Book of Mormon + Horse Girls
Oct. 7th, 2025 12:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerI attended two theatrical productions this weekend! (In fact, I narrowly escaped attending three: Macbeth was on offer, but we ended up going to a cinema showing of Interview with the Vampire instead.)
First, I went to Book of Mormon, which I’ve wanted to see since 2014 despite a nagging feeling that possibly making a musical comedy about someone’s holy book was maybe not the best thing to do. However, I had a great time: the songs are super catchy and the show is a lot of fun, very energizing. I generally turn into a pumpkin around ten p.m. but did not pumpkin at all during the show!
Then I went to the Sunday matinee of Horse Girls, a play put on by the university theater department, whose productions range from “AMAZING” to “well, you tried.”
The lead actress was great, and the set designers were clearly having a ton of fun trying to cram as many different horse objects as they could into this twelve-year-old’s bedroom, but the script was… well. Let me just say, by the end of the play, there are three horse girls down. One gets boinked over the head with a riding trophy, another impaled on the surprisingly sharp ears of that selfsame riding trophy, and a third strangled with her own braid.
Also, the playwright seems to be under the impression that Anne Romney (wife of Mitt Romney) is some sort of patron saint of horse girls, as evidenced by the fact that when their stable is in trouble, our horse girls attempt to contact Anne Romney in the White House. (Oh, this play takes place in an alternate universe where Mitt Romney won the 2012 election, I guess.) And the director’s note is all about how Anne Romney originated or at least popularized the concept of the horse girl, which also makes me feel like I’ve stumbled into some bizarro alternate universe, because the horse girl has been around much longer than that? I’m sure there were horse girls in the 1990s if not before? Am I insane or is the director?
The director’s note also notes that horse girls are “often considered prissy, privileged, or just plain weird,” which seems like an unpromising set of assumptions to bring to the table when you are directing a play that is literally called Horse Girls. Although possibly exactly the assumption you want to bring to a play where the horse girls are homicidal maniacs.
First, I went to Book of Mormon, which I’ve wanted to see since 2014 despite a nagging feeling that possibly making a musical comedy about someone’s holy book was maybe not the best thing to do. However, I had a great time: the songs are super catchy and the show is a lot of fun, very energizing. I generally turn into a pumpkin around ten p.m. but did not pumpkin at all during the show!
Then I went to the Sunday matinee of Horse Girls, a play put on by the university theater department, whose productions range from “AMAZING” to “well, you tried.”
The lead actress was great, and the set designers were clearly having a ton of fun trying to cram as many different horse objects as they could into this twelve-year-old’s bedroom, but the script was… well. Let me just say, by the end of the play, there are three horse girls down. One gets boinked over the head with a riding trophy, another impaled on the surprisingly sharp ears of that selfsame riding trophy, and a third strangled with her own braid.
Also, the playwright seems to be under the impression that Anne Romney (wife of Mitt Romney) is some sort of patron saint of horse girls, as evidenced by the fact that when their stable is in trouble, our horse girls attempt to contact Anne Romney in the White House. (Oh, this play takes place in an alternate universe where Mitt Romney won the 2012 election, I guess.) And the director’s note is all about how Anne Romney originated or at least popularized the concept of the horse girl, which also makes me feel like I’ve stumbled into some bizarro alternate universe, because the horse girl has been around much longer than that? I’m sure there were horse girls in the 1990s if not before? Am I insane or is the director?
The director’s note also notes that horse girls are “often considered prissy, privileged, or just plain weird,” which seems like an unpromising set of assumptions to bring to the table when you are directing a play that is literally called Horse Girls. Although possibly exactly the assumption you want to bring to a play where the horse girls are homicidal maniacs.
Misc stuff
Oct. 6th, 2025 09:39 pmysobel1) finally got around to subscribing to BritBox -- partly because I've been wanting to binge Poirot, partly because they have the old Doctor Who (which I've seen scattered episodes of but not even a quarter), partly because I'm grumpy at Disney/Hulu for raising prices. Britbox should keep me happy for a while though. And when I finish the 26 seasons of Old Who and 13 seasons of Poirot, it'll probably be somewhere around 2050... lol
2) I'm kind of annoyed that not all of Doctor Who is available right now. D+ has the Ncuti Gatwa ones, but nothing else. I own the first few seasons of New Who, which is rewatch for me, but when it was first airing I stopped having access partway through Matt Smith, and I haven't seen Peter Capaldi or Jodie Whittaker at all. Obviously I can watch out of order, but. Grump.
3) My current headcanon for Phantom of the Opera is that Erik is some flavor of asexual. He wants Christine as a bride, but it's a very child-ish "marrying means you're together forever" attitude, and if he knows newlyweds sleep together, he's oblivious to that being anything other than cuddling. He doesn't take advantage of Christine when she's down in his lair. And the sequence of "Either be with me forever or your boyfriend dies" "What if I kiss you?" "... ... ... ok you can leave" fits in, because in my head he's like "??? is this sex? Gross???" This amuses me way too much somehow...
4) I've pretty much decided to quit Duolingo when I hit 4000, which is in a bit over a month. The content is getting more irritating and while I am a little sad to not see how far I go, fuck Duolingo.
5) Am doing a daily drawing challenge (via Marc Brunet on YouTube -- he has a "learn to draw in 30 days" video with prompts. Posting the oh-so-exciting results to my instagram ... if you're desperate to see a bunch of squares and circles and cylinders and stuff, lol.
2) I'm kind of annoyed that not all of Doctor Who is available right now. D+ has the Ncuti Gatwa ones, but nothing else. I own the first few seasons of New Who, which is rewatch for me, but when it was first airing I stopped having access partway through Matt Smith, and I haven't seen Peter Capaldi or Jodie Whittaker at all. Obviously I can watch out of order, but. Grump.
3) My current headcanon for Phantom of the Opera is that Erik is some flavor of asexual. He wants Christine as a bride, but it's a very child-ish "marrying means you're together forever" attitude, and if he knows newlyweds sleep together, he's oblivious to that being anything other than cuddling. He doesn't take advantage of Christine when she's down in his lair. And the sequence of "Either be with me forever or your boyfriend dies" "What if I kiss you?" "... ... ... ok you can leave" fits in, because in my head he's like "??? is this sex? Gross???" This amuses me way too much somehow...
4) I've pretty much decided to quit Duolingo when I hit 4000, which is in a bit over a month. The content is getting more irritating and while I am a little sad to not see how far I go, fuck Duolingo.
5) Am doing a daily drawing challenge (via Marc Brunet on YouTube -- he has a "learn to draw in 30 days" video with prompts. Posting the oh-so-exciting results to my instagram ... if you're desperate to see a bunch of squares and circles and cylinders and stuff, lol.
Picture Book Monday: Pumpkin Moonshine
Oct. 6th, 2025 02:02 pmosprey_archerKicking off my Halloween reads with Tasha Tudor’s Pumpkin Moonshine! This was Tudor’s first book, about a little girl who climbs up the hill to get the very best pumpkin from the field to make a pumpkin moonshine (known as a jack-o-lantern to us non-Vermonters). But the pumpkin is too big to carry, so she has to roll it; and when she starts to roll the pumpkin down the hill, well, it starts to roll faster and faster…
I rather expected this to end in pumpkin pie, but this pumpkin is made of stern stuff, and survives its roll down the hill to be carved into a toothiest, scariest, most beautiful pumpkin moonshine in Vermont.
You can tell this is an early work by Tudor, as the style seems not quite fully formed yet, perhaps more Currier and Ives than her later works. I really liked the vignettes around the first letter on each page, particularly the ones on the pages where the pumpkin is rolling down the hill: you have the big illustration on the left-hand page showing the pumpkin scaring the goats, say, and on the right, the first letter features a goat standing atop the I and staring down in dismay at the progress of the runaway pumpkin.
