whatif_au | Member Posts

Title: Blue Flower Sheets
Fandom: Band of Brothers (TV)
Pairing: Speirs/Lipton
Rated: Teen
Word Count: 2,525

Summary: When Speirs chooses Malarkey to lead the patrol, Lipton gets frustrated with him and voices his disapproval. Sure, Speirs is miles better than Dike and he’s been weirdly nice to Lipton, but Malarkey does not deserve this shit.

Speirs is… intrigued by this side of Lipton.

Tags: Episode 1x08 The Last Patrol, Non-sexual intimacy.

A/N: For the

heavyartillery holiday exchange 2025.

Fic on AO3

( Fic under here )

impala_chick

Most of these are of Shane Hollander from episodes 1 and 2. There's also one of Conner Storrie at the Golden Globes.

( the rest under here )

mistressofmuses

I am, tragically and frequently to my own detriment, a procrastinator. I am also a classic millenial who is afraid of the phone. So when I have phone calls I have to make, I will sometimes put them off for far longer than is reasonable.

I've been putting off a minor maintenance thing since *November.*
I needed to call and reschedule a doctor's appointment (because I forgot to ask for the day off).
I needed to call the hospital, because every time I try to pay my bill online the payment declines.

I was going to do all of that three weeks ago. Then I was going to do it two weeks ago. Then I was going to *definitely* do it on my weekend last week. Then when I didn't do it last weekend I was going to force myself to get up early and do it before work. Then when that wasn't going to happen, I was going to make myself sacrifice a lunch break to do it. Then when that still didn't happen, I told myself I really *had* to do it this weekend. I even tried to hype myself up about while at work on Sunday, like "yeah, if you make those calls on Monday, you don't have to worry about them after! You'll be done! You can do whatever you want for the rest of the weekend, guilt-free! It's going to feel like such a relief for it to be off your to-do list!" This morning, I did not want to make those calls, and tried several times to convince myself that tomorrow would be better to make them anyway for some reason (which would of course inevitably lead to putting it off again.)

BUT I MADE THE CALLS.

I called the hospital, and the payment was also declined over the phone, though it at least told the lady on the phone why: it exceeded my bank's daily spending limit.
So I called my bank. They gave me a temporary increase to the spending cap, but told me the charge would probably decline again, but that I should get an immediate call or text from them asking if it was a legit charge, and then I could try again.
So I tried the charge again. Declined. No call or text from the bank.
Fuck it. I just charged a partial amount, and will keep going in and paying it in chunks over the next few days.

I called my doctor's office, and that was at least easy. Pushed my physical out a couple weeks, which will hopefully be good. (Maybe I'll have shaken the cold by then.)

Called for the maintenance thing. They'll come by tomorrow.

...and I felt absolutely no sense of satisfaction or accomplishment, which was really frustrating. :/ Usually when I finally Do The Thing, I at least feel really relieved once it's done! Often a little embarrassed at the same time, because it's typically such a small amount of effort compared to how much I stressed over it, but at least there's some relief! This time... nothing.

Perhaps it's because today I did find out that my insurance is denying coverage of my visit to my PCP (saying I owe an additional $350) because in order to visit my PCP... they say I needed a referral from my PCP.

I am frustrated because that will require additional, probably even WORSE phone calls.

I still feel like I should be glad to have gotten those other calls done with, but if anything it made me feel worse. We went and ran errands, and then I just spent the day sitting like a lump of misery, because I'm still sick and coughing up infection-flavored gunk, and I felt worse instead of better after doing the thing I'd put off, which made it really difficult to try and do anything else.

Boooooo.

Current Mood: annoyed
Current Location: my apartment

tielan

I need to sit up, no slumping.

Still no contract.

I wonder if the HR manager has pushed back against the client group manager...

ETA 2 hours later: Apparently they are renewing me, but they're changing the payroll company they're paying me through, and I'm not sure what's going on with the rate, or how much longer the contract will go for.

--

Also, per my icon: you should do a search on "political" quilts at QuiltCon '26. There are a bunch of conservatives with their panties in a knot because "suddenly" the quilts are "political"...

--

We have two new chickens. Babies, 6 weeks old. We're keeping them inside for the moment, in a cage, mostly because the coop we'd put them in needs repair and I won't have proper time until Sunday (but am stealing lunchtimes and after work). We're also trying to get them used to cuddles.

squidgiepdx

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

romanajo123

Can you please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers?

We need it now. Thanks.

badly_knitted

Title: Blame Where It's Due
Fandom: The Fantastic Journey
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Fred, Willaway, Varian, Liana, Scott, Alpha.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 490: Amnesty 49 at

drabble_zone, using Challenge 73: Laying The Blame.
Setting: Children of the Gods.
Summary: So far, Fred isn’t impressed with their newest travelling companion.
Disclaimer: I don’t own The Fantastic Journey, or the characters. They belong to their creators.
A/N: Triple drabble.

( Blame Where It's Due... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted

Title: Punishment
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Lisa.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 610
Spoilers: Cyberwoman.
Summary: Ianto knows he doesn’t deserve a second chance after everything he did trying to save Lisa, but Jack has granted him one anyway.
Written For: The prompt ‘Any, any, being given a second chance’, at

threesentenceficathon.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.

( Punishment... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

melagan

I just spent 10 minutes looking for a screw.

It was a tiny thing and the only one I had that fit an electric outlet plate. Yes. That kind of screw.

I had it taped to the plastic outlet plate. Taped to it so I wouldn't lose it.

While rummaging in my toolbox for pliers for...(that's another story), I came across the bare, naked, screwless plate. I did eventually find the screw, and this time plate and screw are in a ziplock bag.

Huh. I wonder if that has anything to do with the explicit- definitely got screwed - fic I just posted? Balance in the universe and all that.

As long as no minor is reading over your shoulder, you can read it here.

tarlanx

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

pattrose

Topics for talk

How to Improve My Life:

I know this will sound weird, but I'm happy with my life. I don't know that I would change anything. I'm happy, content and thrilled to be alive. Great family and friends. Like I said, I'm happy. Would I be happier if I had more money? I have no idea. Some people that have money are sad and alone. I'd rather stay the way I am.

How about you?

pattrose

2026 60 questions meme.
What role does love play in your life?

Love is big in our family. Hubby and I still find time to spend together and have fun. We love our family and friends too. We share everything. Okay, not everything. I tell him about a story I'm working on, and he says he doesn't want to hear it. He knows I write slash, but he doesn't want to hear about it. LOL. He's so cute. I truly love him and his quirky ways. 😁

pattrose

Not quite a 365-day questions meme.

23. Do you own many mirrors?

One in each bathroom, one in the spare bedroom, and one in our bedroom. I don't like the way I look; they aren't my good friends. If I lost 50 pounds, I wouldn't mind looking in a mirror every day. I'm doing chair aerobics every night, but it's coming off very slowly. I always get sidetracked and end up talking about something that has nothing to do with the question. Sorry about that. My dad used to call me Rambling Rose. Now you know why.

pattrose

Recipe Dessert

Cheesecake Crescent Rolls Casserole

Ingredients
* 2 cans of refrigerated crescent roll dough
* 2 - 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
* 1 cup of granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup of melted butter
* 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Baking Dish
* Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to ensure the casserole does not stick.
First Layer of Crescent Roll Dough
* Unroll one can of crescent roll dough and spread it evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Press the seams together to create a uniform layer.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling
* In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese together with 1 cup of granulated sugar and the vanilla extract. Mix until the ingredients are smooth and well combined.
Spread the Cream Cheese Mixture
* Evenly distribute the cream cheese mixture over the layer of crescent roll dough in the baking dish, ensuring a consistent layer.
Second Layer of Crescent Roll Dough
* Unroll the second can of crescent roll dough and carefully place it over the cream cheese layer. Press the seams together to create a smooth top layer.
Apply the Butter and Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture
* Brush the melted butter evenly over the top layer of crescent roll dough. In a small bowl, combine the ground cinnamon and the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Sprinkle this mixture generously over the buttered dough.
Bake the Casserole
* Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is crisp and golden brown.
Cool and Serve
* Allow the casserole to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing it into squares and serving. Optionally, drizzle with honey for added sweetness.

pattrose

Cheesy baked asparagus

🥦 RECIPE: Cheesy Baked Asparagus 🧀
Based on the text provided, here is the complete recipe for this simple, elegant side dish. Since the text mentions only 6 ingredients and a "creamy cheese sauce" effect, this recipe uses a combination of melting cheeses and garlic to create that rich coating without a heavy flour-based sauce.

🛒 Ingredients
The Asparagus

1½ lbs (680g) Fresh asparagus, woody ends snapped off

2 tbsp Olive oil

Salt & Black pepper, to taste

The Cheesy Topping

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella cheese (for the creamy melt)

½ cup Grated Parmesan cheese (for the sharp, savory flavor)

2 cloves Garlic, minced (or ½ tsp garlic powder)

Optional: Red pepper flakes or lemon zest for a kick

👩‍🍳 Instructions
Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a baking sheet or baking dish.

Prep Tip: To remove the woody ends, bend the thick end of the asparagus spear until it naturally snaps off. Discard the tough bottom part.

Season: Place the asparagus on the baking sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Toss with your hands to coat evenly, then arrange them in a single layer.

Roast: Bake for 10–15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears.

They should be tender-crisp (pierced easily with a fork but not mushy).

The Cheesy Finish: Remove from the oven.

Sprinkle the minced garlic, Mozzarella, and Parmesan evenly over the stalks.

Melt: Return to the oven (or switch to Broil) for 3–5 minutes.

Watch closely! You want the cheese bubbly and golden brown, but not burnt.

Serve: Serve immediately while the cheese is gooey.

mific

I've been busy lately with several things on the go - doing HR art for the ICE OUT donations challenge, recording a long SGA podfic for the Podfic Big Bang (And Hope by Sihaya Black), and trying to fit in recording a couple of shorter ones for Romancing McShep and Romancing SGA, as well. Oof. Plus a lot of HR fic reading. I've accepted that it's impossible to keep up in any meaningful sense, and just surf along reading stuff I see reccd or authors I know I like a lot, and the few WIPs I'm following. Eventually I guess I'll catch up with numerous gems in the fandom that I missed in this avalanche of new fics, many of them extremely good.

In terms of reading very good authors, I had an exceptionally obsessive episode today where I started a story by one of my fave HR writers and couldn't read it. Because (unlike in ALL their other fics) they'd chosen to do all the Ilya POV narration in Ilya-speak, with most of the articles dropped. Russian doesn't have separate articles, I gather, because the distinction between "a ball" & "the ball" is done with word order - which is why in English, Russians often drop their articles. An example:
1. Девушка читает книгу. (The girl is reading a book)
2. Книгу читает девушка. (The girl is reading the book)
In both sentences, the meaning is nearly the same. However, in Sentence 2, the placement of “книгу” (book) at the beginning, before “девушка” (girl), highlights the importance of the book and implies a specific book.
The parts of the fic where it was Ilya's dialogue were fine because that portrays his actual speech, but the narrative (for me) is his thoughts (internal narration) in tight 3rd POV and there's NO WAY he'd be dropping "articles" in his thinking in Russian. It made him seem stupid, which he very much isn't, and I couldn't bear to read it. So I just now copied it into Word and betaed it, adding back in all the articles from his narrative POV parts. If you recognise the fic, hit me up in a DM and I'll share the edited version. It's a bloody good fic otherwise, 9000 words.

Life's been quiet apart from reccing, writing, arting and podficcing, and I'm looking forward to a dinner out with friends this Wednesday. Also enjoying sweet corn, and the start of the stone fruit season, with gorgeous nectarines. My garden is blowsy and straggly now, in late summer, and I need to take some time (ha!) to trim it back a bit. It's still warm here, about 22-24 degC highs, usually, and drier of late so I'm still watering the entire garden by hand every 3 days.

One bloody annoying thing that happened was that my credit card was hacked back at the end of January (picked up via notifications coming up on my phone from my banking app asking me to approve a bunch of things I hadn't bought). Luckily all smallish purchases (kids? An unambitious thief, anyway) and I think the bank will refund them. But that meant cancelling that card and them mailing me another (a process I last went through several months ago). And then the mailed card never arrived (presumed stolen from my letterbox) and I got another couple of false transactions on the new card that I hadn't even seen yet! So yet another card cancellation and this time I got it mailed to my bank. I was very glad that after the last debacle several months ago I'd arranged a second credit card via my other bank (I have accounts at 2 banks for reasons that don't need exploring at this juncture).

Anyway, in terms of recs:
- I'm reading all Evilharlowe's HR works on AO3 - they really are a fantastic writer.
- Happened on a great short edit that sets Shane and Ilya's tuna melt hiatus to a Chappel Roan song (The Subway - amazing song) - heartrending edit, very well done, but man, I wish it were a full-sized fanvid.
- Bringing to your attention this workout video by Hudson Williams. Leg day and his skincare routine are really paying off! (CN for casual mentions of eating extreme diets or 'not eating' to make his body fit acting roles. Which is worrying but probably routine for actors.)
- there's a LOT of HR podfic by now and every day there are 1 or 2 new ones. It's a great way to revisit fics I read and loved while I do art. For example,

cathexys podficced Magneticwave's Clear to a Hedgehog. This link gets you HR podfic on AO3.

Enough for now. Waving at you all - hope things are going as well as they can.! 💗