The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, February 8
Feb. 8th, 2026 09:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
harlow_turner_chaotic_ace posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
su_herald
GLORY: Did anybody order an apocalypse?
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
- The Mortician (Spike/Buffy, T) by Tempestt
- mirror, mirror (Faith/Willow, Faith/Buffy, M) by softestbutch
- The Devil’s Carnival (Angelus/Drusilla, M) by Moonzari
- Tales Of The Slayer: A Jest Of Idle Sprites (Original characters, T) by Eliza_hazeleyes
- So Strong So Delicate (Spike/OFC, G) by hpg
- The Mortician (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by tempestt
- The Mortician (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by tempestt
[Chaptered Fiction]
- Buffy's Pack, Chapter 20 (multiple ships, E) by red_jacobson
- The Honorable Judge, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Faith, M) by storiwr
- Diary of a Sunnydale High Student, Chapter 3 (Original character, unrated) by SortaMadDog
- Transitory, Chapter 10 (Spike/Buffy, T) by GhostsInLove
- time cast a spell on you (but you won't forget me), Chapter six (Buffy/Riley/Sam Finn, M) by MadeInGold
- ,Love, Loyalty and the Monsters we Choose, Chapter 4 (Angel/Spike/Harry Potter, Harry Potter xover, M) by Potterhead581
- ⛥THE CHRONICLES OF THE SLAYER⛥, Chapter 1 (Original characters, unrated) by TheDarkSorceress666
- Fractured Roads: The End Game, Chapter 2 (Multiple platonic ships, G) by StaarksHeart
- Willow & Buffy, Chapter 4 (Ensemble, M) by Alicerabbit001
- Fresh nights ahead, Chapter 18 (Multiple ships, E) by Red Cowling and they (Redtheseer)
- Season 5, guest starring Angel, Chapter 8 (Angel/Buffy, T) by eg20
- Past and Future Tense, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Giles, M) by Sdhuskerfan
- Control, Chapter 5 (Spike/Buffy, G) by Mariya_Munro
- Stake Me Out to the Ballgame, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Faith, Willow/Tara, M) by storiwr
- The Red Slayer:, Chapter 125 (Multiple Ships, E) by VladimirHarkonnen (TheLightdancer)
- Through The Fire, Together, Chapter 16 (Buffy/Dean Winchester, SPN xover, unrated) by DeathRaeBeam
- Band Candy Baby, Chapter 55 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Tikiriaaa
- (Buffy/Spike, AO) by Sorilkad
- In the Dark, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, AO) by NotYourGrave
- Pick Me Up, Chapter 20 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Dusty
- Once They Were Friends, Chapter 25 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Grief Counseling
- the Eyes, Chapter 28 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Dusty
[Images, Audio & Video]
- Playlist: Buffy Gang-gang playlist (Ensemble, some songs may have explicit lyrics) by drevnian-smol
- Gifset: BEST OF BTVS: Tara & Willow — Season Four (Willow/Tara, SFW) by clarkgriffon
- Gifset: DAWN SUMMERS in 5.11 TRIANGLE (Dawn, SFW) by 5bi5
- Fanvid: [Willow Fanvid] (Willow, SFW) by homesickarchive
- Moodboard: moodboard: spike x drusilla (Spike/Drusilla, SFW) by kyrt4t
- Gifset: ANYA JENKINS in "BARGAINING PART 1" () by buffygifs
- Moodboard: Warren/Andrew gritty moodboard (Warren/Andrew, suggestive + bruises) by christonerd
- Moodboard: [Moodboards] Spike x Illyria x Wesley (Spike/Illyria/Wesely, T) by MadeInGold
- Artwork: Dearest gentle reader... (Spike/Buffy, not rated) by maginkverse
[Fandom Discussions]
- [meta on bigender!Anya] by camellcat
- just finished watching "Forever" by sitcom-muppet
- Quiz I made with 18 different results on which Buffyverse character you are by Bobert858668
- Hell's Bells has the same fun-till-punches-you-in-the-feels vibe as Tabula Rasa by LuVEmFuzzies
- Did Spike really want to get his soul back? by Existing-Worry-97
- Buffy and Spike final scene interpretation by WhenTheStarsLine
- My problem with this scene by jogaforacont
- Cordelia’s fashion on Buffy has me obsessed by kimsooyoung77
February 9, 2026: Nostalgia Returns In The Not Too Distant Future?
