]
"你把我的頭都給問大了" – Is this like "You're making my head spin [with all these questions]"?[solved!]Speaking about a scroll on a table, someone says "我有一次不小心掀了一下." Does this mean he casually/carelessly picked it up? Or opened it? (The Cantonese sounds like "我有一次唔覺意[挈?]咗一下.")[solved!]The context for this one is that Character A is being hired as the nursemaid of a (kidnapped) baby, and wants to know if she'll be living in the same room with the baby. She asks"我是不是跟他住一間房？" and is told (by the guy who hired her, who is also trying to sleep with her) "不一定。有時候也許會換到其他房子。" My question is, is there any way to know whether the answer means "sometimes the baby might be put in another room" or "sometimes you might be moved to another room"?[solved!]For this question I'm mostly wondering how the grammar works in the last part of this sentence: "朝中文武百官，人人得而誅之." Google Translate says this means "All civil and military officials in the court have the right to execute him," which makes sense in context (so I assume it's correct), but I don't understand how 得而誅之 translates to "have the right to execute [him]." Does this follow some kind of idiomatic/literary grammar construction?[solved!]Context for this one is the Emperor saying he's already taken precautions against an enemy; he says he's arranged everything, and as soon as his enemy makes any move, "朕就可以仁至義盡." I'm not sure how to understand 仁至義盡 here, as it seems to mean showing kindness/benevolence? Is the phrase being used sarcastically?[solved!]
Some questions about historical terms or phrases:- Is there an established/common way to translate 國丈 (a term for the Emperor's father-in-law/the father of the Empress)? I'm not really sure what to do with it as a term of direct address...
Similar question: how should I translate 總管 as a title, e.g. when people address 王總管? "Steward Wang"?[solved, I think! per![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
forestofglory's link, it looks like "Supervisor-in-Chief" is the usual translation, though this is long and will be a pain to put into subtitles... XD]- And another: how should I translate 嫡妃 (meaning the legitimate/primary/first wife)? In context, the Crown Prince is offering to marry a woman and make her his 嫡妃, so my guess would be "Crown Princess"?
- Two terms with第 that I'm not sure how to translate: 太史第 and 上書第. It seems 太史 can mean Court Astronomer, Imperial Historian , or Grand Scribe, so is 太史第 like "The Grand Scribe's Residence" or maybe "The Grand Scribe's Office"?? And is 上書第, like... "The Memorial Scribe's Manor"? "The Memorials Office"??
- I think I've got this, but I just want to check my translation: "戶部侍郎兼軍機處行走" → "Vice-Minister of Revenue and a member of the Grand Council" (I can't find any dictionary references for 行走 meaning "member," but Google Translate gives this meaning, and it seems to make sense in context).
- Can I translate "三條胡同" as "Third Street"? Context is someone saying they're not sure where a certain house is located ("不知是在三條胡同那兒").
- In one scene, the Emperor orders for his son to be taken back to "溫寢宮." This term seems to refer to the residence/quarters of the Emperor, so since it's the Emperor himself speaking, can I translate it as something like "take him back to my palace"?
- Does "紫玉樓" refer to a specific place and/or is it some kind of metaphor? It's mentioned in two different scenes. From context, my best guess is that it refers to the residence of the Prince Consort (駙馬爺), but I can't find any confirmation of this. In one scene, the Princess (the Prince Consort's wife) is visiting her father-in-law's villa, and he says "請把這兒當作紫玉樓一樣" (Cantonese: "請當呢度係紫玉樓一樣"), and his sentiment seems likely to be "make yourself at home." In another scene, the same Princess is offered a villa to live in, but declines, asking"住在這兒和住在紫玉樓有什麼分別呢？" i.e. "what's the difference between living here and living in 紫玉樓?" But I can't tell if 紫玉樓 refers to her actual home or if it has some broader/metaphorical meaning.
- Is there (or historically was there) a river called 多羅大河? A general says "我軍已經進入多羅大河," but I can't seem to find any reference for a "Duoluo River." Am I missing something, or is this a fictional river name the writers invented?
