oh no.

story covers for "the deception curve" by epicflailer

ciudad — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 01:56:39 GMT

For epicflailer's The Deception Curve, an Arthur/Cobb story for inception_bang.

notes: Thank you so much to epicflailer, who is a delight and wonder in every way ♥♥ I can only hope these can make your awesome fic even more awesome!

Since I couldn't decide which approach I liked best, you'll find three variations under the cut, featuring the main characters in the story. The typography in v. 2 was inspired by those in the posters for I Am Love and I'm Still Here.

All covers are safe for work and non-spoilery for the fic :)

v. 1
featuring Cobb, Arthur and the kids

v. 2
featuring Philippa and James

v. 3
featuring Arthur and Yusuf

resources: screencaps from homeofthenutty and io9, stock images from brasaremean and zastavki

The Gestation Conundrum Contingency (Cook/Archuleta, NC-17)

ciudad — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 03:38:22 GMT

The Gestation Conundrum Contingency
The very true story of how a freelance superhero working for a top-secret organization has to deal with some very uncomfortable facts of life (and evil mad scientists who want to take over the world). (The Middleman AU) (Cook/Archuleta)

wordcount: 18,850
rating: NC-17
warnings: non-explicit violence
notes: Written for mrsachid's prompt "mpreg" as part of cookleta_hols and originally posted here! Some lines were taken from the show, especially episodes one, four and eleven; The Middlepedia and TV Tropes were also invaluable. Information on pregnancy should not be taken as medical advice. No pop culture references were harmed in the production of this story.

A multitude of thanks to the following: epicflailer for her enthusiasm and hand-holding, the wrisomifu community for its support as I wrote the last 9000 words, rajkumari905 for the encouraging read-through and jehane_writes for the speedy beta. Any remaining mistakes are my own.

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3

If you'd rather read it on one page, it's also on Dreamwidth.

near life experience

ciudad — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:41:38 GMT

UNIVERSE! I am climbing a mountain tomorrow, going down some caves, lighting a few candles, that sort of thing. It will be very wet and I will be a mess. Also I will be incommunicado for the entire weekend, unless if I fiddle with my cellphone correctly to update Twitter :|

The help_pakistan auction closes on August 29 1 AM EST. I won't be around when it does, but my offer still stands - the top two bidders will win my services :D

I tossed some of these on Twitter, and now I'm tossing them here. Used to do this for [another fandom] after I got inspired by the original & watch_this_rain's Jeeves/Wooster sets of yore, and now crayon_scrawls has done excellent ones for Inception -- TL;DR JUMPING ON BANDWAGONS :D?

Some nifty fandom stuff you'll like better than the above: a gorgeous Inception/Sandman crossover from the artist of Hero, a mashup of the 2009 Holmes movie trailer audio with video from the new BBC series and new Katie Forsythe fic(!!!) ♥

Also posted to Dreamwidth with comments. Reply here or there :)

meretricious.

ciudad — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:47:21 GMT

- That desktop wallpaper meme:

I use this one because every time my dad sees it, he inevitably asks what movie am I watching and I have to say, "No, dad, it's my desktop." :D On my desktop are a text file containing the themes of an icon challenge, Recycle Bin, a file dump folder and the PDF of the Inception prequel graphic novel.

- This fic meme:

1. Go through my story index and pick out a sentence from one of my stories.

2. I'll try to guess what story it's from. If something comes to mind, I'll give you some backstory or DVD commentary for the excerpt.

3. If I guess wrong, you get to ask me for a drabble. I'll take characters or a pairing, and a nudge in the right direction.

- This is either a new high or a new low: I made seven variations of one base icon :| That's the effect of having very limited caps to choose from, I guess.

Also posted to Dreamwidth with comments. Reply here or there :)

30 figure skating icons

ciudad — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:20:39 GMT

In a valiant effort to not get rusty at this, I fired up my music player and Photoshop to make something. Anything. Coincidentally, I have been ridiculously obsessed with figure skating lately and had accumulated a lot of pictures in my HD.

Now to resume the end-of-school grind ;_;

15 Johnny Weir
5 Johnny Weir (& Stéphane Lambiel, Kim Yu-Na, Kelly Osbourne, Evan Lysacek)
4 Kim Yu-Na
1 Stéphane Lambiel
5 crossovers w/ Arrested Development (Evan Lysacek, Nobunari Oda, Lambiel, Brian Joubert)
+ 1 wallpaper (Johnny Weir/Stéphane Lambiel - 1280x800)



         1-5.

         6-10.

