1. The AC in the newer of our cars (only a year old!) has crapped out for some reason, and with Carla being out of town, we've just decided to save taking it to the dealership until she gets back. It should be covered under warranty, though it's concerning that this is the second issue we've had within the past month that needed to be repaired. The seat cooling gets slightly cool, but the air from the vents doesn't seem to be much cooler than just if you had the air blowing without AC. I'm just glad it's cool enough weather that the AC isn't needed.

2. With Carla gone, Jasper and Ollie have been super snuggly. Look at this sweetie boy!

earthspirits posting in

historium

Fandom: Dark Shadows (1966)
Main Characters: Dr. Julia Hoffman, Gerard Stiles, Daphne Harridge, Barnabas Collins, Eliot Stokes. Other DS characters also feature in this story + original characters.
Relationships: Gerard / Daphne and Julia / Barnabas
Eras: 19th Century, 20th Century + Parallel Timeline
Title: Midwinter
Chapters: 2 & 3 / ?
Rating: Mature - Chapter 3 has a romantic scene of consensual lovemaking. Also featured is a devoted same sex couple.
Chapter 3 TW: Angst, suspense, references to past deaths, mysterious happenings and danger.
Word Count thus far: 6,640
Note: This story features some spoilers for DS 1970 / 1971 and 1840 storylines.
Summary for Chapter 2: On her first night at Collinwood, Julia is threatened by a mysterious evil.
Summary for Chapter 3: Collinwood has always been a place of mystery and secrets. When Julia meets Gerard Stiles and the rest of the Collins family, she also learns more of its dangers.

Links:
Chapter 2: archiveofourown.org/works/73731971/chapters/193193056#workskin
Chapter 3: archiveofourown.org/works/73731971/chapters/195188531#workskin

Current Mood: creative

senmut

AO3 Link | Following the Fortunes of War: Chapter 4 (100 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 6/6
Fandom: TOS - Dreadnought! - Diane Carey, TOS - Battlestations! - Diane Carey
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Piper/Sarda
Characters: Piper, Sarda, Judd "Scanner" Sandage, Merete AndrusTaurus
Additional Tags: Friendship, Slice of Life, POV First Person
Summary:

Various stories, following the friends from their novel adventures

Even I have my limits on 'winging it'. Scanner had been inventive, but we still had deteriorating dilithium crystals and were in, to use a Terran saying, B.F.E. near Gorn space.

I didn't lose my temper, something Sarda reassured me across our bond was for the best. I left the bridge, went down to our poor engineer, found Dyson had beat me there.

"Tell me what to do; Sarda has the conn."

"Aye aye captain," Skellus said, giving me tools and directions.

It was going to mean minimal power, and Scanner had saved us, but we'd get back to base.

icon_uk posting in

scans_daily

Well, Illyana has had a couple, Sam and Berto were apparently due to get one in the Krakoan era but it got shelved, and Doug has had his own "upgrade" but now it's someone who has definitely earned one.

Yup, Dani Moonstar is getting a solo miniseries!

( Better image and more info under the cut )

pennyarcade_feed

https://www.penny-arcade.com/news/post/2025/11/25/harlan-ellison-did-not-like-me

20 years ago Harlan Ellison said I was "a superannuated teen-age golem with a slack jaw, a slow manner, a typical pointless surliness at a world unwilling or unable to accept him as Superlative, and on sum a twerp easy to dismiss" and I am still very proud of that.

Here's "The Story".

-Gabe Out

https://www.penny-arcade.com/news/post/2025/11/25/harlan-ellison-did-not-like-me

oursin

We perceive that there does not appear to be any gender-confusion, or relationships with military helmets, connected with this particular tortoise, or maybe no-one noticed: Gramma the Galápagos tortoise, oldest resident of San Diego Zoo, dies at about 141. Not quite old enough to have met that there Charles Darwin, then.

***

Reversal of Fates: Access Through Photographs can be a Counterbalance

Ongoing digitization and cataloging work not only serves the interests of scholars and manuscript communities—it also creates crucial, publicly-accessible provenance records that provide an increasingly robust bulwark against manuscript theft and trafficking.

