fred_mouse

mific posting in

Fandom: Star Wars
Characters/Pairings: Luke Skywalker/Din Djarin, Grogu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Bo-Katan Kryze, Korkie Kryze
Rating: Gen
Length: 25,754
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: magneticwave on AO3
Themes: Arranged marriage, Kidfic (has a child), AU - fork in the road, Humor

Summary: “Gone to a Child of the Watch, the Darksaber has,” Grand Master Yoda announces in his creaky little voice. “Peace, there is not, and yet peace, there must be.”

Reccer's Notes: On first glance this may not seem to fit the Arranged Marriage theme, but hear me out. In this AU the Republic won, and Luke is a renowned hero who is viewed with some misgivings by many other Jedi after gaining a reputation for (highly effective) violence in the war. Partly to get rid of Luke, he's instructed to accompany Obi-Wan on a diplomatic mission to Mandalore to investigate the fate of the Darksaber, and of course they meet Grogu. This causes a dilemma as Grogu must be trained, but he can't be separated from Din, who's struggling with having the mantle of the Mand'alor thrust upon him, and with the political factions of Mandalore. What makes this feel like an Arranged Marriage fic is the combination of a slightly disreputable hero being kind of exiled to a royal court (effectively), and machinations bringing him and the ruler together. In this case, the yentas are Obi-Wan, and, to a much greater degree, the Force. Luke's perspective is irreverent and funny - he struggles for jedi calm but just can't help being an action hero. It's beautifully written, and a great read.

Fanwork Links: staring down the barrel of the hot sun

smallhobbit

One of the aims of the tour we've been on was to look at the sites of various classic WWII air war films and get a proper perspective on them.

( Three class films )

ysabetwordsmith

My live plants arrived from American Meadows. \o/

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

The April 7, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl has made its $200 goal, so you get a free epic. Everyone is eligible to vote in this poll. I will keep it open at least until Tuesday night. If there's a clear answer then, I'll close it; otherwise I may leave it open a little while longer. Here are your options...

"Better to Be an Outcast"
Summary: Shahana and Ari encounter a former paladin of Gorrein.
122 lines

"Filled with Things You Don't Know"
Story Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Summary: Marjane works on library decor and gets a new assistant.
98 lines

Poll #34530 Free Epic for the April 7, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 3

View Respondents

Which of these should be the free epic?

View Answers

"Better to Be an Outcast"
1 (33.3%)

"Filled with Things You Don't Know"
2 (66.7%)

Current Mood: busy

xkcd_feed

https://xkcd.com/3238/

Imagine you could ride alongside a sound wave. It would probably be pretty cool, right? We're putting in a departmental budget request to buy a really fast plane so we can check it out.

https://xkcd.com/3238/

ysabetwordsmith

The general fund currently contains $25. Everyone is eligible to vote in this poll. I will keep it open at least until Tuesday night. If there is a clear answer then, I'll close it. Otherwise I may leave it open at least a little longer. Here are your options...

"No Faster or Firmer Friendships" belongs to Polychrome Heroics and needs $45 to be complete. Josué makes friends with Maria-Vera. You could reveal a bunch of new verses here.

"The Doom Puff" is $15. You could sponsor that outright, and have $10 left for "No Faster or Firmer Friendships."

There are four epics from April: "Any Terms You Offer," "Eat It Happily Because It Is Good," "Edge of Enchantment," and "An Equally Valid Way of Being." This would make a good start on any one of those.

Poll #34529 General Fund Poll

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 2

View Respondents

How do you want to distribute the $25?

View Answers

$15 for "The Doom Puff" and $10 toward "No Faster or Firmer Friendships"
2 (100.0%)

ALL $25 into "No Faster or Firmer Friendships"
0 (0.0%)

Open a new epic
0 (0.0%)

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

The following poems from the April 7, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl are currently available. Poems may be sponsored via PayPal -- there's a permanent donation button on my Dreamwidth profile page -- or you can write to me and discuss other methods. There are still verses left in the linkback poems "A Sense of Weather Changes," "The Loving Embrace of Night," "Generations of Cooks Past," "Homefree and Clear, " "One Bite at a Time," "Mishpocha," "Changing Your Nature," and "Besa."

