bairnsidhe

Hope is a Victory

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 15:24:16 GMT

Hope is a bird, a thing of feathers, sweetness and songs

Sung against the storm and all odds

Peace-bearing dove, wing-flapping pigeon

Whomever said doves were birds of peace has clearly never met one.

Pigeons remember when we loved them, made them

And they do not allow us to forget them, reject them

Hope is a rat, a thing of coarse fur, red teeth and claws

Scrabbling for survival and existence

Spite-fueled vermin, plague-bearing pest

Whomever said rats were creatures of evil has clearly never met one.

Rats tend the hurt, free the caged, lead when water rises,

And they do not allow us to stop them, slow them

Hope is a flower, a thing of beauty, perseverance and grit

Blooming for their own joy alone

Snow-sprouting pansy, firm-rooting violet

Whomever said flowers were symbols of fragility has clearly never met one

Buried and watered down they continue to grow and thrive

And they do not allow darkness to destroy them, deter them

Hope is a victory, a thing of perversity, kindness and love

Hiding words in the heart and castles in air

Knife-smiling defender, heart-guiding champion

Whomever said Hope was a thing of no substance has clearly never met one

A bastion against the howling winds, comforting the afflicted

Refusing to be silent, refusing to die, afflicting the comfortable

Like birds, Hope sings of its own accord, not by cage nor storm silenced

Ignored by those who do not think they need it.

Like rats, Hope exists without permission, hated, hunted, persecuted,

Capable of bringing entire civilizations to their knees.

Like flowers, Hope plants its roots deep, looks Life and Hate in the eyes

And says… “No, you move”

Like Hope, I stand in the mire and I look at the stars

I push up my sleeves…. and I get to work.

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Lucky Cricket / Xìngyùn bǎn qiú

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 01:46:05 GMT

This Qiyan jueju poem* was inspired by the China's Mistake arc of dialecticdreamer set within the Terramagne Setting belonging to ysabetwordsmith

In China, a pet cricket is lucky

Kept in beautiful gourds, Bǎn qiú lóng

Fuse boxes or camps, cages are cages

Maybe the Cricket in China isn't lucky

*The Qiyan jueju is most properly written in kanji, seven of them per line. As I do not actually speak or write Chinese, I simply used seven words per line. This is probably incorrect and would not translate well to Chinese. My apologies. Learn more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qijue

In Chinese culture, a cricket is a sign of longevity and prosperity, and they were often kept as pets in wealthy households during the Imperial Era. The Communist regime suppressed cricket keeping and tried banning it in 1950, but it persisted and today there are over 20 legal cricket markets in Shanghai.

Bǎn qiú lóng are special gourds or cages made into cricket homes. They are beautiful and ornate, but still cages,

In the Terramagne setting, cricket is slang for a closeted soup (super-powered person). Another term for being a cricket is to be "in the fuse box".

T-China is a 'bottom ten' country for how they treat soups (and ordinary people but that's true for L-China too).

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Chosen One Support Group

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 01:36:18 GMT

This short story was prompted by my sister via backchannel prompt for the Writing Under Glass event. It does not connect to a current setting, but could be expanded into a full setting of its own.
---

“Welcome to Saviors Anonymous!” the group’s leader said. She was a bright girl, literally beaming with golden light.

“That’s not the name of the group,” added an older man, his face half covered in ropey scars. “Bridget is just perky and trying to make it seem less bad for the rest of us.”

“Okay,” Stan said, taking a seat in one of the mis-matched armchairs. “I’m not sure what I should be doing here, so if there’s like… a process or something….”

“No, you’re clear,” said a woman in her mid twenties. Her hair was chopped rough and short and her clothes were pretty much just armored motorcycle leathers. “Most of us are pretty anarchistic, seeing as we stood up to fascists and dictators and that sort of thing.”

“Cormal is lawful good,” added a slender boy. “But he’s also from a far distant past with ravening hordes threatening everything with unending chaos and bloodshed.”

“How’s he in the support group if he’s from the past?” Stan asked. By this point everyone had sat down.

“How’d you get here?” Bridget asked.

“Um, someone handed me a brochure on the subway and I don’t know, I thought I’d give it a try. I mean, I’ve been holding everything else together for so long, I have to take some time to hold me together too, right?”

“Yeah, but like, subway or bus or walking? What’s the address?”

“Bridget, that’s mean,” the man said. “Hazel, tell her it’s mean.”

“It’s mean,” Hazel, the woman in the leathers, agreed. “Don’t overthink it. This is a safe place to let go a bit, and we keep it that way. How isn’t as important as why. As in, ‘why are you here?’”

“Um, well, I’m Stan and I have to save the world,” Stan said. “Um, there’s a prophesy.”

“Bingo!” yelped the boy. “I have a bingo, Mark.”

“You know better than to interrupt Pix,” Mark said, his scowl twisting the scars on his cheek. “Sorry about them. Let’s do introductions first. I’m Mark, Undying Knight. I was cursed to wander the world for eternity, fighting evil, until I give in and marry the Witch of the Tower. Unfortunately for her, I’m not interested in marrying anybody.”

“Oh yikes,” Stan said, imagining his life stretching on into forever, always as frustrating and dangerous and painful. Mark shrugged.

“You get used to it. That’s Bridget Brightsoul.”

“My mom was the goddess of everything good,” Bridget said. “My dad was a minor god of petty evil. It’s not as bad as it sounds and the propaganda about it was way out of proportion. I don’t have NEARLY the tragic backstory everyone expects. I just have to continually focus on good thoughts or my mom dies. No big.”

“She’s still in denial,” Hazel said. “I’m Hazel McLeary, daywalker. Some asshole tried to make me into a vampire but it didn’t take. Now I work with a handsome but secretive detective to solve supernatural crimes in a city that’s almost always beset by some form of conspiracy of vampires or witches or fairies or some shit. I get like two a year.”

“Yeah, speaking of fairies,” Pix said. “I’m Pix. I was a human who was taken as consort to the Fae Queen of Summer, but um… yeah. She didn’t react well when I tried to get her to not do genocide. So I had to kill her. Now I’m on the run from the Hunt, but I can’t get any nutrition from human food and my body is significantly different than factory standards.”

“Holy crap, are you all right?” Stan said. “I’m not sure I should be here, this is way worse than my life.”

Hazel whacked his arm with a paperback novel. “No scar-comparing. We’ve all gotten used to our own situations, but sharing them sometimes helps us realize where we’ve come from. Now, you said a prophecy?”

“Yeah, I’m supposed to kill the Dark Lord,” Stan said. Bridget handed a bingo sheet to Mark. “I’m an orphan, or I thought I was, but maybe my Dad is the Dark Lord… it’s confusing and I keep having nightmares.”

“Welcome to the club,” Hazel said. “Literally. We’ve been there, you can open up about it.”

“I just wish everyone would stop acting like I have the answers. I didn’t graduate high school, for Pete’s sake! Only because the school sank into an alternate dimension, but still!” Stan sighed. “Some crusty old wizard saying I would fix everything doesn’t in fact make me qualified and it would be real fucking nice if everyone else took a shot at doing something too, rather than expecting me to just fix it for them.”

Pix snorted. “Yeah, other people can be totally useless. Do you at least have a plucky sidekick?”

“Eh, she’s caught in a love triangle at the moment, I don’t want to bother her.”

“Bring her with you next time,” Bridget said. “She could be one of us too.”

Mark’s phone buzzed. “We’re about to lose the hall guys, the next group is scheduled in five.”

“Who is it this time?” Hazel asked.

“Villain Recovery,” Mark said. Hazel winced. “Yeah, they need the space, poor sots. Next time, let’s do potluck, sound good?”

“Bring me Grizelda’s baking, and I will love you forever,” Pix said. “She may have cursed you but she’s a damn good cook and I can actually digest her food.”

“Wait, I thought you said you weren’t going to marry her?” Stan asked as they got up.

“I’m not, but after this many years she’s a good friend. Now we need to clear out so she can host her group. Later guys!”

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The Harvest

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 01:33:13 GMT

This poem was prompted by ng_moonmoth on the Writing Under Glass event
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The land ages and matures

The crops ripen and ready

The air hints at the winter to come

We celebrate the year

We celebrate the harvest

We prepare for what comes next

We recall the dead

We cut the sheaves

We cook the food we gather

We know it will not last forever

We bring the Gods home

We shower them with love

We hope that they stay with us

The harvest is for celebration

The harvest is for hope

The harvest is for preparing to survive

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Writing Under Glass Update!

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 00:09:44 GMT

I'll be trying to stream on twitch.tv in a little bit. The link is https://www.twitch.tv/bairnsidhe and I'll be working on some short fiction and poetry and chatting with anyone who drops by.

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Magic in the Spice

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 16:45:32 GMT

This poem was inspired by prompts from readera on the Writing Under Glass event.

---
Cinnamon is for luck,

For money, protection, and love.

Ginger is for love,

For drawing in money and luck.

Nutmeg is for money

For love and safe travels.

Cloves draw in prosperity

And keep the illness out

Vanilla is for love and lust

For healing, and for luck

Pumpkins growing like harvest moons

Are love and luck and

To keep you safe as the veils thin.

Sugar sweetens the disposition

It brings peace and love

To a course that ne’r did run smooth

There is magic in a kitchen

That brings joy and comfort

There is power in knowing

Who you are within yourself

Both of these are present

In that flavor most maligned

The humble Pumpkin Spice.

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Interoffice Memos of a Coffee Shop in a Villain’s Lair

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 15:59:08 GMT

This work of demifiction was inspired by a backchannel prompt from my Life Partner. It does not specifically connect to any current setting, but will probably spawn it's own series eventually.
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Attention Staff:

You’ll no doubt be excited to learn that the new location we mentioned at the all-hands meeting last week is in… DOOM TOWER! Yes, that’s right, we got the exclusive coffee shop position in the city’s very own Heart of Evil. The League of Villainy will be an exciting new market for our gourmet offerings. That being said, of course the new location will be staffed entirely by volunteers, and you’ll have to sign a safety waiver. However, the pay is suitably increased to cover the greater than usual potential risk of kidnapping, science experimentation, demonic encounters, or other workplace hazards.

Please respond to Mindy in HR if you want to apply for the new location.

Attention Staff:

It has come to our attention that some of the baristas at the DOOM TOWER location have been using their proximity to the city’s more prestigious super-villains to ‘audition’. While we understand that full-time minion benefits are competitive, we must remind you that this is not an At Will employment state, and you will be required to provide two weeks notice if you switch careers.

Attention Staff:

The shop will be closed for repairs today, due to collateral damage in the arrest of Dr. Faustus. If you wish to sign a get well card for his Head Lieutenant, who is currently out with a broken everything, please speak to Mindy in HR.

Attention Staff:

It is unprofessional behavior to gloat about customers naming you “favorite minion” or proposing to make you a consort on taking over the world. As an additional note, please re-read the Employee Handbook section on interoffice relationships.

Attention Staff:

The new seasonal flavor line (Radioactive Raspberry, Forbidden Passion Fruit, and Meyer Lemon) will be arriving on the 13th. Prepare for a rush accordingly. Product training will be conducted in an undisclosed third-party location the weekend before.

Attention Staff:

The Marvelous Mad Dog has been placed on the Do Not Serve list. Please report any attempt he makes to order at our facility to DOOM TOWER security. Yes, we know he’s adorable and you want to tell him he’s a good boy, but he always orders a large mocha and he’s had to be sent to Medical five times in the past two weeks. Not only is this deeply upsetting to everyone on duty, but we can’t afford a lawsuit or animal endangerment charges.

Attention Staff:

Specialty syrups are to be used in accordance with company manuals in approved recipes only. Any further attempts to re-enact the Chemical Madness of Lord Pontifex using company material will be met with disciplinary action. Even if the tips were as high as reported, it will NOT be worth it.

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Eight Stitches

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 15:45:06 GMT

This poem was prompted by fuzzyred on the Writing Under Glass event.

Eight stitches

Eight stitches single crochet

Eight stitches of soft loops

Double crochet four chains

Loops on loops full and soft

Eight double crochet

Four chains and four spaces

In the chain spaces

The open gaps waiting for finger wiggles

Ten half double crochet

Instructions chain like crochet stitches

Nine front post half double crochet

Around the double crochet

Continue around like this

Eight half double stitches times ten

Eight front post half double times nine

First half double pulled tight

Hiding an invisible join

Eight stitches of soft loops

Eight stitches single crochet

Eight stitches

Bloom

---

The majority of this poem is based on the Loopy Little Flower crochet pattern at Sisters in Stitch. You can find more about this hyperbolic crochet lovely at http://www.sistersinstitch.com/the-loopy-little-flower.

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Writing Under Glass is OPEN!

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 14:00:17 GMT

Welcome to Writing Under Glass

Inspired by ysabetwordsmith and the Poetry Fishbowl, I thought I'd try my own hand at "stories under glass". I'm recruiting prompts from a WIDE range of places, all to be read and answered in some form over the course of Monday Sept. 7, since I'm not at work that day.

How's it work?

Leave me a prompt! If you're familiar with my style or settings already, feel free to get specific. If you're new to my work, feel free to be as abstract as you like, understanding I may be abstract right back.

Then, I write. It'll be a mix of poetry, short fiction, demifiction, epistolary fiction, and whatever else works for the ideas I get. I'll hit at least one prompt from each prompter, then double back and do second prompts from anyone who donated money to either my personal fund or my Extra Life fundraiser for KU Medical Center Pediatrics.

How do we unlock the work? Is it free or crowdfunded?

This round will be less monetized. Donations are ALWAYS accepted and appreciated (again, to me or to help sick kids, I'm not picky), but to get a piece unlocked and posted, just spread the word. One linkback equals one FREE piece to be posted here out of your prompts. If more than one of your prompts is used, I'll ask you which of the two you want posted. At the end of the day, anything not unlocked will be priced out and put up as a Break the Glass Sale, to free up the rest of the Writing Under Glass.

Is this a solo project or can I join in?

Well, the point is to reduce the solitary nature of writing (and expose more people to how writing works, since I'll also be doing a twitch.tv stream of my process). So even just by throwing prompts at me you're joining in. But I have had a number of Friendly Neighborhood Spiderwriters offer to bolster/back up my writing if needed, so I figure I'll address that question. Here's my parameters for that: firstly, prompts posted are free game if another creative wants to try their take on it; secondly, if you get inspired, you can pop a link to your page of choice into the comments, where you can get people interested in your work; lastly, anyone is welcome in my corner of the Internet if they can manage to obey Wheaton's Law, so in general you can do as you do.

Overall Rules of the Writing Under Glass Forum:

Obey Wheaton's Law (Don't Be A Dick)
If you see someone breaking Rule 1, tell me and I will handle it. Being a dick back doesn't fix it and I'll nix any parties being dicks.
Don't eat the food or drink the wine
Disregard Rule 3 it was leftover from hosting things in Faerie
No whining about which prompts get done or demanding more writing
Try not to derail the event with links to your own stuff. I don't mind sharing space but if 70% of the thread is page links to other writers, we're not getting the prompts we need.

Nifty Links:

My paypal (for donations to the author or purchasing a piece)

My Extra Life Page (for donations to help sick kids)

My twitch link (for watching the stream)

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Writing Under Glass (Event Monday Sept. 7)

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 03:31:19 GMT

Welcome to Writing Under Glass

Inspired by ysabetwordsmith and the Poetry Fishbowl, I thought I'd try my own hand at "stories under glass". I'm recruiting prompts from a WIDE range of places, all to be read and answered in some form over the course of Monday Sept. 7, since I'm not at work that day.

How's it work?

Leave me a prompt on this post, or on the one I make tomorrow. If you're familiar with my style or settings already, feel free to get specific. If you're new to my work, feel free to be as abstract as you like, understanding I may be abstract right back.
Then, I write. It'll be a mix of poetry, short fiction, demifiction, epistolary fiction, and whatever else works for the ideas I get. I'll hit at least one prompt from each prompter, then double back and do second prompts from anyone who donated money to either my personal fund or my Extra Life fundraiser for KU Medical Center Pediatrics.

How do we unlock the work? Is it free or crowdfunded?

This round will be less monetized. Donations are ALWAYS accepted and appreciated (again, to me or to help sick kids, I'm not picky), but to get a piece unlocked and posted, just spread the word. One linkback equals one FREE piece to be posted here out of your prompts. If more than one of your prompts is used, I'll ask you which of the two you want posted. At the end of the day, anything not unlocked will be priced out and put up as a Crack the Glass Sale, to free up the rest of the Writing Under Glass.

Is this a solo project or can I join in?

Well, the point is to reduce the solitary nature of writing (and expose more people to how writing works, since I'll also be doing a twitch.tv stream of my process). So even just by throwing prompts at me you're joining in. But I have had a number of Friendly Neighborhood Spiderwriters offer to bolster/back up my writing if needed, so I figure I'll address that question. Here's my parameters for that: firstly, prompts posted are free game if another creative wants to try their take on it; secondly, if you let me know you've been inspired, pop a link to your page of choice where you can get people interested in your work; lastly, anyone is welcome in my corner of the Internet if they can manage to obey Wheaton's Law, so in general you can do as you do.

Overall Rules of the Writing Under Glass Forum:

Obey Wheaton's Law (Don't Be A Dick)
If you see someone breaking Rule 1, tell me and I will handle it. Being a dick back doesn't fix it and I'll nix any parties being dicks.
Don't eat the food or drink the wine
Disregard Rule 3 it was leftover from hosting things in Faerie
No whining about which prompts get done or demanding more writing
Try not to derail the event with links to your own stuff. I don't mind sharing space but if 70% of the thread is page links to other writers, we're not getting the prompts we need.

Nifty Links:

My paypal (for donations to the author or purchasing a piece)
My Extra Life Page (for donations to help sick kids)

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Murder Salad

Fri, 15 May 2020 04:21:47 GMT

This is my oft requested recipe for Murder Salad. To clarify, this is a salad made INSTEAD of Murder, not WITH Murder.

This is what I call an algorithm recipe, which means it involves math, but it's very flexible for people who can't have certain foods. You can use any of the following ingredients and leave out the ones you dislike or react badly to, although places where OR is used indicate it is preferable not to use both. One cup is a serving, but this recipe is not recommended for less than 3 people.

( Read more... )

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Winterfaire 2019

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 03:32:20 GMT

The days are growing short, the nights are growing cold, and everyone seeks the warmth and light of the family fire. The merchants put out their shiniest goods, the churches open their doors to let music and welcome spill out to reach the masses, and people return to the simple joys of good food and giving. These are the days of Winterfaire, and fair they be indeed.

So it seems ysabetwordsmith is hosting another Winterfaire Market, a lovely online bazaar of creative goods for sale by their makers in this season of many gift giving holidays. I'll have a booth there as well, but I figured why not open my own cyber-pasture to the vendors of Winterfaire? If you'd like to set up a booth here, either instead of ysabet's or in addition to it (the cyber-pastures are tesseracted, there are lots of places with shared borders to set up on) simply comment below with a description of your goods, a price range, and a way for customers to catch your ear so you can do business. Links to etsy or deviantart or such are more than welcome.

Wander through the markets, looking at goods for sale, and if you can't find that perfect something, ask the shop-keep about it! Shoppers are welcome to reply to this post as well, asking for assistance creating that special something for your special someones.

The stars are out, there's a nip in the air, and streamers of bright colors flutter in the crisp breeze. Lights are shining in windows, the scent of pine and cinnamon combine to advertise the celebration of rebirth and renewal. Someone is singing around the corner, and a merchant offers you a sample of cider or cocoa. His neighbor holds up a shining treasure for your approval... it's Winterfest time again.

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SUCCESS!!

