Day 2: Risiera di San Sabba and walking through Trieste
Apr. 11th, 2026 03:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nanilaOur bus ride back to town was quiet, and at the end of the journey we walked to a gelateria. Everyone practiced ordering in Italian. We must have done reasonably well as the server smiled at us a great deal and our single scoop cones wobbled under the weight of gelato piled in.
Much of the rest of the day was spent walking, punctuated by stops for refreshments and a bit of shopping. We visited the Cattedrale di San Giusto Martire (photos in a separate post), and we watched the sunset from the harbour’s edge.
Random garden with large wisteria vines in full flower.
The drive leading up to the castle.
WWI monument.
Aperol, crisps and beer. Very acceptable.
Triestian sunset.
Books Received April 4 — April 10
Apr. 11th, 2026 09:19 amjames_davis_nicoll
10 works new to me: five fantasy, and five science fiction, of which at least three are series (if magazines count as series). I have not see that high a fraction of SF in quite a while.
Books Received April 4 — April 10
Which of these look interesting?
Demonology for Overachievers by Lily Anderson (September 2026)
12 (27.3%)
All Hail Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan (May 2026)
15 (34.1%)
The Faith of Beasts by James S. A. Corey (April 2026)
5 (11.4%)
FIYAH Literary Magazine Issue 38 published by FIYAH Literary Magazine (April 2026)
13 (29.5%)
House Haunters by KC Jones (October 2026)
7 (15.9%)
The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee (May 2026)
16 (36.4%)
A Wall Is Also a Road by Annalee Newitz (October 2026)
22 (50.0%)
There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel: A Novel of Giant Crabs by Jason Pargin (November 2026)
19 (43.2%)
A Kiss of Crimson Ash by Anuja Varghese (May 2026)
7 (15.9%)
Teddy Bears Never Die by Cho Yeeun (May 2026)
7 (15.9%)
Some other option (see comments)
1 (2.3%)
Cats!
31 (70.5%)
Look, the outsiders have discovered fanfic again
Apr. 11th, 2026 05:58 amfirecat”How fan fiction went mainstream: The community that underpins Heated Rivalry, explained” by Danielle Hewitt and Noel King
It’s a pretty good intro to fanfic and how it’s become something publishers and creators of TV/movies pay attention to. They interview Francesca Kappa, a co-founder of the Organization for Transformative Works, which created AO3.
Things I learned and some bits I liked:
- AO3 was created in part to prevent commodification of fanfiction and the social connections it facilitates.
- “one of the projects that I worked on in the early days of the OTW organization for transformative works was that we were being contacted by women in their 70s and 80s who were like having to move in with their kids or going into nursing homes and they had like 3,000 fan fiction zines.”
- It was claimed that AO3 is “much bigger than Wikipedia.” I’m not sure what metrics they’re using to come up with that.
- [AO3 is] “structurally unenshittifiable” because “we don’t have customers and we’re not a business.”
- (Discussing copyright) “it would have been terrible if Shakespeare had to, like, negotiate with Netflix for the right to Hamlet and then didn't get it. Like, that's the world we live in, right? We're like, Netflix owns Hamlet, it has a five-year option, Shakespeare really has a great idea for it, but like, no, I'm really sorry because JJ. Abrams is going to do Hamlet.”
(I need to know which circle of Hell shows JJ Abrams’s Hamlet on repeat, because I really want to avoid it.)
Manga Check-in: "Touken Ranbu Anthology ~SquEni Formation~" ch. 4-5
Apr. 11th, 2026 08:08 ambluapapilio
Chapter 4:
Aww! But also lmao. X'D And Toushirou speaking to it in in accented Japanese I can't.
🤣🤣🤣
Aww the Toushirou brothers sometimes massage Munechika's shoulders...until he had the idea of them using the backs of their blades?!
That ending, I can''t breathe!!!
Chapter 5: Saniwa recommended a horror movie to Kunihiro and Gokotai...
Gokotai using Yamanbagiri's blanket. 🥹
It was really cruel to get them to watch a horror movie like that though, even I would despair without steeling myself properly.
Just One Thing (11 April 2026)
Apr. 11th, 2026 02:02 pmnanila posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
awesomeersComment 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!
Weekly Chat
Apr. 11th, 2026 01:58 pmdancing_serpent posting in c_entWhatever it is, talk to us about it here. Tell us what you liked or didn't like, and if you want to talk about spoilery things, please hide them under either of these codes:
or
Fire Through the Night
Apr. 11th, 2026 07:41 ampshaw_ravenMeanwhile I'm probably going to get some yard work done before it gets warm today. The grass is getting high, and you can pick up a tick just walking to the mailbox.