"Any Terms You Offer"
Story Date: Monday, March 18, 2019
Summary: Barb feels confused by changes, but he's still standing up for himself.
125 lines, Buy It Now = $63

Gideon came home to find
a puddle of black fur
moping on his bed.

"The Doom Puff"
Summary: What started out as a cute fluffy bunny didn't stay that way.
39 lines, Buy It Now = $15

"Eat It Happily Because It Is Good"
Story Date: Thursday, September 1, 2016
Summary: In which Shiv is a salad snob.
501 lines, Buy It Now = $251

Professor O'Keeffe had done a great job
of showing everyone around Memorial Park,
pointing out where the canna bulbs and
other tender perennials had already been
dug up to store over the winter or how
the rosebushes were dropping leaves.

"Edge of Enchantment"
Story Date: Morning of Thursday, May 1, 2025
Summary: Digby and Maerwynn come to a trading post where they meet the first people in their new world.
357 lines, Buy It Now = $179

In the morning, Digby and Maerwynn
woke to song, but only half of that
came from the familiar birds.

"An Equally Valid Way of Being"
Summary: Xavia finds that becoming a werewolf improves her mental as well as physical health.
66 lines, Buy It Now = $33

Xavia Brown had been
an indifferent college student
and an avid bicycler when
bad bicycle crash left her
with arm and leg impairment
on the left side, a lot of scars,
and chronic pain that made
every day into a struggle.

Current Mood: busy

thistleingrey

Last fall I pruned the back yard's shrubs and saplings, slowly, and closed my eyes whenever I had to hack a few times at a thicker branch. This spring, my slow pruning of the additional rain-fueled shoots and yanking of some grass and oxalis have given tiny housemate some exercise on non-walk afternoons. She considers it her duty to catch anything I pull out and toss towards a fence to decay, such that pausing to gather two or three things before tossing is met by loud objections.

From those 3-5 minute snippets of labor, we have no more dog-safe twigs to lop, a first since fall 2021. When I told tiny housemate one day that I hadn't brought a cutting tool outside because we're finished, tiny housemate disagreed and bit off a few small branches within reach. Perhaps they were in the way for investigating cat- and squirrel-crossings.

For things that don't need pruning, I do as little as possible. Last fall, the hydrangeas struggled through dry weeks (non-rain watering occurs via hand-carried can, a hose drip that I move around now and then, or not at all), but they've decided to put forth leaves this spring. The persimmon tree has had the hose-drip treatment only once in 2026 so far, after too much rain last year left its fruit almost tasteless. In the fall I harvested some, which my mother sliced and dehydrated into treats for tiny housemate, and the rest went to the curbside compost service because tiny housemate and local squirrels kept fighting over the ones that dropped.

It's hilarious to try calibrating web advice that's somewhat informed. My physical endurance, the limiting factor, is in the respective target audiences for "Recovery after Covid" at AARP (AARP keeps dropping its age threshold for membership---I haven't joined, but it's now 50 years) and "I have been unable to run because of pneumonia for about two months" at RunnersWorld (I ran short distances with mild bacterial pneumonia 7-8 years ago, apparently, because former primary care dismissed the early stage as just a bad cold).

Neither article is of use to me; somewhere without any past bed rest is where I am. As Susan Paul writes in the second article, "In the right doses exercise can boost our immune system but, conversely, too much training can significantly impair it." And no one says, use nibble-doses of yardwork/housework as a proxy for lifting weights and feeding proprioceptive balance. Why would they, when "Go for walks" is their main goal.

jazzyjj posting in

awesomeers

It's challenge time!

Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.

Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!

Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!

Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.

Go!

conuly

Watch on YouTube

As you may guess, this was inspired by the folksong of the same name. You can find more information about that song here.

batiferrite posting in

common_nature

But at least the lilacs and violets are happy!

