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I'm finally doing it--I'm changing my usernames across, well, everything. Eventually. But DW is officially checked off the list! As is tumblr!
I will now be scrubjayspeaks wherever fine internet nonsense can be found.
Entry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1241
This time of year, when the weather warms and the forest begins to fill with forageable foods, many decide that fleeing into the woods to live as a mysterious loner or self-made cryptid sounds like an excellent five-year plan. Though it may run antithetical to the spirit of running off into the woods, the library does offer educational classes on survival considerations and skills. If you find yourself wanting to leave the trappings of your current life but less enthusiastic about dying of exposure, consider postponing your escape long enough to attend a few of our free and low cost offerings and improve your chances.
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LL#1241
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LL#1241
Entry tags:
Done This Week
A short week at work, which always just means the same amount of work packed into less time. Oh well.
My back has slowly improved, very much in spite of life, the universe, and everything. So obviously, I went out and did an even longer session of weed whacking in even heavier growth out in the orchard. Interestingly, now it’s my arms and chest that are sore (though only in an intense workout way, not an “I have damaged myself” way like my back). It was out of control, and mum was having a hard time walking out there.
Unrelated, but Mum had a fall at the start of the week and seems to have pulled a muscle. She’s sort of taking it easy to let it heal? Sort of? *sigh*
It cooled off a little, occasionally, but I can feel May breathing down my neck. Saw a turkey vulture tidying up a corpse in the road, who was entirely unimpressed by my car and refused to do more than placidly waddle off to the side to make way for me. It was quite cute. Sorry to interrupt your lunch, bud!
Lewisia: 3 new pieces written
Day job: 25.5 hours, between a holiday and a day off for mum’s birthday
Cleaning: fixed the pull cord on the lawn mower
Gardening: garden club post, succulent club meeting, weedwhacked almost the whole orchard
Reading: audiobook of Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (aaaay, magical tboy romance! super cute and a fun bit of world building)
Listening: The Collector by Witch Bolt (YouTube really wanted me to listen to this, decent dungeon synth if a bit bland next to the more elaborate ambient work done by, say, Tales Under The Oak), The Devil’s Bris (2020 remaster) by Aurelio Voltaire (this is a pure nostalgia purchase, as Voltaire and this particular album were a huge part of the soundtrack of my high school years, though the remix does have some nice audio detail that was missing from mydefinitely not pirated old copy)
Clock Mouse: 1407 words
Other: celebrated mum’s birthday mostly with repairing stuff at home XD
My back has slowly improved, very much in spite of life, the universe, and everything. So obviously, I went out and did an even longer session of weed whacking in even heavier growth out in the orchard. Interestingly, now it’s my arms and chest that are sore (though only in an intense workout way, not an “I have damaged myself” way like my back). It was out of control, and mum was having a hard time walking out there.
Unrelated, but Mum had a fall at the start of the week and seems to have pulled a muscle. She’s sort of taking it easy to let it heal? Sort of? *sigh*
It cooled off a little, occasionally, but I can feel May breathing down my neck. Saw a turkey vulture tidying up a corpse in the road, who was entirely unimpressed by my car and refused to do more than placidly waddle off to the side to make way for me. It was quite cute. Sorry to interrupt your lunch, bud!
Lewisia: 3 new pieces written
Day job: 25.5 hours, between a holiday and a day off for mum’s birthday
Cleaning: fixed the pull cord on the lawn mower
Gardening: garden club post, succulent club meeting, weedwhacked almost the whole orchard
Reading: audiobook of Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (aaaay, magical tboy romance! super cute and a fun bit of world building)
Listening: The Collector by Witch Bolt (YouTube really wanted me to listen to this, decent dungeon synth if a bit bland next to the more elaborate ambient work done by, say, Tales Under The Oak), The Devil’s Bris (2020 remaster) by Aurelio Voltaire (this is a pure nostalgia purchase, as Voltaire and this particular album were a huge part of the soundtrack of my high school years, though the remix does have some nice audio detail that was missing from my
Clock Mouse: 1407 words
Other: celebrated mum’s birthday mostly with repairing stuff at home XD
Entry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1240
She had retired from the bench years earlier, but she understood law, both the technicalities and the trappings of it. People who had been swindled by the fae usually only had themselves to blame--too greedy, too bold, too hasty--but some had been dealt with unfairly, and all deserved a chance to use their wits to get back a bit of their own if they could. So she set up a little courtroom in the unused second bedroom, and she kept her black robes freshly pressed, and she heard arguments over stolen first-borns, and milkless cows, and deliveries of straw that had only been spun into copper instead of gold.
