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volunteer post

February reccers volunteer post

This entry will be open through the 31st. The February reccers post will go up sometime on Sunday.

Comment with the username you'll be using to rec and the category you want. Choose a category from the list below or select a more rare category that has been used in the past. If you want to rec a category that is not on the list below or in Memories, that's fine, too: you may volunteer for a category that isn't listed.

By signing up, you are committing yourself to reccing at least two (preferably four) stories in that category during the month of February. You don't have to check the Memories before choosing which stories to rec. If you have a good fic to rec, go for it! Do remember, though, that story links must be freely accessible, without requiring any sort of login to view. The FAQ and rec template, with detailed instructions, can be found here. Reccers may add self-recs once they have done their minimum two for their category of the month, and see more details at the FAQ entry.

You must be a member of

stargateficrec in order to post. So if you're a new reccer, be sure to join the community.

( Common but not exclusive categories )

Remember: first come, first claimed! And if you're not sure if you want to sign up... well, it's still Open Reccers Month, so why not give it a try in the time that's left? :)

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Little Mushroom by Yi Shi Si Zhou, book 2

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Current Mood: restless
Current Music: Alanis Morissette - Uninvited

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snowflake 2k26 #14-15

Snowflake Challenge: A close up shot of an owl ornament hanging amidst pine boughs..

Challenge #14
In your own space, create a promo and/or rec list for someone new to a fandom. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it and include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I compiled recs for a few of my fandoms for challenge #4, but I wanted to do something slightly different.

My main fandom right now is, and has been for a while, DC comics. The world of DC is vast and pretty much everyone knows one corner or another within it, but a lot of people find comics specifically hard to get into. So I thought I'd make a list of some runs or story arcs I enjoyed!

These aren't comprehensive, or a How To Get Into Comics primer. I'm not an expert, and I have read more of certain group of characters (Bats) than others, even if I want to expand. Here I've mostly tried to make a lists of comics you can read on their own without getting too turned around.

I keep recommending Wonder Woman: Historia, but it's for good reason. It has only three issues (there were supposed to be more, and there might be at some point, but as it is, the story stands on its own). It tells the story of the Amazons, how they came to be, how Hippolyta became their queen, and how Themyscira was born. It does a lot of interesting thing with the concept of narratives (who they serve, how they're twisted), with a solid feminist stance that often feels missing from Wonder Woman comics, especially recent ones.

The above rec stands on its own, as I said, but I personally think my experience was enhanced by reading Wonder Woman (1987) #1, another Amazons-origin story that clearly inspired. And although I hesitate to recommend ongoing stories, and I don't trust that the universe this one is set in won't become its own mess sooner rather than later lol, Absolute Wonder Woman is pretty good and feels like it's in conversation with Historia. If you like the miniseries, you might want to check it out.

Another Wonder Woman comic I'd recommend, since I'm here, it's Wonder Woman: The Once And Future Story by Trina Robbins. It's a one-shot that deals with domestic violence, and it's very 80s at times, but solid, and impactful.

Webtoons are a very accessible way to get into comics, and maybe I should've started with these xDD. A lot of people know Wayne Family Adventures, but it's not my favourite, and in recent years it's abandoned their vignette structure in favour of year-long plots in a way I feel does it no favours. The ones I REALLY liked were Zatanna & The Ripper and Vixen: NYC. They have a plot tying them together but they're complete, and they are about less-known characters and include some secondary ones that really shine. In the first one, Zatanna is thrown into the 19th century and has to fight the mysterious, famous serial killer, and in the second one, Mari moves to NYC for college and discovers a lot about her heritage and her powers. The first one includes Constantine, and the second one has Anissa Pierce and Grace Choi as supporting cast (they might sound familiar if you watched Black Lightning), as well as Beast Boy, for example.

Far Sector (#1-12) by N.K. Jemisin is another good rec. I feel I know just the basics of Green Lantern lore, but this comic works at being self-explanatory, putting us in a new world and showing us its specific rules. It does some interesting things with its sci-fi setting and with its lead character, who I hope I read more about sooner rather than later. Sojourner "Jo" Mullein, the lead, is the Green Lantern in the Absolute universe, as far as I know, but I have my misgivings about that 'verse outside of Wonder Woman and I haven't jumped into it.

