[Challenge #491: Pun] Original Fiction: 'Cut It Out!'
Apr. 24th, 2026 07:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
but_can_i_be_trusted posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
100wordsbut_can_i_be_trusted posting in 100wordsEither life you choose will end in her arms
Apr. 24th, 2026 02:36 pmmusesfoolDoes anyone know where I can get a Trinity Santos icon?
*
Always need some Dorianne Laux during poetry month, so here's today's poem:
Prayer
by Dorianne Laux
Sweet Jesus, let her save you, let her take
your hands and hold them to her breasts,
slip the sandals from your feet, lay your body down
on sheets beaten clean against the fountain stones.
Let her rest her dark head on your chest,
let her tongue lift the hairs like a sword tip
parting the reeds, let her lips burnish
your neck, let your eyes be wet with pleasure.
Let her keep you from that other life, as a mother
keeps a child from the brick lip of a well,
though the rope and bucket shine and clang,
though the water's hidden silk and mystery call.
Let her patter soothe you and her passions
distract you, let her show you the light
storming the windows of her kitchen, peaches
in a wooden bowl, a square of blue cloth
she has sewn to her skirt to cover the tear.
What could be more holy than the curve of her back
as she sits, her hands opening a plum.
What could be more sacred than her eyes,
fierce and complicated as the truth, your life
rising behind them, your name on her lips.
Stay there, in her bare house, the black pots
hung from pegs, bread braided and glazed
on the table, a clay jug of violet wine.
There is the daily sacrament of rasp and chisel,
another chair to be made, shelves to be hewn
cleanly and even and carefully joined
to the sun-scrubbed walls, a sharp knife
for carving odd chunks of wood into small toys
for the children. Oh Jesus, close your eyes
and listen to it, the air is alive with bird calls
and bees, the dry rustle of palm leaves,
her distracted song as she washes her feet.
Let your death be quiet and ordinary.
Either life you choose will end in her arms
*
*
Always need some Dorianne Laux during poetry month, so here's today's poem:
Prayer
by Dorianne Laux
Sweet Jesus, let her save you, let her take
your hands and hold them to her breasts,
slip the sandals from your feet, lay your body down
on sheets beaten clean against the fountain stones.
Let her rest her dark head on your chest,
let her tongue lift the hairs like a sword tip
parting the reeds, let her lips burnish
your neck, let your eyes be wet with pleasure.
Let her keep you from that other life, as a mother
keeps a child from the brick lip of a well,
though the rope and bucket shine and clang,
though the water's hidden silk and mystery call.
Let her patter soothe you and her passions
distract you, let her show you the light
storming the windows of her kitchen, peaches
in a wooden bowl, a square of blue cloth
she has sewn to her skirt to cover the tear.
What could be more holy than the curve of her back
as she sits, her hands opening a plum.
What could be more sacred than her eyes,
fierce and complicated as the truth, your life
rising behind them, your name on her lips.
Stay there, in her bare house, the black pots
hung from pegs, bread braided and glazed
on the table, a clay jug of violet wine.
There is the daily sacrament of rasp and chisel,
another chair to be made, shelves to be hewn
cleanly and even and carefully joined
to the sun-scrubbed walls, a sharp knife
for carving odd chunks of wood into small toys
for the children. Oh Jesus, close your eyes
and listen to it, the air is alive with bird calls
and bees, the dry rustle of palm leaves,
her distracted song as she washes her feet.
Let your death be quiet and ordinary.
Either life you choose will end in her arms
*
Multifandom icons
Apr. 24th, 2026 11:47 amannabeth_roses posting in fandom_icons103 Doctor Who icons (Eleventh Doctor era), 16 House of the Dragon icons (season one), 1 Womb/Clone icon, 8 Christopher and His Kind icons, 8 The Death of Bunny Munro (should be non-spoilery, but hasn't aired in the US yet)
Teasers:
icons @ my personal journal
Teasers:
icons @ my personal journal
Open Challenge: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Fanfic: Open Book
Apr. 24th, 2026 11:34 ambadly_knitted posting in fan_flashworksTitle: Open Book
Fandom: BtVS
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Buffy, Joyce.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 300
Spoilers/Setting: Early to mid-Season 3.
Summary: Buffy is glad she doesn’t have to lie to her mom now, but that still doesn’t mean she wants to tell her everything.
Content Notes: None needed.
Written For: Challenge 513: Amnesty 85, using Challenge 432: Open.
Disclaimer: I don’t own BtVS, or the characters.
( Open Book... )
Rainbow (Amnesty): Kirby (series): fanart: colorful flight
Apr. 23rd, 2026 08:17 pmecto_one_spengler posting in fan_flashworksTitle: colorful flight
Theme: Rainbow (for the current Amnesty)
Fandom: Kirby (video game series) - particularly Kirby's Dream Land 2. (Mods please tag as Kirby.)
Rating: PG
Content notes: It might be a tiny bit bright to look at due to the special effects.. Uhhh, eyestrain warning.
Artist notes: This.. prolly won't be the only Kirby artwork I do for the current Amnesty. It's my Kirby Era right now and I tend to draw more than write when it comes to this fandom, haha.. Dream Land 2 was not my personal first Kirby game, but it does contain great chiptunes and some of my favorite NPCs! :D
Summary: Within a more modern, colorful means, Kirby restores the magical bridges between the Rainbow Islands with the aid of the Rainbow Sword, cheerful to restore the lost colors.
--
( Read more... )
Theme: Rainbow (for the current Amnesty)
Fandom: Kirby (video game series) - particularly Kirby's Dream Land 2. (Mods please tag as Kirby.)
Rating: PG
Content notes: It might be a tiny bit bright to look at due to the special effects.. Uhhh, eyestrain warning.
Artist notes: This.. prolly won't be the only Kirby artwork I do for the current Amnesty. It's my Kirby Era right now and I tend to draw more than write when it comes to this fandom, haha.. Dream Land 2 was not my personal first Kirby game, but it does contain great chiptunes and some of my favorite NPCs! :D
Summary: Within a more modern, colorful means, Kirby restores the magical bridges between the Rainbow Islands with the aid of the Rainbow Sword, cheerful to restore the lost colors.
--
( Read more... )
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Apr. 23rd, 2026 06:45 pmmusesfoolIt's been a few years since I posted some Shakespeare on his birthday, but I am tired so have one of the most famous poems in the Western canon:
Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
*
I was all excited that it's Thursday, thinking about how there'd be a new episode of The Pitt until I remembered, alas, that there will be no new episodes until next January. Sigh.
I keep meaning to post my thoughts here and not doing it, so in brief, my thoughts on the season 2 finale of The Pitt: ( spoilers )
I guess this sounds like I had a lot of complaints but I really loved this season - I just thought the writing fell down a little sometimes, for some characters.
*
Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
*
I was all excited that it's Thursday, thinking about how there'd be a new episode of The Pitt until I remembered, alas, that there will be no new episodes until next January. Sigh.
I keep meaning to post my thoughts here and not doing it, so in brief, my thoughts on the season 2 finale of The Pitt: ( spoilers )
I guess this sounds like I had a lot of complaints but I really loved this season - I just thought the writing fell down a little sometimes, for some characters.
*
Rainbow Challenge: The X-Files: wallpaper: Caught me off guard
Apr. 23rd, 2026 03:37 pmlilly_c posting in fan_flashworksTitle: caught me off guard
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating:
Content notes: Caps used are my own from season one, gem effect rainbow background is from a public domain image search, text is from Kaleidoscope by The Veronicas. Font used is (true love).
Artist notes: I’m now working in Pixelmator Pro on Mac and I'm still very much learning how to use it including any tips and tricks not included in Apple's documentation and I’m more used to working in Photoscape X.
Summary:
( caught me off guard )
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating:
Content notes: Caps used are my own from season one, gem effect rainbow background is from a public domain image search, text is from Kaleidoscope by The Veronicas. Font used is (true love).
Artist notes: I’m now working in Pixelmator Pro on Mac and I'm still very much learning how to use it including any tips and tricks not included in Apple's documentation and I’m more used to working in Photoscape X.
Summary:
( caught me off guard )
Play Challenge: Heated Rivalry: Fan Fiction: New Games
Apr. 23rd, 2026 08:14 amdarkjediqueen posting in fan_flashworksTitle: New Games
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: No Warnings Apply
Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Relationships: Ilya Rozanov/Shane Hollander
Tags: Established Relationship, Post Season One
Summary: New games were allowed between them now.
Word Count: 1,004
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: No Warnings Apply
Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Relationships: Ilya Rozanov/Shane Hollander
Tags: Established Relationship, Post Season One
Summary: New games were allowed between them now.
Word Count: 1,004
( New Games )
Face Challenge: Babylon 5: Facing The Future
Apr. 23rd, 2026 01:03 pmbadly_knitted posting in fan_flashworksTitle: Facing The Future
Fandom: Babylon 5
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: John Sheridan.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 300
Spoilers/Setting: Rising Star.
Summary: As the new President of the Alliance, Sheridan will have his work cut out for him.
Content Notes: None needed.
Written For: Challenge 513: Amnesty 85, using Challenge 485: Face.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Babylon 5, or the characters. They belong to J. Michael Straczynski.
Gratitude Journaling
Apr. 23rd, 2026 12:19 ami_like_the_stars posting in journalsandplannersFirstly, hello! I'm new to the comm.
Nearly three years ago now, I stumbled upon an Instagram reel that suggested you write down one good thing that happened to you every week on a piece of paper, and collect them in a jar. I thought this was such a lovely idea, so I naturally took it one step higher: I was going to write down one good thing that happened to me every day, in a journal.
Surprisingly, I've maintained this consistently for over two years, since the start of 2024. I'm the queen of never following through with my ideas/ambitions.
Naturally, the idea has evolved into its own thing. I generally write down something that made me happy in the day, if even just a little bit. I typically ask myself, "what am I grateful for today?" The answers don't have to be deep or philosophical, they can be (and often are) as simple as "the weather was nice."
On the surface, I know the sound of "gratitude journaling" can sound corny and even useless, but this has genuinely become an important part of my daily routine. It feels even cornier to admit that, when I truly reflect on it, this has positively affected my thinking as a whole. Apparently taking a moment to reflect on your day and pick out the happier parts does, in fact, do something!
A quick sampling of "answers" I've written down:
* Finished book, found a really cool sonic comic
* New intern was at work
* Had a BOMB ass nap
* The sunset was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
* Got on my computer finally and did some Tumblr editing
* Dinner was yummy soup & grilled cheese
These are all short ones. Sometimes I list a couple of things if my day was eventful.
I find that on more "boring" days, I struggle to find something truly "good." Since on these "boring" days I typically have done nothing out of the ordinary. On eventful days, I have a plethora of things to write down. I even find it easier to find something to write down on crummy days, since the happier parts are more shiny and sparkly against a backdrop of grey.
I want to leave this off with an encouragement to try this for just one week to see if it works for you. I started it because it sounded fun and very, very simple—and it is! I also had a journal I needed to do something with. I wasn’t considering the positive impact it would have on me in the long term—so don't expect this to be some miracle ritual, if you're anything like me. Anyway, try it out and see if the routine fits comfortably into your schedule.
Nearly three years ago now, I stumbled upon an Instagram reel that suggested you write down one good thing that happened to you every week on a piece of paper, and collect them in a jar. I thought this was such a lovely idea, so I naturally took it one step higher: I was going to write down one good thing that happened to me every day, in a journal.
Surprisingly, I've maintained this consistently for over two years, since the start of 2024. I'm the queen of never following through with my ideas/ambitions.
Naturally, the idea has evolved into its own thing. I generally write down something that made me happy in the day, if even just a little bit. I typically ask myself, "what am I grateful for today?" The answers don't have to be deep or philosophical, they can be (and often are) as simple as "the weather was nice."
On the surface, I know the sound of "gratitude journaling" can sound corny and even useless, but this has genuinely become an important part of my daily routine. It feels even cornier to admit that, when I truly reflect on it, this has positively affected my thinking as a whole. Apparently taking a moment to reflect on your day and pick out the happier parts does, in fact, do something!
A quick sampling of "answers" I've written down:
* Finished book, found a really cool sonic comic
* New intern was at work
* Had a BOMB ass nap
* The sunset was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
* Got on my computer finally and did some Tumblr editing
* Dinner was yummy soup & grilled cheese
These are all short ones. Sometimes I list a couple of things if my day was eventful.
I find that on more "boring" days, I struggle to find something truly "good." Since on these "boring" days I typically have done nothing out of the ordinary. On eventful days, I have a plethora of things to write down. I even find it easier to find something to write down on crummy days, since the happier parts are more shiny and sparkly against a backdrop of grey.
I want to leave this off with an encouragement to try this for just one week to see if it works for you. I started it because it sounded fun and very, very simple—and it is! I also had a journal I needed to do something with. I wasn’t considering the positive impact it would have on me in the long term—so don't expect this to be some miracle ritual, if you're anything like me. Anyway, try it out and see if the routine fits comfortably into your schedule.
[#298 | Disappearance] Challenge Post
Apr. 22nd, 2026 11:38 pmfanweeklymod posting in fandomweekly| Challenge 298: DISAPPEARANCE |
These days, it’s not easy to disappear. There’s legal records, digital records – it’s hard to vanish entirely. But it’s still not impossible, and some people find it much easier than others. Before cellphone cameras, it was a lot easier, and in a world without modern technology, or with much better technology, it might be easier still. Do your characters want to disappear? Or are they looking for someone who’s gone missing? How hard is it to vanish, for them? How hard is it to find someone who’s disappeared? Write a story about a disappearance. If your submission features this line, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting! |
| Challenge ends Monday, April 27 at 9:00PM EST. • Post submissions as new entries using the template in the profile • Tag this week's entries as: [#] submission, 298 – disappearance • If you have questions about this challenge, please ask them here |
[#297 | Unexpected Kindness] Results Post
Apr. 22nd, 2026 11:37 pmfanweeklymod posting in fandomweeklyHere are this week's votes tallied, and below the cut are our winners for Challenge #297 – Unexpected Kindness!
( This week's finalists are... )
Total Challenge Words Written: 6530
Congratulations to all this week's participants, and thank you to everyone who took the time to cast their votes!autobotscoutriella will be making this week’s banners, so keep an eye out for those.
You may now post your Challenge 297 entries to any additional communities, blogs, archives or sites as you'd like! We also have a FandomWeekly AO3 Collection if you'd like to add your stories there.
( This week's finalists are... )
Total Challenge Words Written: 6530
Congratulations to all this week's participants, and thank you to everyone who took the time to cast their votes!
autobotscoutriella will be making this week’s banners, so keep an eye out for those.You may now post your Challenge 297 entries to any additional communities, blogs, archives or sites as you'd like! We also have a FandomWeekly AO3 Collection if you'd like to add your stories there.
fire creates its own weather
Apr. 22nd, 2026 07:35 pmmusesfoolToday's poem:
Pyrocumulus
by Arthur Sze
Peony shoots rise out of the earth;
at five a.m., walking up the ridge,
I mark how, in April, Orion's left arm
was an apex in the sky, and, by May,
only Venus flickered above the ridge
against the blue edge of sunrise.
In daylight, a pear tree explodes
with white blossoms—no black-
footed ferret slips across my path,
no boreal owl stirs on a branch.
At three a.m., dogs seethed and howled
when a black bear snagged a shriveled
apple off a branch; and, waking out
of a black pool, I glimpsed how
fire creates its own weather
in rising pyrocumulus. Reaching
the ditch, I drop the gate: it's time
for the downhill pipes to fill,
time for bamboo at the house
to suck up water, time to see sunlight
flare between leaves before
the scorching edge of afternoon.
***
Pyrocumulus
by Arthur Sze
Peony shoots rise out of the earth;
at five a.m., walking up the ridge,
I mark how, in April, Orion's left arm
was an apex in the sky, and, by May,
only Venus flickered above the ridge
against the blue edge of sunrise.
In daylight, a pear tree explodes
with white blossoms—no black-
footed ferret slips across my path,
no boreal owl stirs on a branch.
At three a.m., dogs seethed and howled
when a black bear snagged a shriveled
apple off a branch; and, waking out
of a black pool, I glimpsed how
fire creates its own weather
in rising pyrocumulus. Reaching
the ditch, I drop the gate: it's time
for the downhill pipes to fill,
time for bamboo at the house
to suck up water, time to see sunlight
flare between leaves before
the scorching edge of afternoon.
***