Get the squirrel!

SO

doreyg — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 09:26:09 GMT

...I had a rather good day yesterday. :DD

Hello everybody!

doreyg — Sun, 27 May 2018 17:56:12 GMT

~~Hello Doctor Nick!~~

My last post was basically along the lines of "brain exploded, bai" and since it's been about a year and a half since that happened I thought I'd give a brief update on how things are going!

Which is well. Ever since the breakdown (it was a breakdown, unfortunately, that December was rougggggggggh) things have been going incredibly, awe-inspiringly well! I got a new job as an assistant librarian this year, my mood is more stable than it's ever been and I just feel really good about life most of the time. And, most importantly of all...

I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!! To be exact, I'm getting married in 9 days and 194 hours at this point. Being engaged has been, by far, the best experience of my life and I've really enjoyed every single moment of it. The dress shopping, the cake shopping, the looking around venues... Everything, even the stuff that should've been stressful, has been the absolute best ever. I think because I know I am doing absolutely the right thing. I am marrying my best friend, the love of my life, my favourite person who has ever existed. I am marrying P, who has stood by me through so much and who still loves me through everything. <3333333

I still have an anxiety disorder, of course, and I always will. But it doesn't matter. It can tell me that I'm going to ruin everything, and numerous other terrible things besides, as many times as it wants. But I haven't yet, and it doesn't look at all likely that I'm going to do so now. I'm happy, I'm BEYOND satisfied and quite frankly the anxiety can go fuck itself. It's tried its worst, and it still doesn't have me. :D

...So, yes! I'm not sure how many people are still on here - livejournal is owned by our unfortunate Russian overlords now, right? - but I thought I'd just post a brief update on how my situation is at the moment. Which is prettyyyyy goooooooood, as my P would say. <3

doreyg — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 18:03:22 GMT

Hi,

I'm not quite sure how to say this, so I'm going to be brief and to the point. My anxiety has flared up really, really badly and has gotten to the point where I think that heavy exposure to the internet is doing me a LOT more harm than good. I'm thus going to cut my internet usage as much as I can, and try to step back from it a little.

I might be back one day, who knows! But... I will be honest, I'm hoping not to be. Browsing the internet, which is full of angry people and bad opinions, all day is not at all good for me and I think being away from it will be a LOT better for my mental health.

I'll definitely be around to comment on my Yuletide story, if possibly a few days late, but other than that? Well... Yeah.

Hope you're all good, guys, and I hope you continue to be so in the future. <3

Timestamp meme

doreyg — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 19:42:07 GMT

I last did this almost a year ago, so seems about time to do it again!

Give me one of my own stories, and a timestamp sometime in the future after the end of the story, or sometime in the past before the story started, and I'll try to write you at least a hundred words of what happened then, whether it's five minutes before the story started or ten years in the future.

Reading Review Post VIII: Reviewed Read Reviled

doreyg — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 08:01:30 GMT

Hi, it's me again! :DD

This is officially my eighth reading review post of the year, taking the total up to 200 books. 200 books! That's about double my goal for the year, so I'm absolutely and utterly thrilled with how that has all turned out. I've definitely exceeded my expectations for this year, and I look forward to sharing the results with you.

Normal rules are still in effect. Things I really like and would rec are marked with a +, things I really didn't like and would thus anti-rec are marked with a -.

Now, on with the show and I hope you enjoy!

Thors: Battleworld

The Thors of every domain, together in one book! As cosmic cops! Whenever there's trouble on Battleworld, the Thors answer the call. But a string of mysterious murders leaves some of them asking questions that may unravel all of reality! A hard-hitting Marvel Comics police drama. With hammers. Lots and lots of hammers.

I really, REALLY liked this!

I'm a sucker for detective stories, as you can probably guess if you've spoken to me for five seconds before, and this captured the tone of them absolutely perfectly. It was a very interesting hardboiled noir thing, with an excellent use of character and surprisingly complex worldbuilding for what it was.

I will confess, I wasn't expecting much from this. But then I read beyond the first issue, and I fell absolutely in love. If you like detective stories and tightly plotted comics, this is definitely the thing for you. +

The Stranger / The Alien / The Secret / The Android / The Forgotten / The Reaction / The Change - KA Applegate

Life on Earth is pretty different for Ax. But there is one thing he, Cassie, Marco, Jake, Rachel and Tobias have in common. Something that one alien, four kids, and a hawk know they have to do: stop the Yeerks...

So, yeah, I may have binge read these a little. Oops?

Except not so much oops, because these books remain AMAZING. They're incredibly tightly plotted, with excellent characters and a really strong sense of the message that they want to convey. War is hell in these books, it isn't glamourised and it isn't glossed over, and the way that Applegate lets the effect of it slowly show on these formerly innocent kids... Well, I think perfection is probably the word for it.

I think either The Android or the Reaction was my favourite of this bunch. But, honestly, I loved them all and would recommend them all as a result! +

Batgirl, Volume 3: Mindfields

Batgirl's about to lose the greatest weapon in her arsenal...because her mind is failing her! Are her ragtag group of allies ready to pick up the slack? And while Batgirl is down, it's Black Canary to the rescue to discover the identity of a malevolent mastermind menacing Burnside!

Meeeeeeeeh.

I started off really liking this run of Batgirl, but as time went on the problems within it became more and more evident to my increasing frustration. It's just so... Frustratingly twee, a lot of the time. The character conflict feels muted, the plots kept getting increasingly circle jerky and even the art started to grind my teeth after a while.

I did like a lot of the characters involved! And I still have some fondness for the prettiness of the art, and I did think that several plot points in this volume were well done. It's just...

Well.

Pre-2011, I think Barbara had conclusively moved past the role of Batgirl and was a far better character for it. She was a bit like Dick in her way, having moved from the kid sidekick to a slightly more mature and complex position. But while Dick was allowed to keep his development in the ~~wasteland~~ world of the NU52, Barbara seems to have been dragged back quite comprehensively and that's only getting more obvious as time goes on.

IDK. I wouldn't anti-rec it? But I certainly had huge problems with this volume, and am kind of glad - although also kinda sad, because the next run is not much better so far - this run is over.

Runaways, Vol. 1: Pride and Joy / Runaways, Vol. 2: Teenage Wasteland

Meet Alex, Karolina, Gert, Chase, Molly and Nico - a group of teens whose lives are about to take an unexpected turn...

So, yay, I finally started reading this!

...Only to discover that I don't actually like this as much as many other people do. I can certainly understand why people do like it, the art is gorgeous and the plot is compelling and a lot of the writing is super absorbing, but it just doesn't hit that many narrative kinks for me. I found it hard to care about a lot of the characters, I found the plot a little boring at times and it's another one where I found the conflict weirdly muted.

It might well be a case of its hype working against it, for me. IDK! I did like it quite a lot, but I just didn't find myself as invested as I expected to be.

Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 1

When a superhuman terrorist group that calls itself The People sparks a violent uprising, the land famed for its incredible technology and proud warrior traditions will be thrown into turmoil. If Wakanda is to survive, it must adapt--but can its monarch, one in a long line of Black Panthers, survive the necessary change? Heavy lies the head that wears the cowl!

I was hugely looking forward to this before it came out, I love Black Panther and this is the first volume written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, but... Hm, it's another one that ended up not quite to my tastes.

Which isn't to say that I didn't like it! Because good lord, there is a hell of a lot to love about this run of Black Panther. I really adored how it tackled the intersection of gender and race head on, and crafted a really compelling story around that collision. The art was lovely, the storytelling was really absorbing a lot of the time and I did like a lot of the musings on politics included.

I suppose my main problem with it was that you can TELL that Coates is very new to writing comics. He doesn't quite have the pacing down yet, and hasn't quite grasped how to weave together action with the quieter moments. You can tell that his background is more in longform prose, and less in the serial style of comics. It often gets too philosophical, too invested in musings on power - and who exactly holds the power - when it should be focused on moving the story along and grabbing the audience's attention.

I will say, however, that even by the end of this volume the pacing was improving a hell of a lot. I'm still reading this series, outside of trades, and so I can very firmly say that there has been an improvement and that it looks like there's a lot of exciting stuff coming up next. Coates is a new comics author, and it shows rather too much in this volume for me to rec it, but he's improving by the issue and definitely has the potential to produce great stuff in the future.

Spider-Man/Deadpool, Vol. 1: Isn't it Bromantic

The Webbed Wonder and the Merc with a Mouth are teaming up for their first series EVER! It's action, adventure and just a smattering of (b)romance in this episodic epic featuring the WORLD'S GREATEST SUPER HERO and the star of the WORLD'S GREATEST COMICS MAGAZINE. Talk about a REAL dynamic duo!

I really liked this, with some reservations.

I will admit that I was pretty much guaranteed to pick up this series no matter its quality, but was then pleasantly surprised when its quality turned out to be pretty good. The pacing is excellent, the writing is fun and I really like all the interactions between the characters. It's a story with a surprising amount of heart to it, and I definitely appreciate how it can make me cackle one moment and go "awwwwww" the very next.

I will say that it has some teething problems, the humour gets a little too broad at times and a few of the plot decisions REALLY puzzled me, but it's another one that I've kept reading and so another one that I can definitely say has found its feet later on.

It's not the most profound thing ever, but even with small problems it remains a hell of a lot of fun.

Blue Beetle, Vol. 1: Shellshocked

Tearing its way through the events of DAY OF VENGEANCE and INFINITE CRISIS, the mystical Blue Beetle scarab has chosen its new guardian: teenager Jaime Reyes! But supernatural powers can be a blessing or a curse, and when it comes to the powers of the Scarab, you don't get one without the other.

This is another one that I've been meaning to pick up for a while, and needless to say I'm very glad that I did.

...Okay, and that's enough coherency for this review. HOLY FUCK DID I LOVE THIS VOLUME, HOLY FUCK DO I LOVE THIS SERIES. THE AAAAAAAAAAAAAART! The CHARACTERS! THE PLOTTING! THE WRITING THAT MANAGES TO BE BOTH SWEET AND HILARIOUS AT THE SAME TIME! JAIME! THE RELATIONSHIPS INVOLVED! JAIIIME! THE SURPRISING DEPTH OF WORLDBUILDING! JAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!

...Like, are you super surprised that I'm reccing it after all of that? +

JSA, Vol. 4: Fair Play

Just like crime, gambling doesn't pay... especially when you're gambling at The House!

Roulette runs the most dangerous gambling den on Earth — a club where costumed adventurers are lured to fight for their lives while super-villains bet on the outcome. Now she's turned her sights on the JSA, and she's got more than a professional interest in seeing the team destroyed!

Will the JSA's survival come down to a roll of the dice?

After Starman I reverted to the JSA as the ongoing old comic series that I'm slowly catching up on. This is volume 4, which shows that I'm already progressing quite rapidly!

This isn't as much of a stand out series as Starman was, but then... What is? It's still a very charming series, with a lot to like about it, and this was a very charming volume as a result. I like the relationships between the characters that are being built up (or, at least, most of them. Am I supposed to find the Hawkpeople interesting again?), I found the plot fairly absorbing and I really liked most of the ideas that went into this volume.