- I suspect the writers just screwed this up, but it baffles me so I've got to ask about it. In one scene, Qianlong has a map that was drawn by the Kangxi Emperor. On the map is written "康熙甲子手御筆" (which, as far as I can tell, should mean the map was drawn in 1684, the only Jiazi year that happened in Kangxi's lifetime). After reading these words aloud, Qianlong comments, "這是皇阿爺十幾歲時劃的" (Cantonese: "係皇阿爺十幾歲嗰陣時劃嘅"), which should mean Kangxi (Qianlong's grandfather) drew the map when he was in his teens... but this makes no sense? Kangxi would have been 30 in 1684. A few minutes later, Qianlong comments that it's been sixty-some years since the map was drawn, which should mean the map was drawn sometime between 1665-1675 (because the present-day setting has to be 1735, as Qianlong is about to take the throne). Is there some possible way "康熙甲子" could refer to a year between 1665-1675? Or did the writers just throw "康熙甲子" into the script because it sounded cool/historical, with no regard for what year it actually referred to??
Literary questions - There's a scene where one of the characters (an irreverent teenager who is abusing his tutor by writing poetry on him with a brush) quotes from the poem 愛蓮說, but changes the lines slightly. The original poem says "牡丹之愛，宜乎眾矣," but he changes the words to "牡丹之愛宜『平稟』矣"). I can't understand the meaning of the changed line. Any help on how to translate this??
- A woman sends her lover a breakup letter, and also returns to him a broken jade pendant that was his gift to her. Her letter opens with the line "玉碎珠還." This doesn't seem to be a common phrase in itself, but there seem to be several similar common phrases (玉碎珠沉, 珠沉玉碎, 玉碎珠沒), and per Google they usually refer to something beautiful irreparably lost, especially a woman who has died. What I don't understand is how to interpret 還 in this version. "The jade is broken, the pearls are returned"? Or does 還 have some other meaning I'm missing?
A couple of questions specifically about Cantonese terms - The context here is a guy who is being invited to share a meal with some people he holds a grudge against; he declines and says what sounds like "費事食完之後背脊骨落" or maybe "費事食完老子有背脊骨落." The Mandarin subs say "免得吃了以後反胃," which is quite different, but I have no idea what "背脊骨落" means (assuming I'm even hearing it right)...
- I don't even know how to transcribe this one. XD A girl (who has just gone out shopping at some street stalls with the Emperor) tells her husband "我同皇上去咗[騎騎嘰?]" — I'm pretty sure the first two syllables are ke4 ke4 (probably 騎騎?), the third could be gi/git/ki/kit? Seems like a high or mid tone? The girl's husband seems confused by the term, but she doesn't really explain what it means when he asks. (The Mandarin subs just say "我跟皇上去逛街".)
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Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 10:02 pm
What is the American red wolf?
The American red wolf is the world’s most endangered. This species is found only in the United States, and fewer than 20 remain in the wild. It is one of the most endangered mammals on Earth.
Now, an unprecedented partnership between universities, government agencies, and biotechnology companies is using the latest genetic tools to save this iconic predator from extinction. The effort represents a new model for how technology may reshape wildlife conservation in the decades ahead.
The American red wolf is the world’s most endangered. This species is found only in the United States, and fewer than 20 remain in the wild. It is one of the most endangered mammals on Earth.
Now, an unprecedented partnership between universities, government agencies, and biotechnology companies is using the latest genetic tools to save this iconic predator from extinction. The effort represents a new model for how technology may reshape wildlife conservation in the decades ahead.
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Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 09:58 pm
Today is cloudy and cold.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows, several cardinals, and a starling.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/426 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 2/426 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows, several cardinals, and a starling.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/426 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 2/426 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
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Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 09:52 pm
Everyone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
( Read more... )
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
( Read more... )
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Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 06:54 pm
Title: The Most Readable Eyebrows in the World
Fandom: Suikoden III
Characters: Iku/Franz
Rating: G
Summary: You know that worried expression Iku gets sometimes in the game? Yeah, that's what I was thinking of here.
( Iku is a worrier. )
Fandom: Suikoden III
Characters: Iku/Franz
Rating: G
Summary: You know that worried expression Iku gets sometimes in the game? Yeah, that's what I was thinking of here.
( Iku is a worrier. )
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Thursday, February 5th, 2026 10:44 am
It's now February. Lots happened since my last post.
