Freedom, sweet freedom.
Jun. 13th, 2025 10:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
settiaiOkay, the work week is finally over. I took a nap after work, because I slept like crap last night, and I'm feeling much more like a human being again even though I'm still tired. My brain's definitely not in a great place, but overall today was much better than earlier this week. So that's a big step in the right direction at least.
It's, uh, been a week. Such a week. 🙃
My plan is to not leave the hotel at all tomorrow or Sunday, and if I'm lucky I might be able to avoid all human interaction if I'm careful. I'm hoping to get up relatively early tomorrow to get a load of clothes washed and some cleaning done in the suite, and then I'm going to spend the rest of the day playing video games which I haven't done in ages despite my multiple attempts to do so.
It's, uh, been a week. Such a week. 🙃
My plan is to not leave the hotel at all tomorrow or Sunday, and if I'm lucky I might be able to avoid all human interaction if I'm careful. I'm hoping to get up relatively early tomorrow to get a load of clothes washed and some cleaning done in the suite, and then I'm going to spend the rest of the day playing video games which I haven't done in ages despite my multiple attempts to do so.
Today just keeps on giving...
Jun. 12th, 2025 06:32 pmsettiaiWelp. This is certainly a day. The fire alarm went off again this afternoon. And this time? It was an actual fire. 🙃
They managed to get it put out fairly quickly at least, and from the time the fire alarm went off to the fire trucks arriving was, like, less than two minutes. So good on them for a great response time.
Long story short, the laundry room that the hotel staff uses to wash sheets, towels, etc. caught on fire. I'm guessing it was one of the industrial dryers in there based on what I saw. There's currently a hole in the wall leading into the laundry room, firemen still running around, and a shit ton of smoke in the hallways, but they've let everyone back inside. And my suite is about as far as you can get from where the fire was, so there's at least no smoke in here as long as I keep the door shut.
Garrus is already back to normal, but Keyleth has hidden herself under the bed and probably won't be coming back out for at least a few hours. Minimum.
June is, uh, certainly shaping up to be a month. That's for sure.
They managed to get it put out fairly quickly at least, and from the time the fire alarm went off to the fire trucks arriving was, like, less than two minutes. So good on them for a great response time.
Long story short, the laundry room that the hotel staff uses to wash sheets, towels, etc. caught on fire. I'm guessing it was one of the industrial dryers in there based on what I saw. There's currently a hole in the wall leading into the laundry room, firemen still running around, and a shit ton of smoke in the hallways, but they've let everyone back inside. And my suite is about as far as you can get from where the fire was, so there's at least no smoke in here as long as I keep the door shut.
Garrus is already back to normal, but Keyleth has hidden herself under the bed and probably won't be coming back out for at least a few hours. Minimum.
June is, uh, certainly shaping up to be a month. That's for sure.
What-ho all
Jun. 11th, 2025 11:56 amzan77 posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
addme_fandomName: Zan
Age group: 40s but rapidly heading towards 50s
Country: UK
Subscription/Access Policy: Public, at time of writing
Fannish Interests: Right now I'm mainly into Djo, Stranger Things (as my icon suggests, I'm having somewhat of a Joe Keery year), The Terror, Severance, and my attention to the MCU has been revived somewhat by Agatha All Along, Thunderbolts and (hopefully!) Fantastic Four.
I enjoy reading golden age detective fiction, fantasy, romance and historical non-fiction. I've written a small number of fics but am trying to get out of a block and write some more.
I've been a long time but mostly lurky presence in fannish spaces since the early 2000s, and can also be found as zan77 on tumblr
I like to post about: Not many posts on my dreamwidth yet but I'm hoping to use it to get back into the habit of longer posting.
About Me/Other Info: Outside of fandom I'm also an amateaur bellydancer and enjoy crochet. As I officially enter Fandom Old territory I've started to yearn for the old Livejournal style interactions of my youth! Hoping to find some like-minded souls to talk to.
Age group: 40s but rapidly heading towards 50s
Country: UK
Subscription/Access Policy: Public, at time of writing
Fannish Interests: Right now I'm mainly into Djo, Stranger Things (as my icon suggests, I'm having somewhat of a Joe Keery year), The Terror, Severance, and my attention to the MCU has been revived somewhat by Agatha All Along, Thunderbolts and (hopefully!) Fantastic Four.
I enjoy reading golden age detective fiction, fantasy, romance and historical non-fiction. I've written a small number of fics but am trying to get out of a block and write some more.
