Suborned by words

Hello! My name is Castillon. I'm in my thirties. I enjoy The Witcher, 00Q and James Bond, Inception, genre fiction, and other miscellanea.

[huanggugugu]

The science pet, always come in handy.

[taciturn-nerd]

I love Lord Peter Wimsey. He collects first editions. He's a foodie. He literally waxes poetic all the time. He has PTSD from the war. He loves solving mysterious crimes. But he's never doing it alone. His valet Bunter is Proper with a capital P and can sleuth out the tea from fellow service-workers over tea. His mom, the Dowager Duchess, is always down to help him out. You said she's doing a fundraiser in order to get info from a suspect? Sure she'll play along. Officer Parker does so much of the legwork and major props to Lord Peter's "Cattery" aka his army of widows and spinsters who infiltrate companies and towns and get the intel he needs.

[lindagoesmushrooming]

[tikysplickytok]

(via tomcardy)

[justgot1]

Pretty much how I talk to my internal critic but with less rhyming

[justgot1]

Having a bad anxiety-and-negative-self-talk day and I’m just walking along muttering shut the FUCK up you punk ass bitch and hoping nobody hears me.

[danskjavlarna]

“Let the juice squirt where it will.”

Source details and larger version.

Fruity: my collection of vintage fruit is ripening.

[lindagoesmushrooming]

Hypholoma fasciculare

[kelpforestdwellers]

Ok this is a long shot but, crafts minded people, can anyone think of any crafts that fit this absurdly stringent list of requirements?

Can be done in low light.

Can be done lying down flat.

No mess, ie paint or small beads that could get lost in a bed.

Can be done in intervals of 5-10 minutes - easy to put down and pick back up without messing it up.

Does not require a lot of arm movement - can be done with just hands, with upper arms and elbows at rest.

All necessary items can fit in a fairly small pouch, like a pencil case or toiletry bag, to remain self contained and take up minimal space.

Setup and takedown takes a couple minutes max.

Learning curve is cognitively gentle, ie no complex knitting math type thing.

Please feel free to reblog and appreciate any suggestions. It's difficult finding fulfilling activities compatible with my disabilities!

[kelpforestdwellers]

Ahhh I didn't expect so many responses! 😭 Thank you all so much! I can't wait to start looking into them in more detail.

For now I'll just clarify - lying flat on back or side. If I could lie on my stomach that would open up a lot of options because it would be much easier to look down at something I'm doing in front of me with my hands.

And I'd be able to lay the activity down on a surface and use both my hands to engage with it. As it stands, I need to be able to both hold up the activity where I can see it (if it's vision dependent) and do the activity at the same time.

[kelpforestdwellers]

Bonus points if it involves music or sound! Maybe I should learn to play the ocarina.

[kelpforestdwellers]

I can't convey how touched and grateful I am that so many people offered so many applicable ideas. I feel like my life could open up in ways that I didn't think were possible.

I've picked just one to start with. I want to try everything! But I am now too old and sensible to indulge that impulse. I'll start with one, and if that becomes habit or doesn't work out I'll try something else.

Not gonna say which one yet, because I think there's some truth in the concept that talking about something you're gonna do in advance can sap the motivation to actually do it, by prematurely triggering the internal reward signals.

I would also take it as a personal kindness if you would consider reblogging this. You all have created a treasure trove in the comments that can be life changing for people in situations like mine, and I would love for them to get the chance to see it. I have very specific requirements but I'm sure many of these ideas would be helpful for people in a variety of circumstances.

[lindamarieansonsnaps]

[penandinkprincess]

no but i'm still thinking about how much boromir would fucking LOVE the shire

it is beautiful rolling hills just stuffed to the GILLS with hobbits

including BABY HOBBITS

HOBBITS BUT SOMEHOW IMPOSSIBLY EVEN SMALLER

and yeah the adults might be fairly wary, but we see in the first movie that the kids come running immediately to see gandalf in hopes of seeing something magic

and now??? here is LARGE PERSON??? who can play swords and toSS THEM REAL HIGH UP IN THE AIR AND CATCH THEM???

boromir deserved to retire as the grandpa of endless waves of hobbits, and i will cry forever that he never got to live his destiny

[penandinkprincess]

weeping on the floor about

the idea of a hobbit mama scolding her faunts not to get too rough with "nice mr. boromir" as this man is exactly where he wants to be being dogpiled by giggly bb hobbits who absolutely "defeated" him in "combat"

warrior hands that have seen so much violence SO gently holding a TEENY TINY baby hobbit he was handed to let a papa hobbit track down his wayward toddler

