Our favourite releases of 2025, part 2!
Jan. 30th, 2026 10:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
paradisedinermod posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
paradisedinerparadisedinermod posting in paradisediner
A young girl with eyes like the desert.
Jan. 30th, 2026 11:30 amgoodbyebird+ Yesterday was rough. Just walking around vibrating, had a cry in the storage room, absolutely hated the feel of washing my hands. Extremely over-stimulated. People being around all the time, and complete disruption of routines will do that eventually, which I did not appreciate learning. Thankfully I got a full nights sleep after I dozed off - got a sleeping pill from my dad to help out, still my brain was trying to scrabble back awake several times before I succeeded.
Fishery is somewhat more decent yoday, god I hope that holds up. January is supposed to be prime fishing season đ¤
+ Today is Festivids Go Live Day \o/ hopefully it opens up earlier in the day for me, I absolutely cannot allow myself shiny new vids late in the evening. I just get too worked up.
+ Discovered I'd left some small fandom icons behind atforsquares, including Borgen, so I have one more masterpost to put up before I move on to re-uploading the existing spankulert icon posts to Dreamwidth. Those random black images are really starting to piss me off.
+ Also toying with the idea of fiddling with my journal layout. Gotta admit I'm too old for the piddly font size at this point, le sigh. Could be better for mobile as well.
+ Decided that yes, I will make myself a mood theme when I get home, thank you very much. Probably IWTV, and just the top/base moods, as I'd like to incorporate s3 as well. Making gifs is absolutely not in my wheelhouse, but imma give it my all.
+ Ugh a mail about Susanne Sundfør concert happening when I'll be at sea. I am having a sulk about it. Raye is performing in Oslo a few days before I get home. My bad concert luck is not letting up boo.
Fishery is somewhat more decent yoday, god I hope that holds up. January is supposed to be prime fishing season đ¤
+ Today is Festivids Go Live Day \o/ hopefully it opens up earlier in the day for me, I absolutely cannot allow myself shiny new vids late in the evening. I just get too worked up.
+ Discovered I'd left some small fandom icons behind at
forsquares, including Borgen, so I have one more masterpost to put up before I move on to re-uploading the existing spankulert icon posts to Dreamwidth. Those random black images are really starting to piss me off. + Also toying with the idea of fiddling with my journal layout. Gotta admit I'm too old for the piddly font size at this point, le sigh. Could be better for mobile as well.
+ Decided that yes, I will make myself a mood theme when I get home, thank you very much. Probably IWTV, and just the top/base moods, as I'd like to incorporate s3 as well. Making gifs is absolutely not in my wheelhouse, but imma give it my all.
+ Ugh a mail about Susanne Sundfør concert happening when I'll be at sea. I am having a sulk about it. Raye is performing in Oslo a few days before I get home. My bad concert luck is not letting up boo.
snowflake 2k26 #14-15
Jan. 30th, 2026 09:26 amqueenslayerbee
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!
due South: Twenty Cents a Page by dance_across
Jan. 30th, 2026 09:25 pmmific posting in fancakeFandom: due South
Characters/Pairings: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Rating: Teen & up
Length: 1782
Content Notes: No AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: dance_across on AO3
Themes: Crack treated seriously, Friendship, Humor, Pining, Post-canon
Summary: Ray and Fraser discover that someone's been writing stories about them. Slashy, slashy stories.
Reccer's Notes: This is set after canon, during Ray and Fraser's quest. They've become minor celebrities in the wake of the big submarine/terrorists drama and when they briefly hit an outpost of civilization (a motel with internet), Ray checks his email and finds Frannie's sent him a link to a fanfic someone's written, called "Snowfall in Summer". Hilarity then ensues as they decide to read it together, and it leads to Ray making a big decision. The cracky premise is the existence of fanfic about them, and as far as possible, dance_across shows us how that might actually pan out. In a romantic way, of course, with a hopeful ending! It's a lot of fun.
Fanwork Links: Twenty Cents a Page
Characters/Pairings: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Rating: Teen & up
Length: 1782
Content Notes: No AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: dance_across on AO3
Themes: Crack treated seriously, Friendship, Humor, Pining, Post-canon
Summary: Ray and Fraser discover that someone's been writing stories about them. Slashy, slashy stories.
Reccer's Notes: This is set after canon, during Ray and Fraser's quest. They've become minor celebrities in the wake of the big submarine/terrorists drama and when they briefly hit an outpost of civilization (a motel with internet), Ray checks his email and finds Frannie's sent him a link to a fanfic someone's written, called "Snowfall in Summer". Hilarity then ensues as they decide to read it together, and it leads to Ray making a big decision. The cracky premise is the existence of fanfic about them, and as far as possible, dance_across shows us how that might actually pan out. In a romantic way, of course, with a hopeful ending! It's a lot of fun.
Fanwork Links: Twenty Cents a Page
The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Wednesday, January 28 - Thursday, January 29
Jan. 30th, 2026 12:39 amfancyflautist posting in su_herald
Buffy: So you traded up on the food chain. Then what?
