those six or eight exhalations
Apr. 1st, 2026 02:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
musesfoolApril is National Poetry Month in the US, so as I have done for the last...TWENTY YEARS!!!! I will be posting a poem a day here (and a different poem on tumblr). They will be tagged as "poetry" and "national poetry month 2026," so if you know how to block tags on DW, have at it!
Let's start with old favorite Billy Collins:
Lines Lost Among Trees
by Billy Collins
These are not the lines that came to me
while walking in the woods
with no pen
and nothing to write on anyway.
They are gone forever,
a handful of coins
dropped through the grate of memory,
along with the ingenious mnemonic
I devised to hold them in place---
all gone and forgotten
before I had returned to the clearing of lawn
in back of our quiet house
with its jars jammed with pens,
its notebooks and reams of blank paper,
its desk and soft lamp,
its table and the light from its windows.
So this is my elegy for them,
those six or eight exhalations,
the braided rope of the syntax,
the jazz of the timing,
and the little insight at the end
wagging like the short tail
of a perfectly obedient spaniel
sitting by the door.
This is my envoy to nothing
where I say Go, little poem---
not out into the world of strangers' eyes,
but off to some airy limbo,
home to lost epics,
unremembered names,
and fugitive dreams
such as the one I had last night,
which, like a fantastic city in pencil,
erased itself
in the bright morning air
just as I was waking up.
***
Let's start with old favorite Billy Collins:
Lines Lost Among Trees
by Billy Collins
These are not the lines that came to me
while walking in the woods
with no pen
and nothing to write on anyway.
They are gone forever,
a handful of coins
dropped through the grate of memory,
along with the ingenious mnemonic
I devised to hold them in place---
all gone and forgotten
before I had returned to the clearing of lawn
in back of our quiet house
with its jars jammed with pens,
its notebooks and reams of blank paper,
its desk and soft lamp,
its table and the light from its windows.
So this is my elegy for them,
those six or eight exhalations,
the braided rope of the syntax,
the jazz of the timing,
and the little insight at the end
wagging like the short tail
of a perfectly obedient spaniel
sitting by the door.
This is my envoy to nothing
where I say Go, little poem---
not out into the world of strangers' eyes,
but off to some airy limbo,
home to lost epics,
unremembered names,
and fugitive dreams
such as the one I had last night,
which, like a fantastic city in pencil,
erased itself
in the bright morning air
just as I was waking up.
***
Spectre Requisitions
Mar. 31st, 2026 06:40 pmsettiaiSpectre Requisitions, a Mass Effect rare 'ships exchange, we live last night. I crashed around the same time everything went out, so I didn't get to read my gift until after work today, but it was so good.
No Touching At All. F!Shepard/Morinth. 2181 words.
It's set during ME3 in a worldstate where Shepard chose Morinth over Samara, with the two of them in a nontraditional romance what with the limitations caused by Morinth's condition.
No Touching At All. F!Shepard/Morinth. 2181 words.
It's set during ME3 in a worldstate where Shepard chose Morinth over Samara, with the two of them in a nontraditional romance what with the limitations caused by Morinth's condition.
so i reasoned i was drunk enough to deal with it
Mar. 31st, 2026 06:16 pmmusesfoolI was going to say this week has been endless and somehow it's still only Tuesday! but that's especially hilarious because I logged off work yesterday at 3 pm to go back to bed, and I'm taking off Thursday and Friday (and Monday), so really I only have tomorrow left of the work week. But subjectively it has felt endless. I do feel better though - still congested and coughing like mad, but no more fever. So you know, marginally better. *wry*
Anyway, I've got a recs update for you:
unfitforsociety has been updated for March 2026 with 13 story recs and 2 vid recs in 5 fandoms:
* 10 Heated Rivalry
* 2 The Pitt
* 1 Batfamily
* 1 Leverage vid and 1 Star Wars vid
*
Anyway, I've got a recs update for you:
unfitforsociety has been updated for March 2026 with 13 story recs and 2 vid recs in 5 fandoms:* 10 Heated Rivalry
* 2 The Pitt
* 1 Batfamily
* 1 Leverage vid and 1 Star Wars vid
*
Paradise 2.08 (Season finale)
Mar. 31st, 2026 06:09 pmselenakIn which season 2 comes to an end with a bang and a whimper both.
