Wombats, man

[st_aurafina]

Brain report:
It goes up tiddly up up, it goes down tiddly down down. But it goes up? I guess that's good. I'm back to two sessions a week with my trainer and I think it's giving me a mood boost, but with every mood boost comes a kind of mood flop. I wake up, I feel good and optimistic for a few hours, then it feels like the ground has dropped out from under me and I wonder what the point is to existence.

It's one year since 60% of Australia voted to let me get married. I am surprised at how bitter I am about the whole fucking thing. Every time I see my straight friends on facebook congratulating themselves on being so openminded, I want to cry. I mean, in that twelve months I didn't get married. I weaned myself off the extra antidepressant I had to start taking so I wouldn't have panic attacks in public during the debate. Fuck off, fuck off, fuck off. (And down tiddly down down...)

Okay. Up. Go up, brain. There are lots of good things in my life. I have a big bang to post at the end of the month! I'm 22K into this year's NaNo! I have lots of lovely wool to work with! It's okay. I can manage this.


Garden report:
Tomatoes went in the beds on Cup Day (the first Tuesday in November) as is traditionally recommended by old gardners who know things. We've got three from Bunnings (big box hardware): Grosse Lise, mini Roma truss and Nonna's Favourite. And from seed I've got Green Zebra and Red Pear in the beds. In the greenhouse there's Orange Sunrise Bumblebee (this is too many adjectives for a tomato, IJS), valentines, and Wapsipinicon Peach which is apparently a fuzzy tomato. (Not sure if want? But could not resist trying to grow it.)

Cucumbers: Lebanese and Crystal Apple. Zucchini: Blackjack and Costata Romanesco. Climbing beans: Purple King, European and Northern. Peas: purple and yakimono giant. (The giant peas really are huge. Fingertip to wrist in length.) I've optimistically started eggplants - Long Purples, which I call Lebanese - and put lots of dynamic lifter on this time but they've been stalled at the two-leaf stage and I think I really can't grow eggplant which is one of life's cruel ironies.

Is that everything? Lime and Genovese basil... Some other rando tomato leftovers from years past that I can't remember. Oh, purple spring onions, but they're still at the skinny chive-looking stage. Celery is finishing up. Broccoletti is getting lots of brockles. Spinach has been slumbering all through winter, sadly, but is now starting to get leafy.


Linkspam:
History
- I think this comes via jenett? Folklorist shares the untold story of Australian fortune teller, Mary Barrell
I find this fascinating because of my long-languishing YA Melbourne based Victorian-era paranormal novel. I love all these gradually disappearing stories of Australia's occult history.

Politics and Reproductive Health
Via goodbyebird, The California Sunday Magazine: A secret network of women is working outside the law and the medical establishment to provide safe, cheap home abortions.
Interesting but very explicit - it talks medication, equipment, training for providing grass roots abortion.


Recs
Fic rec of great love from the Person of Interest Big Bang:
Just One Stray Match (41961 words) by loveandthetruth, livenudebigfoot
Chapters: 14/14
Fandom: Person of Interest (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Lionel Fusco/John Reese
Characters: Lionel Fusco, John Reese, Harold Finch, Sameen Shaw, Root | Samantha Groves
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Firewatch Fusion, Cabin Fic, Wilderness, Hiking Porn
Summary:

1989. Lionel Fusco doesn't belong in the woods in general or the Shoshone National Forest in particular. But he doesn't need to be a good fire lookout. He just needs a place to hide.

Unfortunately for him, he's been found.

---
It's an AU set well before the series, and it's a fusion with Firewatch, a mystery video game where you play someone living in one of those firewatch cabins in the forest looking out for brushfires. It's so good. It's loyalty kink and examining who you really are when you're outside your comfort zone. It's an ode to Fusco and his utter goodness (which as a dirty cop can be problematic.) It's a love song to National Parks and hiking and living wild in isolated places.

If you're not familiar with the fandoms, I'd still rec it, since it takes place long before we get to know the characters from the show, and you don't need much canon info. Think of it as a story about a disheartened dirty cop who takes a summer job he's completely unsuited for, and falls for a mysterious and traumatised stranger living wild in the forest.

(Bearing in mind the week that California has had, if you're unhappy reading about fire or fire damage, this one probably isn't for you.)

tl;dr, it's the kind of fic that makes you pick up a fandom - I've got the Firewatch game in my wishlist on Steam for the next time it goes on special.
---

More recs:
- Fanart - No I in Team - by goss. Beautiful, beautiful Daredevil and Ironman art for marvel_bang. Just - when can I see this on a comicbook cover pls? Pls.

- XVII by phoxinus. Tarot fanart for Watership Down in the style of the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot. It's beautiful and full of symbolism and very apt. Of course Hyzenthlay is the Star. Of course. I second everyone saying they'd love a deck in this theme.

- Singing Again at Seven Bells by selden, from the Original Works Exchange. I'd say "Lady pirate mermaid femslash" and that would ordinarily be enough for me, but there's so much more going on in this fic. There's boarding school backstory and there's historical pirate world building and there's... so much. It's so good. Nhhgggnh.


Other Fandom Joy
-This Metafilter post: Please rec me your fabulous fanfiction
Take a trip down memory lane or find some new faves

- Femslash Kink 18! The Annual Femslash Kink Meme 2018 is Coming!
Prompting opens soon.

- at navaan, Spicy Advent, a porn advent calendar.
All the slots are filled (snerk) but the collection is open for submission (snerk snerk) and as Advent progresses, navaan will post the links. (I think? I think this is how it works. It sounds like fun.)

Non-Fandom Joy
- At Mashable: If you want to explore the Australian bush as a sleepy wombat, 'Paperbark' is the game is for you.
I cannot wait for this game, it looks so pretty!!

- From the ABC, A sleeping quokka in the Rottnest Island settlement.
Everything quokkas do is adorable.

- Monterey Bay Aquarium Builds Life-Sized Blue Whale Art Installation Made from Discarded Single-Use Plastic to Raise Awareness About Ocean Pollution.
It's a very pretty whale, too.

- Also from the ABC, Warrnambool's popular wombat mural a happy accident.
This is such a country town thing - artist goes to his local bridge to do a trial of chalks on concrete thinking it will just wash away in the next rains. Council worker sees wonderful mural and realises that it's just in chalk, so quickly seals it in place. Presto! Permanent mural!!

- From Eyewatch Warrnambool's facebook, Why did the duck cross the road?
Obligatory 'police stop the traffic for ducklings' video. Interestingly, this is just near the old McDonalds that got turned into a funeral parlour. (Must make for some interesting ghosts, I think.)

- via spindle_ella, the first episode of Wellington Paranormal: Wellington Paranormal S01E01 - Demon Girl.
This show is amazing. Just. Yeah. Amazing.

In conclusion, my NaNo progres:

Comments

[lilysea]

It's one year since 60% of Australia voted to let me get married. I am surprised at how bitter I am about the whole fucking thing. Every time I see my straight friends on facebook congratulating themselves on being so openminded, I want to cry. I mean, in that twelve months I didn't get married. I weaned myself off the extra antidepressant I had to start taking so I wouldn't have panic attacks in public during the debate. Fuck off, fuck off, fuck off. (And down tiddly down down...)

I'm so sorry. :(

It should never have been a fucking debate.

The government should have just legislated marriage equality without the fucking plebiscite. :(

I've seen so many lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer people who I know - on Dreamwidth, on Twitter, on Facebook - talking about how badly the marriage equality "debate" harmed them by exposing them to hate.

[st_aurafina]

It was pretty bad. Not really something to celebrate.

[dine]

I've never heard of fuzzy tomatoes - I hope yours are nice when you sample them!

I loveme some wombats (in fact, in a recent meme I put them under the 'favourite animal' category. that wombat mural item is the best! and I loved the video showing the two of them reinacting the whole situation. and of course the finished work is charming

[st_aurafina]

I hope they're nice too! They sound strange and a little bit too much of a hybrid, if you know what I mean.

Wombats are the best - they are fierce and chunky and they just get on with things.

[thisbluespirit]

t's one year since 60% of Australia voted to let me get married. I am surprised at how bitter I am about the whole fucking thing. Every time I see my straight friends on facebook congratulating themselves on being so openminded, I want to cry.

I'm so sorry. :-/

in the meantime, that's some impressive NaNo progress - and I'll join you in urging your brain upwards again. May it stay that way. *hugs*

[st_aurafina]

Thank you! Let's hope all our brains go upwards! *hugs*

[thisbluespirit]

Let's hope all our brains go upwards! *hugs*

... which is now sudddenly a strange kind of image, lol, but, yes, indeed! <3

[senmut]

+huggles a you+

[st_aurafina]

*hugs back*

[kass]

We just had our first night of snow and sleet here, so there is something heartening about imagining your beautiful tomato seedlings on the other side of the world.

[singe]

My thoughts exactly. I'm so glad our miserable summer is well over but I love to 'have a squiz' at people gushing about their garden!

[st_aurafina]

Yay!! And when I am sweltering and probably on fire, I shall ogle your snow and be cooler for it.

[st_aurafina]

Yes, it's really great to have friends on the opposite side of the world. When I'm sweltering, I will enjoy your tales of snow.

[spindle_ella]

I hope you manage to get up and stay up <3 Congrats on the NaNo count!

I'm trying to gather the oomph to move plants around and do some pruning while they're dormant.

[st_aurafina]

Thank you! I managed to finish up NaNo, and that's been very buoying.

Good luck with your pruning! I hope it goes well.

[worlds_of_smoke]

Fuzzy tomatoes?? You'll have to let us know what you think of them!

also -hugs- Civil rights should never be under debate. Period.

