Hi! I'm so glad you're matched with me. I am sure I will love anything you create, but here's some things about what I like.

I am very multifannish and multishipper.  I am open to almost any pairing that doesn't trip one of my dnw's listed below. If you're pairing up a member of a canon relationship (eg wangxian or aziraphale/crowley) with someone else I'd prefer the leftover person not be bashed.

For the last couple of years I've been particularly following Chinese dramas, starting with MDZS/The Untamed (I am still SO OBSESSED) but quickly branching into TGCF, Guardian, Nirvana in Fire, Word of Honor, Imperial Coroner, Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty. My most recent cdrama was Love Between Fairy and Devil.

I also recently watched KinnPorsche and Tale of the Nine-Tailed and would love something from either of those.

I'm also fond of Yuri on Ice! and Jujutsu Kaisen.

There are lots of other fandoms I also enjoy, and I love crossovers between my fandoms, the more niche the better (for examples, see my collected works, lol).

I am happy to receive podfic of anything from my bookmarks.

Some general comments on some of my fandoms:

MDZS/The Untamed	I've no particular preference as to canon; I've read the novel and watched the TV show and most of the donghua. I'll read or listen to almost anything. Modern AU? Fix-it? Angst about self-sacrifice? Bring it all on! Pet rarepair: Jin Guangyao/Xue Yang
Word of Honor	I love this so much. Wen Kexing owns my entire heart. Gu Xiang deserved so much better.
Discworld	I particularly love Monstrous Regiment and its characters, and am also very fond of Night Watch, so anything that evokes that spirit is great. The interactions between Vimes and Vetinari fascinate me.
Imperial Coroner	There's not a lot of fics to choose from, but I love the OT4 vibes of this show.
Chronicles of Amber	My oldest fandom, yay, and the source of my pseud. 1000% Yes to Brand/Fiona, if you can find it, but I love the whole dysfunctional Amber family. Please no gamefic (OCs are ok but the story shouldn't center around them).

Things I love include, in no particular order:

Bad-ass women
Humor
Happy endings/HEA
Parent!fic
Hot hot sex (I'm more into slash and femslash than het in my fic, but I'm open to it, especially if there's one or more of my other loves in the story)
Fake dating
Slow burn
Oblivious pining
Forced cohabitation
Long plotty fic
Polyamory (complete with relationship negotiation)
Three-somes & more-somes
Switching
Explicitly bisexual/pansexual characters
Trans characters
Gender fluidity/non-binary
Leather gloves used sexually
Bondage
Sensation/pain play
Praise kink
Found/constructed family
Metaphysical/magical sex (eg angel/demon true forms, or using magic to stimulate one's partner(s) without actually touching them)
Monsterfucking/consentacles
Sibling incest
Exploration of the meaning of honor and integrity
Hope in dark places

Things I am very picky about, best to avoid for gifts unless you found the fic in my bookmarks:

Omegaverse dynamics
Mpreg
Most horror
Sexual humiliation
Feminization
Rape/non-con (dubcon and consensual non-con are A-ok)
Vore
Cannibalism (exceptions for canon stuff, eg MDZS or Jujutsu Kaisen -- but I'd prefer it not be overly detailed)
Adult/underage child sexual relationships (where the child is under 16 or so)
Ageplay where characters pretend to be small children (again, under 16 or so) in a sexual context
Character bashing

Definitely Do Not Want:

Gender changes that transform a queer relationship into a cishet one
Explicitly described injury to eyes
Watersports/omorashi
Scat
Emeto
Medical kinks
Police AUs / copaganda
Harry Potter AUs (or any HP content)

<3,
semperfiona

Questions from thefridayfive

1. Do you cook regularly or does someone else cook for you?

We eat out or order delivery or get carryout A Lot. But when cooking at home does happen, it's usually me.

My family have minimally-intersecting food requirements. It's easier to get several different meals from a restaurant than to make multiple at home. So when anyone cooks at home, it's either one of the few things we can all eat and enjoy, or someone still has to fend for themselves with delivery or quick food like a sandwich.

But I made jambalaya yesterday for three of the four of us (Christopher doesn't eat that but he was out for the evening anyway) and it was delicious. There's a lot of leftovers so we'll be eating it for a while. I'll freeze some of it for a quick meal in a few weeks.

Why is the cook usually me? Well, my family also have various disabilities and chronic pain issues that make standing at a stove difficult.

Tammie did make us a lovely batch of French toast on Sunday.

2. Which are you better at making: sweet or savory foods?

Either. Both. I am more likely to be making savory things unless it's a special occasion though.

3. If you had to work as a chef in a restaurant of your choice, which restaurant would best complement your current culinary skills?

Somewhere I didn't have to make the same thing every day, so a changing menu. I get bored of cooking the same things all the time.

My biggest struggle when cooking is getting all the food hot and ready at the same time, partly because of my kitchen constraints (eg, I can't run the airfryer and the microwave at the same time or I'll blow a fuse) and partly because I mis-estimate how long something will take. Not a good quality for a restaurant chef.

4. What is a cooking tip that you know, but other people generally aren’t aware of?

- Something I used last night: to cook rice on the stovetop, start it before everything else in the meal. Add 2 parts liquid to 1 part rice by volume, adding flavorings (if any) to a large saucepan (ie, bigger than you think you need for the total volume). Cook at medium heat with a lid on until it boils hard, then take it off the heat and ignore it until everything else is done. Rice will continue cooking and absorb all the liquid.

- Use more seasonings. Published recipes almost never call for enough spices/herbs. Taste what you're cooking and adjust accordingly. But specifically, add more garlic if garlic is in there at all. No, more than that. For sweet dishes, add (more) cinnamon.

5. Do you have a recipe you would like to share?

Other than the rice recipe above? Hmm. Most things I make I do from 'what feels right' rather than a recipe.

What I tend to default to for recipe sharing is a strawberry ice cream recipe from a book called "Frozen Desserts": https://www.amazon.com/Frozen-Desserts-Definitive-Sorbets-Delights/dp/0312143435/ref=sr_1_1?crid=RF27SQ2O5OXA . My copy has a hand-written note reading "This is the best strawberry ice cream EVER!. (Amazon is helpfully telling me I bought this book 22 years ago.) If you have an icecream maker I highly recommend this cookbook, btw. All kinds of interesting ice creams, sorbets, gelatos, etc. I also highly recommend the ice cream makers that have a tub you pre-freeze rather than needing lots of rock salt and ice. We have an earlier model of this one: https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-ICE-21-Quart-Frozen-Yogurt-Ice/dp/B003KYSLMW/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1KF8E21SKE77Q

The main trick is that you puree your strawberries with balsamic vinegar and leave them to macerate in it for a few hours before making the ice cream.

	Metric	US
Strawberries	450 g	1 lb
Sugar	150 g	3/4 cup
Balsamic vinegar	15 ml	1 Tbsp
Heavy cream	150 ml	1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp

Puree the strawberries, sugar and vinegar together. Pour mixture into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Combine the strawberry mixture with the cream and freeze in an icecream maker.

Challenge #3

Create a wish list of fandom things (podfic, graphics, playlists, canon recs translations, research help, vids, sky's the limit!) that you'd like to receive.

Wishes:

- fanwork based on this AU: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35208484
- transformative permission statements (blanket yes, caveats, blanket no, whatever, but make your stances clear! podficcers everywhere will thank you!). a helpful statement builder is here: https://fanworkspermissionstatement.tumblr.com/post/718268031847038976/fanworks-permission-statement-builder-by
- a chronicles of amber brand/fiona canon-era longfic
- amber elders fics in general
- enthusiastic newbie podficcers (come join us on podfichat https://discord.gg/jKTYQAkG8y )

Welcome to 2024, may it be filled with wonder and delight in all ways!

My 2024 started with fireworks (very literal and yes, wonderful and delightful). I'm in Riga, Latvia, visiting my girlfriend Christine and her husband Rob, and we went up to the roof of her apartment building to watch 360 degrees of fireworks. She'd told me it would happen but I hadn't quite realized just how _many_ there would be and for how long.

It's been a busy few days. We arrived on 12/27, and have been doing Christmas and New Year stuff the whole time so far, meeting Christine's collection of friends, mostly Indians who live and work in Latvia or Lithuania. Today is quieter so far, doing laundry and putzing on the internet. Starting tomorrow we'll do more tourist stuff.

As I say every year, I want to post more. And if 2023 is any indication, I probably won't. But nonetheless.

Last year fandom round up:

- Podfic: 50 hours 14 minutes, 105 finished works
- Fanfic: 2 ficlets, 2 drabbles, 2615 words
- Art: 1 drawing

My first fanfic exchange(s) ever (I did two: relationshipping and Folgers Flash December). For relationshipping I offered 3 fandoms, podfic for all three and fic for one, and got matched on fic. Folgers Flash is writing only.

Hi! I'm sure I will love anything you create for me!

I didn't list pairings as I am a rabid multishipper, and I am open to almost any pairing that doesn't trip one of my dnw's listed below. If you're pairing up a member of a canon couple (eg wangxian or aziraphale/crowley) with someone else I'd prefer the leftover person not be bashed.

Things I love include, in no particular order:

Bad-ass women
Humor
Happy endings/HEA
Parent!fic
Hot hot sex (I'm more into slash and femslash than het in my fic, but I'm open to it, especially if there's one or more of my other loves in the story)
Fake dating
Slow burn
Oblivious pining
Forced cohabitation
Long plotty fic
Polyamory (complete with relationship negotiation)
Three-somes & more-somes
Switching
Explicitly bisexual/pansexual characters
Trans characters
Gender fluidity/non-binary
Leather gloves used sexually
Bondage
Sensation/pain play
Praise kink
Found/constructed family
Metaphysical/magical sex (eg angel/demon true forms, or using magic to stimulate one's partner(s) without actually touching them)
Monsterfucking/consentacles
Sibling incest
Exploration of the meaning of honor and integrity
Hope in dark places

Things I am very picky about, best to avoid for gifts:

Omegaverse dynamics
Mpreg
Most horror
Sexual humiliation
Feminization
Rape/non-con (dubcon and consensual non-con are A-ok)
Vore
Cannibalism (exceptions for canon stuff, eg MDZS or Jujutsu Kaisen -- but I'd prefer it not be overly detailed)
Adult/underage child sexual relationships (where the child is under 16 or so)
Ageplay where characters pretend to be small children (again, under 16 or so) in a sexual context
Character bashing

Definitely Do Not Want:

Gender changes that transform a queer relationship into a cishet one
Explicitly described injury to eyes
Watersports/omorashi
Scat
Emeto
Medical kinks
Police AUs / copaganda

Ever wanted a podfic made by me of your favorite fic? Here's your chance!

You can bid on me in the Fandom Trumps Hate charity auction, open until Sunday evening.

I am offering podfic in Any Fandom (except Harry Potter).

Here's my auction page: https://fth2023offerings.dreamwidth.org/145686.html

Dear Creator--

Hi! I'm so glad you're matched with me. I am sure I will love anything you create, but here's some things about what I like.

I am very multifannish and multishipper. For the last couple of years I've been particularly following Chinese dramas, starting with MDZS/The Untamed (I am still SO OBSESSED) but quickly branching into TGCF, Guardian, Nirvana in Fire, Word of Honor, Imperial Coroner, Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty. I'm also fond of Yuri on Ice! and Jujutsu Kaisen. And there are lots of other fandoms I also enjoy, and I love crossovers between my fandoms, the more niche the better (for examples, see my collected works, lol).

I am happy to receive podfic of anything from my bookmarks, or anything I've written, if it fits the exchange.

Some general comments on some of my fandoms:

Fandom	Comments
MDZS/The Untamed	I've no particular preference as to canon; I've read the novel and watched the TV show and most of the donghua. I'll read or listen to almost anything. Modern AU? Fix-it? Angst about self-sacrifice? Bring it all on! Pet rarepair: Jin Guangyao/Xue Yang
Word of Honor	I love this so much. Wen Kexing owns my entire heart. And please, fix Gu Xiang's fate, she deserved so much better.
Good Omens	This was my previous obsessive fannish love, and I'm still quite attached to it. Az/Crowley, of course. Or anything with The Them and Warlock Dowling.
Discworld	I particularly love Monstrous Regiment and its characters, and am also very fond of Night Watch, so anything that evokes that spirit is great. The interactions between Vimes and Vetinari fascinate me.
Imperial Coroner	There's not a lot of fics to choose from, but I love the OT4 vibes of this show.
Chronicles of Amber	My oldest fandom, yay, and the source of my pseud. 1000% Yes to Brand/Fiona, if you can find it, but I love the whole dysfunctional Amber family. Please no gamefic (OCs are ok but the story shouldn't center around them).

Things I love include:
Bad-ass women
Humor
Happy endings/HEA
Parent!fic
Hot hot sex (I'm more into slash and femslash than het in my fic, but I'm open to it, especially if there's one or more of my other loves in the story)
Ambiguously "bad" characters (eg Wei Wuxian, Crowley)
Redemption narratives
Fake dating
Slow burn
Oblivious pining
Forced cohabitation
Long plotty fic
Polyamory (complete with relationship negotiation)
Three-somes & more-somes
Switching
Explicitly bisexual/pansexual characters
Trans characters
Gender fluidity/non-binary
Gloves used sexually
Bondage
Sensation/pain play
Praise kink
Found/constructed family
Metaphysical/magical sex (eg angel/demon true forms, or using magic to stimulate one's partner without actually touching them)
Monsterfucking/consentacles
Sibling incest

Things I am very picky about, best to avoid for gifts unless you found the fic in my bookmarks:
A/B/O dynamics
Mpreg
Most horror
Sexual humiliation
Feminization
Rape/non-con (dubcon and consensual non-con are ok)
Vore
Cannibalism (exceptions for canon stuff, eg MDZS or Jujutsu Kaisen -- but I'd prefer it not be overly detailed)

Definitely Do Not Want:
Explicitly described injury to eyes
Watersports
Scat


<3,
semperfiona

PS for the mods: I've listed the same fandoms for offers as for requests, but I will create for any fandom except Harry Potter, especially if it's one I've created for before.

Dear Creator--

Hi! I'm so glad you're matched with me. I am sure I will love anything you create, but here's some things about what I like.

I am very multifannish and multishipper. Lately I've been particularly following Chinese dramas, starting with MDZS/The Untamed (I am still SO OBSESSED) but quickly branching into TGCF, Guardian, Nirvana in Fire, Word of Honor, Imperial Coroner...currently watching Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty. But there are lots of other fandoms I also enjoy, and I love crossovers between my fandoms, the more niche the better (for examples, see my collected works, lol).

If you're creating podfic for me, I am happy to receive podfic of anything from my bookmarks, or anything I've written, if it fits the exchange.

Fandom	Comments
MDZS/The Untamed	I've no particular preference as to canon; I've read the novel and watched the TV show and most of the donghua. I'll read or listen to almost anything. Modern AU? Fix-it? Angst about self-sacrifice? Bring it all on!
Word of Honor	I love this so much. Wen Kexing owns my entire heart. And please, fix Gu Xiang's fate, she deserved so much better.
Good Omens	This was my previous obsessive fannish love, and I'm still quite attached to it. Az/Crowley, of course. Or anything with The Them and Warlock Dowling.
Discworld	I particularly love Monstrous Regiment and its characters, and am also very fond of Night Watch, so anything that evokes that spirit is great. The interactions between Vimes and Vetinari fascinate me.
Imperial Coroner	There's not a lot of fics to choose from, but I especially like the OT4 ones.

Things I love include:
Bad-ass women
Humor
Happy endings/HEA
Parent!fic
Hot hot sex (I'm more into slash and femslash than het in my fic, but I'm open to it, especially if there's one or more of my other loves in the story)
Ambiguously "bad" characters (eg Wei Wuxian, Crowley)
Redemption narratives
Fake dating
Slow burn
Oblivious pining
Forced cohabitation
Long plotty fic
Polyamory (complete with relationship negotiation)
Three-somes & more-somes
Switching
Explicitly bisexual/pansexual characters
Gender fluidity/non-binary
Gloves used sexually
Bondage
Sensation/pain play
Praise kink
Found/constructed family
Metaphysical/magical sex (eg angel/demon true forms, or using magic to stimulate one's partner without actually touching them)
Monsterfucking/consentacles


Things I am very picky about, so probably safer to avoid for gifts unless you found the fic in my bookmarks:
A/B/O dynamics
Mpreg
Most horror
Sexual humiliation
Rape/non-con (dubcon and consensual non-con are ok)
Vore
Cannibalism

Definitely Do Not Want:
Explicitly described injury to eyes
Watersports
Scat


<3,
semperfiona

PS for the mods: I've listed the same fandoms for offers as for requests, but I will create for any fandom except Harry Potter, especially if it's one I've created for before.

Ever since I watched the Untamed for the first time eighteen months ago, I have wanted to know: What does lotus root & pork rib soup taste like???? And since I am a white person with no Chinese relatives or friends, and don't know of any local restaurants that serve it, my only option was to make it myself and hope I got somewhere close.

I visited my go-to international grocery last summer and perused the produce section but could find no lotus roots. I even asked, but they told me they didn't have any and I should call another day to find out whether they had them. Being moderately phone-phobic, that wasn't going to happen.

Then I took a Chinese class from the local community college this spring, and the professor kept mentioning a different Asian grocery. Week ago I went there with my daughter, and found lotus roots: fresh, dried, frozen, or pickled! I bought some fresh ones, and also some pork ribs and dates, and a giant pile of other assorted Asian food items I hadn't eaten in a while, and went home thinking I'd make soup the next day.

Except then I looked at the recipes--don't ask why I didn't do that while I was still at the store!--and there were several additional ingredients I still needed. We went back Saturday and acquired those, and I made the soup yesterday.

Speaking of recipes. I had found three, and what I made was different from all of them for various reasons.

Recipe #1: attached to a (quite good) fanfic https://archiveofourown.org/works/25979641#work_endnotes

Recipe #2: Woks of Life
https://thewoksoflife.com/lotus-root-pork-soup/

Recipe #3: Wok and Kin
https://www.wokandkin.com/lotus-root-soup/

---
I hate peanuts, so those were getting left out no matter what. I could only find one kind of dates, and I didn't find goji berries (I didn't ask. I imagine the store had them, but I wasn't bovvered).

My ingredients list
- lotus roots
- pork ribs, blanched
- about 1 c dried seaweed, soaked overnight
- about 1/2 c dried scallops, soaked for 1/2 hr in hot water
- about 1/2 c dried cuttlefish, soaked for 1/2 hr in hot water
- 10 dates, soaked for 5 min or so in hot water
- two hunks of ginger, sliced
- half a head of garlic, chopped






I followed the ao3 recipe directions to blanch the pork ribs. Boiled everything together and then simmered it for four-ish hours. I did not add any salt because the fishy items were already salty. The house was REDOLENT of garlic while it cooked.

Immediately after putting everything in the pot:



And SERVED:



---

I also made chili oil (by filling a small bottle half full of red pepper flakes and a bit of garlic powder and then the rest of the way with sesame oil).

My overall opinion is that my soup was very good but a bit too fishy. I think about half as much of the dried scallop and cuttlefish, and possibly less seaweed as well. It would probably be good to actually add the scallions at the end like I intended to, and a bit more grated ginger may also help. Might add a bit of pepper next time. A few drops of my chili oil were a nice addition.