Artem Rohovyi - Symphony Of Branches Gouache On Paper

 Still life - Teija Lehto , 2023

Finnish, b. 1965 -

Woodcut, 83 x 53 cm.

Incredible video captures humpback whales swimming underneath the northern lights in Norway.

If I had a nickel for each time I've been told to stop "overthinking" this type of hypothetical or categorical question, I'd have...a lot of nickels.

The way most autism literature describes "literal interpretation" is often not at all similar to how I experience it. Teenage me even thought I couldn't be autistic because I've always been able to learn metaphors easily.

In fact, I love wordplay of all kinds. Teenage me was fascinated to learn all the types of figurative language there are in poetry and literature.

But paperwork and questionnaires are hard, because there's so much they don't state clearly. Or they don't leave room for enough nuance.

"List all the jobs you've had, with start and end dates." What if I don't remember the exact day or month? Is the year enough?

"Have you been suffering from blurred vision?" Well, if I take off my glasses the whole world is blurred, but I'm fairly sure that's not what the intake form at the optometrist is asking.

Or the infamous (and infuriatingly stereotypical) "Would you rather go to a library or a party?" What sort of party? Where? Who's there? I work at a library. Am I currently at the library for work or pleasure? Does it have a good collection?

It's not common figures of speech that confound me. It's ambiguity, in situations that aren't supposed to be ambiguous.

Hyewon Kim (Korean, 1993) - Hongik University Station Escalator Exit 1 (2023)

Deadloch fic rec list!

There's some really enjoyable fic out there in this fandom — this is by no means an exhaustive list. In fact, my whole reason for posting it is to encourage people to explore what's out there, if you haven’t yet.

That said, here are my personal favorites. I really love a fic where a character's voice has come through really well, and that's true of all of these.

Eddie, Dulcie and Cath:

north to the ocean, hotter than the sun by halfeatenmoon (explicit)

This is so hot and so funny. I love this Cath: so in-character and so completely excellent. So many of her and Eddie’s lines in this made me die laughing ("domestic"!!). And I really love Dulcie and Eddie’s vibe, here; their interactions made me flail so hard. 

Deadloch, day eight by Despire (teen and up)

One of my favorite things about the show was the way Eddie looks at Dulcie, and how it changes over time as they get closer. This fic...has somehow managed to capture that energy perfectly, and it really got me in my feelings. I love Eddie so much and I love Eddie with Dulcie so much.

Keep On Gruckin’ by kirazi (explicit)

This fic includes a lot of little character notes that feel so absolutely right, to me, particularly for Dulcie and Cath. I love how…sort of shy Dulcie and Eddie are around each other. And I love seeing what Dulcie loves about Cath; I love seeing those two in a really believable, really happy relationship. Searing hot, as well. 

house rules by halfeatenmoon (teen and up)

This has two things I love: Eddie and Cath becoming friends, and Dulcie playing the straight man/stooge who has to deal with their shenanigans. This is so in-character and so cute and fun.

despite all my bad decisions by DeanBean (explicit)

I love this version of Dulcie SO MUCH. She has a lot of overlap with how I see Dulcie, actually. I really buy her — I felt very convinced by this and like I could see the things that were happening while I was reading. Excellent, and also so hot.

In Plain Sight by applesforthis (explicit)

I feel awkward reccing my own fic. But, well — I posted it on April first, and afterward a couple people pointed out that tumblr was full of boops that day and that many people may have missed it for that reason. If you want a very character-driven, slow-build Eddie/Dulcie(/Cath) story leading to polyamory, with lots of personal growth and relationship-building and a very happy ending, then this is for you.

Abby-focused:

The difference is kissing someone you actually like by Lenore (teen and up)

This Abby is so absolutely in-character. And so is Deadloch. Can a place be said to be in-character? I don’t know but this fic has nailed it. I love seeing Abby’s ups and downs as she works on doing something daunting without the support that she’s used to. I love how much she loves her job, and I love the happy ending.

Everything Good Happens After Midnight by skyvillage (teen and up)

This is so sweet. I really liked Abby and Sharelle being friends in canon, and this feels like such a natural extension of that. 

Hey I was wondering if you took your deadloch fic off-line? The link isn't working that well?

Oh hey, thanks for the message. A few days ago I locked it due to an online privacy scare, but that problem has since resolved, so I've just unlocked it again. It should work fine now, please let me know if not. :-)

Lisa Kovvuri

[Image description: screenshot of another tumblr user's tags reading: #oh!! they're hunting right? i heard they do this together sometimes #that coyote is playing though omg he is showing prosocial behavior to a creature that can't speak his language... #aren't badgers solitary too. maybe he is this badger's first friend. omg /End image description.]

Art by Minji Kim