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Iblis [ib-lis]

noun

an evil spirit or devil, the chief of the wicked jinn (Isalmic).

examples

1. But Satan, or Iblis in his Muslim incarnation, a redheaded wisecracker who claims to be Jacob’s dearest friend, argues for a radical intervention that can open Jacob’s “strictured heart”, allowing him to feel and heal. "Rabih Alameddine’s new novel explores the ordeal of remembering." The Economist. 29 Nov 2016.

2. Al-Hijr also repeats the story of Iblis, the devil, who refuses to bow to human beings, and since they are made of mud, tempts them with the material distractions of a muddy world. "American Quran is an Old/New Masterpiece." The Washington Post. 21 Jan 2016.

origin
Arabic, إِبْلِيس

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I discovered this recently when I happened upon this funny Islamic cat Youtube channel.

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: Ronon Dex/John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Dave Sheppard
Rating: Teen, Gen
Length: 3158 (Homework is 963)
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: Rheanna on AO3, busaikko on AO3, susan_voight on AO3
Themes: Siblings, Friendship, Going home, Established relationship

Summaries:
Ronon starts his e-mail correspondence with Sheppard's brother more or less by mistake.

For some reason, after his father's funeral Dave Sheppard keeps getting e-mail from Ronon Dex.

Reccer's Notes: This is a remix of Homework by busaikko, and they can be read in any order - this is basically a rec for both fics, Fieldwork being from Ronon's POV, and Homework, which is just as good, from Dave's POV. Ronon's in a relationship with John and as part of learning English he starts emailing John's estranged brother, Dave. Rodney then gets involved as Ronon goes to him for help. The characterisations of Ronon, John, and Rodney here are spot on, and it's both funny and moving - a wonderful set of stories.

Fanwork Links: on AO3: Fieldwork and Homework
Alternate DW links: Fieldwork and Homework
Susan_voight podficced both stories, both separately and collated.

monocoque [mon-uh-kohk, -kok]

noun:
1 a type of boat, aircraft, or rocket construction in which the shell carries most of the stresses
2 (automotive) a type of vehicular construction in which the body is combined with the chassis as a single unit
adjective:
of or relating to the design characteristic of a monocoque

Watch on YouTube

Examples:

The figure is a best early estimate for repairs the car, and could yet go up - Red Bull are still looking into whether the monocoque can be repaired or will have to be replaced with a new one. (Andrew Benson, British Grand Prix crash to cost Red Bull £1.3m, says Christian Horner, BBC, July 2021)

The monocoque is the largest single carbon fiber piece in the automotive industry, according to the company, dramatically cutting weight and improving safety. (Sean O'Kane, Rimac reveals the Nevera, a 1,900-horsepower electric hypercar, Yje Verge, June 2021)

Using a unibody, or monocoque, construction makes these Mustangs stiffer and lighter than a body on frame design. (Karl Brauer, Test-Driving The 'New' 1968 Ford Mustang By Revology Cars, Forbes, November 2024)

The front section, including the cockpit survival cell and the jet engine's air intake, is a carbon fiber monocoque, similar to a top flight race car (and now the occasional road car). (Jonathan M Gitlin, Bloodhound SSC: How do you build a car capable of 1,000mph?, Ars Technica, November 2018)

Origin:
French: mono- + coque, shell (from Old French, from Latin coccum, berry, from Greek kokkos) (The Free Dictionary)

Fill Form

Running Score: 0 (0/8)
Word Count: 0

Fandom: The Protomen
Pairings/Characters: Protoman & Megaman, Protoman & Dr. Thomas Light, Protoman & Dr. Albert Wily
Rating: Unrated, estimated to be Teen and Up
Length: 3,178
Creator Links: ricefu on Ao3
Theme:
Siblings, Science Fiction, Apocalypse/Dystopia, Robots, Androids and AI, Trauma & Recovery, (Not Really) Character Death, Old Fandoms
Summary:
You have heard me tell this story many times before you sleep... This time listen carefully.
Reccer's Notes:
A beautiful and sad character study of Protoman, the older sibling of two tragic brothers in the Protomen universe. It connects his backstory and dives into psyche throughout the canon storyline, including his relationship with his younger brother, his father, and the main antagonist. Although I'm tagging the Not Really Character Death theme for a reason, this is a tragedy, so tread carefully.

Fanwork Links:
The Inevitable Fall of the Firstborn on Ao3

Every Thursday, we have a community post, just like this one, where you can drop a rec or five in the comments.

This works great if you only have one rec and don't want to make a whole post for it, or if you don't have a DW account, or if you're shy. ;)

(But don't forget: you can deffo make posts of your own seven days a week. ;D!)

So what cool fanart/fics/fanvids/fancrafts/other kinds of fanworks/podfics have we discovered this week? Drop it in the comments below. Anon comment is enabled.

BTW, AI fanworks are not eligible for reccing at recthething. If you aware that a fanwork is AI-generated, please do not rec it here.

February was full of fan events! I'm still browsing through some collections, so here's two of the rec list I made recently for those:

Bitesize Erotic Horror Flash Exchange Recs

Warning for disturbing topics as the topic of this flash exchange was Erotic Horror

Fandoms featured in this list:

• The forbidden book
• NoPixel
• Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon (Song)
• In a Week - Hozier (Song)

Candy Hearts Exchange 2026 Rec List

Fandoms featured in this list:

• Teen Wolf
• Carmilla- J. Sheridan Le Fanu
• Doctor Who (2005)
• Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
• Interview with the Vampire (TV 2022)
• Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
• Torchwood
• Venom
• Heated Rivalry

Feijoada - noun.

Today we travel to Brazil to learn about its national dish, feijoada. The Brazilian version of this Portuguese dish (called feijoada à brasileira in Portuguese, or "Brazilian-style"). This stew consists of black beans, beef, and pork and it served with rice, collard greens, sliced oranges, to name a few sides.

By Bradleyzm - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Just made my monthly rec list of my recent bookmarks over on my journal! 6 Katekyou Hitman Reborn fics, 5 Honkai: Star Rail (specifically Kafstel) fics, and 1 White Collar fic

Fandom: Batman - All Media Types
Pairings/Characters: Dick Grayson & Jason Todd
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Length: 4,742 words
Creator Links: Wisetypewriter
Theme: siblings, complicated relationships, drinking & talking

Summary: Dick drinks on a rooftop.

Jason shows up.

Reccer's Notes: Really interesting fic! I love the exploration of Dick and Jason’s relationship, especially how the story weaves in elements from different comic continuities. It hit me right in the feels <3

Fanwork Links: Brothers around a beer

Fandom: The Protomen
Pairings/Characters: Megaman & Protoman & Quint
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Length: 53,236
Creator Links: VioletVulpini on Ao3
Theme:
Siblings, Science Fiction, Time Travel Fix-it, Alternate Universe, Hurt/Comfort, Trauma & Recovery, Apocalypse/Dystopia, Robots, Androids, and AI, Old Fandoms, Gateway Fanworks
Summary:
"The sound of Machines marching into a screaming mass did not cause Megaman to turn. The sound of children crying for their mothers would not pull his gaze from the far edge of the city."

And then he kept walking.
Reccer's Notes:
This fic takes the premise of an existing Mega Man character from the games, who was used as a minor sad character, and makes him the main character of a time travel fix-it in this alternate universe of The Protomen. Megaman goes back in time to before he killed his brother Protoman in an attempt to fix things, and manages to save his brother -- but now both his past self and his brother are after him, not to mention Dr. Wily, whose iron grip still holds the city. It has some of the best robot hurt/comfort I've ever read and amazing looks at the family dynamics between the characters.

Fanwork Links:
Through the Window to the Mirror on Ao3

Fandom: Mega Man (Cartoon 1994)
Pairings/Characters: Mega Man & Proto Man, Mega Man & Roll
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Length: 342,087
Creator Links: BlackRussian on FFN and BlackRussian on Ao3
Theme:
Siblings, Action/Adventure, Enemies Working Together, Plotty Fic, Series, Science Fiction, Gateway Fanworks, Epic Works
Summary:
Fighting Dr. Wily while watching your rebellious sister is tough for anyone, even a robot. Add an evil brother who's determined for you to join his side (or else battle to see who's strongest), things get ugly. Retcon of the Ruby-Spears Mega Man cartoon.
Reccer's Notes:
An amazing AU take on the Ruby-Spears Mega Man cartoon from 1994 which adds heart and multiple intertwining subplots, as well as fixing major plot holes and including more background for various characters. The central character relationships are between Mega Man and his (evil?) older brother Proto Man, and Mega Man and his sister Roll, but there's plenty of background relationships that keep the story engaging, along with a lot of clever worldbuilding and cheesy moments to fit the original cartoon's tone. It's part of an ongoing series, but seasons 1-2 are complete.

Fanwork Links:
Read it here on Ao3 and here on FF.net

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Gestalt (noun)
gestalt [guh-shtahlt, -shtawlt, -stahlt, -stawlt]

noun (sometimes initial capital letter), plural gestalts, gestalten
1. a configuration, pattern, or organized field having specific properties that cannot be derived from the summation of its component parts; a unified whole.
2. an instance or example of such a unified whole.

Related Words
composition, contour, shape, structure

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com

Origin: 1920–25; < German: figure, form, structure

Example Sentences
Or, as in “Stranger Things” and “Weapons,” the gestalt entity may be ruled by one being devoted to conquest and control.
From Salon

And if you take things out, you’re losing the power of the gestalt, essentially, of the larger gesture that they made.
From Los Angeles Times

On the title track, listeners are greeted with glitchy vocal samples before Joachim puts new elements into the gestalt, and quickly.
From New York Times

The two- or three-word tags, meant to convey the gestalt of a show or movie, regularly help viewers choose a show from the service’s nearly endless library, the company says.
From New York Times

The guides, it said, reflect “the whole gestalt of India’s association with sky and space.”
From Science Magazine

Fandom: due South
Characters/Pairings: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, Maggie Mackenzie/Francesca Vecchio, Benton Fraser/Frannie Vecchio, Ray Kowalski/ Maggie McKenzie
Rating: Explicit
Length: 7587
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: luzula on AO3, and on the Audiofic Archive.
Themes: Siblings, Marriage, Family, Domestic, Kidfic, Polyamory, Bisexual characters, AU

Summary: Sedoretu AU. Glimpses from the marriage of Fraser, Ray K, Maggie, and Frannie.

Reccer's Notes: I love the 4-person marriage invented by Ursula Le Guin - the sedoretu - and luzula makes it work perfectly here. In this 'verse there's the category of gender, plus another category called moiety - morning and evening people. In a sedoretu there are two same-sex and two opposite-sex couples, and two pairings (morning-morning and evening-evening) that are forbidden. Here, the forbidden pairings include the half-siblings, Fraser & Maggie. Luzula writes them all beautifully and lets us see how well this poly marriage works. We also get glimpses of how the sedoretu is the usual form of marriage in this AU, with their parents also in sedoretus. Domestic and lovely.

Fanwork Links: Puzzle Pieces, and luzula also recorded it as a podfic here.

smaragdine [sməˈragdə̇n]

adjective

of or relating to emerald

examples

1. On a transverse axis, vision reached from glittering blue across the Sea of Marmora to a mast-crowded Golden Horn and the rich suburbs and smaragdine heights beyond. Two in Time. Paul Anderson, 1970

2. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that Mohammed Son of the Sultan craved leave to return to his own motherland, when his father-in-law gave him an hundred clusters of the diamantine and smaragdine grapes, after which he farewelled the King and taking his bride fared without the city.
Arabian nights. English. Anonymous. 1855

origin
Latin smaragdinus, from smaragdus emerald + -inus -ine

Just announced it on the Discord channel (mostly because I had a wicked allergy attack yesterday and wasn't online) but we are extending posting for the 2026 Mini Bang to March 16th, as February seemed to be a rough month for everyone.

For all of you who are interested, the Bragging Rights template for the Mini Bang is up at https://wipbigbang.dreamwidth.org/223224.html

Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (Granada)
Pairings/Characters: Mycroft & Sherlock
Rating: G
Length: 523 words
Creator Links: Blistering_Typhoons
Theme: Siblings

Summary: The Sherlock Holmes that sits in front of him may as well be dead.

Reccer's Notes: A little story of Mycroft meeting with Sherlock during the years he was on the run post-Reichenbach.  Poor Sherlock is not doing well, and Mycroft tries to care for him in his own way.

Fanwork Links: AO3

Our theme for March is siblings—whether assigned or chosen.

The tag for this round is: theme: siblings

If you're just joining us, be sure to check out our policy on content notes. Content notes aren't required, but they're nice to include in your recs, especially if a fanwork has untagged content that readers may wish to know about in advance.

( Rules! )

( Posting Template! )

( Promote this round! )

deadfall [ded-fawl]

noun:
1 a trap so constructed that a weight (such as a heavy log) falls on an animal and kills or disables it
2 a mass of brush and fallen fall trees

(click to enlarge)
Examples:

Deadfall is a particularly thorny problem, and the club’s latter-day lumberjacks head out with chain saws in tow to remove trees upward of 4 feet in diameter. (Gregory Scruggs, 'Labor of love' motivates scrappy nordic ski club in North Cascades, The Seattle Times, December 2023)

The three sticks should be perfectly straight, and about the same diameter and length. Finger-thick and one-foot long will work for most deadfall triggers. (Tim MacWelch, A Guide to the 15 Best Survival Traps of All Time, Outdoor Life, October 2019)

If you happen to wander off trail on a hike, navigating over and under the debris, known as deadfall, proves to be a challenge in daylight, but imagine facing that challenge in the dark. (Meagan Thompson, Treasure hunter is rescued in the mountains south of Butte, KXLF, November 2025)

Winding roads diving deep between steep hillsides littered with jagged deadfall and boulder-size talus, towns few and far between. (C C Weiss, Review: Micro-camping the Idaho wilds in Escapod's monocoque teardrop, New Atlas, December 2024)

Then, a video demonstrating an ancient deadfall trap received over a million views. (Oliver Whang, Is There an Ethical Way to Kill Rats? Should We Even Ask?, New York Times, February 2023)

We hauled some deadfall from these woods to the center of the meadow where we built up around our camp a sort of circular fence. (David Zindell, The Lightstone)

Origin:
The earliest known use of the noun deadfall is in the late 1500s. OED's earliest evidence for deadfall is from before 1589, in the writing of Leonard Mascall, translator and author. (Oxford English Dictionary)

I've just shared 12 fic recs for the ship Helly R./Helena Eagan from Severance over on my journal. Please note that most are NSFW and deal with dark topics. If that sounds good to you, come get your toxic yuri!