The Receipts Are Paywalled
Mar. 22nd, 2026 03:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elfThere is Drama going around in the indie TTRPG community. Some people accuse a game designer of being a jerk, a cheat (someone who doesn't pay contractors, not someone involved in relationship shenanigans), a liar, and weaponizing their fame to harass other people in the community.
Others say the above comments are nothing but hate-speech aimed at a person of a marginalized identity, and this person has written great works and brings creativity and fresh insights to the community at large.
I'd love to figure out which is true, or if they both have elements of truth.
The details are apparently covered in a Rascal article, possibly some posts at Medium, and of course, in multiple Discords. If I joined the right ones, I might be able to find out who actually said what. (I will not be joining any Discords over this.)
I can confirm:
• Creator in question has written some amazing stuff, not only much-lauded but also unique improvements to the TTRPG-sphere
• People I respect (but do not know personally) are calling aforementioned creator a scoundrel and abuser
( My analysis )
Others say the above comments are nothing but hate-speech aimed at a person of a marginalized identity, and this person has written great works and brings creativity and fresh insights to the community at large.
I'd love to figure out which is true, or if they both have elements of truth.
The details are apparently covered in a Rascal article, possibly some posts at Medium, and of course, in multiple Discords. If I joined the right ones, I might be able to find out who actually said what. (I will not be joining any Discords over this.)
I can confirm:
• Creator in question has written some amazing stuff, not only much-lauded but also unique improvements to the TTRPG-sphere
• People I respect (but do not know personally) are calling aforementioned creator a scoundrel and abuser
( My analysis )
The Missing Middle
Mar. 21st, 2026 12:13 amelfFound a nice gaming article on Bluesky (Three Tiers of RPG Publishing), which led me to another article, which I found insightful and clever (and a bit sad, as accurate talk about economics these days tends to be), and then hit the bit that blew my mind.
They Killed Normal and Called It Progress: "Julia Roberts, Applebee's, Bandcamp, your manager, and the death of everything in between. (Also, Sweetgreen is the A24 of dining and I will die on this hill.)"
( It's amazing that it doesn't get boring because it truly is the same damn pattern )
They Killed Normal and Called It Progress: "Julia Roberts, Applebee's, Bandcamp, your manager, and the death of everything in between. (Also, Sweetgreen is the A24 of dining and I will die on this hill.)"
Have you noticed that the middle is gone from everything? Restaurants, companies, careers, music, retail, the economy itself. What replaced it is a barbell: one enormous weight on each end, nothing in the center, and most of us trying not to get crushed by the bar.That's not the mind-blowing part. That's the thesis, the baseline, the part that he spends half of the ~3000 word essay explaining, giving examples of, making neat comparisons across different industries.
And the replacement does look better every single time, I grant you that. The A24 film is better than the $40 million adult drama from 2007, yeah, we can all agree on that. The Sweetgreen bowl is better than the Applebee’s chicken parm, sure. Your favorite Substack is sharper than the mid-list magazine that folded in 2019. Every replacement is a genuine upgrade. But every replacement serves fewer and fewer people.
( It's amazing that it doesn't get boring because it truly is the same damn pattern )
What's Making Me Happy Today: Sew into You (2025)
Mar. 20th, 2026 05:08 pmdelphiContinuing the queer short film recs, thanks to muscle_wizard sharing this one in my last post:
An older woman with a crush on someone in her circle approaches her younger co-worker for advice on how to ask out another woman for the first time. This really got me—charming and moving at the same time.
muscle_wizard sharing this one in my last post:An older woman with a crush on someone in her circle approaches her younger co-worker for advice on how to ask out another woman for the first time. This really got me—charming and moving at the same time.
What's Making Me Happy Today: Dandelion (2025)
Mar. 19th, 2026 07:56 pmdelphiDandelion is a very sweet short film starring Ava Lalezarzadeh as Margaret, a queer teen in the foster care system in the 1970s, and Vic Michaelis as Joyce, the volunteer trying to find her a new placement after she's kicked out of convent school. The short's a lovely standalone, but I was really happy to hear it's being made into a full-length movie!
