#didi next gen

[roxxie-spirt]

Alright…. Big big post mainly just drawings

A drawing of Leona! Dell ( Brendan’s and Issas little girl grown ) and the twins! Leona loves her cousins and siblings so much

A myst post as well??!! Ofc! Because this is the only universe where jakes alive and well. This was just for funzies Jake(6) with his baby bro zenith 💞

Now for a relationship chart for my main next gen’s canon and fanon. I did forget to add dell so that’s why there’s extra… my canon babies are all grown up…

Malachi Levin Lilith Alina Elliot - laurmau

Zenith - goey/garzo

Gregory- vylacey

Leona didi Zachary - zanki

Trevor - Travlyn

Justice- Locinda (Lo x Lucinda for those who don’t know)

Dell -brendan x issa ofc

[momosandlemonsoda]

first lines meme

Thanks for the tag, @junemermaid. I saw it this morning and figured I'd better do it now or I never would.

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your latest fanfics (or up to if you have less!) & tag 10 people.

I'm going in chronological order here, so most recent will be last.

No Rug To Sleep on or Fish to Eat, KinnPorsche, Kim/Chay

Normally, Kim wouldn’t even be at this club.

Nocturnal Carnations, DMBJ, Huo Xiuxiu/Hei Xiazi/Xie Yuchen

“Oh,” Huo Xiuxiu said, “he looks good like that.”

Ten Feet of Light, DMBJ, Hei Xiazi/Liu Sang

Hei Xiazi kicked at the shattered remains of the light fixture then bent down to poke at it.

In a Pair of Lacy Pants, DMBJ, Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling/Wang Can

“But didi’s the one who wears panties.”

Out of Wilderness Wasted, DMBJ, Wang Pangzi/Wang Can

Liu Sang stood in the middle of Wushanju’s sitting room, face flushed, clothes slightly askew, hair escaping the neat tail he usually kept it in.

Out of the Spotlight, Mysterious Lotus Casebook, DFS and FDB

It’s late when Di Feisheng walks into the diner, later than he’d planned, but he’d actually had some luck with the bass player he’s been working on recruiting and he’d lost track of time, the two of them jamming on some of his new songs.

A Drink Under a Clear Window, MLC, QWM/FDB and DFS/FDB

He’s no longer as young as he’d been when they met—eight years ago now, or was it nine—but Fang Duobing still is quick to take offense, kneeling up on the cushions to point at Di Feisheng and protest some slight or other.

Nobody Knows Whither, MLC, Gen

All of them told him, more or less obliquely, to give up on hope.

All I Wanna Do Is Wrong, MLC, DFS/LLH

Like, what if Di Feisheng is sitting in the lobby of the fancy hotel where he fishes for clients. The desk staff are willing to look the other way for some cash or a blowjob, and they keep the free coffee hot and fresh for the guests.

Dance the Silence Down,  MLC, LLH/DFS and LLH/FDB

“Hey! Hey!!” Li Lianhua ignores the shouting and cleans the griddle, making sure his station is spotless, the griddle ready for the next order. 

Tagging @bbcphile @merinnan @alxina @mekare-art @busarewski @starstainedwings @eirenical @omgpurplefattie @saki-the-cup-bearer-blog @mimosaeyes

[omegadickweek]

✨THANK YOU EVERYONE!!✨

Thank you for making this year's ODW such a success! After the catch up week closed, it took us a little while to crunch some numbers and reach out to all of our completionists! I am so excited to say that 34 absolutely incredible creators participated in this year's event, creating an ASTOUNDING 145 works across platforms!

We are absolutely jaw-dropped at all of the amazing creativity that you all put on display, and are so proud of all of this year's creators; whether you created one work or seven, thank you for sharing your talent with us!!

We do want to give a special shout out to people who managed to fulfill this year's creationist challenge! Your completion certificates are under the cut, and your reward pieces will be posted in batches over the next few months. 🎉Congratulations Bullywing, Didi, EmbersOfUprising, hexenogenesis, krunklys, Lil_Sin_Bin, Midosune, necrotic-nephilim, starfall, Taxi-Cab-To-Slowtown, and YouHaveLessProof!!🎉

We also had THREE wonderful commenters who finished their comment bingo cards! Thank you for leaving at least 25 comments on ODW works during the posting and catch up weeks! We all were so inspired by your, and all the commenters, enthusiasm and enjoyment! ⭐️Thank you EmbersOfUprising, hurtpeople, and harvesterhexenon!⭐️

Finally, just as a little round up, 113 works were posted to the ao3 collection this year. For all of you numbers obsessed people out there:

69 works were explicit 😏, 19 were Teen, 17 Mature, and 8 Gen!

Top three PROMPTS: First Heat (19), Age Difference (16), and Claiming/Submission Bite (13)!

Top three omegaverse characters (besides omega Dick ofc): Alpha Bruce (21), Alpha Slade (18), and Alpha Jason (13)!

Top three SHIPS were: Sladick (22 works), Jaydick (19), and Brudick (18). A total of 34 different ships were created for, and two new Dick Grayson tags were started!

Thank you all again for such an amazing event. This was your mod team's first time running it, and it could not have turned out better. We'll continue to reblog rewards as they come out, but for the most part, see you all next year! 💙💙

[lyngracetalksnwritesnstuff]

MDZS AU #2

Okay, so I saw a post (this one) the other day with a really good idea for an MDZS fic. It's essentially the Sunshot Gen (Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, Jin Zixuan, Qin Su, Luo Qingyang, Nie Huaisang, Wen Ning, and Wen Qing all fall into a hell world somehow (I'm thinking maybe the Wens or Jin Guangshan opened it to try to get an upper hand in the war, and it didn't seem to work, so they left it floating around for mostly-innocent barely-adults to fall into). They're stuck there for three months, but time passes differently there, so it's three years for them. In this time there's a lot of gore and body horror and stuff like that (several people lose limbs in horrific ways) and suffice to say, they all end up really bonding and trusting each other to the point where when they finally find a way out, they actually cannot sleep without at lease two of more of the others near them because of the trauma they went through, where being alone meant a horrible bloody death.

I may write it, I may not, Idk man, I'm pretty busy, but I might write a chapter or two this summer!

Here's my basic outline and ideas so far (I might do this like Sillygoofyqueer does their Mad Scientist WWX AU where the "chapters" are kinda like overviews only focusing on the main events with little dialogue. Idk.)

So I think I'm gonna have it start with WWX finding the portal and calling JYL (who's with JZX, QS, & LQY), JC (who was with the Wen siblings for REASONS), LWJ, and NHS over to examine it (just in case it turned out to be dangerous).

They all end up falling in, obviously, and the portal closes behind them, trapping them in what I'm going to call Diyu, which translates to "underworld," or "hell."

In Diyu, they survive and cooperate for three Diyun years, which is about three months back in the cultivation world where everyone's freaking out. I might go into how their disappearance affected the war and the Sunshot Campaign, but if I do, it'll probably be in an extra or smth.

(It is now the next day after I started writing this post, I may have stayed up a liiittle too late working on this and am now running on like five hours of sleep and a massive amount of coffee oopsies)

Anyways, they run into a weird kinda insane human guy during their years in Diyu and he turns out to be a kinda monstery-creature man who got trapped there about a hundred or so years before and tried to kill them because he thought fresh cultivator blood would be enough to open a portal back to his universe. (He also ends up being one of them from another universe, but who...?)

So they end up finding a way back that doesn't involve a massive amount of cultivator blood (it does involve a little though) and now have to adjust to not constantly being in danger of getting torn to shreds by night terrors come to life.

I don't think I'm going to make them soul bonded like in the original post, mainly because I want them not to literally need each other to survive, but need each other to feel safe and unindangered.

I want Lan Wangji to wake up from a nightmare, yelling for Wei Ying, or Yanli-Jiejie, or Ning-Didi or someone! Anyone!

I want the Older Siblings (Xichen, Mingjue, Meng Yao, Luo Xiaolan (LQY's older sister)) slowly figuring out what happened and doing the best they can to support and care for their traumatized Didis and Meimei.

I want Qin Su and Jin Zixuan sibling bonding with Meng Yao in a setting that's not a hellish underworld dimension, and all three of them tracking down itty bitty Mo Xuanyu and smothering him in love and affection.

I want Yanli, Wangji, Mianmian, and Zixuan all developing an affinity for demonic cultivation in Diyu (I mean, they all use demonic cultivation in Diyu cause there's no qi there, only resentment, but those four especially) and using it when they come back. (This freaks the FUCK out of the adults btw)

I want the previously mild and sweet Yanli holding a knife to someone's throat after they accidentally snuck up on her. (Also freaks the fuck out of the adults. Madam Yu approves.)

I want Jiang Cheng grabbing Zidian and yelling at his mom for trying to punish Wei Wuxian the next time she does because that's his brother. They've passed shixiong-shidi stage. That's his Er-Ge now.

I want the Jin & Wen siblings completely overthrowing their shitty parents/distant uncles and taking over their respective sects.

I want Jiang Yanli telling her parents exactly how bad of a job they've done and taking over the mantle of sect heir because no way in hell are her didis going to inherit that burden. It would strain their relationship too much, and she's decided she's done not being taken seriously.

I want the Sunshot Campaign absolutely failing without them, and then being cut years short the moment they come back.

I want Qin Su becoming the Master of Diplomatic Affairs for the Jin Clan and negotiating the shit out of the other sects to get a fair agreement. That girl was made to be a lawyer and can push sect leaders (that deserve it) so far into a corner they have no choice but to agree to her conditions/plans.

I want Luo Qingyang becoming the head general of the Jin Clan. Her and Huaisang's strategies win the Sunshot War in weeks. I want her teaching the junior disciples and being firm but so so gentle with them at the same time. I want her to be the best teacher there is, next to WWX and allowing her students to blossom under her tutledge.

I want Wen Ning snapping Wen Chao's arm when he tries to touch his Jiejie and then becoming the sweetest uncle ever to little A-Yuan who toddles up and asked what was happening. (Terrifies the shit out of the Qishan Wens btw)

I want Wen Qing taking over sect leadership of the Wens and ushering in an era of peace and enlightenment. Because of her close friendship with Wangji, she and Xichen actually become close as well, causing a lot of knowledge swapping. This eventually expands to the other sects, resulting in a booming knowledge trade that solidifies the close friendship between the major sects.

I want Wei Wuxian completely sure that he could get them out of Diyu in less than a month, then having to realize he can't solve everything and going through a whole character development arc where he learns to be vulnerable and trust the people around him.

I want Lan Wangji being softer, not only around WWX, but all of them. I want him calling Wen Qing and Jiang Yanli "Jiejie" and bonding with Luo Qingyang, and adopting Qin Su as a new Meimei. I want him and Jiang Cheng becoming closer and realizes that they both care for WWX, and just because he cares for both of them, doesn't make them competition.

I want Huaisang breaking down into real tears when he misses his Da-Ge and Qin Su, Zixuan, Wen Qing and Wangji all becoming his surrogate Da-Ge/Jies. I want him carefully crafting a demonic metal fan he uses to cut the Night Terrors in pieces. I want Nie Mingjue being so, so proud of his little brother (if a little terrified) when he comes back.

I want Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji confessing their love for each other before they get back home and immediately getting married and fucking like rabbits all the time.

I want Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji being the designated babysitters and having a friendly competition over who can smother the juniors in more love and affection.

I want Jiang Yanli's transition from sweet and caring shijie to cunning, lethal, and traumatized young zhongzu. I want her learning how to cut her losses and try and fail to protect everyone all the time. I want her learning how to hurt and kill things with a sword and demonic cultivation. I want her sobbing in the dark hours of the night because she couldn't keep one of her friends from getting hurt.

I want Zixuan learning how to interact with people his age in a nice way, and slowly falling in love with Yanli as she transitions into a harder, sharper young woman. I want Yanli and Zixuan to be an absolute power couple and being the main fighters of the group, decimating thousands of Night Terrors in one battle.

I want Wei Wuxian getting separated from everyone and losing his arm to a Night Terror, causing him to make the first prosthetic arm, powering it with resentment so it could work like his original arm could.

I want all of them not to feel safe unless two or more of the others are around them at all times. I want a few of them accidentally injuring innocent people cause they accidentally snuck up on them and that meant death in Diyu.

So yeah... Um. That's all for now! I may post a chapter/prologue later! Or outline! Idk.

Oh! Help me decide on my power duos/trios! I already have the obvious ones, the Yunmeng Siblings, Wen siblings, Jin Siblings, the Jiejies, and the Cloud Recesses Trio, along with JC, WWX, and JZX

I'll post a duos poll in a bit.

[lunarsimmer]

[Begin Image Description:

Image 1: A sim with short wavy black hair receiving a blue and white wrapped present from an elder sim with a long grey beard, a white wool hat with mistletoe on it and wearing a blue and white winter-themed coat.

Image 2: A sim with short wavy black hair stacking blocks in a virtual reality simulator.

Image 3: A yellow elder ghost sim staring straight ahead at the top of the stairs.

Image 4: Three sims gathered around a blue and white decorated Winterfest tree, one sim pumping their fist in the air.

Image 5: A sim with short black wavy hair holding a blue and yellow wrapped present as other sims look on.

Image 6: A teen sim with long wavy brown hair looking pleased while opening a blue and yellow wrapped present.

Image 7: A dark grey and light grey gradient banner with the words Stone Legacy on the left with a swirly heart inside a house above it and the words gen 1 on the right with a swirly heart inside a house above it

End Image Description]

Story and dialogue below cut:

Father Winter: I heard this household has been through quite a lot so I hope this gift helps a bit.

Didi: Gee, thanks...? 

(I honestly don’t even remember who got what for their gifts, these screenshots were taken so long ago)

Didi: Well, someone got a virtual reality gaming system and I’m enjoying it!

Garrett! Your first haunting, it’s so nice to see you if a little bittersweet.

Hazel: Woo, our dad is haunting us and we get more presents!

Odd reaction, but I’m not going to try and dictate a person’s coping strategies when it comes to grief.

Didi: This better not be coal...or something else...

Sonia: Wow! I’m pleased by this gift even though the Watcher can’t remember what said gift was.

Shush you.

Beginning / Previous / Next

[rugnificentthegrand]

Reality warps dramatically as the beloved children's show takes an unexpected turn, aging up with its audience into young adulthood.

"They called it 'Grown Rats'," a TV historian explains. "Following Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Angelica as twenty-somethings living in apartments in New York."

The cultural impact is remarkable. The show pioneered the concept of evolving animated series with their audience.

"The episode where Tommy struggles with his first film school rejection was heartbreaking," a fan shares. "And Chuckie's anxiety about dating felt so real."

Modern animation shows its influence. The concept of aging characters in real-time became more common.

"Angelica's character development was incredible," a critic notes. "From childhood bully to struggling corporate lawyer dealing with imposter syndrome."

The franchise evolved uniquely. Instead of staying in perpetual childhood, the characters grew and changed.

"The coffee shop they hang out in - 'Reptar's Rest' - became iconic," someone mentions. "The way they balanced nostalgia with adult themes was perfect."

The show's success created a new genre: coming-of-age animation that grows with its audience.

"They still reference their childhood adventures," a viewer shares. "But now it's through the lens of therapy sessions and late-night conversations."

"The show tackled quarter-life crises brilliantly," a psychologist notes. "The episode where Phil and Lil deal with growing apart as adults resonated deeply."

The merchandising evolved maturely. Adult-oriented products maintained sophistication while honoring nostalgia.

"Their holiday specials are tradition now," someone shares. "The Thanksgiving episode where Didi and Stu become grandparents made everyone cry."

Modern television shows its impact. The concept of 'growing up with your audience' became industry standard.

"The spinoff about Susie becoming a Supreme Court Justice is fantastic," a fan mentions. "They really showed how childhood experiences shape who we become."

The show's success led to better representation of young adult struggles in media.

"That episode where Tommy directs his first indie film, featuring cameos from his old Reptar videos?" a critic recalls. "Pure genius. It won an Emmy."

The series maintains its relevance by addressing real millennial and Gen Z issues while keeping its signature humor and heart.

"They're planning a 'Next Generation' series now," a producer reveals. "Following their kids, but with the original cast as parents. Full circle."

[jaimebluesq]

Ten fic tag game

The idea: one line any fic! rules: pick ten of your fics, scroll to somewhere midpoint, pick a line chunk and share it, and then tag ten people.

tagged by @dual-domination :D I do have quite a few to choose from, so I decided to choose the 10 with the lowest hit counts - great way to bring attention to some of my less read fics :D

1 - It's a Simple Love Between You and Me - JC/NHS, The Untamed/MDZS modern day cultivators AU:

“That's it!” Nie Mingjue burst out. “I've had enough of this bullshit.”

“Da-ge,” Lan Xichen tried to calm with a hand on Nie Mingjue's arm.

“No, I know you said to let him figure it out himself, but as you can see, my brother is a complete idiot. I love him, but he is.”

“Da-ge,” Meng Yao said warningly.

“No, don't think I don't know you're just trying to win the betting pool.” Meng Yao pouted but didn't even deny it.

“What are you even talking about?” Nie Huaisang asked, confused beyond belief. Because there should not be a betting pool that he didn't know about (or organize).

“Didi.” Nie Mingjue faced Nie Huaisang squarely. “You are the only person in the fucking universe who hasn't figured out yet that you've been in love with Jiang Cheng since you both were boys developing your golden cores. No, I'm wrong – you and Jiang Cheng are the only people who don't know because he doesn't know he's in love with you either, and the two of you have been driving us up the wall for over a decade now!”

2 - Secrets Through the Eyes of a Child - Gen, Jin Ling-centric, The Untamed/MDZS

His Jiujiu angrily sat on the bed next to Jin Ling and let out a huff of frustration – he was long used to his Jiujiu being angry at anything and everything, and he didn't think he was angry at him. “Enough with the I don't knows. You're not Nie-zongzhu, so tell me what's been bothering you or else I'll break your legs.”

At the mention of Nie-zongzhu, however, all he could think about was Chifeng-zun's head in the secret mirror room, sad and lonely and far from his brother. He began to cry and he tried to wipe his tears away with the sleeve of his sleep robe, but his Jiujiu got there first, using his own sleeve to wipe the tears and snot from Jin Ling's face.

“Did Nie-zongzhu do or say something to you?” His Jiujiu looked confused – probably because Nie-zongzhu couldn't hurt a fly. “Tell me what he did? I'll go beat him up so he'll never do it again.”

Jin Ling shook his head. “Nie-zongzhu didn't do anything, Jiujiu. It's...” He cried even harder as he remembered everything he'd seen. “It's his brother. Chifeng-zun. He's sad and lonely and he doesn't deserve to be, not if there's a chance he can see his brother again.”

3 - Shadows Over Lanling - Gen, Jin Family-centric, The Untamed/MDZS

Jin Guangshan had often thought his son needed a little more backbone, but this wasn't the time. “I can't believe you would even ask this of me. Didn't Wei Wuxian bring you enough trouble at Cloud Recesses, and now you want to risk our disciples to save him?”

“Whatever my problems with Wei Wuxian, he and Lan Wangji saved all of our lives by holding off the xuanwu so we could escape. Is that not a life debt that needs to be repaid?”

“I'll lead the charge,” Jin Zixun claimed haughtily. “And I dare any Wen to get in our way. I'll show them what happens to those who dare mistreat the Jin.”

“That's exactly the reason you're not going,” Jin Guangshan snapped. “The last thing we need is you to start something we can't pull back from.”

4 - They Get Around - Various ships (LQY and NHS are bffs setting each other up on dates), The Untamed/MDZS

“That... doesn't look like the face of a man who had a successful date.”

“Well, she wasn't insane at least, but turns out she's a lesbian who only took the date to get her parents off of her back.”

“Seriously? But I thought she was perfect – a doctor, kind of snarky, drop dead gorgeous...”

“...and the first date you set me up on was with her brother. But I'm glad you liked her, because she's your date next week.”

“...but-but-but- she's out of my league!”

“Too late, can't cancel now, I've already promised her to act as her beard that night so her family will stay off her case.”

“...”

“You can thank me later.”

5 - Nie Mother's Day Drabble - Gen, the Nie bros and their moms, The Untamed/MDZS

“I made this for you, Mama,” he said, slipping a flower crown over her braided hair.

“It's beautiful, A-Sang.” She wrapped her arms around her son and lifted him up, cuddling him close as he giggled in glee.

He Yaling came over to her side, Mingjue still slung over her shoulder (though exhausted after his tickling). She ran an affectionate hand down Huaisang's back before pressing her temple to Nie Ziniao's. For her part, Nie Ziniao reached behind the other woman to playfully tug at one of Mingjue's braids.

It was a good day – uneventful, but the sort one remembered on cold, heartless nights to keep themselves warm and feeling loved.

6 - A Need I Can't Explain - NSFW- NHS/JZXun, The Untamed/MDZS

“A toast to your betrothal,” Nie Huaisang said sarcastically. “To years and years of a cold bed, of perfunctory sex with someone you can't stand, and feigning desire for a woman who will never, ever make you feel a fraction of the need you feel with me. A lifetime of pretending. I hope you enjoy it.”

Jin Zixun tightened his hands again. He should kill Nie Huaisang, toss his body into a river and never have to hear his poisonous words again. He was the only person who knew his secret, the only one he'd ever allowed himself to be so vulnerable with. If he did away with Nie Huaisang, there would be nobody else who knew, nobody else to remind him of what he'd had and could never have again, what he should never have had to begin with.

His vision blurred; the folding fan dropped to the floor and fingers wrapped around his cock through the luxurious fabric of his robes.

He should let go, shove the man away... but he smelled so fucking good.

7 - Maybe if the stars align, maybe if our worlds collide - NSFW, NHS/Jinzhu, The Untamed/MDZS

Her hands slid around his neck and he could feel her razor sharp nails sliding along his skin. He shivered, both in arousal as well as fear, knowing that she was no wilting flower and could easily take his life if she so chose.

That was the very thing that made him desire her so.

He leaned into her until she had no choice but to move up and sit on the table, her legs parting to allow him to step between them.. He broke the kiss and leaned in to smell along her neck, where her jasmine perfume was strongest combined with the delicious scent of her skin. “Let me worship you as you deserve,” he whispered next to her ear before sliding the tip of his tongue along the outer shell.

8 - The Day Our World Changed - Gen, Nie Bros fic, The Untamed/MDZS

There was a crash in the room and the terrified wail of a nine-year-old child. Nie Ziniao brought Nie Mingjue over to the doorway. “Stay right here, A-Jue. We'll get A-Sang to you, and the moment you have him, you get him out of here.”

He wanted to argue but he knew he would be of no help, not in the condition he was in. He watched helplessly as his mother's saber swung to block every strike her husband made. Nie Ziniao managed to circle the room while he was distracted, retrieving her sobbing child and carrying him over to the doorway. Just as she was handing him over to Nie Mingjue, she screamed, almost dropping Huaisang as she fell to her knees.

She shoved the two boys through the doorway with trembling hands as blood spread out from her side where a hunk of broken wood had impaled her, and used all of her strength to grab the door and close it lowering the metal bar with a clang.

9 - Comfort Amidst Chaos - NHS/JZXun, The Untamed/MDZS

“Try not to skewer your trainer, Nie-er-gongzi!” he called over, though there was no heat in the taunt.

“I told you before, Jin-gongzi, the only one I plan on skewering is you.”

Jin Zixun's lips twisted in a smirk and he continued leading the disciples away.

10 - The cat had found herself a new pet - Gen, fluff, NHS and JC and a cat, The Untamed/MDZS

“Huaisang, what are you doing here?” Because they both knew that he preferred to sleep in most mornings.

He was about to try and make up some sort of excuse when his eyes focused on the throne behind Nie Mingjue... and the fluffy grey cat that had just alighted there, its nose sniffing at the sect leader's braids. The Lan to his left began giggling softly, and from his angle, he could spot Lan Xichen doing his best to keep a straight face and only barely succeeding.

The grey cat seemed to be done sniffing and finally struck forward, taking one of Nie Mingjue's braids in its mouth and pulling at it as if it were prey. His brother yelped and jumped out of the throne, looking back to stare at the creature that looked at him back with eyes filled with outrage before taking off running again.

And now I will tag: @fortune-maiden @zaidnovi @roseclaw @pbaintthetb @cerusee @ibijau and anyone else who would enjoy the excuse to play along :D

[sloth-space]

*wave wave!!!* hiiii ,,, could i maybe get hcs for a littlespace hal w dirk or davesprite (whichever is easier!) as a cg? (can be humanstuck or android hal or glasses, whichever is easier for you, im not picky)

<33

*waves back!!* hiiiii! Sorry this took sooo long T-T

Regressor!Hal with CG! Dirk

Hal regresses to a kid, about 5-10

He calls Dirk either Dirky, Di, Didi, or Dada.

Hal likes to watch My Little Pony, Spiderman movies (Especially Spiderverse), Big Hero 6, Next Gen, Wall-E, Bill and Ted and Transformers.

Hal and Dirk draw together a lot. Hal has a 64 pack of crayons that are his pride and joy.

They also have a pretty decent My Little Pony doll collection

[eleanorfenyxwrites]

Hi y'all!

So I realized today that it's been about three months since I started cross-posting my stuff to ao3 (those of y'all who were here for After Each Midnight while it was still a wip will know that I've been writing for longer than that but anyway). With the latest fic I just posted, I now have 30 works published to ao3 within those three months! Which is wild to me!

Since that averages out to ten fics a month and I like round numbers, I decided to celebrate by listing my 10 favorite fics...of my own lol. Narcissistic? Maybe! But it's fun anyway!

This is a really long post as each rec includes a summary, an excerpt (or a few), and some personal notes/anecdotes about the writing process or what inspired me to write the fic, etc. so I'm putting it all under the break. If this doesn't sound like your cup of tea then of course please just skip over this one, but for anyone who wants to revisit some of my older works with me, or if you're curious about which fics I personally like the most, or if you want to talk about your favorite fics of mine in the replies or anything, then that's cool too! I just wanted to find a way to mark this down because it feels like something of an achievement ^_^

Thank you!

1. After Each Midnight Begins A New Day, (54,401 words, Rated E) Ship(s): 3zun, Wangxian Summary: When Lan Xichen wakes up the morning after the fifth anniversary of his life crumbling to rubble around him in Guanyin Temple, he's shocked to find both Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao in his bed, both whole and alive and...married to him?! (A time travel fix-it in which the time traveling and fixing of things has already been done by Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, and Lan Xichen accidentally gets dragged along for the happily ever after.) Excerpt(s):

1. “Poor da-ge,” [Meng Yao] teases again, this time with a bit of an edge, and Lan Xichen cracks one eye open just enough to see him stripping first out of his shoes and socks, then his third layer of robes, then his second, until he’s dressed much as he had been the prior evening - in nothing but a black under-robe so sheer that it actually almost looks gray. It clings to all the petite, lithe curves of him and the sight makes Lan Xichen’s mouth practically water. “What if I want my turn with you now? What if I’m jealous that er-ge got to have you all to himself for hours , while your poor A-Yao had to go have a drink with Xian-didi just to pass the time.” “Oh gods you’re a beast too,” Nie Mingjue groans as Meng Yao slips on top of him gracefully to lean down and pepper kisses up and down his neck and shoulder. “Get off of me, foul creature. Go tempt our husband, I’m temporarily immune to your wiles.” “You’re never immune to my wiles, da-ge, and er-ge is meditating oh so diligently. He’s certainly not smiling and watching us through his lashes as if we’re not well aware of his tricks and what he likes to watch.” - 2. “It took years of practice, you with your painting and I with my answering, but when you were a teenager I finally decided on the best advice I could think to give you: Do not seek for every answer in this life all at once, Xichen,” he instructs with a smile as he returns to painting. “Let them come to you gently and in their season, and trust that all will be as it should in the end.” Lan Xichen takes another breath and returns to his painting with a slightly trembling hand - a trembling that ends up creating a lovely branch on the tree he is painting that, when he turns his head to look, is modeled almost exactly after the one growing in the garden behind the Gentian House, just beyond the window. “I don’t remember ever seeing this tree,” he whispers and Qingheng-Jun hums across from him in clear understanding. “And yet it flows from your brush all the same. Now we can all know that you have nothing to fear, your memories will also come to you in their season. Until then, allow yourself to rest, and remember that you have the support of your family whenever you need it.” “Yes, father,” he replies with a whisper and a tremulous smile, feeling lighter than he has in days. - 3. “I will go into seclusion.” The statement is a stone dropped into the gently rippling water of a spring-fed pool. The stone is jagged and pitted with all that the world has done to chip away at it, to make it rough and painful to the touch. It is sharp in his hands, heavy with all the hurts he still carries in his chest, all the grief he has no more room to hold. He feels lighter with it out of his grasp, the words settling into the ensuing silence with some bittersweet relief.

Notes: I know I've said it before but it bears repeating: this entire fic exists solely because of the smut scene in chapter 1. I thought of the smut first, and then the lead-in to it, and I intentionally left the end of chapter 1 ambiguous - it could have ended right there as an angsty one-shot with Lan Xichen believing that it was all a hallucination, and there's nothing really in the text to say that it's not because Lan Xichen is a very unreliable narrator in this fic. But then I wanted to write the backstory for the smut if, in fact, it wasn't a hallucination - and everything kind of...butterfly-effected out from there to become what it is now, along with all the extras in the series that's now roughly 120k long altogether and still not finished. Oops. Oh and also: this fic that started the ball rolling only exists because for some reason the servers for Omegle went down for months where I live, and prior to that I used to spend hours rp'ing. Without that creative outlet, I filled the vacuum with writing fic instead and now here we are. So if you're grateful for my fics then thank Omegle for sucking for a few months lol --//-- 2. Loving, Loud, Wild, and Theirs (7386 words, Rated T) Ship(s): Xuanli & Gen (kidfic), 3zun (briefly) - an extra for AEM Summary: A brief look at how in this kinder world, Jin Zixuan managed to find and legitimize his three siblings as well as a snapshot of the chaos of love and fun that is his family with his siblings, his beloved wife, and their seven children. Excerpt:

He had listened to [Madam Qin] and her handmaid, and he had believed them, and he had been unsurprised to find himself thinking quite uncharitably of his father following his promise to Madam Qin that he would do everything in his power to make it right, as much as he could. [Jin Zixuan and Meng Yao] return to Jinlintai the day after the next, once their business is concluded. He’s relieved when nothing needs his immediate attention as it means he’s free to retreat into his and Jiang Yanli’s quarters so he can tell her everything that’s weighing on his mind. “No more surprise siblings from now on,” he sighs into the comfort of Jiang Yanli's chest when he’s finished outlining what has happened and his plans to prepare a new suite of rooms in the family wing of the tower. For Qin Su. His sister. Jiang Yanli just laughs her tinkling laugh and kisses him, her hands gentle as she combs his hair back from his face with her fingertips. “You’ve got more siblings now than any of the rest of us,” she teases with a mischievous smile down at him that is a bit too reminiscent of, weirdly, both Wei Wuxian and Mo Xuanyu for comfort. “Two brothers, a sister, and of course we must keep Mianmian in her spot on the list. If you would like to count brothers-in-law as well you’ve also got A-Xian, A-Cheng, Huaisang, Wangji, Xichen, and Mingjue...” He groans and hides his face properly in the soft silk of her robes even as she laughs again over his head.

Notes: This fic is actually a request fill for someone and I had some trouble ending it because there's a lot more I want to write with this wild family, though I did eventually find what felt like a good place to cut it off with 3zun arriving in Jinlintai for the visit they leave for at the end of AEM. There is something of a follow-up floating around my wips that - if it ever gets written - is a direct sequel to AEM that continues where this extra leaves off, with 3zun getting to spend time with their hoard of niblings in Jinlintai. No promises about if/when that will get written though. --//-- 3. Performance Art (8106 words, Rated M) Ships: 3zun, Wangxian (briefly) Summary: A Modern AU inspired by the 'Hysterical Literature' performance art project. Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Meng Yao take turns doing their best to read aloud from chosen written works as they're filmed. The twist is that they're trying to do so as they're being pleasured with a vibrator controlled by one of their partners off-camera, each of their turns ending when the partner being filmed/played with has an orgasm. Excerpt(s):

1. “Engage people with what they expect; it is..- it…it is what they are able to discern and.. ngh.. confirms their projections. It settles.. ah settles them into predictable-“ He cuts off suddenly to set the book down flat and slap one hand down sharply on the tabletop. Meng Yao simply clicks another button and Nie Mingjue groans as his newly unoccupied hand twitches back to rest on the edge of the table closer to himself, as if about to drop down beneath it. Lan Xichen and Meng Yao both shift forward in their seats but Nie Mingjue catches himself before they have to intervene, returning his hand to the middle of the table and forcing a deep breath into his lungs so he can continue. “-Predictable patterns of..of response, occupying their minds while you w-wait for the ex- extra-“ he huffs out a sharp breath and curls his hand into a fist as he tilts forward and forces out the rest of the sentence in a rush. “Extraordinary moment — that whichtheycannotanticipate. FUCK!” - 2. It’s a few hours of quiet, peaceful work later when Lan Wangji shifts his weight in the way that means he wants Wei Wuxian’s actual attention and not his ‘ I’m sculpting so I’m periodically looking at you ’ sort of attention which he is, of course, quick to grant. He pauses in his muttering half to himself and half to Lan Wangji to say, “Hm? What’s up Zhanzhan?” “From Xiongzhang,” he says by way of explanation, holding his phone out for Wei Wuxian to squint at the screen. It takes him a moment to understand what he’s looking at, his eyes needing a second to adjust to the small black and white video that’s playing after having spent hours looking between Lan Zhan and the clay form taking shape under his hands. “What is this?” he asks as he leans in closer and squints a little harder. He blinks and his eyes go wide in the next moment as he realizes what’s happening on the screen as the woman’s tension climaxes ( literally ) - and then it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump to figure out just why he’d been asked to create an eerily similar setup in his own studio the previous afternoon for three men he might as well consider his sort-of brothers at this point. His next exhale is a wheeze as his ears go hot and Lan Wangji is instantly shrugging into a robe to stand from his lounging position and approach, concern written all over his features. “Wei Ying?”

Notes: I don't really have too much to say about this one except that it brought me so much joy and laughter to write and it honestly kind of surprises me that it's one of my less popular fics - it's nothing but a fun, sexy time! But I'm also terrible at guessing trends/what people will want to see so that might be on me haha. Oh! Also - a minor thing but something I'm very mildly proud of: the narrator voice is dependent on who's behind the camera! I wanted a way to make the person filming feel just as involved as the other two and I thought that was a fun way to do it since within the narrative it's technically going to be their perspective used for the video they're recording. Just to give y'all a little insight into my decision-making when it comes to my writing style for this one. --//-- 4. Anything For My Nie-Zongzhu (6411 words, Rated E) Ship: NieYao - pre-canon (just barely) Summary: Meng Yao is Nie Mingjue's trusted right hand, intelligent and valued by his Sect Leader, at least, who has learned lately to appreciate him a hell of a lot in private too - and for much more personal matters than the minutiae of running the Nie Sect. Seeing as Nie Mingjue trusts him so much, he finds it in himself to ask for something new - for Meng Yao to top him. [Technically an extra for AEM but can be read as a standalone] Excerpt:

“Am I to play into this boorish act you’re putting on tonight?” he teases instead as he steps closer until he’s near enough to feel the way the steam from the bath has turned the air sticky and humid. Nie Mingjue finally looks up at him and Meng Yao is internally crowing with triumph as he watches the lines of tension around his eyes and mouth fall away, his expression smoothing into quiet contentment. He did that. His presence alone is enough to help Nie Mingjue relax. It feels nearly as good as the day the man had angrily defended him to his own disciples and promoted him on the spot. “It’s not an act, I’m plenty boorish,” Nie Mingjue gruffs, returning his gaze to the letter, but this close Meng Yao can actually watch his eyes do nothing but try to glare a hole through the center of the page. “Of course you are, Zongzhu,” Meng Yao allows, his tone openly humoring - as is the smile tightening the corners of his mouth. “Therefore I can only suppose that you would prefer it if I returned to my walk and left you to continue your...correspondence in peace.”

Notes: Once again not really many notes on this one! I just love NieYao, I think their dynamic during Meng Yao's Nie Sect days has so much potential and I love exploring it every so often. --//--

5. Bite The Hands That Feed (1590 words, Rated E) Ship: XiYao Summary: After being forced out of the Nie Sect, Meng Yao has to come to grips with the hunger that's been chasing him his whole life, and he finds temporary satisfaction over and over in Lan Xichen, who is always so generous with his time and his body and is willing to help him feel less empty even just for a night. Excerpt:

He would never bite the hands that feed him, that stuff him full enough to make him believe for a moment that he’s no longer starving. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t inflict pains. He bites and he scratches and he plants himself in the bloody furrows until flowering moans reward his violent care, until pleasure bursts sun-warmed and sweet between them, berries ripe for the picking. He stains his mouth red with them, his fingers purple with the bruises he paints so delicately on his devotee’s body. If Meng Yao is being clawed to a slow torturous death from within, then it stands to reason that his other half will be ripped to shreds from without. He keeps his nails sharp and his teeth bared to tear into his flesh and drink sweetly of the vintage he offers - sweat, spend, blood, saliva when their mouths meet for crushing kisses. All of it is his to consume. He puts his mouth to the feast of Lan Xichen’s body and eats until the hunger pangs are satiated, drinks until he feels dizzy with it.

Notes: So I wrote this one when I was getting a little tired of the straight narration style of all my other fics and I wanted to try my hand at something looser, a little more prose-like but also a little darker than my usual fluff. I'm not sure how successful I was - this is actually one of my absolute least popular fics, number-wise! - but it's one of my favorites anyway. --//-- 6. A Figure, A Mouth (2788 words, Rated M) Ship: Wenzhou Summary: A quiet, intimate evening spent in the comfort of the Four Seasons Mountain Manor sometime between their arrival/fixing up of the place and the confrontation with Ye Baiyi. Excerpt:

After a while of warming each other up Wen Kexing urges him back up to push the bed under the window just as he’d said he would. Zhou Zishu takes the opportunity to blow out the candles before he rejoins Wen Kexing in their bed, the sudden darkness leaving them free to admire each other clothed in nothing but broad swathes of cool, sweet blue light bisected by deep black lattices of shadow from the trees out in the yard, the shadows from the contours of the wall and decorations around the window blocking and revealing them in turns. Lao Wen is, of course, as beautiful like this as he has been in every way Zhou Zishu has ever seen him, and he takes the time to savor it, to indulge in the decadence that Wen Kexing presents for each of his remaining senses. He’s a feast for the eyes, all hard muscle and skin glistening with glittering diamonds of sweat along his shoulders and the soft curve of his cheek. He’s a symphony for the ears, breathless desire and tender calls of his name that Zhou Zishu never lets go unanswered when they’re like this. By now Wen Kexing is an expert at drawing pleasure from him in every unlikely way there is to make sure that the effects of the nails don’t keep him from reaching his peak at least once, occasionally more in spite of his fading sense of touch.

Notes: Wenzhou makes me so soft and emotional, y'all. The next one on the list is also a Wenzhou fic and I just can't seem to stop writing them in fluffy/smutty situations because it's what they deserve. I really don't have anything more interesting to say about this fic, I just love them haha. --//-- 7. Tease Him Just Enough (2537 words, Rated M) Ship: Wenzhou Summary: A possible outcome if the conversation post-face reveal in episode 6 had gone differently - i.e. if Zhou Zishu had called Wen Kexing out on all his flirting and challenged him to do something about it - and then he does. Excerpt:

They don’t need words to communicate that at least right here in this particular moment there’s no one else they would rather have in their arms, pressed up against their bodies, no one else’s tongue who would find a new home in each other’s mouths or any other body their hands would rather explore. Wen Kexing has already known that they’re fated, but for the first time it feels like they’re agreeing to be so. Even if it’s just for a night. (Not that he thinks it will be just one night for them, but getting Zhou Xu to agree to anything remotely of the kind is like trying to drag a stray back-alley cat into a bath so he’ll take what he can get.)

Notes: My first fic for Word of Honor! The whole time I was watching the show (read: obsessively binge-watching) I was like 'Okay I like this show a lot but it's not nearly as compelling as The Untamed, idk if I'll be motivated to write anything for it'. Then I got to the end and I was like NEVERMIND YES I AM. I played myself. --//-- 8. You Need Tending (12,108 words, Rated T) Ship(s): Lan Wangji & Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji & Lan Xichen, Lan Qiren & The Jades & Wei Wuxian (this is a kidfic so nothing romantic!) Summary: Wei Wuxian is alone and homeless on the streets of Yunmeng, unaware of the presence of his parents' old friend so nearby. Lan Wangji is a child grieving for the loss of his mother in silence, overwhelmed by the world his uncle keeps dragging him out into. It takes their paths crossing more than once for Lan Qiren to realize just who Wei Wuxian is and that he needs their help, but he gets there eventually. Excerpt:

He watches on as the man comes to a stop next to the boys and squats down to check over the one who had been lost and suddenly he remembers lying on the ground and looking up at a stern-faced man with gentle hands and a ribbon across his forehead. The man who had given him medicine and bandages after a small boy had defended him from dogs, and an older boy had talked to him so kindly and helped him to sit up off the dirt. Wei Ying gasps as the memory hits and he scrambles back down off the roof, landing on the packed dirt of the space between the buildings with an oof, excitement bubbling in his chest. Along with the memory comes a name and it flies from his lips as he scrambles up off the ground to push his way into the crowd again. “Master Lan!” he shouts, his tiny voice lost in the din of the market. He tries to shove closer but the little family is already walking away, their backs to him as he strains against the flow of people much bigger and stronger than him. “Master Lan!” he tries again, desperation lending extra strength and emotion to his cry. Wei Ying stops struggling as he watches the two boys in white walk away, the pair of them flanking Master Lan in his sky blue robes as they move through the market, radiating serenity in the midst of the chaos. His vision blurs and he scrubs his forearm against his eyes angrily to dry them, trying to keep the three of them in his sight for as long as he can just in case they turn around and spot him. Just in case they remember him and maybe want to tell him to come with them.

Notes: Baby Wei Ying T-T He just hits me right in the heart, and so does baby Lan Zhan! And baby Lan Xichen. All the babies. This fic was actually completely inspired by an utterly adorable fanart of Lan Xichen giving a grumpy baby A-Zhan a piggyback ride! I'd been wanting to write a kidfic type fix-it for a while and that art was the spark I needed to come up with something workable. (Edit: here’s my reblog of the art I’m talking about!) --//--

9. Familial Circumstances (5393 words, Rated G)

Ship(s): Lan Qiren & Original Characters, Lan Qiren & Jin Zixuan, Lan Qiren & Qin Su, Lan Qiren & Mo Xuanyu - An extra for AEM

Summary: Another kidfic extra for the horde of children in Jinlintai, this time as seen through the lens of their beloved Great Uncle Lan. It's a simple relationship-study-type look at how all the children love their Great Uncle and how much he loves and treasures them in return.

Excerpt:

An unusual stillness accompanies [Jin Ruhai's] playing. Jin Lu stops fidgeting with her fingers, the twins slip into the perfect stillness of those who are utterly aware of themselves at all times - a trait [Lan Qiren has] noticed in every skilled fighter he’s ever come across - and even Jin Ye relaxes, slumping further and further backwards until she’s slouched down against his stomach, legs dangling over his crossed shins.

The piece isn’t a terribly long one, nor as complex as the next score Lan Qiren intends to teach the boy, but Jin Ruhai’s mastery of it is impressive. Again, Lan Qiren is forcefully reminded of Lan Wangji, always most at peace when behind his instrument to play with and/or for the people he loves.

There’s silence in the room until the last note fades with a shiver into the air and Jin Ruhai pulls his hands back from the instrument. The stillness lasts for one more moment before it’s interrupted by Jin Lu sneezing suddenly and her siblings laugh as the quiet breaks.

“I had to hold that in the whole time !!” Jin Lu laughs as she rubs her sleeve under her nose, one eye screwed shut as she giggles. “I didn’t want to mess up A-Zhuang’s song, it’s so pretty!”

Notes: I'm definitely biased because they're all my oc's except for Jin Ling, but I genuinely love all of the Jin children in the AEM AU. If anyone is ever interested in knowing more about their individual personalities and the like please don't hesitate to ask me, I've actually put quite a bit of thought into all 6 of the kids I created wholecloth and I have a lot of feelings about Jin Ling getting the chaotic siblings and loving parents he was robbed of.

--//--

10. Opportunities To Practice (5710 words, Rated M) (*WIP)

Ship: Xuanli - An extra for AEM

Summary: Jin Zixuan is nervous for his..marital activities with Jiang Yanli - after all, who could he possibly ask for advice? His father? No thank you. Thankfully Jiang Yanli is sweet and patient and knows her husband well - he just needs a bit of time and he'll get it figured out.

Excerpt:

She shivers with an interesting combination of want and intense vulnerability as she stands there, feeling bare in spite of her remaining layer. It’s of a material so sheer as to be practically nonexistent, nothing more than a delicate veil of a red so pale it’s nearly pink that sits on her body like a second skin. Until it falls gently away at the knee to flutter around her ankles, it clings to every curve, every contour, and as she watches Jin Zixuan doesn’t even bother to hang the robe he had just removed on the screen. He lets it drop into a soft pool around her bare feet, his gaze roaming her newly exposed figure - she would perhaps feel strange about it did he not look so devoted , so in awe of seeing her practically naked in front of him.

Yanli gasps softly as he suddenly drops to his knees at her feet and oh - that’s heady. Her body, which she hasn’t really thought of too much in the past beyond the occasional irritation that it’s weaker than she would prefer, has put the man she loves on his knees. He’s looking up at her now, his eyes wide and his hands reverent as he raises them to rest on her thighs, thumbs caressing her too-warm skin through the barely-there robe that bunches up softly under the pressure of his grip.

“You’re right,” he finally breathes, sounding slightly strained. “I’d like this to stay on. If that’s - are you alright?”

“I am,” she reassures.

Notes: This last fic is technically a wip, the only one in the list! However! - it's going to be a collection of one-shots centered around Xuanli and their sexual exploits that lead to their seven children, and possibly also the ones that are just for fun (horny Yanli rights forever). It's not currently high on my list of priorities or anything and the one chapter that's up so far can stand on its own so it's a wip but it's not? I just love Xuanli so much and I want to explore their relationship in my happy fix-it AU whenever the mood strikes, and whenever that happens this is where those one-shots will go.

--//--

And that's it! My personal top 10 favorite fics of my own as of right now. I thought about doing my top 10 according to statistics like hit counts or kudos, but I genuinely love some of these unpopular fics and I wanted to give them some love and attention even if it's just for me. I know there's a lot here to sift through but if any of y'all enjoyed the list or any of the specific fics on it let me know! I liked taking this little pause to take a look at what I've actually been producing these last few months.

Thanks for reading!

[celtfather]

Lads in the Shire | New Lord of the Rings Song

Do you have song lyrics that you wrote that could be set to music? Send them to me. Kelly and Mitchell did. Their song “Lads in the Shire” is on my new CD, Selcouth. We will tell you how it happened and if it’ll work for you.

It’s Pub Songs & Stories #256.

0:02 - WHO'S PLAYING IN THE PUB TODAY

Welcome to Pub Stories. Hey, if you want to know more about the songs I play? This is the audio liner notes for you to get to know more about my songs and how they might relate to your life.

0:30 - THANK YOU GUNN RUNNERS

But first, Pub Songs & Stories is a podcast brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon.

The public version of his show is released on the first Monday of each month starting in August. There will, however, be a private version. It will come out two weeks after the public one, exclusively on Patreon.

If you’re looking for Stories from other Celtic bands, like we had in episodes last year, then be sure to subscribe to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.

As a patron of mine, You’ll get this podcast, be able to download songs featured in this show, get sheet music, and access to Coffee with The Celtfather concerts. You get a lot for as little as $5 per month. And you can save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Ivan MacKillop, Don Rice, Antonya Pickard, Debra Cottrell, Didi Magnin, Nancy DouglasdeBaca, Wayne Finegar

1:40 - WHAT’S NEW?

My new Kickstarter goes live in August. The album is called Come Adventure With Me. It features that title track, and some of my newest music. Several songs are already recorded and released as singles. And if I haven’t given them away on Patreon yet, they will be. Why is that?

Well, Streaming music gives you a quick and easy way to sample all of my music. Digital sales keep my business running. Tips and CD sales allow me to tour. Patreon funds my songwriting! Kickstarter funds physical products like CDs, shirts, pins and other merch. The plan is to officially release the album next year. But in what format?

I have quite a few people who ask that I keep releasing CDs. I also started releasing Album Pins, which are lapel pins associated with each album.

That is what this new Kickstarter will fund. Yes. Some of the music will go to pay musicians for their time in helping me create the music. But most of it will go into producing physical merch for this album. Although I’m also raising money for album lapel pins of a couple past albums.

If you’re interested in supporting this album, please subscribe to my newsletter and follow the link to my Kickstarter page in August.

3:13 - UPCOMING SHOWS

AUG 4-7: Gen Con, Indianapolis, IN

AUG 19: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 7:00 – 10:00 PM.

AUG 20: Best End Brewing, Atlanta, GA @ 7:00 - 10:00 PM

AUG 26: Three Taverns Brewery, Decatur, GA

AUG 27: Pepper Place Farmer's Market, Birmingham, AL @ 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM CT

SEP 1-5: Dragon Con, Atlanta, GA with Brobdingnagian Bards

SEP 10-11: Middle Tennessee Highland Games & Celtic Festival, Hendersonville, TN

SEP 28-OCT 2: Hobbit Band at ALEP in Shakertown, KY

A while back, Mitchell Petersen emailed me some lyrics. Mitchell is not only the sound engineer for my podcasts. But he and his wife Kelly are also fans of my Firefly Drinking Songs and Hobbit Drinking Songs shows at Dragon Con. And of course, he’s a fan of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast which is where they found the song that they filked.

I will let them start by telling you more about the song “Lads in the Shire”.

3:43 - STORY OF LADS IN THE SHIRE

To answer that question about whether Andrew and I had played that song much before our Hobbit Drinking Songs show. The answer is no.

It’s funny getting song lyrics from people. What makes me choose one song or another? It really varies. First off, I don’t do nearly as many parodies as I used to. I enjoy parodies. However, one of my big goals these days is to write song lyrics and melodies.

It’s rare that I follow up with songs sent to me that are parodies. Especially if I don’t know the original song. Sometimes, I will write my own melody. Mitchell and I have gotten to know one another over the years. So I thought it would at least be worth trying that.

Some songs are really tough. They just don’t click. I have some lyrics from Rie Sheridan Rose that I still haven’t set to music. But of course, I also have a whole bunch that I did.

Maybe it’s the hobbit-y nature about this song, But I loved the lyrics. They were different from my standard hobbit lyrics. Especially the ones that I write. It felt like a good change to try. So I picked up the autoharp and started strumming.

I said some songs are really tough to write melodies for. This one was not. The autoharp and melody came together with minimal effort. I also decided to record it. Initially, I thought I would just have Mitchell mix it and release it on Patreon as a one off freebie.

But after getting additional instrumentation added and hearing the mix, I decided to consider it for This CD.

Now I should point out, I had about 20 tracks I was considering for the album. Why did this one make the cut instead of being delayed until the next album?

Length.

My goal was to keep the album at under 44 minutes. That’s 22 minutes per side. After organizing all of the songs, this 2 ½ minute song fit perfectly on the A side of the album.

Yeah. I know. It’s kind of silly.

That’s not to say it wouldn’t have made the cut. I still love it and as Mitchell pointed out, it is the latest addition to my Hobbit Drinking Song show I do.

The delightfully simple instruments of bass and mandolin were provided by Daniel Briggs. And of course, Mitchell Petersen mixed and mastered the song.

You can download “Lads in the Shire” as an MP3 when you join my Gunn Runners on Patreon.

13:55 - Marc Gunn “Lads in the Shire” from Selcouth

Thanks for listening to Pub Stories. The show was produced by Marc Gunn, edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen wherever you find podcasts. You can also subscribe to my mailing list. You will get regular updates of new music, podcasts, special offers, and you’ll get an album for free. Welcome to the pub at www.pubsong.com!

#pubstories #ladsintheshire #hobbitsongs

Check out this episode!

[bowsetter]

Travala.com’s Cryptocurrency Gateway Provides Travel to 82,000 Destinations

Members of the cryptocurrency community can now book rooms in over 550,000 properties worldwide by utilizing the accommodation and hotel booking service Travala.com. The company’s crypto payment gateway accepts a myriad of cryptocurrencies so individuals and organizations can travel to 82,000 destinations and pay with their favorite digital asset.

Also read: An In-Depth Look at Ethereum’s Maker and Dai Stablecoin

Book 550,000 Property Listings With a Myriad of Digital Assets

Crypto enthusiasts have been discussing a hotel booking service called Travala.com recently which provides accommodation in a wide variety of countries and cities. Travala accepts 10 different cryptocurrencies including its native token AVA, BCH, ETH, XRP, LTC, TUSD, TRX, NAN, XRB, and BNB. The startup’s native token AVA is a protocol based on the NEO network. At the time of publication, the startup offers bookings to 567,928 properties in 210 countries which add up to roughly 82,311 travel destinations. This includes places like Paris, Rome, Bali, Hanoi, Singapore, Amsterdam, London, Lisbon, New York, Los Angeles, Montreal, and Toronto.

Travala launched in July of 2018 with the goal of providing a blockchain-powered travel system. Travala heralds itself as the crypto economy’s equivalent to Expedia because of the abundance of prominent listings the service provides. Unfortunately for crypto enthusiasts, Expedia silently dropped bitcoin core (BTC) payments last year for unknown reasons. This year, Travala started seeing increased traction. For instance, January bookings increased from last December’s numbers by 265 percent.

The startup also partnered with a leading travel firm from China, Didi Travel, in order to bolster the firm’s presence in one of the largest countries on earth. The most popular destinations in January included places like the U.S., Italy, Thailand, Spain, Singapore, Sweden, and the Philippines.

You can now book 550,000+ hotels worldwide with #BitcoinCash $BCH using the https://t.co/CL8FxAXFXS built in crypto payment gateway. Travel to 82,000+ destinations with your favourite #crypto #BCH #blockchain #travel@Bitcoin @rogerkver @BTCTN @BitcoinCashFans @BitcoinCashA pic.twitter.com/OYQekqC7Zk

— Travala.com (@travalacom) February 26, 2019

Travala Hopes to Have 1.5 Million Properties Listed in 2019

On Jan. 31 the company introduced fiat payments to the Travala platform which allows people to pay for bookings with Paypal, and four major credit cards. During the update, the startup said that booking descriptions were improved with a “clear breakdown of room type, meal type, price-per-night, booking price, and the total.” Travala also has a roadmap for 2019 improvements and aims to add things like discounts and loyalty rewards to the system. Additionally, Travala will be adding a referral program, integration with Gimmonix, partner with 15 wholesale suppliers, and hopes to cover 1.5 million properties by the year’s end.

Travala will be joining a few other companies that offer hotel bookings, accommodations, and flights as well. Cheapair accepts BCH, LTC, DASH, and BTC for hotels, flights, and car rentals. Bitcoin.travel is a travel agency that accepts BTC and queries a list of flights and hotels through its partners. The New York-based travel agency founded in 2013 provides customers with flight and hotel reservations using BTC as well. Users interested in flights and cruise bookings can utilize Webjet Exclusives and Cryptocribs aims to decentralize Airbnb by allowing booking payments with BCH, ETH, and BTC.

Travala wants to be known throughout the cryptocurrency ecosystem as a next-generation travel agency. “A one-stop travel booking platform combining the best of this generation’s online travel agency (OTA) functionality with the incredible benefits of next gen’s decentralized technologies and tokenized incentives,” explains the company’s website. Moreover, Travala claims that the company offers a competitive minimum average of 15% lower than current mainstream OTAs. This is due to the partnership with leading wholesale travel solution partners and a cryptocurrency-based incentivization economy.

What do you think about Travala.com’s services? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the mentioned companies, creators, associates, or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com and the author are not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

Image credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, and Travala.com.

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The post Travala.com’s Cryptocurrency Gateway Provides Travel to 82,000 Destinations appeared first on Bitcoin News.

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[lunarsimmer]

[Begin Image Description:

Image 1: A teen sim with brown hair pulled up in a loose bun wearing boxing gloves and using a punching bag.

Image 2: A sim with short wavy black hair shovelling some snow.

Image 3: A sim with short wavy black hair hugging another sim with dark brown hair tightly in a darkened apartment.

Image 4: A sim with short wavy black hair gently holding another sim with dark brown hair in twin braids who is looking sad.

Image 5: A teen sim with long brown hair comforting another sim with dark brown hair in twin braids.

Image 6: A teen sim with long brown hair hugging another sim with dark brown hair tightly.

Image 7: A dark grey and light grey gradient banner with the words Stone Legacy on the left with a swirly heart inside a house above it and the words gen 1 on the right with a swirly heart inside a house above it

End Image Description]

Story and dialogue below cut:

Everyone in the household is trying to cope in their way, Didi is apparently taking over her father’s job of shovelling the snow not on their property and Sonia is working out her anger via the punching bag.

However, Hazel is obviously also grieving so the household decides to pay her a visit.

Hazel: *sniffle* I can’t believe he’s really gone...

Didi: I know Hazel, I still keep expecting to see him kick over the trash can, but we’ll get through it and if you need any help, we’ll be over as soon as possible.

Sonia: Didi’s right, Hazel, we’ll stick together.

Hazel: Thanks Sonia.

Beginning / Previous / Next

[savetopnow]

2018-03-19 15 TECH now

TECH

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Hyper-efficient gas engines, next-gen wind turbines, and more early-stage wonders

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[vsplusonline]

The Shah wagon rolls in

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/the-shah-wagon-rolls-in/

The Shah wagon rolls in

The Battle for Bengal is officially on. On March 1, Union home minister Amit Shah sounded the clarion call at a big rally in central Kolkata, saying a sonar Bangla (golden Bengal) awaited the state if the Bharatiya Janata Party was elected to power in 2021. A day later, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee rolled out a massive public outreach programme, Banglar Gorbo Mamata’, while denouncing the communal violence in Delhi as a planned gen­ocide’ and saying the BJP was applying the Gujarat model across the country. The goli maro’ slogans heard at the rally in an eerie reprise of the incendiary slogan­eering by BJP leaders in Delhi and the anti-Shah pro­­tests across the city by the Left and the Congress left no doubt that communal faultlines in the state were deepening.

Bengal, of course, is crucial to the BJP’s larger game plan. The party has already made significant inroads in the state, winning 18 of 42 seats and 40 per cent of the vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. It’s already nipping at the heels of Mamata’s TMC (Trinamool Congress) which had only four more seats in LS 2019 and the party fancies its chances of staging an upset victory in 2021.

The Union home minister was in Bengal in the company of BJP national president J.P. Nadda (who app­arently left his son’s wedding reception in Himachal midway to be there for the occ­asion) and general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh. Shah began his day in the city with a rally near Shahid Minar, an iconic monument and protest site in the city’s Esplanade area. The irony of his defence of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, even while Delhi was still on tenterhooks in the aftermath of the communal clashes over the same law, was not lost on the politically savvy city. But amid talk of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the repeal of Article 370 in Kashmir, Shah reiterated his now-familiar refrain that Indian Muslims had nothing to fear from the new law and that the ruling TMC was only trying to fan the fear for political advantage. Shah’s reassurances were by way of damage control, but whether or not people believed him is another matter, says Prasanto Ray, professor emeritus at Presidency University.

After the rally at Shahid Minar, Shah went to offer prayers at the Kalighat temple before heading to a city hotel where he met a host of leaders from the state among them, MPs and MLAs, the presidents of the 38 organisational districts, observers and general secretaries. At the over four-hour-long meeting, Shah mainly listened. The final meeting ended around midnight, after which Shah flew back to Delhi.

In his meetings, Shah reassured the state functionaries of central support. In the next 390 days, till the assembly election in 2021, he said he would visit the state thrice a month for the next few months, going up to a week in the months leading to the election. Forty-two days in the last six months means Shah will cover each of the 42 Lok Sabha seats besides having a strong team to fan out in every assembly constituency, says a BJP district leader, requesting anonymity. To show how serious he is about the campaign, Shah is also seeking a place to stay in Kolkata. He is also learning Bengali, and is now peppering his speeches with Bengali words. His visit to the Kali temple, too, was of a piece with the plan to woo Bengali Hindu voters and dispel the notion that the BJP is a party of the Hindi heartland, trying to foist itself on the state.

Shah’s visit was also meant to remove any suspicions in the minds of the local functionaries of a covert BJP deal with the TMC, which may have arisen following Mamata’s meetings, first with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then with Shah at a lunch organised by Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik at his residence. He told us BJP workers should not believe rumours of an understanding, just because there had been meetings with the PM and himself, said a leader who was part of Shah’s closed-door meeting with party functionaries.

Not to be outdone, Mamata went into a huddle with her partymen the day after Shah’s visit, to sharpen campaign strategies. So the TMC’s Banglar Gorbo Mamata’ (Bengal’s pride, Mamata) is said to be in response to the BJP’s Aar Noi Annyay (No More Injustice), a grievance cell’ to report corruption in the TMC regime. Somewhat on the lines of the BJP’s door-to-door campaign through vistaraks and shakha pracharaks, Mamata too has lined up a series of be humble and simple’ programmes to win back disenchanted voters. Likewise, the TMC’s Didi ke Bolo (Tell Didi), Jalojoge Jogajog (Connect over Snacks) and CAA, CAA/ Chhi, Chhi (Shame on CAA) pitches have provoked counter-campaigns in the form of Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh’s Dada ke Bolo (Tell Dada), Chai Pe Charcha (Conversations over Tea) and Abhinandan yatras.

The copycat strategies, says Ray, show the BJP is running out of ideas. Didi ke Bolo is a populist initiative to plug loopholes in governance, whereas BJP’s Aar Noi Annyay has a moral overtone. If morality mattered in politics, Saradha and Narada would have had an impact. So, I doubt if the moral platitudes will serve any end, he says.

The TMC is also way ahead in terms of having a credible mass leader. The BJP, on the other hand, does not even have a consensus candidate, perhaps another reason why Shah is keen on frequenting the state to figure out which way the local leadership is leaning. The TMC is also not above using the police and administrative machinery to its advantage. For now, Shah’s main strategy is blanket coverage criss-crossing Bengal, weekly rallies, dinners with Dalit karyakartas in their mud huts and visiting the families of political martyrs. Whether it will help him win Bengal, 2021 will tell.

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[endlesssuppliesco]

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang keynote address at GTC China 2019

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang addresses 6,000+ attendees at the GPU Technology Conference in Suzhou, China, where he unveiled the latest technology to speed the adoption of AI in industries such as automotive, gaming and healthcare. Jump ahead to: 00:01 - I Am AI opening video 02:20 – NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang takes the stage 04:59 – 25 years of accelerated computing 09:17 – Full stack optimization 11:53 – At the intersection of graphics, HPC and AI 12:52 – Computer graphics: real-time ray tracing 15:17 – Minecraft demo: RTX On 17:20 – 6 new games with RTX (18:35 – “Bright Memory” trailer) 22:25 – Tencent partners with NVIDIA for START cloud gaming service 24:17 – RTX for rendering from laptop to cloud 27:13 – NVIDIA Omniverse for real-time collaboration 30:44 – Announcing NVIDIA Omniverse for AEC (32:16 - AEC demo) 40:16 – NASA - World’s largest interactive volume visualization 44:37 – Whole genome sequencing – BGI, Parabricks 54:08 – NVIDIA HPC for Arm (57:25 – VMD visualization) 1:04:50 – DGX-2: The engine of AI 1:23:55 – TensorRT 7 inference software 1:35:04 – Smart everything revolution 1:47:26 – Introducing NVIDIA AGX Orin, next-gen AV platform 1:53:55 – DiDi selects NVIDIA for autonomous driving 1:56:33 – Self-driving demo with BB8 2:01:01 – NVIDIA Isaac robotics platform: Carter (2:03:37) and Leonardo (2:07:29) demos 2:16:33 – Wrapping up https://ift.tt/2Z8uQLd NVIDIA December 19, 2019 at 07:37PM https://ift.tt/38X7FI8 https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Marcas

[endlesssuppliesat]

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang keynote address at GTC China 2019

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang addresses 6,000+ attendees at the GPU Technology Conference in Suzhou, China, where he unveiled the latest technology to speed the adoption of AI in industries such as automotive, gaming and healthcare. Jump ahead to: 00:01 - I Am AI opening video 02:20 – NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang takes the stage 04:59 – 25 years of accelerated computing 09:17 – Full stack optimization 11:53 – At the intersection of graphics, HPC and AI 12:52 – Computer graphics: real-time ray tracing 15:17 – Minecraft demo: RTX On 17:20 – 6 new games with RTX (18:35 – “Bright Memory” trailer) 22:25 – Tencent partners with NVIDIA for START cloud gaming service 24:17 – RTX for rendering from laptop to cloud 27:13 – NVIDIA Omniverse for real-time collaboration 30:44 – Announcing NVIDIA Omniverse for AEC (32:16 - AEC demo) 40:16 – NASA - World’s largest interactive volume visualization 44:37 – Whole genome sequencing – BGI, Parabricks 54:08 – NVIDIA HPC for Arm (57:25 – VMD visualization) 1:04:50 – DGX-2: The engine of AI 1:23:55 – TensorRT 7 inference software 1:35:04 – Smart everything revolution 1:47:26 – Introducing NVIDIA AGX Orin, next-gen AV platform 1:53:55 – DiDi selects NVIDIA for autonomous driving 1:56:33 – Self-driving demo with BB8 2:01:01 – NVIDIA Isaac robotics platform: Carter (2:03:37) and Leonardo (2:07:29) demos 2:16:33 – Wrapping up https://ift.tt/2EyIcXu NVIDIAhttp://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.pngDecember 19, 2019 at 06:37PM https://ift.tt/eA8V8J https://ift.tt/2Sc9zi0 https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Marken