I've been a long time but mostly lurky presence in fannish spaces since the early 2000s, and can also be found as zan77 on tumblr
I like to post about: Not many posts on my dreamwidth yet but I'm hoping to use it to get back into the habit of longer posting.
About Me/Other Info: Outside of fandom I'm also an amateaur bellydancer and enjoy crochet. As I officially enter Fandom Old territory I've started to yearn for the old Livejournal style interactions of my youth! Hoping to find some like-minded souls to talk to.
LEP 10.6.
Jun. 10th, 2025 04:25 pmyvannairieMy theory that you should always prime any conversation that includes even a little bit of moral ambiguity by asking how someone feels about furries keeps bearing out.
delphiFandom 50 #20
Untitled Ouizzy Neighbor AU by![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
derekstilinski
Fandom: Our Flag Means Death
Relationship: Frenchie/Izzy Hands
Medium: Gifset
Length: 3 gifs
Rating: SFW
My Bookmark Tags: romance, happy ending, getting together, constructed reality, au: modern, domesticity, nature
Description:
I am such a sucker for constructed reality graphics and vids, and all the ways a little tactical harnessing of the Kuleshov effect can bring us the crossovers, AUs, and visual adaptations we crave. I've got a few from this same creator to rec, but I'm starting with this Neighbor AU that imagines a modern day Frenchie and Izzy living next door to each other in the country and catching each other's eye.
First off, I just love how it's put together, from the progression of running into each other by chance, then scoping out each other from their houses, to finally coming together for tea. But I also love how the choice of sources colours the story being told here. I'm pretty sure the Con O'Neill clips are from Vengeance Is Mine and the Joel Fry ones are from In the Earth. These are both harrowing movies where the actual characters are going through some awful things. I appreciate how those scenes get recontextualized here into something cozier that nonetheless paints a picture of both characters having gone through some rough times.
You can easily imagine that this modern Frenchie has just as many terrible things locked up in that little box in his head as his 18th century counterpart had, and that this Izzy has just been through an emotionally and/or physically traumatic breakup with Ed, and now here they are, a little bruised and cautious but finding some potential comfort and love in their own backyard.
Untitled Ouizzy Neighbor AU by
Fandom: Our Flag Means Death
Relationship: Frenchie/Izzy Hands
Medium: Gifset
Length: 3 gifs
Rating: SFW
My Bookmark Tags: romance, happy ending, getting together, constructed reality, au: modern, domesticity, nature
Description:
In the first gif, Izzy wanders out into a field and happens upon Frenchie, who's sitting alone and obviously having a bad time alone with his thoughts. In the second, the two men are each in their houses, looking out the window at each other's places. In the third, they've finally come together, Frenchie handing a wary Izzy a cup of tea.
I am such a sucker for constructed reality graphics and vids, and all the ways a little tactical harnessing of the Kuleshov effect can bring us the crossovers, AUs, and visual adaptations we crave. I've got a few from this same creator to rec, but I'm starting with this Neighbor AU that imagines a modern day Frenchie and Izzy living next door to each other in the country and catching each other's eye.
First off, I just love how it's put together, from the progression of running into each other by chance, then scoping out each other from their houses, to finally coming together for tea. But I also love how the choice of sources colours the story being told here. I'm pretty sure the Con O'Neill clips are from Vengeance Is Mine and the Joel Fry ones are from In the Earth. These are both harrowing movies where the actual characters are going through some awful things. I appreciate how those scenes get recontextualized here into something cozier that nonetheless paints a picture of both characters having gone through some rough times.
You can easily imagine that this modern Frenchie has just as many terrible things locked up in that little box in his head as his 18th century counterpart had, and that this Izzy has just been through an emotionally and/or physically traumatic breakup with Ed, and now here they are, a little bruised and cautious but finding some potential comfort and love in their own backyard.
For Sale: Echo Show (2nd Generation)
Jun. 9th, 2025 06:26 pmsettiaiI know it's a long shot considering Amazon is Amazon, but would anyone be interested in buying an Echo Show (2nd Gen) 10" in black charcoal? Or know anyone who might want one?
It's used, but it still works perfectly fine. It's been in my storage unit in the hope I'd be in a position to use it again, as it was really useful for cooking purposes (among other things) when I was living in an apartment with a full-sized kitchen, but it's become increasingly clear that I'm not moving out of the hotel anytime soon so I really have no need for it.