( Spoilers have just heard there will be a third and final season, which is good )
( Spoilers have just heard there will be a third and final season, which is good )
Fic: Trust Fall (Dragon Age)
Mar. 30th, 2026 09:25 pmsettiaiTrust Fall (1076 words) by Settiai
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Video Game), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Viago de Riva/Rook
Characters: Rook (Dragon Age), Viago de Riva
Additional Tags: Antivan Crow Rook (Dragon Age), background Lucanis Dellamorte/Rook, Crow Contracts Exchange, Elf Rook (Dragon Age), Fluff, Male Rook (Dragon Age), Nightmares, One Shot, Post-Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Trans Male Rook (Dragon Age)
Summary: Rook couldn't sleep.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Video Game), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Viago de Riva/Rook
Characters: Rook (Dragon Age), Viago de Riva
Additional Tags: Antivan Crow Rook (Dragon Age), background Lucanis Dellamorte/Rook, Crow Contracts Exchange, Elf Rook (Dragon Age), Fluff, Male Rook (Dragon Age), Nightmares, One Shot, Post-Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Trans Male Rook (Dragon Age)
Summary: Rook couldn't sleep.
bah! and also, feh!
Mar. 30th, 2026 06:08 pmmusesfoolEven Nyquil couldn't keep my cough at bay all night. At least it's a productive cough? Bah. I feel like I am made entirely of mucus. How is there so much of it??? Plus I woke up with a fever this morning and again when I woke up from my nap just now.
I'm going to eat a bagel, poke around the internet, and then go back to bed and hope I feel better tomorrow. See you on the flip side!
*
I'm going to eat a bagel, poke around the internet, and then go back to bed and hope I feel better tomorrow. See you on the flip side!
*
just call my name, i'll be there in a hurry
Mar. 29th, 2026 05:48 pmmusesfoolBlurgh I think I am coming down with something - my throat is incredibly scratchy and every third breath I need to cough loudly and horribly. It kept me from sleeping very well last night so tonight i think it's going to be Nyquil or bust. Bah.
I keep intending to share these links and forgetting, but at least I can do it while it's still Mika March:
= Mika Zibanejad and the lasting moments of a 1,000-game NHL journey
= A Forgettable Night, A Memorable Career: Mika Zibanejad’s Top Moments
since he's my favorite player now that Kreider is gone. Well, him and Shesterkin. Even though I gave up on this season fairly early (not earlier than JT Miller though!).
*
I keep intending to share these links and forgetting, but at least I can do it while it's still Mika March:
= Mika Zibanejad and the lasting moments of a 1,000-game NHL journey
= A Forgettable Night, A Memorable Career: Mika Zibanejad’s Top Moments
since he's my favorite player now that Kreider is gone. Well, him and Shesterkin. Even though I gave up on this season fairly early (not earlier than JT Miller though!).
*
For all Mankind 5.01
Mar. 29th, 2026 01:25 pmselenakI finished s4 of For All Mankind with mixed feelings - you can read my review of the season 4 finale here, which goes into details as to why - but not so much that I wasn't curious about s5, which started on Friday.
( Spoilers finally found out what happened to Oleg from The Americans )
( Spoilers finally found out what happened to Oleg from The Americans )
his talent is unlimited
Mar. 28th, 2026 07:45 pmmusesfoolI know I owe comment replies and I am going to get to them. The intermittent internet situation this week made me very reluctant as it would drop and I'd lose track of what I was planning to say by the time it came back etc. But! My new modem and router arrived yesterday and early this afternoon, I hooked them up. It worked, though at first I was like, what is happening? Because you do all this waiting for the modem to boot up and activate and then the first thing the router instructions say is "reboot your modem" and I'm like "are you for real? I literally just activated it!" but I did it and plugged everything in and it worked briefly! And then the router started blinking and my phone told me I had no internet and I was like WTF? Because it could 100% be an outside the apartment problem, or it could be a cabling problem because I did not swap out the coaxial cables - why would I do that? They are all nice and tight and the splitter is connected and I have had no issues with my cable box. So I unplugged everything and then plugged it back in and went to the Spectrum website to activate everything and it told me I had nothing ot activate, everything was working! And it has been so far! I will keep the old equipment for a couple of days, just in case, and bring it back to the Spectrum store midweek, probably.