Spike: No, please. Don't make it sound like something you'd flip past on the Discovery Channel. Becoming a vampire is a profound and powerful experience. I could feel this new strength coursing through me. Getting killed made me feel alive for the very first time. I was through living by society's rules. Decided to make a few of my own.
Spike: No, please. Don't make it sound like something you'd flip past on the Discovery Channel. Becoming a vampire is a profound and powerful experience. I could feel this new strength coursing through me. Getting killed made me feel alive for the very first time. I was through living by society's rules. Decided to make a few of my own.
~~Fool For Love~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
- Older (Buffy, Angel, PG) by badly_knitted
- tea party (Dawn, Drusilla, T) by voices_not_echoes
- Rewiring the Thought Processes (Buffy/Riley, T) by OveliaGirlHaditRight
- Anyone but You (Andrew/Warren, T) by GarsCrucible
- Not Too Loud (Andrew/Warren, E) by Christonerd
- Rinse and Repeat (Andrew/Warren, E) by Mishafer
- Rescue (Buffy/Cordelia, NR) by xforlornx
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Windows to the Soul (Fix Her Eventually Section 6, S3E18)Chapter 6 (Buffy/Faith, E) by BTVSFE
- Boston Doll, Chapter 1 (Crossover with Dollhouse, M) by QuillBard
- Just Two Lost Souls, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Holly
- Playing With Fire, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, G) by stellugh
- Sacrifices, Chapter 17 (Buffy/Spike, R) by GuinevereSummers
- Open your eyes, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, AO) by Ennoh
- If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck..., Chapter 26 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by zinjadu
- The Transfer, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Blackmysteria
- So I Don't Have to Dream Alone, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by CheekyKitten
- Gonna Lose the Chains, Baby?, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by RealtaCorcra
- THe Worst Hell, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, AO) by TwilightChild
- Who R U in 20 Years?, Chapter 15 (Multiple crossings, FR18) by strangebint
- The Gift, Chapter 18 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Corvidae
- Once They Were Friends, Chapter 22 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Grief Counseling
- Revelations, Chapter 43 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Niamh
- Shadows on the Wall, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, R) by zinjadu
[Images, Audio & Video]
- Artwork:Seven by namingallthestars
- Playlist:Buffy The Vampire Slayer: THE BRONZE IS BACK (2026) by DEEJAVE
- Craft:[Puppet Angel/Liam] by xaeyrnofnbe
- Artwork:[Fuffy comic] by kleoshe
- Artwork:Fuffy sketch by odinea
- Meme: weslah/lilah morgan text posts part 4 by brutal4you
- Moodboard:buffy x willow by kyrt4t
- Manip:[song of the month movie poster] by floralgreenery
- Manip: by
- Zine:The Buffyverse & The Vampire Chronicles unnecessarily shady relationship by ghoulierstudio
- Playlist:another doyle playlist! by spectraldamian
[Reviews & Recaps]
- [Phases review] by badwolfwho1
- [Phases review] by coraniaid
- Thoughts on Rewatching S2E13-14, âSurpriseâ and âInnocenceâ (4/5) by btvsfemslashenjoyer
- TARA!!!! | Buffy The Vampire Slayer 5x19-20 'Tough Love-Spiral' | Blind Reaction by VicFrost
- The Twisted BTVS Guide 2x18: Killed by death by Twisted View
- Part 2! | Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 episode 10 Reaction is Pure Chaos by Anna Alexander
- Podcast: Angel S5E14: Smile Time by Booze & Buffy
[Recs & In Search Of]
- Can Anyone remember which episode this dagger is from? by PhoenixMetaphr
[Fandom Discussions]
- list of things in episodes that are evidence that season three of btvs is about the exploitation of teenage girls by autisticandroids
- [How the Scoobies made Spike necessary] by elliegr8151
- [Buffybot developmental disability parallels] by explainslowly
- [Giles + computers] by whatcomesnextbelovedpet
- [Warren/Andrew headcanon] by mishafer
- [Reboot as an anthology] by desicat-writer
- [Psychology of vampires] by tphpsw15
- [The reaction to Spike in Buffy's house] by anathemagerminabunt-blog
- [Sad-boy tumblr William] by xeyesofstardust
- i really do love that cordelia chase has no actual reason to be mean by moistvonlipwig
- My favorite Anya moment by multiple authors
- Any other Florence and The Machine fan's loving her new album that was semi-inspired by Buffy S6 (S6 SPOILERS) by multiple authors
- If You Were a Character in the Buffyverse, What Would You Be? by multiple authors
- Which man was your personal temptation? by multiple authors
- First time Buffy/Angel watcher season ranking by multiple authors
- What is a Buffy episode that you know is a cinematic masterpiece and the fandom is simply not ready to accept it as such? by multiple authors
- Something I realized when watching season 2 [costuming] by multiple authors
- Oz or Tara? by multiple authors
- If Angel Investigations had met both Buffy and Faith, who would they rather work with? by multiple authors
- Did you like Spike more as a villain? by multiple authors
- What are your fanfic ideas? by multiple authors
- The letter I wrote my Mum when I stayed up to watch the Season 5 finale. by multiple authors
- For Buffyverse Characters [Like the Potentials, Drusilla, Darla, & so on] Who Don't Have Last Names, What Last Names Would You Give Them? by multiple authors
- Are there any characters you liked a lot less going from one season to the next? by multiple authors
- SoâŚhow do you think Angel is actually like in bed? by multiple authors
- My girl Faith out here speaking facts. by multiple authors
- SMG's acting in the latest seasons by multiple authors
- angel/angelus vs spike by multiple authors
- Darla/Fool For Love [watch order] by multiple authors
- Whatâs the consensus on S4? by multiple authors
- My most controversial opinion: Empty Places by multiple authors
- I decided to re-evaluating the 'Captain Cardboard' narrative by multiple authors
- Buffy The Vampire Slayer Dark Willow Rises by multiple authors
- Question about Angel/Angelus by multiple authors
- Faith-centered covers and concept art from the Boom-era comics by multiple authors
(no subject)
Jan. 29th, 2026 08:08 pmauthor_by_night 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.
Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so. Also, feel free to entice engagement by giving us a preview of what your post covers.
I enjoyed it! It's always nice to connect with other fans. I didn't do all of the challenges, but I enjoyed the ones I participated in.
The timing of the posts did throw me off. I understand that everyone's in different time zones; also, life happens. Technology happens. I get it. But I wonder if it might help to post challenges ahead of time, and/or schedule the posts?
I'm not sure how else I might challenge myself per se, but I post frequently and plan on continuing. I try writing something every day, and DW is a great place for that. I would certainly love to continue making connections.
Thank you to all, and I look forward to the friending meme on the 31st!
Did you get all you wanted to get from it? Are there things you're going to carry with you for as long as you can? Are you going to continue to challenge yourself? Continue to connect? We can't wait to hear.
I enjoyed it! It's always nice to connect with other fans. I didn't do all of the challenges, but I enjoyed the ones I participated in.
The timing of the posts did throw me off. I understand that everyone's in different time zones; also, life happens. Technology happens. I get it. But I wonder if it might help to post challenges ahead of time, and/or schedule the posts?
I'm not sure how else I might challenge myself per se, but I post frequently and plan on continuing. I try writing something every day, and DW is a great place for that. I would certainly love to continue making connections.
Thank you to all, and I look forward to the friending meme on the 31st!
The Friday Five for 30 January 2026
Jan. 29th, 2026 06:18 pmanais_pf posting in thefridayfiveThese questions were suggested by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
twirlandswirl.
How many times a day do you . . .
1. Brush your teeth?
2. Shower?
3. Check your E-mail?
4. Check LJ? (or DW?)
5. Eat?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
twirlandswirl.How many times a day do you . . .
1. Brush your teeth?
2. Shower?
3. Check your E-mail?
4. Check LJ? (or DW?)
5. Eat?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
[ SECRET POST #6964 ]
Jan. 29th, 2026 05:10 pmcase posting in fandomsecretsâ Secret Post #6964 â
Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.
01.
( More! )
Notes:
Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 09 secrets from Secret Submission Post #994.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
Write Every day 2026: January, Day 29
Jan. 29th, 2026 10:21 pmtrobadoraTurns out I do have a cold! But my next exchange deadline is on Saturday.
Today's writing
Writing! Wrangling! All of that. I'll get there ...
Tally
( Days 1-25 )
Day 26:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 27:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 28:badly_knitted, brithistorian, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme
Day 29:trobadora
Let me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
Today's writing
Writing! Wrangling! All of that. I'll get there ...
Tally
( Days 1-25 )
Day 26:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 27:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 28:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilmeDay 29:
trobadoraLet me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
Snowflake Challenge #15
Jan. 29th, 2026 01:01 pmtjs_whatnot posting in snowflake_challengeIntroduction Post*
Meet the Mods Post
Challenge #1 *
Challenge #2*
Challenge #3*
Challenge #4* Challenge #5 * Challenge #6 * * Challenge #7Challenge #8 * Challenge #9 * Challenge #10 * Challenge #11 * Challenge #12 * Challenge #13 * Challenge #14
Remember that there is no official deadline, so feel free to join in at any time, or go back and do challenges you've missed.
( Fandom Snowflake Challenge #15 ) And please do check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.
And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.
Remember that there is no official deadline, so feel free to join in at any time, or go back and do challenges you've missed.
( Fandom Snowflake Challenge #15 ) And please do check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.
And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.
