Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Spooky
Jun. 18th, 2026 11:20 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
smbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
Kelly told me this one was too weird, so please make it popular so she has to roll her eyes.
Today's News:
Run don't walk - a new incredible Heated Rivalry AU
Jun. 19th, 2026 01:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mificI fell over this fic accidentally by clicking on the podfic to entertain myself while prepping dinner. I was then glued to it for 8 hours until after 1.30 am, so be warned, this story's an all-nighter!
At over 90,000 words, it's a full novel, and it's both one of the best post-Vegas penthouse "we didn't even kiss" AUs I've read and a fucking zombie apocalypse AU. It diverges from canon at that point but is otherwise firmly tethered in canon, and it's without doubt both one of the best explorations of Shane and Ilya's characters and relationship, and hands down the best zombie apocalypse AU I've ever read in any fandom, or even in profic.
It has aspects of the "forced proximity" trope, as they escape to Boston then get trapped in Ilya's apartment for 2-3 months when Boston goes to shit. But it's also a brilliant "crack treated seriously" story, as once you've handwaved the zombie situation, the author unfolds an extremely likely, indeed sensible series of events. They don't do anything rash or idiotic! Their competencies complement each other, and Shane's ability to hyperfocus and plan are an asset. They're still in moderate to severe danger at times because it's the zombie apocalypse so there's lots going on, but because they're in safe places for the vast bulk of the fic the reader isn't constantly stressed.
Then there's the character development and emotional aspect, which is incredibly well done. Shane goes from sub-drop spaciness to having to get it together and escape zombies as Yuna can't reach him and eventually gets to him in Vegas by calling Ilya. Throughout the fic they go through much of what the characters do in canon in terms of repressed feelings, believing their feelings are unrequited, some miscommunication (but no more than in canon), and eventual romance, all in the context of the zombie apocalypse and the collapse of the world as they knew it. That forces them together and (sadly for much of the world) speedruns their relationship and makes it possible, but the apocalypse doesn't stop Shane from struggling with internalised homophobia and denial, and it sure as hell doesn't stop Ilya from feeling depressed and nihilistic.
Both the fic and the podfic (really well read, and all in one sitting jfc) are wonderful. Can't recommend them highly enough. OMG THIS FIC!!! THIS PODFIC!!!
oh well, I guess we're gonna find out! By angel_deux
podfic read by DiabolicalWordreader
Content notes:
- zombie apocalypse so mass death mostly offscreen. A few gory scenes of zombies being killed but not many, and most of the horror isn't described, just learned from them listening to the news.
- Ilya is passively suicidal, esp. at the start, from the self-hatred that caused him to treat Shane badly in Vegas and from the weight of the apocalypse.
- They're both somewhat depressed and grieving at times later in the story, after the immediate battle to survive isn't as pressing. No one makes any actual attempts.
Also READ THE TAGS because they're hilarious!
At over 90,000 words, it's a full novel, and it's both one of the best post-Vegas penthouse "we didn't even kiss" AUs I've read and a fucking zombie apocalypse AU. It diverges from canon at that point but is otherwise firmly tethered in canon, and it's without doubt both one of the best explorations of Shane and Ilya's characters and relationship, and hands down the best zombie apocalypse AU I've ever read in any fandom, or even in profic.
It has aspects of the "forced proximity" trope, as they escape to Boston then get trapped in Ilya's apartment for 2-3 months when Boston goes to shit. But it's also a brilliant "crack treated seriously" story, as once you've handwaved the zombie situation, the author unfolds an extremely likely, indeed sensible series of events. They don't do anything rash or idiotic! Their competencies complement each other, and Shane's ability to hyperfocus and plan are an asset. They're still in moderate to severe danger at times because it's the zombie apocalypse so there's lots going on, but because they're in safe places for the vast bulk of the fic the reader isn't constantly stressed.