I rather expected this to end in pumpkin pie, but this pumpkin is made of stern stuff, and survives its roll down the hill to be carved into a toothiest, scariest, most beautiful pumpkin moonshine in Vermont.
You can tell this is an early work by Tudor, as the style seems not quite fully formed yet, perhaps more Currier and Ives than her later works. I really liked the vignettes around the first letter on each page, particularly the ones on the pages where the pumpkin is rolling down the hill: you have the big illustration on the left-hand page showing the pumpkin scaring the goats, say, and on the right, the first letter features a goat standing atop the I and staring down in dismay at the progress of the runaway pumpkin.
Nominations Queries Post 4
Oct. 7th, 2025 12:19 amyuletidemods posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
yuletide_adminWe are 214.5 hours into tag approving! We began with 6078 individual fandom nominations to sort (where if two people submitted the same fandom, that would count twice towards the total). We have 28 fandom nominations still to sort. (AO3-savvy users will note that that means we're no longer seeing a random display - instead we can view all remaining unapproved fandoms.)
Please continue to review the questions below to help us sort them quickly and correctly! The sooner we sort out these issues, the sooner we can release the tag set.
The Baileys (Chuck Schumer's RPF) - We plan to approve this as something other than RPF, with Chuck Schumer as the creator of fictional material, since the characters involved aren’t real people. Additionally, we’re wondering about Eileen Bailey vs Eileen O’Reilly and Joe Bailey vs Joe O’Reilly. Nominator, do you see these as separate people, or should they be piped characters? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Dark Star Trilogy - Marlon James - Nominator, we couldn’t find a character named Panther. Did you mean Leopard? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Debí Tirar Más Fotos - Bad Bunny (Album) - Nominator, did you intend the visual album or the short film? The nomination of Señor suggests the latter, but Bad Bunny doesn’t appear as a character. We can combine them as (Album-related Videos) if you mean both. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Golden Hour pt 2 - ATEEZ (Album) and Golden Hour pt 3 : In Your Fantasy - ATEEZ (Album) - Both of these are nominated and so are the music videos for Ice On Your Teeth, Lemon Drop, and In Your Fantasy, which are songs on these albums. We're willing to approve music videos that can stand alone with clear and coherent fictional elements to build on, but it's not clear how the albums are distinct from ineligible lore or how they stand on their own, especially if the music videos also stand on their own. We're willing to hear arguments against, but otherwise will approve the music videos only. Nominators, if making a case, please link your nominations page when you reply.
Marvel 1602 (Comics) - Nominator, from your character choices it's not clear you were interested in the original Marvel 1602 - could we approve as Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four (Comics), or have we misunderstood? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Racing Track (GrabFood Webseries) - Nominator, it looks like you’ve selected the actor names instead of character names for this fandom. Can we confirm you’re interested in RPF? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
She-Hulk (Marvel Comics) - Nominator, are you interested in multiple runs at once, or primarily in the 2023-2024 Sensational She-Hulk run? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
自転車屋さんの高橋くん | Takahashi from the Bike Shop - Nominator, did you want the manga or the 2022 drama adaptation? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Twin Peaks (TV 1990) - Nominator of Chantal Hutchens and Gary Hutchens, these characters are only in the 2017 sequel. We realize that tag is a synonym of the 1990 tag; still, would you prefer to split these out into a separate series? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Years of Apocalypse - A Time Loop Progression Fantasy - Uranium Phoenix - We could use some help identifying some of these characters. We can only find “Ceiba Yan” in the context of the Ceiba Yan Tree, and we can’t find Xecatl at all. Nominator, can you help us out? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Ghost in the Shell (Anime & Manga) - this is nominated with Kusanagi Motoko, Batou, Kogusa, and Saito; meanwhile, we also have a nomination for Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Anime) with Batou, Hideo Kuze, Motoko Kusanagi, and Togusa. We would prefer to combine these under Stand Alone Complex but are open to hearing otherwise. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Hear Me Cry (1984) (CBS Schoolbreak Special) Craig and David’s parents are distinct characters and so we are not willing to approve each set of parents as a single unit. Nominator, would you like to pick two of the four parents? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
History Boys - All Media Types - Nominator, we won’t approve this nomination as All Media Types. Would you prefer the movie or the play? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Riddick (2013) - Could we please get some information about how this stands alone from the rest of the Chronicles of Riddick saga? If you nominated this, please link your nominations page when you reply.
Trash Taste (Podcast) - This podcast is nominated without characters, but it's difficult to see what you're looking for aside from RPF of the hosts, as this doesn't seem to contain a fictional narrative. Nominator, please clarify what you were hoping for? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Tron - All Media Types - We won't approve this nomination as All Media Types. Nominator, please pick a canon. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
West Coast Avengers (Marvel Comics) - Nominator, did you mean the 2018-19 reboot series? Your character nominations seem to relate to that run, so we'd like to approve as West Coast Avengers (Comics 2018-19), assuming that matches your intention. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Schedule, Rules, & Collection | Contact Mods | Tag Set | Community DW | Community LJ | Discord | Pinch hits on Dreamwidth
Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.
Please continue to review the questions below to help us sort them quickly and correctly! The sooner we sort out these issues, the sooner we can release the tag set.
Please link your nominations page if telling us what to do about your nomination - thank you! Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened. (You can find your own nominations at this link; keep in mind this gives you an 'Edit' screen where you can't actually submit any edits, but if you delete /edit, that's the page we're looking for.)
If we've processed any of your nominations and something doesn't look right, please comment (with your nominations page) to tell us about the problem and how you think it should be corrected. Questions are welcome.
The Baileys (Chuck Schumer's RPF) - We plan to approve this as something other than RPF, with Chuck Schumer as the creator of fictional material, since the characters involved aren’t real people. Additionally, we’re wondering about Eileen Bailey vs Eileen O’Reilly and Joe Bailey vs Joe O’Reilly. Nominator, do you see these as separate people, or should they be piped characters? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Dark Star Trilogy - Marlon James - Nominator, we couldn’t find a character named Panther. Did you mean Leopard? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Debí Tirar Más Fotos - Bad Bunny (Album) - Nominator, did you intend the visual album or the short film? The nomination of Señor suggests the latter, but Bad Bunny doesn’t appear as a character. We can combine them as (Album-related Videos) if you mean both. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Golden Hour pt 2 - ATEEZ (Album) and Golden Hour pt 3 : In Your Fantasy - ATEEZ (Album) - Both of these are nominated and so are the music videos for Ice On Your Teeth, Lemon Drop, and In Your Fantasy, which are songs on these albums. We're willing to approve music videos that can stand alone with clear and coherent fictional elements to build on, but it's not clear how the albums are distinct from ineligible lore or how they stand on their own, especially if the music videos also stand on their own. We're willing to hear arguments against, but otherwise will approve the music videos only. Nominators, if making a case, please link your nominations page when you reply.