As far as superhero comics go, I will admit that it's fairly middle of the road - it doesn't do many new things, and falls back on the old tropes fairly regularly. But as somebody who loves superheroes, I still found this hugely enjoyable.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Vol. 1

Miles Morales is hitting the big time! Not only is he joining the Marvel Universe, but he's also a card-carrying Avenger, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Iron Man, Thor and Captain America! And he'll soon be a media sensation in this All-New, All-Different New York! One thing's the same, though: non-stop action!

This doesn't have a snappy subtitle, like most of the offerings from Marvel do now, and I think that kind of sums up the problem with it.

Which sounds a little odd! And, also, probably a little overdramatic. I DID like this volume. I really love the character of Miles, I found the plot quite interesting and I really liked the integration into the general Marvel universe. The whole thing was, overall, extremely compelling a lot of the time. I'm still excited for where it's going to go, and I feel like a lot of the developments within it make sense.

It's just... It's another one that seems disappointingly middle of the road, but with less charm than JSA? It clearly wants to be something revolutionary, but it falls back on a lot of old tropes and only really gives lip service to doing anything new. The entire story is one that I've seen many times before, and have seen done an awful lot better at that. Using the old tropes is absolutely fine, there's a reason that they're so popular, but is best done with a wink and a nudge these days. This story takes itself far too seriously a lot of the time, and doesn't do the fantastic characters within it justice as a result.

Oh, and on a side-note: the brief defense of the Friendzone concept was fucking BIZARRE. Stop that shit, Bendis.

Soul Stains - Chris Marie Green

Dawn Madison, ex vampire hunter, has been lured out of retirement by the sighting of an old, presumed-dead Hollywood starlet in a decrepit Vegas showroom. But is this entity merely a ghost? Or is it one of the escaped, mortalized Hollywood Underground vampires Dawn vowed to wipe off the face of the earth, even at the threat of returning her own soul to darkness?

This is more a novella than a full book, but it counts on Goodreads so I'm counting it here!

I've been a fan of Vampire Babylon FOREVER, and so when I got a kindle this not available in paperback story was the first thing I grabbed on it. And... I did enjoy it?

When you read Vampire Babylon, you kind of know what you're getting into. Glorious trash, with surprisingly deep flashes of worldbuilding and characterisation. This had a lot of that, and it was very satisfying to see the old beloved characters in a new situation. I liked the setting, I liked the general premise and I liked seeing the ways that Dawn keeps developing even after the whole vampire thing.

But, yeah, I did have a few problems with this novella. I know that, by their very nature, they're short - but this felt too short. It read very much like it wanted to be longer, but instead had to settle for a crunched wordcount that led to everything feeling a little too cut off. As a result, everything else suffered a little. I didn't get to spend enough time with the characters, I didn't get to settle into the general trashy atmosphere of the universe and I just found it very hard to get attached to anything that was going on.

I did still really like it, Vampire Babylon remains very much to my tastes, but I was a little disappointed by it at the same time unfortunately.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone / Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets / Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - JK Rowling

Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

HARRY POTTER! <33

These are obviously rereads, but Goodreads counts rereads - a fact that I embarrassingly did not realize until I picked these up on Kindle - and so I'm going to count these. And... Well, what can I really say? I remembered these fondly, but it's only upon rereading that I remember exactly how good they are. The characters are amazing (I forgot just how much I loved Harry!), the worldbuilding is MAGNIFICENT and the style of writing just does such a good job of dragging you in.

I'm not sure that I'd call these the best series of books ever written, but I am pretty sure that I'd give them at least a top 5 spot. Absolutely amazing, and definitely worthy of a revisit. +

Thunderbolts, Vol. 1: No Quarter

Red Hulk, Venom, Elektra, Deadpool, the Punisher. Forget the courts, the jails, the system - this team of Thunderbolts fights fire with fire, targeting the most dangerous and lethal players in the Marvel Universe with extreme prejudice. Led by General 'Thunderbolt' Ross, AKA the Red Hulk, this hand-picked team of like-minded operatives is going to make the world a better placeby all means necessary.

From the highs, to the lows...

I honestly cannot tell you what happened in this volume. I read it, I read it ALL, but I still have no idea what went on. There was a team being formed, and then there was a team being, and then there was an island and... Stuff happened? Maybe? The art was pretty, but none of the characters read as more than cardboard cutouts painted red? Elektra had boobs, and god forbid you forget that fact?

I'm honestly not sure that I can give a more in depth review. It happened. And, to be honest, I kind of regret that it did. -

The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story.

A gripping story, 75% about student loans!

That seems like a slightly unfair way to open my review of this. I did really enjoy it! It was recced by my SO, the lovely P, and was certainly very much to my tastes in a lot of ways. I liked a lot of the characters, I felt that the storytelling device was absolutely EXCELLENT and I hugely enjoyed all the effort put into the worldbuilding.

The only problem is, that this has been billed by a lot of places - though not by P, I hasten to add - as the most game-changing fantasy to ever fantasy. And... It's not that. It feels very overedited, in the way that you can tell that the author is too far into it to see that a good half of it could've been cut with no change. There's very little drama, to the point where often a couple of hundred pages go by without anything really happening. I really like the characters and the storytelling device, but felt like the whole book was a little too in love with its cleverness at times.

So, yeah. I did like it! But the best and most unrivaled book ever it was not.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith

Wayward daughters, missing husbands, philandering partners, curious conmen - If you've got a problem, and no one else can help you, then pay a visit to Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's only - and finest - female private detective, and her assistant, Mma Makutsi. Her methods may not be conventional, and her manner not exactly Miss Marple, but she's got warmth, wit and canny intuition on her side, not to mention Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, the charming proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. And Precious is going to need them all as she sets out on a series of cases that tumbles our heroine into a hotbed of strange situations and more than a little danger...

This was the McCall Smith book I mentioned reading in the last post! ...Y'know, if anybody remembers that. If you're a hardcore reader of the comic series of Dorey, and remembers all the little callbacks that actually make no difference to the plot.

Anyway, moving on!

I REALLY enjoyed this. I'd heard that it was good, but I wasn't expecting it to be quite as good as it was. It's more a series of gathered short stories than a novel, I suppose, but all of them are linked - and told! - so well that it kind of feels like a novel anyway. I really liked the mysteries, I really liked the sense of place (and how effortlessly it was conveyed) and I really LOVED the characters involved. Precious Ramotswe was an absolute delight, and I adored absolutely everything that she did in this novel. It ended up being a hugely satisfying read as a result, and one that I can find very few problems with. +

The Astonishing Ant-Man, Vol. 2: Small-Time Criminal

Scott Lang has his tiny hands full, from one former goliath-sized super hero to a brand new one! His daughter Cassie used to be a Young Avenger. Now, she's de-powered and her life is the worst. But she's about to find out what being a hero really means!

I told you that I'd continued reading this! Y'know, if you're still being a hardcore comic reader (this is a weird joke).

Anyway, I really liked this! It still had some of the problem of the first volume, and I still definitely prefer the pre-reboot stuff, but it seemed to be finding its feet a lot more overall. I really liked the extra bits that Cassie got (to the point where I'd almost rather Spencer was writing a Cassie-centric solo series), I still found the art really pretty and I felt that the plot moved on at a far faster pace than before. It seemed a lot more absorbing, and I got into it a lot more as a result.

So, yeah. Still with problems, but another one where those seem to be improving by the issue.

Power Man and Iron Fist, Vol. 1: The Boys are Back in Town

The best buddy team in comics, reunited at last! Luke Cage and Danny Rand, the Heroes for Hire turned Avengers, are going back to street-level basics -- and there's a mystery to solve that will draw in crime lords, hired goons and old friends! But which of the three pose the most trouble?

This... Is an odd one.

Which sounds like a bad way to start a review, but let me explain! I've continued reading the series after this, again in single issue format, and so I can safely say that the issues after this are AMAZING. Like, amazing to the point where it's one of my favourite series out at the moment. The humour is amazing, the art is really compelling and I absolutely love the way that they write the characters. It seems like a very natural series, that deals very well with the ~~dumb~~ constraints imposed by Marvel at the moment, and is one definitely worth a look.

The only problem being that, well, it's another one that definitely has teething problems. It very much settles into its stride later on, but the first few issues are slightly wobbly in quality. The first plot is a little weak, the writers take a little time to properly get into the characters (especially Luke, oddly enough) and the first arc seems to generally just have this sense of biding its time about it.

So, yeah. I would DEFINITELY recommend this series, but... Weirdly, I am not sure that I can recommend this volume.

So, yes, indeed! That's another reading review post done, and I can now say that I'm up to 200 books! Which is, uh, a LOT more than I was expecting.

I've still been reading, obviously, and so hopefully I'll manage to squeeze at least one more post out before the end of the year and then a post to finish off all that I've read in 2016 around the beginning of 2017 (which is terrifyingly close). I won't promise anything, because I'm again worried about dropping off the face of the planet for another few months, but I'd like to continue recording all that I've read just so I have my thoughts all in one place.

Hope you enjoyed, again! :D

Currently Reading Wednesday XLVII: Read Trek

doreyg — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 12:47:06 GMT

Just Finished: All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders... And jesus did I hate that book. SO MUCH BULLSHIT, SO MUCH!

Currently Reading: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling! :D

Coming up: Play Dead by Richard Montanari, the next Byrne and Balzano book!

Currently Reading Wednesday XLVI: Read Vendetta

doreyg — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 16:59:15 GMT

...FFS America about covers it, right?

Just Finished: Minerva by MC Beaton. Which wasn't entirely to my tastes, I should've realised because romance BUT, but was still very funny and good.

Currently Reading: Getting towards the end of In the Time of Dinosaurs by KA Applegate. Which is a great comfort read! :D

Coming up: The 39 Steps by John Buchan.

Reading Review Post VII: The Secret Review

doreyg — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 08:01:12 GMT

Hello, and welcome to my seventh reading post of the year! I'm writing this a few weeks in advance, so for all I know the ants could've taken over now and declared all books irrelevant, but at present moment books are still in vogue and this is my next set of reviews for them.

This post should take me up to 175 books read this year, which is comprehensively more than last year and a total that I'm rather pleased with. Ones I'd recommend are marked with a +, ones I'd anti-rec are marked with a -.

On with the show! :D

All-New, All-Different Avengers, Vol. 1: The Magnificent Seven

The Avengers are dead — long live the Avengers! Earth's Mightiest Heroes — Captain America, Thor, Vision and Iron Man — are living separate lives, not tied to any team. But when a threat from beyond the stars targets our world, fate draws them together again, alongside a group of young adventurers who will reinvigorate the Avengers like never before!

I wasn't expecting to like this, team books are usually a bit wobbly because they're the most liable to be fucked with in the inevitable yearly event, but... Then I realized it was written by Mark Waid. And, reader, you KNOW what a sucker I am for Mark Waid.

So, yeah, I actually really liked this. It managed to tell a remarkably self-contained story, with an excellent sense of character and a really fun style of writing. I liked all of the plot points running throughout, I liked the slightly different interpretations of familiar characters (Kamala! Miles! Kamala/Miles! <33) and I just really liked what was done with it in general. For a team book, this was definitely top of its class.