(boromir fighting back tears because THEY COME THIS SMALL??? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE???? THE BABY FITS IN ONE OF HIS HANDS???) (baby yawns and snuggles their lil cheek against his thumb and this man is nearly brought to his knees)

Official Manager Of Lifting Big Things

boromir accidentally joining a hobbit stitch and bitch club because someone's gammer asked him to carry her yarn for her to the meeting and he didn't know how to leave after he was greeted and handed food and tea

the club is actually fun, and the hobbit grannies respond to his tales of politics and battle with the same sympathetic clucking that they do to rivals stealing recipes, including his hand being patted sympathetically

boromir gets his own special big cup that moves from house to house for meetings so he can get an acceptable amount of tea for gossip time

[penandinkprincess]

there is So Much Lap for bb hobbits to claim

[penandinkprincess]

the concept of bb hobbits making him a flower crown for the spring festival so he can match everyone but having to adjust it twice because it's the first one they've made so big before

[penandinkprincess]

the idea of bb hobbits who heard stories (mostly from pippin and merry) who now yell out "GONDOR >:D" when charging into a playfight (they don't know what a gondor is) (they're not interested in learning)

(five of them are holding up boromir's shield and can't see past it) (they will charge headfirst into a tree) (they will learn nothing from this experience)

boromir having to learn how to do the cat owner shuffle because there are always faunts underfoot (usually trying to catch a lift on his feet because he can step SO high :D)

gandalf being lowkey salty because HE still gets side glances??? but boromir??? is basically seen as everyone's relative who just happens to be very large??? yes he is Big Folk, but above and beyond that, he is hobbit ✊😔

[penandinkprincess]

@milady-bugg oh my god great pyrenees boromir

[penandinkprincess]

@little---furnace

oh my god cultural misunderstanding of

in gondor: constantly at war, awareness of supply use, the polite thing to do is to ask for more if you want it but to always have finished what's on your plate when you're done.

in the shire: with hobbit appetites, a fully empty plate means a guest needs more. no one wastes a bunch (leavings will be fed to the pigs), but good manners to show you've had enough involves leaving just a bit to show you were well-satisfied and completely full. an empty plate means you need more to fill up the corners.

so boromir is trying to be done, but the hobbits just keep putting more on his plate, and it turns into a feedback loop of politeness that ends with boromir eating more than he ever has and still being stuck at this tea party two hours past when he first tried to leave.

the comedy of this poor man trying SO hard to eat fast enough that he can put his plate down and escape versus hobbit granny watching him like a hawk with serving tongs in one hand and a tray of mini quiche in another.

[vanessagillings]

Wolfie dunwanna (and neither do I)

gouache on paper

[ibrithir-was-here]

In honor of The Professor’s bday today, I redrew on of my first and favorite bits of Silmarillion Silliness xD

old version here, crazy improvement in 5 years

[hapalopus]

Visit Original Link

Filk is objectively the best genre of music because where else can you find songs that are so explicitly just hymns to horses?

Strength of frame isn't weak in brain and patient doesn't mean dull You can boast of blood that came before but our fore bearers carried kings to war So we take our orders and pull

We are the tribes of the working draft Farm and freighter and mine Perch and Belgian and Clyde and Punch Pull for the honor of our kind

You can run your race and steeple chase or charge at the bugle's call But when hearts go crack under weight of the strain from a logging skid or a six-up train Still we take our orders and haul

We are the tribes of the working draft Farm and freighter and mine Perch and Belgian and Clyde and Punch Pull for the honor of our kind

Speed and wind are the Thoroughbred's kin and the Arab is fire's own foal But there's mountain rock in our quiet stride, and our strength is bred from the ocean tide Still we take our orders and go

We are the tribes of the working draft Farm and freighter and mine Perch and Belgian and Clyde and Punch Pull for the honor of our kind

Through time past mind we have served mankind, through whips and curses and love Through gas and diesel and steam before we raised the world that created yours So we take our orders and move

We are the tribes of the working draft Farm and freighter and mine Perch and Belgian and Clyde and Punch Pull for the honor of our kind

We remember for the honor of our kind

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

Starting a new post for Lord Peter Wimsey thoughts,

Because I don't want to pull this post / thread too far off topic.

Anyway, last night (night before last, as your reading this), I did indeed watch that British Lord Peter Wimsey film (1935) "The Silent Passenger". Turns out that (according to Wikipedia) it was based on a story that Dorothy L. Sayers wrote Specifically to adapted into a screenplay, but she was not the one who actually wrote the screenplay.

So it's only kinda by her.

But it was enough to remind me of one of the many reasons I love the character of Lord Peter so much: Unlike many (most?) of the Great Detectives of the golden era of mysteries, He does not hold himself up as the sole genius who is the only one who can solve the crime.