Feb. 9th, 2026 06:16 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
daily_illuminator_feedI've loved the movie-mocking TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (a.k.a. MST3K) literally my entire adult life (and a bit before). I've also been a fan of the related movie-mocking project RiffTrax, starring many of the alumni from MST3K.
So it was with some surprise and delight that, in time for RiffTrax's 20th anniversary, a new Kickstarter appeared: RiffTrax Makes MST3K! The RiffTrax crew will be making four new episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, including all the puppet-y bells and whistles I've associated with the show.
As I write this, the crowdfunding campaign has already made eleventy-jillion dollars, and doesn't need my help plugging it. I'd bet about 99.9% of you reading this that would be interested have already heard the news. Mostly I'm reveling in the opportunity to wax enthusiastically about one of my favorite entertainment options . . . and to let you know that, if you ever have a wild Tom Servo or Crow T. Robot that needs a foster dad, I'm your guy.
– Steven Marsh
Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action
There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!
So it was with some surprise and delight that, in time for RiffTrax's 20th anniversary, a new Kickstarter appeared: RiffTrax Makes MST3K! The RiffTrax crew will be making four new episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, including all the puppet-y bells and whistles I've associated with the show.
As I write this, the crowdfunding campaign has already made eleventy-jillion dollars, and doesn't need my help plugging it. I'd bet about 99.9% of you reading this that would be interested have already heard the news. Mostly I'm reveling in the opportunity to wax enthusiastically about one of my favorite entertainment options . . . and to let you know that, if you ever have a wild Tom Servo or Crow T. Robot that needs a foster dad, I'm your guy.
– Steven Marsh
Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action
There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!
Conditions of Staying
Feb. 9th, 2026 01:47 amao3_highlanderseries_feedby Raine_Wynd
A wrong turn. A sword fight. No witnesses.
Words: 11353, Chapters: 1/4, Language: English
Series: Part 8 of Seacouver Saga
- Fandoms: Highlander: The Series
- Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
- Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
- Categories: F/M
- Characters: Richie Ryan, Original Characters
- Relationships: Richie Ryan & Original Character(s), Richie Ryan/Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
- Additional Tags: Secrets, Established Relationship, Found Family, Friendship, Quickening, Immortals, chosen family, Ethical Disclosure, Competent Adults in Love, The Game (Highlander), Canon Divergence, Clan Denial, Trust Issues, Slow Burn, Romance, Consent Issues
Quality Over Quantity
Feb. 8th, 2026 07:31 pmao3_highlanderseries_feedby Hacktivated
It's Duncan's birthday and Methos has bought him a present.
Words: 1122, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English
- Fandoms: Highlander: The Series
- Rating: General Audiences
- Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
- Categories: Gen
- Characters: Duncan MacLeod, Methos (Highlander)
- Relationships: Duncan MacLeod & Methos (Highlander)
- Additional Tags: Humor, Fluff, Short, Challenge Response
Just Go Ahead and Get Married Already
Feb. 8th, 2026 09:07 pmao3boostle_feedWhen Green Arrow and Black Canary Arrive late to a meeting they are surprised to see that Booster Gold and Blue Beetle aren't there. Several revelations are made as the group discusses where the two went.
Words: 1403, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English
Series: Part 3 of Booster Gold Fictions
- Fandoms: Blue Beetle (Comics), Booster Gold (Comics)
- Rating: Not Rated
- Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
- Categories: M/M
- Characters: Rani (DCU), Michael Carter (DCU), Ted Kord, Guy Gardner, Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern)
- Relationships: Michael Carter/Ted Kord
- Additional Tags: Gay, Married Couple, Adopted Children, boostle
Unshelved strip originally published on Tue, 24 Nov 2015
Feb. 9th, 2026 12:00 amunshelved_feedThis classic Unshelved strip originally appeared on Tue, 24 Nov 2015.