[st_aurafina]

They're supposed to be like, peachy? IDK, I am curious to see how they come out. But the seedlings aren't doing so well right now, sadly. I have dicey luck with heirlooms - we're a fairly cold part of Australia, so they can go quite slowly.

[naye]

That's so many words! Congratulations on the progress!

[st_aurafina]

Thank you! I'm still behind but hoping that this weekend is the great catch up.

[dhampyresa]

*hugs*

[st_aurafina]

*hugs back*

[schneefink]

Yay words!

I enjoyed the Firewatch PoI fic, thanks for the rec :)

[st_aurafina]

You're welcome - I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[used_songs]

That metafilter thread contains a rec for one of my all-time favorite fics, Friendship is Optimal.

[st_aurafina]

There were so many good ones in that list - it was great.

[used_songs]

I've been reading my way through a bunch in fandoms I don't follow (and fandoms I didn't know existed).

[out_there]

"I'd say "Lady pirate mermaid femslash" and that would ordinarily be enough for me,"

That definitely sounds intriguing. I'll check it out.

[st_aurafina]

It was so good and full of weird passion!

[vass]

*offers hugs*

If a platypus does NaNo, is that platyping?

[st_aurafina]

YES PLATYPING. Yes, that is a thing now. *hugs*

[fred_mouse]

All the sympathies on yo-yo brain. I hope it gets its act in gear sooner.

[st_aurafina]

Thank you! I do think it's getting there. Yo-yoing is better than being stuck in the dumps all the time.

[fred_mouse]

Word.

[laurenthemself]

Yay for wombat things! Boo for feeling like shit about the vote. It's going to affect people for a long time, I think.

[st_aurafina]

Yeah, I think you're right about the vote. I didn't realise how much it had affected me.

[umadoshi]

22K words is a fantastic total-so-far!

I am surprised at how bitter I am about the whole fucking thing.

It seems like an entirely reasonable response to that awfulness. ;_; And I hope your mood stabilizes on an upswing. Brains are so messy.

Firewatch is one of the many Steam games I've bought during a major sale and have never played, but I remember it sounded really neat. (Which...I guess is obvious from the fact that I bought it.)

I'm happy to see you posting, and delighted to read about your tomatoes. ^_^

[st_aurafina]

The Firewatch au totally made me want to play it - apparently it's quite short? Anyway, it came on special for the Fall sale, so I bought it!!

[monanotlisa]

Brains: They're terrible to us, at times.

The up and down in particular is something difficult to convey, I think. Folks think there are only two settings, happy or sad, but when you're depressed it's this landscape of grays -- dark in the valleys, but it's not light exactly on the flat plateaus, too, and the occasional hill still has a hazy fog.

(I feel much better now that I have started a new job; it turns out once I lose the fear of being bullied every second of the day, I do relax...somewhat. I'm still anxious, but no longer so depressed.)

[st_aurafina]

when you're depressed it's this landscape of grays -- dark in the valleys, but it's not light exactly on the flat plateaus, too, and the occasional hill still has a hazy fog.

Ugh, that is so true. And also really beautiful, in a way.

I am so glad that your new job is going okay! That's fantastic.

[tinny]

Good post! Thanks for the link to the spicy advent calendar, this sounds right up my alley!

Also thanks for the other links, and the brain and gardening news.

[st_aurafina]

Yay! I hope you can contribute something to the advent - it's going to be lots of fun.

[tinny]

I am! I mean, I'm only signed up for additional stuff, not a particular day, and I haven't finished it (I am missing the crucial required part ;)). But I am working on it!

[lurkingcat]

*sends internet hugs*

Up is good, NaNo progress is brilliant, and the wombat game looks lovely and very much my sort of thing if it ever makes it onto a non-ios platform.

Oh, and Kheldar sends keyboard headbutts. It is getting chillier here and laps are very much in favour with him again. Even laps near clicky keyboards.

[st_aurafina]

I made it through NaNo again, though to be honest, it was a close call. I'm getting slack at the NaNo push after all this time, I think.

*scritches the Kheldar*

[adafrog]

Good to hear from you. I'm sorry your brain is wonky.
{{{hugs}}}

Love the art links. Thanks.

[st_aurafina]

*hugs hugs hugs*

[cadenzamuse]

Thank you for the happy things. My brain state atm is constant irritated, exhausted depression, so light-hearted things are helpful. (And I hear you on fucking Facebook and human rights as Open Season for Opinions. I actually quit Facebook after the Pulse shooting because there were so many straight people telling me What It Meant and What I Was Allowed to Feel and What Things Gay People Were Saying Were Just Taking It Too Far. I think bitterness is a wholly reasonable reaction to a public opinion referendum on your existence. <3 )

[st_aurafina]

Yeah, Facebook is hard work, and if I didn't need it for family, I wouldn't have bothered. (Though as time goes on, I'm using it a lot for craft? Especially crochet - I bounce between there and Ravelry. Unexpected.)