         11-15.

         16-20.

         21-25.

         26-30.

(click thumbnail for full size)
notes:
- resources!
- need a different resolution for the wallpaper? just comment and I'll resize it for you :)
- #6 quote from Seinfeld
- #20 quote from Futurama
- #s 26-28: Evan Lysacek = Steve Holt made complete sense to me. Steve Holt! \o/
- #29: oh Joubert. I mock born-with-a-six-pack with love :)

i'll be of no use to you at all

ciudad — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:53:48 GMT

eta: corrected a typo in #16 - thanks to finetimeforpie for the heads up!

Um, I don't know what to say, except that I kind of ♥ the letterpress text effect a lot. Enjoy!

11 Sherlock Holmes '09 (Watson, Irene, Holmes, Holmes/Watson, quotes)
1 David Cook/David Archuleta
2 David Archuleta
1 Stephen Fry



         1-5.

         6-10.

         11-15.

         16-20.

+ variations


notes:
- resources!
- all text quotes are based on what I could remember, so, um they may not be exact :c
- #5 text is dialogue from an early version of the script
- #8 text from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
- #s 10-12, 15 images from Google Image Search

let my guard down

ciudad — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 02:23:40 GMT

:O:O:O:O how come no one told me wallpaper-making could be so addictive? I hope you enjoy my last fannish hurrah for 2009 ♥ Unhealthy obsession with permutations of the word "love" Y/N?

1440x900 ★ 1280x800 ★ 1024x768
Resources used: brasaremean, _excentric_, kiho_chan. Please don't edit or modify for use as a header/banner/icon/whatever without my permission.

(Not in your resolution? Feel free to request it, and I'll get back to you after my vacation!)

only me, only you (and the band)

ciudad — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:05:22 GMT

Today -- in my timezone, at least -- is David Archuleta's birthday! Happy 19th, wonderboy! Since last year I totally spazzed out re: anything celebratory, I figured I'd make up for it this year with a graphics-type thing :D

This is my first time doing a somewhat complicated desktop wallpaper (that is, using more than one picture and two textures) and I think it came out okay. It's bottom-heavy because my taskbar's on top (ha).

1440x900 ★ 1280x800 ★ 1024x768
icon (100x100) ★ header (500x300)
(Resources used: brasaremean, elli, ffffound & David HQ. Please don't edit or modify for use as a header/banner/icon/whatever without my permission.)

If I haven't provided for your desktop resolution, just tell me and I'll resize it for you, though it might take a while, as I'll be computer-less for the next three days~

♥♥♥!

confound it!

ciudad — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 12:30:18 GMT

Of all the things that would make me start making icons again, I didn't expect it to be A Nero Wolfe Mystery. But while preparing a *cough* small picspam, I looked at the caps I made and went, "aw, heck." (This also means there may be more in the future, with the other episodes & characters I still have yet to watch/cap :D)

10 A Nero Wolfe Mystery ("Champagne For One (Parts 1 & 2)")



         1-5.

         6-10.

+1 variation

- #4 image from ffffound, #6 image from the "Coffee & TV" music video

a minor incident: a "submerged" fanmix

ciudad — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:20:46 GMT

For marginaliana's Submerged, a James May/Richard Hammond story for rpf_big_bang.

[ trailer | fanmix ]
notes: There are quotes from the story under the cut, so potential spoilers abound! My laptop crashed before I could finish the fanmix (external HDs are lifesavers!) so this is what you might call a careful reconstruction on someone else's computer :) Most of the files are in .mp3 format, though some are .m4a. Individual tracks are up at box.net, with the entire mix as a zip file at Megaupload.

a minor incident
a "submerged" mix

Richard looks up, and James can't help but note the redness of his eyes and the almost stretched look of his skin over his cheekbones. Woah, he thinks.

Beulah - My Horoscope Says It's Gonna Be A Bad Year
but mostly i feel like a little boy
i'd rather feel pain than show fear
i don't wanna make excuses
but my horoscope said it would be a bad year

"This isn't – I didn't do this to myself, all right? You've got to believe me."

Violent Femmes - Crazy
ha ha ha, bless your soul
you really think you're in control?

We'll figure out how to fix him, I know we will. James shakes his head, then after a moment he pushes himself up and goes to brush his teeth. We just have to get through this first.

Imogen Heap - Clear The Area
but your eyes tell a whole other story (and I feel the weight of the world)

Being in the sub is a strange experience, even though they've taken several practice dives both with the experts and on their own. It's hard not to feel a little trapped once they're inside, the thick, round metal of the hatch hanging open over their heads to expose just the tiniest bit of sky.

