A Brief Survey of Canadian Political Thrillers
Feb. 23rd, 2026 10:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
james_davis_nicoll
You may be surprised to learn that "Canadian thriller" is not an oxymoron.
A Brief Survey of Canadian Political Thrillers
james_davis_nicollYou may be surprised to learn that "Canadian thriller" is not an oxymoron.
A Brief Survey of Canadian Political Thrillers
Nun dodges bullet, all unawares?
Feb. 23rd, 2026 06:48 amsistawendyWhen I drove out of Camp Beaverton for Wayward Girls in 2018, one of the two mayors said goodbye to me through my car window and offered me a leadership role. I declined, saying that the next time I was at Burning Man it would be for revenge.
Fast forward to this year. I got in touch with her via electronic means and told her I wouldn't be camping with Beaverton this year. "It's not them, it's me," I said.
"Oh, it's them, trust me," came the reply.
It was a long and sad story, she said. I neither asked for nor received any elaboration.
I've heard of Beavers having... conflicts, if that isn't too strong a word, between each other, but it was always about individuals, not the camp. Yes, it is a sad story. I wonder what I'll find when I get there.
Fast forward to this year. I got in touch with her via electronic means and told her I wouldn't be camping with Beaverton this year. "It's not them, it's me," I said.
"Oh, it's them, trust me," came the reply.
It was a long and sad story, she said. I neither asked for nor received any elaboration.
I've heard of Beavers having... conflicts, if that isn't too strong a word, between each other, but it was always about individuals, not the camp. Yes, it is a sad story. I wonder what I'll find when I get there.
Howzat, part 9: Rising Stars, falling fortunes
Feb. 23rd, 2026 07:48 pmspiderbraidsFollowing the Women's Asia Cup Rising Stars, plus possible ideas for improving cricket's local standing :-)
( Rising Stars, falling fortunes )
( Rising Stars, falling fortunes )
Pretty much the opposite of a scientific method, I suppose
Feb. 22nd, 2026 12:50 pmbrithistorianI was reading this morning's edition of Dan Rather's Substack newsletter, where he was writing about the song "Stand By Me". (Apparently he writes about a song or musician every Sunday.)
Anyway, he mentioned that "Stand By Me" was "numbered among the Recording Industry Association of America’s 25 Songs of the Century." This naturally got me curious: A ranked list of things? That's like catnip to me!
So I went to look for it. Turns out that there's no such things as the RIAA "25 Songs of the Century." What there is is the "Song of the Century" list, produced by the RIAA in conjunction with the NEA and Scholastic Inc. It's a list of 365 songs. So where did Rather get this idea of "25 Songs of the Century"? Because "Stand by Me" is #25 on the list, and the Wikipedia entry for "Songs of the Century" only includes the top 25 songs on the list. Apparently Rather (or, more likely, one of his research assistants) looked at the Wikipedia entry, didn't read the text carefully, and based on the table of songs assumed that it was a list of 25 songs.
If you read the text carefully, not only do you get the correct number of songs. You also start to question the RIAA's methodology for creating the list. According to the entry, "[h]undreds of voters, who included elected officials, people from the music industry and from the media, teachers, and students" were asked to select the songs. These voters were selected by the RIAA (and one is forced to ask "how many students does the RIAA know?"), and of the 1300 voters selected, only 200 responded. Seems kind of sloppy and haphazard.
Then, if you read the list, you see that the voters were rather sloppy and haphazard in their definition of a song: #7 on the list is the entire album of West Side Story, which is not "a song." Altogether there are 18 albums on the list: 11 Broadway shows, 6 jazz albums, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Obviously I don't have a copy of the instructions that the RIAA sent to the voters, but I think we can all agree that (with the exception of Thick as a Brick and possibly a few others) an album is not a song.
Also, just as an aside, I think 2001 (when this survey was conducted) was a bit premature to be choosing the most impactful songs of the 20th century.
All that being said, I think any other such list would be just as subject to being haphazard and subjective, and on skimming over the list I do think it would be an enjoyable and/or interesting list to listen to. Plus, unless you were born on February 29, you can figure out what day of the year you were born on and then look at the complete list and see what song your birthday corresponds to. (Mine is "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy.)