Sing it.

***

Thousands of rare American recordings — some 100 years old — go online for all to enjoy:

“A lot of that music from that era, the record companies did not keep backups. They were all destroyed, almost all. And it’s all up to the record collectors. They’re the ones who kind of saved the music from that era,”
....
Superior to a random recording uploaded to YouTube with no accompanying information, the database includes things like where the song was recorded and when, as well as lists of musicians and composers who worked on the songs.

***

I think I may have mentioned at some time the phenomenon of the 'monkey walk': Before Tinder, there was the Monkey Parade… . Though some recent works read for review incline me to think that one reason for the decline not mentioned in that piece was the rise of the coffee-bar - indoors in the warm with a juke-box, and the site of massive 50s moral panic around The Young.

***

Statue to 'remarkable' woman who escaped slavery:

A statue to a "remarkable and brave" woman who fled slavery and torture in the US has been unveiled in the fishing town in northern England where she found freedom.
Mary Ann Macham spent weeks hiding in woods in Virginia before stowing away on a ship, eventually arriving in North Shields in the early 1830s.
She was taken in by a Quaker family, married a local man and remained in the town until she died aged 91.

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/11/contemporary-romance-a-mystery-more-3/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=163135

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin

RECOMMENDED: The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman is $2.99! This is book two in the Ill-Mannered Ladies series. Lara reviewed both book one and two, and gave this one a B+.

In Regency England, the eccentric Colebrook sisters are amateur detectives who use their wits and invisibility as “old maids” to fight injustice in this delightful and fiercely feminist novel of mystery and adventure from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.

To most of Regency high society, forty-two-year-old Lady Augusta Colebrook, or Gus, and her twin sister, Julia, are just unmarried ladies of a certain age. But the Colebrook twins are far from useless old maids. They are secretly protecting women and children ignored by society and the law.

When Lord Evan—a charming escaped convict who has won Gus’s heart—needs to hide his sister, Hester, from their vindictive brother, Gus and Julia take Hester and her lover into their home. But Lord Evan’s complicated past puts them all in danger. Gus knows they must clear his name of murder if he is to survive the thieftakers who hunt him. No easy task—the fatal duel was twenty years ago and a key witness is nowhere to be found.

In a deadly cat-and-mouse game, Gus, Julia, and Lord Evan must dodge their pursuers and investigate Lord Evan’s past. They will be thrust into the ugly underworld of Georgian gentlemen’s clubs, spies, and ruthless bounty hunters, not to mention the everyday threat of narrow-minded brothers. Will the truth be found in time, or will dangerous secrets from the past destroy family bonds and rip new love and lives apart?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Rebel in the Deep

Rebel in the Deep by Katee Robert is $1.99! Lara, who has read a lot of Robert’s romances, gave this one a C-. But if you’re looking to collect all books in the Crimson Sails series (this is book three), this is a good deal.

The rebellion’s fight turns into a battle of the heart in this pulse-pounding conclusion to the Crimson Sails trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Katee Robert.

Nox has been steadfastly working for the rebellion for years. They don’t ask for much in return, except for one crucial their ex, the noble Bastian, stays as far away from them as possible. To say things ended poorly between them is an understatement . . . and it’s the only relationship Nox has never quite recovered from.

But now the rules have changed. Siobhan, the rebel leader, has emerged from hiding to tell Nox that Bastian’s been taken captive and the secrets he holds tight are in danger of being revealed. The fate of the entire rebellion now rests on Nox and Siobhan’s ability to rescue Bastian from a Cŵn Annwn ship.

Saving Bastian is only the start of their hardships, as the trio is tracked by ferocious pirates across Threshold. And Nox’s complicated relationships and entanglements with Bastian and Siobhan put not only their life at risk but their heart on the line.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Art of Scandal

The Art of Scandal by Regina Black is $3.99! This was mentioned on a podcast episode with librarian Robin Bradford, who had this high up on her TBR pile.