New K-9 fic: Vigil (Ren)
Mar. 19th, 2026 07:31 pmvriddy300th fic posted on AO3 :D
(overall, I mean. Not just for K-9!!!!!!!!!! ;D Not yet 😌)
We've seen multiple times in canon now how Ren always waits for teenage girls to wake up after they get involved in Sin-related incidents usually way bigger than they are. Even if she has nothing to say, even if she knows her encouraging words won't be enough. She waits, says something kind, doesn't mind if she gets talked to rudely, then goes on her way, back to her work trying to fix all this.
Another thing I like to do when I'm tired of thinking about K-9 directly (haha as if) is trying to analyse the story structure, how information gets drip-fed to us, what kind of information. What questions are raised, which ones get answers, what new questions those bring up. I am enchanted. May I write such fascinating stories with fascinating casts when I grow up :D <3
Vigil | K-9 | Ren | 300 words | rated T
Summary: Ren always waits for the girls to wake up at the hospital afterwards, like no one did for her.
Read it on Dreamwidth or AO3.
(overall, I mean. Not just for K-9!!!!!!!!!! ;D Not yet 😌)
We've seen multiple times in canon now how Ren always waits for teenage girls to wake up after they get involved in Sin-related incidents usually way bigger than they are. Even if she has nothing to say, even if she knows her encouraging words won't be enough. She waits, says something kind, doesn't mind if she gets talked to rudely, then goes on her way, back to her work trying to fix all this.
Another thing I like to do when I'm tired of thinking about K-9 directly (haha as if) is trying to analyse the story structure, how information gets drip-fed to us, what kind of information. What questions are raised, which ones get answers, what new questions those bring up. I am enchanted. May I write such fascinating stories with fascinating casts when I grow up :D <3
Vigil | K-9 | Ren | 300 words | rated T
Summary: Ren always waits for the girls to wake up at the hospital afterwards, like no one did for her.
Read it on Dreamwidth or AO3.
My tips for improving my writing focus and/or helping myself get started
Mar. 19th, 2026 07:43 amvriddyFor a few months last year, I set up a weekly planning/review system related to my writing habits. I'm not totally sure when I stopped, but I think it might have been because I've internalised a lot of what I was learning. My goal was to teach myself to write more often, so I'd start the week's planning with "write 8 times this week" with the understanding that 15 minutes puttering around a project counts as a writing session (can be brainstorming, writing, editing, organising my notes if my brain struggles with the other things, so the project at least stays familiar in my head). I wish I could sustain like 4h writing marathons, but at this current point in my life, logistics and health stuff means longer sessions are just not happening. That's why I've been exploring whether writing more often can work for me.
As part of the planning, one of the questions I was told to write the answer for is "What are the obstacles?" That's something I always consider now. For example, if I have family visiting, am travelling, or preparing for a stressful presentation, whatever, it's going to affect my focus. So how am I going to mitigate that? Maybe it's fairer to plan for 5 sessions after all. Or maybe I should assume a session's length of 5 minutes is fair for that week, even if that means just spending 5 minutes rereading what I wrote before to keep the story alive in my head. Maybe both, maybe something else. Preparing and writing down the mitigations as part of the planning really helped me because I don't always think straight in the middle of it all.
Anyway, two obstacles I nearly always ended up writing down are:
- Can't make myself focus
- Can't make myself start
Like, I have a very good system for writing in the morning, it's part of my routine, but later in the day nearly always felt like bodyslamming against a wall. In the end, the solutions that turned out to be effective were the same for both. And after a while, I just printed them out so I have a poster with the list beside my computer! (Not that I always remember to look at it 🥲 but after a couple of days of sighing and doing nothing, my eyes will usually land on it and I'll go, oh!! Who knew!!!!!).
Anyway, here are the tips I landed on to mitigate this in a way that works well with my brain:
- Sanctuary mindset
- Deep breaths, 3-5 times
- Quiet music with no lyrics. If that's not enough, same but with headphones.
- Separate computer profile for writing
- Wifi off
Community Thursdayyyy
Mar. 19th, 2026 05:02 amvriddyCommunity Thursday challenge: every Thursday, try to make an effort to engage with a community on Dreamwidth, whether that's posting, commenting, promoting, etc.
Posted and commented on![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
bnha_fans.
Commented onadd_a_writer.
Commented onjoicon.
Commented ongetyourwordsout.