Dance the Eagle to Sleep by Marge Piercy
Feb. 22nd, 2026 09:33 amjames_davis_nicoll
Can America's well-financed, highly-experienced, heavily-armed war machine hope to prevail against a numerically insignificant, poorly-armed, American teen movement?
Dance the Eagle to Sleep by Marge Piercy
Nun meets future campmates.
Feb. 21st, 2026 05:48 pmsistawendyLeather dyke munch. Had an agreeable time talking with fellow trans folks. Yes, again. Finally asked B the organizatrix, "Where are all the people over fifty?" She said that she'd been considering throwing an event earlier in the evening for us elders. Sort of like the Hot Flash dance nights an Neighbours, she said, only freakier. Shoot, I'd go. I would have stayed later at B's fundraiser on the other side of CC's, but I had plans for today, namely..
...I took a bus route that was new to me a loooong way south to White Center for my first Burning Man camp meeting this year. In attendance were Burner R (not to be confused with an earlier R's) andleenerella. Neither of them are planning on going to the playa this year, but this wasn't just a meeting for planning for Burning Man; there are other Burner-flavored events various subsets of the crew are going to, some of which I'll be medically unable to attend due to surgery.
It's been eight years since I went, and unlike my last several trips to The Thing In The Desert, I don't have my own vehicle anymore. I've been worried about logistics because how could I not be? R put my transportation fears to rest: the gang is used to carpooling, and has a trailer for moving the vast quantities of gear and infrastructure that we haul into the desert.
As for my smaller worries – camp dues, if any, and gasoline for the inevitable generator, etc. – it's too soon to ask about those. I'll just have to do what doesn't come naturally and take care of those questions later.
But overall, it's an experienced group of people who know what they're doing and also have fun. Hell to the yes. I'm feeling even better about this crew – Astro Shack, by name – than I felt earlier.
...I took a bus route that was new to me a loooong way south to White Center for my first Burning Man camp meeting this year. In attendance were Burner R (not to be confused with an earlier R's) and
leenerella. Neither of them are planning on going to the playa this year, but this wasn't just a meeting for planning for Burning Man; there are other Burner-flavored events various subsets of the crew are going to, some of which I'll be medically unable to attend due to surgery.It's been eight years since I went, and unlike my last several trips to The Thing In The Desert, I don't have my own vehicle anymore. I've been worried about logistics because how could I not be? R put my transportation fears to rest: the gang is used to carpooling, and has a trailer for moving the vast quantities of gear and infrastructure that we haul into the desert.
As for my smaller worries – camp dues, if any, and gasoline for the inevitable generator, etc. – it's too soon to ask about those. I'll just have to do what doesn't come naturally and take care of those questions later.
But overall, it's an experienced group of people who know what they're doing and also have fun. Hell to the yes. I'm feeling even better about this crew – Astro Shack, by name – than I felt earlier.
Some Advice for the Canadian Public Safety Minister
Feb. 21st, 2026 08:19 pmdewlineThe Canadian federal government should do for the Heritage Foundation what they did for the Proud Boys: designate them as a terrorist organization.
(Noting that I have been privately and rightly warned that this might backfire given the setting of precedent, depending on who forms government over the years and decades to come.)
(Noting that I have been privately and rightly warned that this might backfire given the setting of precedent, depending on who forms government over the years and decades to come.)
The Birds Are on Their Way Back
Feb. 21st, 2026 05:06 pmseleneheartEarlier in the week, a flock of robins and a flock of starlings descended on the small ornamental cherry (?) (I'm not so good with ornamental trees) and devoured all the remaining fruit.
For the last two days, I've heard the geese overhead and today I saw a pair scrambling at speed for the pond in the woods behind my house. I love living here so much.
I put a suet block out for the winter - the birds in Texas usually devoured it, but it looks almost completely untouched. Maybe all the birds leave? I'm still adjusting to life in the northern forest, and I don't remember enough about how it worked when I was growing up in the mountains. Surely cardinals stay all winter?
I'm planning to clean out the seed feeder and get it out tomorrow. Maybe that will be more tempting.
For the last two days, I've heard the geese overhead and today I saw a pair scrambling at speed for the pond in the woods behind my house. I love living here so much.
