This is my favourite exchange, it is so full of joy. Thank you for making me gifts! I hope you enjoy the making as much as receiving the gifts being made for you.

All my requests are fandoms rich with great women and girl characters I love. My jam is family, found family, blood family, mothers and daughters, sisters, ladies who do ladies, girls finding their way in the world, happy endings but sad times along the way are okay, polyamory particularly negotiating the relationship, pining/oblivious, humour, every Harlequin cliche ever, friends to lovers, huddling for warmth, groundhog day and Regency AU. I like principled characters who strive to do good in the world. I enjoy it most when the fanwork reflects the spirit of the canon, and engages its challenges and weaknesses.

Please feel free to do your own thing but if you prefer ideas or something to start thinking about from me:

Leverage
For me this fandom is all about found family, competence and doing good in the world. Hardison/Parker/Spencer is dear to me. I'd love to know about their post-canon lives. I love Sophie and Parker's friendship, anything about that would be a delight. Sophie's I had no idea how to get us off this roof. And then I asked myself, "what would Parker do?" in s01e12 was made of so much love and squee.

Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Because there is such a huge cast there are a lot of characters who don't get much page time. I'd love to know more about your favourite non-major character/s. Of course, this canon features many evil viziers.

The Librarians (TV 2014)
Anything that featured Cassandra's bisexuality would be cool. I'd doesn't have to be explicit or mature, just visible!

Addams Family (TV 1964)
Morticia and Wednesday, mother and daughter, fighting crime. Or rescuing endangered creatures. Or being florists. Who fight crime.

Killjoys (TV)
Found family, complicated family, lost family, Killjoys truly delivers. Or you could do Delle Seyah/Dutch porn/hate flirting. Or Pree's former life as an evil vizier. Here are the Delle and Dutch scenes from s02e04 just, you know, in case you were interested.

Thank you again. I hope you have a lovely time playing with our mutually loved fandom/s.

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Day 1

In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you have created. It can be your favorite fanworks that you've created, or fanworks you feel no one ever saw, or fanworks you say would define you as a creator. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I am not a writer in the sense that so many of you are writers. It's not a key defining part of me but I'm very glad I've written fan works and shared them.

This will probably always be the favourite thing I ever wrote because I felt I got out on to the page exactly what I meant to. I know how rare that is for anyone making anything. There are also two remixes and a podfic, which I recommend.

Cotton (795 words) by Vera
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Clark Kent/Lex Luthor
Characters: Martha Kent
Additional Tags: If you only read one work by me, Women Being Awesome, Laundry
Summary:

Martha Kent is doing the washing.

This show has done so wrong by Belle.

Girl's Night (886 words) by Vera
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Belle/Ruby
Additional Tags: Episode Tag, Episode: s02e07 Child of the Moon
Summary:

Ruby didn't mean to forget Belle, chained in the library with a killer on the loose. To be fair, at the time Ruby thought that she was the killer and she'd left Belle so that she could go commit suicide by throwing herself at a mob armed with flaming torches and pitchforks. Actual pitchforks.

Purim Gifts is such a great exchange. We didn't match on this fandom but I was so glad to learn about it and write something to celebrate this splendid woman.

Top of the World (344 words) by Vera
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Astronaut RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Judy Resnik
Additional Tags: Collection: Purimgifts Day 1, Female Jewish Character, Women Being Awesome
Summary:

It's day 3, mission STS-41-D and mission specialist Judy Resnik is up before reveille.

This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth. comments.

Do you like Blue cheese dressing? ( meme!Collapse )

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I was reading a post about the illegal demolition of a historic building in Melbourne, The Corkman Hotel and the problem of illegal demolition of historic buildings. The ideas the poster talks about - what buildings mean in a community, that their fabric is not the only valuable thing about them - feel relevant to recent discussions around fandom and reportedly, the wish of some that people 'age out' of fandom. Which, of course, is the most ridiculous idea. Did B-99 not just show us Amy and Rosa and the philosophy of the Babysitters Club? (Melissa Fumero is 34 in case you were wondering, Stephanie Beatriz 35.) At what age do you stop loving what you love? When does your community stop meaning anything to you? What does it say about a community that requires that your time in it is limited?

These reports are so contrary to my experience of fandoms where people of all ages just did shit together. Of course, early this century and late last, many young people lied about their ages because some mailing lists required age statements for participation, but by gosh they did a bloody good job of it. These days you can pick some - not all - of the young fans writing in your fandom. Often it is just an obvious lack of knowledge about stuff you may not regularly do until you're older e.g. how jobs work. Because you can write emotionally maturely and still not know stuff that you pretty much learn by working in a job. And I love that. I love that people today don't have to lie to their fan friends in order to be part of fandom. It has always been a joy to me that fans are truly all ages.

Anyway, the argument presumes that 'fandom' is something that can be corralled and gatekept. Which, yeah, heh. ROFL ROFL ROFL.

It all sounds a bit 1 Corinthians 13:11 to me, which is surprising because I'd come to the conclusion that the majority US!Christians didn't read the gospels.

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I am inclined to bake, but that would mean going outside into the rainy, blustery day to buy butter, at least, and possibly other ingredients. Moving, and unpacking without a plan, means that it's easy to find the isomalt (used maybe every six months) but not the honey (breakfast!)

For those following along at home, I am in! All my things are in one place, most of what I need to operate day to day is accessible and has a spot. A whole week of going to work, appropriately clothed and lunched, was achieved. With bonus arriving on time every day. Woo!

There are still many boxes and as yet, no organised storage to store them in. The challenge is I need to unpack them to get a good sense of what is needed for the storage: shelves? cupboards? something more or less complex? do I still love thing X now it is in a smaller space? But while everything is still in boxes it is contained and orderly and easy to move around. Urk!

Anyway, fannish things. The Level continues good, if a bit harrowing. I've watched some of the new Hayley Atwell show, Conviction. I'm not yet convinced. They've seeded what might be interesting stories for the regulars, but they don't seem to have the capacity to tell them well.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine continues to be everything. It is simply wonderful that Amy and Jake have a strong relationship and they are not plagued with the kind of useless conflict that bad writers impose. What B99 gets right is that there is genuine care about the characters' relationships with each other. Rosa was so wonderful with Amy in the last episode and every tumblr post after the show was joy. I'm pretty happy this one followed the previous ep, with Rosa attempting to keep her troubles from everyone and how Amy reacted before she knew what was going on.

Edited to add: When I reread this post I realised a thing that I love about B99 is how the characters are about each others' thing. Rosa talks babysitter's club to Amy and for me that is one of the best things about my time with fans: sharing other fans' joy in their thing, even if that is not your thing.

The Great British Bake Off finale is next week and it has occurred to me - so belatedly but I suspect I was in denial, and in denial about my denial - that this could be the last real Bake Off. Peeps, this is my comfort viewing. What will I do?

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This morning is hanging around at home for the duration the delivery window of the replacement thing, due to the original thing not being up to snuff. My worry is that when replacement thing gets assembled, not Monday as I was promised but some time not yet determined, it will be as not up to snuff as the first. These things are made by machines, if drawers are not aligned on one, why would they be aligned on another? In future I think I will not buy anything that does not come already assembled and tested for working. This flat pack business is rubbish.

Thank goodness for TV. The Level had a promising start and has Noel Clarke, Timeless is a bit ridiculous and clichéd but I'm going to give it a go because Paterson Joseph, despite by-the-book white leads, and I don't have a non-comic SF show right now, Brooklyn Nine-nine continues to be a gift and a treasure.

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Having moved and got stuff out of storage after... some years, let us say that we were all becoming established on LJ when it went in. (OMG, we were becoming established on LJ!)

Anyway, that aside, it is certainly an experience, a mix of 'Thing! Thing! It's you! Oh, how wonderful to see you again' and 'WTF this is mine? Are you sure?' Apparently at some point in my life I bought a very serious grater.

In fannish news I am up to date with all the reality TV and woefully behind on all the not so real TV. Next week, maybe, there will be time.

This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth. comments.

Moving is a cow, but it will be worth it in the end. The difference in service culture between providers of stuff is pretty amazing. Ikea's dedication to DIY everything including 'finding your way out of the store' was not conducive to ever buying anything there again. I want to bake cakes for everyone at Bunnings, however, who organised same day delivery for me over the damn phone. Although to be fair, the woman I got advice from at Ikea was super, completely the opposite of their phone person.

TV is back (US, that is) and that's a pretty good thing. I'm terribly behind, though, see above. So I'm just making time for the dancing shows and Finding Prince Charming. And the first episode of Luke Cage, since nearly everyone I know is watching and loving. Good call, everyone I know, good call.

It's kind of nice this morning, though. The first fellow of the day is not due for an hour-ish and since Bunnings were super and operated over the phone, I have this time to listen to the radio and have a cup of tea. Oh, yeah, and send some more change of address thingies...

Okay.

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Slept in a little bit more than I had anticipated - must remember to set an alarm on weekends now that I'm not crack of dawning it for work during the week. The habit of early rising is clearly lost very quickly.

There's a lot of out and about to do today and I am regretting those commitments. On the other hand if not today then they'd have to be done another day. I am very much ready for this transition to be properly over.

Because what I should be doing today is a cup of tea and Finding Prince Charming.

My sympathy to all of Kassie/ethrosdemon's friends and family. sparkymonster's post here.

This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth. comments.

I've got this rain app. It plays different kinds of rain sounds, the good kinds, which is generally all of them. I fall asleep with it on and I feel like I've been getting better sleep with it. I'm not sure if that's placebo better or real better but the effect seems to be the same, so yay that. Sometimes I play it when I'm doing other things. I really miss torrential tropical rain. This temperate climate, it's great in so many ways, for example it isn't stinking sweatily hot all the damn time, but I miss the rain.

Sometimes my childhood memories are full of rain. Being in a strange, dark cool house on a hot day when a storm breaks. The glorious sweep of the cold front ahead of the storm, the dark skies ahead and the bright blue chased behind. Tucking yourself into the wall of the verandah, splashes of rain bouncing off the rail, hitting your bare feet. Rain on broad leaves, rain chasing new paths down a dirt driveway, rain hitting dry ground, kicking up dust, leaving little craters, briefly, before the real storm rushes in and everything's a river.

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