Marvel 1602 (Comics) - Nominator, from your character choices it's not clear you were interested in the original Marvel 1602 - could we approve as Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four (Comics), or have we misunderstood? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Racing Track (GrabFood Webseries) - Nominator, it looks like you’ve selected the actor names instead of character names for this fandom. Can we confirm you’re interested in RPF? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
She-Hulk (Marvel Comics) - Nominator, are you interested in multiple runs at once, or primarily in the 2023-2024 Sensational She-Hulk run? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
自転車屋さんの高橋くん | Takahashi from the Bike Shop - Nominator, did you want the manga or the 2022 drama adaptation? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Twin Peaks (TV 1990) - Nominator of Chantal Hutchens and Gary Hutchens, these characters are only in the 2017 sequel. We realize that tag is a synonym of the 1990 tag; still, would you prefer to split these out into a separate series? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Years of Apocalypse - A Time Loop Progression Fantasy - Uranium Phoenix - We could use some help identifying some of these characters. We can only find “Ceiba Yan” in the context of the Ceiba Yan Tree, and we can’t find Xecatl at all. Nominator, can you help us out? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Earlier queries…
Batman: Arkham Shadow (Video Game) - we received evidence for this but would like more information, please. Could the nominator, or anyone else who knows this family of games, please help us understand how it is distinct? Please link your nominations page when you reply.Ghost in the Shell (Anime & Manga) - this is nominated with Kusanagi Motoko, Batou, Kogusa, and Saito; meanwhile, we also have a nomination for Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Anime) with Batou, Hideo Kuze, Motoko Kusanagi, and Togusa. We would prefer to combine these under Stand Alone Complex but are open to hearing otherwise. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Hear Me Cry (1984) (CBS Schoolbreak Special) Craig and David’s parents are distinct characters and so we are not willing to approve each set of parents as a single unit. Nominator, would you like to pick two of the four parents? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
History Boys - All Media Types - Nominator, we won’t approve this nomination as All Media Types. Would you prefer the movie or the play? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Riddick (2013) - Could we please get some information about how this stands alone from the rest of the Chronicles of Riddick saga? If you nominated this, please link your nominations page when you reply.
Trash Taste (Podcast) - This podcast is nominated without characters, but it's difficult to see what you're looking for aside from RPF of the hosts, as this doesn't seem to contain a fictional narrative. Nominator, please clarify what you were hoping for? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Tron - All Media Types - We won't approve this nomination as All Media Types. Nominator, please pick a canon. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
West Coast Avengers (Marvel Comics) - Nominator, did you mean the 2018-19 reboot series? Your character nominations seem to relate to that run, so we'd like to approve as West Coast Avengers (Comics 2018-19), assuming that matches your intention. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.
Nominations Queries Post 3
Oct. 4th, 2025 08:54 amyuletidemods posting in yuletide_adminWe are 168 hours into tag approving! We began with 6078 individual fandom nominations to sort (where if two people submitted the same fandom, that would count twice towards the total). We have 210 fandom nominations still to sort. Please review the questions below to help us sort them quickly and correctly!
Dragon's Dogma - Nominator, we won’t approve the group tag Pawn(s) (Dragon’s Dogma) as there is at least one specific Pawn. We can replace it with Arisen's Companion Pawn (Dragon's Dogma), which we approved last year, or remove this character, as you prefer. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Fox and the Hound (Disney Movies) - Nominator, we can't find characters who could be Tod And Vixie's Kits - could you clarify what you were thinking there please? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Ghost in the Shell (Anime & Manga) - this is nominated with Kusanagi Motoko, Batou, Kogusa, and Saito; meanwhile, we also have a nomination for Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Anime) with Batou, Hideo Kuze, Motoko Kusanagi, and Togusa. We would prefer to combine these under Stand Alone Complex but are open to hearing otherwise. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Hell's Belles - Jaysea Lynn and Hell's Belles Series - Jaysea Lynn - Nominators, is For Whom the Belle Tolls the first in a series, or are these nominations a reference to the TikTok series related to the book? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Inner Gold - Lindsey Stirling feat. Royal & the Serpent (Music Video) - We’re wondering about “Lindsey Stirling's Character | Golden Dancer” specifically. Is that the violinist in the gold mesh played by Lindsey Stirling, or the character in red who becomes covered in gold also played by Lindsey Stirling, or are these the same character? Would you be open to us approving the video without characters, to more easily leave these interpretations up to a creator? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
LEGO Castle - This seems to combine more than one playset. Nominator, could you clarify what you are hoping for please? Also, which wizard? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Nestle's Alpine White "Sweet Dreams" Commercials - We'd appreciate some help with the character nominations. Characters nominated are:
Overcooked (Video Games) - Nominator, we’re not sure how “Customers (Overcooked - Video Games)” and “Passers-by (Overcooked - Video Games)” are two separate groups of characters that also cannot be distinguished from each other within the group. Can you help us understand what you were going for? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Phasmophobia (Video Game) - Nominator, could you please clarify the nomination of Ghost(s)? There seem to be several classes of ghost NPCs - we'd be willing to approve one of the other specific types, or potentially two, since you only used up three character slots. It also looks like 'Shade' is a subset of 'Ghosts' - please clarify? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Relic Master Series - Catherine Fisher - There is a group nomination for The Makers, but it appears to us that some of the makers are named and given individual characteristics. Nominator, could you choose a maker? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Riddick (2013) - Could we please get some information about how this stands alone from the rest of the Chronicles of Riddick saga? If you nominated this, please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Secret Garden - Simon/Norman - We're a little unsure if the character nomination of "the Dreamers" works, since it includes at least two named characters. Nominate, could you expand on your thinking or pick a specific character please? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Soulmate Goose of Enforcement Fandom Trope (Anthropomorphic) - This is causing us some difficulty! We feel this isn’t an anthropomophic fandom, as the goose is already a character, who isn’t in need of anthropomorphising. We don’t generally approve tropes as fandoms; nominator, would it work to nominate under the original tumblr post instead? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Trash Taste (Podcast) - This podcast is nominated without characters, but it's difficult to see what you're looking for aside from RPF of the hosts, as this doesn't seem to contain a fictional narrative. Nominator, please clarify what you were hoping for? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
We Are คือเรารักกัน | We Are (Thailand TV 2024) RPF, เขาจ้างให้ผมจีบนักฆ่า | The Heart Killers (Thailand TV) RPF, รักไม่ระบุสถานะ | Dark Blue Kiss (TV) RPF, เลือดนายลมหายใจฉัน | My Golden Blood (Thailand TV 2024) RPF - Many of these characters were also nominated under GMMTV Actor RPF, so we plan to combine all of these nominations into GMMTV Actor RPF. If you're making a case for an alternate arrangement, please link your nominations page when you reply.
West Coast Avengers (Marvel Comics) - Nominator, did you mean the 2018-19 reboot series? Your character nominations seem to relate to that run, so we'd like to approve as West Coast Avengers (Comics 2018-19), assuming that matches your intention. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Zoo (TV 2015) - We can’t find the character “Alyssa Diaz”, but that seems to be one of the actresses. Did you mean the character “Dariela Marzan”? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
13th Century CE Plantagenet Dynasty RPF - this category contains Edward II and Piers Gaveston, who are also both nominated in 14th Century CE RPF. We intend to approve these under the former category; let us know if you have concerns. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Aliens (1986) - Nominator, these characters are also nominated under the broader fandom Alien (Original Movies 1979-1997), so we would like to merge your nominations in with the rest of the original movies. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Batman: Arkham Shadow (Video Game) - we received evidence for this but would like more information, please. Could the nominator, or anyone else who knows this family of games, please help us understand how it is distinct? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Breakfast Club (1985) - Brian Johnson’s parents are distinct characters and so we are not willing to approve them as a unit. Nominator, would you like to pick a parent? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Chalion Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold and World of the Five Gods - Lois McMaster Bujold - given that the characters nominated under the canonical tag include some from Hallowed Hunt & the Penric and Desdemona stories, we would like to approve all of these together under World of the Five Gods. Any objections? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Corbenic (Catherine Fisher) - We won’t approve Arthur's Company Ensemble (Corbenic) as this is a group with named members. Nominator, would you like to pick one or two (since you’ve only nominated two other characters)? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Dream Cycle - H. P. Lovecraft - All characters nominated for this fandom (other than Worldbuilding) were approved last year in the fandom Cthulhu Mythos - H. P. Lovecraft; as we have overlapping nominations, we’d like to combine again the same way. We've heard from one nominator but would like to hear from the other. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Patricia Wrede - We won’t approve the character nomination Morwen's Cats (Enchanted Forest) as they are all individually named. Nominators, could you please each choose a cat? (Scorn has already been nominated, and another nominator is fine with either Trouble or Fiddlesticks.) Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Hear Me Cry (1984) (CBS Schoolbreak Special) Craig and David’s parents are distinct characters and so we are not willing to approve each set of parents as a single unit. Nominator, would you like to pick two of the four parents? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
History Boys - All Media Types - Nominator, we won’t approve this nomination as All Media Types. Would you prefer the movie or the play? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
MAIJO Otaro - Works - We don’t approve fandoms consisting of all of a creator’s works, and the nominated characters appear to come from at least 2 novels. Nominator, could you pick one of Maijō’s works to nominate, along with the associated characters? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Midsomer Murders - All Media Types - Nominator, we won't approve this nomination as All Media Types. Would you prefer TV or books? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
夢中さ きみに。| Muchuu sa Kimi ni (Manga) - We also have a nomination for the Anime; the nominator of that fandom says they have not read the manga but believes these could be combined if needed. We've heard from two Manga nominators who are OK with combining under Anime & Manga; could we hear from the third please? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Oxford Time Travel Universe - Connie Willis and To Say Nothing of the Dog: or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last - Connie Willis - To Say Nothing nominator, do you have any concerns about combining your nominations with the larger universe? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Palais de Reine (Visual Novel) - We can’t find the character “Astrud”. Nominator, is this “Astrad”, or is it just a different localization? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Terminator (Movies) and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) - Nominators, please make your cases for splitting or combining these. May we combine them into (Movies 1984 1991 2019), since Dark Fate follows Terminator 2? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Tron - All Media Types - We won't approve this nomination as All Media Types. Nominator, please pick a canon. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Schedule, Rules, & Collection | Contact Mods | Tag Set | Community DW | Community LJ | Discord | Pinch hits on Dreamwidth
Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.