Commented onanime_manga.
Commented onbooknook.
Edit: Also signal-boostingnewcomers / the_great_tumblr_purge where soc_puppet has been posting helpful Dreamwidth tutorials, since the latest Tumblr hiccup (that TPTB since temporarily reverted) caused another surge of new people popping by Dreamwidth :)
Posted and commented on
bnha_fans.Commented on
add_a_writer.Commented on
joicon.Commented on
getyourwordsout.Commented on
anime_manga.Commented on
booknook.Edit: Also signal-boosting
newcomers / the_great_tumblr_purge where soc_puppet has been posting helpful Dreamwidth tutorials, since the latest Tumblr hiccup (that TPTB since temporarily reverted) caused another surge of new people popping by Dreamwidth :)Post and Jam: High School Confidential by Rough Trade [1980]
Mar. 17th, 2026 09:33 amdelphiFandom 50 #4
Continuing my list of fifty Canadian songs I love from the past fifty years, how could I kick off the '80s and not go for some pulpy lesbian new wave?
High School Confidential by Rough Trade
Continuing my list of fifty Canadian songs I love from the past fifty years, how could I kick off the '80s and not go for some pulpy lesbian new wave?
High School Confidential by Rough Trade
What's Making Me Happy Today: Starfleet Academy
Mar. 16th, 2026 08:02 pmdelphiThe first season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy just wrapped up, and man, that was a season of television that did my heart good.
I didn't initially think this show was going to be for me. Hopefully it goes without saying that this wasn't for any of the range of awful reasons people have wanted to hang a grievance or grift on it. Media with protagonists in their teens and twenties just usually aren't my thing, and so while I was glad to see Trek branching out, I went in aware I wasn't the target audience and figured I'd watch an episode or two to see if any of the older characters appealed to me.
Well, they definitely did. Free-spirited, complex, centuries-old school chancellor Nahla Ake might be my favourite character I've met this year. I am in love with her. The Doctor (from Voyager) and Jett Reno (from Discovery) are both back in supporting roles with some really wonderful scenes, and Jett has a hot and hilarious Klingon/Jem'Hadar wife (Lura Thok) who is definitely worth moving across the galaxy for.
But to my surprise, I also really love the kids! Not all the moments landed for me, but I ended up legitimately invested in their coming-of-age stories and journey into becoming a little family. I don't want to spoil some of the things I loved, but I am always here for mentorship, adoptive parent-child relationships, and queer romance, and I wasn't disappointed. Add in some good solid science fiction and a lot of classic Trek optimism and belief in the work of building a better world, and this was exactly what I needed right now. My only real complaint is that it was such a short season.
I didn't initially think this show was going to be for me. Hopefully it goes without saying that this wasn't for any of the range of awful reasons people have wanted to hang a grievance or grift on it. Media with protagonists in their teens and twenties just usually aren't my thing, and so while I was glad to see Trek branching out, I went in aware I wasn't the target audience and figured I'd watch an episode or two to see if any of the older characters appealed to me.
Well, they definitely did. Free-spirited, complex, centuries-old school chancellor Nahla Ake might be my favourite character I've met this year. I am in love with her. The Doctor (from Voyager) and Jett Reno (from Discovery) are both back in supporting roles with some really wonderful scenes, and Jett has a hot and hilarious Klingon/Jem'Hadar wife (Lura Thok) who is definitely worth moving across the galaxy for.
But to my surprise, I also really love the kids! Not all the moments landed for me, but I ended up legitimately invested in their coming-of-age stories and journey into becoming a little family. I don't want to spoil some of the things I loved, but I am always here for mentorship, adoptive parent-child relationships, and queer romance, and I wasn't disappointed. Add in some good solid science fiction and a lot of classic Trek optimism and belief in the work of building a better world, and this was exactly what I needed right now. My only real complaint is that it was such a short season.
Seasons of Fandom landcomm promotion
Mar. 16th, 2026 08:04 ammeridian_rose
Round 2 of
seasons_of_fandom is opening soon! Multifandom challenge community with original fic and stock icons welcome. Challenges include graphics, writing, and puzzle games. Please check it out, and if you join tell them I sent you :)
Some no pressure pre-round challenges are already posted but the community and challenges open fully in April.
sign up post
New Spring Thunder fic: The executioner's rescue (Kagaribi/Rindou/Shisui, Kagaribi & Mozu)
Mar. 15th, 2026 07:39 amvriddyI really really like this story, it's filled with so many tropes and elements I love... I'm gonna have to try harder to get people into this manga so I can get someone else to read it XD Say hi to Mozu and his cat Oboro!
