Fic: Maybe Hope Is a Habit You Can Hang Onto
Aug. 27th, 2025 06:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
garryowenTitle: Maybe Hope Is a Habit You Can Hang Onto ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/69915356
Fandom: Brilliant Minds
Pairing: Josh/Oliver
Rating: M
Warnings: None
Summary: Dating Josh is one of the more surreal experiences Oliver has had in his life, which is saying something since he’s ingested a significant amount of psychedelics over the years. He’s never dated anyone who would suggest—suggest!—that they go to a haunted house event hosted by a bunch of teenaged witches to raise money for a member of their coven who just had a baby. Set sometime between the end of ep 10 and the first half of ep 11.
Notes:
1. Time is so messed up on this show, the cocoon couldn’t actually be present at the time of year when it appears. But it’s there, so I went with it.
2. Thanks to michi_rambles for fern species suggestions/identification help.
3. Beta by the ever generous spirkme.
( Maybe Hope Is a Habit You Can Hang Onto )
Fandom: Brilliant Minds
Pairing: Josh/Oliver
Rating: M
Warnings: None
Summary: Dating Josh is one of the more surreal experiences Oliver has had in his life, which is saying something since he’s ingested a significant amount of psychedelics over the years. He’s never dated anyone who would suggest—suggest!—that they go to a haunted house event hosted by a bunch of teenaged witches to raise money for a member of their coven who just had a baby. Set sometime between the end of ep 10 and the first half of ep 11.
Notes:
1. Time is so messed up on this show, the cocoon couldn’t actually be present at the time of year when it appears. But it’s there, so I went with it.
2. Thanks to michi_rambles for fern species suggestions/identification help.
3. Beta by the ever generous spirkme.
( Maybe Hope Is a Habit You Can Hang Onto )
Fly Trap, by Frances Hardinge
Aug. 27th, 2025 10:46 amrunpunkrunThe continued adventures of runaway orphan Mosca Mye, her horrible goose, and Eponymous Clent, poet, thief, conman, and mentor.
This does a neat job of reminding the reader of the events and personages of the previous book, Fly By Night, while introducing a whole new city and its dark underworld. I enjoyed it even more than the first book. It's tense and inventive and the story doesn't let up for a second, with always something meaningful at stake.
Recommended! Though you'll probably want to read the first book first.
Contains: childbirth; incarceration; children in peril; rigidly enforced class system.
This does a neat job of reminding the reader of the events and personages of the previous book, Fly By Night, while introducing a whole new city and its dark underworld. I enjoyed it even more than the first book. It's tense and inventive and the story doesn't let up for a second, with always something meaningful at stake.
Recommended! Though you'll probably want to read the first book first.
Contains: childbirth; incarceration; children in peril; rigidly enforced class system.
Book Log: Apocalypse: A History of the End of Time
Aug. 27th, 2025 11:15 amscaramoucheAnother weathered book from the back of the unread books drawer, and not very thick, so it's a light read I finished pretty much over a weekend I was away from home. John Michael Greer's Apocalypse: A History of the End of Time follows the history of what he describes as "the apocalypse meme" (the book was published in 2012), as in the infectious idea of the apocalypse, which Greer argues originated proper by Zarathustra, by adding the idea of "An End" to the understanding of the the cyclical nature of the seasons, years, and cosmic movements.
Very fun read, as Greer goes all the way from Zoroastrianism to the 2012 Mayan calendar scare (that really was everywhere for a hot minute), covering various famous and some less-famous (to me) apocalyptic movements in history, including Millerism, Heaven's Gate, Y2K, Kurzweil's Singularity (is that tied to the current AI movement? I should look it up). Though because Greer gave good early depth to apocalyptic concepts as developed by post-Babylon exile Judaism and later New Kingdom Christianity, I thought he would do the same for Islam and other Eastern beliefs but uhhhhh no, the book is Western-centric, I don't know why I keep playing myself.
But still a good, brisk read, and I do like that he explores exactly (though not too deeply) what it is about the apocalyptic meme that attracts people so, with the promise of justice in an unfair world, and being able to let all of your problems go to the promise that it will all be resolved by someone who is not me/you/us. And with that note he ends quite critical of that, by arguing that we need to help each other and protect each other, which is difficult work but necessary every day.