Fought my bank for more than a month and got my money back (their app disappeared some of my money through a "Piggy Bank" feature that disappeared), so now I have book funds! But this has been a background stressor for a bit because I hate having to continuously follow-up with the bank to find out the status of my money. It's not a huge amount, but it's still RM1000+ and that can feed me for a whole month (more if I am frugal)!
( The not so good )
I caught up with the archon quest in Genshin Impact. It's enjoyable enough but I'm definitely not really feeling the magic of early Genshin anymore. Dottore was fun though. 10/10 will get kidnapped again.
I also started playing Arknights Endfield and I've been utterly consumed by it. The factory gameplay is incredibly fun! I didn't even know I'd enjoy this factory style game (but I do have a friend who immediately pinged me as someone who would enjoy this type of game a lot). I'm advancing the main story quest just to unlock more factory things (new mining spots, new outposts, etc.). And I love that you can make the whole map into a tower defense (or is it tower offense if you put weapons everywhere? XD). I know this gameplay is very polarizing, but those I know who like it really, really like it.
I'm also still playing Where Winds Meet but I really cannot main two games. I'll prob just switch between these two in terms of time investment and energy level. This game takes more time and energy because it's hard to just stop halfway to attend to my mother.
Huffing a cat is the key to getting rid of excess stress (be careful of the cat's paws when they get annoyed though!). Seriously, having a cat has been great. I can sit with her when I'm feeling frustrated, stressed, worried, etc.
I'm visiting Vietnam for the first time in March. Very excited to see my housemate again! And excited to try all the foods, see the sights, take in the vibes and all that! Will be staying with her family, so I'm gonna start collecting a bunch of gifts to give when I see them. Also time to start learning Vietnamese beyond Vietnamese food names and greetings XD;;
Life/family
Fought my bank for more than a month and got my money back (their app disappeared some of my money through a "Piggy Bank" feature that disappeared), so now I have book funds! But this has been a background stressor for a bit because I hate having to continuously follow-up with the bank to find out the status of my money. It's not a huge amount, but it's still RM1000+ and that can feed me for a whole month (more if I am frugal)!
( The not so good )
Games
I caught up with the archon quest in Genshin Impact. It's enjoyable enough but I'm definitely not really feeling the magic of early Genshin anymore. Dottore was fun though. 10/10 will get kidnapped again.
I also started playing Arknights Endfield and I've been utterly consumed by it. The factory gameplay is incredibly fun! I didn't even know I'd enjoy this factory style game (but I do have a friend who immediately pinged me as someone who would enjoy this type of game a lot). I'm advancing the main story quest just to unlock more factory things (new mining spots, new outposts, etc.). And I love that you can make the whole map into a tower defense (or is it tower offense if you put weapons everywhere? XD). I know this gameplay is very polarizing, but those I know who like it really, really like it.
I'm also still playing Where Winds Meet but I really cannot main two games. I'll prob just switch between these two in terms of time investment and energy level. This game takes more time and energy because it's hard to just stop halfway to attend to my mother.
Other things
Huffing a cat is the key to getting rid of excess stress (be careful of the cat's paws when they get annoyed though!). Seriously, having a cat has been great. I can sit with her when I'm feeling frustrated, stressed, worried, etc.
I'm visiting Vietnam for the first time in March. Very excited to see my housemate again! And excited to try all the foods, see the sights, take in the vibes and all that! Will be staying with her family, so I'm gonna start collecting a bunch of gifts to give when I see them. Also time to start learning Vietnamese beyond Vietnamese food names and greetings XD;;
Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 09:13 pm
I thought about skipping this prompt at first because no character immediately came to mind. But then I thought about Ishizu after Battle City and what she felt like she may or may not "need" at that time.
Title: directionless, without a compass
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh
Character: Ishizu Ishtar
Rating: G
Length: 100 words
Summary: Ishizu doesn't need the Millennium Necklace anymore
Link: here on ao3 or you can read it under the cut below
( Read more... )
Title: directionless, without a compass
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh
Character: Ishizu Ishtar
Rating: G
Length: 100 words
Summary: Ishizu doesn't need the Millennium Necklace anymore
Link: here on ao3 or you can read it under the cut below
( Read more... )
Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 07:31 pm
Title: Dinner with Mom
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Characters: Faith Lehane and Joyce Summers
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 662
Summary: Added scene during "Who Are You?". After the body swap with Buffy, Faith doesn't run out to see the Scoobies right away. Instead, she opts to have dinner with Joyce and gives them both something that they need.