SHERLOCK BBC: Once, Twice by Rhuia
Jan. 29th, 2026 01:50 pmjesse_the_k posting in fancakeFandom: Sherlock (BBC TV 2010)
Pairings/Characters: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft Holmes, Greg Lestrade, John Watson
Rating: Explicit
Length: 4400 words
Theme: Crack Treated Seriously
Summary: Sherlock and John swap bodies. John doesn't want to talk about it.
Creator Links: Rhuia
Reccerâs Notes Sex pollen on Earth requires some shenanigans, but add in body swap and weâve got a deep dive into how this combo would affect these twoâs self-knowledge and desire. Very explicit, very steamy, very funny.
Fanwork Link Once, Twice
with spoons enough to ramble, I guess, at the very least
Jan. 29th, 2026 05:20 pmsummerstormI can't remember if it was January 26 or 27, but either way, I'm three years sober? I can't believe I've been on bupropion for three years, is the weirder part. I've been playing ttrpgs for that long! Wild.
My Pathfinder 2e adventure path actually ended (ish) this week -- we beat the BBEG of Age of Ashes in a really tough fight that didn't draw out as much as I expected, but I definitely threw everything I had at it, hero points, focus points, high level spell slots, expensive potions (to fly over the acid pool), the one single-target nonspecified damage spell I learned ages ago for no particular reason and never used because Kauri is a druid and leans elemental (Disintegrate), just. Everything. And I got the killing blow with a Pulverizing Cascade, which was really cool because it's the one water spell Kauri has continued to use even once we hit the level where we get 6th rank spells and I stopped using Hydraulic Push and Crashing Wave so often. Even after that, I flavored all my cold spells as drawing moisture from the air, so it's been a whole thing and it's nicely thematic. We'll see what we need to wrap up beyond that this Friday, but we handled pretty much everything else beforehand, so I will be making a character (or two?) for Season of Ghosts soon. I'll miss my baby though.
Fantasy High (the campaign I'm in, not the D20 series) also wrapped up its freshman year quest this past weekend, in session 50 just to be extra satisfying. We went to hell! And then to Annwn. I'm excited to see whatyarnofariadne does for our next quest, and what she continues to do with the Celtic mythology theme I dropped on her, if anything.
*
As far as my personal life, I'm... okay? Low on money, like my mom is gonna have to actually ask her sister or I'm gonna have to ask online for help with the electric bill low, but what else is new. I finally found the missing package from Springfield today; ( the ordeal )
*
Anyway. I'm gonna go back to my DungeonFog tutorials. I was hoping to make a little battlemap for the last session of my Friday group's Christmas Adventure, not sure if I'll manage that, but at least I'm getting through the tutorials. Don't think I've ever approached a thing this way but hopefully it will help with the feeling of 'oh god what do I do with this interface,' even if I picked the map maker that felt closer to what I'm used to. It certainly feels like the Correct Thing to do, like reading the manual before you fuck with stuff. But I have always been too impatient.
Have also been doing jigsaw puzzles and I sorted my sister's Arkham Horror puzzle last night, so I can fall back on that if the spoons really are gone. I try not to get started on the jigsaw puzzles before 8 PM because I'm very bad at stopping. I finished my previous one at 12:30 AM on Sunday with Ciri rolling over it and not letting me see the empty slots I had left. It was a fun extra challenge. I really love that puzzle to pieces, though. I'm very frustrated that I can't figure who got me it, but it was on my wishlist Christmas 2024 and I spent all of 2025 stuck on that one lady with the horse (really stuck on puzzling at all, I enjoyed the puzzle once I got started).
*
Puzzling has allowed me to watch The Pitt as it's airing so far (unsure on new doctor, love Mel to pieces, love the new nurse, love Mohan always and forever) and almost catch up on 9-1-1 -- I'm up to the second episode of S9. Honestly, puzzling while watching some of those S8 episodes made it more bearable, and then I locked in to enjoy Seismic Shifts because I do love me a good fictional disaster. I need to post some Buck/Eddie recs forspikedluv at some point, I said I would for holiday_wishes and I've got a few but I want to list a couple more.
(As an aside... when did we embrace the portmanteaus, and why? It feels so wrong to use them. So fucking wrong. But they're so widespread that it also feels weird to use the normal slash form for pairings! What IS up with that, god.)
*
Oh, I posted some photos of my planner decor~journalsandplanners here if anyone is interested! Still figuring out the day-a-page format. This page is my favorite so far, and I've gone through like, all my pens and markers to figure out what works for headings like that and doesn't bleed like a motherfucker. (There are some markers that are the perfect color but holy shit you can see them through TWO whole pages. And they're decent paper!)