“Love would be so much easier if it were perfect…”

On the night of her husband Matt’s fortieth birthday, Rachel Abbott receives a sexy, explicit text from her husband that she quickly realizes was meant for another woman. Divorce is inevitable, and Rachel is determined not to leave her thirteen-year marriage empty handed. Meanwhile, Matt, a rising star mayor with his eye on the White House, can’t afford a messy split in the middle of his reelection campaign. They strike a deal: Rachel gets one million dollars and their lavish house in the wealthy DC suburb of Oasis Springs, as long as she keeps playing the ideal Black trophy wife until the election.

Then Rachel meets Nathan Vasquez, a very handsome, very lost twenty-six-year-old artist, and their connection makes Rachel forget about being the perfect politician’s wife. As Rachel reawakens Nathan’s long-dormant artistic aspirations, their attraction becomes impossible to resist. But secrets are hard to keep in a town like Oasis Springs, and Nathan has a few of his own. With the risk of scandal looming and their hearts on the line, they’ll have to decide whether the possibility of losing everything is worth taking a chance on love.

The Art of Scandal is a sizzling, conversation-starting debut about rekindling passion, the transformative power of art, and finding love in unexpected places.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Violin Conspiracy

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb is $1.99! I mentioned this one on a previous edition of Get Rec’d. This is a heist-type mystery with a deep dive into classical music communities.

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK! • Ray McMillian is a Black classical musician on the rise—undeterred by the pressure and prejudice of the classical music world—when a shocking theft sends him on a desperate quest to recover his great-great-grandfather’s heirloom violin on the eve of the most prestigious musical competition in the world.

“I loved The Violin Conspiracy for exactly the same reasons I loved The Queen’s Gambit: a surprising, beautifully rendered underdog hero I cared about deeply and a fascinating, cutthroat world I knew nothing about—in this case, classical music.” —Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and Hour of the Witch

Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.

When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he’s lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself—and the world—that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/11/contemporary-romance-a-mystery-more-3/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=163135

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/11/habo-is-that-a-watch-fob-in-your-pocket/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=163205

This HaBO comes from Samantha, who wants to find this historical romance:

I am hoping you can help me identify a historical romance novel I have been searching for over the past three years since I got back into reading romance.

Here are the details I recall:

– Genre: Historical romance, road trip theme, grumpy/sunshine trope.

– Publication Date: Definitely written before 2006, and likely before 2003.

– Hero: Gruff and aristocratic, though he has been away from his home for an extended period.

– Heroine: Lower class, possibly red-haired, and provides comic relief.

– Plot: A road trip romance where the MMC is taking the FMC back to his home, seemingly against her will.

– Specific Scene: There is a moment where the FMC says something to the effect of, “Is that a watch fob in your pocket?”—referring to his erection.

I thought I knew this one, but the watch fob and year didn’t match with my guess. Let’s HaBO!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/11/habo-is-that-a-watch-fob-in-your-pocket/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=163205

turps

We went to see Wicked For Good on Saturday and I really enjoyed it. Both the film itself, and the buzz in the cinema, the charity cos players were there and Odeon had various displays up for photo ops while the staff were all wearing witches hats, add in the general air of excitement of people going in, and it was just a lovely atmosphere.

I'm sure James would have enjoyed it too if he'd been awake for more than 1% of it *g*

I will cut him some slack though as he came down with a nasty chest cold on Sunday, so much so he had to call in sick from work yesterday as he was really not well. He's a bit better today, and thankfully, had annual leave in for Thurs and Fri so with his regular day off will only have to claim two sick days. It also gives him time to rest up, as we've got a craft fair on Saturday, and then my MiL wants to take us out for Sunday dinner on Sunday.

I got a new to me type of comment at AO3 the other day. It was someone saying they thought the fic would make a good comic and said their insta name if I wanted to make that happen. Curious, I Googled the insta and it was from a fan who does comic strips, for a price I'm sure, so while their work was good, I won't be taking up the offer. The fic they picked was my Intoabar 911 Lonestar Voyager cross featuring TK and Nelix, which I guess could support a comic strip, but I'll never find out. ~~And mainly, have come away from the comment with a grudging respect for someone putting their work out like that.~~ Thanks for Cesy in comments for telling me what these comments are about. No respect at all now.