Very fun read, as Greer goes all the way from Zoroastrianism to the 2012 Mayan calendar scare (that really was everywhere for a hot minute), covering various famous and some less-famous (to me) apocalyptic movements in history, including Millerism, Heaven's Gate, Y2K, Kurzweil's Singularity (is that tied to the current AI movement? I should look it up). Though because Greer gave good early depth to apocalyptic concepts as developed by post-Babylon exile Judaism and later New Kingdom Christianity, I thought he would do the same for Islam and other Eastern beliefs but uhhhhh no, the book is Western-centric, I don't know why I keep playing myself.
But still a good, brisk read, and I do like that he explores exactly (though not too deeply) what it is about the apocalyptic meme that attracts people so, with the promise of justice in an unfair world, and being able to let all of your problems go to the promise that it will all be resolved by someone who is not me/you/us. And with that note he ends quite critical of that, by arguing that we need to help each other and protect each other, which is difficult work but necessary every day.
random shit and a plea to vote for my story
Aug. 22nd, 2025 08:31 pmgarryowenApparently three people liked my story "Vulcan That Was" enough to nominate it for a Philon Award. This story is my least read and least kudo'd Trek fic, and honestly, it has zero chance of winning. But if you feel like upping its chances, you could go vote for it! https://kiscon.org/philon2025.html Be logged in to your fannish email, not your RL one.
Brilliant Minds season 2 starts in a month, and I'm so fucking excited. I will undoubtedly annoy everyone by talking about it even more than I already do. Sorry!
The writer's block continues, but over the last couple of days, I have forced myself to write a bit of Brilliant Minds fic. Oddly, the story is thematically much like the Trek fic I forced myself to write the last time I had writer's block. 😂
Brilliant Minds season 2 starts in a month, and I'm so fucking excited. I will undoubtedly annoy everyone by talking about it even more than I already do. Sorry!
The writer's block continues, but over the last couple of days, I have forced myself to write a bit of Brilliant Minds fic. Oddly, the story is thematically much like the Trek fic I forced myself to write the last time I had writer's block. 😂
myNoise.net update
Aug. 22nd, 2025 09:10 amrunpunkrunWhile I was away from my keyboard at the start of the year, Dr. Stéphane Pigeon was busy creating a bunch of new soundscapes! Here's a round up of all the new generators he's posted this year:
The Nyquist Frontier: An electronic music generator that sounds like it's coming straight to you from the 1980s. I felt like The Pet Shop Boys were about to start singing at any moment. Comes with a little history lesson about synthesizers.
Glacier Lagoon: Recorded in Iceland! Lots of different water noises here, including ice. Play around with the sliders to combine them. I like the "Fresh Water" presets with lapping waves and some of the underwater recordings (the four on the right) thrown in.
Flock Of Flutter: Well, this isn't what it sounds like at all. It's not birds, it's a Swiffer duster attached to a motor that causes it to brush against crumpled kraft paper, creating a warm white noise (though perhaps closer to what's called pink noise), similar to the steady hum of a fan.
Organic White: A white noise generator created from carefully selected recordings of wind and rain. Unlike synthetic white noise, which is unchanging, this has a bit more texture and variation to it.
Indigo Amanita: Dr. Pigeon's attempt at Goa Trance, which I'm unfamiliar with, but is, apparently, a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the early 1990s in the Indian state of Goa. It's upbeat.
Floating: From Dr. Pigeon's description: An ambient soundscape for deep relaxation, Floating avoids rhythm and melody, using slowly evolving textures and warm low-frequency tones to help the mind slow down by removing musical expectations.
Upstream: This soundscape traces the path of a waterfall back to its source, a small stream.
Uganda Tales: Recorded on the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda. I recommend trying the presets to experience the many different pairings of natural sounds, music, and human speech this soundscape offers.
