friending_memes | Member Posts

So I spent a good chunk of 2025 reading the Murderbot Diaries. I read all the books and had a really good time! I’m very excited for the new one later this year.

Anyway, I finished the last book, System Collapse (SC), early last week. And I’ve gotta say…it didn't hit nearly as hard as the other ones. Which is kind of a disappointing way to end my time with this series, but that’s just how it turned out. It didn't really grab me. I was listening to the audiobook at like 1.5x speed, and then I gave up halfway through and speedread my ebook copy (Sorry Kevin!).

I’ve been wondering why, exactly, this book didn't do anything for me, and have come up with a few theories:

SC was such falling action from Network Effect (NE), and NE was such a high octane horror fest, especially in the third act, oml. In comparison its no wonder this was way less engaging XD
I probably didn't help that I’d finished NE in August, and started SC in December. That’s a long time away from that universe, and a lot of momentum lost!
Also I was playing a little fast and loose with spoilers in the meantime, so a lot of the bigger plot points and notable excerpts/passages were already known to me.
As far as stuff within the book itself goes, the stakes were certainly different, I feel. Most of the other books had such big personal stakes for SecUnit and its people, while this book is mainly focused on saving the colonists - meanwhile everyone really wants to go home, also. So I find it difficult to get invested in anything that doesn't serve that? I mean, I should care about the colonists because they care, but that’s not reason enough for me to care, because these are characters in a book, lmao. It's a similar thing to SecUnit’s mental struggles; it's not like those are going to be resolved in this book. So reading about it now is just setup for the next book. And setup is boring, lol.
Also, maybe to a lesser extent, suddenly there are a bunch of new characters! They are not my precious and delightful PresAux team. So again, setup for who these new people are and the dynamics they have.

If you’ve read SC I’m curious about how you felt about it! Did you have as much trouble as I did getting through it? Did you read it right after NE or a few months after NE or did you read Fugitive Telemetry in between like the publishing order dictates? (I read the series in chronological order, myself.). Genuinely, I wanna know if I’m a complete weirdo in this, haha.

In the meantime, there were some things about this book I really liked! For example:

That bit where they all realize their mission suddenly complicated itself threefold was very good. I especially liked one of them banging their head on the table. What a mood.
AdaCol2 my beloved! o7
I like how they explained ArtDrone!
Something I liked mainly because I didn't like it was that apparently today was let’s-shit-on-Tarik-day or something, because that dude could not catch a break, lmao. Even I got in on it; there was a part where SecUnit had a little blip for PTSD reasons and Tarik’s was like “oh was it the memories again :(“ and I literally said “lhut the fuck up!” out loud at my desk, lmooooo. Like! Buddy, you witnessed the mental breakdown on accident, that doesn't mean you get to have a part in this recovery arc, man. You’re not close enough with SecUnit to start that shit. Fuck off.
(...anyway great character 10/10 XD)
Ratthi was such a dear and a sweetheart in this one. I love how he was banished to the shuttle for most of the adventure, lol.
Also the Mensah cameos, hell yeah!
And finally, the [REDACTED] thing got pretty funny, once I figured it out, lmao. I could even start predicting it XD

tellshannon815

two log cabins with snow on the roofs in a wintery forest the text snowflake challenge january 1 - 31 in white cursive text

Pets! We know them, we probably have positive associations with at least one type of pet, and they've appeared in our creative endeavors since time immemorial. Considering that, we felt that a challenge revolving around them would be appropriate.

Challenge #2: Pets of Fandom

Loosely defined! Post about your pets, pets from your canon, anything you want!

Okay, so I'm going about this one in two parts.

First, some sharing of historic Real Cat Fiction. This was my way of cheering myself up back in 2020-21 - I basically hated lockdown (for context to anyone who doesn't know me that well or at all, my family is pretty much scattered across the UK and I didn't end up seeing them for over a year even in the times when there was some loosening of restrictions). If you're in the UK you will be well aware of the various political scandals at the time (and even if you're not in the UK you probably picked up some of it). So this is basically Larry the Cat (and the other Whitehall felines Gladstone and Palmerston) getting the better of the government.

https://archiveofourown.org/users/creatureofhobbit/works?fandom_id=295954

(I've only linked to my own fics here, although more Larry the Cat does exist - I'll spare you the horror that is Boris Johnson getting pegged by Liz Truss.)