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LL#1240
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LL#1240
Entry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1239
The supposed madness of March hares might have been somewhat idiomatic, but the fact remained that, come April, people were finding oddly morose lagomorphs languishing in gardens, apparently lovelorn following their courtship festivities of the month prior. As they were a somewhat unusual breed, offerings of water and vegetation went unaccepted, so people eager to rid their yards of the visitors got creative. The mooncakes and moon pies and such thematic treats perked them up a bit, but it ended up being tubs of ice cream, favored food of the heartbroken, that rallied their spirits.
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LL#1239
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LL#1239
Entry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1238
Thanks to a generous donation from Wonderland Farms, we have a new planting of flowering bulbs and annuals around the Buried Gardens, which will refresh some of the more faded sections around the fountain. Of particular note are the bubble hyacinths, a new hybrid developed by Wonderland Farms, which bloom into iridescent soap bubbles that gradually swell and break free of the stem. We appreciate our volunteer gardening team, who spent several weekends learning to handle the delicate bulbs and dealing with pruned fingertips.
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LL#1238
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LL#1238
Entry tags:
Pandemic Garden Club
Welcome to the April edition of Pandemic Garden Club! Growing good things in strange times!
Anyone is welcome to comment with what they're growing right now, things they would like to try, problems they're encountering, and questions they have. Share resources, answer questions, shout encouragement.
As for myself...
( Read more... )
Anyone is welcome to comment with what they're growing right now, things they would like to try, problems they're encountering, and questions they have. Share resources, answer questions, shout encouragement.
As for myself...
( Read more... )
Entry tags:
Done This Week
A very busy week at work that mostly involved people jerking me around. It must be nice to be the sort of person who can’t be fired, despite never actually doing your job in a proper or timely manner.
Somehow I seriously hurt my back between weed whacking and repairs at work. It seems like an excessive response to the work, but I spent the week struggling to manage the pain. That pretty much consumed my brain for all purposes. So naturally, I had to do a lot of heavy lifting and physically awkward tasks that made everything worse.
It’s been sunny and hot all week, because sure, why not?
Lewisia: 3 new pieces written, April posts queued up
Day job: 42.5 hours
Cleaning: replaced the thumb switches on two lamps
Gardening: weeding around some of the shrubs that got overwhelmed, watered out in the wildflower garden for the first time this year
Watching: you know what this calls for? A rewatch of Yu Gi Oh! starting with season 1, of course! *lolsob*
Listening: Give Us The Moon The Night Flight Orchestra (a rec straight from Bandcamp, it is so over-the-top 80s power ballad-inspired, I kept expecting the lyrics to devolve into parody, which is to say, it is unbelievably fun to listen to)
Clock Mouse: 1267 words--ended up pivoting to write a different take on an earlier scene as I start to get a feel for what I’m trying to say, which is certainly an interesting sign in a novel I keep refusing to plan in any way
Other: unloaded hay, an emergency trip to the mechanic for my car
Somehow I seriously hurt my back between weed whacking and repairs at work. It seems like an excessive response to the work, but I spent the week struggling to manage the pain. That pretty much consumed my brain for all purposes. So naturally, I had to do a lot of heavy lifting and physically awkward tasks that made everything worse.
It’s been sunny and hot all week, because sure, why not?