( Dinner with Mom )
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Characters: Faith Lehane and Joyce Summers
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 662
Summary: Added scene during "Who Are You?". After the body swap with Buffy, Faith doesn't run out to see the Scoobies right away. Instead, she opts to have dinner with Joyce and gives them both something that they need.
( Dinner with Mom )
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Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 07:24 pm
A bunch of ground to cover today, as last week I focused on the Johanna Kinkel book, but I also read a bunch of other stuff. Also I am in the middle of not one but two SF novels with complex worldbuilding.
Elizabeth the Queen by Maxwell Anderson. Readaloud; this is a Broadway play from 1930 that just entered the public domain. Generally fun Elizabeth/Essex drama. Contains a Prince Hal/Falstaff play within a play, but it didn't feel the most effective use of metatheatre. Also it is silent on the Shakespeare authorship question -- I thought it might be a Baconian play because Francis Bacon appears and Shakespeare doesn't, but it doesn't drop any hints in that direction, nor does it mention Shakespeare's, though Burbage and Heminges are characters. Arguably this is realistic; people don't talk all the time about who wrote a play.
As You Like It, William Shakespeare. Readaloud. I've lost track of how many times I've read this aloud, but it is still a very good play. This time around I mainly noticed all the talk about how winter's not so bad really, which hits differently when you're in the northern US and in the middle of weeks of sub-freezing weather. But the Forest of Arden has olive and palm trees, so it's clearly a different climate.
Swept Away, Beth O'Leary. Jo Walton recommends going into this one entirely unspoiled; I didn't, but I enjoyed it anyway. This is one of the books I had in mind when titling the post; the woman is 31, the man 23, which is not something I've seen much of in the genre.
Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Slowly making my way through this; the plot is progressing as I'd expect it to and we are getting to see alien biology up close! Excited to see where it's going.
Chroniques du Pays des Mères, Élizabeth Vonarburg. Post-apocalyptic matriarchy with complex worldbuilding and good writing. Not only is it a meaty SF book, it's in French, so I may not be picking up everything that I could be. On the other hand I'm reading it at a set pace for an online book group, so I get to hear other people noticing things I'm not. There have been some exciting revelations and I'm restraining myself from reading ahead, but might reread to help figure out what's going on.
Elizabeth the Queen by Maxwell Anderson. Readaloud; this is a Broadway play from 1930 that just entered the public domain. Generally fun Elizabeth/Essex drama. Contains a Prince Hal/Falstaff play within a play, but it didn't feel the most effective use of metatheatre. Also it is silent on the Shakespeare authorship question -- I thought it might be a Baconian play because Francis Bacon appears and Shakespeare doesn't, but it doesn't drop any hints in that direction, nor does it mention Shakespeare's, though Burbage and Heminges are characters. Arguably this is realistic; people don't talk all the time about who wrote a play.
As You Like It, William Shakespeare. Readaloud. I've lost track of how many times I've read this aloud, but it is still a very good play. This time around I mainly noticed all the talk about how winter's not so bad really, which hits differently when you're in the northern US and in the middle of weeks of sub-freezing weather. But the Forest of Arden has olive and palm trees, so it's clearly a different climate.
Swept Away, Beth O'Leary. Jo Walton recommends going into this one entirely unspoiled; I didn't, but I enjoyed it anyway. This is one of the books I had in mind when titling the post; the woman is 31, the man 23, which is not something I've seen much of in the genre.
Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Slowly making my way through this; the plot is progressing as I'd expect it to and we are getting to see alien biology up close! Excited to see where it's going.
Chroniques du Pays des Mères, Élizabeth Vonarburg. Post-apocalyptic matriarchy with complex worldbuilding and good writing. Not only is it a meaty SF book, it's in French, so I may not be picking up everything that I could be. On the other hand I'm reading it at a set pace for an online book group, so I get to hear other people noticing things I'm not. There have been some exciting revelations and I'm restraining myself from reading ahead, but might reread to help figure out what's going on.
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