(I know Sherlock never said these exact words in Doyle's prose, but...)

Instead of saying "It's Elementary, Watson."

He says (paraphrased): "Bunter, that's brilliant! Thank you!"

Also, I learned in the podcast I listened to: Dorothy L. Sayers Solves her Mystery, that Sayers set herself the challenge of writing mysteries that fit the puzzle-solving requirements of the genre while also giving her protagonist a full character arc of personal growth. And one reason she stopped writing Lord Peter novels after the 14th one was because she ended up where she wanted his story to end.

I did not know this when I was reading his stories as a teen, and now, I want to go back and read (or listen) to the stories in order.

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

Quoted tags:

#re-reading Whose Body right now #such a delight #I love the way he matters on for paragraphs-length

Yes. That's another thing I love about the character: he has so much enthusiasm for the things he's figuring out and learning that he wants to share them with anyone who will listen. In contrast to so many other fictional geniuses (Poirot, for example [as much as I love him, too]), who assume they're the smartest people in the room, and keep their thoughts to themselves until the big reveal at the end.

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

In honor of my New Year's Resolution (that came in a sudden spark) to use what I'm reading to inspire my writing, and in honor of it entering Public Domain, anyone want to join me in a Read-Along of Strong Poison over at Project Gutenberg, when it's up there (it's not, yet)? It's the fifth book in the series, but it also stands alone as a single story.

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

[jackironsides]

A lot of people also seem to think that the difference between dog breeds is size and #aesthetics, and not a complete change in temperament. They'll get a working dog bc they like the look of it, and dump it at the pound bc it needs a huge amount of exercise and energy bc it doesn't have a job. (And they often don't want to put in the work training it anyway.)

Meanwhile, I want a warm friend to watch TV with and am Quite Allergic to cats, so I'm planning on getting a lapdog. You know, one of the kinds of dogs that was literally bred to fulfil a similar function.

[castillon02]

Another excellent cat-type dog is a greyhound. Although they are large, they are also incredibly lazy and placid, and they often love nothing more than curling up on the couch like a bump on a pickle. They do very well on two short walks a day plus a once-a-week to the dog park. At the dog park, they might do some of their racing sprints for a few minutes or they might just choose to nose around the fence and pee on things.

They are great apartment dogs and all-around chill buddies. They are also often in need of rescue after being dumped by the racing industry, so if you're thinking you want a large cuddle-dog but not the challenge of a herding breed, you can almost certainly find one who needs a home and will be happy to learn what a hug is.

[castillon02]

Hello, all, and Happy New Year! After ten years, I'm retiring as MI6 Cafe co-mod.

I joined the MI6 Cafe when CassTea and isthisrubble put out the call for co-mods. The Cafe was even on livejournal in that first year! Thanks to this amazing community, the Cafe has grown into a place that hosts events like competitions, watch parties, readalongs, chats, game nights, and of course 007 Fest.

I have been so grateful for all of my co-mods: Rubble and Cass, Christine, and lately Kitten-kin and Myn. I also can't thank the volunteer squad enough for their help. However, the glorious Lin has been my biggest source of education and inspiration. I briefly ran the Cafe solo, and so I can say with authority that the Cafe would be far less organized and the plates far less spun without her.

It has been so much fun to work alongside my fellow mods making fandom fun happen for so many people. We always reflected on our progress and came up with ideas for how to make the next year even better, including trying new things like the revamped 007 Fest format and Last Moodboard Artist Standing. It was a blast to do that kind of problem-solving and share that kind of creativity!

Unfortunately, RL has been intrusive over the past year, and the time I've had for fandom has dwindled considerably, so it has become difficult to put my best mod foot forward. It's time to bow out.

I'm so, so deeply grateful to have helped lead the MI6 Cafe. It is in great hands with Lin, Kitten, and Myn, and I look forward to seeing what they come up with in 2026!

(And for my last modly reminder: don't forget to do the end-of-year survey! The Cafe wants to hear your opinions and ideas!)

[mostlysignssomeportents]

"Every part of the AI bubble — this fucking charade — is unprofitable, save for NVIDIA and the construction firms erecting future laser tag arenas full of negative-margin GPUs."

-Ed Zitron

[finnlongman]

Book giveaway for The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman Dec 27-Jan 10, 2026

Enter to win one of 25 free copies available. Giveaway dates from Dec 27-Jan 10, 2026. Historian and wordsmith Finn Longman’s atmospheric re

There are 25 finished copies of The Wolf and His King up for grabs in this Goodreads giveaway for US readers until January 10! (That's the US hardback with sprayed edges, art on the endpapers, etc.)