There was also a double rainbow a while ago. :3

I've also been preparing to start a garden for the first time, pretty excited about it! I've got some fence container-things set up in my backyard, filled with fresh potting soil and some seeds ready. I've been talking to a coworker about it; apparently, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green beans are good starter plants that basically grow themselves. I also have a pack of red strawberry popcorn that I bought on a whim a year or so ago that I'm hoping will still be viable.

Current Mood: excited

conuly

To the man on the bus talking to his daughter about what color she was going to paint his nails when they got home: Good job! You get a gold star and a cookie, which you will probably share with your kid! Cookies all around, no sarcasm!

To the man in CVS playing on his phone while his wife corralled their two year old and talked to the pharmacist: Dude, if you're not gonna help, just stay home.

This tangentially connects to one of my favorite poems, which I was recently reminded of.

******************

( Read more... )

ysabetwordsmith

dialecticdreamer is hosting Feathering the Nest today. The theme for this prompt call is always fluff and comfort. Leave prompts, get ficlets!

Current Mood: busy

starwatcher posting in

fandom_checkin

This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Monday, April 27, to midnight on Tuesday, April 28. (8pm Eastern Time).

Poll #34528 Daily Check-in

Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 14

How are you doing?

I am OK.
10 (71.4%)

I am not OK, but don't need help right now.
4 (28.6%)

I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)

How many other humans live with you?

I am living single.
6 (42.9%)

One other person.
5 (35.7%)

More than one other person.
3 (21.4%)

Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.

thedarlingone

i have seen my pcp. i have referrals to a bunch of specialists (endocrinologist, pulmonologist, podiatrist, ophthalmologist, gynecologist, cardiologist), i have had my blood drawn to see how my meds need adjusted (my a1c and cholesterol are probably horrendous since i've been off those meds for most of a year), i have had an ekg for tachycardia because my pulse rate was stuck around 130 (it came back with no obvious abnormalities other than being stupid fast, hence the cardiologist referral), and most importantly i have had my back x-rayed to see if i have any slipped discs or anything similar causing my back pain.

preliminary results on the x-rays say everything looks normal. (i am unsurprised, previous imaging hasn't found anything either.) pcp will decide on wednesday at my telemed followup whether to refer me to physical therapy or an orthopedic specialist. i am hoping for the specialist because i have had pt for my back twice already and none of the exercises or stretches seem to be helping (i did tell my pcp this so hopefully it works out.)

my corset pattern also arrives wednesday or thursday but if i get a referral to an orthopedist i'll probably hold off on any further corsetry expenses until i find out whether i get prescribed something like a medical back brace covered by insurance. (if it is my sacroiliac joints being the problem, one treatment is a special hip-and-back brace that my medicaid apparently covers at 2 per year.) probably still going to cut it out and do a fitting with a paper mockup though because i like to know my options.

now i am being flat on a heating pad for 3-4 business days until i recover from the being vertical for four hours straight. this is so fucking stupid.

ysabetwordsmith

goals_on_dw is a community for people who like goals and goal setting. A key focus is New Year's resolutions, that being among the most popular contexts for such activities. Although the most common time is January 1, "new year" can also refer to other calendars or cultures, whatever works for you. Alternatively, just pick a time that works for you and go for it. You can introduce yourself or make new friends here.

We talk about different goal systems, pros and cons of resolutions, arts and crafts for tracking goals, human psychology, and more. You can share your resolutions or other goals. There are weekly check-in posts in January, and monthly ones in the rest of the year, for folks to talk about their accomplishments. December-January is the most active period, and it starts ramping up in November as lots of people begin thinking about their goals for the next year.