And for something new create for the challenge, here's a fic about Gretchen from Dark (a poodle who is sent through time from 1953 to 1986 and reunited with her original owners in the future):

Nothing here made any sense to Gretchen.

When Helge had thrown the stick into the caves for her, it had seemed just like any other time when he, or Claudia, or Egon or Doris, would have done so; Gretchen would find it, bring it back to whoever had thrown it, and that was what she thought would happen this time. But now she doesn’t recognise the house she’s been brought back to, and she’s confused by the people she’s with – the middle aged woman and the older man smell like Claudia and Egon, they sound like them, and Gretchen even thinks she can see the people she knew in their older faces now. But she still finds herself looking for the eleven year old Claudia, cannot understand why Doris Tiedemann no longer seems to be living in the family home, and is still getting used to this other person, the one called Regina (and her friend Aleksander who is often around), who seems to live here now but isn’t someone Gretchen remembers from before.

She’s seen Helge Doppler, too, (although is relieved not to have encountered his scary mother, Greta, so far; Greta always scowled if she ever caught sight of Gretchen) and wondered if he remembers her, if he can still remember throwing that stick that had led to Gretchen travelling forward in time. He still smells the same, too, although he too has changed physically; he has injuries to his face which Gretchen doesn’t remember him ever having had before. If she could speak the same language as him, Gretchen would be asking him right now whether he had known when he threw that stick that it would lead to her ending up in 1986; he probably didn’t, since it was the scent of her owner, Claudia, that Gretchen had followed, rather than Helge himself (but again, the woman who had opened that door for Gretchen looked different, older still even than the Claudia who is living here now and who seems to have no idea what had happened.) She’s seen that other friend of Claudia’s, Tronte, too; since he had only just arrived in Winden in 1953 she hadn’t spent that much time with him, but enough to be able to tell that this older man is the same boy who had just moved in with them.

Sometimes Gretchen wishes she had just turned around and gone back the way she had come, just dropped the stick at Helge’s feet and then waited for Claudia and Tronte to come back; at least that way she would be living the life she knew. And people would know her, too; since she isn’t able to communicate to the Tiedemanns that she’s still the same Gretchen who belonged to the family in 1953, they’re talking as though she’s a different dog altogether, calling her Gretchen because she looks just like the dog they used to know. If she could at least explain, maybe someone could help her get back to the Tiedemann family and home that she was familiar with; instead she’s left trying to navigate this new time, this family that are her own and yet not the family she knew.

ysabetwordsmith

Top 10 Positive News Stories of 2025

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re pausing to celebrate something truly special—the Top 10 Most-Loved Stories of the Year, as chosen by you, our Stay Positive News community.

These are the stories you clicked, shared, commented on, and carried with you. Stories that reminded us that even on hard days, goodness shows up—sometimes quietly, sometimes boldly, but always with heart.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Under the character notes for my poem "Help Others to Grow Up,"

greghousesgf has commented:

I remember seeing a poster in the Bart trains (local mass transit) talking about what to do in an emergency and one of the instructions was "comfort the dying". Frankly I don't know how some random person on the train who isn't a professional psychologist or something would be able to do that. I certainly wouldn't.

Nobody is obligated to help if they're no kind of first responder, which in this case to comfort the dying, would primarily be clergy. Remember that "Stay out of the way" is always a legitimate role in an emergency, and nobody has the right to criticize anyone for choosing that role. If the problem is simply a lack of knowing what to do, though, that is straightforward to fix by learning ways to help. It's good to think about such things in advance, because you never know when you might need to make that decision. Here are some basic ideas...

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

loganberrybunny

Public

338/365: Sun in window and Welcome sign
Click for a larger, sharper image
I'm really struggling to think of much at all that I did today, beyond ordinary things too boring even to mention. I did finish uploading all the films I've posted about here to my Letterboxd account, but that site is down at the moment because of a server outage so I can't link. Here's the only photo I remembered to take all day. Note the "Welcome" sign above one of the doors.

Current Mood: relaxed

autumninpluto

As mentioned in this post (🔐), I was inspired by an irl friend to do weekly R.E.P.O.R.T posts (Reading, Eating, Playing, Obsessed, Recommending, and Treating). My life's pretty boring on most days so writing about it might be a bit tough (but not any less verbose), but I hope the habit sticks.