Please link your nominations page if telling us what to do about your nomination - thank you! Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened. (You can find your own nominations at this link; keep in mind this gives you an 'Edit' screen where you can't actually submit any edits, but if you delete /edit, that's the page we're looking for.)
If we've processed any of your nominations and something doesn't look right, please comment (with your nominations page) to tell us about the problem and how you think it should be corrected. Questions are welcome.
Dragon's Dogma - Nominator, we won’t approve the group tag Pawn(s) (Dragon’s Dogma) as there is at least one specific Pawn. We can replace it with Arisen's Companion Pawn (Dragon's Dogma), which we approved last year, or remove this character, as you prefer. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Fox and the Hound (Disney Movies) - Nominator, we can't find characters who could be Tod And Vixie's Kits - could you clarify what you were thinking there please? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Ghost in the Shell (Anime & Manga) - this is nominated with Kusanagi Motoko, Batou, Kogusa, and Saito; meanwhile, we also have a nomination for Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Anime) with Batou, Hideo Kuze, Motoko Kusanagi, and Togusa. We would prefer to combine these under Stand Alone Complex but are open to hearing otherwise. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Hell's Belles - Jaysea Lynn and Hell's Belles Series - Jaysea Lynn - Nominators, is For Whom the Belle Tolls the first in a series, or are these nominations a reference to the TikTok series related to the book? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Inner Gold - Lindsey Stirling feat. Royal & the Serpent (Music Video) - We’re wondering about “Lindsey Stirling's Character | Golden Dancer” specifically. Is that the violinist in the gold mesh played by Lindsey Stirling, or the character in red who becomes covered in gold also played by Lindsey Stirling, or are these the same character? Would you be open to us approving the video without characters, to more easily leave these interpretations up to a creator? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
LEGO Castle - This seems to combine more than one playset. Nominator, could you clarify what you are hoping for please? Also, which wizard? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Nestle's Alpine White "Sweet Dreams" Commercials - We'd appreciate some help with the character nominations. Characters nominated are:
- Dancing Girl with sparkler #1 (Nestle)
- Man in Farmyard (Nestle)
- Man in Sweater (Nestle Ad)
- White Wolf (Nestle Ad)
- Woman in Coat (Nestle Ad)
- Woman in White Hood (Nestle)
- Woman on Beach (Nestle)
- Woman on Swing (Nestle Ad)
Overcooked (Video Games) - Nominator, we’re not sure how “Customers (Overcooked - Video Games)” and “Passers-by (Overcooked - Video Games)” are two separate groups of characters that also cannot be distinguished from each other within the group. Can you help us understand what you were going for? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Phasmophobia (Video Game) - Nominator, could you please clarify the nomination of Ghost(s)? There seem to be several classes of ghost NPCs - we'd be willing to approve one of the other specific types, or potentially two, since you only used up three character slots. It also looks like 'Shade' is a subset of 'Ghosts' - please clarify? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Relic Master Series - Catherine Fisher - There is a group nomination for The Makers, but it appears to us that some of the makers are named and given individual characteristics. Nominator, could you choose a maker? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Riddick (2013) - Could we please get some information about how this stands alone from the rest of the Chronicles of Riddick saga? If you nominated this, please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Secret Garden - Simon/Norman - We're a little unsure if the character nomination of "the Dreamers" works, since it includes at least two named characters. Nominate, could you expand on your thinking or pick a specific character please? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Soulmate Goose of Enforcement Fandom Trope (Anthropomorphic) - This is causing us some difficulty! We feel this isn’t an anthropomophic fandom, as the goose is already a character, who isn’t in need of anthropomorphising. We don’t generally approve tropes as fandoms; nominator, would it work to nominate under the original tumblr post instead? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Trash Taste (Podcast) - This podcast is nominated without characters, but it's difficult to see what you're looking for aside from RPF of the hosts, as this doesn't seem to contain a fictional narrative. Nominator, please clarify what you were hoping for? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
We Are คือเรารักกัน | We Are (Thailand TV 2024) RPF, เขาจ้างให้ผมจีบนักฆ่า | The Heart Killers (Thailand TV) RPF, รักไม่ระบุสถานะ | Dark Blue Kiss (TV) RPF, เลือดนายลมหายใจฉัน | My Golden Blood (Thailand TV 2024) RPF - Many of these characters were also nominated under GMMTV Actor RPF, so we plan to combine all of these nominations into GMMTV Actor RPF. If you're making a case for an alternate arrangement, please link your nominations page when you reply.
West Coast Avengers (Marvel Comics) - Nominator, did you mean the 2018-19 reboot series? Your character nominations seem to relate to that run, so we'd like to approve as West Coast Avengers (Comics 2018-19), assuming that matches your intention. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Zoo (TV 2015) - We can’t find the character “Alyssa Diaz”, but that seems to be one of the actresses. Did you mean the character “Dariela Marzan”? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Previous queries
13th Century CE Plantagenet Dynasty RPF - this category contains Edward II and Piers Gaveston, who are also both nominated in 14th Century CE RPF. We intend to approve these under the former category; let us know if you have concerns. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Aliens (1986) - Nominator, these characters are also nominated under the broader fandom Alien (Original Movies 1979-1997), so we would like to merge your nominations in with the rest of the original movies. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Batman: Arkham Shadow (Video Game) - we received evidence for this but would like more information, please. Could the nominator, or anyone else who knows this family of games, please help us understand how it is distinct? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Breakfast Club (1985) - Brian Johnson’s parents are distinct characters and so we are not willing to approve them as a unit. Nominator, would you like to pick a parent? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Chalion Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold and World of the Five Gods - Lois McMaster Bujold - given that the characters nominated under the canonical tag include some from Hallowed Hunt & the Penric and Desdemona stories, we would like to approve all of these together under World of the Five Gods. Any objections? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Corbenic (Catherine Fisher) - We won’t approve Arthur's Company Ensemble (Corbenic) as this is a group with named members. Nominator, would you like to pick one or two (since you’ve only nominated two other characters)? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Dream Cycle - H. P. Lovecraft - All characters nominated for this fandom (other than Worldbuilding) were approved last year in the fandom Cthulhu Mythos - H. P. Lovecraft; as we have overlapping nominations, we’d like to combine again the same way. We've heard from one nominator but would like to hear from the other. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Patricia Wrede - We won’t approve the character nomination Morwen's Cats (Enchanted Forest) as they are all individually named. Nominators, could you please each choose a cat? (Scorn has already been nominated, and another nominator is fine with either Trouble or Fiddlesticks.) Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Hear Me Cry (1984) (CBS Schoolbreak Special) Craig and David’s parents are distinct characters and so we are not willing to approve each set of parents as a single unit. Nominator, would you like to pick two of the four parents? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
History Boys - All Media Types - Nominator, we won’t approve this nomination as All Media Types. Would you prefer the movie or the play? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
MAIJO Otaro - Works - We don’t approve fandoms consisting of all of a creator’s works, and the nominated characters appear to come from at least 2 novels. Nominator, could you pick one of Maijō’s works to nominate, along with the associated characters? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Midsomer Murders - All Media Types - Nominator, we won't approve this nomination as All Media Types. Would you prefer TV or books? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
夢中さ きみに。| Muchuu sa Kimi ni (Manga) - We also have a nomination for the Anime; the nominator of that fandom says they have not read the manga but believes these could be combined if needed. We've heard from two Manga nominators who are OK with combining under Anime & Manga; could we hear from the third please? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Oxford Time Travel Universe - Connie Willis and To Say Nothing of the Dog: or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last - Connie Willis - To Say Nothing nominator, do you have any concerns about combining your nominations with the larger universe? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Palais de Reine (Visual Novel) - We can’t find the character “Astrud”. Nominator, is this “Astrad”, or is it just a different localization? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Terminator (Movies) and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) - Nominators, please make your cases for splitting or combining these. May we combine them into (Movies 1984 1991 2019), since Dark Fate follows Terminator 2? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Tron - All Media Types - We won't approve this nomination as All Media Types. Nominator, please pick a canon. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.
Book Tour Starting Next Week
Oct. 3rd, 2025 05:00 pmmarthawellsI don't think I posted about this yet: https://us.macmillan.com/tours/martha-wells-queen-demon/
There's more info at that link, but here's a brief list of the tour stops and dates:
- Mon. Oct. 6 at 7:30pm: Brookline Booksmith with Holly Black, offsite at Arts at the Armory (Brookline, MA)
- Tues. Oct. 7 at 7pm: Politics & Prose (Union Market location) moderated by Leigha McReynolds (Washington DC)
- Wed. Oct. 8 at 7pm: The Strand, with Meg Elison (NYC, NY)
- Fri. Oct. 10 at 6pm: Let’s Play Books, with Chuck Wendig, offsite at Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA)
- Tues. Oct. 14 at 7pm, Third Place Books (Seattle, WA)
- Wed. Oct. 15 at 7pm, Iron Dog Books, with Nalo Hopkinson offsite at Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
- Thurs. Oct. 16 at 7pm, Powell's (Cedar Hill location) with Jenn Reese (Beaverton, OR)
- Mon. Oct. 20 at 7pm: Bookpeople, with Ehigbor Okosun (Austin, TX)
- Tue. Oct. 21 at 6:30pm: Murder by the Book (Houston, TX)
- Thurs. Oct. 23 at 6pm: Nowhere Bookshop (San Antonio, TX)
- Saturday Nov. 8-9 Texas Book Festival, Austin TX
- Sat. Nov. 15 at 2pm: Hyperbole Bookstore, offsite at Ringer Library (College Station, TX)
There's more info at that link, but here's a brief list of the tour stops and dates:
- Mon. Oct. 6 at 7:30pm: Brookline Booksmith with Holly Black, offsite at Arts at the Armory (Brookline, MA)
- Tues. Oct. 7 at 7pm: Politics & Prose (Union Market location) moderated by Leigha McReynolds (Washington DC)
- Wed. Oct. 8 at 7pm: The Strand, with Meg Elison (NYC, NY)
- Fri. Oct. 10 at 6pm: Let’s Play Books, with Chuck Wendig, offsite at Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA)
- Tues. Oct. 14 at 7pm, Third Place Books (Seattle, WA)
- Wed. Oct. 15 at 7pm, Iron Dog Books, with Nalo Hopkinson offsite at Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
- Thurs. Oct. 16 at 7pm, Powell's (Cedar Hill location) with Jenn Reese (Beaverton, OR)
- Mon. Oct. 20 at 7pm: Bookpeople, with Ehigbor Okosun (Austin, TX)
- Tue. Oct. 21 at 6:30pm: Murder by the Book (Houston, TX)
- Thurs. Oct. 23 at 6pm: Nowhere Bookshop (San Antonio, TX)
- Saturday Nov. 8-9 Texas Book Festival, Austin TX
- Sat. Nov. 15 at 2pm: Hyperbole Bookstore, offsite at Ringer Library (College Station, TX)
The Friday Five for 3 October 2025: Senses
Oct. 3rd, 2025 01:41 amanais_pf posting in thefridayfiveThese questions were originally suggested by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ardnaid.
1. Do you ever wonder if the way you see things visually aren't how other people see them?
2. What kind of sounds are the most annoying?
3. When walking through a store, do you shop with your hands by touching/feeling the texture of things?
4. If you could only smell three scents for the rest of your life, what would they be?
5. What sorts of things do you savor when eating them?
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!
**Remember that we rely on you, our members, to help keep the community going. Also, please remember to play nice. We are all here to answer the questions and have fun each week. We repost the questions exactly as the original posters submitted them and request that all questions be checked for spelling and grammatical errors before they're submitted. Comments re: the spelling and grammatical nature of the questions are not necessary. Honestly, any hostile, rude, petty, or unnecessary comments need not be posted, either.**
ardnaid.1. Do you ever wonder if the way you see things visually aren't how other people see them?
2. What kind of sounds are the most annoying?
3. When walking through a store, do you shop with your hands by touching/feeling the texture of things?
4. If you could only smell three scents for the rest of your life, what would they be?
5. What sorts of things do you savor when eating them?
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!
**Remember that we rely on you, our members, to help keep the community going. Also, please remember to play nice. We are all here to answer the questions and have fun each week. We repost the questions exactly as the original posters submitted them and request that all questions be checked for spelling and grammatical errors before they're submitted. Comments re: the spelling and grammatical nature of the questions are not necessary. Honestly, any hostile, rude, petty, or unnecessary comments need not be posted, either.**
Queen Demon Playlist
Oct. 2nd, 2025 08:42 pmmarthawellsI did a playlist for Witch King (https://marthawells.dreamwidth.org/627157.html) when it first came out in 2023, and now here's one for Queen Demon:
Seven Devils - Florence + Machine
Burning - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Bando - ANNA with MadMan and Gemitaiz
Bringing Murder to the Land - Anton Newcombe and Dot Allison
Bulletproof vs. Release Me - The Outfit
I Owe You Nothing - Seinabo Sey
W.I.T.C.H. - Devon Cole
Egun (theme from Manhunt) - Danielle Ponder
Warm - SG Lewis
Disease - Lady Gaga
Which Witch (Demo) - Florence + Machine
you should see me in a crown - Billie Eilish
Bakunawa - Rudy Ibarra, with June Millington, Han Han, and Ouida.
Seven Devils - Florence + Machine
Burning - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Bando - ANNA with MadMan and Gemitaiz
Bringing Murder to the Land - Anton Newcombe and Dot Allison
Bulletproof vs. Release Me - The Outfit
I Owe You Nothing - Seinabo Sey
W.I.T.C.H. - Devon Cole
Egun (theme from Manhunt) - Danielle Ponder
Warm - SG Lewis
Disease - Lady Gaga
Which Witch (Demo) - Florence + Machine
you should see me in a crown - Billie Eilish
Bakunawa - Rudy Ibarra, with June Millington, Han Han, and Ouida.
Newberys about Boys Who Don’t Want to Do Classic Boy Things
Oct. 2nd, 2025 08:00 amosprey_archerI do intend to write about The Problem of Tomboys eventually, but the post is languishing as I struggle to come to terms with the massive amount of material. So in the meantime, I’m writing the companion post about Boys Who Don’t Want to Do Classic Boy Things, a topic to which far fewer Newbery books are devoted, presumably because the general cultural attitude is Who Wouldn’t Want to Do Classic Boy Things? Boy Things Are the Best Things To Do.
In fact, I only found two books that really fit the bill, and in both cases the Boy Thing that our Boy does not want to Do is killing. In Mari Sandoz’s The Horsecatcher (1958), our hero Elk has no interest in becoming a warrior. He wants to become a horsecatcher, which is still valuable and manly work but something you’re supposed to do alongside warrioring, rather than instead of.
Although circumstances conspire to force Elk to kill a raider, proving that he can kill and thus raising his status in the community, he remains true to his own path, traveling far and wide to meet other horsecatchers and learn their secrets. At one point he meets a pair of sisters who are famous for their horse-training skills, who plan when they marry to marry the same man: “We marry together.”
Because it’s 1958 the book of course does not SAY that in a few years time, the sisters marry Elk. But I like to think that sometime after the book ends, the three of them are happily married and surrounded by horses.
The second book is Jerry Spinelli’s Wringer (1998). Our hero Palmer lives in a town that is famous for putting on a pigeon shoot every year. Boys in town are expected to wring the necks of wounded pigeons to put them out of their suffering. Palmer doesn’t want to become a wringer, but also doesn’t want to admit that he doesn’t want to become a wringer because he knows the other boys will think he’s a sissy.
This book was absolutely everywhere when I was a kid, and I never read it because the cover is so creepy (look at it!) and the premise seemed both repulsive and borderline incomprehensible. Why are the boys expected to murder pigeons? Why can’t Palmer just SAY he doesn’t want to murder pigeons? “If you don’t want to murder pigeons, then just say you don’t want to murder pigeons!” I would have shouted at Palmer. “NO NORMAL PERSON WANTS TO MURDER PIGEONS.”
Reading it as an adult, I did grasp that the point was the crushing difficulty of bucking gendered social expectations. But uuuuhhh also I did still feel a little “Palmer stop being so lily-livered and just say you don’t want to murder pigeons.” Sorry Palmer. I know this was very unsympathetic of me.
You may have noticed that neither of these boys want to do girl things. They simply wish to be excused from committing indiscriminate slaughter and do other, slightly less manly boy things. To the best of my recollection (which is of course imperfect), there aren’t any Newbery books focused on Boys Who Want to Do Girl Things. Maybe 2026 will be the year.
In fact, I only found two books that really fit the bill, and in both cases the Boy Thing that our Boy does not want to Do is killing. In Mari Sandoz’s The Horsecatcher (1958), our hero Elk has no interest in becoming a warrior. He wants to become a horsecatcher, which is still valuable and manly work but something you’re supposed to do alongside warrioring, rather than instead of.
Although circumstances conspire to force Elk to kill a raider, proving that he can kill and thus raising his status in the community, he remains true to his own path, traveling far and wide to meet other horsecatchers and learn their secrets. At one point he meets a pair of sisters who are famous for their horse-training skills, who plan when they marry to marry the same man: “We marry together.”
Because it’s 1958 the book of course does not SAY that in a few years time, the sisters marry Elk. But I like to think that sometime after the book ends, the three of them are happily married and surrounded by horses.
The second book is Jerry Spinelli’s Wringer (1998). Our hero Palmer lives in a town that is famous for putting on a pigeon shoot every year. Boys in town are expected to wring the necks of wounded pigeons to put them out of their suffering. Palmer doesn’t want to become a wringer, but also doesn’t want to admit that he doesn’t want to become a wringer because he knows the other boys will think he’s a sissy.
This book was absolutely everywhere when I was a kid, and I never read it because the cover is so creepy (look at it!) and the premise seemed both repulsive and borderline incomprehensible. Why are the boys expected to murder pigeons? Why can’t Palmer just SAY he doesn’t want to murder pigeons? “If you don’t want to murder pigeons, then just say you don’t want to murder pigeons!” I would have shouted at Palmer. “NO NORMAL PERSON WANTS TO MURDER PIGEONS.”
Reading it as an adult, I did grasp that the point was the crushing difficulty of bucking gendered social expectations. But uuuuhhh also I did still feel a little “Palmer stop being so lily-livered and just say you don’t want to murder pigeons.” Sorry Palmer. I know this was very unsympathetic of me.
You may have noticed that neither of these boys want to do girl things. They simply wish to be excused from committing indiscriminate slaughter and do other, slightly less manly boy things. To the best of my recollection (which is of course imperfect), there aren’t any Newbery books focused on Boys Who Want to Do Girl Things. Maybe 2026 will be the year.
Wednesday Reading Meme
Oct. 1st, 2025 07:57 amosprey_archerWhat I’ve Just Finished Reading
Sorche Nic Leodhas’s Heather and Broom, which is accidentally a reread, because I bafflingly forgot to record it the first time I read it. I suspected this from the first story and was sure after the second, which is about a woman who bakes marvelous cakes who gets kidnapped by the fairies. Bake us a cake, they said! But of course, the woman said craftily. I’ll just need my big mixing bowl… and my spoon… and all my ingredients… and I can’t stir at the right rate without the thump of my dog’s tail to guide me, and can’t focus without my baby here so I can see he’s all right (the baby begins to cry incessantly), and ooooh did you remember to get me an oven??
At which point the exhausted fairies send her home, and the baker (as kind-hearted as she is clever) promises to leave them a cake once a week on the mound.
So you can see why I decided to keep on and reread all the stories over again. That one’s my favorite, but they’re all a good time.
I also finished Jostein Gaarder’s The Solitaire Mystery (translated by Sarah Jane Hails), which I’ve been meaning to read for years, and… maybe I should have read it years ago, when I read Sophie’s World and The Christmas Mystery. Reading it now, I found the philosophizing repetitive (isn’t it amazing that the world exists at all! Well, maybe it was the first ten times you said it), and although the way the whole story fits together has a charming puzzle-box neatness, at the same time ( spoilers )
What I’m Reading Now
I’ve started A Cavalcade of Sea Legends, because I was under the impression that it was a story collection by Sorche Nic Leodhas, but in fact it is an anthology that showed up in my Sorche Nic Leodhas search because it has one (1) story by her. Reading it anyway because who doesn’t like a good sea legend! Started off with a bang with a story about a girl who gives up her soul to become a mermaid to join her drowned lover… only in giving up her soul, she brought him back to life, and now he lives on land and she in the sea and ne’er the twain shall meet.
What I Plan to Read Next
After the two aforementioned failed attempts, I will at last achieve my Sorche Nic Leodhas book with Sea-Spell and Moor-Magic.
Sorche Nic Leodhas’s Heather and Broom, which is accidentally a reread, because I bafflingly forgot to record it the first time I read it. I suspected this from the first story and was sure after the second, which is about a woman who bakes marvelous cakes who gets kidnapped by the fairies. Bake us a cake, they said! But of course, the woman said craftily. I’ll just need my big mixing bowl… and my spoon… and all my ingredients… and I can’t stir at the right rate without the thump of my dog’s tail to guide me, and can’t focus without my baby here so I can see he’s all right (the baby begins to cry incessantly), and ooooh did you remember to get me an oven??
At which point the exhausted fairies send her home, and the baker (as kind-hearted as she is clever) promises to leave them a cake once a week on the mound.
So you can see why I decided to keep on and reread all the stories over again. That one’s my favorite, but they’re all a good time.