I put a suet block out for the winter - the birds in Texas usually devoured it, but it looks almost completely untouched. Maybe all the birds leave? I'm still adjusting to life in the northern forest, and I don't remember enough about how it worked when I was growing up in the mountains. Surely cardinals stay all winter?
I'm planning to clean out the seed feeder and get it out tomorrow. Maybe that will be more tempting.
Actual Real Life Update that is not just ranting.
Feb. 21st, 2026 02:49 pmnumb3r_5ev3n- I am currently typing this at a Panera Bread restaurant like it was 2009.
- I got a Nine Inch Nails ticket! I go next week! This is the first time I have seen NIN live since the disastrous show at Fair Park in 1995, when the opening act was The Melvins, and Trent Reznor almost didn't go on because some assholes in the pit were heckling and throwing things at The Melvins. (I was in the stands, I didn't do it.)
Someone posted about it on reddit here. And yeah, that's pretty much what happened.
- The last "goth show" and concert I went to previous to this one was the Sisters Of Mercy in October 2024. And goddamn it, we are getting old. It was like the Gothic Old Folks Home turned out for that one. I imagine I'll see a lot of familiar faces at the NIN show, too.
- I'm also going to see Carpenter Brut in May. Which is Gothic Synthwave.
- I got a Nine Inch Nails ticket! I go next week! This is the first time I have seen NIN live since the disastrous show at Fair Park in 1995, when the opening act was The Melvins, and Trent Reznor almost didn't go on because some assholes in the pit were heckling and throwing things at The Melvins. (I was in the stands, I didn't do it.)
Someone posted about it on reddit here. And yeah, that's pretty much what happened.
- The last "goth show" and concert I went to previous to this one was the Sisters Of Mercy in October 2024. And goddamn it, we are getting old. It was like the Gothic Old Folks Home turned out for that one. I imagine I'll see a lot of familiar faces at the NIN show, too.
- I'm also going to see Carpenter Brut in May. Which is Gothic Synthwave.
Books Received, February 14 — February 20
Feb. 21st, 2026 09:02 amjames_davis_nicoll
Seven books new to me. four fantasy, one horror, one ostensibly non-fiction, and one romance. Three are series. Yeah, there does seem to be a shortage of science fiction.
I had a bunch of stuff come in just after the cut-off time for these. Next week will look very different.
Books Received, February 14 — February 20
Poll #34247 Books Received, February 14 — February 20
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 43
Which of these look interesting?
View Answers
I Want You to Be Happy by Jem Calder (May 2026)
3 (7.0%)
In the Realm of the Last Man: A Memoir by Francis Fukuyama (September 2026)
5 (11.6%)
A Divided Duty: An October Daye Novel by Seanan McGuire (September 2026)
14 (32.6%)
Wickhills by Premee Mohamed (September 2026)
16 (37.2%)
Hallowed Bones: A Sons of Salem Novel by Lucy Smoke (October 2026)
2 (4.7%)
Falling for a Villainous Vampire by Charlotte Stein (October 2026)
6 (14.0%)
I Am the Monster Under the Bed: A Novel by Emily Zinnikas (September 2026)
14 (32.6%)
Some other option (see comments)
0 (0.0%)
Cats!
36 (83.7%)
Joys of Homeownership
Feb. 20th, 2026 07:28 pmhrjOn the positive side, it all got fixed within a few hours.
I've been commenting lately that I felt like my home repair budget was fairly safe because I'd replaced every significant appliance in the house at some point since I acquired the house. (Fifteen years ago. 15! Can you believe it?)
Well, I forgot about the garage door opener. But it didn't forget about me.
I'd just gotten my bike out this morning, then when I went to close the garage door behind me, it made a lot of sad noises and declined to close. Examination showed that several of the side-rollers had jumped out of their tracks. (I'd known that one was out of the track for some time, but I couldn't man-handle it back in and it didn't seem to be causing problems.)
So. This calls for professional help. But first it called for securing the critical garage contents because the door was stuck open and I live on a well-traveled street. That having been done, I went on Yelp, located a relatively local garage door repair company, and got scheduled for a window within a couple hours. OK, good sign.
I solved my anxiety about the lack of door closure by doing yard work in the front yard until the repair guy arrived.