Fic: Identity Revealed (Supergirl, Kara/Maxwell)
Feb. 8th, 2026 06:47 pmflareonfury posting in arrowverseTitle: Identity Revealed
Fandoms: Supergirl (TV series)
Pairings: Kara/Maxwell
Rating: PG
Warnings/Spoilers: Alternate Universe. Pre-Season 1. Established Relationship. Gun violence.
Summary: Set in an alternate universe where pre-Season 1 Kara Danvers & Maxwell Lord had started dating. She hasn't told him about her powers yet.
Notes: Written for100fandoms prompt hope, 100ships prompt coral, and DC Rarepair Week for Day 1 prompt Identity Reveal. This is for everyone that reads my Kara/Maxwell soulmate AU first words spoken (can open a heart). Also yes, I picked the guards names to honor the Arrowverse actors. ;) Otherwise they were just gonna be nameless.
[...100fandoms Table...] [...100ships Table...]
Identity Revealed..........
Fandoms: Supergirl (TV series)
Pairings: Kara/Maxwell
Rating: PG
Warnings/Spoilers: Alternate Universe. Pre-Season 1. Established Relationship. Gun violence.
Summary: Set in an alternate universe where pre-Season 1 Kara Danvers & Maxwell Lord had started dating. She hasn't told him about her powers yet.
Notes: Written for
100fandoms prompt hope, 100ships prompt coral, and DC Rarepair Week for Day 1 prompt Identity Reveal. This is for everyone that reads my Kara/Maxwell soulmate AU first words spoken (can open a heart). Also yes, I picked the guards names to honor the Arrowverse actors. ;) Otherwise they were just gonna be nameless. [...100fandoms Table...] [...100ships Table...]
Identity Revealed..........
GenPrompt Bingo: Wild Card (Telepathy)
Feb. 8th, 2026 04:38 pmsenmutAO3 Link | Long Distance Force Calls (842 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars: Rebels
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Darth Vader & Ahsoka Tano
Characters: Darth Vader, Ahsoka Tano
Additional Tags: Telepathy, Force Bond
Summary:
The first time her meditations took her deep enough that the lock slipped from the training bond, Ahsoka almost metaphorically ran away and slammed the gate shut. She was still on the run, still trying to figure out where she could belong that would make a difference, and there was this swirling storm of rage and pain.
Before she could, he took notice of her, and for a moment, she felt him push the anger away to hold on to her as something of his own.
~You left me.~ The accusation burned blue-white in her mind, as the anger rose higher than the possessive love.
~I would be dead if I hadn't and you know it,~ she shot back, but there was a piece of her that did feel the guilt of the galaxy burning down because of her choice.
~I could have protected you!~
~Really, Skyguy?~ She deliberately let him see as she stood looking over the markers made for the 332nd.
It was him that closed her out … after she tasted his own sense of failure to those that had trusted them both.
She had not been meditating that deeply when she knew that he was touching her mind. The whirls of anger were almost steadying, given how enraged she'd been by the Alliance ignoring her advice. They would not do so again — but too many had paid the price.
She locked that, all of her other activities, deep inside, protecting them behind shields he could not penetrate. That the anger was tied so deeply to pain, unending pain, was a moment's curiosity before she acknowledged him in her mind.
~Snooping on me, Skyguy?~
~Your irreverence only grows,~ and the voice was far more resonant, deeper, carrying a darker flare than ever, but she thought there was something desperate in how it sounded.
~Did they all die?~
She hissed in a breath, needing to protect those few men she knew to be free of the Empire, the ones safe from the nightmare… and grieving for all those she had not been able to save.
~If, Apprentice, you should find others, they still age.~
Her hesitation to tell him made those words come across as cold as space, and yet, even as he left her alone in her mind, she noted he had told her the important part. Somewhere, deep inside the man that had become her worst nightmare, he still cared about the men. And she would see what she could do to fix it, another testament of who they had been, when they had been together, protecting the men.
