• I had a bit of a relapse, or perhaps just another migraine, but either way - I'm sick of this! GO AWAY!


• Also, I've had anxiety dreams before (mainly the "brakes or steering wheel on the car not working" or "tap won't shut off properly, water everywhere" kind), but last night was the first time I dreamed about getting an assignment email for an exchange I didn't remember signing up for. What the hell!


• I'm trying to actually participate in Chinese practice over at guardian_learning, but I'm way behind everyone else, so I'm feeling very silly about it. (I know there's no way to learn a reasonable amount of words or characters without actually studying, but I already have too many things in my life I can't keep up with. So I get in a week or two and then stop again for a few months, which is ... not ideal. On the positive side, even like that, every time I watch something I understand a little bit more, so something's happening in the language-learning part of my brain while I'm not paying attention. *g*)


• Not that I've watched much of anything lately. I just tried to remember what the last new thing I watched was, and other than the one-episode-per-week watchalong of Imperial Coroner it was probably the new Matrix movie? And nothing else since, idk, November. I see people posting about all the things they watch, and I have no idea how they do it. (And then, of course, I go and binge-watch ten episodes a day. :p)


• Writing is going slowly, but it is happening. Less than two weeks now to reach my January goals, but that should be plenty. :)

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1135304.html | comment(s) @ DW

china_shop

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1134876.html | comment(s) @ DW

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1134740.html | comment(s) @ DW

1. Shen Wei Watercolour Protrait by kingstoken


2. Grimm icons by tarlanx


3. Fic: ghosts, clouds, branches by peachpai (Word of Honor, Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu, Luo Fumeng & Wen Kexing, Gu Xiang & Wen Kexing)


4. Fic: gather your armour, raise your shield by kat_lair (Guardian, Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan)


5. Fic: In Service by navaan (ACD Sherlock Holmes, Holmes/Moriarty)


6. Fic: Sartorial Emergency by laireshi (Guardian, Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan)

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1134423.html | comment(s) @ DW

chocolateboxcomm

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1134025.html | comment(s) @ DW

fandomtrees

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1133558.html | comment(s) @ DW

1. Music:
   
   I spent some time yesterday on Gong Jun's delightful NYE performance (weibo link because I couldn't find a good quality version on youtube) - it's this Nicholas Tse song. Oh no, I have been earwormed again ...



2. Yuletide author reveals, part 2:
   
   With Heart Attack running so close into Yuletide, I thought I wasn't going to manage any treats at all, but I got this one finished just in time!
   
   And I didn't expect anyone to comment other than the recipient (shadaras, of course, who shares my love for Huo Wensi and this rarepair in an already-rare fandom), but another person did comment! So that was a delighful surprise. :D
   
   **
   
   Title: Shiver
   Fandom: 绅探 | Detective L
   Rating: M
   Pairing: Huo Wensi/Luo Fei
   Content tags: Lovers to Enemies to Allies, UST, Simmering Violence, or is it Simmering Desire, (it's both), Post-Canon
   
   Summary: Huo Wensi will not cut Luo Fei's throat. Luo Fei is almost sure of it.
   
   Shiver

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1133225.html | comment(s) @ DW

inkingitout

inkingitout

heartattackexchange

china_shop

navaan

shadaras

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1132873.html | comment(s) @ DW

topaz_eyes

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1132735.html | comment(s) @ DW

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1132386.html | comment(s) @ DW

• State of the Dora: I've been thinking about posting this for a while, but I've been holding off due to the paranoid feeling that as soon as I said it it would go away. Anyway - shock, surprise, it turns out that brain fog, tiredness and an inability to focus are actually three separate things, not just one indistinct blob of fuzziness?! Who would have thought. :p
  
  In short, vitamin B12 supplements made the brain fog go away, and getting to sleep in this week means I'm not as tired either. Focus is still a work in progress, though. *g*


• Pandemic: I got my third vaccine jab yesterday! Moderna this time, and so far (30 hours later) I have no side effects other than my arm hurting, not even the tiredness I had last time. It's a more localised pain and swelling this time, too - with both previous Biontech doses, my entire upper arm was a little swollen; this time the area around the injection is swollen more, but the rest isn't (or not noticeably so). Fascinating!
  
  Also, I got a look at the shopping district today when I came past on my daily walk, and wow, those were some crowds ...


• Food: I was going to make scallion pancakes today ... but then I made them yesterday instead. *g* Today it was improvised hot and sour soup to use up some leftovers, and I'll have smoked salmon on bread later.


• Writing: Still having trouble getting back in the saddle after Yuletide, but I'm going to make a serious effort to a) get as much as possible done for fandomtrees (I have a list!) and b) write more consistently again this year. (I'll do my usual retrospective tomorrow, after Yuletide authors have been revealed.)


• Watching: I haven't watched a single thing in what feels like forever now, other than canon revision for writing purposes. I really want to find the time for that again, too.


• Reading: Other than fanfic, the only thing I've read recently has been rereads (mainly Nantucket Trilogy and Starfire) and the German translation of MDZS, which I'm still in the middle of. (It's a very smoothly readable translation; I'm enjoying it! My main complaint is the sloppy/nonexistent proofreading.)


• New Year's Eve:Three hours until midnight! I'm going to watch an episode of Imperial Coroner with the group watch in a bit; that's my only plan for tonight. What's everyone else doing this New Year's Eve?

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1132180.html | comment(s) @ DW

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1131615.html | comment(s) @ DW

1. Two very different Time Engraver worldbuilding fics, with different takes on what kind of being the Time Engraver is:
   
   
   • Palimpsest (1643 words) [Teen]
     Relationship: Time Engraver & OFC
     Summary: The first thing that he sees when he opens his eyes is a shattered burin.
     palimpsest
     /ˈpalɪm(p)sɛst/
     noun
     a manuscript or piece of writing material on which later writing has been superimposed on effaced earlier writing.
   
   
   • Entrapping Time (1434 words) [Teen]
     Relationship: Time Engraver & Bai Yu characters
     Summary: As far as time stretches, the Time Engraver has been content with his tower and workshop and one-sided discussions with those on whom he works his delicate craft – the small niche time carved itself simply for being, outside yet within its intangible, implacable nature.
     And then one soul sparks his curiosity.


2. And one Detective L fic with porn for the tiny rarepair of my heart:
   
   Posterior Motives (2535 words) [Explicit]
   Relationship: Huo Wensi/Luo Fei
   Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Pre-Canon, Dom/sub, Undernegotiated Kink, Rough Sex, Door Sex, Canon-Typical Manipulative Huo Wensi
   Summary: Luo Fei is barging through his waiting room and picking the lock into his personal office, which means he’s taken silence as an invitation, which means he’s bored. Therefore, Huo Wensi thinks, he’s here for sex.

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1131351.html | comment(s) @ DW

heartattackexchange

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1131256.html | comment(s) @ DW

1. Exchanges/Fests:
   
   I've been meaning to make a proper update post for a while, but it's not going to happen before Yuletide reveals, so here's at least a partial one: it's been a bit of a mess lately, on the exchange front.
   
   femslashex had delayed reveals, and because I'm constitutionally incapable of stopping my fiddling with stories until they are live and out of my hand, that ate somewhat into my heartattackexchange writing time. I'm happy with the story I wrote, though - including the bit I changed at the last minute. Also, it was great writing original fic again - I missed it!
   
   Then heartattackexchange had multiple delays, and that ate massively into the Yuletide writing period. On the other hand, I fought with the story and its revisions a lot, and tossed out a lot of words during the revision process to replace them with something completely different. (Looking at my word count spreadsheet, only 58,6% of the words I wrote actually ended up in the final version, which, uh, is not a great percentage.) The story is much better for it, though, so I can't regret it - I'm very pleased with the ultimate result. (It's still anonymous; author reveals are on the 22nd.)
   
   So, yuletide ... I made the deadline without too much panicking, but the story is still in need of revision, because after that I simply crashed for two days. Finally feeling awake again now! And I'm not worried about whipping my assignment into shape, for once. So today is the first day since October that I've had any time to even give thought to Yuletide treats. I originally had a huge list of potential ones; I've narrowed it down to three that are still possible, plus maybe another Madness treat if I have brain left on the 25th. We'll see how much (if any) I can still finish. Fingers crossed!
   
   And of course after Yuletide comes fandomtrees! I have a whole list for that as well, and am really looking forward to tackling it after the holidays.
   
   How's everyone else's exchange/fest life going?


2. Other:
   
   Once I can find a little energy and time I'm also going to go back and comment on the last few scene discussion posts over at sid_guardian that so far I've only bookmarked. These are always so fun! Still looking forward to talking to people there.
   
   And speaking of, sign-ups for the next round are open - not just for scene discussion posts, but for all kinds of meta, , etc. Which means I need to decide what to tackle next round! I thought I'd had an idea recently, but I can't seem to remember now. Anyone have suggestions? Here's the list of scenes that have already been tackled.

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1130964.html | comment(s) @ DW

shadaras

sanguinity

muccamukk

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1130531.html | comment(s) @ DW

sid_guardian

fandomtrees

heartattackexchange

femslashex

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1130084.html | comment(s) @ DW

fandomtrees

Fandomtrees is a mulitfandom gifting fest similar to fandom_stocking or fandomgiftbox. Participants sign up with information about the fandoms, prompts, etc, they want, as well as any DNWs. Other people will then leave gifts under the trees, and the mod(s) will reveal those on the reveal date.

Schedule:
Sign-ups: November 18 - December 6
Gifting: November 20 - January 5
Reveals: January 6

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1129905.html | comment(s) @ DW

Wei Wuxian, der Yiling-Patriarch und Begründer des dämonischen Kultivierungswegs, ist für seine erschreckende Macht bekannt und als Verräter seiner eigenen Sippe verhasst. Daher beschließen die großen Clans, ihn umzubringen.

Zehn Jahre vergehen, bis er durch ein Opferritual zurück in die Welt der Lebenden holt wird! Wei Wuxian versucht, seine wahre Identität geheim zu halten, trifft jedoch auf einen alten Bekannten – den überaus attraktiven und rechtschaffenen Lan Wangji. Leider scheint dieser mittlerweile immun gegen Wei Wuxians Neckereien zu sein – was diesen natürlich nicht von den Versuchen abhält, die ruhige Haltung Lan Wangjis ins Wanken zu bringen. Als die beiden unfreiwillig in die Geschehnisse der Kultivierungswelt hineingezogen werden, müssen sie sich gemeinsam gefährlichen Geistern, bösartigen Dämonen und feindseligen Clan-Mitgliedern stellen, um Licht in all die düsteren Wahrheiten um sie herum zu bringen!

xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1129448.html | comment(s) @ DW