Explosions in the Sky - Six Days At The Bottom of the Ocean
[instrumental]

Richard doesn't even believe in God, James knows; he's just desperate to make sense of what's happening and willing to clutch at any possibility he can work his mind around.

Polytechnic - Man Overboard
when you give up on love and happiness
do you deny that these things really exist?

"It's not mine to tell," he says lamely, and Jeremy's face goes stony. "Honestly, Jez, it's Hammond's—" he says, but Jeremy sets his glass back down on the table with a click.

Tom McRae - For The Restless
and i keep my secrets well
move on and never tell
some day they'll show

"James," she says, "Oh, James, I love you," and her beautiful brown eyes are wide, and James can't understand why she's here with him like this when he doesn't even know who she is.

Sara Schiralli - Bang Bang
and in this moment i'm weak
and in this moment i cannot quite find my feet

James dislikes this kind of casual intimacy even on a good day, and today he finds it nearly unbearable as each brush of Richard's skin makes his hair stand on end. It's too intense, and every time he looks up Jeremy's eyes are on them. Oh, god, what does he know? James thinks. Worse, what does he think he knows?

Patrick Stump - Love Lockdown
see i want to move but can't escape from you

The worst thing is that as he stares at the back of the seat in front of him, James realises this has been coming a long time.

ABBA - Waterloo
my my, at waterloo napoleon did surrender
oh yeah, and i have met my destiny in quite a similar way
the history book on the shelf
is always repeating itself

"No, Rich," he says. "I'm sorry, but no. You can't ask me for that."

Moura Lympany - Piano Sonata # 14 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 27/2, “Moonlight” - Adagio Sostuneto (Beethoven)
[instrumental]

Richard looks exhausted and there are deep hollows under his eyes, but he's grinning, almost laughing in that familiar way that exposes his perfectly straight teeth. His hair stands up wildly and his cheeks are flushed, and in a split second, James realises just exactly what's changed.

Badly Drawn Boy - A Minor Incident
i'd be a better person on the other side i'm sure
you'd find a way to help yourself
and find another door

"Jezza," says James, a bit desperately. "This isn't what it looks like." Then he looks down at Richard's mussed hair and kiss-swollen lips. "Okay, it is a bit. But I swear I wasn't lying—"

Blue October - Calling You (Live)
(its not so difficult,
the world is not so difficult)

But then he looks up and sees Richard's face – his wide eyes and the way he's biting down on his bottom lip – and he knows he wants this.

Better Than Ezra - Breathless
so glad to see you smiling
so good to hear your laugh
i think that you've found you even
missed yourself

download the mix

resources: misprinted type, ffffound, discolore, elli, oxoniensis

here is the deepest secret: a "submerged" trailer

ciudad — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:19:05 GMT

For marginaliana's Submerged, a James May/Richard Hammond story for rpf_big_bang.

[ trailer | fanmix ]
notes: To marginaliana: thank you so much! It's been an honor being your artist, and I hope you'll enjoy my offerings for your awesome story ♥ I admit, I was somewhat apprehensive at first, because I've never tried illustrating for a story with a concept like yours (even if I adore the trope so very much), but it certainly was a fun challenge trying.

Thank you to ulop, who went out of her way to beta not just one, but two versions of the trailer despite having limited 'net time. Her feedback was invaluable and v. appreciated!

[rpfbb] here is the deepest secret

download: avi (xvid)

notes: I found the nature of the story a little too complex to illustrate audiovisually without using skills beyond my ability, but I did my best to capture some of the "moments" that struck me. I hope you can forgive the liberties I have taken with the footage and the story and the traditionally-cheesy trailer text :)

technical info: Edited using Vegas 9 Pro, VirtualDub and Audacity. This video uses clips from BBC's Top Gear, BBC's Should I Worry About...?, Sky's Inside Killer Sharks, Notting Hill, The Abyss and Le Monde du silence. Music is Imogen Heap's "Come Here Boy". Title borrowed from e e cummings. Apologies for the variable clip size due to different sources. For best results, view with VLC player.

this is the life: a "just another word for you" mix

ciudad — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:46:23 GMT

For cinderlily's just another word for you, a David Cook/David Archuleta story for rpf_big_bang.