Glacier Chorus: More from Iceland. This time it's underwater sounds recorded in a glacier lagoon. Dr. Pigeon writes, "At times, you might think you're hearing birds or sea creatures. But these sounds don't come from any animals. They all are the voice of the glacier itself. As the glacier melts, the ice cracks and groans under its own heavy weight and small rocks that were once frozen inside are freed and tumble down the ice. Underwater, tiny air bubbles that were trapped in the ice pop and fizz as they escape."
Gong Bath — ft. Reggie Hubbard: A meditation in vibrations, taken from a live recording during a public sound bath at Kripalu. Dr. Pigeon writes, "These are not sounds that say, 'everything is fine.' These are sounds that ask questions. That challenge your sense of ease. That's why gongs are so powerful in meditation: they don't lull you — they awaken you. They agitate the quiet — revealing what usually lies buried beneath." Which is a very generous way to say that this sounds like the soundtrack to a horror movie.
The Architect's Eclipse: Space ambient music. This one sounds like a more relaxed version of the soundtrack to the movie Cube.
Icelandic Shores: A sea, wind, and rain noise generator. Very similar vibes to that of the beloved Irish Coast Soundscape, only recorded in Iceland. This is for you if you like your beaches cold and windy.
Now we're all caught up!
If you want to keep up with the myNoise news, Dr. Pigeon has left corporate social media, but there are plenty of other ways to get updates. You can follow myNoise.net on Mastodon or wherever you access the Fediverse. You can subscribe to his mailing list that notifies you of new soundscapes. Or you can follow the myNoise RSS feed in your favorite RSS reader or here at Dreamwidth at![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png)
mynoise_feed.
The Nyquist Frontier: An electronic music generator that sounds like it's coming straight to you from the 1980s. I felt like The Pet Shop Boys were about to start singing at any moment. Comes with a little history lesson about synthesizers.
Glacier Lagoon: Recorded in Iceland! Lots of different water noises here, including ice. Play around with the sliders to combine them. I like the "Fresh Water" presets with lapping waves and some of the underwater recordings (the four on the right) thrown in.
Flock Of Flutter: Well, this isn't what it sounds like at all. It's not birds, it's a Swiffer duster attached to a motor that causes it to brush against crumpled kraft paper, creating a warm white noise (though perhaps closer to what's called pink noise), similar to the steady hum of a fan.
Organic White: A white noise generator created from carefully selected recordings of wind and rain. Unlike synthetic white noise, which is unchanging, this has a bit more texture and variation to it.
Indigo Amanita: Dr. Pigeon's attempt at Goa Trance, which I'm unfamiliar with, but is, apparently, a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the early 1990s in the Indian state of Goa. It's upbeat.
Floating: From Dr. Pigeon's description: An ambient soundscape for deep relaxation, Floating avoids rhythm and melody, using slowly evolving textures and warm low-frequency tones to help the mind slow down by removing musical expectations.
Upstream: This soundscape traces the path of a waterfall back to its source, a small stream.
Uganda Tales: Recorded on the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda. I recommend trying the presets to experience the many different pairings of natural sounds, music, and human speech this soundscape offers.
Glacier Chorus: More from Iceland. This time it's underwater sounds recorded in a glacier lagoon. Dr. Pigeon writes, "At times, you might think you're hearing birds or sea creatures. But these sounds don't come from any animals. They all are the voice of the glacier itself. As the glacier melts, the ice cracks and groans under its own heavy weight and small rocks that were once frozen inside are freed and tumble down the ice. Underwater, tiny air bubbles that were trapped in the ice pop and fizz as they escape."
Gong Bath — ft. Reggie Hubbard: A meditation in vibrations, taken from a live recording during a public sound bath at Kripalu. Dr. Pigeon writes, "These are not sounds that say, 'everything is fine.' These are sounds that ask questions. That challenge your sense of ease. That's why gongs are so powerful in meditation: they don't lull you — they awaken you. They agitate the quiet — revealing what usually lies buried beneath." Which is a very generous way to say that this sounds like the soundtrack to a horror movie.
The Architect's Eclipse: Space ambient music. This one sounds like a more relaxed version of the soundtrack to the movie Cube.
Icelandic Shores: A sea, wind, and rain noise generator. Very similar vibes to that of the beloved Irish Coast Soundscape, only recorded in Iceland. This is for you if you like your beaches cold and windy.