( 196 words )

Current Mood: contemplative

ysabetwordsmith

This ancient fossil could rewrite the story of human origins

A seven-million-year-old fossil may rewrite human origins, showing our ancestors were walking upright far earlier than anyone expected.

Scientists may have cracked the case of whether a seven-million-year-old fossil could walk upright. A new study found strong anatomical evidence that Sahelanthropus tchadensis was bipedal, including a ligament attachment seen only in human ancestors. Despite its ape-like appearance and small brain, its leg and hip structure suggest it moved confidently on two legs. The finding places bipedalism near the very root of the human family tree.

This makes sense given how many primates are capable of walking on two legs and do so whenever it offers them an advantage. With the potential already there, all it would take is an environment where bipedalism worked better than other methods -- like Africa's growing savannas.

Current Mood: busy

abyssal_sylph

Challenge #1: The Icebreaker Challenge: Introduce yourself. Tell us why you're doing the challenge, and what you hope to gain from it.

Hi! We (are a plural system called) Abyss! they/them is always good if we don't specifiy a specific person. Bodily we're 21 yo, from the Netherlands (technically Brazil but heavily cut-off) & are altogether very fannish. We write, we draw, we should be making more fanmixes and love love love AUs. We're doing

snowflake_challenge because we think it's fun!

AO3 / main tumblr

Random Facts, we guess?:

several of us are fictionkin (spiritual or not)

most of us are hella queer

Current fandom is FNAF, whom we wanna fix or destroy

Current Mood: optimistic
Current Location: parents' home
Current Music: "My Darling, My Companion" by Jamie Paige

ysabetwordsmith

Today is mostly cloudy and cool.

I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows and a starling.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 1/4/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 1/4/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 1/4/26 -- We did a round of fridge-cleaning.

EDIT 1/4/26 -- I started raking around the firepit, and got about a quarter of the way around. The plastic leaf rake does slightly better with leaves than in the parking lot with leaves and sticks, but still not as good as a metal rake.

EDIT 1/4/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 1/4/26 -- I spotted the tail end of a very pretty sunset, so I grabbed my camera and shot a few pictures. :D It is 4:58 now and nearly dark.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

autumninpluto

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: Yongenjaya, Setagaya, Tokyo
Current Music: Life Will Change - Lyn

susandennis

The woman who lived in this apartment before me 'donated' a very ugly Christmas table centerpiece. It lives in a credenza a long with other holiday decorations. Every holiday usually Bonny and/or Joan dig into the cabinet and sprinkle around whatever crap they find in there. I have now lived with this ugly Christmas centerpiece for three years and it was time to put me out of my misery.

So this morning, before anyone was up, I quietly moved it from the credenza to the dumpster. Next year, those who are still alive might say 'wonder what happened to whatsername's centerpiece?' or not. But at least I won't have to look at it for six weeks.

I have a load of laundry going and have done a bit more organizing/decluttering. I want to go snap a BEFORE of the storage area. I found the label maker!! Now, I cannot remember what I wanted to label. ARUGH. But at least I'm ready if the memory comes back.

loganberrybunny

Public

Treasure Island (1999)

I found this while I was in a bit of a rush looking for a film to watch and assumed it was the 1950 Disney version. It isn't, more's the pity. By prolific director Peter Rowe, this is a rather lacklustre adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure story. There's nowhere near enough real tension or excitement, and though Jack Palance (in his last feature, unless you count the direct-to-DVD Prancer Returns) tries hard as Long John Silver there's only so much he can do with the uninspired script. It was shot in the Isle of Man and looks it, with chilly grey skies predominating. The Hispaniola ship does at least look great, though sadly the Earl of Pembroke which played her was scrapped a few years ago. Overall, though, this feels like a rather drab TV film. ★★

Current Mood: disappointed

alias_sqbr

Spirit City Lofi Sessions is a productivity game but I'm including it anyway :P

Actual puzzle games: Strange Antiquities, Mega Mosaic, Botany Manor, Logiart Grimoire, The Roottrees are Dead
( Read more... )

abyssal_sylph

Was looking into TTRPGs for possible "making my own" reasons, where I found this list (by TTRPGkids) of mosty-all-ages TTRPGs whom are either free or you can set your own price at. There's even one on the list for toddlers! So I m sure those intressted in TTRPGs can find something intressting ^_^

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: parents' home
Current Music: "Toybox Memories" by VocaloKAT & SkirmishP

ysabetwordsmith

This poem is spillover from the September 2023

crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by prompts from

curiosity. It also fills the "Rescue / Recovery" square in my 9-1-23 card for the Story Sparks Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with

fuzzyred. It belongs to Aquariana, Cuoio & Chiara, and Marionettes threads of the Polychrome Heroics series, and follows "Help Others to Grow Up."

Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics with emotional mayhem. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes traumatic loss, traumatic stress, supporting character death, a crying man, an inept messenger, reference to past losses, upset baby super-intellect, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before deciding if this is something you want to read.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

So today, America's craziness reached a new frenzy...

What’s Happening in Venezuela? Start Here

US forces struck multiple military and civilian targets in Caracas and nearby cities, and captured Maduro. Here’s what we know at this point.

Sovereign countries are not supposed to violate each other's borders or leadership, outside of properly declared war; and that's largely about defense because war of aggression is also forbidden at this time. But people have largely quite caring about those rules, which is a growing problem.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

vriddy

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

ysabetwordsmith

Here are the content notes for "Help Others to Grow Up."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Here are the location notes for "Help Others to Grow Up."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

alterkrmn

First update of the year because I still have free time before going back to work on Monday ToT

Finished watching

Last Samurai Standing (Japanese drama) – 6 episodes

Currently reading

SVSSS Vol. 4 - Chapter 26
Counterattack - Chapter 198
Panguan - Chapter 40

Currently watching

Dramas

Me and Thee (Thai BL) – Saturdays – 8/10 episodes
Interminable (Thai BL) – Fridays – 9/11 (12?) episodes
Goddess Bless You From Death (Thai BL) – Fridays – 9/13 episodes
Burnout Syndrome (Thai BL) – Wednesdays – 5/10 episodes
Dare You To Death (Thai BL) – Thursdays – 2/10 episodes
KinnPorsche (Thai BL) – No Schedule – 3/14 episodes
Peach Trap (Korean BL) – No Schedule – 3/8 episodes
Runaway (Thai GL) – No schedule – 2/8 episodes

Documentary

Debo, puedo y quiero: Juan Gabriel (Mexican documentary) – No Schedule – 3/4 episodes

Anime

Sanrio Danshi – No schedule – 8/12 episodes

Reality show

DMD Friendship Reality, the Third Chapter – No schedule – 2/10 episodes

On hold

Anime

Komi Can’t Communicate – No schedule – 4/24 episodes
Rokuhōdō Yotsuiro Biyori – No schedule – 2/12 episodes

Dramas

The Bangkok Boy (Thai BL) – No schedule – 2/12 episodes
Perfect 10 Liners (Thai BL) – No schedule – 4/24 episodes
The Long Ballad (Chinese Drama) – No schedule – 5/49 episodes
Theory of Love (Thai BL) – No schedule – 2/12 episodes

Yesterday, I watched Last Samurai Standing with a friend who doesn’t watch BL or isn't very online. We were hanging out, he suggested we watch something, and we did that thing where we don’t know what to choose for, like, 15 minutes. Then he chose that, I approved, and that’s how we spent the rest of the day. There were samurai, sangre y muerte, things I enjoy a lot, so I had a good time. It was only six episodes but ended on a cliffhanger, with the promise of a second season. I groaned out loud. But I had fun. It’s fun watching things with friends. This friend is very patient with me when I yell at the screen or laugh maniacally. Also, this was the first completed drama (season 1, ugh) on my updated 2026 spreadsheet.

Today I did laundry and went to therapy. It was an interesting session after the holidays and some things that happened during Christmas at my parents’ house, so I was out of it for a bit. Afterwards, I watched my weekly comfort show, Me and Thee, and I laughed, but I cried a little too. I realized I LOVE when Thee smiles besottedly every time Peach says or does something. I think I like that expression Pond makes; it’s incredibly endearing and cute. I also feel like the next episode will reach full tension with all the mafia family stuff and them being forbidden to have a relationship. Only two more episodes, and I’ll watch the finale at an event with other local fans. I hope I don’t ugly cry in public, and if I do, I hope everyone else does too :D

Then, today, after eating, I started watching Peach Trap. I watched three episodes today. There’s one cutie and three potential suitors, and all I could think was: let him have his harem! But, even without knowing anything else, I know that won’t happen. Anyway, it’s short and it’s kind of cute so far. We’ll see what shenanigans they deliver.