...I'm not sure I can recommend it, though. Considering that I don't know, as of yet, how it's faring after - within? IT'S STILL NOT OVER YET?! - the shitshow of Civil War II.

James Bond Vol. 1: Vargr

After a mission of vengeance in Helsinki, James Bond returns to London and assumes the workload of a fallen 00 Section agent. His new mission takes him to Berlin, presumably to break up an agile drug-trafficking operation. But Bond has no idea of the forces gathered in secret against him, the full scope of an operation that's much scarier and more lethal than he could possibly imagine. Berlin is about to catch fire... and James Bond is trapped inside.

I can't remember why I picked this series up, because it's been several months since I did so, but I started following the single issues of it and this is the collection of that.

And I liked it! With, uh, a few problems mixed in. I liked their interpretation of Bond (who is a mixture of the current movies with the old movies and the books, to great effect), I liked the plot in general and I felt that it all moved along at a fairly compelling pace. It was a thoroughly solid read.

The only problem is that I think Ellis, the writer behind this, is another writer not quite to my tastes. He's a little too wide for me, and a little too... Posturingly macho? The story often stepped over the ridiculous line, with a slightly over the top glee. It was even more of a ridiculous male power fantasy than Bond usually is, and backed this up with an extremely disappointing amount of jokes based around gender.

So, yeah! I certainly enjoyed it an awful lot, but boy howdy did it have its problems.

The Woods, Vol. 3: New London / The Woods, Vol. 4: Movie Night

The more the crew finds out about the woods, the deeper the mystery gets. With Clay and the Duke teaming up to try and force the school into servitude for the New London army, the kids need to think up a plan to save their peers, and fast. And with Adrian uncontrollable and on the loose, no one knows what his next move will be.

OMG THIS SERIES. <3333

So, yeah. I'm still really liking everything that's going on with the Woods. I'm fully up to date with it, but these are the last two trades that are out at the moment and so I'm going to try and comment mainly on them.

This is just an incredibly well told story. The concept and worldbuilding remains amazing (and even expands in this volume!), the characters are incredibly easy to get invested in and the pace of the plot had me devouring all the volumes breathlessly. This is definitely not a series that rests on its laurels, and is all the better for it. It's slightly vicious, it's undeniably dark and it's one of the most beautifully well-developed tales that I've ever read.

So, yeah. Go read it now, basically. +

The Vision, Volume 1: Little Worse Than A Man

Behold the Visions! They’re the family next door, and they have the power to kill us all. What could possibly go wrong? Artificial hearts will be broken, bodies will not stay buried, the truth will not remain hidden, and the Vision will never be the same.

I honestly think that Tom King is one of, if not the, best comics writer in the industry at the moment and if I were to point to a series in example I would just have to choose this one.

The Vision is a series about what it means to be human, and the numerous complex choices involved in doing so. It's enchantingly told, excellently characterised and with a plot that feels like a punch to the gut on pretty much every level. It's a very dark tale, that definitely doesn't pull its punches, but is also beautifully weird and strangely touching and absolutely absorbing on every level.

I would definitely recommend giving this a go, no matter what your feelings on robots are. It is AMAZING, and I really don't feel like my stumbling gush about it here does it justice. +

Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War

Kirk and Spock make a most unusual discovery on a lost world... igniting events that will change the fate of empires!

I was expecting this to be shit, in the way that a lot of crossovers are, but it REALLY wasn't and I loved it as a result.

The problem with a lot of officially sanctioned crossovers, to my mind, is that they don't really think it through enough - they want the characters to meet, and so they bend the universe to do so and don't really pay much attention to making it make sense. They assume that seeing much beloved characters together will be enough, and leave it there with little further effort spent.

This, however, put a LOT of effort in. The plot was obviously very well thought through, if slightly heartbreaking, and left me wanting more in the very best way. The characters were very true to themselves as a result, and a lot of thought had obviously been put into their interactions. The writing was great, the worldbuilding was fantastic and overall... It was just really good?

So, yeah. This took a concept that should've been awful and turned it into something marvelous, and I will quite cheerfully recommend it for that. +

Animorphs: The Invasion / The Visitor / The Encounter / The Message / The Predator / The Capture - KA Applegate

The Earth is being invaded, but no one knows about it. When Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, and Marco stumble upon a downed alien spaceship and its dying pilot, they're given an incredible power -- they can transform into any animal they touch. With it, they become Animorphs, the unlikely champions in a secret war for the planet. And the enemies they're fighting could be anyone, even the people closest to them.

I debated splitting these up into their own separate sections, but in the end decided to go for my comic book rules and group them altogether for ease of review writing. Tell me if you'd prefer them separate, though! I honestly do think they could work either way.

I read the Animorphs avidly when I was a preteen, but this is the first time I've come back to them in about ten years. I was extremely worried that they wouldn't actually hold up to the test of time, but...

Yeah, if you've been talking to me at all for the past few months you'll know that they totally did. I LOVE the Animorphs series, perhaps more now than I did when I was a kid. The characters are still so incredibly compelling (Tobias! Ax! MARCOOOOOOOO! ;;) and really good depictions of kids forced into a warzone, the plots are incredibly compelling and the writing is honestly fantastic. The amount of effort put into this series clearly shows, and I adore them as a result.

So, yeah. Another set of books that I'd definitely recommend. If you're looking for a rush of nostalgia that stands the test of time, you could definitely do a lot worse than these. +

Star Trek: The Next Generation / Doctor Who: Assimilation2, Volume 1

When the Federation's most terrifying enemy strikes an unholy alliance with one of the Doctor's most hated antagonists, the result is devastation on a cosmic scale! Spanning the ends of space and time itself, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise find themselves joining forces with the time-travelling Doctor and his companions, with the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance!

This was what I expected the Star Trek/Green Lantern crossover to be like, and I don't mean that as a compliment.

It wasn't well thought through at all, events just seemed to happen because of plot and very little reasoning was applied to them. The characters were expected to excite you by themselves, but they were badly written and often acted in ways contrary to how they should've. The plotting was bad, the writing was dull... And the art! The art was hideous.

If you want a crossover done well look elsewhere. If you want a mess, with the one bright spot being a brief flashback to Four... Well, I suppose you could look here if you have no other option? -

Starman, Vol. 9: Grand Guignol / Starman, Vol. 10: Sons of the Father

Jack Knight returns to Opal City from his adventure in space, only to find the Shade has reverted to his villainous ways. Knight suspects that he is even committing murders, all this while many of Jack's friends seem to be missing. Before he can fully investigate, he witnesses his most horrible nightmare become reality--his beloved Opal City burning to the ground. Chaos ensues as hundreds of villains take the opportunity to strike.

Nuuuuuu, the end of my massive Starman read! ;;

So, yeah, I've read it all now and I can honestly say that it was a joy from beginning to end. Every single character was great (JACK ILU), the plots were amazing, the art was gorgeous and the writing was just fantastic on every level.

If I had to pick one series to explain why I love superhero comics so much, then it'd be this one. It just shows everything good about the medium. The struggles, and the morals, and the sheer sense of hope that outlasts everything else.

So, yeah. Definitely a rec from me. +

Daredevil: Back in Black, Vol. 1: Chinatown

Daredevil is back in black and back on his home turf, as Matt Murdock begins a fresh life once again! He may have returned to New York City, but Matt's on a different side of the law now, with a job in the District Attorney's office. And he's finding his new career quite the challenge, as even his incredible skills aren't enough to indict the local crime lord known as Tenfingers. Could this be a job for Daredevil?

I wouldn't call this bad, as such, but... I just found it absolutely impossible to get into and found myself incapable of caring as a result.

This is the first run of Daredevil post-Reboot, and I suppose that may be part of the problem. It's not bad, as such - the art is certainly beautiful, and the characters are reasonably compelling. The main problem is that it just doesn't hold a candle to the two absolutely excellent runs that went before it. This entire volume seemed like it was trying to be new and exciting, but instead ended up reverting to a far duller version of the character. Complexity was lost, the storytelling became weaker as a result and it was just a lot harder to care about anything.

Which is a pity. The art was lovely, but otherwise I found this incredibly forgettable.

The Superior Foes of Spider-Man, Vol. 2: The Crime of the Century

It's a second serving of the greatest villain book on the stands today! Crime does pay...but the Foes just might pay harder!

As I recall I wasn't entirely sold on the first volume of this, but I found the second one absolutely fantastic! :D

So, yeah. I really liked this. It seemed a slightly more coherent and well thought through story than the first one, which was odd because it was actually a lot more episodic. It felt a little fractured, but this time the fractures seemed intentional and all worked towards a really satisfying whole. The writing was incredibly enjoyable, the characters were easy to get invested in (I loooooove Beetle), the art was wonderfully quirky and the whole thing just had a real sense of heart behind it.

So, yeah, hugely enjoyable. I'm not going to recommend it, because I still have a few doubts about the first one, but it was certainly a fun read.

Black Magick, Volume 1: Awakening, Part One

Rowan Black is a detective with the Portsmouth PD... and a witch, two aspects of her life she has struggled to keep separate. Now someone is targeting Rowan, someone who knows her secrets and means to expose her... or worse.

I liked this, but feel like I could've liked it more.

It was very good! I really like Rucka's style of writing, and so this was a lovely read as a result. The art was very inventive and quite gorgeous, the characters were involving and the plot steadily picked up steam throughout to the point where I was definitely invested in it by the end of the volume. It was an obviously well thought through story, with a lot of potential and a lot of interesting clues as to where it's going to go next.

I did have a few problems with it, though. I like Rucka's style of writing, but feel a little like it meshes better with his work for the big two. The art was definitely beautiful, but sometimes hurt my eyes a little and so the whole book was a little hard to read as a result. I liked the hints of potential there, but sometimes wished that it'd been a slightly faster moving story and spent a little less time on moody impact shots.

I still definitely liked it, and will definitely be continuing to read it whenever it comes back, but that doesn't really erase the few issues I had.

The Repentant Rake - Edward Marston

Divided by politics but united in a desire to see justice done, Christopher Redmayne and Jonathan Bale join together once more. But how can they hope to find those who exploit the scandal of others, when the victims themselves will do anything to maintain their anonymity? And what of Sir Julius son? Most feel he must have been the victim of his own, debauched appetites, but a few talk of his repentance. So where is the repentant rake? And, with only lies, rumors and gossip to work with, even Redmayne and Bale despair of finding him.

This is the next entry in one of the historical detective novels that only I am reading, and I'm pleased to say that it was absolutely great and I'm still determined to make these historical detective novels grow beyond a fandom of one! ;)

So, yes. This was a pretty pivotal book in the series, and one that I liked an awful lot. I felt that Marston's earlier books sometimes read as a bit disjointed, but this certainly felt a lot more cohesive and picked up the pace as a result. The plot was definitely compelling, the writing style was extremely absorbing and I really liked all of the new characters who got introduced. It's still fairly standard detective novel fare, but if you like that this was definitely done in a way that was both absorbing and hugely fun to read.