After that adventure, I baked these whipped shortbread cookies (pic). I did not separate into lemon vanilla/orange chocolate. Instead, I used 1 tsp of almond extract in place of the citrus zest, and added chocolate sprinkles once they were piped but before they were refrigerated.
I've mentioned this before, but I am trying to replicate a childhood favorite cookie from an old Italian bakery that closed long before I even moved out of Ozone Park. They were not kept with the fancy butter cookies but with the S-cookies and the biscotti and the anginetti, and they had a much crumblier/drier texture than the typical Italian bakery butter cookies (you know the ones, either dipped in chocolate on one end or sandwiched with apricot or raspberry jam etc.). they were piped round and a slightly darker brown than the butter cookies too. And they were my absolute favorites. I've never found them at another bakery either.
I've tried a few Italian butter cookie recipes but none were quite right (though the one from Dolci was pretty close!), and then last week on thee second or third day of the pecan shortbread, I was like, this is the texture! And almost the taste, but the pecans obviously made the flavor different, though they do have almond extract in them (almond extract is the smell of Italian bakeries to me). So I googled to see if there was a chocolate sprinkle shortbread recipe out there, and found the one I linked above, and they also seemed like they'd be close. So after checking to make sure I wouldn't leave myself out of butter if I made them (I had another pound way in the back of the fridge), I got to baking. I think these also need a little longer in the oven, but we'll see how they taste tomorrow - I think that will be the test. but I think I'm getting close!
*
After that adventure, I baked these whipped shortbread cookies (pic). I did not separate into lemon vanilla/orange chocolate. Instead, I used 1 tsp of almond extract in place of the citrus zest, and added chocolate sprinkles once they were piped but before they were refrigerated.
I've mentioned this before, but I am trying to replicate a childhood favorite cookie from an old Italian bakery that closed long before I even moved out of Ozone Park. They were not kept with the fancy butter cookies but with the S-cookies and the biscotti and the anginetti, and they had a much crumblier/drier texture than the typical Italian bakery butter cookies (you know the ones, either dipped in chocolate on one end or sandwiched with apricot or raspberry jam etc.). they were piped round and a slightly darker brown than the butter cookies too. And they were my absolute favorites. I've never found them at another bakery either.
I've tried a few Italian butter cookie recipes but none were quite right (though the one from Dolci was pretty close!), and then last week on thee second or third day of the pecan shortbread, I was like, this is the texture! And almost the taste, but the pecans obviously made the flavor different, though they do have almond extract in them (almond extract is the smell of Italian bakeries to me). So I googled to see if there was a chocolate sprinkle shortbread recipe out there, and found the one I linked above, and they also seemed like they'd be close. So after checking to make sure I wouldn't leave myself out of butter if I made them (I had another pound way in the back of the fridge), I got to baking. I think these also need a little longer in the oven, but we'll see how they taste tomorrow - I think that will be the test. but I think I'm getting close!
*
Time to start a riot, where you at
Mar. 27th, 2026 07:22 pmmusesfoolI made it through this work week unscathed! I logged off last night at 4:45 and took a 2 hour nap where I slept like a rock, got up, watched The Pitt (more on that below) and went to bed and again slept hard. This weekend could not have come at a better time! ;)
In other news, I am sure you have all see this, but in case you haven't: Himesh Patel joins the Ryan Coogler X-Files Reboot. Danielle Deadwyler was already on board. I am seated and ready! Though it will probably be several years before it premieres (if it doesn't get shitcanned the way the Buffy revival did).
My impression - not based on anything except how it's described in that article - is that this is more of a sequel than a reboot? Like a reopening of the X-Files several years later? But I could be wrong. It could be a straight up reboot. I am curious, though, how it will go, especially after we've had Fringe and, more recently, Evil treading similar ground.
As for The Pitt: ( spoilers )
And now I am just going to hit post while I still have an internet connection. The router has been worse today than ever before. I guess it knows its replacement is sitting five feet away, ready to be installed tomorrow.