Anyway. Happy Thursday! Hope things are going well for all y'all. <3
My Pathfinder 2e adventure path actually ended (ish) this week -- we beat the BBEG of Age of Ashes in a really tough fight that didn't draw out as much as I expected, but I definitely threw everything I had at it, hero points, focus points, high level spell slots, expensive potions (to fly over the acid pool), the one single-target nonspecified damage spell I learned ages ago for no particular reason and never used because Kauri is a druid and leans elemental (Disintegrate), just. Everything. And I got the killing blow with a Pulverizing Cascade, which was really cool because it's the one water spell Kauri has continued to use even once we hit the level where we get 6th rank spells and I stopped using Hydraulic Push and Crashing Wave so often. Even after that, I flavored all my cold spells as drawing moisture from the air, so it's been a whole thing and it's nicely thematic. We'll see what we need to wrap up beyond that this Friday, but we handled pretty much everything else beforehand, so I will be making a character (or two?) for Season of Ghosts soon. I'll miss my baby though.
Fantasy High (the campaign I'm in, not the D20 series) also wrapped up its freshman year quest this past weekend, in session 50 just to be extra satisfying. We went to hell! And then to Annwn. I'm excited to see what
yarnofariadne does for our next quest, and what she continues to do with the Celtic mythology theme I dropped on her, if anything. *
As far as my personal life, I'm... okay? Low on money, like my mom is gonna have to actually ask her sister or I'm gonna have to ask online for help with the electric bill low, but what else is new. I finally found the missing package from Springfield today; ( the ordeal )
*
Anyway. I'm gonna go back to my DungeonFog tutorials. I was hoping to make a little battlemap for the last session of my Friday group's Christmas Adventure, not sure if I'll manage that, but at least I'm getting through the tutorials. Don't think I've ever approached a thing this way but hopefully it will help with the feeling of 'oh god what do I do with this interface,' even if I picked the map maker that felt closer to what I'm used to. It certainly feels like the Correct Thing to do, like reading the manual before you fuck with stuff. But I have always been too impatient.
Have also been doing jigsaw puzzles and I sorted my sister's Arkham Horror puzzle last night, so I can fall back on that if the spoons really are gone. I try not to get started on the jigsaw puzzles before 8 PM because I'm very bad at stopping. I finished my previous one at 12:30 AM on Sunday with Ciri rolling over it and not letting me see the empty slots I had left. It was a fun extra challenge. I really love that puzzle to pieces, though. I'm very frustrated that I can't figure who got me it, but it was on my wishlist Christmas 2024 and I spent all of 2025 stuck on that one lady with the horse (really stuck on puzzling at all, I enjoyed the puzzle once I got started).
*
Puzzling has allowed me to watch The Pitt as it's airing so far (unsure on new doctor, love Mel to pieces, love the new nurse, love Mohan always and forever) and almost catch up on 9-1-1 -- I'm up to the second episode of S9. Honestly, puzzling while watching some of those S8 episodes made it more bearable, and then I locked in to enjoy Seismic Shifts because I do love me a good fictional disaster. I need to post some Buck/Eddie recs for
spikedluv at some point, I said I would for holiday_wishes and I've got a few but I want to list a couple more.(As an aside... when did we embrace the portmanteaus, and why? It feels so wrong to use them. So fucking wrong. But they're so widespread that it also feels weird to use the normal slash form for pairings! What IS up with that, god.)
*
Oh, I posted some photos of my planner decor~
journalsandplanners here if anyone is interested! Still figuring out the day-a-page format. This page is my favorite so far, and I've gone through like, all my pens and markers to figure out what works for headings like that and doesn't bleed like a motherfucker. (There are some markers that are the perfect color but holy shit you can see them through TWO whole pages. And they're decent paper!)Anyway. Happy Thursday! Hope things are going well for all y'all. <3
Community Recs Post!
Jan. 29th, 2026 09:19 amglitteryv posting in recthethingEvery Thursday, we have a community post, just like this one, where you can drop a rec or five in the comments.
This works great if you only have one rec and don't want to make a whole post for it, or if you don't have a DW account, or if you're shy. ;)
(But don't forget: you can deffo make posts of your own seven days a week. ;D!)
So what cool other fanvids/kinds of fanworks/fics/fanart/podfics/fancrafts/other kinds of fanworks have we discovered this week? Drop it in the comments below. Anon comment is enabled.
BTW, AI fanworks are not eligible for reccing at recthething. If you aware that a fanwork is AI-generated, please do not rec it here.
This works great if you only have one rec and don't want to make a whole post for it, or if you don't have a DW account, or if you're shy. ;)
(But don't forget: you can deffo make posts of your own seven days a week. ;D!)
So what cool other fanvids/kinds of fanworks/fics/fanart/podfics/fancrafts/other kinds of fanworks have we discovered this week? Drop it in the comments below. Anon comment is enabled.
BTW, AI fanworks are not eligible for reccing at recthething. If you aware that a fanwork is AI-generated, please do not rec it here.
SFBB15: Rough Draft Submission Reminder
Jan. 29th, 2026 07:36 amsfbbmod posting in smallfandombangAuthors, rough drafts are due in just a few days (by Saturday, January 31)! Remember that your rough draft need not be 100% complete, but should be a minimum of 8,000 words/80% completed. I need the story descriptions for the claims list I'm putting together so there are no extensions granted.