Greg Rucka is one of the most solid comic authors out there, and one that's easier to recommend than my other faves because it feels like SOME of his work is more approachable/self-explanatory lol. There are a lot of things I could rec but for this purpose, I'll go with Gotham Central. It's longer than the recs above (40 issues), and sometimes it touches on events surrounding it at the time, but I think it can be read on its own because the whole point of it is that Batman is in the background, a looming thread or suspicious ally, and not a central figure. It focuses on the police force, with all it entails, but it's good writing and it has some amazing story arcs, especially for Renee Montoya.

Oracle: Year One (in Batman Chronicles #5). If you never read a Bat-related story other than this one in your life, that'd be fine by me lol. This should be longer than one (1) story, not even full-length, in an anthology series, but alas, DC is DC. Still. An absolute must-read, with Barbara coming out of the other end of the Joker's attack. As we all know what happens in The Killing Joke (and that barely focuses on Barbara, lbr), it's unnecessary to revisit it in order to read OY1.

Barda by Ngozi Ukazu. It's a YA comic, auto-conclusive. I have not read much (yet) about New Gods, Apokolips and so on, and yet that never detracted from it. It feels like a good way to dip your toe into that side of the comics, which sometimes feels intimidating, and it has a very moving storyline featuring both love and resistance, with a couple that has caught my eye before due to how they seem to defying the usual gender roles.

Green Lantern/Green Arrow (#1-7). This is the "Hard Traveling Heroes" arc some people might've heard about, where the two characters embark on a road trip across the USA and deal with The Issues plaguing it at the time. It is VERY 70s, in many ways, but I appreciate its candor and its gumption. It includes the introduction of John Stewart, which would be pretty fucking revolutionary today (as comics now are very defanged about racial issues in particular, IMO), and Roy Harper's addiction backstory.

Devin Grayson is one of my favourite comic authors, but I'm bad at sussing out how accessible she is, as her stories are deeply entrenched in What I Know Best lol. I feel like her Gotham Knights series might be a better fit for this list, but I haven't read it as a run, instead picking specific issues that crossed with one story arc or another. So I will instead recommend her Catwoman run, which stands on its own and indulges in my favourite version of the character --not the more heroic one, but the weirdo misanthrope thief with commitment issues who thrived when challenged LOL. The specific issues you'd have to read are from Catwoman (1993), #54-71. She also wrote the Annual #4 (before issue #54) and #1000000 (before #63), but those are separate from that run and its plots. One thing I really appreciate from this run is how largely absent Batman is from it, allowing Selina to develop outside of that romance.

Black Lightning: Year One. Only six-issues long, it show us the origins of Jefferson Pierce. It's a light, enjoyable read, and I'd recommend it on its own (+ it has a good portrayal of Talia al Ghul absent in most other comics of its time, which I appreciate!). But I admit I have an agenda when I recommend it... it's because I think it'll make the next installment on the list more understandable for beginners xDD

The Other History of the DC Universe. This 5-issues mini-series is not a really good fit on this list, but it's one of the best and bravest comics written in this decade and I must recommend it because of it. It expands on important events in the main continuity of comics, specifically those of the post-crisis era (1987-2011), aka my preferred continuity. But with a big difference: it centers the perspective of heroes of colour, giving them voices (and quite critical at that!) and portraying them as complex, full people, with their own shades of grey. It makes a lot of people uncomfortable for it, and for how it doesn't shy away from criticising fan-favourite white heroes, but that's precisely why I love it: it's not trying to appease people or to flatten events and characterisation. The first issue is narrated by Jefferson Pierce, aka Black Lightning, and the last issue by Anissa Pierce, his lesbian daughter. #4 is about Renee Montoya. As you see, some of the previous rec will make you more familiar with them, but I only know the other characters (Mal and Karen in #2, and Tatsu in #3) more superficially and I still found those issues impactful, so YMMV.

And because I am who I am, I must close this list recommending something about Jason Todd. One day I will make a list featuring ALL the Jason comics I think are worth reading, in the order I'd personally think best, full of asterisks and amendments. But for now, I'll settle for what I think ought to be the first thing one should read about him: Batman #408-411. AKA, his origin story in the post-crisis continuity. Everything else ought to come after that. And it's a good starting point not only for him, but for the Batman mythos at large, as it sets the tone for that new continuity and gives us information about backstories/where the characters are at now.

Challenge #15
How Did the Fandom Snowflake Challenge Go? Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.

Well, the part of me that struggles to be Organised, something that doesn't come easily LOL, is a bit miffed that this year I didn't manage to post every entry on its "correct" date xD, but I'm trying not to listen to that part! I did complete the challenge, and I got to talk to a lot of people and add new friends thanks to it. I'm not asking for anything more. Hopefully, even if it won't be as active after the challenge, I'll still find those things in DW!

