milleniumrex | Reading

AO3 Link | Exasperations (100 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Shmi Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker
Additional Tags: Drabble, Dialogue-Only
Summary:

Shmi doing the exasper-fond-sigh of “Anakin”... until she can't.

Exasperations

"Mom, I can make it work, give you someone to help you."

"Oh Anakin."

"Please?"

"Yes."

"What if he decides to sell you?"

"Anakin, he won't. You are too useful, and he doesn't know how to keep you healthy."

"Then… I'm never going to grow up."

"Ani!"

"Your new friends are very lost."

"I know, Mom."

"Are you being careful?"

"The Master Jedi made Watto mad, but I think it will turn out alright."

"Oh?"

"I mean, he's so wizard!"

"Of course, Ani."

"You have to hold on. I'm here. I can fix it all!"

"Ani…"

"Please, Mom."

"Anakin…"

"MOM!"

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senmut

Continuation of "Padawan Plight"

AO3 Link | Chaos Behind Them (1263 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars [2008] - All Media Types
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Barriss Offee/Ahsoka Tano
Characters: Barriss Offee, Ahsoka Tano, Luminara Unduli, Anakin Skywalker
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Kriffing Sith Plans
Summary:

The pieces have been placed, and while Ahsoka and Luminara are a part of it, neither lets it impact Barriss's peace.

Chaos Behind Them

Having aided the 501st in retrieving their man, and all the revelations that had brought, Luminara rested a hand on Anakin's shoulder, despite the fury and betrayal coursing through him.

"Do not let Tiplar's and Tup's sacrifice be in vain," she counseled. "Keep your men here in the field, with the 41st, to take advantage of Echo's intel. I will take him back to Corsucant, deliver him to Master Che for healing."

"But he—"

She squeezed, and Anakin was so unused to other Jedi braving his rage, touching him even!, that he subsided. "You cannot hide that knowledge. I, on the other hand, have no difficulty burying it beneath my Perfect Jedi Serenity," she said, her eyes amused despite the severity of where they stood in the war, to use that phrasing.

It worked, as Anakin sagged a little and huffed. "You and my Master."

"Sometimes, yes," she answered that, to add more levity, helping Anakin balance.

He groaned. "Don't … yeah, no, don't tell me any more about that." He searched her face, then took a deep breath. "Take Ahsoka. I have faith in your skill, Master, but you have seen her, you have worked with her."

"Her command of Teräs Käsi will protect the secret, and she is going to rival Kenobi for lightsaber skill, it is true." She inclined her head, privately thinking that if it grew too stressful, it would allow the padawan a chance to see Barriss as well.

"Don't tell me any of your plans," Anakin said, agreeing to the fact he was the major weakness in undoing it all, given who they knew the Sith was now. "She heard everything, made the jump to connect the pieces, so between the two of you — and Echo — I will trust in this being ended sooner rather than later."

"Thank you." She let go of him, then went to tell Gree he would be handling the battalion under Skywalker's command.

"No."

"He's my vod, my batch brother!"

Ahsoka looked at Fives and then moved to take his hands. "Trust me, Fives. You can't go along, none of you can. And you? I need you to look after Skyguy. You can't expect Artoo to handle it all by himself, and Rex is going to be busy without me here!"

She ached for him, where she wasn't a simmering cauldron of anger for all that she and the other Jedi had pieced together from Echo's intel. If they hadn't hit that listening station before the tragedy with Tup —

— well, they had. So Fives was distracted, and so was Rex, keeping them from putting the pieces together.

Fives had straightened, then he saluted her and left. She would trust him to stay close to Anakin, to keep her master calmer, even if none of the boys knew why he was so angry now. She finished throwing things in a bag, and headed to medical to catch Kix before she and Master Unduli took Echo away from him.

She had no doubt he was putting the pieces together… and she would warn him not to do anything risky until she got back.

The Master and Padawan, two pieces of different pairs, stepped out of the Council chamber and each relaxed from the strain in their own way. Ahsoka visibly sagged, then slumped against the wall without any cringing for what the Master might think. Luminara said nothing about it, still impressed by how well the girl had done under the long interrogation of all they had experienced. For her part, she caught the hem of her sleeve and started worrying at it, a small fidget that soothed her but could easily be stopped should someone walk out.

"When you go see Barriss, you cannot say anything," Luminara dutifully reminded Ahsoka.

"I know. Even if this didn't need to stay top secret, I wouldn't break her peace with it," Ahsoka said sincerely, knowing the words had to be said. "Will you be going there after they say we can leave?"

"I thought I'd let you have the first night back. I'll come tomorrow, if duty allows, and take her for a meal."

Ahsoka flashed a smile, wanting to hug the woman, but that was not Luminara's way, mostly. "Thank you, Master."

"Of course, Padawan."

Barriss did not betray her joy outwardly, too composed and controlled to be less than professional as she finished reviewing the medicine schedule with the family that had been her last appointment of the day. Ahsoka, however, could feel it in the Force, and relaxed even further to know that what they were was something that still mattered to Barriss. She really was grateful to Master Unduli for allowing her to come first.

Then again, no one on the Council really wanted the mere padawan to be as heavily involved in the operation they were planning as Master Unduli could be.

Commander Deron, Barriss's counterpart in this community outreach program, gave a brief nod to Ahsoka, then cleared his throat when the family left. "Ma'am, I can handle locking up with the others. Please go. It's not often Commander Tano is able to get back here."

Barriss opened her mouth, but the look from her right hand in all of this made her nod once, and turn to get her outer robe on, so she could go back with Ahsoka to the Temple.

"It is good to see you," she said, coming close enough that they were almost touching, walking out side by side.

"I'm pretty glad your master was willing to let me tag along," Ahsoka said blithely. "I've got to take an exam," she added, truth and her cover story for why she was on planet. In actuality, she'd had the pieces from Skyguy's side that made everything click into place, and had been the convincing part of their hours' long testimony to the Council.

"I'll help you study, if it is a subject I know," Barriss volunteered. "Your quarters?" she asked, a little shyly, but if her actual master was in Temple too, she wanted the privacy offered by Ahsoka's. "As it sounds like you are here without your master."

"Master Obi-Wan is en route, but not expected until tomorrow," Ahsoka agreed. He was coming to be part of the end game, she knew, while Master Tiin had been dispatched to help Skyguy, and their men, in the campaign against the Techno Union's latest captured planet.

"I… how soon is the exam?"

Ahsoka laughed merrily. "I won't need much study time."

Barriss blushed, but smiled down — not so far now — at her girlfriend.

Luminara took the fact that Barriss squeezed Ahsoka's hand in parting, in her own full view, as one more piece of her padawan's healing and growth from the awfulness of this war.

"I am looking forward to catching up on your life these last several weeks, Barriss," Luminara said once Ahsoka had left them.

The quiet smile she got in answer made her heart swell with pride for the padawan she did care for. If they could just shield her from the coming days' strife, all might stay on the best track.

"I wish to hear all about your weeks, and how our men are doing," Barriss agreed, as she did miss the people, if not the violence.

They settled into their catching-up, and Luminara firmly pushed away the horror behind why she was here, even as she decided to recommend allowing Barriss to help with the aftermath.

She thought her padawan would feel relief to save the men from their intended fate, after all.

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Marissa Lingen (mrissa here) is a disabled SF writer. She’s been publishing short stories since 2001—over 200 so far. Most of her work is quite short, and I’m delighted at how her subtle implications generate detailed worlds and relationships.

Her disability experience informs her work. One of my faves is “A Pilgrimage to the God of High Places”, free to read in print or in audio at Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Like the author, the viewpoint character has vertigo.

Her monthly newsletter alerted me that she’s

leading a writing workshop where people can process their vertigo experiences through the written word.

FREE
23 November 2025 1700 GMT
must register in advance or more info
ar220@st-andrews.ac.uk

FULL DETAILS:
https://dateful.com/eventlink/1965359842

She’s eager to spread the word to people directly or indirectly affected by vertigo—please share the Dateful link far and wide.

Free Story, Essay & Interview

( links and excerpts )

senmut

AO3 Link | When They Met (200 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Transformers G1
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jazz/Optimus Prime
Characters: Jazz [Transformers], Optimus Prime, Spike Witwicky
Additional Tags: Double Drabble
Summary:

Sometimes Jazz isn't smooth

When They Met

"So how did you two meet?" Spike asked. To his surprise, Optimus laughed while Jazz reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, a mannerism he'd picked up from Spike's dad.

"Ratchet and Wheeljack did most of the vetting of who would be in the unit closest to me," Optimus began, voice rich with joy and amusement.

"Ratch cornered me when I popped in to drop some intel," Jazz admitted. "I'd already heard stories about Prime, ya see. He was larger than lfe just from the first fight he saved us all in! And I was curious, but… still not really where I thought a Legend like that should be meeting those of us who were doing the dirtier work of spying."

Optimus brought his hand over to Jazz's backplates, and Spike grinned a little, seeing the shape of it.

"Ratchet brought him to interview with me, and I was completely fascinated by all the people Jazz had met before the war, all the stories he had, using them to try and distract me from getting to know him."

"What can I say, Prime? You were YOU, and I was intimidated!"

"I am very glad you got past that."

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senmut

AO3 Link | Pick Ups (100 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Transformers: Shattered Glass
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Ratchet [Transformers], Ironhide [Transformers]
Additional Tags: Drug Abuse, Drabble
Summary:

Ironhide walks in on Ratchet

Pick Ups

"Pretty sure the sharp side goes in other mechs," Ironhide drawled after walking in, unannounced, to Ratchet's bay.

The other mech flicked his optics up once, but didn't move much past that as he finished injecting the stim.

"You want me available for your fight, I get to use the syringes how I want," Ratchet growled at him.

"Your own cocktail?"

"Don't trust 'Jack's," Ratchet agreed.

"Unicron smash us all from that!" Ironhide agreed. "I let him juice my frontliners, but won't touch it." He sidled closer. "Got more? Chromia was enthusiastic."

Ratchet chuckled, found another, and handed it over.

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My cognitive impairments mean I always mess up time zones. I’ve participated in many events in the past five years. Only one managed to sense my current time zone and adjust all the info on their site to match. (And of course I can't remember which one it was.)

Which is why I love https://dateful.com. It’s an excellent tool when you’re communicating across time zones. It’s free. It features:

Time Zone Converter: convert between major world cities and timezones instantly as you type
World Clock: up to 20 clocks to see how the rest of the world can participate in your event
Time Calculator: adds and subtracts times, dates, and durations

And best of all:

Eventlink: create a link that converts an event’s time to the user’s current time zone and day. You can add an event title, description, and URL (meeting link or a web page), and you can offer an “add to my calendar” which works with Apple, Google, and Outlook.

All that info in a single link. You don’t need an account, but if you create one, you can go back and edit your Eventlinks.

I’m able to do these things with the keyboard; I welcome insights from readers using adaptive technology.

senmut

AO3 Link | New Opportunities (232 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Bumblebee [2018], Bayverse Transformers
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Charlie Watson [Bumblebee], Mikaela Banes [Transformers 2007]
Additional Tags: First Meetings
Summary:

Charlie may run her own company, but she still believes in running her own errands.

She gets to meet someone else who is a gear-head like she is.

New Opportunities

Charlie pushed over the counter at Harry's and looked at the man on the floor. "Nap time, really?"

"Hadn't had a customer all day," the man said, pushing his hat back and slowly sitting up. "Thought you had a job."

She laughed, shaking her head. "I'm the boss and the owner, and yet. When I need parts, I come to you, my old friend."

He brought himself up, and started to say something… but the door opened and this time he heard the jingle. Both of them looked over to see and hot body with grease and overalls trying to hide the fact.

"Mikki, haven't seen you in forever!" Harry called.

"Yeah, been out of town, but got my dad's garage back and running."

"Harry, you been holding out on me? You know I like investing in gearheads like me," Charlie said to that before walking over. "Charlie Watson."

Mikki's eyes went huge. "THE Charlie Watson, dive champ and motor innovator?"

"So usually it's one or the other, so kudos to you."

"Mikaela Banes," Mikki offered. "Harry gets away with Mikki, but Mik is what most of my friends use these days."

"Well, I hope to earn that right, Mikaela," Charlie said, offering a business card. "I've got to get a few things, but give me a call?"

"I'm here for parts, and have a car on lifts, but yeah, I will."

bradygirl_12

👻 🎃 Happy Halloween, everyone! 🎃 👻

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Location: Castle Witch

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When I started working on WisCon access in 2007, some kind soul (name lost) gave me a black teeshirt printed in tactile gold--with both Latin letters and braille. It sang the praises of ELECTRICAL EGGS, who advocated for handicap accessibility in the 1970s and 1980s. I loved the shirt but didn't know their history.

So I was thrilled when the September 2025 Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, volume 14 number 2, starts off with Eric Vero's article:

Oral History of The Electrical Eggs: Science Fiction, Disability Activism, and Fan Conventions

https://cjds.uwaterloo.ca/index.php/cjds/article/view/1262

The journal offers PDF, HTML, and "simplified HTML" versions of each article; all are open access, peer-reviewed, and Creative Commons licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

ABSTRACT

Before the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990, American science fiction fans in southern states organized, collaborated, and practiced accessibility at conventions. This grassroots movement began with the work of Samanda B. Jeude and a coalition of other science fiction fans who fought for visibility and access to convention spaces. In this oral history of their organization, “The Electrical Eggs,” I interview two key members decades after their participation in making conventions accessible. I complement these oral sources with brief histories of the role of eugenics and ableism in science fiction and the rise of disability activism in America. Although, the science fiction fandom still faces historical forces like ableism that have been present since its beginnings, the work of the Eggs is a testament to the power of collective action to provide accessibility in fan communities.

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Between a friend contacting me a couple of weeks ago for help setting up Accessibility at the new con he joined, and just tonight hearing about the absolute bullshit that's been going on at TwitchCon (no ramp for their Guest of Honor wheelchair user to get up to the raised stage to receive an award, third year in a row with no ramps for him as a GoH), I figure I may as well share this here.

It's far from perfect, since I'm still almost entirely self-taught, and I built it on the convention I used to run Accessibility for, so there's some stuff that's not exactly universal, but hopefully it'll help someone out there!

( Convention Accessibility Timeline and Jobs )

This is far from perfect and from comprehensive both, but if you work on Accessibility for a convention, or are looking to get started doing so, hopefully you can use this as a sort of template to build around or tweak to your needs. Suggestions in the comments are very welcome, though I don't know if I'll be up to incorporating them into the post. Questions are also very welcome; I'll do my best to answer how I dealt with things, but anyone who wants to is free to chime in!

I've got more info to share as well, but I'm going to hold off on that for another post or two, as this one wore me out a bit already 😂

Edit: For clarity, since I was just overthinking it: This isn't a comprehensive list of services that were provided at the convention I worked; it's just a behind-the-scenes look at how I was involved in setting up some of the services we provided. (Plus some that I never got around to, like the ASL interpreters and Braille documents 🤦‍♀️) If you want inspiration for that, I suggest looking around for convention Accessibility Policies. Those should list out the various accessibility measures that a given convention has in place.

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bradygirl_12

Title: Diamonds On The Beach (1/1)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters: George/Effie, Ned Bascomb
Fandom: Murdoch Mysteries
Genres: Fluff, Historical, Romance, Slice-Of-Life
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Spoilers: For Diamonds In The Sand (19x02)
Summary: What if George and Effie took a different path than what was shown in Diamonds In The Sand (19x02)?
Original DW/LJ Date Of Completion: October 16, 2025
Original DW/LJ Date Of Posting: October 28, 2025
Disclaimer; I don't own 'em, Shaftesbury Films and the Canadian Broadcasting Company do, more's the pity.
Original DW/LJ Word Count: 2148
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

( The wagon crested a rise, and Crabtree Cottage loomed into view. )

This story can also be read on AO3.

Current Mood: anxious
Current Location: Crabtree Cottage

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bradygirl_12

Title: Naked Cops V: Can A Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Keep Frankenstein Away? 🎃(1/1)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters: Frank/Adam, Maria Arcaro
Fandom: Naked City
Genres: Fluff, Historical, Holiday, Romance
Rating: G
Warnings: Mention of nuclear war.
Spoilers: None
Summary: Halloween of 1962 has already seen its share of horrors.
Original DW/LJ Date Of Completion: October 20, 2025
Original DW/LJ Date Of Posting: October 24, 2025
Disclaimer; I don't own 'em, Screen Gems does, more's the pity.
Original DW/LJ Word Count: 1046
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
The entire series can be found here.

( Adam watched the children clatter down the brownstone steps, eager to hit the next building. He exchanged grins with Frank as they walked behind the gaggle of children who were all dressed for trick-or-treating. )

This story can also be read on AO3.

Current Mood: creative
Current Location: New York City