*
In other news, I am sure you have all see this, but in case you haven't: Himesh Patel joins the Ryan Coogler X-Files Reboot. Danielle Deadwyler was already on board. I am seated and ready! Though it will probably be several years before it premieres (if it doesn't get shitcanned the way the Buffy revival did).
My impression - not based on anything except how it's described in that article - is that this is more of a sequel than a reboot? Like a reopening of the X-Files several years later? But I could be wrong. It could be a straight up reboot. I am curious, though, how it will go, especially after we've had Fringe and, more recently, Evil treading similar ground.
As for The Pitt: ( spoilers )
And now I am just going to hit post while I still have an internet connection. The router has been worse today than ever before. I guess it knows its replacement is sitting five feet away, ready to be installed tomorrow.
*
someday when the world is much brighter
Mar. 25th, 2026 08:12 pmmusesfoolWe were all super anxious about today's board meeting, but despite all the agita, it went well. Whew. We will still need to do some tweaking in terms of the order stuff is presented in, but thankfully nobody got all up in arms about the changes.
My router keeps dropping my internet connection in short spurts every few hours, and I finally opened the chat with Spectrum about it. I was like, could it be that I need a new router? It's 6 years old. And the chatbot or whatever was like, it seems to be working right now! And I was like, yes, but it's been dropping the connection repeatedly for the last three days, several times a day, for 5-10 minutes at a time, both on wifi and with the computer that is plugged into the ethernet cable. And it was like, please hold. And then it came back and was like, ah yes, now I see there is some bad signal coming from your router! Perhaps we should replace it. It is 6 years old. And I was like, yes please! How do we do that? And it offered to ship it and a new modem, which is also 6 years old but has not (yet) been troublesome, so I said yes, let's do that. So now they are shipping me a new modem and a new router, which I will install and then return the old equipment to them. So we'll see how that goes.
I also signed and scanned back my tax returns to my accountant and I'm so glad they take payment by Zelle now so I don't have to mail a check. I'm getting money back from both Fed and State, which will have to go right to paying bills. At least I can't rack up more credit card charges atm because my niece has put a moratorium on any new clothes for Baby Miss L until they clear out out some space. It is very hard to restrain myself but I have done so womanfully. There are just so many cute toddler girl clothes out there though, and she enjoys playing with her clothes (she likes to do fashion shows by trying on various items, accessorizing with a hat and a purse, and then walking round the living room), so I enjoy giving them to her. Hopefully they'll get some old stuff that no longer fits put away and I will be given free rein again.
*
My router keeps dropping my internet connection in short spurts every few hours, and I finally opened the chat with Spectrum about it. I was like, could it be that I need a new router? It's 6 years old. And the chatbot or whatever was like, it seems to be working right now! And I was like, yes, but it's been dropping the connection repeatedly for the last three days, several times a day, for 5-10 minutes at a time, both on wifi and with the computer that is plugged into the ethernet cable. And it was like, please hold. And then it came back and was like, ah yes, now I see there is some bad signal coming from your router! Perhaps we should replace it. It is 6 years old. And I was like, yes please! How do we do that? And it offered to ship it and a new modem, which is also 6 years old but has not (yet) been troublesome, so I said yes, let's do that. So now they are shipping me a new modem and a new router, which I will install and then return the old equipment to them. So we'll see how that goes.
I also signed and scanned back my tax returns to my accountant and I'm so glad they take payment by Zelle now so I don't have to mail a check. I'm getting money back from both Fed and State, which will have to go right to paying bills. At least I can't rack up more credit card charges atm because my niece has put a moratorium on any new clothes for Baby Miss L until they clear out out some space. It is very hard to restrain myself but I have done so womanfully. There are just so many cute toddler girl clothes out there though, and she enjoys playing with her clothes (she likes to do fashion shows by trying on various items, accessorizing with a hat and a purse, and then walking round the living room), so I enjoy giving them to her. Hopefully they'll get some old stuff that no longer fits put away and I will be given free rein again.
*
Remembrances for MinoanMiss & visiting friends
Mar. 25th, 2026 06:51 pmpetraMinoanMiss's obituary. Which I will eventually be able to read.
If you knew her and you have some cash to spare, there is a GoFundMe for burial & memorial costs.
*
I am hanging out withjackabug and teland this week, after meeting katarik and having a meal with Jack, Kat, and jadelennox after the memorial last weekend.
It is good to be on vacation.
I am mostly Not Thinking about the event this weekend, to which I was going to takeminoanmiss, because when I think about it, it makes me want to cry. On the plus side, I will have quite a few other people I know there to talk to, sing with, and hug.
If you knew her and you have some cash to spare, there is a GoFundMe for burial & memorial costs.
*
I am hanging out with
jackabug and teland this week, after meeting katarik and having a meal with Jack, Kat, and jadelennox after the memorial last weekend.It is good to be on vacation.
I am mostly Not Thinking about the event this weekend, to which I was going to take
minoanmiss, because when I think about it, it makes me want to cry. On the plus side, I will have quite a few other people I know there to talk to, sing with, and hug.Old DVD commentaries posted to AO3 today
Mar. 24th, 2026 04:49 pmpetraAshes to Ashes + DCU Crossover:
Holiday makers - Alex Drake, meet Barbara Gordon.
Avengers (2012):
Nutritious high protein - Why Steve Rogers's shirts fit the way they do. (Gen)
DCU:
A bird in the hand - Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson, the first identity porn story, Brucie Wayne/Nightwing. With Jamjar.
Also from the How to Marry a Millionaire verse, Mussels, with Bruce/Dick/Clark.
À la recherche de la honte perdue - Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson, in which Dick dresses as Marie Antoinette (just like in canon) and Bruce dresses as Louis XVI (canon!) and then they have sex (okay, that was me).
If you're on fire - Steph Brown, Cassandra Cain, and Kon-El have Adventures.
In Flagrante Delicto - Slade Wilson/Dick Grayson, co-written with Rubynye, as were the commentaries. (Yes, I do know how much it's going to suck for people to get a heads-up from her, but it's better than losing her words.)
So unlike a wife, Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson with crossdressing, Selina Kyle, and sharp edges.
DVD commentary by Petra onteland's Entelechy - Dick Grayson/Tim Drake, content some readers may find disturbing. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Good Omens:
Holy unnecessary - a snippet of the story where Crowley wakes up with a penis (no interpersonal sexual contact)
Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes:
Ease my worried mind - Take Clothes Off As Directed (Dom/sub roles as socially normative/constructed), Sam/Gene, Sam/Annie.
L'appel du vide - Several stories deep into a series of Gene Hunt/Alex Drake/Sam Tyler/Annie Cartwright. With thatyourefuse.
Star Wars:
The letter and not the spirit - Obi-Wan/Anakin, a snippet of the story, involves cuddling
Holiday makers - Alex Drake, meet Barbara Gordon.
Avengers (2012):
Nutritious high protein - Why Steve Rogers's shirts fit the way they do. (Gen)
DCU:
A bird in the hand - Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson, the first identity porn story, Brucie Wayne/Nightwing. With Jamjar.
Also from the How to Marry a Millionaire verse, Mussels, with Bruce/Dick/Clark.
À la recherche de la honte perdue - Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson, in which Dick dresses as Marie Antoinette (just like in canon) and Bruce dresses as Louis XVI (canon!) and then they have sex (okay, that was me).
If you're on fire - Steph Brown, Cassandra Cain, and Kon-El have Adventures.
In Flagrante Delicto - Slade Wilson/Dick Grayson, co-written with Rubynye, as were the commentaries. (Yes, I do know how much it's going to suck for people to get a heads-up from her, but it's better than losing her words.)
So unlike a wife, Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson with crossdressing, Selina Kyle, and sharp edges.
DVD commentary by Petra on
teland's Entelechy - Dick Grayson/Tim Drake, content some readers may find disturbing. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3Good Omens:
Holy unnecessary - a snippet of the story where Crowley wakes up with a penis (no interpersonal sexual contact)
Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes:
Ease my worried mind - Take Clothes Off As Directed (Dom/sub roles as socially normative/constructed), Sam/Gene, Sam/Annie.
L'appel du vide - Several stories deep into a series of Gene Hunt/Alex Drake/Sam Tyler/Annie Cartwright. With thatyourefuse.
Star Wars:
The letter and not the spirit - Obi-Wan/Anakin, a snippet of the story, involves cuddling
Love for a dollar - Singin' in the Rain OT3 fluff for Katarik
Mar. 24th, 2026 01:05 ampetraLove for a dollar (1167 words) by Petra
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Cosmo Brown/Don Lockwood/Kathy Selden
Characters: Don Lockwood, Cosmo Brown, Kathy Selden
Additional Tags: Gift Fic, Domestic Disputes, Domestic Fluff, Polyamory Negotiations, Happy Ending
Summary:
( Read more... )
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Cosmo Brown/Don Lockwood/Kathy Selden
Characters: Don Lockwood, Cosmo Brown, Kathy Selden
Additional Tags: Gift Fic, Domestic Disputes, Domestic Fluff, Polyamory Negotiations, Happy Ending
Summary:
When R. F. recognizes Cosmo's genius and gives him a raise, he wants to pay rent. Don and Kathy have opinions about this.
( Read more... )
Crow Contracts Exchange
Mar. 23rd, 2026 07:25 pmsettiaiThe Crow Contracts Exchange, a Dragon Age exchange focusing on the Antivan Crows, went live yesterday, and I just now got the change to read my gifts because of the craziness of everything.
I got not one, not two, but a whopping three amazing stories!
First up is Fourth Spaces, focusing on the gen relationships between Lucanis (and Spite) and Bellara, Lace, and Taash in a world state where Rook kept her distance from him. 2334 words.
Next is Gotta Kill Them All, focusing on the relationship between Lucanis and Spite. 520 words.
And last was One by day, one by twilight, a delightful Lucanis/Neve/Spite fic from Spite's POV. 7625 words.
I got not one, not two, but a whopping three amazing stories!
First up is Fourth Spaces, focusing on the gen relationships between Lucanis (and Spite) and Bellara, Lace, and Taash in a world state where Rook kept her distance from him. 2334 words.
Next is Gotta Kill Them All, focusing on the relationship between Lucanis and Spite. 520 words.
And last was One by day, one by twilight, a delightful Lucanis/Neve/Spite fic from Spite's POV. 7625 words.
Paradise 2.06 + 2.07
Mar. 23rd, 2026 04:19 pmselenakIn the former, Jane sees herself as Alice to Sinatra's Luther, while in the later, Sinatra is informed it all comes down to Vader and Luke.
( Spoilers are saying hello to.... )
( Spoilers are saying hello to.... )
like a star that can't wait for a night
Mar. 22nd, 2026 06:28 pmmusesfoolAfter waiting as they spent a long, slow afternoon in the oven, I just went to town on some baby back ribs. Holy cats, they were good. Super messy, of course, but delicious! And I have leftovers, so I'll be able to repeat the experience this week!
The pecan shortbread (pic) turned out well, too. I'm a little sad there's no blood orange gelato to go with them, but once the chicken tenders are gone, I will definitely be making it!
In more fannish news, there was a post I saw somewhere on tumblr that talked about a crossover (or fusion? it didn't go into great detail) between Batfam and Dungeon Crawler Carl, and said that the Bats would all be outside during the collapse, and feel obligated to go into the dungeon. And I don't necessarily disagree? But I also don't necessarily agree, either!
In DCC, we're told the collapse happened at approximately 2:20 am PT, which means it was 5:20 am ET, and if you (and by "you" I mean me) believe Gotham is in New Jersey, that is probably after they are all home, and hopefully showering/sleeping, so I'm not sure they survive just by nature of being on patrol. Maybe if Tim is out in San Francisco with the Titans, where it would also be 2:20 am PT, he'd survive, but I'm not necessarily convinced he would go into the dungeon, either. Because there's whatever survivors on the surface to take care of also. Maybe they'd split up? Some would go into the dungeon to see what it was about and others would stay up top to manage any survivors, lead any fighting against alien invaders?
Like, could Kon take being underground for so long without access to sunlight? He should probably stay on the surface and help that way. (I also think this is a hard crossover to make happen simply because...there are canonical aliens in the DCU and also the Green Lantern Corps. So you'd have to do some fast talking/handwaving to get to the interesting parts, because how do the Green Lanterns not know about this? Otoh, you could go full AU/fusion and have Krypton be a world that was stripped ages ago and everyone is shocked to see Kryptonians on Earth. Same with Tamaran or Mars I guess.)