I enjoyed Strictly at the weekend, the Steps mashup was great, but really what I was really looking forward to was Nikita dancing with Layton again, and I was not disappointed. Well, I would have loved their part of the routine to be longer, but the behind the scenes stuff that various people shared helped make up for it.

I was sad for La Voix having to pull out though, she wasn't the best dancer, but made the show so much fun.

Class wasn't on yesterday, as someone had booked the hall for a wake. Now, the hall we use isn't a typical gym studio, it's actually part of the old Miner's Welfare building that's joined to the modern gym by a series of maze like hallways, and does actually have a bar at one end. But, I was still surprised that anyone would want to use it for something like that, as it's not the most picturesque place, and also kind of smells of sweat. But, people like what they like, I guess.

I bought a tunnel thing that's designed to circle the bottom of the Christmas tree, the idea being, the cats will go through the tunnel and leave the actual tree alone. They've both enjoyed going through it, but I suspect what it'll be is a handy step to help Kevin climb the branches. Anyway, here's Murphy enjoying the middle.

smallhobbit

I suppose averaging two audio books a month isn't bad, and I've reduced by TBL to 13, so, and I also have 2 pre-orders coming out next year.

Death in Le Jardin by Ian Moore, read by Ian Moore
The fourth Follet Valley mystery. I continue to enjoy the series - yes, they have some slightly off the wall plots and characters, but the more I read/hear, the more I enjoy them. The recurring characters, even the more bizarre, are fun and entertaining.

A Gravelly Troubling Discovery by Hannah Hendy, read by Jenny Funnell
Fifth in the Dinner Lady Detectives series. I do like the dinner ladies, even if Clementine can be trying, but she's Marjorie's wife (Marjorie is the major protagonist) and she's quite aware of Clementine's character traits. The plot is slightly ridiculous, but the way it's worked out is fun and again, I'm now invested in the characters. It's a cosy read/listen, so I'm happy to spend time with the dinner ladies.

Black Notice by Joy Ellis, read by Richard Armitage
The next in the Jackman and Evans series, and another compelling plot. I'm very fond of DI Jackman, but also enjoy the way the story is from the viewpoint of various different characters, and seeing how their lives weave together. I did guess one of the perpetrators, but the other was a surprise.

Untrue till Death by Graham Brack, read by Alex Wyndham
The second in the Master Mercurius series. Master Mercurius is based in 17th century Leiden and the story involves him travelling both to Den Haag and Utrecht. I really enjoy all the period details and the plot was fascinating. My thanks to

therealsnape for introducing me to him.

Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan, read by Alexander Armstrong
The first in a new series by Vaseem Khan (one of my favourite authors) which involves Q from MI6 being forced to retire. He returns to his home town after 30 years to solve the death of a former childhood friend. I didn't like Alexander Armstrong's narration, and so set the speed to 1.2x which improved it. The story however, involving quantum computing and much more, including James Bond at one point, was excellent. And I'm delighted there will be a second in the series.

The Secret Pilgrim by John Le Carre, read by Michael Jayston
The final book in my Smiley list. I did enjoy this, although there was very little of Smiley in it (I certainly preferred the George Smiley of the earlier novels, rather than the later ones). I'm glad I've made my way through the series, even if at times it felt like a bit of a slog.

icon_uk posting in

scans_daily

In the comments to these weekly posts (and only these posts), it's your chance to go as off topic as you like.

Talk about non-comics stuff, thread derail, and just generally chat among yourselves.

The intent of these posts is to chat and have some fun and, sure, vent a little as required. Reasoned debate is fine, as always, but if you have to ask if something is going over the line, think carefully before posting please.

Normal board rules about conduct and behaviour still apply, of course.

It's been suggested that, if discussing spoilers for recent media events, it might be advisable to consider using the rot13 method to prevent other members seeing spoilers in passing.

The world situation is the world situation. If you're following the news, you know it as much as I do, if you're not, then there are better sources than scans_daily. But please, no doomscrolling, for your own sake.