Sat, 02 Nov 2019 20:13:56 GMT

The Extra Life Page is BACK! After going down from a nasty DDOS attack on our most important day of fundraising, the Extra Life page is back up! We are here, we are raising money to help sick kids in our community, and WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!

Donate to my fundraiser here.

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Muse News: Extra Life Marathon

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 03:55:57 GMT

I've pledged to play games and raise funds for kids at my local children's hospital.

Here's how it works

Extra Life is a fundraising and gaming marathon supporting Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. I'm joining thousands of gamers, dedicating a day to play games and raise funds from friends like you. So, like a 5k, except without the running. Oh, and we're all volunteers, so 100% of the donations go to my local children's hospital, KU Med Pediatrics, with no overhead.

Here's how you can help

Game day falls on daylight savings, so our all day game marathon will be 25 hours. I'm asking for one dollar an hour I spend non stop gaming. I'll be posting throughout the day with funny anecdotes, #Sh*tGamersSay, and proof of life photos to show I really am doing this crazy thing. If you want to support me ahead of time, here's a LINK where you can donate. If you'd prefer to donate during the event, it'll be on November 2nd. If you want to join the crazy, let me know in my inbox and I'll get you signed up.

Remember, it's all #ForTheKids!

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Reroot tool review

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 20:11:10 GMT

This post is not sponsored by Doll Planet, I just like their stuff.

So I recently splurged on myself and got a new reroot tool and proper needles for rerooting. Previously I'd been using a sewing needle I'd sawed off at an angle (you want a y shape at the end that goes into the doll), and jammed into a pencil eraser as the handle. It was functional and made with supplies I already owned, but to be honest, it was pretty janky looking and really sort of depressing to have as my only tool.

Enter The Doll Planet on Etsy. They sell all sorts of supplies, and I always prefer to get my hair from them, since it's gorgeous and silky and responds well to heat styling. They have reroot tools for sale, and I got myself one. It's essentially a pin vice, and after getting it I learned that Boyfriend has several of those and would have been happy to give me one, but at least this has pride of ownership. The method by which you assemble the tool is to fit a needle (they come in sizes, 7 is for hairlines and 5 is for the main head) into the pin vice at the center of the x shaped cuts, extend it out an inch past the end of the vice, and tighten that down as hard as you can. I can't tighten it as hard as I need to, but I fortunately have several menfolk in my life who enjoy showing off finger strength, if you know what I mean.

The tool also came with super detailed instructions, a ton of warnings about common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them, and reassurances that breaking needles happens. Considering I've already snapped one #5 needle and my #7 is not slightly bent, I have to say they were not far from the mark. I also don't heat the doll head as often as is recommended, so that's not shoddy materials, that's just a thing that does happen when you stab a split needle of metal into plastic that isn't soft enough. I'm impressed with the #7's though, for being as thin as it is, it's remarkably sturdy, bending aside. I was anticipating losing one of the forks on it, but the y shape is holding steady.

In all, I think I will rebuy my needles from them, but if I need another tool, I'll just hit up my local hardware places (or hardware owning friends/family) for a pin vice.

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Doll Custom WIP

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 19:38:39 GMT

So I’m redoing a Robecca Steam Monster High doll. Her character is pretty fun already, she was built at the end of the 19th century by Hexiciah Steam, a renowned mad scientist. She’s a feminist, a professional stuntwoman, and a champion of the Monster High roller derby equivalent sport. That said, the doll I happen to be in possession of isn’t in the best shape.

( (This is a long-ass post, with pics involving doll nudity, so it goes under a Read More cut.) )

Are there any other doll fans in the audience? What are your favorite dolls to work with, or what styles do you look at when considering a purchase? I need more friends in this hobby, so come on by!

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Know Thy Selves

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 17:25:29 GMT

There are more things in Heaven
And in Earth, than Horatio can dream.

There are more things in Horatio
Than Heaven and Earth can know.

There are masks, infinite like mirrors
Face to face, forever reflecting the self
We see in others, reaching for the ones
Who are also shaped as God.

Every person we meet
Meets a different one of us
A different facet of the Divine
Shines from every light that falls

To Thine Own Self Be True
States the wisest Bard

But Truth comes of Knowing
And Knowledge comes of Truth

To know any creation on this earth
Is a journey of a lifetime's length
Take council then, good travelers,
If wisdom it is you truly seek

Embrace the plurality of nature
The singular they within every human's skin

Know that you are Legion,
And go forth to know thy selves.

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Inspiration

Sun, 12 May 2019 22:44:04 GMT

I found this else-web and knew I needed it turned into a story, but I do not have time now. I certainly will return to it, but for now it's being stored here.

http://forreadingaddicts.co.uk/news/turkish-garbage-collectors-open-library-full-discarded-books/23374

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Tarot Bingo

Wed, 01 May 2019 16:38:03 GMT

I've decided to try my hand at the Tarot bingo hosted on allbingo by fadedwings These are just ideas to get me started on stories, art, what have you. The prompts can be literal or metaphorical, or based on the tarot interpretations (example, Death could be an actual death, a death of ambition or relationship, or a large change). If you want something specific, let me know. The first 500 words of any given prompt will be posted free, regardless of if I end up making something long enough to justify a crowd-funding.

20 Judgement	4 The Emperor	3 The Empress	21 The World
12 The Hanged Man	0 The Fool	17 The Star	1 The Magician
5 The Hierophant	9 The Hermit	8 Strength	5 The Devil
11 Justice	6 The Lovers	14 Temperance	19 The Sun

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Words Like Water

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 21:06:46 GMT

I speak with words like water
A babble-brook of sound
Rivers may roar and so I
Cry with white rapid speech

I speak with words like water
Damned and dammed behind
The lock of lips tied by anger
A dike sealed by fable fingers

I speak with words like water
Rusty tap ekes out a measure
Falling on parched hearts
Too little, too late to start

I speak with words like water
A geyser, a fount, a great cascade
The diluvian torrent of ideas
Wrenched free by ageless pressures

I speak with words like water
Seeking the path of least resistance
Seeping through imperfect foundations
Changing through stubborn flow

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The Clockwork Heart

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 23:48:05 GMT

Once Upon A Time, when such things happen, in a magical land that had seen stranger things, a girl was born without a heart. The girl with no heart was not born to a cursed royal couple, but to simple craftspeople in a moderately sized village. Her mother was greensmith who worked copper and fixed pots, and her father made and mended clocks. Once, in his youth, the clockmaker had done a kindness for a fairy, and so she came to them with warning of what would happen when his wife gave birth. Distraught at the idea they might lose their child, they made for her a clockwork heart. The clockmaker drafted the plan, and his wife made all the parts, and together they assembled a gleaming copper heart to save their daughter. She was born screaming, pink and perfect, and they named her Corretta. Thanks to hard work and a little bit of friendly magic, her clockwork heart worked.

Sort of.

( Read more... )

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Here There Be

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 07:36:12 GMT

Here There Be Demons
Lurking in the Deep
Slinking in the Shadows
On watch while all the people sleep

Here There Be Dragons
Guarding hoarded loot
Fanged and clawed and grumpy
But also... kinda cute?

Here There Be Monsters
Go patrolling the Dark
Fighting in the battles
That would tear mortal men apart

Here There Be Unknowns
The Psychopomps to Guide
And the Seers at their Sight
Because this is where

All the stranger things reside

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They Named Us

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 17:53:10 GMT

Humans, as a species,
Packbond to anything
That will sit still long enough
And sometimes,
To things that won't.

They are a lonely People
Who look up
And out
And down
And everywhere
For other People they can
Be People with

They searched the skies
For years
For decades
For centuries
Hoping to find someone
To be friends with

When things started to look
Not so good,
For the Earth,
For Humans
For the chance to find others
They built robots
To do a job they could not.

They gave them metal bodies,
Silicon brains, and the directive
"You want to explore"
And they did. After all,
They were built in Humanity's image

Maybe in a hundred years
Humanity will be gone
Maybe they will have killed themselves
Or poisoned their planet
And maybe when the People they sought
Arrive, they will find Humans long gone.
But they will find robots,
And ask them what Humans were like.

"Well, they built us," the robots will say.
"Loved us, sang to us, and named us:

Sojourner - one who visits and travels
Spirit - the sentient part of a person
Opportunity - a chance for progress
Curiosity - a desire to know
Insight - the power to understand

So they must have thought
Those things were important.

And they told us to tell you

Hello!"

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In Defense of Dialect: Si'chiate

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 19:27:05 GMT

This isn't my usual fare, but bear with me.

I was struck this morning by the strange realization that I use loanwords from Appalachian and Ozarkan English, because the exact meaning I need isn't in so-called Standard English. There are untranslatable words from dialect to dialect, but in English those who don't speak the dialect the words come from often assume that the dialectical word is simply a poorly pronounced version of a word in Standard English. (I refrain from assuming anything about other languages and their users attitudes to dialects.)
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Recipe: Warm Queso Guacamole

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 03:06:01 GMT

In my search for filling and reduced carb meals (hello insulin resistance, my old nemesis, we meet again) I have stumbled on a fantastic recipe for guacamole that has protein but basically no carbs other than what you dip in it, which if you like raw veggies, can be basically none!

The following recipe is for one person who needs a hearty snack, since I only cook in two settings, alone time and feeding an army. For army-sized portions, I'd say scale up with the avocados, but be aware not everyone will eat an entire avocado of dip, and maybe leave off one or two.

What you'll need:

1 avocado (ripe is best, but this recipe is forgiving in both directions)
14 ounces of mild cheddar or other preferred cheese (except Velveeta, it soups up and gets nasty)
1 lime
Salt and Pepper OR preferred spices
Sour Cream (optional)
Salsa (optional)

A sharp knife
A citrus juicer (optional)
A spoon for mixing
A microwave safe bowl

A microwave

Directions:

Cut the avocado in half, and remove the pit. I like to do that by carefully stabbing the edge of the pit by the flesh of the fruit and prying up, but some prefer to whack a wide bladed knife into the pit like a kung-fo move, and pry from there. It's up to you. Once the pit is gone, cut the avocado, still in the skin, into half inch chunks. You'll do that by dragging the knife in parallel lines through the flesh, scraping but trying not to pierce the skin, then again at a perpendicular angle. Once you have the cuts made, turn the halved avocado cut side down over your bowl and turn the skin inside out, keeping your fingers at the edge and pushing with your thumbs. This method gets you the most avocado for your effort, I find, although those of you who have more 'cado-cutting experience may use other methods. YMMV.

Now, cut the lime in half LONG WAYS. Yes, I know this feels weird, it's worth it. Juice one half over the avocado chunks. I like to use a citrus juicer when I'm squeezing a lime cut long ways, but some people hate the oblong-over-circle feel, and prefer to juice with the spoon. Whatever works for you. Ideally, what you'll get is half a lime worth of juice on the chunked avocado, and a halved lime ready to be cut into wedges. Do that later, though, while the microwave is going.

Next, cheese! I used cubed cheese, and haven't experimented with shredded yet, but I think both would work. Regardless, you want your cheese mixed in with your guac-to-be, so not in one solid chunk. The spoon comes in handy here. You don't want to over-mash the avocado, but you do want the cheese tossed in, like mixing up a fruit salad, gently fold, don't mash. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper you want while you mix, but really, really go easy on the salt. My first go got oversalted because I failed to account for the salt of the cheese. Next time I'll be leaving salt out entirely and trying a dash of chili powder and paprika.

Pop the whole shebang, minus spoon, into the microwave for about a minute or two. Microwaves can really vary, so this is a feel-it-out thing. I'd say stand near it while you wedge the lime half, and listen for pops of hot cheese. Pull it before any cheese at the edges crisps up, and give it a good stir to be sure the temperature is mostly even.

You can then garnish with the limes, sour cream, salsa, maybe more cheese if you're inclined to up the protein count. Dip whatever you like in it, even a spoon!

Happy Eating!

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