She was injured, almost to the point of needing trance to hold it at bay until her operatives made the pick up.
She didn't want to risk being that vulnerable, even as she reached for the fury-laced-with-pain that smoldered in the corner of her psyche.
~You are hurt.~
The surprise, followed by almost overwhelming anger directed at whatever had harmed her was almost touching, but Ahsoka had to keep that away from her heart. She brought her irreverence to her own defense.
~You are always in pain, Skyguy. Surprised your handler didn't get that fixed.~
That was better, a sharp spike in the anger, the deeper presence of darkness — it helped her maintain the illusion that they could never be anything but enemies now, even as neither of them severed their bond.
~There was not much of me to heal,~ being the next honest thought set Ahsoka back on her proverbial heels.
~Ultimate power, with access to a master cloning world, and he couldn't get you body parts cloned? Organs? Whatever it is that you need to not be… like this? Skyguy, your contract with this guy is worse than mucking eopi stalls.~
She didn't expect him to hold onto the link after that.
~Perhaps. But there is no alternative.~
Those words, contemplative, almost calm, sent a chill down Ahsoka's spine, but before she could think her way to a witty comeback, he locked her out again.
~There have been a number of times I thought you were a figment of my imagination.~
That calm entry into her mind, backdropped against the abyss of ever-present pain, set Ahsoka on edge. They'd been entirely too close in physical space this day.
~I wish I had words to convince you that we could make a better reality than what we have.~
She kept it to a surface emotion of wishfulness, holding back every other emotion that had surged in her soul during the near encounter.
~Wishes have never been a good plan of attack, Apprentice.~
She closed her eyes, gave him her regrets for the past, and locked him out of her mind, shoring up her shields against the man she missed, that still existed in a monster that had destroyed everything resembling peace.
Here they were, face to face…
…and even all the moments of the years apart that had led to words and emotions shared, they both knew.
Today, what they had been would either be destroyed forever —
— or reforged.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars: Rebels
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Darth Vader & Ahsoka Tano
Characters: Darth Vader, Ahsoka Tano
Additional Tags: Telepathy, Force Bond
Summary:
They never severed the bond...
Long Distance Force Calls
The first time her meditations took her deep enough that the lock slipped from the training bond, Ahsoka almost metaphorically ran away and slammed the gate shut. She was still on the run, still trying to figure out where she could belong that would make a difference, and there was this swirling storm of rage and pain.
Before she could, he took notice of her, and for a moment, she felt him push the anger away to hold on to her as something of his own.
~You left me.~ The accusation burned blue-white in her mind, as the anger rose higher than the possessive love.
~I would be dead if I hadn't and you know it,~ she shot back, but there was a piece of her that did feel the guilt of the galaxy burning down because of her choice.
~I could have protected you!~
~Really, Skyguy?~ She deliberately let him see as she stood looking over the markers made for the 332nd.
It was him that closed her out … after she tasted his own sense of failure to those that had trusted them both.
She had not been meditating that deeply when she knew that he was touching her mind. The whirls of anger were almost steadying, given how enraged she'd been by the Alliance ignoring her advice. They would not do so again — but too many had paid the price.
She locked that, all of her other activities, deep inside, protecting them behind shields he could not penetrate. That the anger was tied so deeply to pain, unending pain, was a moment's curiosity before she acknowledged him in her mind.
~Snooping on me, Skyguy?~
~Your irreverence only grows,~ and the voice was far more resonant, deeper, carrying a darker flare than ever, but she thought there was something desperate in how it sounded.
~Did they all die?~
She hissed in a breath, needing to protect those few men she knew to be free of the Empire, the ones safe from the nightmare… and grieving for all those she had not been able to save.
~If, Apprentice, you should find others, they still age.~
Her hesitation to tell him made those words come across as cold as space, and yet, even as he left her alone in her mind, she noted he had told her the important part. Somewhere, deep inside the man that had become her worst nightmare, he still cared about the men. And she would see what she could do to fix it, another testament of who they had been, when they had been together, protecting the men.
She was injured, almost to the point of needing trance to hold it at bay until her operatives made the pick up.