I also finished Jostein Gaarder’s The Solitaire Mystery (translated by Sarah Jane Hails), which I’ve been meaning to read for years, and… maybe I should have read it years ago, when I read Sophie’s World and The Christmas Mystery. Reading it now, I found the philosophizing repetitive (isn’t it amazing that the world exists at all! Well, maybe it was the first ten times you said it), and although the way the whole story fits together has a charming puzzle-box neatness, at the same time ( spoilers )
What I’m Reading Now
I’ve started A Cavalcade of Sea Legends, because I was under the impression that it was a story collection by Sorche Nic Leodhas, but in fact it is an anthology that showed up in my Sorche Nic Leodhas search because it has one (1) story by her. Reading it anyway because who doesn’t like a good sea legend! Started off with a bang with a story about a girl who gives up her soul to become a mermaid to join her drowned lover… only in giving up her soul, she brought him back to life, and now he lives on land and she in the sea and ne’er the twain shall meet.
What I Plan to Read Next
After the two aforementioned failed attempts, I will at last achieve my Sorche Nic Leodhas book with Sea-Spell and Moor-Magic.
Nominations Queries Post 2
Oct. 1st, 2025 10:49 pmyuletidemods posting in yuletide_adminQuery Post Two
We are ~93 hours into tag approving! We began with 6078 individual fandom nominations to sort (where if two people submitted the same fandom, that would count twice towards the total). We have 1449 fandom nominations still to sort. Please review the questions below to help us sort them quickly and correctly! And thank you very much for your help so far.
13th Century CE Plantagenet Dynasty RPF - this category contains Edward II and Piers Gaveston, who are also both nominated in 14th Century CE RPF. We intend to approve these under the former category like we did last year; let us know if you have concerns. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Akkadian Empire RPF - We would like to change this to the slightly more general Mesopotamian RPF, which also has a nomination for Enheduanna. Does this work for the nominator? (See also below for another Mesopotamian query.) Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Antiques Roadshow RPF - Nominator, we can’t find Melissa Meuwly. Do you mean Meredith Meuwly? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Batman: Arkham Shadow (Video Game) - we received evidence for this but would like more information, please. Could the nominator, or anyone else who knows this family of games, please help us understand how it is distinct? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Breakfast Club (1985) - Brian Johnson’s parents are distinct characters and so we are not willing to approve them as a unit. Nominator, would you like to pick a parent? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Brilliant Minds (TV 2024) - We have nominations for Nico Silva and Scotty Silva. As far as we can tell, these are names given at different times in promotional material for a character played by Al Calderon, and the character hasn't yet appeared on the show. Since the most recent information we can find refers to Nico Silva, we're inclined to approve as that, but please let us know if this may be a twin situation or something else is going on! Please also note that if we can't be sure this character is appearing in any episodes before the end of sign-ups, we may need to remove them from the tag set. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid RPF - Both Paul Newman and Robert Redford are also nominated under the fandom Post-Classical Hollywood RPF, so we plan to merge this to that fandom, since people will be free to request or offer only these two characters. Please let us know if you have any concerns. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Chalion Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold and World of the Five Gods - Lois McMaster Bujold - given that the characters nominated under the canonical tag include some from Hallowed Hunt & the Penric and Desdemona stories, we would like to approve all of these together under World of the Five Gods. Any objections? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Control (Video Game) - We can’t determine if the character “Oldest House” possesses enough sentience to be approved. Nominator, could you describe how the Oldest House is a character please? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Corbenic (Catherine Fisher) - We won’t approve Arthur's Company Ensemble (Corbenic) as this is a group with named members. Nominator, would you like to pick one or two (since you’ve only nominated two other characters)? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Dream Cycle - H. P. Lovecraft - All characters nominated for this fandom (other than Worldbuilding) were approved last year in the fandom Cthulhu Mythos - H. P. Lovecraft; as we have overlapping nominations, we’d like to combine again the same way. Nominator of Worldbuilding (Dream Cycle - H. P. Lovecraft), would Worldbuilding (Cthulhu Mythos) in the fandom Cthulhu Mythos - H. P. Lovecraft work for you, or would you prefer for us to approve Dream Cycle with Worldbuilding as the only character tag? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
End of Summer (1998) - Nominator, please email us (see contact information in the footer). Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Game Changer (Web Series) - Nominator of Brennan Lee Mulligan and Sam Reich, we’d like to approve these characters but add them instead to the fandom CollegeHumor | Dropout RPF; nominator of Cerberus (Game Changer), Minotaur Brennan Lee Mulligan, Elaine Carroll, and Sam Reich, we’d like to approve these characters under Game Changer: Samalamadingdong (see below), with disambiguations for Elaine and Sam to indicate the fictional-ish versions they portrayed there. Alternatively, if you intended the actual versions of Elaine and Sam, we can move them as well to CollegeHumor | Dropout RPF as you do have a free fandom nomination slot - please let us know if you’d prefer that, or if you have any concerns. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Game Changer RPF - as the nominated characters are not RPF but rather characters from Game Changer: Samalamadingdong, we’ll approve them under this fandom - please let us know if you have concerns. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Hear Me Cry (1984) (CBS Schoolbreak Special) Craig and David’s parents are distinct characters and so we are not willing to approve each set of parents as a single unit. Nominator, would you like to pick two of the four parents? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
History Boys - All Media Types - Nominator, we won’t approve this nomination as All Media Types. Would you prefer the film or the play? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Imperial Radch Series - Ann Leckie and Translation State - Ann Leckie - Last year we approved Translation State separately and also approved the Ancillary Trilogy as its own fandom. Imperial Radch - Ann Leckie nominators, it looks like all your characters are in the original trilogy–any concerns with the same solution this year? Please link your nominations page when you reply. (edited slightly for clarity)
Mesopotamian RPF - this includes a nomination for the religious figure Avraham | Abraham | Ibrāhīm. We can see the logic but as the sources for his life are quite different to those of other figures nominated in this category, could we check what you were interested in, please, nominator? We note that Ea-Nasir is also nominated and that Ea-Nasir and Abraham have been discussed together; is there a specific source combining them you would be interested in? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Midsomer Murders - All Media Types - Nominator, we won't approve this nomination as All Media Types. Would you prefer TV or books? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Oxford Time Travel Universe - Connie Willis and To Say Nothing of the Dog: or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last - Connie Willis - To Say Nothing nominator, do you have any concerns about combining your nominations with the larger universe? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Palais de Reine (Visual Novel) - We can’t find the character “Astrud”. Nominator, is this “Astrad”, or is it just a different localization? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Strange Antiquities (Video Game) - Could we check please, is the nominated Thaumaturge the player character or the player character's mentor? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Terminator (Movies), Terminator: Genesis (2015), and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) - Nominators, please make your cases for splitting or combining these. Would it work to keep Genesis separate and combine (Movies 1984 1991 2019) for the rest, since Dark Fate follows Terminator 2? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Tron - All Media Types - We won't approve this nomination as All Media Types. Nominator, please pick a canon. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Bibi Blocksberg (2002) - Nominator, do you specifically only want the first movie, or may we approve this as the canonical Bibi Blocksberg (Movies 2002 2004)? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Dragonfly - Ursula K. Le Guin, Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin, The Tombs of Atuan - Ursula K. Le Guin - Our understanding is that these are all in the same continuity. We are planning to combine Earthsea and Tombs of Atuan, especially as there is character overlap in those nominations. Dragonfly nominator, do you have concerns with folding that nomination into Earthsea as well? If so, we would appreciate help understanding exactly what you’re looking for and how to differentiate the larger Earthsea universe. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Patricia Wrede - We won’t approve the character nomination Morwen's Cats (Enchanted Forest) as they are all individually named. Nominators, could you please each choose a cat? (Scorn has already been nominated, and another nominator is fine with either Trouble or Fiddlesticks.) Please link your nominations page when you reply.
MAIJO Otaro - Works - We don’t approve fandoms consisting of all of a creator’s works, and the nominated characters appear to come from at least 2 novels. Nominator, could you pick one of Maijō’s works to nominate, along with the associated characters? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
夢中さ きみに。| Muchuu sa Kimi ni (Manga) - We also have a nomination for the Anime; the nominator of that fandom says they have not read the manga but believes these could be combined if needed. We've heard from two Manga nominators who are OK with combining under Anime & Manga; could we hear from the third please? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
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Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.