In addition to the roller misalignment (which is now happening on both sides of the door, thanks to my efforts to get it to fail closed) the cables (which evidently get winched up by a heavy-duty spring) are tangled on the spindle rather than being neatly wound on their designated place. So the immediate problem could be solved with brute force: prying the roller track open enough to force the roller back in; disconnecting the cables and rewinding in the correct place. That was going to be about $500 labor. Ok.
But, he says, look: these cables are corroded, and one of the heavy-duty springs is rusty. Furthermore, you really should use rollers with longer shanks, because these have a risk of popping off their sockets on the door. (I'm sure my description is not helping anyone visualize this.) So, he says, I'm going to recommend you replace pretty much all the door-lifting hardware. That's going to be a couple thousand.
I wince, but I can see the truth of everything he's saying. So he goes to work on all that and gets it all back in working order. And then he says, "So, you don't have to do this, and I don't get any commission or anything if you do, but the motor on your door opener is 20 years old, it isn't really as powerful as it should be for how much you use it, and it's probably going to fail within the next couple years.
So that was a couple more thousand. But now I have a fancy garage door opener that talks to my iPhone and includes a security camera. And maybe--just maybe--now I really have replaced the last appliance that came with the house when I bought it. Unless I've forgotten something else.
I've been commenting lately that I felt like my home repair budget was fairly safe because I'd replaced every significant appliance in the house at some point since I acquired the house. (Fifteen years ago. 15! Can you believe it?)
Well, I forgot about the garage door opener. But it didn't forget about me.
I'd just gotten my bike out this morning, then when I went to close the garage door behind me, it made a lot of sad noises and declined to close. Examination showed that several of the side-rollers had jumped out of their tracks. (I'd known that one was out of the track for some time, but I couldn't man-handle it back in and it didn't seem to be causing problems.)
So. This calls for professional help. But first it called for securing the critical garage contents because the door was stuck open and I live on a well-traveled street. That having been done, I went on Yelp, located a relatively local garage door repair company, and got scheduled for a window within a couple hours. OK, good sign.
I solved my anxiety about the lack of door closure by doing yard work in the front yard until the repair guy arrived.
In addition to the roller misalignment (which is now happening on both sides of the door, thanks to my efforts to get it to fail closed) the cables (which evidently get winched up by a heavy-duty spring) are tangled on the spindle rather than being neatly wound on their designated place. So the immediate problem could be solved with brute force: prying the roller track open enough to force the roller back in; disconnecting the cables and rewinding in the correct place. That was going to be about $500 labor. Ok.
But, he says, look: these cables are corroded, and one of the heavy-duty springs is rusty. Furthermore, you really should use rollers with longer shanks, because these have a risk of popping off their sockets on the door. (I'm sure my description is not helping anyone visualize this.) So, he says, I'm going to recommend you replace pretty much all the door-lifting hardware. That's going to be a couple thousand.
I wince, but I can see the truth of everything he's saying. So he goes to work on all that and gets it all back in working order. And then he says, "So, you don't have to do this, and I don't get any commission or anything if you do, but the motor on your door opener is 20 years old, it isn't really as powerful as it should be for how much you use it, and it's probably going to fail within the next couple years.
So that was a couple more thousand. But now I have a fancy garage door opener that talks to my iPhone and includes a security camera. And maybe--just maybe--now I really have replaced the last appliance that came with the house when I bought it. Unless I've forgotten something else.
Medicare advantage, again
Feb. 20th, 2026 08:41 pmredbirdWhile I was dealing with trying to figure out whether I could see my psychiatrist, and what it would cost if so, I got an email from medicare.gov about the Medicare Advantage "open enrollment" period: anyone who enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (part C) plan at the end of the previous year can change to a different Medicare Advantage plan between January 1 and March 31st. I decided that it would be worth it to get into a PPO instead of the HMO I had somehow signed up for, even though it means I'll be starting over on the annual out-of-pocket maximums for prescription drugs and for medical care generally. I put the application in this afternoon, and was told the process might take 10 days, but I also think it's supposed to be effective the first day of the month after I requested the change. My confirmation email from Medicare says the plan will notify me after they verify my information and confirm my enrollment, so I will wait and see.
Fortunately, I can afford to do this, rather than having to find new specialists who are in that stupid HMO's network, or spend large amounts to see my current doctors. (Switching now is expensive because I take one very expensive drug, the Kesimpta.)