And I do wonder how Batman specifically would fare in a dungeon where killing is the preferred (by the System AI and the Syndicate running the thing and a large portion of the audience) way to survive and advance. He and Cass would find other ways, and I'm sure they would amass fans and, eventually, sponsors, but it'd be harder, I think, especially on the earlier floors. I think we have seen him kill aliens though, at least in the animated universes, so maybe he'd be okay at first with killing goblins and ogres and ghouls etc. Idk.
Jason, otoh, would be all, "I'm built for this!" and shoot his way to glory, or at least do the killing when Bruce and Cass couldn't. Steph and Dick might be pragmatic enough to come around to killing mobs, at least, ( spoiler for Dungeon Crawler Carl )
And while I think a fusion might be a better way to go than a regular crossover (I know there is someone writing a Superman and Carl are BFF in the dungeon, or at least creating art for it, but I don't know what they've chosen to use for backstory), I would love to see Damian interact with Princess Donut. Or the System AI deal with Oracle.
*
The pecan shortbread (pic) turned out well, too. I'm a little sad there's no blood orange gelato to go with them, but once the chicken tenders are gone, I will definitely be making it!
In more fannish news, there was a post I saw somewhere on tumblr that talked about a crossover (or fusion? it didn't go into great detail) between Batfam and Dungeon Crawler Carl, and said that the Bats would all be outside during the collapse, and feel obligated to go into the dungeon. And I don't necessarily disagree? But I also don't necessarily agree, either!
In DCC, we're told the collapse happened at approximately 2:20 am PT, which means it was 5:20 am ET, and if you (and by "you" I mean me) believe Gotham is in New Jersey, that is probably after they are all home, and hopefully showering/sleeping, so I'm not sure they survive just by nature of being on patrol. Maybe if Tim is out in San Francisco with the Titans, where it would also be 2:20 am PT, he'd survive, but I'm not necessarily convinced he would go into the dungeon, either. Because there's whatever survivors on the surface to take care of also. Maybe they'd split up? Some would go into the dungeon to see what it was about and others would stay up top to manage any survivors, lead any fighting against alien invaders?
Like, could Kon take being underground for so long without access to sunlight? He should probably stay on the surface and help that way. (I also think this is a hard crossover to make happen simply because...there are canonical aliens in the DCU and also the Green Lantern Corps. So you'd have to do some fast talking/handwaving to get to the interesting parts, because how do the Green Lanterns not know about this? Otoh, you could go full AU/fusion and have Krypton be a world that was stripped ages ago and everyone is shocked to see Kryptonians on Earth. Same with Tamaran or Mars I guess.)
And I do wonder how Batman specifically would fare in a dungeon where killing is the preferred (by the System AI and the Syndicate running the thing and a large portion of the audience) way to survive and advance. He and Cass would find other ways, and I'm sure they would amass fans and, eventually, sponsors, but it'd be harder, I think, especially on the earlier floors. I think we have seen him kill aliens though, at least in the animated universes, so maybe he'd be okay at first with killing goblins and ogres and ghouls etc. Idk.
Jason, otoh, would be all, "I'm built for this!" and shoot his way to glory, or at least do the killing when Bruce and Cass couldn't. Steph and Dick might be pragmatic enough to come around to killing mobs, at least, ( spoiler for Dungeon Crawler Carl )
And while I think a fusion might be a better way to go than a regular crossover (I know there is someone writing a Superman and Carl are BFF in the dungeon, or at least creating art for it, but I don't know what they've chosen to use for backstory), I would love to see Damian interact with Princess Donut. Or the System AI deal with Oracle.
*
Recommendation - Quartetto, due South story by sixthlight
Mar. 21st, 2026 06:04 pmpetraQuartetto (146039 words) by Sixthlight
Chapters: 11/11
Fandom: due South
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski/Stella Kowalski/Ray Vecchio, Stella Kowalski/Ray Vecchio, Benton Fraser/Ray Vecchio, Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, Ray Kowalski/Stella Kowalski, Benton Fraser & Stella Kowalski, Ray Kowalski & Ray Vecchio
Characters: Stella Kowalski (due South), Ray Vecchio, Benton Fraser, Ray Kowalski
Additional Tags: Polyamory, Slow Burn, Trauma Recovery, Queer Themes, Feminist Themes, Bisexuality, Female Protagonist, Second Chances, Post-Canon, Roman fleuve, Foursome - F/M/M/M
Summary:
This story digs deep into the situation implied in the phrase, "I swing both Rays," in that Stella always has, and so does Fraser. Eventually, after some lovely family tension and gloriously due South coincidences, they find their way to a dynamic sort of domestic peace, in defiance of all the canon's fear of limerence.