Lewisia: 3 new pieces written, April posts queued up
Day job: 42.5 hours
Cleaning: replaced the thumb switches on two lamps
Gardening: weeding around some of the shrubs that got overwhelmed, watered out in the wildflower garden for the first time this year
Watching: you know what this calls for? A rewatch of Yu Gi Oh! starting with season 1, of course! *lolsob*
Listening: Give Us The Moon The Night Flight Orchestra (a rec straight from Bandcamp, it is so over-the-top 80s power ballad-inspired, I kept expecting the lyrics to devolve into parody, which is to say, it is unbelievably fun to listen to)
Clock Mouse: 1267 words--ended up pivoting to write a different take on an earlier scene as I start to get a feel for what I’m trying to say, which is certainly an interesting sign in a novel I keep refusing to plan in any way
Other: unloaded hay, an emergency trip to the mechanic for my car
Entry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1237
The tree farm existed at the intersection of civic-minded dryads, sculptors, and a family of disabled witches. The prosthetics carved from the wood of blessed trees fit better than even the most expensive custom work in metal and plastic, and they grew and changed with their wearer. The next round of developments coming out of the workshop were paired with lichen that might in time provide touch sensitivity and did, in any case, provide a certain aesthetic flair.
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LL#1237
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LL#1237
Entry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1236
They marauded through big box stores, slipping goods into specially tailored, ultra-deep pockets and wielding security tag removal tools like pistol and cutlass. They had the codes to loading bay doors and bolt cutters both, and sometimes whole cargo trucks would be commandeered and hauled away quietly as a ship in the night. They had captain and crew and booty aplenty, though another load of cheaply-made home goods did not inspire quite the same romanticism as holds full of gold, silk, or rum.
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LL#1236
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LL#1236
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Lake Lewisia #1235
After initially accidental formation, sentient laundry piles have become a popular hobby pet, and breeding and showing clubs have formed. The Laundry Pile Fanciers club has recently begun a program to rehome shedlings, the offsets produced when laundry piles mingle, which can make wonderful dual-purpose companions/clothing. These articles often have fashion-forward design and pattern mutations, along with variable levels of sentience, so consider adopting a young laundry beast of your own.
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LL#1235
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LL#1235
Entry tags:
Done This Week
Went to lunch with A, which involved hearing the whole sordid story of her husband’s illness and death. We’re doing that thing where friends in tough times just trade back and forth the same twenty bucks and the same small acts of kindness.
Between the weed whacking last weekend and a particularly demanding day at work, I have absolutely infuriated this one spot in my back. So even though the weather is good at the moment, I can’t do much of anything outside. I just really need to get this under control and not let it spiral. So it’s all rotations of ice packs and heating pads for me. Look at me being smart and kind to myself. I hate it!
Mum and I went to the farmer’s market again, and I got the first decent strawberries of the year, as well as the only decent bagels I’ve ever gotten in this area. We also went to the tea shop, and I got a black tea and an herbal, both fruity types. Now if I could just get some really nice cheeses somewhere, I would have all I can ask for.
I have discovered earthworms in the larger jar terrarium. Wriggling about! I am immediately filled with anxiety over the responsibility to keep them healthy and happy. I added a bit of fresh and old leaves in the top if they want them. Help, everything is a pet!
Lewisia: 3 new pieces written
Day job: 42.5 hours, and one bonus shower no one wanted
Crafting: darned some socks again
Reading: My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (while I have accepted, via cultural osmosis, that Wodehouse is grand, I’ve never actually read any before--can confirm, is quite grand!)
Listening: The Past is Still Alive by Hurray For The Riff Raff (another fine example of indie country)
Clock Mouse: 1692 words--lots of words this week! Still haven’t named a single character! What am I doing with my life!
Other: unloaded hay
Between the weed whacking last weekend and a particularly demanding day at work, I have absolutely infuriated this one spot in my back. So even though the weather is good at the moment, I can’t do much of anything outside. I just really need to get this under control and not let it spiral. So it’s all rotations of ice packs and heating pads for me. Look at me being smart and kind to myself. I hate it!
Mum and I went to the farmer’s market again, and I got the first decent strawberries of the year, as well as the only decent bagels I’ve ever gotten in this area. We also went to the tea shop, and I got a black tea and an herbal, both fruity types. Now if I could just get some really nice cheeses somewhere, I would have all I can ask for.
I have discovered earthworms in the larger jar terrarium. Wriggling about! I am immediately filled with anxiety over the responsibility to keep them healthy and happy. I added a bit of fresh and old leaves in the top if they want them. Help, everything is a pet!
Lewisia: 3 new pieces written
Day job: 42.5 hours, and one bonus shower no one wanted
Crafting: darned some socks again
Reading: My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (while I have accepted, via cultural osmosis, that Wodehouse is grand, I’ve never actually read any before--can confirm, is quite grand!)
Listening: The Past is Still Alive by Hurray For The Riff Raff (another fine example of indie country)
Clock Mouse: 1692 words--lots of words this week! Still haven’t named a single character! What am I doing with my life!
Other: unloaded hay
Entry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1234
“Well, have you an answer?” the croaking voice under the stairs asked, tendrils of dark barring the path to the kitchen. “Dude, I have been up twice for the dog, once for the toddler, and now, after all that, I just want some water, so no, I don’t have an answer to your riddle, but I do have a baseball bat in the hall closet.” There was a gurgling noise, and a slither of withdrawing tendrils, before it said meekly, “Perhaps just a knock-knock joke, then, to speed you on your way.”
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LL#1234
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LL#1234
Entry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1233
Her sketchbook posts were very popular online, though she always found herself a bit confused by the reactions to her studies of animals in their natural habitats. Eventually, she started posting little progress videos as well, which got tagged with the strangest things, like “fantasy,” and “AI generated,” and even “hoax.” She felt sorry for those of her fans who were so city-bound that they had never seen a kelpie or a mothman in the wild, or those who couldn’t identify even a comparatively common suburban jackalope when shown one on camera.
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LL#1233
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LL#1233
Entry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1232
A new long-distance bus route has been established to serve those working in the abandoned wood mill north of town, and schedule and fare information is available through the library. The abandoned mill, which sits on the edge of Lewisia-influenced territory, has recently been reactivated in response to outside attempts to develop the area into an industrial park. The mill and its employees are hard at work causing the sort of mishaps and rumors that imply an area is haunted, protected by the fae, or generating mysterious frequencies and rays, in the hopes of driving off this attempted attack on our wild edges.
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LL#1232
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LL#1232
Entry tags:
Done This Week
The value of having a real nice lunch to look forward to on a workday cannot be overstated. I’ve had the bad tendency to allow myself only minimal lunches and snacks at work. It’s been an active choice to take time for prepping better and larger food options, and it’s really helped with my mental state.
I kept expecting my reading pace to drop off after February. After all, surely I would read less once I wasn’t on leave, right? But even setting aside the comics, which are fast and easy to get through, I’m progressing through my reading list rapidly (for me). I try to tinker with *when* I do things in my day, which seems to get me better results than just trying to change *what* I do, like attempting to limit scrolling time. I probably still end up cutting scrolling time, but it doesn’t feel like I’m having to exercise a lot of willpower to do it.
Soldering is my new favorite thing. I will be eagerly looking for opportunities to do more of it at work. Equipment, please break in very specific ways, thank you!
Also, I’m officially going to be attending a robot training class later this year. Work travel! I’ll still hate traveling, but at least someone else is paying for me to do it.
After getting quite warm, it suddenly turned cold and slightly rainy. My joints don’t think this is the funniest thing ever, though I’m happy enough to delay the inevitable hot weather for a little longer.
Lewisia: 3 new pieces written
Day job: 42.5 hours
Cooking: milk bread two ways--one filled with raspberry-rhubarb jam (tasty enough, but not really worth the extra effort compared to just putting jam on bread), the other peanut butter-chocolate chip (delicious, might tweak it a little more to amp up the peanut butter flavor, a solid first try at recreating a loaf I used to buy years ago)
Gardening: weed whacked along the house pathways and around the perimeter of the dog park
Reading: Strangers in Paradise #6 and #7 (*gnashing teeth* I just want them to be happy for five fucking minutes?!?!), My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson (a relatively light read, given the prominence of the HIV/AIDS crisis, but I enjoyed the narrative voice immensely), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Douglas Adams Live in Concert (it’s just a selections of passages from a few different sections of the series, but getting to hear them read by Adams himself was pretty delightful)
Listening: bro’s bad january Josaleigh Pollett (they did a song-a-day challenge in January, and it’s fun to hear what are essentially WIPs from an artist I like), Bass Amateur Shop by Louie Zong (oh, a particularly good entry in his catalog, several of the songs remind me of older video game tunes, like Sailor Moon: Another Story and Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire)
Clock Mouse: 1353 words
Other: unloaded hay twice (whoo!...wait, why am I excited to be doing this again?)
I kept expecting my reading pace to drop off after February. After all, surely I would read less once I wasn’t on leave, right? But even setting aside the comics, which are fast and easy to get through, I’m progressing through my reading list rapidly (for me). I try to tinker with *when* I do things in my day, which seems to get me better results than just trying to change *what* I do, like attempting to limit scrolling time. I probably still end up cutting scrolling time, but it doesn’t feel like I’m having to exercise a lot of willpower to do it.
Soldering is my new favorite thing. I will be eagerly looking for opportunities to do more of it at work. Equipment, please break in very specific ways, thank you!
Also, I’m officially going to be attending a robot training class later this year. Work travel! I’ll still hate traveling, but at least someone else is paying for me to do it.
After getting quite warm, it suddenly turned cold and slightly rainy. My joints don’t think this is the funniest thing ever, though I’m happy enough to delay the inevitable hot weather for a little longer.
Lewisia: 3 new pieces written
Day job: 42.5 hours
Cooking: milk bread two ways--one filled with raspberry-rhubarb jam (tasty enough, but not really worth the extra effort compared to just putting jam on bread), the other peanut butter-chocolate chip (delicious, might tweak it a little more to amp up the peanut butter flavor, a solid first try at recreating a loaf I used to buy years ago)
Gardening: weed whacked along the house pathways and around the perimeter of the dog park
Reading: Strangers in Paradise #6 and #7 (*gnashing teeth* I just want them to be happy for five fucking minutes?!?!), My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson (a relatively light read, given the prominence of the HIV/AIDS crisis, but I enjoyed the narrative voice immensely), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Douglas Adams Live in Concert (it’s just a selections of passages from a few different sections of the series, but getting to hear them read by Adams himself was pretty delightful)
Listening: bro’s bad january Josaleigh Pollett (they did a song-a-day challenge in January, and it’s fun to hear what are essentially WIPs from an artist I like), Bass Amateur Shop by Louie Zong (oh, a particularly good entry in his catalog, several of the songs remind me of older video game tunes, like Sailor Moon: Another Story and Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire)
Clock Mouse: 1353 words
Other: unloaded hay twice (whoo!...wait, why am I excited to be doing this again?)
Entry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1231
The crafters of magical talismans, having unionized long ago, established that anyone commissioning treasures for the tempting of adventurers or rewarding of questing folk must provide variety. Not everyone wanted a Broach of Immortality or Gauntlet of Obliteration, and it was demoralizing for crafters to see their creations regarded as cursed burdens. Moreover, sometimes a person just wanted to knock together a little Spoon of Never Soggening for cereal, or a Lost Sock Compass.
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LL#1231
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LL#1231
Entry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1230
Having rather selective standards for company, he found it necessary to challenge visitors to his cottage to prove themselves via a proverbial shot across the bow. Fortunately, the cottage shared that section of forest land with a mild-mannered but gluttonous giant toad. He found that any visitor who arrived at his door in good spirits, having come through the experience of being snapped up, tasted, and spat out by a toad the size of a house, was probably worth welcoming in.
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LL#1230
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LL#1230
Entry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1229
As a reminder, Spring is here, however tentatively, and apparently iced-over ponds, rivers, and lesser lakes should not be trusted for ice skating or other recreational purposes. Thinning ice can give way at any time, and it tends to obey the laws of irony by waiting until you are well away from the shore to do so. Note that this advisory holds true even, and perhaps especially, if you see other figures blithely skating along, who may be incorporeal, irrational, or illusory, and should not, in any case, be considered role models.
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LL#1229
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LL#1229
Entry tags:
Done This Week
We received a string of good news this week. The fight mum has been having with the bank holding dad’s much-delayed disability payments (yes, the ones from when he was alive back in summer of last year), which escalated to filing a complaint with the BBB, has allegedly been resolved. I’ll believe it when she gets the check and cashes it, but for now, tentative joy. Also, after initial concerns and a false positive, mum was cleared on some medical test results. And her federal tax refund was recalculated in her favor by a fairly substantial amount.
Given how absolutely shit things have been for the past month (or year, depending on how far back you want to calculate), this was a welcome cluster of goodness and relief.
I taught myself to solder this week. I say it that way because I watched my trainer do it once months ago, but he effectively refused to teach me because he’s not good at it (his description). Which is fine, I guess, though I find it a bit frustrating to be told, well, you just have to try it yourself, when it’s about a 600-degree tool and liquefied metal. But fine. I watched a couple of YouTube videos and then tried. Turns out, I’m quite good at it. It’s not nearly as challenging as using the plasma cutter was. So now I’ll get to build some adapter pigtails from scratch, and I get to do it the tidy, pretty way, all by myself.
The weather has been mostly clear and warm during the day, though the nights are still pretty cold and foggy. It’s the very best of spring, as far as I’m concerned. While in a nearby town, I spotted a woodpecker (not super sure what kind) and a patch of Naples garlic growing by a stream.
Lewisia: 3 new pieces written
Day job: 43 hours
Gardening: installed a bug-exclusion screen on mum’s seedling starting cold frame
Reading: Strangers in Paradise #5 (a soap opera like this continues to be exactly what I need), Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire (oh, that did not go where I was expecting, that was delicious)
Listening: Moominvalley (2019) OST (no, I haven’t seen more than clips of the show and am unlikely to, since I can’t source it anywhere, but damn, it’s a really enjoyable set of songs), also been listening to the soundtracks from Katamari Damacy and We <3 Katamari after listening to a podcast episode about it (Watch Out for Fireballs!) and being hit by nostalgia
Aftermarket Parts: no more weight lifting restrictions whoo!
Clock Mouse: 1199 words
Given how absolutely shit things have been for the past month (or year, depending on how far back you want to calculate), this was a welcome cluster of goodness and relief.
I taught myself to solder this week. I say it that way because I watched my trainer do it once months ago, but he effectively refused to teach me because he’s not good at it (his description). Which is fine, I guess, though I find it a bit frustrating to be told, well, you just have to try it yourself, when it’s about a 600-degree tool and liquefied metal. But fine. I watched a couple of YouTube videos and then tried. Turns out, I’m quite good at it. It’s not nearly as challenging as using the plasma cutter was. So now I’ll get to build some adapter pigtails from scratch, and I get to do it the tidy, pretty way, all by myself.
The weather has been mostly clear and warm during the day, though the nights are still pretty cold and foggy. It’s the very best of spring, as far as I’m concerned. While in a nearby town, I spotted a woodpecker (not super sure what kind) and a patch of Naples garlic growing by a stream.
Lewisia: 3 new pieces written
Day job: 43 hours
Gardening: installed a bug-exclusion screen on mum’s seedling starting cold frame
Reading: Strangers in Paradise #5 (a soap opera like this continues to be exactly what I need), Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire (oh, that did not go where I was expecting, that was delicious)
Listening: Moominvalley (2019) OST (no, I haven’t seen more than clips of the show and am unlikely to, since I can’t source it anywhere, but damn, it’s a really enjoyable set of songs), also been listening to the soundtracks from Katamari Damacy and We <3 Katamari after listening to a podcast episode about it (Watch Out for Fireballs!) and being hit by nostalgia
Aftermarket Parts: no more weight lifting restrictions whoo!
Clock Mouse: 1199 words
Entry tags:
Current Crowdfunding Choices
It occurred to me that this might be a good place to mention crowdfunding and fundraising projects I'm supporting. Preferably while they're still open and there's value in doing so. (ˉ▽ˉ；) Bluesky (which I'm actually keeping up with on a regular basis) has a lot of project promotion activity, from artists showing off their portfolios and print shops to crafters showing WIPs and process explanations.
Right now, with the *gestures vaguely*, it makes me feel less hopeless to be able to support trans people directly. Projects that also tell our stories do double duty in that respect.
Also, not for nothing, backing projects that won't ship/release until a future point gives me something to look forward to. You know, in case I find myself needing a reason to hang around.
Transfixed - Trans & Genderqueer Erotic FairyTales Anthology
This is a comics anthology from Filthy Figments. I haven't read anything from them before, but they're being promoted by the Oh Joy Sex Toy team, which I've followed off and on for many years. That's enough of an endorsement for me. And some of the stories feature transmasc people, which I still find frustratingly difficult to get in fiction.
Excitingly, the project creator is Gina Biggs, of the romance manga series Red String. For a while in high school (?), I followed the series. As is often the case, trying to keep up with any kind of periodical series is a recipe for failure for me. But I remember it fondly.
There are a ton of optional add-ons. I opted to get the Ardent and Night School pack. Since I haven't interacted with this group before, I didn't want to go too nuts. But their itch.io store offers many things that I can grab later if I like this one. Also, they've got Red String in there and ooooh, the nostalgia is calling me.
Stories for the Trans Rights Readathon, an itch.io bundle from 42 creators, hosted by Robin Jo Margaret
"The Trans Rights Readathon is an annual call to action to readers and book lovers in support of Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) on March 31st. This year’s Trans Rights Readathon will take place from March 21st to March 31st."
I'm really a fan of bundles like this. If I know a couple of the people involved and want what they're offering, it's pretty easy to immediately get my money's worth. Then I also have a big collection of new works, essentially free for the cost of admission, in which I might find my next favorite thing. I do, in fact, know some of the authors in here--I've been wanting to read some of Dee Arbacauskas/Tormented Artifacts' fiction, having already purchased her leatherwork.
Honorable mention to one that just closed: The Immortal Choir Holds Every Voice, the third novella in a series by Margaret Killjoy.
I've really enjoyed Margaret's short stories, many of which have been read by her on the Cool Zone Media podcasts It Could Happen Here, Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff, and such. I haven't read this series yet, but I trust her as a writer at this point. And being able to get audio versions of the previous installments was very appealing as a way to get started.
I dithered back and forth on which level to back. But goddamn it, the prospect of a big patch with a eldrich deer god was more temptation than I could bear.
Right now, with the *gestures vaguely*, it makes me feel less hopeless to be able to support trans people directly. Projects that also tell our stories do double duty in that respect.
Also, not for nothing, backing projects that won't ship/release until a future point gives me something to look forward to. You know, in case I find myself needing a reason to hang around.
Transfixed - Trans & Genderqueer Erotic FairyTales Anthology
This is a comics anthology from Filthy Figments. I haven't read anything from them before, but they're being promoted by the Oh Joy Sex Toy team, which I've followed off and on for many years. That's enough of an endorsement for me. And some of the stories feature transmasc people, which I still find frustratingly difficult to get in fiction.
Excitingly, the project creator is Gina Biggs, of the romance manga series Red String. For a while in high school (?), I followed the series. As is often the case, trying to keep up with any kind of periodical series is a recipe for failure for me. But I remember it fondly.
There are a ton of optional add-ons. I opted to get the Ardent and Night School pack. Since I haven't interacted with this group before, I didn't want to go too nuts. But their itch.io store offers many things that I can grab later if I like this one. Also, they've got Red String in there and ooooh, the nostalgia is calling me.
Stories for the Trans Rights Readathon, an itch.io bundle from 42 creators, hosted by Robin Jo Margaret
"The Trans Rights Readathon is an annual call to action to readers and book lovers in support of Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) on March 31st. This year’s Trans Rights Readathon will take place from March 21st to March 31st."
I'm really a fan of bundles like this. If I know a couple of the people involved and want what they're offering, it's pretty easy to immediately get my money's worth. Then I also have a big collection of new works, essentially free for the cost of admission, in which I might find my next favorite thing. I do, in fact, know some of the authors in here--I've been wanting to read some of Dee Arbacauskas/Tormented Artifacts' fiction, having already purchased her leatherwork.
Honorable mention to one that just closed: The Immortal Choir Holds Every Voice, the third novella in a series by Margaret Killjoy.
I've really enjoyed Margaret's short stories, many of which have been read by her on the Cool Zone Media podcasts It Could Happen Here, Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff, and such. I haven't read this series yet, but I trust her as a writer at this point. And being able to get audio versions of the previous installments was very appealing as a way to get started.
I dithered back and forth on which level to back. But goddamn it, the prospect of a big patch with a eldrich deer god was more temptation than I could bear.