2026 Free Printable Calendars, Planners, and More is the guide post for this years goal-setting activities. For more details on relevant topics, see "Things You Can Talk About Here."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

newcomers is a community for people who are just getting started on Dreamwidth, in the tradition of

twitter_refugees and

reddit_refugees. This community supports former users of other platforms who are moving to Dreamwidth because their previous platform has become untenable or has closed. As such, it will increase activity with each wave of new users, in hopes of helping them get settled in Dreamwidth so they want to stick around. It also serves previous users returning after a long hiatus, people who want to do more with a Dreamwidth blog that was only intermittent, or anyone else who wants help connecting and figuring out how to use this venue.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Here are the notes for "An Expression That Crosses Boundaries."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

buttonsbeadslace

After howevermany years of being generally aware of the existence of Lois McMaster Bujold, and at least several years of seeing people on Tumblr saying effusive things about her books, I finally read one. Libby lied to me about series order so it was a mostly-unrelated far-past-prequel to the books I had actually seen people talking about, but unfortunately it was also right up my alley and I have no excuse for why I didn't read any of her work earlier. I do have a fondness for the sort of classic scifi story that takes one thesis question ("What if a company could genetically engineer the perfect worker?") and then just lets it roll out to a conclusion. It's a fairly simple book, on that level - once the thesis is set up, it's mostly action plot about the practical process of getting people and equipment from point A to point B.

But I really love that first setup part, how it only takes the main character maybe an hour to go from "WTF are these mutants?" to "They've been raised from birth to obey orders from standard humans, according to the company they are not legally human beings, and they might not be physically capable of leaving their worksite even if they were allowed to, which they're not. They're slaves." And the people who have been working on this project for years, out of their various types of acceptance and willful ignorance, never even considered that he might have this reaction. And then this book cements my love by cutting directly from his "these poor kids have been raised to be subservient" epiphany to show us that they are already resisting in small ways and are perfectly capable of resisting in big ways on their own initiative.

Also I have to talk about the absolutely electric scene where the crew doctor calls in one of the mutants/young women into the clinic, and she:
- verbally pushes back against orders from an authority figure for almost the first time in her life
- realizes that he wants to sterilize her to prevent her passing on her engineered genes
- realizes that despite his initially nice attitude, he won't hesitate to sedate her and do it by force if she doesn't comply
- physically fights back against him for the first time in her life
- realizes she's stronger than he is!
- drugs him with his own drug and ties him to his own operating table with the restraints he was going to use on her!!
- points out that she could sterilize him for good measure if she wanted to!!!
- but unlike him she wouldn't hurt a helpless person for no reason or just because a company gave an order
- so she leaves him to sleep off the sedative unharmed

like!!! one might say this is over the top, but it's also fantastic so I don't care.

duskpeterson

Further on, as the corridor turns once more, is a locked door. This leads to the so-named inner garden, which is the palace courtyard. The garden may be entered only by invitation of the Chara or one of his council lords. It is intended as private place of restoration from the heavy duties of the Chara and the council lords.

The garden is a green area of grasses and hedges, in the Emorian fashion of gardens of pleasure. Towards the back of the garden is a small grove of trees. The tallest of these trees is father to the rest. Imported as a sapling from Koretia, it was replanted by the very hands of the Chara Peter.

Surrounding the garden are the four wings of the palace; this is the only place where all four wings can be seen at once. The garden is sunken to the original level of the hill, which causes the West Wing to loom above it. Only the remaining wings of the palace, though, are two-storeyed.

A break between the South Wing and the East Wing is gated and heavily guarded. It offers a splendid view of the black border mountains to the south.

[Translator's note: The protagonists of Blood Vow and Law of Vengeance keep bumping into each other in the inner garden, alas.]

Star Wars: staring down the barrel of the hot sun by magneticwave

Three Classic War Films

American Meadows Order

Free Epic Poll

Soniferous Aether

General Fund Poll

Unsold Poems for the April 7, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl

garden update

Just one thing: 28 April 2026

(no subject)

it's been storming a lot recently...

A note to two dads of little girls

Feathering the Nest

Daily Check-In

(no subject)

New Year's Resolutions and Other Goals

Newcomers

Notes for "An Expression That Crosses Boundaries"

(no subject)

FIC: Inner garden (Tempestuous Tours)

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