Then there's the character development and emotional aspect, which is incredibly well done. Shane goes from sub-drop spaciness to having to get it together and escape zombies as Yuna can't reach him and eventually gets to him in Vegas by calling Ilya. Throughout the fic they go through much of what the characters do in canon in terms of repressed feelings, believing their feelings are unrequited, some miscommunication (but no more than in canon), and eventual romance, all in the context of the zombie apocalypse and the collapse of the world as they knew it. That forces them together and (sadly for much of the world) speedruns their relationship and makes it possible, but the apocalypse doesn't stop Shane from struggling with internalised homophobia and denial, and it sure as hell doesn't stop Ilya from feeling depressed and nihilistic.
Both the fic and the podfic (really well read, and all in one sitting jfc) are wonderful. Can't recommend them highly enough. OMG THIS FIC!!! THIS PODFIC!!!
oh well, I guess we're gonna find out! By angel_deux
podfic read by DiabolicalWordreader
Content notes:
- zombie apocalypse so mass death mostly offscreen. A few gory scenes of zombies being killed but not many, and most of the horror isn't described, just learned from them listening to the news.
- Ilya is passively suicidal, esp. at the start, from the self-hatred that caused him to treat Shane badly in Vegas and from the weight of the apocalypse.
- They're both somewhat depressed and grieving at times later in the story, after the immediate battle to survive isn't as pressing. No one makes any actual attempts.
Also READ THE TAGS because they're hilarious!
Icebreaker Week: Day 4
Jun. 18th, 2026 07:22 amshmaylor posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
pod_together- Suggest ways that the podficcer(s) might be involved in the writing process that would work well for you.
- Suggest ways that the writer(s) might be involved in the podficcing process that would work well for you.
- If one or more group members become unhappy or uncomfortable with how the collaboration is going, what are your preferences for how it would be handled? (For example, a preference that your partner(s) tell you right away if something bothers them, a preference that they give you some time after telling you something heavy for you to process and respond, etc. Please note that for any conflict that cannot be resolved within a single conversation, we STRONGLY ENCOURAGE coming to the mods for support and not allowing things to escalate! Participants should also all feel welcome and encouraged to come straight to the mods without having talked to their partner first if that feels safer/better!)
- What is the maximum project length that works for you? Is there a period of time where your partner will not be able to contact you for many days? Is there anything else along these lines that you want to let your partner know about in advance?
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Deal
Jun. 17th, 2026 11:30 amsmbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
Later the drug dealer gets nostalgic about how in the 90s economy you could give out the first one free.
Today's News:
The Faith of Beasts, by James S.A. Corey
Jun. 17th, 2026 09:04 amrunpunkrunSecond book in The Captive's War trilogy. Still feels like an Adrian Tchaikovsky knock off, and the characters are nowhere near as memorable or engaging as those in the authors' own Expanse series, but for a follow up to a long, dense book that came out two years ago that I barely remember, this was surprisingly readable. As long as you're reading for world building and plot. It does have that middle book problem where it's mainly just moving people around on the board to get them into place for the third book, but at least it doesn't drag it out.
Contains: genocide, violence, gore; a crop of babies grown in artificial incubators from stolen genetic material; two unwanted surprise erections under almost identical circumstances (being spooned by the erectioneer).
Contains: genocide, violence, gore; a crop of babies grown in artificial incubators from stolen genetic material; two unwanted surprise erections under almost identical circumstances (being spooned by the erectioneer).
Icebreaker Week: Day 3
Jun. 17th, 2026 07:15 amshmaylor posting in pod_togetherWe're at the halfway point of icebreaker week!
If you're finding that you're not able to answer the whole set of questions within a day but think they'd be valuable to go through, please feel free to spread the five days of icebreaker questions out across more than 5 days to fit your schedule.
This next set of questions is geared towards helping partners get more familiar with each other's work and creative process.
If you're finding that you're not able to answer the whole set of questions within a day but think they'd be valuable to go through, please feel free to spread the five days of icebreaker questions out across more than 5 days to fit your schedule.
This next set of questions is geared towards helping partners get more familiar with each other's work and creative process.
- Why do you create fanworks? What does it mean to you?
- Share a piece of a fanwork you're particularly proud of (a page or so of a written work, a few minutes of an audio work) and explain why you're proud of it.