Fortunately, I can afford to do this, rather than having to find new specialists who are in that stupid HMO's network, or spend large amounts to see my current doctors. (Switching now is expensive because I take one very expensive drug, the Kesimpta.)
PSA: archive.today not trustworthy
Feb. 20th, 2026 04:15 pmredbirdWikipedia has blacklisted the site archive.today a.k.a. archive.is, .li, .ph, .fo, .md, and .vn), because Wikipedia editors discovered that the pseudonymous owners of the site were altering some archived pages. The alterations inserted the name of a blogger that the pseudonymous person who runs archive.today has a grudge against, because the blogger speculated about their identity.
Wikipedia editors were already debating whether to blacklist the site, after discovering it was being used in a distributed denial-of-service attack against that same blogger. The argument for blacklisting the site was straightforward: archive.today captchas were running malicious code on people's computers. The argument against was that it would be difficult to replace hundreds of thousands of links, an argument that made sense only as long as the saved websites were considered trustworthy.
My decidedly non-expert hunch is that using the site to look at static content behind a paywall is probably safe unless the site asks you to complete a captcha.
Wikipedia editors were already debating whether to blacklist the site, after discovering it was being used in a distributed denial-of-service attack against that same blogger. The argument for blacklisting the site was straightforward: archive.today captchas were running malicious code on people's computers. The argument against was that it would be difficult to replace hundreds of thousands of links, an argument that made sense only as long as the saved websites were considered trustworthy.
My decidedly non-expert hunch is that using the site to look at static content behind a paywall is probably safe unless the site asks you to complete a captcha.
Book Bingo: B1 | Nonfiction | Entangled Life
Feb. 20th, 2026 11:51 amseleneheartEntangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake
Blurb:
This is the February read for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
bookclub_dw so I'm going to reserve most of my review for the discussion post over there. But I will say that this is one of the more wild and entertaining journeys I've been on in a long time! Well worth the read!!!
Blurb:
When we think of fungi, we likely think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight, yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that supports and sustains nearly all living systems. Fungi provide a key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel, and behave.
In Entangled Life, the brilliant young biologist Merlin Sheldrake shows us the world from a fungal point of view, providing an exhilarating change of perspective. Sheldrake's vivid exploration takes us from yeast to psychedelics, to the fungi that range for miles underground and are the largest organisms on the planet, to those that link plants together in complex networks known as the "Wood Wide Web," to those that infiltrate and manipulate insect bodies with devastating precision.
Fungi throw our concepts of individuality and even intelligence into question. They are metabolic masters, earth makers, and key players in most of life's processes. They can change our minds, heal our bodies, and even help us remediate environmental disaster. By examining fungi on their own terms, Sheldrake reveals how these extraordinary organisms--and our relationships with them--are changing our understanding of how life works.
This is the February read for
bookclub_dw so I'm going to reserve most of my review for the discussion post over there. But I will say that this is one of the more wild and entertaining journeys I've been on in a long time! Well worth the read!!!
of drinks & dollars
Feb. 20th, 2026 07:01 amsistawendyDrinks with the latex folks. We three trans women ended up in the corner together. I didn't have a good view of the sweet young(er) things in their shinery finery, but I did laugh a lot. Je ne regrette rien.
The bus location seems to be unusually imprecise lately. This meant running to catch one, which makes a little latex dress ride up. Good thing it was cold and I was wearing a long, puffy coat.
Got tax refund. Nuked debt and banked the rest because I have a funny feeling I need to keep my powder dry. Never mind how I feel about giving a zero-interest loan to this particular "administration"; you bet your butt I itemize deductions.
The bus location seems to be unusually imprecise lately. This meant running to catch one, which makes a little latex dress ride up. Good thing it was cold and I was wearing a long, puffy coat.
Got tax refund. Nuked debt and banked the rest because I have a funny feeling I need to keep my powder dry. Never mind how I feel about giving a zero-interest loan to this particular "administration"; you bet your butt I itemize deductions.
The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho
Feb. 20th, 2026 09:10 amjames_davis_nicoll
A successful businesswoman has the opportunity of a lifetime offered to her, only to have an old friend greatly complicate matters.
The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho
Star Wars Fic and Meta - From All The Spaces Between Times - Chapter 72
Feb. 19th, 2026 05:16 pmelrhiarhodanTitle: From All The Spaces Between Times
Chapter: Chapter 72 — And the World Sensed Us There, With Empathy
Author:elrhiarhodan / ![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
elrhiarhodan / ![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
elrhiarhodan
Fandom: Star Wars, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars — Obi Wan Kenobi (TV), Star Wars — Jedi Apprentice Books
Characters Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Shmi Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker, The Force as a Sentient Character, Watto, Quinlan Vos, Padmé Amidala, Sabé, Darth Maul, Yoda, Mace Windu, Adi Gallia, Quinlan Vos, Professor Huyang, The Force, Plo Koon, Vokara Che, Siri Tachi, Aayla Secura, Bant Eerin, Bruck Chun, Xanatos du Crion, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious, Hego Damask II | Darth Plagueis, Komari Vosa, Bail Prestor Organa, Breha Organa, Bail Antilles Prestor, Rael Averross, Nim Piana, Ahsoka Tano, Sifo-Dyas, Reva Sevander, Lene Kostana (mentioned), Savage Opress, Pong Krell, The Traitor, Original Characters, Other Characters To Be Added
Pairings: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Shmi Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Qui-Gon Jinn, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon Jinn (yes, we’re arrived). Bail Prestor Organa/Breha Organa
Word Count: ~ 5000 this chapter
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: Possible eating disorder (Obi-Wan), Ideation of child murder, Graphic description of vomiting (Quinlan Vos)
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi has never known it, but he has always been the Force’s Champion, destined to suffer infinite sadness in defense of the Light. On his last turn on the wheel, responsibility for The Chosen One, the false child of prophecy, had been thrust upon him with no warning, and Darkness held the upper hand.
But this time, the Force has marshaled its power and will protect its Champion until the time is right, no matter how long Obi-Wan has to wait and how much he has to suffer.
Or,
Obi-Wan is reborn as a twelve-year old.
He wakes up on a slavers’ ship, with all of his prior life’s memories intact, and he’s bound for Tatooine with a Force-inhibitor collar around his neck, a bomb implanted in his spine, and no way of knowing what state of the Galaxy is in.
Just another day in the life of the Force’s Champion.
Chapter Summary: Naboo is not an easy place for Obi-Wan. He struggles to put away the old memories of tragedy and mistake, and succeeds, if for no other reason than the imminent arrival of Quinlan Vos and what they are going to uncover inside Master Yoda’s ship.
From All The Spaces Between Times: Chapter 72 — And the World Sensed Us There, With Empathy (On AO3)
( Meta — And the World Sensed Us There, With Empathy )
Chapter: Chapter 72 — And the World Sensed Us There, With Empathy
Author:
elrhiarhodan / Fandom: Star Wars, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars — Obi Wan Kenobi (TV), Star Wars — Jedi Apprentice Books
Characters Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Shmi Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker, The Force as a Sentient Character, Watto, Quinlan Vos, Padmé Amidala, Sabé, Darth Maul, Yoda, Mace Windu, Adi Gallia, Quinlan Vos, Professor Huyang, The Force, Plo Koon, Vokara Che, Siri Tachi, Aayla Secura, Bant Eerin, Bruck Chun, Xanatos du Crion, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious, Hego Damask II | Darth Plagueis, Komari Vosa, Bail Prestor Organa, Breha Organa, Bail Antilles Prestor, Rael Averross, Nim Piana, Ahsoka Tano, Sifo-Dyas, Reva Sevander, Lene Kostana (mentioned), Savage Opress, Pong Krell, The Traitor, Original Characters, Other Characters To Be Added
Pairings: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Shmi Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Qui-Gon Jinn, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon Jinn (yes, we’re arrived). Bail Prestor Organa/Breha Organa
Word Count: ~ 5000 this chapter
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: Possible eating disorder (Obi-Wan), Ideation of child murder, Graphic description of vomiting (Quinlan Vos)
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi has never known it, but he has always been the Force’s Champion, destined to suffer infinite sadness in defense of the Light. On his last turn on the wheel, responsibility for The Chosen One, the false child of prophecy, had been thrust upon him with no warning, and Darkness held the upper hand.