[ cover | fanmix ]
notes: The songs I've chosen correspond to events occuring in the story -- some specific to certain images I particularly liked, others just the general mood and feel at that time. They have been arranged according to the story's chronology. Individual tracks are up at box.net, while the entire mix can be downloaded off megaupload.

this is the life
a "just another word for you" mix

Amy MacDonald - This Is The Life
and you're singing the songs
thinking this is the life

Vertical Horizon - You're A God
you're a god
and i am not

Josie and the Pussycats - You Don't See Me
i dream of fire when
you're touching my hand

Robert Sean Leonard - The Lonely 1
when the band came out
they stood behind you
cymbals crashed, the lights went blue
you stood alone in the halo's haze

A Fine Frenzy - You Picked Me
i was difficult to see
but you picked me

The Dandy Warhols - All the Money or the Simple Life Honey
so if you’re playing in a rock and roll band
but still you’re doing whatever the man says
well, i can tell you for the money
the simple life honey is good

Ingrid Michaelson - Around You
you turn me upside down and around and around and around

Carbon Leaf - Life Less Ordinary
if i could name you in this song
would it make you smile and sing along?
this is the goal:
to get into your soul

Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
if i lay here, if i just lay here
would you lie with me, and just forget the world?

Sara Bareilles - Between The Lines
the opposite sides on which we fall
the loving you laters, if at all
no right minds could wrong be this many times

Matt Nathanson - Come On Get Higher
if i could walk on water
if i could tell you what's next
make you believe
make you forget

Natasha Bedingfield - I Bruise Easily
i found your finger prints on a glass of wine
do your know you're leaving them all over this heart of mine too?

The Weakerthans - Left and Leaving
wait for the year to drown
spring forward, fall back down
i'm trying not to wonder where you are
all this time lingers, undefined

Bright Eyes - First Day Of My Life
this is the first day of my life
swear i was born right in the doorway
i went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed
they're spreading blankets on the beach

Eraserheads - With A Smile
in a world where everybody
hates a happy ending story
it's a wonder love can make the world go round

Sugarfree - Feels Like
life will never be the same again

download the mix
textures: _excentric_

story cover for "just another word for you" by cinderlily

ciudad — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:43:59 GMT

For cinderlily's just another word for you, a David Cook/David Archuleta story for rpf_big_bang.

[ cover | fanmix ]
notes: Thank you so much to cinderlily, who wrote the lovely story that I've had the privilege to read before almost everybody else and the honor to do art for. Without her, the small offerings I have wouldn't have literally existed. I hope you enjoy the art, and congratulations for finishing RPF Big Bang ♥♥

To the kickass mods of rpf_big_bang: this is the first Big Bang I've ever participated in, and you've made the experience so awesome :D Thank you for all your hard work!

Thanks must also go to out to my flist and the members of bangingdavid for the kindness and encouragement.

And finally, even if she won't ever see this, thank you to my sister M, who listened to my moaning every time my laptop/Photoshop/Winamp crashed, even if she didn't know why her sister was flailing like a headless chicken.

resources: mybloodyself, _excentric_, coffeeforcloser, dearest, discolore

captain horrid and the world according to clarkson

ciudad — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 07:51:05 GMT

disclaimer: Any similarities between situations portrayed herein and actual events are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise. All characters, trademarks, product names, company names and logos cited herein are the property of their respective owners. No infringement intended, and no profits made.

true love hits you in the plums
A fanvid for Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May, set to "Pretend To Be Nice" by Josie and the Pussycats. This is the one where adoration equals attempting to murder each other… humorously.

download links: avi (xvid) | mp4 (mobile device-compatible)

notes: While I've done some video editing for school, this is the first fanvid I've ever done. The idea for this started when I noticed that Comedic Sociopathy was added to Top Gear's TV Tropes entry, and it kinda ran away from there. Plus, there was all the mocking and insulting going on between Clarkson and May in the show, other people's shows, their newspaper columns, interviews, etc. This, logic dictates, must be love. Or prelude to a horrible incident somewhere in a portakabin in Dunsfold.

technical info: Everything was put together in Vegas Pro 9 and VirtualDub. No fancy effects or transitions, just familiarizing myself with the software and audiovisual timing. Clip quality fluctuates due to the variety of source material (HDTV, HQ, TV-quality, some dodgy DVD rips). For best results, view with VLC player.

[clarkson/may] true love hits you in the plums

i'm just spewing photoshopped crack now

ciudad — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:55:23 GMT

ahh, my specialty in graphic form: the bizarre unfinished AU with a bonus manip attached!

(let's ignore the fact that technically the shooting star ought to have fallen in florida. i plead artistic license.)
random aside: photobucket users may notice their larger .jpegs being annoyingly turned low-res lately. this is due to photobucket being an asshole. a way to get around this is to save stuff in .png, which makes for a larger file size but a less noticeable downgrade in quality in compression. ~jsyk~

in less remarkable news, I am still chugging along in school, surprising people because I am not graduating in the summer (as is expected) & having long-winded borderline pedantic discussions with friends on the topics of (a) the 2010 elections, (b) the state of Philippine journalism today & (c) the cultural-economic divide. So maybe it's a good thing I'm hardly around on twitter and whatnot then :D

Current affairs: it's my other other fandom!

25 icons; multi-fandom

ciudad — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:59:29 GMT

A carefully-imbalanced mix of 100x100 pixels!

15 Top Gear & James May (TG3, May/Richard Hammond, May/Madison Welch, ~~May/Asimo~~)
10 American Idol 7 (David Cook, David Archuleta, David Cook/David Archuleta)



         1-5.
         06-10.
         11-15.

         16-20.
         21-25.

notes:
- I'd like to do more TG episodic ones, except I get so distracted by the content that I stop capping :|
- #23 was made for bangingdavid, for any and all Big Bang-related purposes, but I figure people might like the general double entendre

dearest: a fanmix for epicflailer's "like all good fairytales"

ciudad — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:05:58 GMT

again, for epicflailer's amazing Like All Good Fairytales (cook/archuleta). 2nd of 2 posts: a cover | a fanmix

notes: there are six songs for the entire story, and three songs for each of the five sections for a total of 21 songs. ~~i swear i'll get the individual tracks up soon, but for now you can download the entire thing off mediafire :3~~ eta: all individual tracks and the zipfile are now up at mediafire! also, somewhat graphics-heavy, so dial-uppers take heed!

etax2: all files have been removed from mediafire :( i've uploaded the full mix to megaupload, but if you want individual tracks, just comment and i'll upload them for you.

dearest
a like all good fairytales mix

once upon a time

1. The Boy Least Likely To - A Fairytale Ending
when I was young I was valiant and bold

2. Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer - Tanglewood Tree
but love is a voice on the wind,
(this longing is a voice on the wind)

3. Teddy Geiger - Brand New Colony
i want to take you far
from the cynics in this town
and kiss you on the mouth

snow white fell in love with dopey

4. Sparklehorse - Some Sweet Day
i was the one who loved you most
but you can't put your arms around a ghost

5. Alphabeat - Digital Love
ooh i don't know what to do
about this dream and you
i wish this dream comes true

6. Elbow - One Day Like This
'cause holy cow, i love your eyes
and only now i see the light
yeah, lying with me half-awake
oh, anyway, it's looking like a beautiful day

cinderella realized that happily ever after takes work

7. Vienna Teng - Leaving On A Jet Plane
every place i go i think of you
ever song i sing i sing for you
when i come back I'll wear your wedding ring

8. Jim Sturgess - All My Lovin'
close your eyes and i'll kiss you
tomorrow i'll miss you

9. Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat - Lucky
as the world keep spinning round
you hold me right here right now

peter pan grew up

10. Athlete - Wires
i see hope is here in a plastic box
i've seen christmas lights reflect in your eyes

11. Bic Runga - When I See You Smile
it's not for anybody else to know
the way your face could light the bitter dark of every street
in every town i'll ever go

12. The Mountain Goats - Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is In Another Castle
just when my solitude was closing in
i heard a howl like screeching tires
and i told you the one thing i know how to say
through the bright ringing drone of eight-bit choirs

prince charming found that sleeping beauty was different awake

13. Imogen Heap - The Walk
i feel a weakness coming on

14. Placebo - Every You Every Me
pucker up for heaven's sake
there's never been so much at stake

15. Regina Spektor - On The Radio
this is how it works
you peer inside yourself
you take the things you like
and try to love the things you took
and then you take that love you made
and stick it into some--
someone else's heart
pumping someone else's blood

the little mermaid never got to sing

16. Joan Armatrading - Everyday Boy
just an hour with you
and i understand
why we had to meet

17. Barenaked Ladies - Be My Yoko Ono
if i was john and you were yoko
i would gladly give up musical genius
just to have you as my very own
personal venus

18. Barry Louis Polisar - All I Want Is You
all I want is you, will you be my bride?
take me by the hand and stand by my side
all I want is you, will you stay with me?
hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea

and they lived happily ever after

19. Massive Attack - Teardrop
love is a doing word
fearless on my breath
gentle impulsion
shakes me makes me lighter

20. Ani DiFranco - Falling Is Like This
we can't fight gravity on a planet that insists
that love is like falling
and falling is like this

21. Dido - Look No Further
i can stop and catch my breath
and look no further for happiness
and i will not turn again
'cause my heart has found its home

download all
(102 mb)

for epicflailer's "like all good fairytales" (cover)

ciudad — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:05:17 GMT

long ago, there was a dvbb, where people could write long david cook-centric fic and be rewarded at end with art from other people. epicflailer wrote Like All Good Fairytales, a 21,000-word epic of complete awesome that cannot be quantified by science. reading was like finding every damn thing that i loved about david cook and david archuleta all over again. i present it as the ultimate proof that their love is so otp in any dimension.

but sadly, dvbb kinda fell through and nat didn't get the art that she and her story rightfully deserved. then there was i, having finished the story, staring at the blank comment box and thinking "oh, shit." there were many things i want to say, but i didn't think nat would appreciate me gutting out my heart and mailing it to her wholesale. (the post office'll probably have a few stern words as well.) so i decided i'd give her something back for "Like All Good Fairytales" as appreciation.

so here are, for darling epicflailer, two somethings for her story. i hope you like them ♥ ♥ ♥

i've split them into two posts: a cover | a fanmix

notes: incidentally, the castle in the picture is château de pierrefonds, where bbc's currently shooting merlin :D

32 icons; multi-fandom

ciudad — Sun, 10 May 2009 01:23:25 GMT

Because, apparently, my response to stuff I like can be summed up with "OMG PHOTOSHOP"

BBC's Merlin (Arthur, Merlin) & cast (Bradley James, Colin Morgan)
Star Trek XI | trailers (Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu)
American Idol 8 (Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta)
Shirota Yuu (ROOKIES, Hana Kimi)
Fast and Furious cast (Vin Diesel, Paul Walker)




         06-10.


         11-20.

       21-25.

       26-30.

   31-32.

1-4, 9-10, 16 text from wordboner.

→ crossposted LJ | DW

hey you always on the run

ciudad — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:30:15 GMT

SURPRISE ICON POST IS SURPRISE :0



1 David Cook (+1 variation)
7 David Archuleta
1 Cook/Archuleta

     01-05

     06-10

If you have requests (particularly if they're of the Davids or Merlin kind!) ask away ♥

sharp-dressed man & love is like kittens (cook/archuleta & jason mraz/david, g)

ciudad — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:16:20 GMT

... hi. It's been a while, huh? *is sheepish*

For today's davidxdavid Post-A-Day, here are some of my (rather poor) attempts at hand-drawn art for the theme Beyond American Idol. One is an AU and another is a non-Idol pairing~ They were both drawn with a Zebra permanent marker and cleaned up in Photoshop.

(Click on the thumbnails to view the whole pics.)

title: sharp-dressed man
description: Covers in the style of doujinshi (Japanese fan comics). Because my drawing skills are epic fail, the doujinshi itself doesn't actually exist. (Cook/Archuleta)
rating: G
notes: The art style/design is inspired by Amato Amaro by Basso, with a paper texture from ohfreckle. The "story" was from an idea that I had written down on the back of a scratch paper and had misplaced until now.(And for good reason, apparently.)

the back-cover blurb:

"you're in danger. run."

david archuleta is his country’s secret diplomatic weapon. his friendly charm disarms even the most hard-boiled foreign dignitaries, and his success rate at closing deals puts the best smooth-talkers to shame.

however, his new assignment may be too much to handle! treaty negotiations have gone terribly wrong, and now he’s being threatened by a shadowy organization that will stop at nothing to stop him.

followed by danger and treachery at every turn, david can only rely on mr. cook, his handsome new bodyguard who may be more than meets the eye.

CANNOT. RESIST. SUITS. *_*

title: love is like kittens
description: Obviously, in real life David wouldn't be doing something as boring as sleeping while in the presence of Jason Mraz. (Jason Mraz/David)
rating: G
notes: You should all check out the A Softer World strip I got the title from :3 I'd also like to apologize for Jason and David... not actually resembling Jason and David.

I PROMISE I'LL GET BETTER AND/OR STOP DOING THIS ಥ_ಥ

8 david archuleta fanwork recs

ciudad — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:33:17 GMT

Still for davidxdavid's Post-A-Day Fest :)

Since the theme is Archuletas FTW! or Family, I decided to list some of my favorite stories with postive (or at least non-evil) characterizations of David's family. This is actually much harder than it ought to be, because the press for David's family, specifically for David's dad Jeff, had been horrific during American Idol.

(Rant: I mean, okay, people can write whatever they want, but Jeff hiring someone to rape his son? Seriously?!)

I've also included one delightful gen ficlet, because David genfic is like the rarest of all magical sparkly fic ponies in all the land that is Livejournal, and four non-fic fanworks!

Just so you know: almost all of the stories I'll be listing pair David with David Cook. They are taken from my del.icio.us, where I tag stuff I like. I tend to skim the comms once in a while rather than look at every entry, so my reading & tagging are erratic and sporadic. I take gossymer's approach to reccing: I rec the stuff I like. It may be fabulously well crafted in terms of writing style or drawing abilities. Then again, it may not. Nevertheless, if I'm reccing it, then it struck a chord with me on a personal level.

Bright Light City by solacedoll (PG-13)
Author's summary: His dad'd suggested Vegas for his eighteenth, and his mom's eyes had nearly popped out of her head, but his dad had said, in a firm sort of voice, "for tourist attractions," and Claudia's smirk had dug into her cheek.
Quote: "Cook!" he says, at the same time as Cook, peering over his shoulder, said "David Archuleta, is that a drink?"

David twists in the embrace to look at Cook, and the drink sloshes. "No!" he squeals in horror, and lowers his voice to a more appropriate level. "No, I was trying to find a place to pour it out."

"Is that someone else's drink?" Cook says, titling his head, and David is indignant. "No," he says, voice muffled against Cook's shirt, and he feels Cook's laugh more than hears it.

Why I like it: This story is about David's 18th birthday, and the setting -- Las Vegas -- is entirely perfect for showing his hesitant wobbling on the precipice of adulthood. It starts out with delightful ~wacky hijinks~ with Claudia and Amber and Air Force Amy, but it isn't just about David getting drunk and being able to enter casinos legally. Being an adult is also about acknowledging some things that you, as a kid, hadn't even thought about, and here David has to confront them, in the form of David Cook. The writing is sharp and honest and so good.

Oh, and this story 'ships Jeff and Lupe Archuleta, which. Um. Moar plz? ~~I know, I know, special hell is pretty this time of the year, I've heard.~~

Promised by ficangel (PG)
Author's summary: (none)
Quote: “I’m the younger generation,” David felt compelled to point out, only for Cook to answer, “Archie, you have not been the younger generation since you were ten. You’re seventeen going on thirty-five, I swear to God,” at the same time that Michael shoved at Cook’s shoulder and said, “Go shake your cane at them, Grandpa.”

Why I like it: It's a story about PROMISE RINGS and it's not soppy or ridiculous as you might think. In fact, it is sweet and utterly hilarious and with lovely scene-stealers featuring non-David characters such as Chikezie and Neal Tiemann. And David's dad!

It had been too long since he had heard Cook laugh; it made David laugh, too, the bad experience at the stupid photo shoot falling away. Kate and his father both looked up from where they were speaking in low voices a few yards away. Kate looked concerned, but his father just waved a hand and said something that David didn’t catch, but he was pretty sure ran along the lines of, “They’re always like that.”

To quote my earlier rec of Promised: do you know how long I've longed for a version of David's dad who's not an asshole but a guy who loves his son in a perplexed but indulgent sort of way? TOO LONG. I think that says it all :)

Still Standing and untitled extra scene for still standing by epicflailer (PG)
Author's summary: So David has these superpowers, right.
Quote: Archie freezes, then turns, very slowly, to look at Cook. He frowns-- And suddenly Cook realizes how exhausted he is. It's been such a long day, gosh, and he really needs to rest. He makes an about turn and heads back to his own room, and doesn't think too deeply on why Archie would be wearing a mask and a cape.

Why I like it: The most perfect explanation ever why David smiles all the time. This is one of those times where I wish I could pick just one scene where I can point to and say, "This. This right here." to explain how much this story has won me over, but I can't, because there is way too many. From the concept alone, to the slow unraveling of the exact nature of David's power, to how Cook copes with this new knowledge -- I savored every word.

I requested the extra scene "the bank robbery event in still standing from David's dad's POV" for a meme on epicflailer's LJ and, well, my feelings can be succintly summed up with this: you! you honest-to-god get it, how jeff can let go of his son who can do wonderful and powerful things, but when it comes to things like guns and realizing that your son is still just a kid, your precious kid, i mean, ohmygod i am rambling, (flails)

I WISH EVERYONE WHO EVER WRITES JEFF (and the rest of David's family) HAS THIS STORY PINNED TO THEIR FINGERS. I WILL PERSONALLY STAPLE THIS MYSELF.

untitled fic thing where david archuleta gets wings by evilgeniusmouse
Author's summary: (none)
Quote: His breath catches in his throat. There he is - David James Archuleta, seventeen years old, wild-eyed and pale - but behind him, arching gracefully over his head, is a pair of majestic, blindingly white wings. He extends one of them cautiously (and it's so easy, as natural as moving his arm), and his reflection does the same. Fully expanded, the wings easily take up the entire room, and they rustle appreciatively as David brushes a hand reverently across the downy feathers.

"Oh," David whispers, spellbound. "Gosh."

Why I like it: David Archuleta wingfic. The world is a much more better place now that I have typed those words down. All of the characters present in this sadly unfinished ficlet are pitch-perfect -- David with his wonder, Michael Johns being goofily irresponsible and Cook, who'll be the one to make everything better (once he wakes up, of course).

untitled manips for an Idol AU by starafar (unrated; SFW)
Description: David Archuleta, Michael Johns and Carly Smithson as doctors.

Why I like it: I am not a very huge fan of manips. I've had so many brain-bleaching experiences that only the most intentionally horrible or the brilliantly put-together can make me click on links. Thankfully, these manips fall firmly into the latter spectrum.

untitled Olympics!AI 7 drawings by beanrice (unrated; SFW)
Description: This is David Archuleta, the US team's archery boy wonder. Before a game, he smiles at you so nice and friendly and say "Good luck!" in this earnest way, the proceeds to beat you so bad you lose your will to live.

Why I like it: I often wish I had the power (and the East Asian Language Packs for Windows XP) to read Japanese, so I can force Yahoo! Japan to cough up the Japanese American Idol fanart sites I know exist. (That I have not seen the oekaki art where David is wearing a cowsuit and sitting on a daisy is an unspeakable travesty.) For now, I will satisfy myself with this delightful AU that combines the best of American Idol 7 with the magic of the Olympics.

Best Days and Hero by michelinamarie (unrated; SFW)
Description: Two vids looking back at David Cook and David Archuleta during American Idol. (Note: the video for Best Days on YouTube has a different song due to copyright trouble; download to view the video with the original audio.)

Why I like them: michelinamarie is hands down the best vidder for DC/DA. Great song choice and such perfect use of clips & editing & timing that it makes me want to watch Season 7 again, just to relieve everything. Well, almost.

I had to delete and repost this three times because my pinky kept slipping on the Enter key. Not to mention LJ is being fiendishly uncooperative :|

wear my heart upon my sleeve (a david archuleta ep)

ciudad — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:31:15 GMT

For davidxdavid's David Archuleta Post-A-Day Fest! The theme is Week 1: Archuletas FTW! or Family and David Archuleta certainly is FTW!

wear my heart upon my sleeve
a david archuleta ep

Dana Fuchs and Jim Sturgess - All You Need Is Love
nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time
it's easy

His family is amazing and I am so happy they're a constant presence in his life!

Yael Naim - New Soul
see, i'm a young soul in this very strange world
hoping i could learn a bit 'bout what is true and fake

Auditions in San Diego. Hollywood Week. Shop Around. That spindly kid was so awkward, but that is exactly what got me. Sometimes I sit around and wonder if he's even real, because it's just amazing.

Rob Thomas - Little Wonders
these little wonders still remain

Even with the paralyzed vocal cord, the controversy over his dad and all the cruel haters, what was really steadfast was his love for his music, his love for what he's doing.

Elenea Bezprozvannykh - Un Sospiro (Franz Liszt)
[instrumental]

He's breathtaking.

Petra Haden and Bill Frisell - Yellow
look at the stars,
look how they shine for you

David, meet Celebrity. Celebrity, please be kind to our David. He's very precious to us.

Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On
girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
you go ahead, let your hair down
sapphire and faded jeans, i hope you get your dreams,
just go ahead, let your hair down

David is singing for you. Every time I listen to his songs, I find something new to delight over.

Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music
yeah they was dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin'

MORMON DANCE PARTIES!

GReeeeN - Kiseki
english translation:
[ we found the little happinesses in each day
in the slow path we walked
our meeting is just one small thing
in a big world, but just the fact that we met
is a miracle ]

Seriously. Who would have thought that a bad karaoke franchise that I never watched would bring me a kid I adore, LJ friends from everywhere and one of the best fannish experiences I would ever have?

The Notwist - Consequence
you're the colour,
you're the movement and the spin

♥♥♥

the entire mix + covers
resources;
ffffound, sxc, discolore, dafont, google