I'd be willing to accept any reasonable offer. There's no listings on Amazon since it's an older model, but there are some available on eBay for comparison. I could have it in the mail either this weekend or early next week at the latest.
For payment, I have CashApp ($Settiai), PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle (nancy.lynn.foster@gmail.com).
If you know anyone who might be interested, please point them my way. I'm still around $100 shy of being able to cover all of my upcoming bills, and it would help a lot if I could find someone interested in taking this off my hands.
It's used, but it still works perfectly fine. It's been in my storage unit in the hope I'd be in a position to use it again, as it was really useful for cooking purposes (among other things) when I was living in an apartment with a full-sized kitchen, but it's become increasingly clear that I'm not moving out of the hotel anytime soon so I really have no need for it.
I'd be willing to accept any reasonable offer. There's no listings on Amazon since it's an older model, but there are some available on eBay for comparison. I could have it in the mail either this weekend or early next week at the latest.
For payment, I have CashApp ($Settiai), PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle (nancy.lynn.foster@gmail.com).
If you know anyone who might be interested, please point them my way. I'm still around $100 shy of being able to cover all of my upcoming bills, and it would help a lot if I could find someone interested in taking this off my hands.
Hello there!
Jun. 9th, 2025 08:13 amgimmighoulcoins posting in addme_fandomName: Rascal
Pronouns: He/Him
Age Group: I'm in my early 30s - please only add me if you're 20 or older!
Country: USA
Subscription/Access Policy: Very general fandom posts are public, whereas things that are access only are probably more along the lines of "mini-essay pondering a bigger subject through the lens of fandom" or a fanwork idea I'm not quite sure about yet, but what to share to a degree.
What I chat about: Fandom and hobbies are probably what I'll most frequently chat about, but I also love getting analytical and waxing philosophical about life - often through looking at fandom things. I find it fun, and my shared reflections tend to be more neutral-to-positive. When it comes to fandom specifics, I love writing fanfic and AUs, and exploring ideas for those, and a character deep-dive is one of my favorite things! I also just like sharing the enthusiasm I have for my favorite things, fandom or otherwise.
I'm looking to connect with people who: Want to talk and share their enthusiasm, too! I'm a chatterbox who really wants to extend his fannish social circle - I'm a househusband who sometimes ends up with a lot of free time and I'd love to spend more of it engaging in fun talk! I'm also looking to connect with people who are open-minded and accepting, and not interested in anti culture or other fandom discourse.
Main Fandoms: Pokemon has been my forever fandom, ever since Pokemania hit the States. I kind of fell off in the GBA/early DS era (Emerald and Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, specifically) but got back into it in a big way since and have never left. I'm mainly into the games, but I have a lot of fondness for the early seasons of the anime, and I've really been enjoying the new Pokemon Horizons series? I'm really behind on it, though. My other main fandoms are Disney Duck canons - a lot of 'em, but I'm especially fond of the 2017 DuckTales reboot, Darkwing Duck, and the various comics - and Fraggle Rock, which I discovered well after its time but I love - and now it has a reboot, too, and I also love that!
Other Fandoms: Delicious in Dungeon, In Stars and Time, Steven Universe, Dimension 20's Fantasy High, The Muppets, Sonic the Hedgehog (games, the movies, and the IDW comics - though I'm super behind on the comics), Zeddy Zi's Ramshackle, Lilo & Stitch, Tangled, Ratatouille, and a lot of other animated movies... Oh! And Phineas and Ferb is back and ngl, I'm kinda losing my mind over that. Such a fun show, I love its themes of creativity
What I create for Fandom: Fanfic! And occasionally icons, but mostly fic. I've really been getting back into it lately.
Other Hobbies: Reading, bracelet weaving, Dungeons & Dragons... I'm starting to get into art and I'm trying to get into cooking as more a hobby than housework. I also love collecting! Currently, I collect bookmarks and merch of Meowth from Pokemon.
Pronouns: He/Him
Age Group: I'm in my early 30s - please only add me if you're 20 or older!
Country: USA
Subscription/Access Policy: Very general fandom posts are public, whereas things that are access only are probably more along the lines of "mini-essay pondering a bigger subject through the lens of fandom" or a fanwork idea I'm not quite sure about yet, but what to share to a degree.
What I chat about: Fandom and hobbies are probably what I'll most frequently chat about, but I also love getting analytical and waxing philosophical about life - often through looking at fandom things. I find it fun, and my shared reflections tend to be more neutral-to-positive. When it comes to fandom specifics, I love writing fanfic and AUs, and exploring ideas for those, and a character deep-dive is one of my favorite things! I also just like sharing the enthusiasm I have for my favorite things, fandom or otherwise.
I'm looking to connect with people who: Want to talk and share their enthusiasm, too! I'm a chatterbox who really wants to extend his fannish social circle - I'm a househusband who sometimes ends up with a lot of free time and I'd love to spend more of it engaging in fun talk! I'm also looking to connect with people who are open-minded and accepting, and not interested in anti culture or other fandom discourse.
Main Fandoms: Pokemon has been my forever fandom, ever since Pokemania hit the States. I kind of fell off in the GBA/early DS era (Emerald and Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, specifically) but got back into it in a big way since and have never left. I'm mainly into the games, but I have a lot of fondness for the early seasons of the anime, and I've really been enjoying the new Pokemon Horizons series? I'm really behind on it, though. My other main fandoms are Disney Duck canons - a lot of 'em, but I'm especially fond of the 2017 DuckTales reboot, Darkwing Duck, and the various comics - and Fraggle Rock, which I discovered well after its time but I love - and now it has a reboot, too, and I also love that!
Other Fandoms: Delicious in Dungeon, In Stars and Time, Steven Universe, Dimension 20's Fantasy High, The Muppets, Sonic the Hedgehog (games, the movies, and the IDW comics - though I'm super behind on the comics), Zeddy Zi's Ramshackle, Lilo & Stitch, Tangled, Ratatouille, and a lot of other animated movies... Oh! And Phineas and Ferb is back and ngl, I'm kinda losing my mind over that. Such a fun show, I love its themes of creativity
What I create for Fandom: Fanfic! And occasionally icons, but mostly fic. I've really been getting back into it lately.
Other Hobbies: Reading, bracelet weaving, Dungeons & Dragons... I'm starting to get into art and I'm trying to get into cooking as more a hobby than housework. I also love collecting! Currently, I collect bookmarks and merch of Meowth from Pokemon.
Fic: Quiet Moments (Dragon Age)
Jun. 8th, 2025 12:14 pmsettiaiQuiet Moments (1825 words) by Settiai
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age - All Media Types
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Solas/Male Trevelyan (Dragon Age), background Cullen Rutherford/Male Trevelyan
Characters: Male Trevelyan (Dragon Age), Solas (Dragon Age)
Additional Tags: Arlathan Exchange (Dragon Age), Formerly Tranquil Inquisitor (Dragon Age), Hurt/Comfort, Lyrium Addiction, Lyrium Withdrawal, One Shot, Queerplatonic Relationships, Slice of Life, Trans Inquisitor (Dragon Age), Trans Male Inquisitor (Dragon Age)
Summary: Connor Trevelyan hadn't expected anyone to join him on the battlements in the middle of the night.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age - All Media Types
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Solas/Male Trevelyan (Dragon Age), background Cullen Rutherford/Male Trevelyan
Characters: Male Trevelyan (Dragon Age), Solas (Dragon Age)
Additional Tags: Arlathan Exchange (Dragon Age), Formerly Tranquil Inquisitor (Dragon Age), Hurt/Comfort, Lyrium Addiction, Lyrium Withdrawal, One Shot, Queerplatonic Relationships, Slice of Life, Trans Inquisitor (Dragon Age), Trans Male Inquisitor (Dragon Age)
Summary: Connor Trevelyan hadn't expected anyone to join him on the battlements in the middle of the night.
Fic: A Study in Worth (Dragon Age)
Jun. 8th, 2025 12:12 pmsettiaiA Study in Worth (1428 words) by Settiai
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragon Age II, Dragon Age - All Media Types
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Anders/Fenris (Dragon Age)
Characters: Anders (Dragon Age), Fenris (Dragon Age)
Additional Tags: Arlathan Exchange (Dragon Age), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Mental Health Issues, One Shot, Post-Dragon Age II, Pre-Dragon Age: Inquisition
Summary: It was blatantly obvious that Anders was spiraling again.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragon Age II, Dragon Age - All Media Types
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Anders/Fenris (Dragon Age)
Characters: Anders (Dragon Age), Fenris (Dragon Age)
Additional Tags: Arlathan Exchange (Dragon Age), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Mental Health Issues, One Shot, Post-Dragon Age II, Pre-Dragon Age: Inquisition
Summary: It was blatantly obvious that Anders was spiraling again.
. . .
Jun. 8th, 2025 12:30 amsettiaiI'm still not feeling particularly great, but my brain has at least stopped spiraling quite as badly. So that's something at least. I'm still definitely worried about covering upcoming bills, but it doesn't feel as completely impossible as it did when I made my last post.
If you reached out, thank you very much, and I want you to know that it really did help a lot. 💕
I'm not quite at a point brain-wise where I think that I can send out replies to people without being completely overwhelmed, and - while I'm not going to disable comments on this post like I did earlier - I probably won't be replying to any of them at least for the time being. I'm at a point where human interaction is definitely difficult right now, especially since I need to save up any spoons I can for work on Monday as I'm in the office that day.
After I made my post this afternoon, I got offline for several hours. I forced myself to clean the hotel room before buzzing my hair, taking a shower, bleaching my roots, and putting some dye in my hair to re-up the orange. Honestly, it wasn't much in the grand scheme of things, but it at least helped some.
And then I tried to go to bed early, although that clearly didn't work out very well considering it's a little after midnight and I've given up and am back on the computer. As is often the case when I go to bed too early, my body decided it was intended to be a nap rather than proper sleep, so I'm wide awake again and probably will remain so until at least 3am now.
Still, my spoons continue to be very much in the negative, but I at least feel more like a human being than I did earlier. One step at a time, I suppose?
If you reached out, thank you very much, and I want you to know that it really did help a lot. 💕
I'm not quite at a point brain-wise where I think that I can send out replies to people without being completely overwhelmed, and - while I'm not going to disable comments on this post like I did earlier - I probably won't be replying to any of them at least for the time being. I'm at a point where human interaction is definitely difficult right now, especially since I need to save up any spoons I can for work on Monday as I'm in the office that day.
After I made my post this afternoon, I got offline for several hours. I forced myself to clean the hotel room before buzzing my hair, taking a shower, bleaching my roots, and putting some dye in my hair to re-up the orange. Honestly, it wasn't much in the grand scheme of things, but it at least helped some.
And then I tried to go to bed early, although that clearly didn't work out very well considering it's a little after midnight and I've given up and am back on the computer. As is often the case when I go to bed too early, my body decided it was intended to be a nap rather than proper sleep, so I'm wide awake again and probably will remain so until at least 3am now.
Still, my spoons continue to be very much in the negative, but I at least feel more like a human being than I did earlier. One step at a time, I suppose?
LEGO Party!
Jun. 6th, 2025 07:18 pmsettiaiOne of my friends helped design this game! Elliot, who I've been playing D&D with since 2017, has been working on a top secret project for several years now, and he finally got to admit that this was it because the trailer dropped this afternoon.
Honestly, it looks like a lot of fun. And unlike Mario Party, it's not system locked so you and anyone you're playing with can be on different devices. Considering the huge number of game assets that he designed? I'm so very proud of him.
What's Making Me Happy Today: Cloudward, Ho! ep. 1
Jun. 5th, 2025 12:39 pmdelphiCloudward, Ho! is the newest Dimension 20 campaign of actual-play D&D with its classic cast of comedy improvisers. This one is an aeronautical adventure set in a steampunk universe, about a motley crew who set out on a quest in search of a lost continent and the expedition that disappeared before them. The first episode just came out yesterday, and I really enjoyed it!
( Some Notes About the Premise (Moderate Spoilers) )
I'm looking forward to seeing where the campaign goes from here! Anyone else watching or planning to watch?
( Some Notes About the Premise (Moderate Spoilers) )
I'm looking forward to seeing where the campaign goes from here! Anyone else watching or planning to watch?
LEP 5.6.
Jun. 5th, 2025 02:13 pmyvannairieIt's honestly very funny to me that in 2016 or whenever Clearview came out, I didn't like it and was sad about how my once favourite band was going in a direction I didn't like
And then two years ago I listened to it again for the first time and realised that Oh, wow, no, I was just super fucking depressed back then and the album fucks.
It's now my second favourite Poets album. Lmao.
What I'm Reading: Wildwood by Colin Meloy (2011)
Jun. 3rd, 2025 12:27 pmdelphi✓ kingstoken's 2025 Book Bingo: YA/Children's
Wildwood is a 2011 children's novel by Colin Meloy, also known for his work as frontman for the Decemberists, with illustrations by Carson Ellis. It follows the adventures of two pretty much contemporary American children, Prue and Curtis, as they set off into the woods to rescue Prue's baby brother (who was carried off by crows) and discover a secret civilization of people and talking animals who have lived in the Impassable Wilderness for centuries and are now locked in a brewing war for control over it.
Things that would have made me love this when I was a kid:
• The world-within-a-world element. A magical society living just outside a regular city? Hell, yeah.
• Rich and vivid language, with an appealing narrative voice.
• Its worldbuilding (although I'm going to put a pin in this), which generally walks a nice line between whimsy and grit, with rules that establish themselves with a light touch.
• The length. This is a brick by children's book standards. It's well-paced and the sort of a thing that could keep a voracious reader busy all the way to their next trip to the library.
• Its sensibility about the independence of kid protagonists in the real world.
• The nomadic society of bandits and their king.
• The illustrations, particularly the full-colour inserts.
This didn't quite hit for me as an adult, but I'm glad I finally checked it out after years of meaning to.
I think the main thing that kept me from really loving it was wanting a little more interiority for the main characters. I get that the book is aiming for more of a fairy tale and Narnia vibe, but: 1) some of the characters' important choices really do hinge on personal decisions and relationships, and 2) this is a 540-page book. Fairy tales aren't built to run for 500+ pages, and it's longer than the first two Narnia books put together. I found myself craving more depth and emotional weight, especially as it went on.
( For example... (Cut for Moderate Spoilers) )
Getting back to that asterisk next to the worldbuilding, I also found the story's decisions about diversity (or the relative lack thereof) occasionally distracting. I get it. Portland's pretty white, by design, and was even more so fifteen years ago. There are really only two characters from the real world and their direct relatives, and it wouldn't necessarily land well to be like, "All the characters of colour in this story are people lost in time, living in the woods."
But at the same time, among the predominantly 19th and 20th century settler-coded residents of the woods, you get these moments of groups with Indigenous coding who are either talking animals or white people—with the stereotypical two stripes of war paint and feathers in hair showing up in a picture of the latter. The text takes pains to characterize this group as Celtic, but that raises its own questions when a reference is made that seems to place them there before that territory's colonization, positioning a "since time immemorial" Irish population in the Oregon wilderness.
I often found myself looking at the aesthetics and thinking about those musical festivals full of severed pieces of Indigenous, Roma, and Celtic cosplay and felt like the fantasy here might be coming from a similar place.
The overall whiteness (and straightness, for that matter) of the book kept standing out because it's such a long story with such a huge cast. I did quite like large swathes of this book, but I think the length worked against it because the text kept offering more without necessarily offering more, if that makes sense.
This is the first book in a trilogy, and I have no idea if the subsequent books address or change any of this. I'm not racing to pick up the next one, but I might flip through it at the library sometime to see what it's like.
( An Excerpt )
kingstoken's 2025 Book Bingo: YA/Children'sWildwood is a 2011 children's novel by Colin Meloy, also known for his work as frontman for the Decemberists, with illustrations by Carson Ellis. It follows the adventures of two pretty much contemporary American children, Prue and Curtis, as they set off into the woods to rescue Prue's baby brother (who was carried off by crows) and discover a secret civilization of people and talking animals who have lived in the Impassable Wilderness for centuries and are now locked in a brewing war for control over it.
Things that would have made me love this when I was a kid:
• The world-within-a-world element. A magical society living just outside a regular city? Hell, yeah.
• Rich and vivid language, with an appealing narrative voice.
• Its worldbuilding (although I'm going to put a pin in this), which generally walks a nice line between whimsy and grit, with rules that establish themselves with a light touch.
• The length. This is a brick by children's book standards. It's well-paced and the sort of a thing that could keep a voracious reader busy all the way to their next trip to the library.
• Its sensibility about the independence of kid protagonists in the real world.
• The nomadic society of bandits and their king.
• The illustrations, particularly the full-colour inserts.
This didn't quite hit for me as an adult, but I'm glad I finally checked it out after years of meaning to.
I think the main thing that kept me from really loving it was wanting a little more interiority for the main characters. I get that the book is aiming for more of a fairy tale and Narnia vibe, but: 1) some of the characters' important choices really do hinge on personal decisions and relationships, and 2) this is a 540-page book. Fairy tales aren't built to run for 500+ pages, and it's longer than the first two Narnia books put together. I found myself craving more depth and emotional weight, especially as it went on.
( For example... (Cut for Moderate Spoilers) )
Getting back to that asterisk next to the worldbuilding, I also found the story's decisions about diversity (or the relative lack thereof) occasionally distracting. I get it. Portland's pretty white, by design, and was even more so fifteen years ago. There are really only two characters from the real world and their direct relatives, and it wouldn't necessarily land well to be like, "All the characters of colour in this story are people lost in time, living in the woods."