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it.

The US presented a new "peace plan" for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but it appears that things got confused somewhere along the way and they presented Vladimir Putin's Christmas wish list instead.

Trump and New York Mayor elect Zohran Mamdani had a bizarrely cordial meeting last week, which perhaps shows that flattery DOES get you everything.

Six US Lawmakers who are also veterans of various military and security services released a video reminding folks that "Following orders which are unlawful is a very bad idea", which apparently was seen as such a controversial move that at least one of the six is now being investigated by the Pentagon. Presumably for "Remembering the lessons of the Nuremberg trials" or something.

The website-formerly-known-as-Twitter added a new feature last week, which allowed you to see what country an account was created in, and hilarity ensued as any number of pro-Trump accounts claiming to be proudly American turned out to be not remotely American at all. The new feature has now apparently been turned off.... the more paranoid among us might wonder why.

And the UK has an exciting (there might be other, better, words to describe it) Budget to look forward to tomorrow.

Also to note the passing of reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, at 81.

To those working retail on Black Friday, may your shoes be comfortable, may your breaks be enforced and may your customers be as mellow as possible.

oursin

Happy birthday,

ellen_fremedon,

marymac,

nja and

truepenny!

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/11/hide-your-wallet-november-25th-release-week/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=163132

Welcome back!

It’s a short and sweet release week for us. Only three books to mention before we head into December. We have a fantasy romance, historical, and contemporary.

Which new releases are on your TBR pile this week? Let us know in the comments!

Ember Eternal

Author: Chloe Neill
Released: November 25, 2025 by Ace
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Souls Burn Brightest #1

A new romantasy, following a thief whose dramatic encounter with an assassin and a crown bodyguard (who happens to be a royal in disguise) launches her into a world of swirling palace intrigue, from New York Times bestselling author Chloe Neill.

Fox is a thief with morals—she steals from those who can afford it and only a little at that. She has no choice. Fox and her three closest companions entered into indentured servitude to the Lady, a mysterious noble with widespread political power by questionable means, in order to pay off familial debts. While searching for an easy mark in town, Fox helps a royal bodyguard fend off a would-be assassin’s attack on a prince’s life.

But what started off as protecting the prince out of good conscience has now unwittingly embroiled this thief in a vast world of politics, high stakes, and romance. And though Fox longs to be free of her debts, she must decide if love is its own kind of cage.

Amanda: A royal in disguise and a thief!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!.

The Marriage Method

Author: Mimi Matthews
Released: November 25, 2025 by Berkley
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: The Crinoline Academy #2

The Academy always comes first . . . which makes marriage to its most formidable adversary an exceedingly inconvenient arrangement.

Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine goal: to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.

When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincy starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters.

When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .

Lara: I tend to love Mimi Matthews books, but there’s something extra special about this series and this book is no exception to that. Full review.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Find buy links for this book here..

Second Chance Romance

Author: Olivia Dade
Released: November 25, 2025 by Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Harlot's Bay #2

In the second installment of USA Today bestselling author Olivia Dade’s Harlot’s Bay series, a mistaken obituary leads to the reunion of two former high school crushes. Sparks fly in this hilarious grumpy/grumpy romance, packed with Dade’s signature body positivity and a delicious amount of spice.

Karl and Molly were never together. There was a time, right after high school, where it seemed like they might finally cross the line from friends to lovers…but instead, a foolish misunderstanding meant they never spoke again. Molly went to LA and got married. Karl stayed in Harlot’s Bay and bought a bakery.

The only connection the pair has shared over the years is painfully one-sided: Now divorced, Molly narrates monster romance audiobooks, and Karl is an ever-diligent listener, clinging to his only piece of the one that got away.

Still, Molly hasn’t totally left Harlot’s Bay behind. When she hears that Karl’s obituary has run in the local paper, unexpected grief prompts her to hop on the next flight to Maryland…where she finds Karl very much alive, the victim of nothing but an accidental obituary.