This is the little guy who needs saving! He has a frighteningly smart and competent cat friend!!
The executioner's rescue | The Serenade of Spring Thunder | Kagaribi/Rindou/Shisui, Kagaribi & Mozu | 5.5k words | rated T
Summary: Kagaribi is on the run with Rindou and Shisui, quite successfully pretending not to be falling in love if he says so himself. But when Mozu's cat appears, Kagaribi knows this is the end - the village's executioner has finally come for him. Except that Mozu is nowhere to be seen…
Kagaribi can betray their village, but he could never betray Mozu. Even if that means giving up on his chance at the scam called love… Rindou and Shisui, however, do not seem particularly impressed with his plan to leave them behind.
Read it on Dreamwidth or AO3.
This is the little guy who needs saving! He has a frighteningly smart and competent cat friend!!
The executioner's rescue | The Serenade of Spring Thunder | Kagaribi/Rindou/Shisui, Kagaribi & Mozu | 5.5k words | rated T
Summary: Kagaribi is on the run with Rindou and Shisui, quite successfully pretending not to be falling in love if he says so himself. But when Mozu's cat appears, Kagaribi knows this is the end - the village's executioner has finally come for him. Except that Mozu is nowhere to be seen…
Kagaribi can betray their village, but he could never betray Mozu. Even if that means giving up on his chance at the scam called love… Rindou and Shisui, however, do not seem particularly impressed with his plan to leave them behind.
Read it on Dreamwidth or AO3.
Status of the WIPs
Mar. 14th, 2026 01:28 pmvriddyI... think I'm caught up with Dreamwidth? If you were expecting a reply from me, let me know because I missed it! The exception is the replies to my latest K-9 translation post because I'm saving them for the next time I'm bursting with the need to talk about K-9 with someone and can't find any victim gentleperson to satisfy the hunger.
( Whoops ended up talking about K-9 anyway. How does this keep happening??? )
Anyway, writing! WIPs! Status!! I met my GYWO goal in January and February, but sacrificed March to the editing gods. So I've written... 288 words so far 😤😤 Unless I get possessed I am NOT meeting my monthly goal, but that's okay. I've got more stuff to edit!! And some fics ready to post, too.
Edited and ready to go (except for maybe a grammar check and/or... a title orz):
- Wind Breaker OT4, Chapter 4
- Chapter 1 for the K-9 LeopardTree fic (it got LONG!)
- K-9 triple drabble about Ren, because in canon she always seems to wait for injured teenage girls to wake up at the hospital, even at great personal cost (that is, nicotine withdrawal), and I find that interesting
- Spring Thunder rescue fic about Kagaribi & Co going to Mozu's rescue, together with Mozu's super smart cat :D
- A BNHA NagantMiruko fic I wrote nearly 3 years ago for an event that turned out not to happen, and I think it might be time to move on
Written, needs editing:
- Wind Breaker OT5, final chapter
- K-9 LeopardTree, chapters 2-5
Half-written:
- Blaaah a bunch but this is a month of editing and I'm not particularly thinking about them
Updated Wind Breaker fic: Acting on instinct (Sakura/Nirei/Suou/Kiryuu/Tsugeura)
Mar. 14th, 2026 08:28 amvriddyI did a first round of editing to the end, and while in my head the last chapter was clunky (probably because I've changed direction on it about 3 times now), actually I was giggling and hiding my mouth behind my hand through most of it so I think it's okay :D The final sentence/paragraph however is clunky and doesn't work super well, but I have a bit of time to figure out something else.
Each chapter has a different PoV as each character figure some things out, and I like the story and how they all gravitate toward each other. However, the tone and narration are a bit distant, maybe a bit flat. It's the same mistake? flaw? that I saw in my OT3/multi-polyship Kn8 fic, where I was also spending a lot of brain power on "How would these characters fit together?". Maybe this is expected for the first few fics with a new ship. When I compare with DabiHawks for which I've written well over 100 fics (and over 200 with Hawks!), obviously I can't nail every nuance and subtlety of their emotions as easily. Yet. Anyway I still think there's good in there and I'm happy I wrote this :D I enjoy these characters so much.