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fandom: heated rivalry

Hockey Magazine Portraits by judestlispenard (SFW)

Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Characters/Pairing/Other Subject: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
Content Notes/Warnings: none
Medium: digital art
Artist on DW/LJ: n/a
Artist Website/Gallery: judestlispenard on tumblr
Why this piece is awesome: A gorgeous double portrait on the cover of an imaginary hockey magazine - really good likenesses, and they got Ilya's eye colour right! (none of this "his piercing blue eyes" crap). Beautiful work, and a cute snippet of their dialogue below.
Link: Hockey Magazine Portraits, backup link here

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"Not really pacing check" continuing + mindset

The few notes I took during my not-really-pacing-check aren't taking as long as the previous chunky edits to integrate (THANK GOD), which means I'm also speed-running through my Having Feelings About The Manuscript cycle... *sigh* I was taking a few notes for a post as I went (seeing how much better it is than before! happy feelings!) but I've already moved on from happy to things to be sad/disappointed about.

Audience: "Wow, you're about 70% into the manuscript and thinking it's bad? Is this where we're supposed to act surprised???"

Like, it does help to know that I literally go through this cycle every time whether writing or editing, but the feelings are still being felt and kind of suck regardless T_T

Here's what the voice at the back of my mind says:

You're enjoying the story because you can see that it's better "than before" but that doesn't mean it's good. It'll probably still look like baby's crappy first draft to someone coming in fresh. You've also had over 2 years to get used to the worst flaws, the ones that can't be fixed because they are load-bearing in the story.

Anyway!

As always the first couple of days were a bit rough while I adjusted to a new way of doing things. I've landed on: I take the written down squiggled notes I made and add them as comments to my Scrivener file (unless they're super straightforward/require 0 thinking, then I just make the change). Then I go through these comments scene by scene, deleting them as I integrate the feedback. In my BuJo I have many many little boxes for every scene that I can tick when I'm done :D Each chapter is about 4-6 scenes so it helps with giving a sense of progress and make the process feel a bit less overwhelming. I do love my ticky boxes.

Vaguely considering adding chapter titles because a few chapters would really benefit, but some others are more awkward and I don't know that I really want to have to find 10+ more titles /o\

I'm still writing ficlets here and there as a pressure valve from editing :D However, there's a mindset thing I'm noticing that I don't like at all:

Me about to write fic: "This should be FUN! If it's not FUN, then you failed!! :D"
Me about to write origfic: "This should be GOOD! If it's not GOOD, then you failed!! D:"

I don't like that. It should all be fun, like, I should always slip into writing mode with a lighter spirit. I don't want my own worlds to feel like a chore, full of associated pressure. So, something I'll definitely want to address, though I'm not too sure how yet.

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not quite 365 day meme january

Not quite 365 days questions meme. 30th

30. In 1873, Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne was published in France. Have you read the book or seen any of the films?

No I have read this but I did watch the movie. Many years ago. Did everyone read the book? What did you think of it?

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Infinite Rivals - The 13th Struggle (Luxord)

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fandom snowflake: 2016

Snoflake Challenge 2026 #15: Five Stars

Last call for this year's

snowflake_challenge, and, it's a bit like all the things asking us to rate and review them with our time.

Challenge #15

How Did the Fandom Snowflake Challenge Go?

I intend to keep going back and checking out entries when I'm not doing something else, and leaving comments, and trying to build that community and see interesting things that people have posted. It probably won't go that quickly, and I may not make it all the way through in a timely manner. But I'll try.

( It was fine, which is not a complaint. )

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Vid Recs: Heated Rivalry

Seven vid recs for Heated Rivalry. (I cant figure out how to make a public post to my own journal, so I'm copying these here).

RUN BOY RUN [VID] Queerness Makes Queerness Possible by nordreys
Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV)
Rating: Mature

Warnings:

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Kip Grady/Scott Hunter, Shane Hollander & Scott Hunter, Scott Hunter & Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander & Ilya Rozanov
Characters: Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Scott Hunter (Game Changers), Kip Grady, Rose Landry, Svetlana Vetrova, Yuna Hollander, David Hollander
Additional Tags: queer syntax is infinite, queerness makes queerness possible, Hockey, Romance, the closet, Social Media, Representation, Love, Accidental Outing, Driving Into The Sunset
Series: Part 6 of vids
Summary:

queer syntax is infinite. queerness makes queerness possible.

being gay and being a hockey player and the years in between until something helps you realize change is possible.