She didn't want to risk being that vulnerable, even as she reached for the fury-laced-with-pain that smoldered in the corner of her psyche.
~You are hurt.~
The surprise, followed by almost overwhelming anger directed at whatever had harmed her was almost touching, but Ahsoka had to keep that away from her heart. She brought her irreverence to her own defense.
~You are always in pain, Skyguy. Surprised your handler didn't get that fixed.~
That was better, a sharp spike in the anger, the deeper presence of darkness — it helped her maintain the illusion that they could never be anything but enemies now, even as neither of them severed their bond.
~There was not much of me to heal,~ being the next honest thought set Ahsoka back on her proverbial heels.
~Ultimate power, with access to a master cloning world, and he couldn't get you body parts cloned? Organs? Whatever it is that you need to not be… like this? Skyguy, your contract with this guy is worse than mucking eopi stalls.~
She didn't expect him to hold onto the link after that.
~Perhaps. But there is no alternative.~
Those words, contemplative, almost calm, sent a chill down Ahsoka's spine, but before she could think her way to a witty comeback, he locked her out again.
~There have been a number of times I thought you were a figment of my imagination.~
That calm entry into her mind, backdropped against the abyss of ever-present pain, set Ahsoka on edge. They'd been entirely too close in physical space this day.
~I wish I had words to convince you that we could make a better reality than what we have.~
She kept it to a surface emotion of wishfulness, holding back every other emotion that had surged in her soul during the near encounter.
~Wishes have never been a good plan of attack, Apprentice.~
She closed her eyes, gave him her regrets for the past, and locked him out of her mind, shoring up her shields against the man she missed, that still existed in a monster that had destroyed everything resembling peace.
Here they were, face to face…
…and even all the moments of the years apart that had led to words and emotions shared, they both knew.
Today, what they had been would either be destroyed forever —
— or reforged.
petraVirtually ethical (500 words) by Petra
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker
Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Additional Tags: Tragedy, Quintuple Drabble, Hurt No Comfort
Summary:
*
Blastin' and laughin' so long (750 words) by Petra
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Leia Organa/Han Solo, Lando Calrissian/Han Solo, Leia Organa/Luke Skywalker/Han Solo, Chewbacca & Han Solo
Characters: Han Solo, Chewbacca (Star Wars), Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian
Additional Tags: Crack Treated Seriously, Han Solo Shoots First, Humor, In-Universe Meme
Summary:
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker
Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Additional Tags: Tragedy, Quintuple Drabble, Hurt No Comfort
Summary:
Obi-Wan is usually pretty good about listening to what Anakin is saying, but not always.
*
Blastin' and laughin' so long (750 words) by Petra
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Leia Organa/Han Solo, Lando Calrissian/Han Solo, Leia Organa/Luke Skywalker/Han Solo, Chewbacca & Han Solo
Characters: Han Solo, Chewbacca (Star Wars), Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian
Additional Tags: Crack Treated Seriously, Han Solo Shoots First, Humor, In-Universe Meme
Summary:
How "Han Shot First" came to be a meme in the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
I'm in the UK, so I will talk about the weather...
Feb. 8th, 2026 09:15 pmelisiA relevant quote:
Along about November I began to forget when it hadn't been raining and became as one with all the characters in all of the novels about rainy seasons, who rush around banging their heads against the walls, drinking water glasses of straight whisky and moaning, "The rain! The rain! My God, the rain!"
Betty MacDonald: The Egg and I
Stargate Atlantis, Proof by DevilDoll
Feb. 8th, 2026 11:18 ammelagan posting in fancakeFandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairings/Characters: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Rating: Mature
Length: wc 5541
Content Notes No AO3 warning apply
Creator Links: AO3 profile
Theme: Inept in Love
Summary: "We had a fight and he dumped me." Foofy humor.
Reccer's Notes This is a funny and delightful gem that just goes to show you that even when in an established relationship, John and Rodney (esp John) are horribly inept in love.
Link Proof
Pairings/Characters: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Rating: Mature
Length: wc 5541
Content Notes No AO3 warning apply
Creator Links: AO3 profile
Theme: Inept in Love
Summary: "We had a fight and he dumped me." Foofy humor.