(That said, I am flexible on how much story you need to have completed at this time if you are absolutely certain that you will have your final draft completed by the due date and that you will have something substantial to submit to your artist. Your other option is to continue participating, but choosing to opt out of art.)
If you haven't done so already, head on over to the Rough Draft Submission Rules post for instructions on how to turn in your rough draft.
If you will not be submitting a rough draft (or choosing to opt out of art), please contact me to let me know that you are withdrawing from this round of Small Fandoms Bang. You may comment here (comments will be screened) or send an e-mail to the mod account at sfbbmod @ gmail.com. (Please remember that there are penalties if you just disappear without letting me know that you need to withdraw, so donât do that!)
Additional Notes:
1. The Artist Claiming Post will go up one week from this Saturday, on Saturday, February 7. Artists will claim a story from the story descriptions, which will be posted anonymously. (The Sneak Peak post will go up at least 24 hours prior to the Claiming Post, though Iâm shooting for 48 hours to give all the artists time to review the summaries.) The Matching Reveal post will go up on Saturday, February 14. At that time I will send out contact e-mails to the author and artist.
Authors will be responsible for sending their story to their artist as soon as possible. In the past there have been issues with lack of communication between authors and artists. Please donât be that person who leaves your author/artist hanging.
2. Artist sign-ups will remain open until all fic have been claimed. If you know of someone whoâd like to sign-up as an artist, please direct them to the Artist Sign-Up Post.
3. If you have not already done so, please join this community! This is for both Artists and Authors. Authors & Artists will need to be able to post their Master Posts to the community, and the Sneak Peek Post and Artist Claim Post will be locked to members only.
Thank you!
(That said, I am flexible on how much story you need to have completed at this time if you are absolutely certain that you will have your final draft completed by the due date and that you will have something substantial to submit to your artist. Your other option is to continue participating, but choosing to opt out of art.)
If you haven't done so already, head on over to the Rough Draft Submission Rules post for instructions on how to turn in your rough draft.
If you will not be submitting a rough draft (or choosing to opt out of art), please contact me to let me know that you are withdrawing from this round of Small Fandoms Bang. You may comment here (comments will be screened) or send an e-mail to the mod account at sfbbmod @ gmail.com. (Please remember that there are penalties if you just disappear without letting me know that you need to withdraw, so donât do that!)
Additional Notes:
1. The Artist Claiming Post will go up one week from this Saturday, on Saturday, February 7. Artists will claim a story from the story descriptions, which will be posted anonymously. (The Sneak Peak post will go up at least 24 hours prior to the Claiming Post, though Iâm shooting for 48 hours to give all the artists time to review the summaries.) The Matching Reveal post will go up on Saturday, February 14. At that time I will send out contact e-mails to the author and artist.
Authors will be responsible for sending their story to their artist as soon as possible. In the past there have been issues with lack of communication between authors and artists. Please donât be that person who leaves your author/artist hanging.
2. Artist sign-ups will remain open until all fic have been claimed. If you know of someone whoâd like to sign-up as an artist, please direct them to the Artist Sign-Up Post.
3. If you have not already done so, please join this community! This is for both Artists and Authors. Authors & Artists will need to be able to post their Master Posts to the community, and the Sneak Peek Post and Artist Claim Post will be locked to members only.
Thank you!
(no subject)
Jan. 29th, 2026 03:31 pmadoreHaving to leave Amazon and KU was a minor earthquake to my mental health, because I'm having to think about the future and what I see is scary. While indie authorship is always a marathon, I'll have to go wide now, which is an even slower build. It means I need a day job. And the one I applied for, that I actually wanted, is ghosting me. Unfortunately ghosting is very common employer behaviour here. It angers me that employers can behave so unprofessionally while the people applying to jobs have to be perfectly professional despite the stress and despite being treated badly by the market and by employers.
For a few days I was coming over all weepy at random times of the day, and when I was looking through jobs I was forgetting to breathe. There was a constant knot in my throat and the back of my neck hurt because I was unconsciously so tense. I applied to one thing and just stopped. I remember the last time I job searched, and it was bad, but my symptoms this time are so severe that my recent job must have hurt me more than I thought. The other employees were there long-term and I thought I would get to be, too. And when I heard about some of their newbie mistakesâaccidentally deleting a website, spending a client's entire marketing budget in an hour by forgetting to cap the daily ad spendâI wondered why they had been allowed to stay while I, who had not made any newbie mistakes, was laid off. By extending my trial period instead of making me permanent, they paid me less than the salary I was supposed to get for an additional three months, so that they got nine months of my labour and I got less than I bargained for. And these were employers and colleagues I trusted, and even now I'm confused because when I tell my friends about it, they say I was exploited, and if I heard my friend tell me this I'd say the same. But they had seemed such green flags to me that now I don't know how to choose a job that won't hurt me. If exposing yourself to the job is the only way to find out, that doesn't help my anxiety while applying.