I got that abdominal ultrasound done for my doctor, and the results said nothing unexpected - thickening of the gallbladder which had been noted before, but everything else normal. Her office called me yesterday at 4:30 saying she "needed" me to come in to discuss the results, so now I get to be anxious and panicky all weekend about that. What does she see that isn't in the write-up? I can't figure out what's wrong and I'm terrified. I found that there's a rare illness that affects both the gallbladder and liver, and it's very hard to treat. I wonder if that's it.
At least my back has healed up and I've returned to running and yoga. No strength just yet, I'm going to give that a few more days. Occasionally I'll be turning over in bed and feel a mild pain, so I'm waiting for that to resolve before I get back into weightlifting. I might get the push mower out to work on the septic mound though. It'll go faster than the weed-whacker, but it's also a little more physically demanding.
I'm looking forward to pulled pork but I'm also not having a great weekend. This cloud of anxiety is stressing me out.
Whatcha Reading? April 2026, Part One
Apr. 11th, 2026 07:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
smartbitches_feed
Hey there! It’s April! Here’s what we’re reading right now:
Carrie: I’m reading Call Me Traitor by Everina Maxwell ( A | BN | K | AB ) – it is SO GOOD.
Lara: I’m reading Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan. ( A | BN | K | AB ) There is a teeny tiny niche of ‘Fae’ books that I enjoy and I think this book might fall into that niche! So far the writing is just excellent. There’ll be a full review around publication date.
Elyse: I’m reading Thistlemarch too!
Amanda: I’m between books right now. My latest game board prompt is to read a fantasy or sci-fi romance, so I’m exploring my options and having some trouble nailing things down. I’ve started and stopped a couple things so far.
I’m sticking with The Lady and the Orc by Finley Fenn. Was certainly not aware there’s a breeding kink thing going on, but alas.
It gives me Radiance by Grace Draven vibes but darker. There isn’t a mutual attraction at first and there are lots of cultural miscommunications. The conflict is very circular though and I have a feeling it’s going to be a book that could have been shorter.
Sarah: “I’m sticking with the Orc” makes me think of the old bumperstickers for Piggly Wiggly that read I’m Stickin’ with the Pig. Also hi from the non sequitur department.
I’m reading The Last Lady B ( A | BN | K | AB ) and I am honestly not sure what to make of it.
Susan: I’m reading the first volume of The Fiancée Chosen By The Ring, ( A | BN | K | AB ) where the inciting incident is the love interest telling his sister he was going to yeet a ring into the crowd and marry the lady it ended up with. He then nails the protagonist right between the eyes with it.
Lara: I want to add that for the long weekend we just had, I undertook an excellent reading project: I read the Fitzhugh Trilogy by Sherry Thomas in one go. No blurbs, no pauses. It read like a family saga with all three stories intertwined and I had an absolutely marvellous time! Highly recommend!
Claudia: It’s so good…
Shana: I’m reading Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. ( A | BN | K | G | AB )
Sarah: I love that series, so, so much. The audiobooks are narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and they are exquisite.
Whatcha reading? Let us know in the comments!
FANFIC: spark (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Apr. 11th, 2026 08:05 amqueenslayerbeeTitle: spark.
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Character/Pairing: Tara Maclay/Willow Rosenberg.
Rating/Warnings: T, none.
Summary: For the prompt: "BtVS - Willow/Tara, Magic tingles."
Word count: 100.
read more
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If magic, that tingling sensation of possibilities at the tip of her fingers, was the best feeling Willow had ever experienced, getting to practice it with Tara felt beyond magic.
Each and every time they met one another in either of her dorms, it was as if Willow was getting away with something; something that was meant for her and her alone; something to be kept warm and close, giving it refuge within her ribcage so it couldn’t be ripped away.
Oz’s return almost knocked it all sideways, but even there, in the end… magic is meant to keep on.
Signs Up Closed, Next Step
Apr. 11th, 2026 12:14 amsiderealdei posting in vforvictoryexchangeWe currently have TWO unmatchables, so if your AO3 username starts with Y or f, please check your email, including spam.
Biggles promptfic from Tumblr
Apr. 10th, 2026 07:51 pmsholio1. EvS on Sakhalin
Prompt: EvS, that last night on Sakhalin between when Biggles first speaks to him and his escape the next day.
Posted on Tumblr here.
( Under the cut )
2. EvS & Algy (Biggles/EvS implied)
Prompt: Set post defection in London. A misunderstanding leads to Biggles being told that Erich is cheating on him. After some angst and h/c, their relationship is even stronger.
This went in a Direction. Also posted on Tumblr.
( Under the cut )
[Challenge #489: Curse] The Legend of Zelda: 'Accursed'
Apr. 10th, 2026 08:01 pmbut_can_i_be_trusted posting in 100wordsFandom: The Legend of Zelda (Spoilers for 'Tears of the Kingdom')
Rating: G
Notes: Crossposted to
anythingdrabble( Accursed )
> I like starting from the fact that Ptolemy was able to get the accuracy of the "motions of the heavens" down so well that it took more than a thousand years to get observations that showed discrepancies. The math, it maths.