Reccer's Notes This is a funny and delightful gem that just goes to show you that even when in an established relationship, John and Rodney (esp John) are horribly inept in love.
Link Proof
Bones rules
Feb. 8th, 2026 11:07 ammarycatelli posting in booksBones rules; or, Skeleton of English grammar by John B. Tabb
Turn-of-the-last-century grammar lessons. Basic, sound grammar, with some additional interest in his choices of sentences to analyze. Many from poems, and with some interesting placing of the parts of a sentence.
He does note that any word can be used as a verb, even then.
Turn-of-the-last-century grammar lessons. Basic, sound grammar, with some additional interest in his choices of sentences to analyze. Many from poems, and with some interesting placing of the parts of a sentence.
He does note that any word can be used as a verb, even then.
February 8, 2026: Rolling Against Default
Feb. 8th, 2026 06:23 amdaily_illuminator_feedA side effect of growing up playing GURPS is that I occasionally think and talk about my everyday life in game terms – especially when I'm talking to other gamers. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the joy and satisfaction that comes from rolling against default.
If you haven't played GURPS, I'm talking about skills. If you haven't put any points into a skill (i.e., are untrained), you roll against that skill's default, typically based on a basic attribute, but sometimes based on another skill. The penalty is smaller the more related the skills are. I've always loved this rule because it's very uncommon for games to mechanically model how knowing how to do something kind of similar is often better than no experience at all.
I love trying new things, especially making new things, and a common refrain for me is "how hard could it possibly be?" before jumping headlong into a project. So here are a few skill defaults I've rolled against in the past week:
Also, GURPS GMs, I think access to YouTube should give at least a +2 on any untrained skill roll. Just based on my personal experience fooling around and finding out that yes, I can!
– Irene Zielinski
Warehouse 23 News: Why Is The Darkness Blinking?
They're trapped between the realm of the living and the dead . . . and they're not too pleased about it. The Book of Unlife adds 44 unliving monsters to your The Fantasy Trip campaigns, along with a complete adventure setting. Live like there's too many tomorrows thanks to Warehouse 23!
If you haven't played GURPS, I'm talking about skills. If you haven't put any points into a skill (i.e., are untrained), you roll against that skill's default, typically based on a basic attribute, but sometimes based on another skill. The penalty is smaller the more related the skills are. I've always loved this rule because it's very uncommon for games to mechanically model how knowing how to do something kind of similar is often better than no experience at all.
I love trying new things, especially making new things, and a common refrain for me is "how hard could it possibly be?" before jumping headlong into a project. So here are a few skill defaults I've rolled against in the past week:
- Electronics Repair (Electronics Operation-3): I've been on a nostalgia kick for rhythm gaming (Rock Band, Guitar Hero, etc.) lately, and the secondary market for controllers can get pricey. I bought a nonfunctional guitar controller on the Goodwill auction site in the hopes of repairing it. When I got it, I took it apart and poked around. There was battery corrosion, which I cleaned, and the wire going to the battery housing was in bad shape, so I re-soldered that with a soldering iron my roommate had borrowed from a friend after a "learn to make stained glass" party – incidentally, that party was the first time I'd soldered anything successfully since high school. Et voilà! I now have a working fake guitar!
- Stylist (Wig) (Barber-5): I started (badly) cutting my own hair when I was a teenager (rolling at IQ-5 for the professional skill), but over the intervening years I've put a character point or two into knowing my way around clippers – especially when COVID hit and my friends and family were desperate enough to trust me with their hair. I've got a drag show coming up where I'm doing an act as Frankenstein's Creature (from the excellent recent Del Toro adaptation), so I got my very first lace front wig and spent an evening hacking it into shape with shears. I have no idea how to cut long hair, especially long fake hair, but there's only one way to find out! I'll probably get some more help on it before the show, but it's shaping up nicely.