If you like detective novels ~~I WILL DRAG YOU DOWN INTO MY WEB~~, this series would definitely be a good thing to read. +

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra - Vaseem Khan

Mumbai, murder and a baby elephant combine in a charming, joyful mystery for fans of Alexander McCall Smith and Rachel Joyce. On the day he retires, Inspector Ashwin Chopra discovers that he has inherited an elephant: an unlikely gift that could not be more inconvenient. For Chopra has one last case to solve...But as his murder investigation leads him across Mumbai - from its richest mansions to its murky underworld - he quickly discovers that a baby elephant may be exactly what an honest man needs.

*SPOILER ALERT* I actually read a book by Alexander McCall Smith later on this year, and now I am even more annoyed at this book for daring to compare itself to him.

I was really expecting to like this, but... Didn't. It's another book that I can't exactly call bad, but was so not to my tastes that I found myself heavily grinding my teeth by about 25 pages. The main character is alright, but grows steadily less compelling as time goes on. His backing cast are all hugely annoying at best, and I found myself glaring into space every single time they showed up. And the attitudes within it just really weren't to my tastes, the way the author wrote women was slightly absurd and eventually I ended up putting the book down because the way it treated animals was just flat out TERRIBLE.

I'm not sure I'd anti-rec it, the writing was good enough when it went nowhere near female characters and the plot was compelling enough, but yeah. I did not entirely enjoy this book.

Red Hood and the Outlaws, Vol. 2: The Starfire

As if Batman's former sidekick Jason Todd, now known as the Red Hood, didn't have enough problems leading the team of outlaws such as Arsenal and Starfire, now his "estranged" brother Red Robin is knocking on his door because "The Night of Owls" is here! With Batman in dire need of help, will Red Hood answer the call?

I continue to be surprised by how much I enjoyed this series!

But, yeah. I've heard bad things about it, and I still feel like Kori bears no actual resemblance to Kori, but in practice it's actually surprisingly good. The art is absolutely lovely, the characters are very easy to get invested in (Jason is AMAZING, as is Roy!) and the plot moves along quickly enough that it's very easy to get absorbed in. I still wouldn't call it the best series in the world, but it's certainly incredibly charming and has a great interpretation of characters who rarely seem to get their fair share in canon.

Faster Than Light, Volume 1: First Steps

In the very near future we discover the secret of faster-than-light travel. Suddenly the universe is wide open to us, but are we ready for it? With all the idealism of the original Star Trek and the grit and immediacy of Gravity and The Martian, the story of humanity's first thrilling and terrifying adventures to the stars takes flight!

This is a tie-in comic for a game that I've never played, that I picked up because it looked like interesting Sci-Fi.

And, yeah, I do definitely like it! It is very interesting Sci-Fi, with a well told story and interesting writing. I like the general direction that the plot seems to be taking, I like its approach to alien life and I really enjoy the little worldbuilding details that keep being thrown in. I'd probably get more out of it if I'd actually played the game, but it still stands as very enjoyable Sci-Fi and I like it on those terms.

I will say, though, that I still can't tell the difference between all the characters and that it seems remarkably low stakes so far considering that I'm pretty sure an alien plague is in the imminent future. But, yeah. Even with those faults, still hugely enjoyable! :D

Broken Angels - Richard Montanari

When the first body is found, mutilated and strangled on the riverbanks, Philadelphia homicide detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano suspect yet another case of random urban violence. Then it happens again. And again.

Carefully dressed and posed, each victim seems to tell a story so gruesome that Byrne and Balzano struggle at first to make sense of the killer's dark and twisted imagination. But when they stumble upon a collection of old fairy tales, the fragile link between the murders suddenly becomes clear - and with it the terrifying conclusion of the killer's plan.

Desperately, they try to anticipate the madman's next move, but as the body count rises, the killing spree spirals out of control ...

This is another obscure detective novel, that I'm pretty sure only I have read... And I don't care at all, I LOVED it and shall sing its praises to the world. <33

This is a series of slightly trashy detective novels set in Philadelphia. I enjoyed the previous entries, but felt that they leaned slightly more towards the trashy than they perhaps should've. This novel, however, definitely addresses that balance. It was still a little bit trashy, but the action felt a lot more grounded and the plot was far easier to get into as a result. It relied very little on shock value, and instead focused on crafting a very interesting and absorbing story. I especially liked the details within in, the characters - and the well-developed interactions between them - being a highlight.

So, yeah, really good! And definitely a detective novel that should be picked up. :D +

Quantum and Woody, Volume 3: Crooked Pasts, Present Tense

Eric needs to know he can trust Woody - and that means Woody needs to get a job, open a bank account, sign up for a library card, and do all the things a responsible adult does. But when a new gang of rogue mad-scientist super-criminals launch a wave of robot-enabled mega-crimes, will Woody stop them... or join them? Plus: the return of Edison's Radical Acquisitions and the thrilling secret origin of... the one and only Goat!

This was meh, like the sound a goat makes! :D

But, uh, seriously? I did not enjoy this volume very much. The thing about Quantum and Woody is that it is generally very funny, but also very broad and crude. In past volumes it balanced the smarter humour - and the more genuine moments of heart - well with the broadness and the crudeness, but in this volume it just seemed to throw that balance to the wind and ended up borderline unpleasant as a result.

I can't anti-rec it, I enjoyed the earlier volumes quite a lot and there was still stuff to like here, but... Yeah. Not as good.

Wolverine and the X-Men, Vol. 1

Wolverine takes one half of the X-Men back to Westchester to start over again with a new school, a new student body and a lot of surprises up his sleeve. But when the new Hellfire Club decides they don't like what the ol' Canucklehead has started, and decide to burn the place to the ground, will the school even outlast its first day?

Meh like a goat, AGAIN.

I was talking earlier, both in this post and in general, about how Aaron just doesn't really gel with me as a writer and that really shows here. I'd heard good things about this volume, from people I trust, but it just left me cold throughout. I couldn't care about the characters, I couldn't care about the plot and the whole effect was just a bit maddening as a result.

Not for me, unfortunately.

So, yes! That takes me up to 175 books read this year. And, thankfully, a good chink of them enjoyed at that!

I'm still hopelessly behind on these, so am hoping to get a few more posts along these lines out before the new year. God knows if I'll manage it, work will probably continue to be busy (and hopefully continue to be nice), but it's good to have GOALS.

Hope you enjoyed! :)

Currently Reading Wednesday XLIV: Thanks Readbama

doreyg — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 20:30:18 GMT

Just Finished: Black Widow, Vol. 1: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Most Wanted. Which was good! But, uh, not very inventive and often disappointingly dull as a result.

Currently Reading: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling! Only a chapter in so far, though.

Coming up: apparently the next Blake and Avery book is arriving tomorrow. So, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be reading that as soon as possible. <33

Reading Review Post VI: The Review Wolf

doreyg — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 18:55:47 GMT

Hello, and welcome back to a long overdue feature! The last time I did one of these reading review posts was before I started my new job, which was... Gosh, exactly three months ago now? WHICH IS A WHILE. Obviously my comment about keeping a more regular schedule turned out to be a filthy lie, for which I can only apologise.

But hopefully this'll make up for it! This post should take me up to 150 books read this year. Ones I really liked, and thus would recommend, will be marked with a +. Ones I really disliked, and thus would really not recommend, will be marked with a -

I hope you enjoy!

Zima Blue and other Stories - Alastair Reynolds

The stories in 'Zima Blue' represent a more optimistic take on humanity's future, a view that says there may be wars, there may be catastrophes and cosmic errors, but something human will still survive.

This is a book of short stories by Alastair Reynolds, who I've enjoyed books by before!

And... Meh? This shares the problem of a lot of short story collections, in that I liked a lot of the stories better than others. It also, however, has its own set of problems - in that even the stories I quite liked seemed rather samey, and thus the same level of meh. It never really moved beyond a dull drone for me. There were interesting ideas, sure, but most of the time they were delivered in such a way that I couldn't help myself from falling asleep a little.

This isn't to say that it's a bad collection, Reynolds' writing is still compelling to me and I did find myself absorbed in at least half of the stories, but... I suppose I was just expecting a little more, and it very much failed to deliver on that promise.

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death

There' s animal. There's vegetable. And there's somewhere in between.

That's where Dr. Pamela Isley, a.k.a. Poison Ivy, finds herself. Instead of battling the Dark Knight, she is now a researcher at the Gotham Botanical Gardens, studying the possibility of creating plant-human hybrids.

But when her fellow scientists start turning up dead, she's both the natural leading suspect and the only person (or plant) who can crack the case.

...I really hope this entire post doesn't turn into a conga line of meh. <<

So, yeah, I didn't really like this one much either. I had very high hopes for it, it's Ivy's first solo miniseries and she's been deserving one FOREVER, but it just fell flat in so many ways. The plot was nonsensical, the characters were largely one-dimensional and it just didn't seem to know what it was doing half of the time.

Again, I wouldn't exactly call it terrible - the art was lovely, and you could tell that the people behind it had a real desire to do right by the character - but it just didn't excite me in the way that it should've.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Vol. 1: BFF

Lunella Lafayette is a preteen genius who wants to change the world, but lives in fear of the Inhuman genes inside her! Now, Lunella's life is turned upside down when a red-scaled beast is teleported from the prehistoric past to a far-flung future we call...today! Together they're the most Marvelous Team-Up of all -- Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur! But will they be BFFs forever, or just until DD's dinner time?

Finally, one that I liked! :D

I really enjoyed this volume, and am still enjoying the series as a whole. It can be a little awkward to read at times, like a lot of people on the internet I was an awkwardly precocious kid and so I oversympathise with Lunella a hell of a lot sometimes, but that doesn't detract from the rest of it. The characters are incredibly well written, the art is lovely and the plot has a real sense of heart behind it. A really enjoyable book, with extra added dinosaurs to make things even more fun! :D

Starman, Vol. 5: Infernal Devices / Starman, Vol. 6: To Reach the Stars / Starman, Vol. 7: A Starry Knight / Starman, Vol. 8: Stars My Destination

Young Jack Knight, hero of Opal City, must stop the evil of Dr. Pip and save the enigmatic giant known as Solomon Grundy in this epic.

...So, uh, guess who went on a Starman reading binge earlier this year?

I've gushed at length about how much I love Starman before. But guess what, I'm going to do it again! This is an absolutely excellent series, that possibly holds the title of my favourite comic series ever. The characterization is amazing (Jack! The Shade! EVERYBODY! <3), the plots are incredibly absorbing and the whole feeling behind it just captures why I love superheroes so well. It's just such an optimistic series, that never lets the dark happenings within it overwhelm the light, and I LOVE IT. <33

My favourite volumes were probably 7 & 8, where Jack and co go to SPACE, but all of it is honestly worth a read. Go, go now! +

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 5: Super Famous

She's your new favorite. She's everyone's new favorite. And now she's joining the big leagues. Look out world, Kamala Khan is officially an Avenger! But will being one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes be everything she imagined? Or is life as a celebrity harder than she thought?

I've also gushed about Ms Marvel before, EVERYBODY has gushed about Ms Marvel before, but I'm happy to do so again. Her solo series remains a delight, even after the sort-of reboot of Secret Wars. She's such a lovely character, with such excellent plotting and writing, that you can't help but root for her. This volume makes things a little more complicated for her, but still retains its basic sense of heart in a way that is really endearing.