Naked In Manhattan by sisabet
Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV)
Rating: Mature
Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
Characters: Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov
Additional Tags: POV Shane Hollander, First Time, Fanvids, Video Format: Streaming
Summary:

Shane experiences a series of firsts.

[vid] Blow by bingeling
Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV)
Rating: Mature
Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
Additional Tags: POV Shane Hollander, Sub Shane Hollander, Closeted Characters, Physical Triggers, Embedded Video, Captions Available, Download Available, Fanvids, Video Format: MP4, Video Format: Streaming
Summary:

You taste like cigarettes

[VID] 11:11 (16 words) by Nestra
Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV)
Rating: Mature
Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
Characters: Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov
Additional Tags: Video, Embedded Video, Download Available, Subtitles Available, Canon-Typical Everything
Series: Part 20 of Vids by Nestra, Part 31 of Creator's Favorites
Summary:

I knew from the beginning.

Fine Not Fine [Vid] by jennavids
Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
Characters: Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov
Additional Tags: Fanvids
Summary:

and I've never been myself, I just follow orders

[A Hollanov video set to Fine Not Fine by Spector]

[Vid/Edit] Pilot With a Fear of Heights by technicallyverycowboy
Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
Characters: Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov
Additional Tags: Fanvids, shane "brave little toaster" hollander
Summary:

I've been thinking 'bout you all night
Like a pilot with a fear of heights

is it ever gonna be enough? [vid] by copperiisulfate
Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
Characters: Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander
Additional Tags: Fanvids, Video, Embedded Video
Summary:

a relationship study of sorts through the first season of the series

Current Mood: blah
Current Music: "Paradise City" ~ Guns N' Roses

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Book 10, 2026

Heart of Scone: A Culinary Murder Morsel (Placid Harbor Cozy Mystery Book 1)

Heart of Scone: A Culinary Murder Morsel by Allen Henry

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

View all my reviews

I finished an ebook last night: Heart of Scone by Allen Henry. It’s the first in the “Placid Harbor” series of cozy mysteries. The main character is Harriet, who owns and operates a bakery/cafe on the Oregon coast.

At the town’s annual fundraiser, one of Placid Harbor’s troublemakers is shot and killed. The police immediately arrest the man whose gun was found at the scene, but Harriet is convinced Gus is innocent. Even the victim’s estranged wife doesn’t believe Gus killed Jesse. Curious, Harriet begins asking questions around town, and when she gets contradicting stories in return, she realizes there is more going on than anyone imagined.

The book’s blurb made it sound far more interesting than it was. In reality, it was a confusing jumble.
( Spoilers! )

Favorite lines:
♦ “It’s funny how you can get so used to something that you don’t notice it any more.”

In short, too many characters to keep track of, plot had precious little cohesion, and very little made any sense. Two stars, which is about half a point more than this deserved.

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2026 snowflake challenge

2026 Snowflake Challenge 15: How did it go?

Snowflake Challenge 15: How did it go?

I had a great deal of fun. I agree with others that posting the daily prompts late, it slowed me down. But I had a wonderful time. I met a lot of new people, learned much about fandoms I'm not used to and enjoyed all of the challenges. I think we should have one in July. Hahaha. It was that fun.

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dctv

(no subject)

Watched episode 2 of Constantine.

Already they used the idea Evil Romani Magic.
*sigh*
... they used the other word for it too.

A solid should do better.

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community: thursday recs

Thursday Recs

Got time for some more Thursday Recs?

Do you have a rec for this week? Just reply to this post with something queer or queer-adjacent (such as, soap made by a queer person that isn't necessarily queer themed) that you'd, well, recommend. Self-recs are welcome, as are recs for fandom-related content!

Or have you tried something that's been recced here? Do you have your own report to share about it? I'd love to hear about it!

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Snowflake Challenge Day15

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Current Mood: giggly
Current Music: nothing now

Mach it happen.

Challenge #14

In your own space, create a promo and/or rec list for someone new to a fandom. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it and include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

You've probably heard of Top Gun at this point. Yes, you - the generic you, the one reading this post right now. I'd be more surprised if it hasn't come up at this point, given the cultural footprint the movies hold, to the point that the first one was considered significant enough to be included in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry and the second one played in movie theaters for over six months in a time when that's practically unthinkable because people kept buying tickets. But maybe you haven't seen it. No shame in that. Maybe you know it's not for you. I can't speak to your tastes. Then again, maybe you're not sure. Maybe you need some enticement. Maybe you need to be told that it's more or less American live-action anime, down to having beach episodes. Maybe you need more than that.