The ways in which I am trying to care for my mental health include: wearing outfits I like even if I'm not going out, hyperfixating on Yunho, and trying to find k-drama and books that stimulate me because writing fannishly gives me a sense of accomplishment without any expectation of monetary gain. I like thinking up and writing meta more than fanfiction, and I like the bits of interaction I get on my tumblr posts. I like the platform and I like that Ateez and k-drama fandoms are present there, although I wish CIX and other k-pop fandoms would also move there instead of staying on Twitter.
I can't always find things that stimulate me, though, and sometimes something that stimulates me for a while peters off. For instance, I was enjoying the k-drama Idol I, about an idol accused of murder whose representing lawyer is secretly his fangirl, because the first half of the show was deliciously self-reflective about the experience of being a fangirl and what a mindfuck it is when the parasocial crosses into the real. But the second half of the show is just romance with a murder mystery background, and is not as interesting to me.
I've got to figure out ways to keep the happy chemicals in my brain in production, but one thing I'm grateful for is how accessible art is for me thanks to modern tech. I can read webtoons, watch shows, read webnovels, listen to music, scroll Tumblr for art. One of my online acquaintances told me I can find mini tutorials for oil pastel techniques on Pinterest. And when I create, when I write something of my own, I can put it on the internet. Even if other circumstances and conditions make my brain unhappy, even if it's near impossible to maintain wellbeing during These Times, feeding my brain nourishing things is easier now than at any other point in history, probably.
For a few days I was coming over all weepy at random times of the day, and when I was looking through jobs I was forgetting to breathe. There was a constant knot in my throat and the back of my neck hurt because I was unconsciously so tense. I applied to one thing and just stopped. I remember the last time I job searched, and it was bad, but my symptoms this time are so severe that my recent job must have hurt me more than I thought. The other employees were there long-term and I thought I would get to be, too. And when I heard about some of their newbie mistakesâaccidentally deleting a website, spending a client's entire marketing budget in an hour by forgetting to cap the daily ad spendâI wondered why they had been allowed to stay while I, who had not made any newbie mistakes, was laid off. By extending my trial period instead of making me permanent, they paid me less than the salary I was supposed to get for an additional three months, so that they got nine months of my labour and I got less than I bargained for. And these were employers and colleagues I trusted, and even now I'm confused because when I tell my friends about it, they say I was exploited, and if I heard my friend tell me this I'd say the same. But they had seemed such green flags to me that now I don't know how to choose a job that won't hurt me. If exposing yourself to the job is the only way to find out, that doesn't help my anxiety while applying.
The ways in which I am trying to care for my mental health include: wearing outfits I like even if I'm not going out, hyperfixating on Yunho, and trying to find k-drama and books that stimulate me because writing fannishly gives me a sense of accomplishment without any expectation of monetary gain. I like thinking up and writing meta more than fanfiction, and I like the bits of interaction I get on my tumblr posts. I like the platform and I like that Ateez and k-drama fandoms are present there, although I wish CIX and other k-pop fandoms would also move there instead of staying on Twitter.
I can't always find things that stimulate me, though, and sometimes something that stimulates me for a while peters off. For instance, I was enjoying the k-drama Idol I, about an idol accused of murder whose representing lawyer is secretly his fangirl, because the first half of the show was deliciously self-reflective about the experience of being a fangirl and what a mindfuck it is when the parasocial crosses into the real. But the second half of the show is just romance with a murder mystery background, and is not as interesting to me.
I've got to figure out ways to keep the happy chemicals in my brain in production, but one thing I'm grateful for is how accessible art is for me thanks to modern tech. I can read webtoons, watch shows, read webnovels, listen to music, scroll Tumblr for art. One of my online acquaintances told me I can find mini tutorials for oil pastel techniques on Pinterest. And when I create, when I write something of my own, I can put it on the internet. Even if other circumstances and conditions make my brain unhappy, even if it's near impossible to maintain wellbeing during These Times, feeding my brain nourishing things is easier now than at any other point in history, probably.
Some links and such.
Jan. 29th, 2026 08:10 amgoodbyebird+ Refrained from making this post until I had the icon that's been living in my head made and uploaded. (I have now opened my laptop two whole times this trip)
+ Fishery is still bad. People are here aalllll the tiiiime. I want to shove my face in a pillow and banshee shriek. I want to be in a small, slightly chilly and soundproof box. Absolute and utter isolation for one, please.
+ Adding to that, one of the crew has started sitting at my (usually empty) back table for meals, so now it's active conversation time on top of it all. And boy does she want to talk about how the solar flares are affecting her, and what are my thoughts on the aliens, she thinks they're friendly (watches yt about aliens every day). Girl, I know you know I'm into tarot, but we are Not The Same.
+ I'm not sleeping enough and it's not helping.