- Wigs (Sewing-3): The Creature in the Netflix film has a streak of silver in his hair, so I picked up a silver sew-in weave bundle at the beauty store and resolved to figure out how to make that happen. It was fiddly for sure, but surprisingly not too hard to stitch a couple extra short wefts in between the existing rows of hair on the wig! A curved needle helped a lot. Weirdly, it reminded me a little of fixing a couch.
- Singing (HT-5) and Songwriting (IQ-5): I'm not a trained singer. I'm not really a poet or songwriter, either. But I had an idea for a song parody act based on the similarity between a movie monster's face and a music video from 15 years ago, and that demanded that I figure out how to do both of those things really fast . . . we'll see how I do in a of couple weeks!
Also, GURPS GMs, I think access to YouTube should give at least a +2 on any untrained skill roll. Just based on my personal experience fooling around and finding out that yes, I can!
– Irene Zielinski
Warehouse 23 News: Why Is The Darkness Blinking?
They're trapped between the realm of the living and the dead . . . and they're not too pleased about it. The Book of Unlife adds 44 unliving monsters to your The Fantasy Trip campaigns, along with a complete adventure setting. Live like there's too many tomorrows thanks to Warehouse 23!
The Art of Not Being Needed
Feb. 8th, 2026 04:43 amao3_highlanderseries_feedby Erik_In_CT
After the traumatic events of the previous term under the thumb of the Lunar Panel, Methos decides that they deserve a holiday. So after term ends for the year, he snatches Severus (and Joe) away for a vacation. A relaxing time in a country cottage turns to hilarious chaos as a couple of Highlanders happen upon them.
**PLEASE NOTE: I HAVE NO INTEREST IN COMMISSIONING ART FOR MY STORIES. IF YOU ASK ME ABOUT DOING SO, I WILL BLOCK YOU AND REPORT YOU TO AO3 AS A FRAUDULENT SPAM ACCOUNT**
Words: 16309, Chapters: 3/7, Language: English
Series: Part 18 of The Slytherin Chronicles
- Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Highlander: The Series
- Rating: Mature
- Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
- Categories: M/M
- Characters: Severus Snape, Methos (Highlander), Joe Dawson, Connor MacLeod, Duncan MacLeod
- Relationships: Methos (Highlander)/Severus Snape, Severus Snape/Methos/Joe Dawson
Unshelved strip originally published on Mon, 23 Nov 2015
Feb. 8th, 2026 12:00 amunshelved_feedThis classic Unshelved strip originally appeared on Mon, 23 Nov 2015.
there's just something about the moon
Feb. 7th, 2026 06:10 pmmusesfoolPer my last post, I intended to make two specific dishes for dinner this weekend (panko-crusted pork chops and pasta with sausage and cabbage), and my groceries were ordered with that in mind. Three guesses as to what did not arrive with my order, and the first two don't count. (Spoiler: it was the sausage and the pork chops.)
Sigh.
I gave up on today and just ordered pizza, and I think tomorrow I will pivot to mac and cheese because I have all the ingredients for that without having to do a second grocery delivery.
This afternoon, I baked an apple-cranberry crumble since I had 2 apples I hadn't eaten yet and all those cranberries hanging around. Instead of walnuts, I used pecans and instead of raisins I used chocolate chips, and I used maple sugar over the fruit instead of regular, and it smells fantastic. I can't wait to cut into it. I might need to make some whipped cream to eat with it.
The wind is whipping around like crazy and it's supposed to be super extra cold tomorrow, so I hope everyone is safe and warm, wherever you are.
*
Sigh.
I gave up on today and just ordered pizza, and I think tomorrow I will pivot to mac and cheese because I have all the ingredients for that without having to do a second grocery delivery.
This afternoon, I baked an apple-cranberry crumble since I had 2 apples I hadn't eaten yet and all those cranberries hanging around. Instead of walnuts, I used pecans and instead of raisins I used chocolate chips, and I used maple sugar over the fruit instead of regular, and it smells fantastic. I can't wait to cut into it. I might need to make some whipped cream to eat with it.
The wind is whipping around like crazy and it's supposed to be super extra cold tomorrow, so I hope everyone is safe and warm, wherever you are.
*