This was very, very good for my heart, with its rampant bisexuality and careful, thoughtful exploration of how these characters -- some of whom have solid reasons at the outset not to like each other very much -- find attraction, and joy, and above all banter. The banter is fucking golden. I love Fraser's voice, and this reflects it; I love RayK when he's flustered, and there is plenty to fluster him here; I love Vecchio when he is sharp and sweet and sardonic, and oh my heart.
And. Possibly most importantly, Stella. I have never spent much time thinking about her, but how I adore her in this piece: incisive, driven, sure of herself even when things are going completely bananas all around her, because women are the real straight men in due South, except when they're Frannie. (Who is also great here, don't get me wrong.) Stella's family works very well in their role in the narrative, both as foils of what her parents will tolerate (Francis!) and as what they thought Stella should be (ah, Jean, heartbreaking to get everything right). Stella with her view of reality that isn't quite the parareality of due South -- she may talk to Dief, but she doesn't entirely believe he understands her, nor that he talks back, despite the convictions of the people around her. She lives on a different wavelength than Fraser, and even RayV, as the quintessential Woman Who Got Away, but it is deeply satisfying that here, she doesn't get away, and instead, she gets everything she ever wanted.
Every single bowling reference made me make the :D face. Thank you, sixthlight, for saving Stella and Vecchio from the bad, bad canon, and instead delivering them to this much better situation.
Chapters: 11/11
Fandom: due South
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski/Stella Kowalski/Ray Vecchio, Stella Kowalski/Ray Vecchio, Benton Fraser/Ray Vecchio, Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, Ray Kowalski/Stella Kowalski, Benton Fraser & Stella Kowalski, Ray Kowalski & Ray Vecchio
Characters: Stella Kowalski (due South), Ray Vecchio, Benton Fraser, Ray Kowalski
Additional Tags: Polyamory, Slow Burn, Trauma Recovery, Queer Themes, Feminist Themes, Bisexuality, Female Protagonist, Second Chances, Post-Canon, Roman fleuve, Foursome - F/M/M/M
Summary:
So, men. Maybe Stella was over that.
*This story digs deep into the situation implied in the phrase, "I swing both Rays," in that Stella always has, and so does Fraser. Eventually, after some lovely family tension and gloriously due South coincidences, they find their way to a dynamic sort of domestic peace, in defiance of all the canon's fear of limerence.
This was very, very good for my heart, with its rampant bisexuality and careful, thoughtful exploration of how these characters -- some of whom have solid reasons at the outset not to like each other very much -- find attraction, and joy, and above all banter. The banter is fucking golden. I love Fraser's voice, and this reflects it; I love RayK when he's flustered, and there is plenty to fluster him here; I love Vecchio when he is sharp and sweet and sardonic, and oh my heart.
And. Possibly most importantly, Stella. I have never spent much time thinking about her, but how I adore her in this piece: incisive, driven, sure of herself even when things are going completely bananas all around her, because women are the real straight men in due South, except when they're Frannie. (Who is also great here, don't get me wrong.) Stella's family works very well in their role in the narrative, both as foils of what her parents will tolerate (Francis!) and as what they thought Stella should be (ah, Jean, heartbreaking to get everything right). Stella with her view of reality that isn't quite the parareality of due South -- she may talk to Dief, but she doesn't entirely believe he understands her, nor that he talks back, despite the convictions of the people around her. She lives on a different wavelength than Fraser, and even RayV, as the quintessential Woman Who Got Away, but it is deeply satisfying that here, she doesn't get away, and instead, she gets everything she ever wanted.
Every single bowling reference made me make the :D face. Thank you, sixthlight, for saving Stella and Vecchio from the bad, bad canon, and instead delivering them to this much better situation.