But at the same time, among the predominantly 19th and 20th century settler-coded residents of the woods, you get these moments of groups with Indigenous coding who are either talking animals or white people—with the stereotypical two stripes of war paint and feathers in hair showing up in a picture of the latter. The text takes pains to characterize this group as Celtic, but that raises its own questions when a reference is made that seems to place them there before that territory's colonization, positioning a "since time immemorial" Irish population in the Oregon wilderness.
I often found myself looking at the aesthetics and thinking about those musical festivals full of severed pieces of Indigenous, Roma, and Celtic cosplay and felt like the fantasy here might be coming from a similar place.
The overall whiteness (and straightness, for that matter) of the book kept standing out because it's such a long story with such a huge cast. I did quite like large swathes of this book, but I think the length worked against it because the text kept offering more without necessarily offering more, if that makes sense.
This is the first book in a trilogy, and I have no idea if the subsequent books address or change any of this. I'm not racing to pick up the next one, but I might flip through it at the library sometime to see what it's like.
( An Excerpt )
Greetings!
Jun. 1st, 2025 07:22 pmjacieleigh posting in addme_fandomName: JacieLeigh
Age group: Legal in all 50 States! I have online friends everywhere from 20s to 70s. As long as you're of age wherever you're from, you're okay with me. No minors, please.
Country: USA
Subscription/Access Policy: I probably average 18-36 posts per month. I post some unlocked things, but I have two locked filters as well (one for everyone friended to my journal, and the other tends to be locked to people I've known for years who actively converse with me, i.e. people I trust with private info), somethings I post privately, mostly recipes that I'm not sure will interest other people.
What I chat about: I am very chatty (seriously - just look at this post as an example)! I enjoy dialogue. Mostly, I chat about writing, and cats would be my guess. I also chat about whatever is on my mind at the moment. So, yeah, you never know. It could be fitness, stores, items, a show I've watched, or current events (Poli-chat is rare and tends to be LOCKED). I will say, although I am an Independent, I am NOT a fan of what's going on in my country at this time. Anyone who supports the felon need not apply. Seriously, just no.
I'm looking to connect with people who: Enjoy chatting, seriously, I'm very chatty and love good dialogue. Also, people who love cats, NCIS, and other common interests. I tend to mirror people. I'm generally pretty engaged with those who engage with me. I'm okay with lurkers, but I'm less likely to comment to people who never comment on my journal. Just being honest. It doesn't mean I'm not reading or don't care, but I've had a lot of negative experiences with one-sided relationships in my life. But yeah, if you want to innocently lurk, then lurk, it's fine. If you want to chit-chat, then feel free to comment. I started on LJ in 2004, and have online friends I've known for years, who are from several different countries. I enjoy learning about history, other countries, and cultures. Unfortunately, so many people have left LJ over the years, and not all of them have found their way to DW.
Main Fandom: NCIS
Other Fandoms: I have written crossovers with Criminal Minds, Ghosts, and SEAL Team
OTP: Gibbs/DiNozzo will always be my OTP, however, I've been known to write Gen or other pairings here and there
What I create for Fandom: Stories and banners, mostly for NCIS challenges these days
Communities that I run: I have several fandom communities, including NCIS Big Bang, NCIS Reverse Bang, NCIS Discuss, NCIS Challenge, NCIS SeSa, and an NCIS newsletter that posts every week or two.
Where I post my fanfic stories: Mostly AO3
Favourite Movies: Hmmm, there are so many! So, a few favorites in no particular order - A Fish Called Wanda, Hidden Figures, Sneakers, The Sting, Victor/Victoria, A Few Good Men, Men of Honor, The Wrath of Khan, The Voyage Home, Generations, Hair, This is Spinal Tap, Point Break (original), My Cousin Vinny, Apollo 13, The Rutles, The Yellow Submarine, Frozen I & II, The Aristocats, Minions, Ice Age movies. Sometimes, I'm a kid at heart.
TV Shows: NCIS (original), NCIS: Origins, Ghosts (US), Fraiser (original and reboot), Friends, SEAL Team, Criminal Minds, School Spirits, The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, Hell's Kitchen (Gordon Ramsay), Next Level Chef (Gordon Ramsay), RuPaul's Drag Race, Picard, Fire Country, NCIS: New Orleans, Heartland. I also like to watch documentaries on history and nature. There is also a list of other older shows I also enjoy when I can find them on my sticky post at my journal.