- Read/listen to your partner's shared fanwork, and give feedback about what works for you about it.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Sawyer
Jun. 16th, 2026 08:54 amsmbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
<3<3<3
Today's News:
You still there RSS readers? I miss you. Here's the link for the book.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Bunker
Jun. 16th, 2026 08:53 amsmbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
We're going to build a recursively self-improving god-like machine intelligence that wants to destroy humanity, but it's OK because I have a hole.
Today's News:
Icebreaker Week: Day 2
Jun. 16th, 2026 05:55 amshmaylor posting in pod_togetherDay 2's icebreaker questions are related to group work!
- What strengths will you bring to the group?
- What things do you struggle with when it comes to group work? (And, if you want, how can your partner help you with these things?)
- What are you hoping for from this collaboration experience? What would your dream version of Pod-Together collaboration look like?
- What's one thing your partner(s) could say or do that would feel really good to you? (For example, compliment your fanwork, offer to help with organization/beta/cheerleading, reach out to you to say hi every few days, etc.)
Shadow Day 112: Tangible Warming
Jun. 15th, 2026 06:25 pmjesse_the_kSince my last update, there’s been welcome climate change. We’ve been training him to ignore sudden noise and movement — I deploy some freeze-dried beef liver at the same moment MyGuy stomps or talks loudly or generates air pressure changes. Out on walks he rarely reacts to cars or analog bikes.
The best news is Shadow is actively seeking our approval.
The black haze of hair at the foot of my recliner proves the time he spends looking for my love. (Luckily for all of us, I can independently wield our analog carpet sweeper to expose the blue-green carpet again — so this happy interaction doesn’t increase deployment of the Ugly Vacuum Monster.)
In the past month, he’s begun to rest his chin on my knees. Today two remarkable events: his silky soft chin anchored my right foot, which MyGuy captured for the ages:
( click for pic )
Later he sidled up to MyGuy for attention, lay down in sphinx pose, and then permitted MyGuy to roll him on his side and stroke his back and side.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Duck
Jun. 15th, 2026 11:20 amsmbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
Idiot drawn to look like me because I am the idiot.
Today's News:
Icebreaker Week: Day 1
Jun. 15th, 2026 07:08 amklb posting in pod_togetherHello lovely participants,
The start of a partnership is always so exciting as you and your partner(s) figure out how you'd like to work together! Icebreaker week is designed to support that process, with a combination of fun and helpful getting-to-know-you questions. They've started some incredibly useful and productive conversations in the past, and we hope they'll do the same for you now!
These exercises are optional, but we hope they'll help both those groups that were assigned and the ones that formed on their own. We encourage group members to stay in contact with each other this week, answering as many questions as they are comfortable with.
Today's questions are geared towards helping group members learn a bit more about each other, personally and fannishly.
The start of a partnership is always so exciting as you and your partner(s) figure out how you'd like to work together! Icebreaker week is designed to support that process, with a combination of fun and helpful getting-to-know-you questions. They've started some incredibly useful and productive conversations in the past, and we hope they'll do the same for you now!
These exercises are optional, but we hope they'll help both those groups that were assigned and the ones that formed on their own. We encourage group members to stay in contact with each other this week, answering as many questions as they are comfortable with.
Today's questions are geared towards helping group members learn a bit more about each other, personally and fannishly.
- Name as many books, movies, TV shows, animes, comics, celebrities, etc. that you can think of that you have felt or feel fannish about.
- List 3–5 things you enjoy in stories (e.g. a kind of trope, story line, etc.). List 3–5 things that you do not enjoy in stories.
- What communication methods and interaction level did you put in your sign-up, and why did you choose them? (If you did group sign-ups, you may want to look at those questions on our matchmaker sign-up form and then answer them for your partner). It could also help to describe the communication level you don't want——what sort of communication patterns would feel uncomfortably high/uncomfortably low for you, and why?
- What are 3 facts about yourself (fannish or otherwise) that you haven’t already mentioned?
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Proof
Jun. 14th, 2026 11:20 amsmbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
The notebook has feedback from a nurse, cowboy, and plumber.
Today's News: