A single Shard upon the Shore

Preview: SPN 7.21 "Reading Is Fundamental"

2012-04-30T16:21:56Z

First of all, HAI historymonks HAI ♥ I'm ridiculously pleased that there are fandom people SO CLOSE BY who can understand ALL THE FEELS and, like just as an example, rewatch 'Avengers' with me.

But KLASJDFLKAFJLASFJLSA

(Spoilers, obviously)
link: http://po.st/b7ext6

WHAT IS GOING ON

WTF ARE MY FEELS DOING

WAT IS LIFE

Basically, I am ~easy for every possibly flavor of Cas AND MISHA IS THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING kajdlafjklka.

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vid: B*tches in Bookships

2012-04-14T18:48:22Z

link: http://youtu.be/EQiEJk-o5WA

from no_detective

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SPN 7.17 "Born-Again Identity"

2012-03-24T11:14:02Z

FINALLY SAW IT OMG Lucifer made me spill beer all over my bed SO EVERYTHING SMELLS OF BEER (I don't even like the stuff that much, really, but there was a bottle in the fridge and it felt appropriate for my first proper SPN ep in months) and I haven't eaten since this morning so I may be, you know, a touch light-headed from more than just the episode.

ANYWAY.

SPN 7.17 'Born-Again Identity'

it was musical!Lucifer that made me spill my beer. I would totes watch a musical episode centered on Lucie, fyi.

the reference to the episode "Faith" from S1 made me think WHOA REMEMBER THAT TIME WHEN ANGELS WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE REAL. painfully PERFECT for the episode where not only does the (real) healing come from a real angel, but also the episode where Dean finds his angel whom he thought he'd lost. srsly Show how are you so brilliant at parallels.

whoa, that must be one helluva gust of wind because that book looks damn heavy.

MISHA I'VE MISSED YOUR FACE SO MUCH.

well, if a naked Cas walked out of a river towards me, I'd marry him too. JUST SAYIN'.

smart, Dean, LEAVE THE AMNESIAC ANGEL ALONE IN THE CAR WHEN THERE ARE DEMONS HUNTING FOR HIM.

I actually kinda like Cas/Meg. not Emmanuel/Meg, but Cas/Meg when he's in full possession of his BAMF!ness.

okay the not-Impala is really bugging me out IT SAVED THE WORLD IN S5 FINALE OKAY and now it's sitting in storage somewhere?

"all snuggled up with you" OIC. (it was a long overnight car drive, right? and Meg had been following them for ages? DEAN DID YOU GET ~COLD?)

BESTEST FRIENDS okay never getting over this brb crying in the corner.

srsly, HOW MANY FRIENDS DOES DEAN HAVE, if you think about it? Dean's "I've known you for years" is his equivalent of Cas saying they have a "profound bond". A lot of their allies and acquaintances are because of their dad or Bobby. Cas is the one person who's solely Dean's.

"Dean's making a joke" HAHAHAA EXPLAINING HUMAN INTERACTION TO CAS, I've missed this so much. also I love how ~familiar this all feels HEY SHOW HEY I'VE MISSED YOU OKAY.

"It's in there. I'm sure it's just like riding a bike." "I don't know how to do that, either." OMG YOU TWO NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN EXCEPT OF COURSE YOU WILL THIS IS SPN.

I CRIED AND UNF'D AT THE MONTAGE. OMFG. ALSO THE MUSIC.

AND CRIED SOME MORE AT THE TRENCHCOAT. DEAN FUCKING KEPT IT WITH HIM ALL THIS TIME.

TRENCHCOAT

tumblr just made me realize this but the constant changing of cars means that DEAN KEPT CAS' COAT WITH HIM AT ALL TIMES EVEN WHEN HE MOVED FROM CAR TO CAR. even though he thought that Cas was dead. GUYS HE THREW AWAY THE GOD-FINDING AMULET THAT SAM GIFTED TO HIM. and yet HE KEPT CAS' COAT. *cries forever*

also Dean defended Cas to himself. yes, the whole situation is ~messy and he was likely still angry at Cas, but I feel like he'd actually forgiven Cas a long time ago.

the "part of me always believed that you could come back" bit from the promo was not in the episode. EXTRA/DELETED SCENE FOR DVDs PLS?

OMG "HELLO, BROTHER" CAN WE PLEASE HAVE SOME LUCI/CAS SCENES? the "you're a strange little thing" in S5 (where they first met) is still one of my fave scenes ever.

awww, no more Luci/Sam? *sadface*

lol I love that 95% of the people who saw this ep would have guessed GHOST HAUNTING the moment Mer(?) described her situation to Sam.

AHAHAHAAA omg this is really like a telenovella. the part where the camera is focused on Cas in the foreground and Dean comes up behind him for a heartfelt line made me LOL.

I find it interesting that Meg has kept her old old host's name. like, Meg Masters was the name of her host in S1, when Sam first met her, not her current host.

I guess I'd be annoyed if I didn't know that Cas is going to be in at least 2 more episodes (though crossing fingers for more). I'm really happy with this ep, though. Fandom was freaking me out for a bit, but my Dean/Cas heart is satisfied :D

CAS CAS CAAAAAAASSS WELCOME BACK also he's totes an Honorary Winchester, what with the tendency to TAKE ON HELL ITSELF and SACRIFICE HIMSELF FOR THE BOYS.

SHOW I'VE MISSED YOU DON'T BREAK MY HEART AGAIN OKAY. ~~what am I talking about, of course you will.~~ I'm pretty sure Crowley's gonna get hold of Cas. Am now quite stoked about the season finale.

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SPN 7.17 Producer's Preview

2012-03-23T01:53:12Z

I've been up all night for the last three days trying to finish an assignment due tonight, so I'm legit EXHAUSTED, I will cry genuine tears of relief and sleep deprivation when we finally get this damn episode.

BUT OMG THE NAME!!! THERE'S A NEW NAME!!!!! (spoilers)

link: http://youtu.be/zTmlgD4wDq4

(from all_spn)

ALSO MUAHAHAHAAAA ASS-SHOT. YOU ARE UNEXPECTEDLY ~REJUVENATING. LMAO AT THE FIRST THING WE SEE AT THAT ~IMPORTANT MOMENT. SHOW IS SO ~SUBTLE Y'ALL.

*slinks off to go back to work*

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SPN - Clip #2 for 7.17

2012-03-22T09:18:02Z

OK THIS SHOW IS OUT TO KILL ME.

SPEWING MY FEELS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

CARVERSATIONS I HAVE MISSED YOU. ESPECIALLY DEAN HAVING A ONE-TO-ONE WITH A CERTAIN ~SOMEONE.

(Spoilers, obviously.)

link: http://youtu.be/3nnlzcNQChA

THE ANGST, IT IS DELICIOUS.

ALSO ANY DAY YOUR OTP GETS A CANON PLOTLINE MORE SUITED TO A ROMANCE NOVEL IS A FABULOUS DAY.

edit:

whoa I always forget that Cas's voice isn't actually, you know, Misha's natural voice.