But this time, the Force has marshaled its power and will protect its Champion until the time is right, no matter how long Obi-Wan has to wait and how much he has to suffer.
Or,
Obi-Wan is reborn as a twelve-year old.
He wakes up on a slavers’ ship, with all of his prior life’s memories intact, and he’s bound for Tatooine with a Force-inhibitor collar around his neck, a bomb implanted in his spine, and no way of knowing what state of the Galaxy is in.
Just another day in the life of the Force’s Champion.
Chapter Summary: Naboo is not an easy place for Obi-Wan. He struggles to put away the old memories of tragedy and mistake, and succeeds, if for no other reason than the imminent arrival of Quinlan Vos and what they are going to uncover inside Master Yoda’s ship.
From All The Spaces Between Times: Chapter 72 — And the World Sensed Us There, With Empathy (On AO3)
( Meta — And the World Sensed Us There, With Empathy )
Tags:
- character: aayla secura,
- character: adi gallia,
- character: agrippa aldrete,
- character: ahsoka tano,
- character: anakin skywalker,
- character: antilles prestor,
- character: bail prestor,
- character: bant eerin,
- character: breha organa,
- character: bruck chun,
- character: cin drallig,
- character: darth maul,
- character: darth plagueis,
- character: darth sidious,
- character: dooku,
- character: force kittens,
- character: hego damask ii,
- character: komari vosa,
- character: mace windu,
- character: nim pianna,
- character: obi-wan kenobi,
- character: original characters,
- character: padme amidala,
- character: plo koon,
- character: pong krell,
- character: professor huyang,
- character: quarsh panaka,
- character: qui-gon jinn,
- character: quinlan vos,
- character: rael averross,
- character: reva sevander,
- character: rori the force avatar,
- character: sabe,
- character: saja edea,
- character: savage opress,
- character: sheev palpatine,
- character: shmi skywalker,
- character: sifo-dyas,
- character: siri tachi,
- character: the force,
- character: the traitor,
- character: vokara che,
- character: watto,
- character: xanatos du crion,
- character: yaddle,
- character: yoda,
- genre: alternative universe,
- genre: angst,
- genre: hurt/comfort,
- genre: jedi culture,
- genre: padawan culture,
- genre: reunion,
- genre: slavefic,
- genre: temple culture,
- genre: time travel,
- meme: dvd commentary,
- movie: star wars,
- movie: star wars — tpm,
- type: fan fiction,
- type: longfic,
- type: meta,
- year: 2026
All Regulations Are Written in Blood
Feb. 19th, 2026 12:10 pmjames_davis_nicollTTRPG campaign idea.
PCs are field agents in charge of finding and dealing with arcane occupational safety violations. That six-sided summoning pentagram? Flagged. That storeroom where the universal solvent is next to the lemonade? Flagged.
That deadly-trap-filled dungeon abandoned by its creator when the maintenance fees got too high? Red tagged.
This isn't the same as my recent FabUlt campaign. That was about discouraging the worst excesses in a world run by oligarch mages and there weren't really regulations. This would be set in a regulatory state, and would be more an exploration of normalization of deviance.
PCs are field agents in charge of finding and dealing with arcane occupational safety violations. That six-sided summoning pentagram? Flagged. That storeroom where the universal solvent is next to the lemonade? Flagged.
That deadly-trap-filled dungeon abandoned by its creator when the maintenance fees got too high? Red tagged.
This isn't the same as my recent FabUlt campaign. That was about discouraging the worst excesses in a world run by oligarch mages and there weren't really regulations. This would be set in a regulatory state, and would be more an exploration of normalization of deviance.
Reading Wednesday, Yes I Know It Is Thursday
Feb. 19th, 2026 11:09 amoracneThe Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones is gory historical horror set in 1912 Montana that's in conversation with Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. More importantly, it's both narrative and meta-narrative about settler colonialism and the genocide Americans perpetrated against the indigenous inhabitants of the American West, viewed through a lens of revenge, survival, and atonement. Finally, it shows a long, difficult attempt at justice, requiring sacrifice and suffering along the way.
This review contains spoilers.
( Read more... )
For those not well-versed in American history, An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz would be good preparation for this novel, or as a readalong.
This review contains spoilers.
( Read more... )
For those not well-versed in American history, An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz would be good preparation for this novel, or as a readalong.