Might I offer a homoerotic volleyball montage, voted "best movie scene" three years in a row by Suck magazine, a fact that made the director tremendously proud?

What about Val Kilmer snapping his teeth at Tom Cruise, a moment he confirmed was improvised?

How about one actor sneaking porn onto set and playing it during a scene, creating the conditions for someone to say "This gives me a hard on" and for someone else to respond "Don't tease me" and for that moment to be included in the final cut?

Were you aware that the first movie's aesthetic was largely inspired by Bruce Weber, noted gay photographer?

How about that for all its endorsement by the US military, it manages to be astonishingly gay by 1986 and contemporary standards, with Kilmer himself being the first Iceman/Maverick shipper?

Would it please you to know that between Top Gun Maverick and the Mission Impossible movies, combined with all the cumulative explosions from his movies, Tom Cruise qualifies as a Dekahelen?

Possibly you'd enjoy knowing that the sequel is a surprisingly somber meditation on aging, loss, regret, and reconciliation in addition to all the thrills of the practical stuntwork?

Or that together, both movies total just over four hours' runtime so it's not even a big commitment, and that all four of those hours are full of beautifully composed scenes and shots?

Maybe you've made up your mind a while ago. I'm cool with that. But if you haven't and you're willing to give it a shot, drop me a line and I can hook you up, no streaming services required.

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

Current Mood: contemplative

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prompts: prompt tables

100 Women Prompt Table

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Current Mood: full

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Snowflake Challenge 2026 #15

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dreamwidth: community thursday

Community Thursday

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Current Mood: accomplished

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challenge: snowflake challenge

Snowflake Challenge #15

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historical

Small Stuff

I seem to be the respository for old papers in various lines of descent. None of them worth a damn, except their voices are such a joy to "hear". But on recent visit my daughter asked for the little iron box containing her great-grandfather's letters from WW I.

Jack Murray was a typical nineteen year old and it comes across so clearly. He joined the army early on, and was shipped from CA to Florida to base camp. There, they went around asking if anyone was familiar with automobiles. He said he fooled around with them, as many Los Angeles boys did.

They yanked him out of infantry and put him in the nascent motor pool, before shipping them off to France. The ship journey, their arrival in France, and the rapid development of Motor Transport is fascinating to read from his ground-level perspective. After the war, he was one of the last to leave France, as he was vital for the transport system.

My daughter commended on how very, very earnest he was about his longing to marry Great Granny (then seventeen or eighteen) RIGHT NOW. Also, she commented on the slang of the day. Everything was a peach. A peach of a car, a peach of a trip, a peach of a meal. She was a peach of a girl!

Next Ihope she wants to read the letters of a great-great grandfather through her grandfather's line--these beautifully written copperplate letters from California right after the gold rush, through a quake, and a riot . . .

(no subject)

* I am excited to watch the Kraken game tonight, especially since it should be a Joey start... but I have D&D tonight so no hockey watching.

* I just leveled my character and had to redo all my pages of combat notes... I will never not hate how D&D chooses to lay out information across their books in a way that makes you need to check multiple chapters to get all the info. People are like 'GURPS is such a complicated system!' No, it's not. The basic calculations are in numerical format and we have charts. D&D info is a word problem with the words spread out between pages 15 and 293.

* IDK what is going on with the Conjuring House right now. There is a typically fairly drama-loving clickbaity youtuber who was covering it, and in the absence of my usual sources I decided to watch his update... and his update was that the matter had devolved into so much doxxing and doing illegitimate copyright strikes and stuff that he's noping out of covering it for the time being. Jason Hawes did a video a bit ago not saying the full situation, but pointing out that a lot of other people's takes were fundamentally wrong. So, I am just going to go by whether he says anything or not until this resolves. I am sure enough that the doxxing, strikes, trying to drag in family members, etc does Not come from Jason's camp, it's against his. I am curious if it's coming from the Rife camp, but what it would take to look into with all of my known sources deciding it's too hot to touch... yeah, I've got better things to do with my time.

Just going to hope to wake up one day to the news that Jason got the house.

* Because I need someone not HR/hockey in my media diet to avoid burning out hard, I'm going to start a new Scarlet Hollow playthrough. Hopefully, the next chapter will be out by the time I get there. (It's a chaptered visual novel about going to town in Appalachia your family came from. Spooky, amazing, fantastic, but accounting for the very many possible branching paths means the final chapters are taking a bit. Chapter 5 of 7 should be out soonish, tho)

I need to decide what traits to do, because even though I have a couple of saves this will likely be the one I roll into the new content with.