Now we're all caught up!
If you want to keep up with the myNoise news, Dr. Pigeon has left corporate social media, but there are plenty of other ways to get updates. You can follow myNoise.net on Mastodon or wherever you access the Fediverse. You can subscribe to his mailing list that notifies you of new soundscapes. Or you can follow the myNoise RSS feed in your favorite RSS reader or here at Dreamwidth at
mynoise_feed.Book Log: The Pope's Daughter
Aug. 22nd, 2025 10:18 amscaramoucheCaroline P. Murphy's The Pope's Daughter is another book I got ages ago, probably at a warehouse sale? I can no longer remember but the pages are weathered with time, which is a shame because I would've read it earlier if it wasn't stuck at the back of the drawer of unread books, under books I've been procrastinating over even more. The book is not about Lucrezia Borgia! It's about a lesser-known Pope's daughter (so is my impression of her relative fame), Felice della Rovere, illegitimate daughter of Cardinal Guliano della Rovere, later Pope Julius II, aka The Warrior Pope.
Murphy's book is well-paced and put together, though she uses conjecture quite a lot on Felice's motivations and emotional state behind some of her actions, and though Felice does on paper come off as consistent in action and intelligence, I'm not as much convinced by the declaration that she was definitely ambitious and arrogant to that level. But what makes Felice interesting, I think, is the contrast she makes to her peer Lucrezia (whose father was pope before Julius II), where when I read about Lucrezia (and Caterina Sforza) that makes Italy feel so vicious and violent and decadent, which it was, but then there's Felice who navigated that same world and didn't get into any scandals, and the major dramas of her life were (1) her youthful resistance to remarrying after her first husband died, though she did capitulate eventually for a husband she worked well with, and (2) her stepson protesting her power over the family to his detriment, which aren't really scandals per se.
Felice was good at politicking, networking, running businesses, running multiple estates, all with keeping a close relationship with Vatican both before and her father was in power. Felice patronized Michelangelo, lived through the Holy Roman Empire's sack of Rome, and saw multiple changes in the Vatican through her own ability to form relationships. She may not have had a passionate (second) marriage, but it was a functional one that worked. She was powerful, but also professional and well-behaved within the constraints of that power and her gender, which doesn't make for a popular historical figure to write about. It gives nuance to what it was like for powerful, intelligent women to live in that era and location, with her crossing paths with Lucrezia, Isabella d'Este and briefly a young Catherine Medici who was warded to her. And I think that's neat.
Murphy's book is well-paced and put together, though she uses conjecture quite a lot on Felice's motivations and emotional state behind some of her actions, and though Felice does on paper come off as consistent in action and intelligence, I'm not as much convinced by the declaration that she was definitely ambitious and arrogant to that level. But what makes Felice interesting, I think, is the contrast she makes to her peer Lucrezia (whose father was pope before Julius II), where when I read about Lucrezia (and Caterina Sforza) that makes Italy feel so vicious and violent and decadent, which it was, but then there's Felice who navigated that same world and didn't get into any scandals, and the major dramas of her life were (1) her youthful resistance to remarrying after her first husband died, though she did capitulate eventually for a husband she worked well with, and (2) her stepson protesting her power over the family to his detriment, which aren't really scandals per se.
Felice was good at politicking, networking, running businesses, running multiple estates, all with keeping a close relationship with Vatican both before and her father was in power. Felice patronized Michelangelo, lived through the Holy Roman Empire's sack of Rome, and saw multiple changes in the Vatican through her own ability to form relationships. She may not have had a passionate (second) marriage, but it was a functional one that worked. She was powerful, but also professional and well-behaved within the constraints of that power and her gender, which doesn't make for a popular historical figure to write about. It gives nuance to what it was like for powerful, intelligent women to live in that era and location, with her crossing paths with Lucrezia, Isabella d'Este and briefly a young Catherine Medici who was warded to her. And I think that's neat.
thefridayfive
Aug. 21st, 2025 06:44 pmomens2 posts in one day?? This friday five looked fun.