I also watched episode 9 of Interminable, and so many things happened. It’s episode 8/11… or 12, according to a post I saw elsewhere, where Idol Factory announced the number of episodes went from 11 to 12. From what I understood, it was supposed to be 11 episodes + 1 special episode. Anyway, the post said the change was made to ensure the story is “continuous and as complete as possible” or something like that. Regardless, the political intrigue made the episode interesting, and I’m curious to read about that era and the real political conflicts. I’m also curious to know how they’re going to resolve the rest of the story because I feel so much needs to happen for a happy ending. I feel like it took a bit too long for this story to feel like something was really happening, but maybe it will make more sense later?

And that’s it. I’m planning how to organize my time to watch some of the shows I have on hold. I’m not starting this year with a clean slate (regarding my watching list, lol): I have 15 things I started last year (some of them On hold). One I really want to resume watching is The Long Ballad. I’m not sure what shows are airing soon, and I’m not sure if this year I want to keep watching so many currently airing shows. I kind of want to explore older shows, and not just BL, so I need to be more mindful. I think I managed fine last year, not trying to watch everything, and trying to choose the ones that interested me the most.

I wanted to make a dent in my watchlist during winter break, but as I said in the last 2025 update, it’s always a bit busy. I also spent a significant amount of time working on my Khemjira fic. I spent almost the entirety of the first day of this year writing that fic, editing some stuff I transcribed from my handwritten notes, and adding notes for things I want to write later. It’s been so much fun, but I’ve been in a frenzied state I don’t think I’ve ever experienced before. I want to find a beta reader at some point, but I want to finish it first because, somehow, showing something unfinished to someone—and the idea of receiving feedback (either positive or negative) or generating some kind of expectation—makes me very anxious. But the thing is that it keeps growing. When I started writing a couple of months ago, I took my notebook and wrote a lot of fragments from different points in the story as I started watching it inside my head. I saw it happen like a movie, and translating all those images to words has proven to be hard, fun, but hard. It takes so much time to find the exact way I want to describe what my mind’s eye is seeing happen, and sometimes I think the result isn’t satisfying, but I lack the expressivity or the techniques. After all, I’m not an experienced writer or anything, not even as a hobbyist. And my work as an editor is for educational things: textbooks, interactive material for college students… anyway. I’m not looking forward to Monday; I’m gonna miss being a little feral over this story that started as an innocent idea for a sex pollen fic that then came to life on its own.

All this said, I don’t know when my next update will be. I can’t promise consistency because I don’t know how busy I’m gonna be, especially since I have some plans I cannot talk about. Maybe I don’t believe in any religion or specific spiritual things, but I am very superstitious about sharing stuff I’m excited about because I have jinxed myself more than once.

So, see you soon… at some point.

Profile

A Place to make friends...through the power of friending memes!

January 2026

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Page Summary

mrsluigivargas - I’ve been thinking about System Collapse… [Fannish 50 #1]
tellshannon815 - (no subject)
ysabetwordsmith - News
ysabetwordsmith - How to Comfort the Dying in an Emergency
loganberrybunny - A very boring day
autumninpluto - [2026] R.E.P.O.R.T - Week 1/52
ysabetwordsmith - Early Humans
abyssal_sylph - Snowflake Challenge #1 (2026)
ysabetwordsmith - Birdfeeding
autumninpluto - Persona 5 Royal: Thoughts on the 3rd semester and ending
susandennis - Do not tell anyone
loganberrybunny - Film post: Treasure Island (1999)
alias_sqbr - Some Puzzle-y Games I Have Played Lately
abyssal_sylph - Some Free or PWYW TTRPGs
ysabetwordsmith - Poem: "The Sound of Anguish"
ysabetwordsmith - Politics
vriddy - Kaijuu No. 8 fic update: Warm as life (Kafka/Reno/Narumi, Reno/Iharu, Kafka/Hoshina) - WIP 3/7
ysabetwordsmith - Content notes for "Help Others to Grow Up"
ysabetwordsmith - Location notes for "Help Others to Grow Up"
alterkrmn - Media update 03012026

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