EVEN THE WAY HE SAYS "DEAN" IS DIFFERENT OMG

oh well if I ever get taken over by demons or angels or leviathans ALL THESE FEELS will chase them right the fuck out again

DEAN DEAN I can't figure out why it hurts more or is harder to shake off either IS IT POSSIBLE THAT IT'S 'CAUSE IT WAS CAS just floatin' that by you

Cas feels like The End!verse Cas but minus the drugs and alcohol. would not mind if he sticks around a little longer. according to Misha (interview linked below) he'll change again though.

"I sense that you kill a lot of people." AHAHAHAA possibly the most relaxed way anyone's ever uttered those words.

the LOOK ON DEAN'S FACE at the calm "did you kill him?" though. I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO UNRAVEL THIS. ~messy is the understatement of the non-Apocalypse.

And do watch Misha Collins on MTV's Top 10 on Top where he talks about Castiel. And getting a boob job. (I love him so very much.) Spoilery as well!

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SPN 7.17 Promo the second

2012-03-21T09:49:35Z

ANOTHER SHORT PROMO

ALFJLKFJLKAJLFSKAL OMG AMNESIA!CAS CONFIRMED.

"I don't remember you.

BRB ROLLING AROUND IN THE DELICIOUS ANGST.

Also a spoilery article from TVLine here, reflecting what's seen in the above promo.

ASKJHFAJKHFJKASHFKSJK

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SPN - Sneak Peek 7.17

2012-03-18T05:26:08Z

OKAY I SRSLY CANNOT GET MORE EXCITED ABOUT THIS EP WITHOUT GENRE-APPROPRIATE 'ASPLODING HAPPENING.

link: http://youtu.be/rZSPINLenw4

I really, really love Mark Pellegrino. Also, one thing SPN has always been good at is creating parallels. Now we're gonna get Fallen Angel and... fallen angel? HAVE I MENTIONED I'M EXCITE.

Whoa, they reference something from season one. The very first time Dean almost-died. IT WAS SHOCKING AND HEART-BREAKING THEN OKAY. Same with Sam's first death. SEVEN SEASONS LATER, I'm fairly meh about it. Thus the over-investment in the minor characters, who can be killed off permanently.

ahahahahaaa FUNNY YOU SHOULD SAY THAT DEAN. (And THANK YOU, Sam, for reminding people in a few words that you've forgiven Cas for the Wall thing.)

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SPN - Promo for 7.17

2012-03-17T08:41:15Z

I've been ridiculously EXCITED for A Certain Episode since I found out what was going to happen in it (sorry if you're sick of my flailing on twitter ONLY NOT REALLY HERE HAVE SOME MORE). The joint 7.16 and 7.17 teaser during the hiatus definitely didn't help.

Anyway HERE IS THE PROMO FOR SPN 7.17 "BORN-AGAIN IDENTITY" [spoilers, obviously]

</site-embed>
link: http://youtu.be/S6CVzOP-52w

EXCUSE ME WHILE I RIP MY HEART OUT AND SCREAM INTO IT.

edit: also if you haven't seen the Dean/Cas S&M video, YOU'RE DEFINITELY MISSING OUT. Watch HERE on YooToob. Usual warnings of violence from the show, plus ~darker implications, ahem.

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ZQ and Cumberbatch flail

2012-02-25T07:39:45Z

omg

OMG

New pics from the set of the upcoming Star Trek movie show Zachary Quinto and Benedict Cumberbatch LOCKED IN BATTLE. It's like a cross-fandom explosion of luscious high-cheekbone goodness. I MAY NOT SURVIVE THIS MOVIE.

A couple of pics under the cut for the spoiler-phobes, though I don't think they're all that spoilery? Also Zoe Saldana looks badass.

More pictures at ontd_startrek
Source: 'Star Trek 2' Set Photos Show Benedict Cumberbatch Battling Spock [MTV]

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First Week In Melbourne | ATLA madness

2012-02-24T12:40:52Z

Approaching the end of my first week in Melbourne, Australia, and I'm just really, really happy to be here. The city is beautiful, and everyone's been really friendly. The place where I'm living is excellently located. For example, here is what I did today:

- Walked to school for an info session about what classes I need to take.
- Explored school afterwards. Had lunch at school.
- Began walking home.
- On the way home, swung by MASSIVE EPIC DVD/CD STORE to buy Avatar: The Last Airbender S3 boxed set.
- Popped into two Arts & Crafts stores in search of a good paintbrush.
- Stopped at the Victoria Marketplace. Bought a freshly made beef and mushroom pie for dinner later. Fondled all the bananas and took the likeliest-looking bunch home with me.
- Walk the rest of the way home.

It's not that spectacular, but after living in Southern California for five years, being able to WALK to all the places I need to go to is damn magical to me. Like, I can throw on some pants and walk a bit and be at the most amazing marketplace I've ever seen. I know someone who's vegan and cooks all her own food, and she just buys fresh produce from the market every morning.

You know what else is magical? LIBRARIES. Here are a few pics of the magnificent State Library of Victoria.

The only downside to all the WALKING is that I might have overdone it. My feet are in pain and possibly swollen, and I haven't been able to feel most of my big toe for the past two days. Also it's ridiculously hot right now.

In other news, I've finished S2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I thought about stretching out the remaining eps, but events are building up to the finale and I just have to know what happens next. Will probably marathon S3 over the weekend. PRINCE ZUKO, KINDLY SORT YOUR SHIT OUT, SIR. ALSO OMG UNCLE IROH IS BATMAN ♥ It takes a special touch for even the ~villains to be as lovable as they are here. That said, my love for Team Avatar knows no bounds :D Seriously, SO impressed with this show.

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Made it to Melbourne!

2012-02-19T16:57:26Z

Mum: IT'S SO... HUGE. I've never seen one that big before!
Me: *tilts head* Eh. I've ridden bigger.

Mum was impressed by the size of our airplane :D It was quite big, though - nine seats per row. Which also meant teeny tiny aisles. The rush at the end to get the bags out from the overhead cabins made me feel like the green pigs in Angry Birds XD

Haven't seen much of Melbourne yet, but the bits I have are quite lovely, and the weather was gorgeous today. Grey in the morning, then Southern California sunny by afternoon. My uncle tells me that it can be a bit temperamental. OMG DOES THIS MEAN I'VE AN EXCUSE TO CARRY AN UMBRELLA AROUND? I miss my brollies.

Edit: Forgot to add that I marathon'd the first season of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" the night before I left and OMFG HFLASFSKLFA;ASLA BEST KID'S SHOW EVER EVER. I need to find a place that sells S2 and S3 here because I really want to watch MOAR. I'll make a more thinky post about it later but I'm just SO IMPRESSED by the writing in this series. (And I'm even more determined to avoid the movie, ugh.)

I LOVE EVERYONE. Though Prince Zuko is my fave. Totally ship Aang/Zuko. The relationship they have is the antagonistic/grudging respect/enemy friends that is delicious to my soul ♥

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Adventure begins! ... in the morning

2012-02-18T13:20:22Z

Posting this from the airport in Kuala Lumpur! Hope everyone is having a pleasant and stress-free weekend (since clearly I won't be using my quota this week).

I haven't posted about this here before (though if I know you from twitter, you've probably seen me tweeting about it) but I am gallivanting over to the great land of Australia in order to work on my Masters. It's a right proper ADVENTURE, since I haven't even been to Australia before. I'm heading for Melbourne, if anyone's wondering. Everyone I know who's been there or lives/has lived there have all loved it, though.

Will try to document more of Real Life now that I'm actually doing something with it. I'm not the dedicated journaling type. But it's nice to have an account of Stuff for when one is in the mood to look back on it. (To be fair, some of the Stuff over the last couple of years have been the sort that I don't really want to document anywhere. Even if other people have pictures XD)

GOAL: write more about Real Life

Also, I've really come to appreciate how fortunate I am to be able to do the amount of travelling I've been doing. Seems like the least I can do is share a bit of it, even the bits that are boring or crazy-making or feature unidentifiable spots (chicken pox during mid-term week on my junior year of undergrad. yeah.) Though I'll try to warn for anything icky :D

Just finished a truly atrocious cup of hot mocha. I have an odd and somewhat counter-intuitive relationship with caffeine, and the amount of it I just ingested will either knock me out completely in a couple of hours, or leave me manic-eyed and twitchy the entire night until we land in Melbourne in the morning. Considering I will shortly thereafter have to deal with three adorable but rambunctious nephews (ages 6, 4, and 1), you can guess which outcome I'm hoping for.

GOAL: sleeeeep.

Being called to the gate. Will hopefully see y'all on the other side!

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Thank You | Book Reviews

2012-02-16T10:55:26Z

Thank you very much to flamencanyc, ohfreckle, and loaded_march for the Valentines greetings and the gorgeous glass hearts ♥ Hope everyone had a lovely day, whether or not you celebrated the occasion.

My book-reading skidded to a halt around the last week of January, when I finished several pieces of fanwork (2 Sherlock fics, 1 Sherlock fanvid, 2 fanarts) and continued working on all the ongoing ones. Picking it back up, though. And 10 books in by mid-February sounds like a decent pace, especially when I'm still doing a lot of fanfic-reading as well.

Book Reviews
for "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern | the rest of the "Parasol Protectorate" series by Gail Carrigan - "#Changeless (#2)", "Blameless (#3)", "Heartless (#4)"

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The beauty of this book is in the atmosphere it creates, and the imagery it conjures in the reader's mind. Being nocturnal myself, I love the concept of the Night Circus and the Midnight Dinners. I commend the author's choice to focus on the experience of visiting a circus - the mystery and the sense of exploration and the magic. The use of second-person in certain sections was highly effective towards this end.

I liked the ensemble of characters, even the ones I'm not meant to like. All of them are flawed, but they're also all very good at what they do. Love the recurring themes and motifs - the game, Marco's tree, Celia's birds, the tarot, the twins, the clocks. The emphasis on imagery - I'm not the type of reader who visualizes everything she reads, but there was no helping it in this case, plus the imagery was part of the magic of it all. In the hands of a less talented writer, the concept of a dreamlike circus and the black-and-white scheme might have easily come across as trite or overworked, but Erin Morgenstern did it with imaginative playfulness and talented subtlety.

The whole world created here, including the ending, lingers and haunts well after the last page has been closed, which is appropriate to the story. Excellent and magical.

Changeless by Gail Carriger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this a lot more than the first book. It became addictive about halfway through, because the Mystery in here was so intriguing. And what a cliffhanger! I absolutely had to start into the next book right away.

(Um. That sounded suspiciously like the narrative style used in this series.)

The narrative style is actually quite charming once one gets used to it. I also feel like the author was not trying quite so hard with this book, and had settled more comfortably into her wonderfully imagined steampunk alternate universe.

Absolutely loved the ensemble of characters here. Ivy and Felicia are the sort of characters that would usually leave me gritting my teeth, so it's a mark of the author's skill that I just chuckled every time they provided Alexia with a new cause for irritation. Lefoux was deliciously ambivalent and badass. I really want Professor Lyall, Lord Akeldama, and Biffy to work together more - they'd probably take over England and outlaw the improperly dressed.

Many tips of the hat to Carriger, Gail for her LGBT characters and LGBT-friendly narrative. I am very impressed. NO REALLY THIS IS HOW IT'S DONE. Like, it's no big deal here, and the heterosexual characters aren't at all threatened by being admired by non-heterosexual persons of their sex. I would not mind reading a spin-off centered around the supporting characters. Good background info on Moccan and the werewolf way of life.

Blameless by Gail Carriger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was most definitely an Adventure! Highly enjoyable, especially now that the reader has become familiar with the characters and the fascinating societies in this alternative history. I really enjoyed how each book has a clear Mystery or goal-to-be-achieved, and yet the journey is different each time. I get bored with books where I can predict the before I get there, so it has been exceedingly fun to be surprised by plot twists and unexpected developments.

I also enjoy how the group supporting the protagonist is a little different in each book, but the minor characters who aren't with said protagonist still get a bit of 'on-screen' time and contribute to the plot in some way. I have grown especially attached to Professor Lyall, whom I would not mind reading a spin-off book of, especially based on his pre-Moccan years.

In my review for Book 2: Blameless, I mentioned that I wanted to see more of Professor Lyall, Lord Alkedama, and Biffy working together. And Carolina to WAIT AND SEE and OMG DID THIS BOOK DELIVER. I seriously did not seen that coming. DO YOU KNOW HOW UNUSUAL IT IS FOR ME TO BE SHOCKED BY A PLOT TWIST. I'm already anticipating ALL THE DRAMA.

(And it cannot be said enough, how refreshing it is to see LGBT characters not just represented well but also being BADASS AWESOME.)

One of my favorite parts about this book is getting to see the protagonist isolated from familiar surroundings and usual support system. And yet Alexia proves herself to be overwhelmingly capable. She's turning out to be my favorite female character EVER.

"No time for pleasantries, Alexia, my dear. Isn't it just like you, to be already escaped before we had the opportunity to rescue you?" Madame Lefoux flashed her dimples.

"Ah, yes. Well, I am resourceful."

Absolutely marvelous.

Heartless by Gail Carriger

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have a great deal of love for competent characters, especially female ones, and the protagonist of this series is certainly that. It was nice to be back in London town. I enjoyed the romp through the Continent in the last episode but I love having the gang all back together. It was so refreshing to see a female character being very clearly pregnant and still kicking ass, and the males around her rolling their eyes but helping her get stuff done rather than cosseting her.

Also, whoa REVELATIONS AHOY. If I did not already love Professor Lyall to bits, the backstory we get here would have done it. POOR PROFESSOR LYALL. (Though I feel like I need to make a chart to keep track of the complicated relationships between our merry band.) I felt sorry for Biffy, and I like that the author gives his situation the attention it deserves. Lord Alkedama is brilliant and sly as always.

Just realized that I have at least three 'ships in this fandom, and the amazing thing is that THEY'RE ALL CANON. This is VERY EXCITING to me, okay. Again, so much respect to Gail Carriger for the well-executed representation of LGBT characters in this universe. Being bisexual myself, I don't think I've ever come across a bisexual character in a book who is not only lovely and badass and HAS CHARACTER DEPTH, but whom I also loved long before finding out he was bi. (Which basically makes him my hero. Seriously, it's like admiring someone and wanting to be like them and then discovering a part of yourself in that person OMG I TOO CAN BE BADASS THROUGH COMPETENCE. Okay I'll stop before I get into a rant about validation of social identity.)

I was a tad disgruntled by the sudden changes at the end, because sometimes there can be such a thing as too much change too soon, but it's still pretty cool and doesn't exactly lessen the sheer LOVE I have for this beautifully constructed alternate history. Can't wait for Book 5 in March!

PS - Additionally, this book has made me very excited for the Parasol Protectorate Abroad series that's scheduled to come out in '13 or '14.

Feel free to share anything you've read since the beginning of the year :-) Recs are especially helpful.

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Things I Am Doing Things For

2012-02-07T12:53:49Z

Currently sweating in my room and FULL OF ENVY for all of you who are having the snows. There's a weird hurry-up-and-wait feeling to RL right now, so until I find out where I'm even going to physically be at the end of the month, I'm doing the time-honored thing of ignoring it. Which indelibly means that I throw myself into fandom projects.

Things I Am Doing Things For

yabigbang (Young Avengers Big Bang)
Writing. 15k minimum. Posting begins on April 15.

sherlockrebang (Sherlock Reverse Big Bang)
Writing & Art. 5k minimum for writing, 1 piece minimum for art. Artwork draft due on March 31. Posting begins on June 3.

Writing - posted my info here. 30k minimum. Author sign-ups open until February 29. Posting begins on August 1.

Provided I don't go crazy with the wordcount again, a la xmenbigbang last year, this should be fairly doable. Of course, I also have a bunch of other projects that I'm working on or collaborating on. TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS, HOW DO THEY WORK.

If you haven't seen it yet, here is the new AVENGERS TEASER VID [direct link] from the Superbowl media avalanche.

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Fanvid: "Someone Like You" (Sherlock/John, S2)

2012-01-27T21:14:24Z

The Sherlock bug has bitten me hard, so I has made a fanvid! Apologies to people who've seen this already. I usually post most of my fanworks on rei_of_writing, but I'm still new at vid-making (this is my second) and I'm quite pleased with how this one turned out.

Song: "Someone Like You" by Adele (live version from The Royal Albert Hall)
Vidder: etharei
Fandom: Sherlock (BBC series)
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Summary: Don't forget me, I beg.
Spoilers: all clips are from season two and heavy with spoilers!
Disclaimer: All audio and video elements belong to their respective owners (not me); no copyright infringement is intended.

Please don't watch if you haven't seen Sherlock season 2.

link: http://youtu.be/T1bHjT4Rmrs

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The fiasco continues

2012-01-24T16:46:28Z

Originally posted by janesgravity at The fiasco continues

ACTA in a Nutshell –

What is ACTA? ACTA is the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. A new intellectual property enforcement treaty being negotiated by the United States, the European Community, Switzerland, and Japan, with Australia, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Mexico, Jordan, Morocco, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada recently announcing that they will join in as well.

Why should you care about ACTA? Initial reports indicate that the treaty will have a very broad scope and will involve new tools targeting “Internet distribution and information technology.”

What is the goal of ACTA? Reportedly the goal is to create new legal standards of intellectual property enforcement, as well as increased international cooperation, an example of which would be an increase in information sharing between signatory countries’ law enforcement agencies.

Essential ACTA Resources -

Read more about ACTA here: ACTA Fact Sheet
Read the authentic version of the ACTA text as of 15 April 2011, as finalized by participating countries here: ACTA Finalized Text
Follow the history of the treaty’s formation here: ACTA history
Read letters from U.S. Senator Ron Wyden wherein he challenges the constitutionality of ACTA: Letter 1 | Letter 2 | Read the Administration’s Response to Wyden’s First Letter here: Response
Watch a short informative video on ACTA: ACTA Video
Watch a lulzy video on ACTA: Lulzy Video

Say NO to ACTA. It is essential to spread awareness and get the word out on ACTA.

Via Tumblr

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Sherlock 2.03 "The Reichenbach Fall" [review + fic recs]

2012-01-20T20:27:29Z

THOUGHTS on Sherlock 2.03 "The Reichenbach Fall"
Stuff under the cut is spoilery for this episode.

Boffin Sherlock Holmes!

MIND. STILL. BLOWN. To borrow wordplay from Sheldon Cooper (of Big Bang Theory), I feel like my mind will never be NOT BLOWN now. IT SHALL BE PERPETUALLY BLOWN.

I may be losing it a little.

To maintain some semblance of coherency, have some numbered points:

1. "What happened, John?"

I love how, from the outset, this ep was shown as John's story. AND HE STATES OUTRIGHT AT THE START THAT SHERLOCK IS DEAD. The writers weren't shy about letting the audience know where the episode was going. Which primes the audience to wonder about how something like that could happen. Meta aside, JOHN'S FACE AND VOICE AND OMG HE COULDN'T EVEN SAY IT IS IT ALLOWED FOR THE SHOW TO DESTROY ITS AUDIENCE BEFORE THE OPENING SEQUENCE

2. "I mean, this isn't a deerstalker now, it's a Sherlock Holmes hat."

There are no words for how impressed I am by the way this show has embraced the concept of 'modernizing' an iconic and classic piece of British literature. The app icons on Moriarty's phone! The theme of celebrity in this episode wouldn't have worked without the technology and social media platforms we have today.

"Everybody gets one."
"One what?"
"Tabloid nickname."

It's a very fitting theme for these times, too, with the surge of 'reality show fame' and, on the other side, audiences who are starting to question the veracity of sensationalist media. I like that there's still a nod to the literal Reichenbach Falls, but the actual 'fall', of course, is partly metaphorical. Which got a bit heavy-handed at the end, yet I adore Benedict delivering a menacing line about angels (his voice, how will I cope with Smaug BE PREPARED FOR UNUSUAL ~REACTIONS TO A GREAT HOARDING DRAGON).

3. "I want to solve the problem. Our problem. The final problem."

IS MORIARTY NOT THE MASTER VILLAIN OF ALL TIME? Seriously, all the hats off to Andrew Scott. The accent thing threw me off in 1.03, but it suits the character we've come to know. 'STAYING ALIVE' RINGTONE AHAHAHAA.

Though, as amagiclantern pointed out, Moriarty didn't need to say THE FINAL PROBLEM quite so many times. I haven't even read most of the Sherlock stories and I got the reference the first time.

4. "Or the press will turn, Sherlock. They always turn, and they'll turn on you."

One of the themes that I found fascinating in this ep was John's concern for Sherlock's public image and Sherlock's utter absence of concern. This bears out in most of the things that happened. I guess it's an extension of John's faith in Sherlock's genius and naturally wanting other people to validate it by believing Sherlock's genius too. It's a sweet piece of character development that, in the end, he decides to believe in Sherlock even when the man himself tries to convince him otherwise.

A part of me also believes that he was trying to tell John something in that last phone call. His 'explanations' for his abilities sounded decidedly weak. YOU RESEARCHED HIM, SHERLOCK? What, while Mike Stamford was bringing him up to the labs? So, he needed John to believe that the whole 'story' was true. Makes sense, there's a sniper trained on John. Sherlock's voice when he asked John to stay where he could see him ARGH MY HEART WAS MINCE MEAT AT THIS POINT. That said, discussions over at sherlockbbc has brought up various theories on why it might have been important for John to be standing exactly where he was, which incidentally would also limit the sniper's field of vision if he was supposed to keep his sight trained on John.

This leads me to...

5. "Molly. I think I'm going to die."

Sherlock knew. He bloody knew where his confrontation with Moriarty was leading. He fucking said it. He wouldn't have approached Molly otherwise, and it's fairly obvious that she had a part in the faking of his death. So the confusion and surprise in his reactions to Moriarty's revelations on the roof make me believe all of that was a performance. He needed everyone to believe that he'd been cornered, outsmarted, especially his enemies.

6. "One more thing. One more miracle, Sherlock, for me. Don't. Be. Dead. Would you do this? Just for me. Just stop it. Stop this."

JOHN ASKING SHERLOCK FOR A MIRACLE. FOR HIM. HE'S TELLING SHERLOCK TO STOP BEING DEAD. HE KNOWS SHERLOCK WILL DO ANYTHING FOR HIM. I CAN'T EVEN PROCESS THIS OMG.

7. I O U

IT WAS E V E R Y W H E R E WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IT'S LIKE BAD WOLF ALL OVER AGAIN. ESPECIALLY WHEN JOHN SAYS "I was so alone, and I owe you so much."</i> WHAT IS GOING ON HALP.

8. I feel like I'm not as devastated by everybody else at Sherlock's ~death? I mean, I'm happily wallowing in the John!angst, and hopefully fandom will produce beautiful angsty fics on the Hiatus, but it's not like the show doesn't make it clear that Sherlock's not actually dead? The cliffhanger, for me, is in HOW he did it, and obviously I want to watch him reunite with John. I totally bawled during The Note. But I don't get why everyone's so glum? Are people upset because he had a complete 'fall from grace' and is now considered a fraud in that universe?

HALP I AM SHERLOCK WHY ARE ALL YOUR FEELS DIFFERENT FROM MINE?

Needless to say, my shipper heart was very happy with this episode. TPTB YOU ARE SO GOOD TO US.

On a much shallower note, HO FUCK did Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman look beautiful in S2. I believe that Benedict had been seriously ill for part of the filming of S1, and I found him gorgeous anyway in S1, so him being in full health now is like being punched in the face by the pretty. And Martin's FACE, I can't deal with it.

Fandom has already started churning out the fic, so here are a few I've enjoyed.

Pre-"Reichenbach"

♥ Coordination (1370 words) by NateintheAttic
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson
Summary:

"Moving about with a mad genius attached to your wrist was not a particularly pleasant experience, especially given Sherlock's tendency towards sharp and abrupt hand movements."

- This is cute and funny, a good picker-upper if you get depressed from the other fics.

Post-"Reichenbach" fics
please assume that they are all spoilery for S2

Soon by pollitt
PG | 375 words

Stand Alone Among the Wreck by giddygeek
PG | 4700 words

A Study in Mourning by bendingwind
G | 1500 words | note: it says 1/3 but I can't tell if it's WIP or not

A Man Not Alone by likeamarionette
PG | 1687 words
As lonely as John Watson feels at times, he is, undoubtedly, loved. And the same can be said for Sherlock Holmes.

Minds Like Ours Dream Up (7515 words) by BlackEyedGirl
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Characters: John Watson, Mycroft Holmes, Greg Lestrade, Sherlock Holmes
Summary:

John can't write up the case until he finds out why. He needs to write their story true. [Post The Reichenbach Fall, major spoilers.]

♥ In love, in faith unbroken dwell (2631 words) by coloredink
Fandom: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes & John Watson
Characters: Lestrade (Inspector), Molly Hooper, Jacob Sowersby, Mrs. Hudson, Chris Melas, Helen Stoner, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson
Summary:

There are so many things about Sherlock that he didn't know. So many things that he might never have known, if they hadn't started meeting like this.

Full English (1396 words) by kay_cricketed
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Mycroft Holmes
Summary:

[Post!Reichenbach Falls] A study of grief as displayed by the variety of jams in the cupboard. John regrets his habit of saving the best for last.

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/237495.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Reaction to Sherlock 2.03

2012-01-17T20:12:29Z

FINALLY WATCHED "THE REICHENBACH FALL" AND

no words

seriously wat r words

SO BEAUTIFUL IN EVERY CONCEIVABLE WAY

and then this visual broke me:

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/237195.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Book Reviews

2012-01-12T17:47:07Z

Every year, I start out intending to read a certain number of books by the end of that year, and always abysmally failing. I've recently realized that it's not so much that I read less than I used to while I was a teenager (when I basically made my way through the school library), but that I tend to mostly read fanfic, which is not as easy, with the way things are setup at present, to keep track of. Actually, I'm pretty sure I read at least three times as much now as during those uncertain and pimply years, in terms of wordcount.

I'm giving the book reading thing another go this year, anyway. Not sure I'll post reviews of every one, but we'll see how we get on. I've set the goal at 50. I hope to cover a decent range of genres, and also non-fiction. Apparently I'm off to a good start.

Book Reviews for:
"Assassin's Apprentice" by Robin Hobb | "The Andromeda Strain" by Michael Crichton | "If this bed could talk" by Liz Maverick et. al | "The Well-Educated Mind" by Susan Wise Bauer | "Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1)" by Gail Carrigan

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fairly engaging read, overall. I don't usually read first-person narratives, so it's a good sign of how convincingly Hobb conveyed her protagonist that I had to keep turning the page in order to find out what happened to him. I also enjoy political intrigue and complicated societies, which this story has a hearty dose of. The minor characters were layered and intriguing - my favorites were Burrich and Chade.

There were some parts where the pace lagged, particularly in the middle, but it seemed partly necessary in order to give a sense of time passing and the establishment of a routine. I commend Hobb for being willing to let her characters be hurt (or killed), which upped the tension in the last handful of chapters.

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A fairly easy read with a few moments of high tension and a vaguely intriguing mystery illness. I liked the technical procedures, and the latter half of the book was better than the first half. That said, the characters were bland, and the 'threat' around which the plot revolved was yawn-inducing to my scifi-steeped soul. The most anti-climactic ending I've read in a while. The set-up was very distinctly Hollywood action-thriller. Which makes sense, since this was apparently Crichton's breakthrough novel and was also later adapted into film.

Also, women barely exist here. Even the damn miracle baby was male.

Would have benefited from the addition of zombies.

If This Bed Could Talk by Liz Maverick

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The writing was decent, and the three stories offer a range of premises that are at least different from the usual offerings in this genre. I liked "Agent Provocateur" (by Liz Maverick) the most, as it features a strong woman character who, though goes through the usual oh-no-must-not-develop-feelings for the male protagonist, at least approached the physical part of the relationship in a very matter-of-fact way.

I didn't like "Unrequited" (Kimberly Dean) or "Victim of Deception" (Lynn LaFleur) quite as much, though props to Victim for attempting a somewhat unusual premise. I think it was mainly because I didn't really feel the tension in the situations depicted there, nor particularly empathized with the female characters.

There was also misogynistic language and underlying sentiments in all three that made me uncomfortable. The sad part is that they (intentionally or not) reflect the contemporary cultural landscape.

The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had by Susan Wise Bauer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A very friendly and informative guide to reading "great works" of Western literature. I admire the author for managing to sketch out the history of each genre (fiction, historical writing, autobiographies, plays, poetry) in a concise manner that still captures the main themes and developments over the course of history. Only for English literature, mind, which she points out early on. (To study French, German, Russian traditions, etc, both author and reader would need to be fluent in the language to do it proper service.)

Author acknowledges the common obstacles to reading classical literature - distraction, trouble with comprehension, long-standing issues with the reading process itself - and recommends ways to tackle them, including step-by-step guides and handy comprehension questions.

I especially liked the suggestion of buying cheap copies in order to write notes in them - I used to write notes the length of essays along the margins of the poems we studied for GCSE English. I'll be attempting the lists, or at least those of it that I haven't read yet, for a clearer understanding of the history and development of literature.

Favorite piece of advice:
"Some books speak to us at one time of life and are silent at another. If a book remains voiceless to you, put it down and read the next book on the list." (p. 51, Chapter 4)

Soulless by Gail Carriger

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very fun and entertaining read! It took me a couple of chapters to really get into it; the writing was good but the over-the-top approach felt like it was trying too hard to emulate literature from a particular period. The Mystery was very well executed, however, and I enjoyed the cast of characters, Professor Lyall in particular. There's a lovely charm to fiction set in a world populated by supernatural creatures that seeks to be funny rather than brooding and angsty. It definitely left me amused enough to go on to the next book.

View all my reviews

2012 Reading Challenge

Rei has

read 5 books toward her goal of 50 books.

hide

5 of 50 (10%)

view books

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/236950.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Art for ACCOCC!

2012-01-08T21:09:42Z

Words cannot explain my literal aljflafjafa right now, so -

slanted_edges HAS MADE ART FOR ACCOCC

{ an unseen sea / by slanted-edges / erik + charles / x-men: first class }
link leads to tumblr - please give the artist some love!

IT IS GLORIOUS. I love this type of illustration! It makes me think of classical epics. THE COLORS OMG. It would not look out of place in a book or displayed on a wall, for serious. And something about the design and the lines make me think of old woodcut prints. HAVE I MENTIONED THE COLORS?

kafjlksfjagjjfasfsafalskj

SO MUCH TALENT OMG I AM NOT WORTHY *_____*

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/236560.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

A rec to ring the new year in

2012-01-03T15:37:23Z

So. You know when someone whose work you admire actually looks at your work and leaves really amazing and helpful feedback, and you basically scream in a glass-shattering pitch and explode in fangirlish glee?

Yeah. Hi. *waves from the mess on the floor*

If you haven't read Footloose's GLORIOUS ACTION EPIC the Loaded March series, GO DO SO RIGHT NOW. It is a Merlin modern military AU that's so excellently written and well-characterized that I daresay you don't even need to be familiar with Merlin to enjoy it.

(Though if you are, it's a deliciously slow-burn Arthur/Merlin, plus the Knights of Camelot from the end of season 3 and several extras.)

This fic hits SO MANY BUTTONS for me, I can barely begin to list them all. There's the military thing, which I only recently discovered was a thing for me, and there's a team-slash-family that kicks ass and gets crazy protective over its members. Merlin starts out as a Distrusted Newcomer who everyone ends up adoring (because he's Merlin), Arthur is Grouchy McDenialpants who tries to be all noble because he's the commanding officer, and Gwaine is evidently the same in all universes :D Oh, and Merlin has to keep his magic a secret, but that's, you know, canon.

READ IT READ IT here's the first part:

Radioman (34854 words) by Footloose
Fandom: Merlin (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon
Characters: Merlin, Arthur Pendragon, Gwen, Morgana, Leon, Lancelot, Gwaine, Knights
Summary:

The reason SAS Captain Arthur Pendragon can't keep a communications specialist in Team Excalibur because none of them are good enough. And then Lieutenant Merlin Emrys gets assigned to his squad, and Arthur does everything he can to prove that Merlin isn't good enough, either. Except he is.

You can also follow the progress of the fic over at loaded_march.

On that note, I'm going to make more of an effort to read and rec more stuff this year :-) Not just fanwork, but lesser-known creative works, especially independent authors/artists. One should support one's community, after all.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the year ♥

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/236354.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

2011 End of Year fic summary

2011-12-31T11:29:36Z

I should probably post this before the year ends! It's been a fairly productive year, writing-wise, at least compared to my last couple of years. It helped to have withdrawn from a time-consuming RPS fandom, and discover new fandoms (X-Men First Class) and fall back into old ones (Sherlock (BBC)).

END OF YEAR SUMMARY

Fics I wrote this year (in reverse chronological order):

A Curious Carriage of Crystal and Cold
NC-17 | Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier (X-Men First Class) | 114,200 words
Charles, a miner from a poor village in the countryside, saves the life of Erik Lehnsherr, scion of a successful business family and the richest man on the planet Eisen. Charles is a telepath and somewhat anxious about it, while Erik abstains from relationships because the lights flicker and doors open and electronics vibrate when he gets too excited.

Also featuring a long-suffering sister, a foul-mouthed bodyguard, and a best friend with a heart that is definitely not gold.

In which there are princes, spaceships, long journeys, and old secrets uncovered. (An AU sci-fi fairytale) Written for xmenbigbang 2011.

Parts of The Proper Care of Actors (mostly co-written by clocks, clear_liqueur, afrocurl)
NC-17 | Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier (X-Men First Class) | 113,100/? (Ongoing)
Erik is an A-list action star who is notoriously difficult to work with, until the day he gets cast alongside Charles Xavier, rom-com darling who can charm the pants off movie audiences the world over and apparently even one Erik Lehnsherr. The paparazzi catch them out and about soon enough, and their real-life Hollywood movie romance becomes instant tabloid fodder.

Scenes From A Teen Life
PG | Teddy Altman/Billy Kaplan (Young Avengers) | 5,200 words
He's never been in this space before: broad daylight, his cheek throbbing, clothing dirty from the street, and at the same time floating, skin thrumming like he's using magic; hopelessly, helplessly happy. In which Billy Kaplan, against all expectations and documented statistics, has a boyfriend.

Teenage Dream
NC-17 | Steve Rogers/Tony Stark (Avengers) | 7,600 words
"That," says Tony, tone unmistakably smug despite his split lip, "is Captain America. Who, by the way, happens to be my godfather." Written for the Kink Bingo prompt: ageplay.

grounding your electric
NC-17 | Ace!Sherlock/John (BBC Sherlock) | 3,500 words
"Sherlock. Listen to me. Listen to my voice. I need you to focus on me. Only me. I want that remarkable, beautiful mind of yours to think of me, and me alone. Nothing outside this flat, outside this room, outside of us, matters. Do you understand?" Flashfic. Written for the Kink Bingo prompt: service.

between flying and falling
R | John Granby/Tharkay (Temeraire) | 4,400 words
The rush of air and the pull of the harness has him gasping, despite himself; energy is thrumming under his skin, with a small edge of instinctive fear that quickens his heart and makes every breath feel glorious. He hasn't felt so alive in weeks. Which is, in a way, part of the problem. Flashfic. Written for the Kink Bingo prompt: suspension.

It takes a heap ‘o livin’
NC-17 | Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier (X-Men First Class) | 15,000 words
They have their day jobs. And then, they have this. Modern!AU in which they are the superheroes of mutantkind.

given back, but not to keep
NC-17 | Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier (X-Men First Class) | 5,000 words
It starts one morning when, walking down a hallway during a lull between lessons, Erik comments casually to Charles, "Don't forget to train yourself too." Written for the Kink Bingo prompt: hypnosis / mind control.

mind-forg’d manacles
PG-13 | Sherlock/John (BBC Sherlock) | 3,500 words
“Mycroft could have taken care of that lot without even leaving his car.” He feels Sherlock following close behind, so he turns and leans back on the counter. “But you still did it.”

When Harry met Sally (and then Sherlock Holmes)
PG-13 | Harry Watson, implied Sherlock/John (BBC Sherlock) | 5,400 words
Harry Watson hadn’t expected the Met, and possibly the British government, to be this keen on locating her missing brother.

That Dancing Star
PG | Adam Lambert/Tommy Joe Ratliff (Music RPS) | 21,000/? (Incomplete)
While visiting Cardiff during a trip to the UK, Adam loses track of Tommy for an hour. A mysterious stranger in a military coat returns Tommy to him, and all seems well. But it slowly becomes clear that something had happened to Tommy during that missing hour. Adam gets in touch with Captain Jack Harkness, Tommy's dashing-but-mysterious rescuer, and thus begins a crazy and occasionally painful adventure that leads all the way to another world. Features psychedelic pollen, zombies, and a healthy dose of aliens.

bassists are delicious to aliens
NC-17 | Adam Lambert/Tommy Joe Ratliff (Music RPS) | 5,000 words
'if he were a man-eating plant, he’d have, like, toxins and shit to keep the prey from fighting too hard' A touching tale of the aliens-made-them-do-it variety.

the element of surprise
NC-17 | Adam Lambert/Tommy Joe Ratliff RPS | 1,300 words
"Wanna keep fucking you whenever, wherever I want. No warning. And you’ll bend over and take it, or get on your back and spread your legs. All for me." PWP

My favorite story of mine this year:
“A Curious Carriage of Crystal and Cold”

My best story:
“A Curious Carriage of Crystal and Cold” - my most ambitious effort to date.

~~Story most underappreciated by the universe, in my opinion:~~

Most fun story:
Tie between “It takes a heap ‘o livin’” and “A Curious Carriage of Crystal and Cold”

Most sexy story:
“The Proper Care of Actors” - we don’t call it a pornfest for nuthin’

"Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story:
“bassists are delicious to aliens” - the plant-tentacle fic that xsilverdreamsx had to remind me that I’d written XD

Story with single sexiest moment:
“given back, but not to keep” - apparently I have a thing for telepathic sex and mutant powerplay

Story with single sweetest moment:
“Teenage Dream” - the whole fic is actually a series of sweet moments between godfather!Steve and teenager!Tony

Most unintentionally *telling* story:
“given back, but not to keep” - all the fics are telling in their own ways, but if I have to pick one, this fic unblocked the wall that had built up over the last couple of years, and got me fascinated by character dynamics all over again.

Fic that shifted my own perceptions of the characters:
“given back, but not to keep”

Biggest disappointment:
“That Dancing Star” - the Lambliff Big Bang that I still haven’t finished.

Biggest surprise:
“Teenage Dream” - I generally have an age disparity squick, so I’m still surprised that I wrote a fic featuring it. I’m also surprised by how many people have read this, considering all the warnings.

Hardest story to write:
“A Curious Carriage of Crystal and Cold” - 114k words. Enough said.

Easiest story to write:
“Scenes from a Teen Life” - Billy Kaplan moved into my head the moment I started reading Young Avengers, and this fic literally just fell out of my brain

This year's theme and the story that demonstrates it most:
Longfic! Also, towards the latter half of the year, action-based narrative, which I’m still trying to get a handle on.

Amount of fic that lurks, unposted, on your hard drive and why:
For every fic I end up posting, there are two that I don’t, which means there’s actually quite a lot of stuff I’ve written that have never made it out of my fic folder. This partly because I get these ideas for fic but either don’t have the stamina or motivation to finish them, or I get distracted by a new thing and forget about the fic entirely. This was why I was very willing to let NaNo go so that I could finish my XMFC epic AU. I was really excited about the original fic premise I had for NaNo, but what I need to work on now is finishing a story.

In short, I can’t even begin to estimate how many unfinished fics I have lurking in my folders.

So cheers to 2011, and a big HELLO to 2012 ♥

mirror on DW http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/236089.html

holiday presents for fandom! Sherlock & The Hobbit

2011-12-21T19:44:23Z

Holiday presents have come to fandom! I feel like I've been SLAPPED IN THE FACE REPEATEDLY BY THE FLAIL and ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.

It's a Martin Freeman appreciation day! ♥

BBC Sherlock series 2
Love how the clip titles are anagrams of SHERLOCK RETURNS :D

♥ RECKLESS NOR HURT (A Scandal in Belgravia & The Reichenbach Fall)
- nggghhh I might have a thing for Sherlock firing a weapon
- John in a stripey bathrobe. I love them being domestic :D
- omg WHY SHERLOCK WHY John's faaace D: they're setting up for Reichenbach here aren't they PREPARING ALL MY CREYS.

♥ SECRET HORNS LURK (The Hounds of Baskerville)
- yes I giggled at the anagram /is twelve
- fairly dangerous bins, are they?
- and after that closing shot SHERLOCK TURNS INTO A DRAGON Y/Y?

♥ RUN ROCKS SHELTER (The Hounds of Baskerville & The Reichenbach Fall)
- Sherlock channeling Captain Jack Harkness! his coat is seriously UNF though.
- Moriarty in that suit and smirk is unexpectedly attractive
- and this is the clip that spawned talk of Sherlock/Moriarty prison hatesex on my twitter feed, because my feed is awesomecakes :D

And an extra clip from The Guardian: RUSH RELENTS ROCKS
- I may also have a thing for homoerotic violence. um.
- "I always hear 'punch me in the face' when you're speaking, but it's usually just - subtext" BEST LINE EVER OMG.
- dear gooseberries Benedict and Martin look ridiculously gorgeous. Sherlock's black ensemble is just DELICIOUS omnomnom.

The Hobbit

link: http://youtu.be/G0k3kHtyoqc

- the music alone already HAS ME IN TEARS T_T
- Martin as Bilbo is p e r f e c t ♥ the hair! (the yellow vest is very him, though) the blue coat! the list of things!
- DWAAAARVES ♥ I predict that Kili and Thorin will be faves :D love how they all have their own personalities.
- SINGING omg my heart. I kinda wish they'll include snippets of Dwarven history from Silmarillion. confession: I can still recite most of the song of Khazad-dum from the Moria chapter in LOTR.
- Rivendell!!! unexpected Galadriel! I'm so looking forward to the extra elements in the films that happen 'off-screen' in the book.
- all the tie-ins to LOTR akjalkfa NARSIL! STING! THE PRECIOUS ICU.

I've said it before but... seeing Middle-Earth again, in so many ways, is just like coming home ♥

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/229894.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

XMBB fic: A curious carriage of crystal and cold

2011-12-16T19:37:56Z

Title: A Curious Carriage of Crystal and Cold
Author: Etharei
Artist: Celectis
Verse: First Class, minor characters from other 'verses
Word Count: 114,000
Rating: NC-17
Characters/Pairings: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Warnings references to conflict, mild non-explicit violence
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters mentioned herein; they’re based on the movie "X-Men First Class" (2011), which in turn has been adapted from the Marvel comic series. Assorted other characters also belong to the Marvel universe.
Summary:
Charles, a miner from a poor village in the countryside, saves the life of Erik Lehnsherr, scion of a successful business family and the richest man on the planet Eisen. Charles is a telepath and somewhat anxious about it, while Erik abstains from relationships because the lights flicker and doors open and electronics vibrate when he gets too excited.

Also features a long-suffering sister, a foul-mouthed bodyguard, and a best friend with a heart that is definitely not gold.

In which there are princes, spaceships, long journeys, and old secrets uncovered.

Written for xmenbigbang 2011.

{ A Curious Carriage of Crystal and Cold }
posted on AO3

{ APPRECIATION }

My artist for this Big Bang is the brilliant celectis, who is ridiculously talented and a total sweetheart and probably my soulmate in another life, wherein our special song would be "Not Done Yet" set to the tune of Spamalot's "Not Dead Yet".

Seriously, though, ALL THE PRAISE AND LOVE IN THE WORLD AND ALSO THE NEXT GALAXY OVER ♥ I cannot wax eloquent enough about how magnificent her art is. Even if you're not in fandom or interested in my fic, please scroll through and enjoy her art. Thank you for making the process so much fun, sweetie, especially near the end when sleep-deprivation set in.

MANY, MANY HEARTFELT THANKS to xsilverdreamsx, who didn't run away like a sensible person when she saw the size of this thing, but instead read it through and pointed out mistakes and gave helpful feedback. (All remaining mistakes are mine.) She's also been one of my biggest cheerleaders, so THANK YOU LOVE.

THANKS AND ADORATION and *glomp*-age also to clear_liqueur, clocks, and afrocurl, who are the most understanding people in the world and cheered me on even though I kept disappearing on them (and the fic I'm supposed to be helping to write) in order to work on this.

To the lovely and exceedingly patient xmenbigbang mods, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the hard work you've put into this challenge, I'm so grateful to have gotten this opportunity to stretch myself in my writing, and I owe it to you guys. I also apologize for any inconvenience my deadline!fail caused.

{ AUTHOR'S NOTES }

Once upon a time, at the beginning of this challenge, I said unto my brain, "Let's write a fairytale! About the power of stories! And with spaceships!"

It might have gotten a bit out of hand.

I shall remember this fic in a myriad of ways. Let me list them:

1. THE LONGEST FUCKING THING I'VE EVER FINISHED.
2. The fic I gave up NaNoWriMo 2011 for. I got to about 15k with the NaNo, while writing this at the same time, but there was no way I could keep it up for an entire month. It was a good trade, I think, since my biggest issue is that I so very rarely finish things; it was far better for me, as someone who's learning to write, to finish this fic and have it under my belt. I did make a lovely start on an original story, though.
3. This fic was the result of looking at a lot of pictures from the Children of Dune television miniseries while watching Doctor Who while listening to the soundtracks of Enchanted and The Prince of Egypt. Yeah.
4. For some reason, bits of an as-of-yet-unwritten Merlin fic kept turning up in here. The perils of writing when tired, especially when one's fingers can touch-type and will keep on typing whatever narrative pops into one's head even when one's eyes are already shut asleep. It was a bit disconcerting to be reading through it and, right in the middle of a conversation between Charles and Erik, there'd be a few lines of Merlin chatting with Arthur.
5. The sad part is that I can probably write another 20k within the current storyline. That's how much this 'verse has taken over my brain.

This fic has been a long time coming, in many ways. Sci-fi/fantasy has been my escape of choice since I was a child, while the grittier sort of fairy-tales and superhero mythology have captured my attention now as an adult (this is the sensible order in which to tackle such things, I believe), so this fic is kind of a tribute to those genres. Of course, this would also not have been possible if not for the marvelous characters created by Marvel, and later translated into film by the team and talent behind the X-Men: First Class movie.

Anyway, I will probably be sneaking in and editing bits and pieces of it, because the end still feels kind of rushed, and there are many parts that don't flow as smoothly as I'd like. I hope that the plot is still somewhat comprehensible.

Edits:
23 December 2011 - added closing notes at the end of the Epilogue and to this post.

I appreciate all your comments and kudoses and love-via-lurking (goodness knows I've done all three before, sometimes for the same piece of fanwork). Thank you for joining me in exploring a distant rusty world and soaring into the stars and finding, somehow, love and destiny and friendship in between.

Stories live by being read, and grow by being shared; may you never lose your love of them.

Merlin 4.09 | not finishing NaNo

2011-11-27T18:58:48Z

Just saw the newest Merlin, 4.09 "Lancelot du Lac", and it wasn't as painful as I was expecting, with excellent acting all around.

Thoughts

I kinda like that there wasn't a clear resolution at the end - it feels like the series has MATURED in season 4, and all the actions actually have CONSEQUENCES that last longer than the end of the episode.

On that note, that last exchange between Merlin and Arthur was just magnificent. Seriously, hats off to Colin and Bradley. I had a Moment where I was totally, utterly convinced that I was watching KING ARTHUR. (Not that I don't think it at other times, Bradley's been great about giving off the kingly vibe, but generally I feel like how I suspect Merlin usually feels, as if this is still mostly Prince Arthur but with different headwear.) When did the boys go and grow up all of a sudden? :D

I loooove Gwen's dress. /shallow point is shallow

LOL at fandom's reaction to Arthur's proposal scene basically being THAT'S SWEET ARTHUR BUT YOU'LL BURN THE HOUSE DOWN, WHO LET YOU PLAY WITH MATCHES. Probably why Merlin came along. Actually, Arthur probably got Merlin's help, and Merlin spent the entire time pointing out all the ways the setup was a fire hazard. Or Merlin was there to ~ease the sting if Gwen said no XD

Again, SO IMPRESSED by everyone's acting. The scene between Arthur and Gwen was heartbreaking, and injected a good dose of SRS BSNESS in a show that's usually happy to float by on crack fumes. Hats AND neckerchiefs off to Angel's acting ♥

Knights! Kniiiights. I seriously get so happy whenever I see one of them; I squeaked when I recognized Leon's ginger curls right before the helmet went down, grinned at Percival knowing that Merlin was worried about Arthur, and tried to pet the screen when I saw Gwaine at the table during the welcome-back dinner for Lancelot. Also that smile from Elyan when Lance was talking about working for a living via the sword is like an acknowledgement of Elyan having done the same prior to being used as hostage. MOAR KNIGHTS NEXT WEEK I AM EXCITE.

In other news, I dropped out of this year's NaNoWriMo around 15k. Mainly because I spent a week being a tourist in Singapore, and I've also been hammering at my xmenbigbang. I've belatedly realized that I could have gone NaNoRebel and used the wordcount I was putting in for the Big Bang, but then again, I don't want to shoehorn 50k of words into something that may not need it (it's currently at 80k now, AND STILL NOT DONE ARGH). Anyway, since we're on the theme of being mature and making adult decisions, I gave up the ghost. I got the start of what might become a good story out of what I'd written, which was really all I wanted.

Best of luck to everyone going for the home stretch!