1. Have you ever stayed in a hostel? If so, where? Did you like it? If you haven't stayed in a hostel, would you?
I stayed in a hostel the summer before I turned 18. Going with a few friends to a music festival at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver. My mother was very panicked about the whole adventure :D & we had a great time. It was a nice place (Jericho Beach Hostel). I think that's the only time I've stayed in a hostel, though.
2. What is your favourite airport that you've been to? Why?
Vancouver Airport because it's just super chill and has tons of great art. No other airport has ever measured up.
3. What is the best museum you have visited on vacation?
I always enjoy the natural history museum in Ottawa, and the history museum across the river in Gatineau is pretty great, too. (Also just very cool to look at!)
4. Have you ever made friends while travelling whom you keep in touch with on a regular basis?
I don't think I've ever made friends on vacation. I tend to bring friends/family.
5. Have you ever had a conversation with a seatmate on a plane?
I don't tend to travel alone so I don't think I ever have! Maybe briefly. I think, generally, planes are too loud for conversations and I have movies to sob through.
Cherry tomato break!
In related news, my cucumbers abruptly stopped making cucumbers :( I don't know if that's normal. They made a dozen or so, I'd guess?? they were so good while they lasted though!
and in UNrelated news, I got some nice spam on dw today fromdonnapsencer who had a few ideas they wanted to tell me about my story (I don't even have my ao3 linked here anymore... What? Story?), but it made me lol. The same art/ai commission scam that's all over ao3 & ffn & discord, I'd assume. Lulzy.
1. Have you ever stayed in a hostel? If so, where? Did you like it? If you haven't stayed in a hostel, would you?
I stayed in a hostel the summer before I turned 18. Going with a few friends to a music festival at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver. My mother was very panicked about the whole adventure :D & we had a great time. It was a nice place (Jericho Beach Hostel). I think that's the only time I've stayed in a hostel, though.
2. What is your favourite airport that you've been to? Why?
Vancouver Airport because it's just super chill and has tons of great art. No other airport has ever measured up.
3. What is the best museum you have visited on vacation?
I always enjoy the natural history museum in Ottawa, and the history museum across the river in Gatineau is pretty great, too. (Also just very cool to look at!)
4. Have you ever made friends while travelling whom you keep in touch with on a regular basis?
I don't think I've ever made friends on vacation. I tend to bring friends/family.
5. Have you ever had a conversation with a seatmate on a plane?
I don't tend to travel alone so I don't think I ever have! Maybe briefly. I think, generally, planes are too loud for conversations and I have movies to sob through.
Cherry tomato break!
In related news, my cucumbers abruptly stopped making cucumbers :( I don't know if that's normal. They made a dozen or so, I'd guess?? they were so good while they lasted though!
and in UNrelated news, I got some nice spam on dw today from
donnapsencer who had a few ideas they wanted to tell me about my story (I don't even have my ao3 linked here anymore... What? Story?), but it made me lol. The same art/ai commission scam that's all over ao3 & ffn & discord, I'd assume. Lulzy. late media update
Aug. 21st, 2025 01:20 pmomensNot a lot to report on in the last week, since I've been hosting company, but I started the sequel to House in the Cerulean Sea (Klune), abandoned Ministry of Time (Bradley), and have been rereading my wips instead of other peoples' fics (lol). I just want to get back into them so bad!! Also a slow week for language learning, obviously.
Mostly we have been rewatching Lower Decks! Got my uncle through the first two seasons :3 S1 was pretty rough, in retrospect! (Character-wise, not plot wise, if that makes sense. Lots of cool shit going on, but who are these people?? A bit) I loved it at the time, but it sure does get so much better. (Especially Carol & Ransom.)
BC cherries from last week!! So good :D Put my uncle on a train today so I'm going to lay in the silence for a couple days before I try and be functional again. Company!! OOF
Mostly we have been rewatching Lower Decks! Got my uncle through the first two seasons :3 S1 was pretty rough, in retrospect! (Character-wise, not plot wise, if that makes sense. Lots of cool shit going on, but who are these people?? A bit) I loved it at the time, but it sure does get so much better. (Especially Carol & Ransom.)
BC cherries from last week!! So good :D Put my uncle on a train today so I'm going to lay in the silence for a couple days before I try and be functional again. Company!! OOF
You Gotta Eat, by Margaret Eby
Aug. 20th, 2025 08:42 amrunpunkrunYou Gotta Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible, by Margaret Eby:
A gentle and funny book about how to feed yourself when that seems impossible.
This book offers three things: permission, inspiration, and recipes, in about those proportions if this were a list of ingredients. The chapters are arranged in increasing order of effort, from, basically, eating straight out of the fridge, right up to chopping stuff up and turning on the oven.
Each chapter starts with a theme and a bunch of ideas about how to turn things like eggs, greens, beans, noodles, dumplings, and canned foods into a meal, then finishes with one or two basic "do exactly this" recipes. The permission is throughout. Yes, it's okay to eat popcorn for dinner. Yes, a dip is a meal. Yes, you can just eat cheese with your hands. I gotta say, though, there is A LOT of cheese and dairy in this book. And, it's true, if I could eat dairy, a lot of my eating problems would be solved, but alas.
Still, I love the energy of the book and how funny and relentlessly kind Eby is. From the introduction:
This is more of a survival guide than a cookbook, though, as some of the cooking advice is a bit on the thin side, and if you're new to cooking, you might not know, for example, that you'll want to undercook pasta if you're putting it into a casserole, something Eby fails to mention. The book is probably best for someone who already knows the basics, but just can't imagine lifting a spoon or picking up a frying pan. Eby has a lot of suggestions for things to cook in the toaster oven and the microwave, and the most involved this book gets is casseroles and stirfrys. There are even two (2) quick desserts.
Recommended! Though if you have dietary restrictions, you'll have to do the extra work yourself to make this book work for you (just like every other day) and large sections of it might not, but I think it's still worth it for the inspiration and the reminder to go easy on yourself. You're doing the best you can.
A gentle and funny book about how to feed yourself when that seems impossible.
This book offers three things: permission, inspiration, and recipes, in about those proportions if this were a list of ingredients. The chapters are arranged in increasing order of effort, from, basically, eating straight out of the fridge, right up to chopping stuff up and turning on the oven.
Each chapter starts with a theme and a bunch of ideas about how to turn things like eggs, greens, beans, noodles, dumplings, and canned foods into a meal, then finishes with one or two basic "do exactly this" recipes. The permission is throughout. Yes, it's okay to eat popcorn for dinner. Yes, a dip is a meal. Yes, you can just eat cheese with your hands. I gotta say, though, there is A LOT of cheese and dairy in this book. And, it's true, if I could eat dairy, a lot of my eating problems would be solved, but alas.
Still, I love the energy of the book and how funny and relentlessly kind Eby is. From the introduction:
When food felt like a chore, I kept reminding myself: the best food is the food that you'll eat. This is the mantra of this book. Michael Pollan famously had three rules for eating: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." That's nice for him! Here, we're gonna stop with the first one. And we're going to make it easy.And there are a lot of easy ideas in here! Frittatas! Hummus! Smoothies! For when you're too tired to even chew!
This is more of a survival guide than a cookbook, though, as some of the cooking advice is a bit on the thin side, and if you're new to cooking, you might not know, for example, that you'll want to undercook pasta if you're putting it into a casserole, something Eby fails to mention. The book is probably best for someone who already knows the basics, but just can't imagine lifting a spoon or picking up a frying pan. Eby has a lot of suggestions for things to cook in the toaster oven and the microwave, and the most involved this book gets is casseroles and stirfrys. There are even two (2) quick desserts.
Recommended! Though if you have dietary restrictions, you'll have to do the extra work yourself to make this book work for you (just like every other day) and large sections of it might not, but I think it's still worth it for the inspiration and the reminder to go easy on yourself. You're doing the best you can.
the rest of the tarot deck
Aug. 16th, 2025 05:20 pmgarryowenI finished the tarot deck. I've had writer's block, and art seemed like a way to get over it. So far, it hasn't worked. But I made a whole tarot deck that no one in Brilliant Minds fandom seems to understand! 😂 I'm weirdly proud of it even though I can barely draw. It was fun to make.
( Pentacles and the major arcana )
( Pentacles and the major arcana )