We are ~93 hours into tag approving! We began with 6078 individual fandom nominations to sort (where if two people submitted the same fandom, that would count twice towards the total). We have 1449 fandom nominations still to sort. Please review the questions below to help us sort them quickly and correctly! And thank you very much for your help so far.
Please link your nominations page if telling us what to do about your nomination - thank you! Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened. (You can find your own nominations at this link; keep in mind this gives you an 'Edit' screen where you can't actually submit any edits, but if you delete /edit, that's the page we're looking for.)
If we've processed any of your nominations and something doesn't look right, please comment (with your nominations page) to tell us about the problem and how you think it should be corrected. Questions are welcome.
13th Century CE Plantagenet Dynasty RPF - this category contains Edward II and Piers Gaveston, who are also both nominated in 14th Century CE RPF. We intend to approve these under the former category like we did last year; let us know if you have concerns. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Akkadian Empire RPF - We would like to change this to the slightly more general Mesopotamian RPF, which also has a nomination for Enheduanna. Does this work for the nominator? (See also below for another Mesopotamian query.) Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Antiques Roadshow RPF - Nominator, we can’t find Melissa Meuwly. Do you mean Meredith Meuwly? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Batman: Arkham Shadow (Video Game) - we received evidence for this but would like more information, please. Could the nominator, or anyone else who knows this family of games, please help us understand how it is distinct? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Breakfast Club (1985) - Brian Johnson’s parents are distinct characters and so we are not willing to approve them as a unit. Nominator, would you like to pick a parent? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Brilliant Minds (TV 2024) - We have nominations for Nico Silva and Scotty Silva. As far as we can tell, these are names given at different times in promotional material for a character played by Al Calderon, and the character hasn't yet appeared on the show. Since the most recent information we can find refers to Nico Silva, we're inclined to approve as that, but please let us know if this may be a twin situation or something else is going on! Please also note that if we can't be sure this character is appearing in any episodes before the end of sign-ups, we may need to remove them from the tag set. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid RPF - Both Paul Newman and Robert Redford are also nominated under the fandom Post-Classical Hollywood RPF, so we plan to merge this to that fandom, since people will be free to request or offer only these two characters. Please let us know if you have any concerns. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Chalion Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold and World of the Five Gods - Lois McMaster Bujold - given that the characters nominated under the canonical tag include some from Hallowed Hunt & the Penric and Desdemona stories, we would like to approve all of these together under World of the Five Gods. Any objections? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Control (Video Game) - We can’t determine if the character “Oldest House” possesses enough sentience to be approved. Nominator, could you describe how the Oldest House is a character please? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Corbenic (Catherine Fisher) - We won’t approve Arthur's Company Ensemble (Corbenic) as this is a group with named members. Nominator, would you like to pick one or two (since you’ve only nominated two other characters)? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Dream Cycle - H. P. Lovecraft - All characters nominated for this fandom (other than Worldbuilding) were approved last year in the fandom Cthulhu Mythos - H. P. Lovecraft; as we have overlapping nominations, we’d like to combine again the same way. Nominator of Worldbuilding (Dream Cycle - H. P. Lovecraft), would Worldbuilding (Cthulhu Mythos) in the fandom Cthulhu Mythos - H. P. Lovecraft work for you, or would you prefer for us to approve Dream Cycle with Worldbuilding as the only character tag? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
End of Summer (1998) - Nominator, please email us (see contact information in the footer). Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Game Changer (Web Series) - Nominator of Brennan Lee Mulligan and Sam Reich, we’d like to approve these characters but add them instead to the fandom CollegeHumor | Dropout RPF; nominator of Cerberus (Game Changer), Minotaur Brennan Lee Mulligan, Elaine Carroll, and Sam Reich, we’d like to approve these characters under Game Changer: Samalamadingdong (see below), with disambiguations for Elaine and Sam to indicate the fictional-ish versions they portrayed there. Alternatively, if you intended the actual versions of Elaine and Sam, we can move them as well to CollegeHumor | Dropout RPF as you do have a free fandom nomination slot - please let us know if you’d prefer that, or if you have any concerns. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Game Changer RPF - as the nominated characters are not RPF but rather characters from Game Changer: Samalamadingdong, we’ll approve them under this fandom - please let us know if you have concerns. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Hear Me Cry (1984) (CBS Schoolbreak Special) Craig and David’s parents are distinct characters and so we are not willing to approve each set of parents as a single unit. Nominator, would you like to pick two of the four parents? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
History Boys - All Media Types - Nominator, we won’t approve this nomination as All Media Types. Would you prefer the film or the play? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Imperial Radch Series - Ann Leckie and Translation State - Ann Leckie - Last year we approved Translation State separately and also approved the Ancillary Trilogy as its own fandom. Imperial Radch - Ann Leckie nominators, it looks like all your characters are in the original trilogy–any concerns with the same solution this year? Please link your nominations page when you reply. (edited slightly for clarity)
Mesopotamian RPF - this includes a nomination for the religious figure Avraham | Abraham | Ibrāhīm. We can see the logic but as the sources for his life are quite different to those of other figures nominated in this category, could we check what you were interested in, please, nominator? We note that Ea-Nasir is also nominated and that Ea-Nasir and Abraham have been discussed together; is there a specific source combining them you would be interested in? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Midsomer Murders - All Media Types - Nominator, we won't approve this nomination as All Media Types. Would you prefer TV or books? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Oxford Time Travel Universe - Connie Willis and To Say Nothing of the Dog: or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last - Connie Willis - To Say Nothing nominator, do you have any concerns about combining your nominations with the larger universe? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Palais de Reine (Visual Novel) - We can’t find the character “Astrud”. Nominator, is this “Astrad”, or is it just a different localization? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Strange Antiquities (Video Game) - Could we check please, is the nominated Thaumaturge the player character or the player character's mentor? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Terminator (Movies), Terminator: Genesis (2015), and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) - Nominators, please make your cases for splitting or combining these. Would it work to keep Genesis separate and combine (Movies 1984 1991 2019) for the rest, since Dark Fate follows Terminator 2? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Tron - All Media Types - We won't approve this nomination as All Media Types. Nominator, please pick a canon. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Previous queries
Aliens (1986) - Nominator, these characters are also nominated under the broader fandom Alien (Original Movies 1979-1997), so we would like to merge your nominations in with the rest of the original movies. Please link your nominations page when you reply.Bibi Blocksberg (2002) - Nominator, do you specifically only want the first movie, or may we approve this as the canonical Bibi Blocksberg (Movies 2002 2004)? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Dragonfly - Ursula K. Le Guin, Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin, The Tombs of Atuan - Ursula K. Le Guin - Our understanding is that these are all in the same continuity. We are planning to combine Earthsea and Tombs of Atuan, especially as there is character overlap in those nominations. Dragonfly nominator, do you have concerns with folding that nomination into Earthsea as well? If so, we would appreciate help understanding exactly what you’re looking for and how to differentiate the larger Earthsea universe. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Patricia Wrede - We won’t approve the character nomination Morwen's Cats (Enchanted Forest) as they are all individually named. Nominators, could you please each choose a cat? (Scorn has already been nominated, and another nominator is fine with either Trouble or Fiddlesticks.) Please link your nominations page when you reply.
MAIJO Otaro - Works - We don’t approve fandoms consisting of all of a creator’s works, and the nominated characters appear to come from at least 2 novels. Nominator, could you pick one of Maijō’s works to nominate, along with the associated characters? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
夢中さ きみに。| Muchuu sa Kimi ni (Manga) - We also have a nomination for the Anime; the nominator of that fandom says they have not read the manga but believes these could be combined if needed. We've heard from two Manga nominators who are OK with combining under Anime & Manga; could we hear from the third please? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.