Acting on instinct | Wind Breaker | Sakura/Nirei/Suou/Kiryuu/Tsugeura | 2.8k words (WIP, 3/5) | rated T
Summary: Something shifted for them all in that moment at Kiryuu's house. They all felt it. But Kiryuu was missing for it, so they can't do anything about it.
Not yet.
Read it on Dreamwidth or on AO3.
Each chapter has a different PoV as each character figure some things out, and I like the story and how they all gravitate toward each other. However, the tone and narration are a bit distant, maybe a bit flat. It's the same mistake? flaw? that I saw in my OT3/multi-polyship Kn8 fic, where I was also spending a lot of brain power on "How would these characters fit together?". Maybe this is expected for the first few fics with a new ship. When I compare with DabiHawks for which I've written well over 100 fics (and over 200 with Hawks!), obviously I can't nail every nuance and subtlety of their emotions as easily. Yet. Anyway I still think there's good in there and I'm happy I wrote this :D I enjoy these characters so much.
Acting on instinct | Wind Breaker | Sakura/Nirei/Suou/Kiryuu/Tsugeura | 2.8k words (WIP, 3/5) | rated T
Summary: Something shifted for them all in that moment at Kiryuu's house. They all felt it. But Kiryuu was missing for it, so they can't do anything about it.
Not yet.
Read it on Dreamwidth or on AO3.
Post and Jam: Wondering Where the Lions Are by Bruce Cockburn [1979]
Mar. 13th, 2026 01:11 pmdelphiFandom 50 #3
Continuing my list of fifty Canadian songs I love from the past fifty years, 1979's is one that's probably popped into my head at least one morning a week since I was five:
Wondering Where the Lions Are by Bruce Cockburn
Continuing my list of fifty Canadian songs I love from the past fifty years, 1979's is one that's probably popped into my head at least one morning a week since I was five:
Wondering Where the Lions Are by Bruce Cockburn
New Let's go Karaoke! fic: Locked in orbit (Kyouji/Satomi)
Mar. 13th, 2026 07:22 amvriddyWatching the live-action movie motivated me to finally edit this fic! It doesn't actually work with the movie timeline and heavily relies on anime-only elements, but it is done :D
Locked in orbit | Let's go karaoke! | Kyouji/Satomi | 1.8k words | rated T
Summary: Kyouji has been in this time loop for a long time now, meeting Satomi and growing closer over and over, trying to keep him safe. Failing, sometimes. Those are the Bad Loops. If he plays his cards right though, Kyouji hopes he can make this loop the final one.
Read it on Dreamwidth or on AO3.
Locked in orbit | Let's go karaoke! | Kyouji/Satomi | 1.8k words | rated T
Summary: Kyouji has been in this time loop for a long time now, meeting Satomi and growing closer over and over, trying to keep him safe. Failing, sometimes. Those are the Bad Loops. If he plays his cards right though, Kyouji hopes he can make this loop the final one.
Read it on Dreamwidth or on AO3.
The Importance of Being Earnest - Streaming March 12-18
Mar. 11th, 2026 10:13 amdelphiAnother theatrical streaming plug:
The pro-shot of The Importance of Being Earnest, starring Ncuti Gatwa, Sharon D. Clarke, and Hugh Skinner, will be streaming on Youtube from March 12th to 18th!
A bit from the show:
National Theatre at Home has been one of my favourite streaming services for a long time now, with the way it bring UK theatre to someone like me (not in the UK, also not living in a place that gets much in the way of touring shows), and I'm really happy they're releasing this one for free on a bigger platform.
The pro-shot of The Importance of Being Earnest, starring Ncuti Gatwa, Sharon D. Clarke, and Hugh Skinner, will be streaming on Youtube from March 12th to 18th!
A bit from the show:
National Theatre at Home has been one of my favourite streaming services for a long time now, with the way it bring UK theatre to someone like me (not in the UK, also not living in a place that gets much in the way of touring shows), and I'm really happy they're releasing this one for free on a bigger platform.