+ Did a silly and signed up for Fandom Trumps Hate. Do people still want icons at all time will tell đ¤ˇđťââď¸ Offered IWTV, Pluribus, and WoT with the fandom ticky boxes, "You're welcome to request specific pairings, characters, or scenes from those three fandoms. I am also willing to do icons from the following comics: Absolute Wonder Woman, Thompson's Birds of Prey, Wilson's Poison Ivy, Galaxy The Prettiest Star, Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow, Far Sector, Abbott, Ahmed's Exiles." Should maybe have specified a number, but I figured I'd wait and see the bid amount to decide.
+ The Endless Appetite for Fanfiction.
On the surface, this feels like it should be a good thing: More fic readers means more people in fandom, right? Instead, I read post after post talking about how distant writers felt from these newer readersâhow impersonal and lonely the act of fannish creation has become. Anecdotes where readers gush about a fic on Discord, but make zero attempts to connect with the author. Screenshots of fic titles or passages with no URLsâand captions like, âI wish I could tell the person who wrote this how incredible it is.â
+ To Fandom, With Love. (previously at Bitch Magazine, published 2020, now re-uploaded)
I also made friends through fanficâactual, honest-to-goodness close friends. Comments on each othersâ fics turned into email correspondences that began with exchanging headcanons about our favorite characters, and expanded into mutual care and supportâoften around issues weâd first broached anonymously in our respective works.
+ Neil Young trashes Amazon, gives his complete musical catalog to Greenland for free.
âAmazon is owned by Jeff Bezos, a billionaire backer of the president,â he wrote. âThe presidentâs international policies and his support of ICE make it impossible for me to ignore his actions. If you feel as I do, I strongly recommend that you do not use Amazon. There are many ways to avoid Amazon and support individual Americans and American companies that supply the same products. I have done that with my music and people who are looking can find it in a lot of other places."
+ There is no such thing as other peopleâs children.
+ Talking Greatness to Death. On Ryan Coogler's sins and the kinds of performances that attract vampires.
+ Does anybody want me to do a lil tarot draw for them? I can do A World Without Shrimp (feeling as though something is missing from your life, this spread can help you identify what you're craving), or Five By Five (general idea of how things are going).
+ Dropkick Murphy's performing Citizen I.C.E. live in Paris. Enjoy!
+ Fishery is still bad. People are here aalllll the tiiiime. I want to shove my face in a pillow and banshee shriek. I want to be in a small, slightly chilly and soundproof box. Absolute and utter isolation for one, please.
+ Adding to that, one of the crew has started sitting at my (usually empty) back table for meals, so now it's active conversation time on top of it all. And boy does she want to talk about how the solar flares are affecting her, and what are my thoughts on the aliens, she thinks they're friendly (watches yt about aliens every day). Girl, I know you know I'm into tarot, but we are Not The Same.
+ I'm not sleeping enough and it's not helping.
+ Did a silly and signed up for Fandom Trumps Hate. Do people still want icons at all time will tell đ¤ˇđťââď¸ Offered IWTV, Pluribus, and WoT with the fandom ticky boxes, "You're welcome to request specific pairings, characters, or scenes from those three fandoms. I am also willing to do icons from the following comics: Absolute Wonder Woman, Thompson's Birds of Prey, Wilson's Poison Ivy, Galaxy The Prettiest Star, Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow, Far Sector, Abbott, Ahmed's Exiles." Should maybe have specified a number, but I figured I'd wait and see the bid amount to decide.
+ The Endless Appetite for Fanfiction.
On the surface, this feels like it should be a good thing: More fic readers means more people in fandom, right? Instead, I read post after post talking about how distant writers felt from these newer readersâhow impersonal and lonely the act of fannish creation has become. Anecdotes where readers gush about a fic on Discord, but make zero attempts to connect with the author. Screenshots of fic titles or passages with no URLsâand captions like, âI wish I could tell the person who wrote this how incredible it is.â
+ To Fandom, With Love. (previously at Bitch Magazine, published 2020, now re-uploaded)
I also made friends through fanficâactual, honest-to-goodness close friends. Comments on each othersâ fics turned into email correspondences that began with exchanging headcanons about our favorite characters, and expanded into mutual care and supportâoften around issues weâd first broached anonymously in our respective works.
+ Neil Young trashes Amazon, gives his complete musical catalog to Greenland for free.
âAmazon is owned by Jeff Bezos, a billionaire backer of the president,â he wrote. âThe presidentâs international policies and his support of ICE make it impossible for me to ignore his actions. If you feel as I do, I strongly recommend that you do not use Amazon. There are many ways to avoid Amazon and support individual Americans and American companies that supply the same products. I have done that with my music and people who are looking can find it in a lot of other places."
+ There is no such thing as other peopleâs children.
+ Talking Greatness to Death. On Ryan Coogler's sins and the kinds of performances that attract vampires.
+ Does anybody want me to do a lil tarot draw for them? I can do A World Without Shrimp (feeling as though something is missing from your life, this spread can help you identify what you're craving), or Five By Five (general idea of how things are going).
+ Dropkick Murphy's performing Citizen I.C.E. live in Paris. Enjoy!
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