Books: The Chronicles of Narnia, also a fan of Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, etc) and Thich Nhat Hanh (Peace is Every Step, etc)
Music: BEATLES!!! Also Simon & Garfunkel, The Doors, Styx, Led Zepplin, Abba, Blondie, *NSync, Allman Brothers, and others
Hobbies: Writing, hiking, chatting, photography, history - I'd like to get back to playing the bass guitar, and I'm also trying to learn a bit of Spanish and German via Duolingo.
Volunteer work: I volunteer with a cat rescue
Age group: Legal in all 50 States! I have online friends everywhere from 20s to 70s. As long as you're of age wherever you're from, you're okay with me. No minors, please.
Country: USA
Subscription/Access Policy: I probably average 18-36 posts per month. I post some unlocked things, but I have two locked filters as well (one for everyone friended to my journal, and the other tends to be locked to people I've known for years who actively converse with me, i.e. people I trust with private info), somethings I post privately, mostly recipes that I'm not sure will interest other people.
What I chat about: I am very chatty (seriously - just look at this post as an example)! I enjoy dialogue. Mostly, I chat about writing, and cats would be my guess. I also chat about whatever is on my mind at the moment. So, yeah, you never know. It could be fitness, stores, items, a show I've watched, or current events (Poli-chat is rare and tends to be LOCKED). I will say, although I am an Independent, I am NOT a fan of what's going on in my country at this time. Anyone who supports the felon need not apply. Seriously, just no.
I'm looking to connect with people who: Enjoy chatting, seriously, I'm very chatty and love good dialogue. Also, people who love cats, NCIS, and other common interests. I tend to mirror people. I'm generally pretty engaged with those who engage with me. I'm okay with lurkers, but I'm less likely to comment to people who never comment on my journal. Just being honest. It doesn't mean I'm not reading or don't care, but I've had a lot of negative experiences with one-sided relationships in my life. But yeah, if you want to innocently lurk, then lurk, it's fine. If you want to chit-chat, then feel free to comment. I started on LJ in 2004, and have online friends I've known for years, who are from several different countries. I enjoy learning about history, other countries, and cultures. Unfortunately, so many people have left LJ over the years, and not all of them have found their way to DW.
Main Fandom: NCIS
Other Fandoms: I have written crossovers with Criminal Minds, Ghosts, and SEAL Team
OTP: Gibbs/DiNozzo will always be my OTP, however, I've been known to write Gen or other pairings here and there
What I create for Fandom: Stories and banners, mostly for NCIS challenges these days
Communities that I run: I have several fandom communities, including NCIS Big Bang, NCIS Reverse Bang, NCIS Discuss, NCIS Challenge, NCIS SeSa, and an NCIS newsletter that posts every week or two.
Where I post my fanfic stories: Mostly AO3
Favourite Movies: Hmmm, there are so many! So, a few favorites in no particular order - A Fish Called Wanda, Hidden Figures, Sneakers, The Sting, Victor/Victoria, A Few Good Men, Men of Honor, The Wrath of Khan, The Voyage Home, Generations, Hair, This is Spinal Tap, Point Break (original), My Cousin Vinny, Apollo 13, The Rutles, The Yellow Submarine, Frozen I & II, The Aristocats, Minions, Ice Age movies. Sometimes, I'm a kid at heart.
TV Shows: NCIS (original), NCIS: Origins, Ghosts (US), Fraiser (original and reboot), Friends, SEAL Team, Criminal Minds, School Spirits, The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, Hell's Kitchen (Gordon Ramsay), Next Level Chef (Gordon Ramsay), RuPaul's Drag Race, Picard, Fire Country, NCIS: New Orleans, Heartland. I also like to watch documentaries on history and nature. There is also a list of other older shows I also enjoy when I can find them on my sticky post at my journal.
Books: The Chronicles of Narnia, also a fan of Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, etc) and Thich Nhat Hanh (Peace is Every Step, etc)
Music: BEATLES!!! Also Simon & Garfunkel, The Doors, Styx, Led Zepplin, Abba, Blondie, *NSync, Allman Brothers, and others
Hobbies: Writing, hiking, chatting, photography, history - I'd like to get back to playing the bass guitar, and I'm also trying to learn a bit of Spanish and German via Duolingo.
Volunteer work: I volunteer with a cat rescue