As the pair reunite, they finally hash out their missed connection. True, Molly isn’t quite ready to trust again, but Karl is determined to prove himself worthy of her faith and devotion. And as her remaining time in Harlot’s Bay ticks down, Molly, the habitual cynic, just might find that Karl, the cranky town curmudgeon, is impossible to leave behind a second time.

Book two in the Harlot’s Bay series.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/11/hide-your-wallet-november-25th-release-week/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=163132

dine

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

kareila posting in

kareila_books

I'm noticing some recurring themes in Harrow's novels:

1. a protagonist who is ignorant about some key aspect of their heritage

2. a villain who is using the protagonist to gain power

3. a book within the book that contains vital secrets and/or magic

The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Starling House, and this book all have these elements in common, but in very different circumstances: a Gilded Age portal fantasy, a contemporary gothic romance, and now a not-quite-Arthurian love story involving a legendary medieval knight and the scholar who travels through time to find her.

Content notes: so much violence and dying. Also traumatic parent death, explicit sex scenes, pregnancy termination, and no really I'm serious about the violence and dying.

torachan

1. I got my hair cut this morning. Had to reschedule the appointment from last Monday because I had a work meeting conflict with it...and then the meeting was cancelled! Annoying, and my hair was definitely feeling longer than I usually like to let it get, but not the end of the world. Glad to have it cut again, though.

2. I got some tri-tip out of the freezer Saturday to have for dinner and it ended up being more than I thought it was once it was thawed and unwrapped, so I cut it into four small steaks and had one for dinner that day with rice and broccoli, made steak salad yesterday and today for lunch, and then had the final piece tonight in fried rice (which was very simple with only edamame in addition to the steak, and a fried egg on top). I'm glad I was able to make a variety of easy meals with it!

3. This window is one of Molly's favorite spots.

princessofgeeks

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Current Mood: tired

ysobel

Back in 2018-19, Loki spent about 9 months in a cone, because he wouldn't stop killing his tail. ( cw: mention of medical saga )

And then randomly, he stopped. Since then he does still attack his tail sometimes (occasionally seeming extremely annoyed by it) but without making it bloody. I sort of get the impression he doesn't really understand that his tail is even attached to him, let alone part of him. Sometimes he shoves his tail down, stalks to a different bed, and gets upset that it followed him. Sometimes it feels like, to him, he bites the wiggly thing and then it bites him back.

But regardless, he wasn't doing serious damage.

Until last week.

We noticed a spot on the underside of his tail that he seemed to have licked bare. Then it bled a bit. So Friday was Vet Day. They shaved the area, cleaned it up, and gave him an antibiotic shot because it looked like he had just ... chomped way too hard.

So he's back in a cone. Hopefully it's just for the 10-14 days recommended by the vet. But. It's a different spot, but he does have history with, erm, tail issues.

If he continues with his tail the way he did in 2018... ( cw: mention of potential medical procedures )

Right now the dogs are banished from my bedroom so that Loki can have easier access to food/water and to litterbox. They are confused by this. Loki has been extremely clingy, jumping on my lap pretty much every time I'm in there and sleeping on me probably 80% of the night. I don't actually mind providing extra cuddles! But I think all of us will be happy when things go back to normal...

senmut

AO3 Link | Training Opportunity (100 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Tasha Yar, Worf
Additional Tags: Drabble, Slice of Life
Summary:

Yar shows Worf a flaw

Yar circled to the left, and Worf watched as he adjusted himself. When she lunged, he was as ready as he could be, and still she managed to foul his leg, and get him off balance. From there it was only two quick moves and he stumbled out of the circle they had made.

"You are a formidable warrior."

"So are you, but you're not accustomed to smaller, faster opponents who know how to use their body," Yar said. "So, joining my class?"

"Yes."

She smiled, then beckoned him in for another round. He took the invitation, eager to learn.

xkcd_feed

https://xkcd.com/3172/

https://xkcd.com/3172/

The random insanity of your not-entirely-typical geek

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Rebel in the Deep

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Art of Scandal

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Violin Conspiracy

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Ember Eternal

Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!.

The Marriage Method

Find buy links for this book here..

Second Chance Romance

Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags