A single Shard upon the Shore

AO3's April Membership Drive

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:59:26 GMT

Not sure if the Drive is still going, but donations are welcome at any time. As copperbadge and various others have said, if you've ever wanted to throw a couple of bucks my way for my fanfic, support the archive instead ♥

</site-embed>

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/243795.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

[snapshot] reel loife

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:27:57 GMT

Right. So, quick snapshot of life right now:

Currently living in Australia and very excited that Winter Is Coming, Why Isn't It Here Already? because we've had more than enough heat for this year, thanks.

Furthermore, am also now living with a fellow fandom person. SHE KNOWS WHO SHE IS. I'd name her but not sure if she'd want me to and I'm too lazy to yell through the walls and ask.

I wasn't going to do paperlegends again but found out it'll be the last one and over 300 authors have signed up SO WHAT THE HECK, WHY NOT XD A group of us on twitter have formed a support group. It's definitely helping, as I'm at 5k now and that's the furthest I've ever been so early in a big bang.

Broke my rule about not posting WIPs (until I finish them) by posting Child Of The Kindly West, to be updated as I go. I have very good reasons for this rule - mainly, I can't write in a linear fashion to save my life, and I'm very easily distracted. But I wanted to challenge myself, and work on being a more consistent writer. Ironically, I first instigated this rule when I couldn't finish my WIPs in the LOTR fandom, so it feels like I've come full circle.

My very talented and very lovely RL friend smokefall has joined fandom! The Les Mis fandom, to be exact. Check out her genderfluid!Eponine fic Dress To Kill (AO3), with bonus clothes!porn :D

Had class from 1:30pm to 9:30pm today, so will try to squeeze out a few more words for PaperLegends and then sleeeep. Hope everyone has a lovely week ♥

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/243525.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Happy Birthday Suz!

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:20:47 GMT

Happy Birthday suzvoy!

You are one of the people I've known longest from fandom, and it's always a delight whenever we happen to share the same fandom. You inspire me with your kindness and perseverance, and your amazing stories make so many people happy. If I lived closer, I'd give you a hug every damn day. Love you always, darling ♥ ♥ ♥

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/243331.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

It's a new daaawn, it's a new daaaay

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:27:40 GMT

Over ten years ago, I dove headfirst into my first big fandom, The Lord of the Rings, after the release of the movies. I'd read and loved the books for years at that point, but the movies really exploded the fandom on the interwebs. I also got my first experience of forum roleplaying on LOTR Fanatics Plaza, where the name 'Etharei' was born.

GOOD GEESES I'VE BEEN IN FANDOM A LONG TIME.

Guys my FF.Net account was created in 2002. Over here, if anyone is curious. All the fics on there are LOTR. My bio is... painful.

But it seems appropriate that I am now eyeballs-deep in The Hobbit fandom. It feels so much like coming home - like I went off on a nice Adventure, as teenagers are wont to do, and have now wandered back to familiar paths older and carrying a bit more of the world behind my eyeballs.

I've missed you, Middle-Earth.

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/242975.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

FLAIL-age, Election 2012 and SPN Promo

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 23:20:54 GMT

creeeeping slowly along on my NaNo. I'm a couple of days behind, but I pretty much expected that, since the first week of November had three finals.

YAY ELECTIONS CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT OBAMA! oh man yesterday was SO STRESSFUL. my friend and I were meant to be studying but we ended up watching the Huffington electoral map, Twitter, Tumblr, and past episodes of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart when the tension got a bit much. FOUR FOR YOU AMERICA ♥ THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED!

anyway, extra SQUEE today because of this Supernatural November Sweeps promo:

on yootoob: http://youtu.be/mZvo4gvsSRU via all_spn

DEEEAAAAAN. CAAAAASSSSSS. OMFG IT'S LIKE A MILLION GLORIOUS THINGS OUT OF FANFIC. ALSO MY SHIP MY BEAUTIFUL, GLORIOUS SHIP LET ME LOVE YOU. SERIOUSLY THE ONLY WAY THIS SHIP CAN GET MORE CANON IS IF WE GET A SEXTAPE OF SOME KIND.

*RUNS AROUND SCREAMING*

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/242727.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

It's that time of year...

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 18:30:20 GMT

NANOWRIMO 2012

What is NaNoWriMo?
NaNoWriMo stands for 'National Novel Writing Month', and is best described thus: ... a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. (From the official website)

Basically...

It happens every year during the month of November.

Winning means reaching that 50,000 word count before the stroke of midnight on November 30.

There are no joining fees, or any actual prizes, just the satisfaction of having completed a novella. (Although some sponsoring companies offer discounts on self-publishing.)

For more information: http://www.nanowrimo.org

I had to check my tags to work this out, but this is my 8th year NaNo-ing (omg), and I've ~won 4 times. So, about a 50% success rate. And it can go either way this year! I waffled about for a bit but have decided to do fanfic (specifically, my teenwolf_bb). Don't want a repeat of last year where I tried to do both NaNo and the XMFC Big Bang at the same time, what in the world was I thinking, and eventually gave up the former to finish the latter. Might as well have done the big bang fic for NaNo, seeing as A Curious Carriage of Crystal and Cold ended up being 114k.

Also hoping to make some of the social events in my area. Seems like Melbourne has a fairly active NaNo population :D

Holler if you're doing it this year too!

Addendum: Hope everyone in the path of Hurricane Sandy remains safe and sound ♥

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/242684.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

fic: Hide Of A Life War

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 19:57:08 GMT

Oh my poor, neglected journals *pets* To be honest, I'm spending most of my fandom over at Tumblr (etharei) or on Twitter, but I do miss the good 'ole days of actually posting stuff.

Finally finished my first fic in the Teen Wolf fandom, and at some point I'll put it up on rei_of_writing (my poor, neglected fic archive comm). In the meantime, HURR IT IS.

Hide Of A Life War (26017 words) by Etharei
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Sheriff Stilinski, Derek Hale, Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, Isaac Lahey, Peter Hale
Summary:

“We have received confirmation that there is a hostage situation in progress at a warehouse compound two hours out of Los Angeles, following a multiple-vehicle pileup on Highway 101 this morning...”

The one in which Stiles has lived to (legal) adulthood and, along the way, become a bit of a badass himself.

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/242391.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

long time no see!

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:32:25 GMT

hey there heyyy

watchu all doin'?

I'm good, not up to much.

Just working on my paperlegends fic.

Also maybe watching Teen Wolf.

As starsparkle333 put it: "watch teen wolf, they said. It'll be fun, they said."

I BLAME YOU FOR THE RUIN THAT IS MY HEART RIGHT NOW, FANDOM.

And also these guys:

And this guy in particular:

(source)

And also the most phenomenal piece of television I've ever seen (a clip of my favorite part of the pre-credits scene in 2.11 "Battlefield"). Serious applause to Dylan O'Brien and Bianca Lawson for that piece of acting.

Fellow TW-ers, if you need something fluffy and cute to take your mind off the SLEDGEHAMMER OF FEELS, have some of this cuteness (Derek/Stiles):

link: http://youtu.be/8-tCMRwBRsc

(found the video via jerakeen; feel free to leave feedback for the vidder HERE)

now excuse me while I go back to ~~wrestling with knights and dragons and woodland scenery~~ writing.

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/241695.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Art: "Mage" for Sherlock Reverse Big Bang

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 01:53:46 GMT

Sherlock Reverse Big Bang 2012

FICS:
♥ The Diranian Effect by xsilverdreamsx
♥ The Mortar and The Glue by trista_zevkia

Mage

Preview: SPN 7.21 "Reading Is Fundamental"

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:21:56 GMT

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.

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/241542.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

vid: B*tches in Bookships

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:48:22 GMT

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

from no_detective

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/241311.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

SPN 7.17 "Born-Again Identity"

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 11:14:02 GMT

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.

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/241051.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

SPN 7.17 Producer's Preview

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 01:53:12 GMT

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*

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/240846.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

SPN - Clip #2 for 7.17

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:18:02 GMT

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!

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/240637.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

SPN 7.17 Promo the second

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:49:35 GMT

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

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/240269.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

SPN - Sneak Peek 7.17

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 05:26:08 GMT

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.)

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/240023.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

SPN - Promo for 7.17

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 08:41:15 GMT

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.

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/239731.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

ZQ and Cumberbatch flail

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 07:39:45 GMT

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]

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/239521.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

First Week In Melbourne | ATLA madness

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:40:52 GMT

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.

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/239147.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Made it to Melbourne!

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:57:26 GMT

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 ♥

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/238886.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Adventure begins! ... in the morning

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:20:22 GMT

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!

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/238661.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Thank You | Book Reviews

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:55:26 GMT

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.

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/238541.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Things I Am Doing Things For

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:53:49 GMT

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.

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/238140.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

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

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:14:24 GMT

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

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/237905.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

The fiasco continues

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:46:28 GMT

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

</div>

This entry was originally posted at http://etharei.dreamwidth.org/237621.html. Please comment there using OpenID.