So, yeah. In short Ms. Marvel's solo run is still one of the best comics out there, and I would DEFINITELY recommend reading it. +

Starbrand & Nightmask: Eternity's Children (Attended University)

They're former Avengers with tremendous power, but almost zero life experience. Now Starbrand and Nightmask are out on their own, trying to find their place as heroes, cosmic entities and...students? College -it's a whole new universe for this pair, posing more questions than their mid-term exam. Can two all-powerful friends share a tiny dorm room? How hard is intergalactic teleportation after partying all night long at your first kegger? And will they keep their grades up while putting bad guys down? Time to find out, along with Starbrand & Nightmask!

This has been cancelled now, as I'm pretty sure that I was the only one actually reading it going by the sales figures, but I honestly think that was an unfair decision because I really liked it!

It wasn't the biggest book, but it told a very nice self-contained story with a lot of heart. The characters were endearing, it did a good job at representation and the plot moved along at a steady enough pace that I never really felt bored. It didn't have much star power, and admittedly it was never really going to be that popular as a result, but it was still a thoroughly endearing series and I'm a bit sad it's gone.

Star Wars, Vol. 2: Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon

Injustice reigns on Tatooine as villainous scum run rampant. Will Ben Kenobi risk revealing himself to do what's right? Then, Luke continues his quest to learn about the Jedi by heading for the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Plus: Han & Leia are confronted by an unexpected foe from Han's past!

I'm still a little dubious about how much I like Aaron's writing, but I must admit that I really enjoy his work on the Star Wars title.

This was a nice continuation of the first volume, and one that expanded out into the universe a little bit more. The characters are still great and entirely recognizable, the plot was definitely compelling and it maintained that sense of Star Wars that's always going to get me going.

It wasn't ground breaking, and I still prefer the Darth Vader series, but if you need a little extra Star Wars in your life you could certainly look in worse places.

Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1

Black Panther reinvented as a sharp and witty political satire? Believe it! T’Challa is the man with the plan as Christopher Priest puts the emphasis on the Wakandan king’s reputation as the ultimate statesman, as seen through the eyes of the U.S. government’s Everett K. Ross. As the Panther investigates a murder in New York, Ross plays Devil’s Advocate in an encounter with Mephisto, and a new regime seizes control in Wakanda. When the truth behind the coup becomes clear, T’Challa finds himself an enemy of the state — and a major revelation threatens to destroy his relationship with the Avengers!

I've been slowly reading this series for a while, and have finally got up to the point where I can list the first collection of Black Panther here!

I really, REALLY enjoyed this. I've heard whispers of this being the best Black Panther run ever, and I'd definitely agree with those. This is an absolutely charming book. The characters are great (T'Challa! Ross!), the plot is fantastically engaging and the writing is some of the best that I've seen in comic books.

It's a very absorbing series that is very easy to read, and if you want a way to get into T'Challa and his mythology then this is definitely the way to go. +

The Superior Spider-Man, Vol. 2: A Troubled Mind / The Superior Spider-Man, Vol. 3: No Escape

An Avenger no more? In light of his recent violent actions, will the Avengers kick Spidey off the team? With a villain acting like a hero and a hero acting like a villain, one man has decided that enough is enough! The ghostly revenant of Peter Parker fights to regain control of his body, his mind, and his destiny! Is this the beginning of the end for Otto Octavius?

...Not really a spoiler, since the series carries on for about 4 volumes after that blurb, but NOPE.

This is another series that I've rambled out before (because I've got into a lot of long-running series this year, apparently) but I am again happy to do it another time. I really enjoy Superior Spider-Man. I'm aware that it's not for everyone, but I find it a really compelling story that does new and interesting things with the characters involved.

I really enjoy the exploration of characterization, I find the plots really compelling and I can't help but laugh at the writing. It's a very fun series, and while I enjoyed volume 3 slightly less than the 2 before it I still find myself eager to know where it goes next.

Batman & Robin: Eternal, Volume 2

The Dynamic Duo thought they defeated her for good, but Mother is back—and she’s ready to enact her grand plan! And, when the truth behind Batman’s greatest failure is revealed, one of his allies may walk away from the fight forever. And as the world burns, it’s up to Dick Grayson to save a generation from unspeakable tragedy!

Speaking of ongoing things...

I always felt like I should've liked Batman & Robin: Eternal a lot more than I did. It had a lot of compelling stuff in it, the bits with Tim and Jason were FANTASTIC and I will defend them to the hilt, but far too much of it ended up being a bit meh for me. I found the main villain a bit weak, the art often quite wishy-washy (THE EIFFEL TOWER IS TALLER THAN THAT, YOU GUYS) and some of the writing a little subpar.

I still really liked at least half of the writing, and thought that a good chunk of the characterization was absolutely excellent, but it left me colder than it should've and that makes me sad.

The Immortal Iron Fist, Vol. 1: The Last Iron Fist Story

Many years ago, in the mystical city of Kun' Lun, young Danny Rand stared at a suit behind glass - the garb of the "Immortal Iron Fist" - and knew that he was destined to wear it. But where did this costume come from? Why did it wait for Danny all those years like a shadow of his future? The answer to those questions will stun both him and his readers, as Danny Rand leaps from the pages of his breakout hit in Daredevil to his own history-spanning kung-fu epic that will shatter every perception of what it means to be the Immortal Iron Fist!

AND SPEAKING OF THINGS THAT LEFT ME COLD.

I was expecting to really like this, for context it's the work that Fraction and Aja did together pre-Hawkeye, but it was just a real brick of 'meh' for pretty much all of it. Interesting things were going on - villains! Mysterious shit! The hero being out of his depth in various fun ways! - but it was all told in such a way that I just could not care at all.

I'm not sure that I can even anti-rec it, to be honest. I didn't hate it, as such, but it was just so MEH.

Star Wars: Vader Down

When Darth Vader accidentally finds himself facing off against the rebel fleet on his own, he is sent crashing onto a nearby planet. Will the rebels seize this opportunity to put an end to one of their greatest enemies — or will they be made to feel the full power of the dark side?

Like, you can TELL that Gillen had a large hand in writing that blurb. XD

I debated over putting this with the earlier Star Wars entry, but in the end decided that it was enough of its own thing to stand separately. This was the first crossover between the Darth Vader series and the Star Wars series, and so contained interesting plot stuff with both of them.

...And as expected, I absolutely LOVED it.

The plot was really tight, the characterization was as excellent as ever and the writing was absolutely amazing. It felt like what a crossover SHOULD be, very tight and focused on its goals, and was really compelling as a result. I loved every single part of it, with Vader taking down literally everybody in his path being a highlight, and I'd definitely recommend giving it a go. +

She-Hulk, Vol. 1: Single Green Female

Single Green Female, outgoing, intelligent, great sense of humor. Enjoys clubbing, dishing with gal-pals and saving the universe.

I really enjoyed this!

I've come to realize that I find Slott's writing quite charming, and that's especially true here. This is a really nice story about Jen, focusing a lot on her doing lawyer stuff and basically getting her life in order, and I found myself really invested in it. The art is beautiful, the plot is lovely and it has a really good sense of the characters involved in it.

It's nothing ground breaking, but I'd definitely recommend it if you want something a little lighter and extremely charming to boot. +

The Woods, Vol. 1: The Arrow / The Woods, Vol. 2: The Swarm

On October 16, 2013, 437 students, 52 teachers, and 24 additional staff from Bay Point Preparatory High School in suburban Milwaukee, WI vanished without a trace. Countless light years away, far outside the bounds of the charted universe, 513 people find themselves in the middle of an ancient, primordial wilderness. Where are they? Why are they there? The answers will prove stranger than anyone could possibly imagine.

BUT IF YOU WANT SOMETHING GROUND BREAKING...

I picked up The Woods in a sale, based on multiple recs, and immediately found myself absolutely hooked. Tynion is another writer who I really enjoy most of the time, and he's in fine form here. The Woods is a very weird series, but an incredibly compelling one in most ways.

The characters are excellent and extremely easy to fall in love with, the worldbuilding is hella compelling, the plot is incredibly well done and the writing is absolutely phenomenal. This is one of the best comics that I've ever read, and I do not say that lightly. If you want something a little darker but undeniably amazing, go pick this up now! +

Justice League, Volume 3: Throne of Atlantis

When Atlantis is struck by a U.S. Naval missile gone awry, Atlantis--led by Aquaman's brother Ocean Master--attacks the East Coast of the United States flooding its major cities such as Boston, Metropolis, Gotham City and several others.
The Justice League comes together to help Aquaman turn back the tide, but they soon learn that they are woefully overmatched by the Atlantean Army, and must find a way to save the world from total annihilation.

...And back to the meh.

I feel like the NU52 Justice League run started off really strong, and then quickly took a nosedive into dull territory. The first volume was great, the second volume had compelling moments but the third volume... Ughhhhhhhhhh.

I'd still struggle to call it bad, it was reasonably well written in most respects and the villains had at least been given a little thought this time, but it was just completely lacking in excitement. I didn't care about Aquaman, I didn't care about Aquaman's friends and I didn't even care enough to pick up the issues of Aquaman that doubtlessly contained the other part of the plot.

It was just dull. Too much Aquaman, too much of the baffling Clark/Diana romance, too little Hal and Bruce. I might still continue reading it, but now with significantly less hope than before.

The Totally Awesome Hulk, Volume 1: Cho Time

Get ready for gamma-fueled entertainment as the kid genius decides he's gonna be the best Hulk ever -and just possibly brings the entire world crashing down into chaos!

I've never really been into the Hulk, but with the Secret Wars (Secret Wars II? Secret Worlds? I honestly forget the title) reboot I decided to pick this series up. And I'm extremely glad that I did!

I really liked this. It's charming in the way that the best of Marvel is, with a real sense of heart and a deft touch with the plot threads it chooses to pick up on. I found the characters really endearing, I found the plot really absorbing and I just liked the whole effect in general.

It's another one that isn't that profound, but that is still a really nice and joyous thing to read. +

The Mighty Thor, Vol. 1: Thunder in Her Veins

When Dr. Jane Foster lifts the mystic hammer Mjolnir, she is transformed into the Goddess of Thunder, the Mighty Thor! Her enemies are many as Asgard descends further into chaos, and unrest threatens to spread throughout the Ten Realms. Yet she wages her greatest battle against a far more personal foe: the cancer killing her mortal form.

I was speaking earlier about how Aaron's writing just seems largely like it isn't for me, and I think this is a shining example of that.

That opening sentence is a bit unfair, because I DID like large chunks of this. I still feel like Jane as Thor is inspired, and I liked large chunks of the plot and the worldbuilding choices that were made. It was perfectly compelling, and I definitely enjoyed reading most of it.

It's just... It still left me cold far more often than expected. Aaron often seems to have very little heart to his writing, if that makes sense, and that especially shows with Thor. There doesn't really seem to be much passion there. Things happen, emotions are obviously meant to be occurring, but it all remains far too dry and detached for my tastes.

It's a good book, and I'm definitely a fan of it continuing to exist. But the jury is still out as to whether it's actually to my tastes or not.

The Astonishing Ant-Man, Vol. 1: Everybody Loves Team-Ups

Scott Lang was a down-on-his-luck, divorced ex-con -- until he stole renowned scientist and super hero Hank Pym's size-altering technology in the hopes of saving his daughter's life. Through that act of doing wrong for the right reasons, Scott inadvertently learned how to be a hero himself. With Pym's blessing and his daughter Cassie at his side, Scott became... The Astonishing Ant-Man! But when a curveball upends Scott's life, will he continue to be a hero, or will he return to his former life of crime?

I liked this, but not as much as I liked the pre-reboot stuff.

I don't know why this was less to my tastes, really. All the elements are still there - Scott is still Scott, the plot is still whacky, the art is still undeniably lovely - but something just seems to be missing. There's a certain spark of charm gone, a certain lack of the spontaneity that made the pre-reboot stuff really interesting and compelling.

IDK, I'm still reading it and so I can say that it does regain a little bit of that lost magic. But... This volume is still kind disappointing.

Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Rise of Alpha Flight

Face front, true believers! The Captain has made her return and oh, how mighty it is. It's a bold new frontier for Carol Danvers as she soars to new heights in her greatest mission yet-leader of the all-new Alpha Flight space program. Yup, Alpha Flight. As earth's first line of defense, Carol and her team aim to protect the planet from extraterrestrial threats. But can Carol be a soldier and a diplomat? Especially when an unknown enemy emerges that Carol can't quite punch.

Remember the time before Bendis mysteriously made Carol a fascist for no apparent reason? Yeah, those were the good old days.

I liked this volume, because it all takes place before the batshit insanity of Civil War II that is currently making Marvel rather hard to read, but I didn't love it. The art was beautiful, the writing was charming, all of the characters were compelling enough...

But, IDK, again it seemed to lack a certain spark. Everybody was there, the plot was happening, the writing was obviously expecting me to feel a great many things - but most of the time I couldn't really read it with anything more than casual interest. It was entirely alright, but it'd be a stretch to call it anything more than that.

After Civil War II is done, though, I suspect that I'll look back on the heady days of alright and breathe a nostalgic sigh.

Green Lantern Corps, Volume 1: Fearsome

When a new menace, The Keepers, begins to march across the space sectors and devouring not only their natural resources but their entire populations, it is up to The Corps, severely outnumbered, to stop them. The Corps soon find one of their own held by the ruthless Keepers and must figure out a way to save their comrade and defeat the Keepers without the Green Lantern's most powerful weapon, their power rings.

Starting on a meh note, ending on a meh note. This post really has been full of a surprising amount of meh.

I honestly struggle to recall what happened in this volume, and I think that says a lot. It wasn't bad, I certainly can't recall anything that made me burn with an eternal hatred, but it still wasn't at all memorable. Stuff happened, people went places, the art portrayed this. I honestly struggle to say more than that.

...Which, again, isn't really an anti-rec. Just a hearty, and slightly disappointed, dose of meh.

So, that's up to 150 books read this year! Whatever shall happen next?

Well, I can tell you exclusively right now that I am hella behind again so there may well be a lot of posts like this in the relatively near future. I'm not sure if I'll be able to churn out many, I hesitate to commit to anything for fear of dropping off the face of the internet for another three months and thus failing out of this year entirely, but I'm going to try and catch up as soon as I can. There are a lot of books still to be ~~mumbled over~~ reviewed, after all!

Hope you enjoyed! :)

Currently Reading Wednesday XLIII: Cuarenta y Read

doreyg — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 19:22:55 GMT

Just Finished: Soulless by Gail Carriger, which was... Really obnoxious on so many levels? Unpleasantly twee, with a main character who ground my teeth SO MUCH.

Currently Reading: the Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. Which is just as good as everyone said it was!

Coming up: the Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco! Which sounds very to my tastes from everything I've read.

A bird! A plane! A meme!

doreyg — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 08:00:23 GMT

Give me a fandom (or more than one) and I’ll answer:

otp:
favourite canon pairing:
worst pairing ever:
guilty pleasure pairing:
a pairing you want to see more:
that pairing everyone likes but you’re like “lol no":
favorite non-romantic pair:

Currently Reading Wednesday XLI: Sum Read

doreyg — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 21:48:24 GMT

Just Finished: A Gathering of Shadows by VE Schwab. Which was alright, but worryingly messy in parts and not as good as the first book in the series

Currently Reading: the Soldier's Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian. Let me tell you, it's really odd to read a book wanting the main characters to bang and knowing that they're definitely going to. :D

Coming up: the Frost Fair by Edward Marston!

doreyg — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 08:01:20 GMT

Happy three year anniversary to me and P. <3

Currently Reading Wednesday XL: Extra Read

doreyg — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 21:03:19 GMT

Just Finished: We've got a week off this week (reason why tomorrow <3) so I've had a lot of reading time, but most recent is The Reaction by KA Applegate. Which, uh, ow my feelings?

Currently Reading: Just started Batman vol 2: the City of Owls. Catching up, slowly but surely...

Coming up: I might remove this bloody section next year, since I rarely have any idea. Uh. I have a few Kindle books lined up, so probably one of them?

Yuletide 2016 Letter

doreyg — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 19:47:39 GMT

Hello, dear writer, and welcome to the happiest time of the year! I love Yuletide, to the point where this is my fifth year doing it. This year I’ve decided to request some of my rarest, just above fandom of one levels of rare, fandoms. As a result I would be honestly thrilled to receive any of the fandoms listed below, and will probably flail for at least a few days as a result. So long as you avoid my squicks (and preferably my dislikes) I should absolutely love whatever you write for me!

And on that subject...

Fic Likes: smut (my major kinks include biting, bloodplay, voices breaking in sex, talkative characters, anything oral, consensual rough sex, xeno, robosexuality, double penetration and usually composed characters COMPLETELY LOSING THEIR COOL), the entire Enemy Mine trope, fake relationships/fake marriages becoming real, huddling for warmth, sex pollen, first times, female characters, fluff, Fusions (especially Harry Potter/Hunger Games/Daemon/A:TLA based, or anything on this list), AUs of pretty much any kind (excepting slavefic and A/B/O) and badass action stuff.
Fic Dislikes: A/B/O, Slavefic, mpreg, anything scat/waterplay related, mind control, bashing female characters, issuefic, unrequested pairings, crossovers (I'm fine with different canon settings being used, but would prefer no characters from other canons to appear!) and unrequested incest.
Fic Squicks (as in: will almost certainly not read fic if it includes these): Rape/Non-con, bestiality, Severe underage (anybody under 14 for this exchange), abuse (especially abuse presented as romantic), relationships being broken up within the fic and infidelity.

And now, on with the letter!

Balzano and Byrne Series – Richard Montanari
Characters Requested: Jessica Balzano, Kevin Byrne

I really adore this book series. They're a fairly trashy set of crime novels, but really shine when they focus more on character interactions and development. What I really love about this series is how well drawn all of the figures within them are. They all have their own relationships and motivations, and I would love to see something as vividly characterized - and preferably as vividly trashy - as the books themselves.

The main two characters I'm interested in here are Jessica Balzano and Kevin Byrne. I love these two together! It would've been so easy to just have another warring detectives storyline, with the brash new woman having to prove herself to the older male cop who she's been partnered with, but instead these two just genuinely seem to like each other from the start and it's really endearing. I love the bond they have with each other, I love how they tease each other and I love how supportive they both are of each other even when it gets tough.

As a side note, infidelity is one of my squicks. But I also really hate Vincent, Jessica's husband! So, uh, feel free to deal with him in whatever way you want. As long as outright infidelity is avoided, I'll probably be fine with it.

Some ideas:

-I'd be thrilled to see a canon-style case fic with them, honestly! Where they have to solve a murder, and are adorable with each other on the way.
-Despite all of Byrne's obsession with his supposed second sight, it turns out that Jessica is the one who actually posesses supernatural powers. What powers does she possess, and how do they both cope with the revelation of them?
-I'd love a fake married style fic with them. Where they have to pretend to be married to get close to a suspect, and maybe discover their own feelings along the way.
-Extra optional prompt, since I requested neither Sophie or Colleen, but I'd love a fic where their kids see how perfect they are together and decide to get them into a relationship as a result!

Blake and Avery series – MJ Carter
Characters Requested: Jeremiah Blake, William Avery

This was one of my absolute favourite book finds last year, and if you’ve read it I’m sure you know why. Interesting plots, wonderful diversity, Historical accuracy AND a relationship between the two main characters so endearing that I had to keep putting my copy of the book down to clutch my face with glee. Truly, a dangerous combination.

As you can probably guess, what I want most in this fandom is fic exploring the relationship between Blake and Avery even further. I loved their dynamic in the book, and I really want to see more of it. Especially in a romantic sense. I feel that there’s a hell of a lot of potential for a really interesting romantic relationship there, and I’d absolutely love to see somebody explore that!

One thing I will say, though, is that adultery is one of my major squicks and so I’d prefer it if you worked around Helen. She can either be friends with Avery or just not appearing, but I’d prefer it if they weren’t actually married if you choose to write a romantic dynamic.

Some prompts:

-Blake has to go to Cornwall to solve a case there, and teams up with Avery again. Along the way they discover their feelings, and have to work through just what they mean to each other and the romantic ramifications that meaning has.
-Established relationship fic. Where they’re old, grumpy men and yet still totally in love and solving crimes together. Possibly relating to the industrial revolution and everything that involved? I shall leave the details up to you.
-Genderswap AU. Wihelmina Avery was sent to India to find a husband, but being poor and shabby she has little luck. And then she meets Jeremiah Blake and gets swept into an adventure involving most unladylike behaviour.
-Supernatural creature AU! Jeremiah Blake isn’t human, but rather an eternal vampire that was turned by Mountstuart and has been hiding out in India ever since. How does Avery react to this secret, and how does it affect the world around them?

Demonata Series – Darren Shan
Characters Requested: Bec, Kernel Fleck, Grubbs Grady, Lord Loss

As a starting note: I know I requested all four characters here, and while I’d be thrilled with a fic that has the four of them together I’d be equally thrilled to see a fic that focuses on any of them.

The Demonata is one of my favourite book series ever, and probably where my penchant for getting into tiny book fandoms started. It's a really dark story at several parts, whenever the Demonata pop up to be specific, but also contains really compelling characters and plots that keep me interested even when the grimness would otherwise drive me away. It's definitely a horror, but also contains some really interesting fantasy elements and a fascinating approach to magic. It also seems to have a really cast iron tone/moral of hope even on the darkest day, which has always appealed to me. Anything that appreciates the darkness of the setting, while also focusing on hope spots, would be great!

And, uh, this may be a slightly disjointed paragraph as I talk about why I love all the characters here! First of all I love all of the characters in the Kah-Gash, I adore Bec’s smartness and Kernel’s diplomacy against all odds and the way Grubbs just keeps diving over that moral line. I also love Lord Loss, how he is so much the chessmaster and just revels in it. I love how all of the Kah Gash interact with each other, how they truly come to rely on each other but still have numerous conflicting opinions at the end of the series. And I especially love how Lord Loss interacts with all the members of the Kah Gash, how they start off as enemies but end up – at least in the case of Kernel and Bec – definite allies and something close to friends.

Some ideas!:

-I’d love to see the Kah Gash working together in the new universe. What goes into the process of crafting a whole new universe? Do things go relatively smoothly, or ate there a fair few roadbumps on the way?
-Something set in 'Hell's Heroes', where Bec and Lord Loss are working together. I'd love to see them working together on their side of the plan. How Bec feels about her sacrifices, or how Lord Loss feels about the risks, or how they both feel about them unexpectedly getting on so well.
-Any interactions between Kernel and Lord Loss post-'Demon Apocalypse' but pre 'Hell's Heroes'. Kernel basically lost his eyes, what he started to focus a good amount of his self-worth around, due to Lord Loss. He regrew them, yes, but it still obviously gets to him in a number of ways. I'd like to see them somehow interacting in the light of this, with Kernel being (justifiably!) bitter about the whole thing and Lord Loss extending his trademarked brand of almost sympathy.
-At the end of the series Grubbs and Lord Loss still have an overtly antagonistic relationship, to the point where Grubbs is basically almost willing to plunge the universe into chaos again just to get a crack at killing the guy, but... They're still basically stuck together for billions of years. I'd love to see the slow development of their relationship, from the outright antagonism they still have for each other at the end of the series to maybe a more best enemies (or even Enemy Mine!) sort of arrangement.
-I honestly ship these four together so much. I’d love to see something where they settle into a sort of cosmic horror foursome, where they slowly settle into a genuinely four way relationship but still have individual difficulties and squabbles with each other. There’s so much history there, but they’re also stuck together for millennia and are in a position – at the end of this series – where a foursome could conceivably happen. I’d love to see something where it does, from arguments that they had on the way there to a surprisingly happy moment they had together.

I Would Do Anything for Love (but I Won’t Do That) (Music Video)
Characters Requested: The Cop | Detective with Glasses, The Monster (Meat Loaf)

I adore this music video! And was so thrilled to see that somebody had nominated it, honestly. I've been a fan of gothic stuff pretty much since I was a preteen, and this video basically strokes all my needs for it. I love how gothic it is, how much it plays into various monster stories and how gleeful it is about its melodrama. There are a lot of things that you can do with the base ~~batshit amazing~~ concept, and I'd love to see any of them.

I'd especially love to see more of the dynamic between Meat Loaf's character (the Monster) and the detective with glasses who seems to be chasing him. I am a sucker for all kinds of dynamics involving enemies, and this has a lot of what I like about those dynamics. I love how the detective seems to be obsessively chasing the monster, how the monster always remains just one step ahead of him and how they seem to be embroiled in some sort of cat and mouse game by the end. I'd really love to see this dynamic expanded upon even more!

Oh, and don't feel any obligation... But I'd be totally down for a shippy take on any of the prompts below. ;)

Some ideas:

-The detective met the monster at some point several years before the video. How did this meeting go? Was their enmity born almost immediately, or did something happen that drove them apart?
-The detective continues to go after the monster, against all reason. How does this go? Does he ever catch up, or is the monster always just a little too wily for him?
-The detective refuses to give up the chase, and hunts the monster obsessively over a period of years to the detriment of his own life. I'd love to see the hinted at cat and mouse game being expanded on, to the point of them being obsessed with nothing but each other.
-An AU where the detective is the one to wander into the monster's house instead of the woman. How does this go? Does the detective realize what's going on far more quickly? Does the monster also fall obsessively in love with him, and if so is this affection requited?

Shades of Magic – VE Schwab
Characters Requested: Holland, Kell Maresh

I picked this series up largely because I read several excellent pimping posts for them just before Yuletide, and they have not disappointed. I love them! I love the worldbuilding, I love the rapid pace of the plot and I absolutely love the characterisation. It just reads like a really rich and incredibly compelling world (or worlds), one fully lived in by the amazingly varied characters, and I would absolutely love to see more of it.

I am a sucker for enemy dynamics, and so for this one I’ve picked Kell and Holland. I love both of these characters so much. Kell is really sweet and good, but at the same time a real badass and astonishingly reckless. And Holland has so much going on in his life, has done some truly reprehensible things, but seems to be being forced every step of the way. I love the dynamic between them, the mutual wariness but also the way that Kell can’t quite stop feeling sorry for Holland, and I would love to see it expanded on.

Some ideas:

-A situation where they have to work together to accomplish a common goal. I am all about enemies being forced into situations where they have to rely on each other and I’d love to see something along those lines here. I’d especially like it if the working together causes them to appreciate each other more, and if some of their tension bleeds into the romantic instead.
-Holland somehow gets his freedom, and maybe something of a redemption arc along the way. How does Kell react to this? Does Holland come to see him first once he’s managed to break free, or do they bump into each other – and grow closer – a little further down the line?
-They start having sex to relieve the tension, but then feelings – oh no! – start growing in both of them. How do they respond, and does this change anything?
-I am very into kinky bloodplay, and as far as I’m concerned this series has great opportunities for that. Show me Kell and Holland indulging in bloodplay! I’m fine with it being borderline sweet – as in, somehow they only trust each other to scratch this particular itch – or messed up to the point of borderline dub-con.
-Show me the AU where Holland is the Antari of Red London and Kell is the Antari of White. How does this change things? And how are they both different as a result?

Vampire Babylon – Chris Marie Green
Characters Requested: Dawn Madison, Vlad Tepes | The Dragon

I just love everything about these books. They're high drama romance novels involving vampires, which should be something that attracts severe side eye, but they're just really enjoyable! Great worldbuilding, absolutely fantastic characters and so much room for porny interpretations. I'd definitely recommend them to anybody who likes vampires and villains.

I'm very interested in the potential relationship between Dawn and the Dragon. This has fascinating enough roots in canon, she kills him and then he basically possesses her after the fact, but it also has really interesting areas that could be expanded upon. It's commented on multiple times how Dawn is becoming just like the Dragon, taking too much genuine pleasure in blood letting and fury. I was a little disappointed, especially considering the whole possession situation, that the books didn't go further with this dynamic and instead finished in a place where the Dragon seemed to be largely defeated. I'd love to see an expansion of this dynamic, and an exploration of one of the many alternate paths this could've taken.

Some ideas:

-The Dragon is obviously still lingering in Dawn’s head after book 6. I’d love to see more interactions between them, especially if it leads to some common ground being found.
-The Dragon succeeds in taking over Dawn after the events of book 6... But Dawn isn’t completely wiped out by this. How do the Dragon’s plans alter, having a spiky hunter still lingering in his head? Does Dawn fight back in any way, and does she succeed in this fighting back?
-A canon divergence, where the Dragon ends up waking up a little earlier than expected and the first person he meets is Dawn. How do they react to each other? Do they fight, and if so who ends up winning?
-A role swap AU. Where Dawn is the fearsome vampire queen and Vlad is one of the hunters recruited to stop her. How was Dawn’s reign different? And how do they interact on this new footing?

I hope that gives you some ideas! I’ll be genuinely thrilled with pretty much anything you come up with, and I’m genuinely excited to see what comes up. Most of all, I hope you have as much fun writing your fic as I’ll have reading it! :D

Currently Reading Wednesday XXXIX: The Thirty-Nine Reads

doreyg — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 18:36:09 GMT

Just Finished: Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. I picked this up on a whim yesterday, and honestly read the whole thing today with very few breaks. Great Sci-Fi, with amazingly interesting characters and a really compelling narrative device. Absolutely amazing, and I'd definitely recommend it.

Currently Reading: I have literally just started the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling. Which isn't one of my favourites, as I recall, but I'm sure that I'll have fun rereading it anyway!

Coming up: oh, this question! Um. The answer is, as ever, that I don't really know. But maybe The Unknown by KA Applegate, which is yet another Animorphs book and was quite good when I last reread it!

Look, a Writing Meme!

doreyg — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 16:42:32 GMT

Stolen from lost_spook. Give me a number or two and I'll try to answer the questions! ~~And not fall down a hole for another few weeks, oops.~~ My ao3 is here.

1. How did you come up with the title to [insert fic]?
2. Any of your stories inspired by personal experience?
3. What character do you identify with most?
4. Is there a song or a playlist to associate with [insert fic]?
5. If you wrote a sequel to [insert fic], what would it be about?
6. Care to share a favorite hurt/comfort fic?
7. Care to share a favorite crack fic?
8. How would you describe your style?
9. Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?
10. Write or describe an alternative ending to [insert fic].
11. What's the angstiest idea you've ever come up with?
12. What's the weirdest AU you've ever come up with?
13. Got any premises on the back burner that you'd care to share?
14. Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?
15. How do you begin a story--with the plot, or the characters?
16. Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an "architect" or a "gardener"? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?)
17. Do you have any discarded scenes/storylines/projects?
18. Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence?
19. Any fandom tropes you can't resist?
20. Any fandom tropes you can't stand?
21. A pairing you might like to write for, but haven't tried yet.
22. A secondary (or underrated) character you want to see more of in fic?
23. Do you like more general prompts, or more specific ones?
24. A character you enjoy making suffer.
25. A character you want to protect.
26. Major character death--do you ever write/read it? Is there a character whose death you can't tolerate?

Currently Reading Wednesday XXXVIII: Reading Roulette

doreyg — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 08:00:36 GMT

Just Finished: I just finished rereading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling!

Currently Reading: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling! XD

Coming up: hm. Probably the Reaction. Which is the next Animorphs book by KA Applegate

TrickorTreatEx Letter

doreyg — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 18:57:55 GMT

Hello, lovely writer, and welcome to my TrickorTreatEx letter! I've been hovering around this exchange for a few years now, and have finally decided to do it this year. I'm really excited! I love fluff and I love creepy stuff, and so as long as you avoid my squicks (and preferably my dislikes) I should love whatever you write for me!

Fic Likes: Fusions (especially Harry Potter/Hunger Games/Daemon/A:TLA based, or anything on this list), AUs of pretty much any kind (excepting slavefic and A/B/O), badasses in love, smut (my major kinks include biting, bloodplay, voices breaking in sex, talkative characters, anything oral, totally consensual rough sex, xeno, robosexuality and usually composed characters COMPLETELY LOSING THEIR COOL), the entire Enemy Mine trope, fake relationships/fake marriages becoming real, huddling for warmth, sex pollen, first times, supernatural creatures (I'm especially fond of vampires, but also love ghosts and zombies and werewolves and pretty much all of the weirder supernatural creatures), aliens, female characters, fluff and badass action stuff.
Fic Dislikes: A/B/O, Slavefic, mpreg, anything scat/waterplay related, mind control, completely dismissing female characters, issuefic and unrequested incest.
Fic Squicks (as in: will almost certainly not read fic if it includes these): Rape/Non-con, bestiality, Severe underage (anybody under 14 for this exchange), abuse (especially abuse presented as romantic), relationships being broken up within the fic and infidelity.

All of these are requests for fanfic, just as a heads up! And now, on with the show. :D

Animorphs - KA Applegate
Medium Requested: Treat
Characters Requested: Marco (Animorphs) Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill

I've been rereading the Animorphs books this year, and I'm surprised by just how well they hold up. They're really compelling books. The characters are all great, the alien worldbuilding is especially excellent and I love the overriding message that war is hell but sometimes can't be avoided.

...And so, of course, I'd love happy stuff most here.

Ax

I adore Ax so much. I love aliens, and he's such an interesting alien. He's very much a warrior, but also very clearly young and almost entirely out of his depth. I love his dry sense of humour and his attempts to fit in with humanity, and I'd love to see more of the contrasts within him.

Treat Prompts:

-What was his life like back on his homeworld? What fun times did he have as a kid, and what is life like for a baby andalite?
-Something exploring the main things he loves about earth, be it the peace of the forest or the lure of cable TV.
-I find andalites really cool. I'd love to see something exploring just how cool they are, from their tails to just how fast they can run.

Marco

I love Marco! I've always had a weakness for deadpan snarkers who care too much about things, and Marco certainly fits that bill. I love how he's always the one to hide behind a sneering exterior, but on the inside always really cares for things and will fight tooth and nail no matter what.

Treat Prompts:

-Even Marco finds morphing really cool. I'd love to see something where he appreciates that, and maybe spends some time in his favourite morph.
-Using morphing for fun and profit.
-I love Marco's sense of humour. I'd love to see something where he uses it, be it in a slightly pressured situation or an actually fun one.

Ax/Marco

On my reread I'm finding myself waiting for their moments together most eagerly. On the surface they're very different, Ax is veey earnest while Marco is very sarcastic, but they seem to get on together so well to the point where it almost seems like they're flirting in the background sometimes. I'd love to see more of them!

Treat Prompts:

-They are actually flirting in the background of most books.
-Scenes from their established relationship, that preferably starts early on in the series and runs throughout.
-Meet the parents! Where Marco gets to meet Ax's parents and they all get on surprisingly well.
-They lose their virginities to each other, because they're in the middle of a war and both believe in grabbing the moment.

Babylon 5
Medium Requested: Treat, Trick
Characters Requested: Stephen Franklin (Babylon 5), Marcus Cole (Babylon 5)

Babylon 5 is an excellent show and I’d be thrilled to get anything set in its universe. I love how dark and interesting it is, how many terrible things happen and how truly epic it all feels. Despite that, I also love how optimistic it can be – how it doesn’t deny that terrible things happen, but places a focus on working through those things and building a better future. I love how pragmatically bright it is, and I’d love to see anything along those lines.

Stephen

My love for Franklin crept up on me slowly, so I didn't realize it until I was really deep in. I just adore him so much! He's such a strong figure, who has been through so much and yet never stops trying. I love how unflappable he is, I love his heart and I love how he always picks himself up no matter what.

Treat Prompts:

-Franklin makes a huge scientific breakthrough, and saves a life asa result!
-Franklin interacting more with the various alien cultures of the station, and learning to understand them
-What does Franklin do in his time away from Medlab? Show me him having an extremely peaceful day off!

Trick Prompts:

-Something goes sideways on Halloween, and Franklin ends up treating a supernatural creature from Earth. How does he rise to the occasion?
-Sometimes he can still feel where he got stabbed. How does he deal with this?
-Tell me a ghost story that Franklin heard from one of his alien patients

Marcus

I adore Marcus, and desperately wish that he had got a different ending. He was such a force for good, not just on Babylon 5 but in the universe. He was just so bright and optimistic, so determined to fight despite all the odds being syacked against him. I love his cheerfulness despite all that he's been through, I love his competence and I love his sarcasm. And I'd definitely love to see more of him!

Treat Prompts:

-Space is really cool. Show me Marcus appreciating just how cool space is!
-What was he like as a kid? Did he have any favourite games, or was he bookish and only grew into himself later?
-I have the feeling that Marcus found a home on Babylon 5. Show me a moment where he really appreciated that!

Trick Prompts:

-While out on Ranger business, Marcus discovers some kind of supernatural creature/monster. How does he deal with it?
-Marcus has a lot of nightmares about the Shadows, but are they really nightmares?
-Marcus comes back to haunt Babylon 5 as a ghost.

Marcus/Stephen

I was sold on these two from the moment they pretended to be married. Their relationship got a surprising amount of development on the show, and I really enjoyed every bit of it. Marcus teases Franklin, Franklin seems incredibly fond of him despite his annoyance and they just work really well together. I'd love to see more of that!

Treat Prompts:

-More fake married shenanigans!
-Them slowly feeling out a relationship together, where it's still all exciting and new and they're still working out various boundaries.
-Established relationship fic, where they're really comfortable and sweet together and have learned pretty much everything about each other.

Trick Prompts:

-Franklin gets caught up in the Day of the Dead business, and the ghost who comes to visit him is Marcus.
-Zombies attack Babylon 5, and Franklin and Marcus have to fight them off.
-An apocalypse happens, and everywhere outside Babylon 5 goes silent. How do they cope?

Batman (Comics)
Medium Requested: Treat, Trick
Characters Requested: Bruce Wayne (Batman comics), Edward Nygma (Batman Comics)

I got into DC comics properly last year, and I honestly cannot believe just how fun they are. The entire tone just appeals to me – incredibly serious things happen, but they’re generally treated so lightly that you can still enjoy them even through the trauma. I truly love all of them, but for this exchange I’ve decided to focus largely around the Batman side of things. I love how dark and Gothic they usually are, and how they manage to combine a real tone of battle optimism with some genuinely dark stuff.

Eddie

Eddie is probably my favourite male rogue (in Gotham, at least). I just really love how his threat is based more on brains than brawn, how ridiculous he can be in the pursuit of crime and how he can be even more ridiculous away from crime.

Treat Prompts:

-What would Eddie be like, if he hadn't chosen to become a supervillain? Is he still somehow involved in superheroics?
-Eddie taking great pleasure in wordplay.
-Eddie helps to save the day for the first time, and finds himself kinda liking it.

Trick Prompts:

-What was the best riddle/trick Eddie ever came up with?
-Eddie encounters some sort of supernatural creature on the streets of Gotham, and finds that he has to deal with it himself.
-Eddie accidentally summons a demon.

Bruce

Oh, BRUCE. I love this guy so much, but I love him for his flaws just as much as his absurd levels of competence. This is a fiercely intelligent guy who can take out an entire platoon single handed, but can't manage a genuinely emotional interaction without setting something on fire. I truly adore him, and would love to see more of his failboat tendencies.

Treat Prompts:

-A perfectly nice and ordinary day that he had before his parents were killed.
-He must be happy sometimes even as Batman, right? Show me a point in his career where he actually had a good day.
-Batman's gadgets are really cool. I'd love to see him appreciating this, for once.

Trick Prompts:

-Bruce was turned into a vampire, at some point while he was travelling around the world. How does this change things?
-Bruce has never killed anyone, but he sure thinks about it a lot.
-Bruce encounters a supernatural creature in Gotham, and barely manages to defeat it.

Eddie/Bruce

I love these two as they interact together. I love how equal they are in an odd way, how they're both as smart as each other and really get each other's level of intelligence. I also love what impact they've had on each other, how Bruce is sharper thanks to Eddie and Eddie is covered in scars thanks to Bruce. I'd love something exploring the contrasts and similarities between them, and how exactly they'd work past those in a relationship.

Treat Prompts:

-one of my favourite arcs in the comics is where Eddie is working as a private detective (Detective comics 822-824, 828, 837, 845). I’d love to see more exploration of this dynamic
-Something where they have to solve a crime together
-Something where they begrudgingly end up appreciating each others skills.
-Sex! I'd be especially into them tying each other up or Eddie losing his virginity to Bruce.

Trick Prompts:

-Bruce is a vampire, and Eddie is in rather too deep.
-Eddie is covered in scars due to Bruce, something where they both work through this would be great.
-The one riddle Bruce couldn't solve, and how badly it ended up costing him.
-More dubcon sex, where sex pollen or sex drugs are involved.

Demonata Series - Darren Shan
Medium Requested: Treat, Trick
Characters Requested: Juni Swan, Kernel Fleck

The Demonata is one of my favourite book series ever, and probably where my penchant for getting into tiny book fandoms started. It's a really dark story at several parts, whenever the Demonata pop up to be specific, but also contains really compelling characters and plots that keep me interested even when the grimness would otherwise drive me away. It's definitely a horror, but also contains some really interesting fantasy elements and a fascinating approach to magic. It also seems to have a really cast iron tone/moral of hope even on the darkest day, which has always appealed to me. Anything that appreciates the darkness of the setting, while also focusing on hope spots, would be great!

Juni

Juniiiiiiii. I love Juni, good lord do I love Juni to an almost embarrassing level. She's presented as a villain in the books, but her character is so complex and deserved so much more than what she got. She was kidnapped as a child, eventually freed herself and then rose to a position of power before her unfortunate ending. I love her strength, I love her tenacity and I absolutely love the complexity of her morals. I'd love to see more of her!

Treat Prompts:

-Juni is allowed a perfectly normal life in the rebooted universe, and everything ends up going mysteriously perfect for her.
-Slightly improbable fluff set in her years with Lord Loss. What friends does she make amongst the demons, and does she finally find a place to belong?
-Juni seems to have a lot of self worth issues. Show me a moment where she genuinely felt pretty!

Trick Prompts:

-One of her numerous encounters with demons, be it pre- or post-Beranabus.
-What does it feel like, to be forced back into life as a zombie when you desired no such thing?
-What does it feel like to see the future, to meet somebody and immediately know how they're going to die?

Kernel

I've always loved Kernel. He's definitely not a warrior character, but he seems very good at surviving and helping others to do the same. He obviously tries to harden himself through the books, but he can never quite hide how deeply he cares about people and wants to do the right thing. I adore his sheer sweetness under fire, and would love to see more of it.

Treat Prompts:

-Him finding a new kind of happiness in the rebooted universe post-Hell's Heroes. He is the Eyes, after all - how does he craft the universe to his liking?
-Magic is dangerous, but fun. Show me Kernel having fun with his magic!
-Super optional prompt, since I know Art isn't nominated, but a happy moment that he spent with his brother by his side.

Trick Prompts:

-One of his numerous encounters with demons, maybe the story of how he lost his fingertips?
-What is his life like, in that period between when Grubbs rips out his eyes and the start of Hell's Heroes?
-Kernel mourns his brother post-Demon Thief.

Juni/Kernel

I loved the interactions of these two in Demon Thief, and have firmly shipped it ever since. They just have such a fascinatingly complex relationship, they save each others life so many times and then end up on completely opposite sides, and I'd love to see more of it. Kernel keeps some compassion for her in the books, and I can even see Juni remaining fond of him. I just think that they'd work really well together!

Treat Prompts:

-Kernel works hard to give Juni the perfect life in the new universe, and ends up falling in love with her. How do a god and a seer negotiate a relationship under those terms?
-Juni redeems herself when she refuses to serve Death, Kernel helps her to readjust and they fall in love along the way.
-Improbable fluff, again! They're on opposite sides, but they still meet up to be sweet with each other.

Trick Prompts:

-Working together to fight a rogue Demon.
-A starcrossed lovers sort of thing, where everything about their relationship is dangerous and bad but they can't quite quit each other.
-Related to the above, but cam be seperate. They carry on a secret relationship for years, and then Bearanabus and Lord Loss find out. Gimme consequences!
-What do they think of each other, post Demon Apocalypse?

The Flash (TV 2014)
Medium Requested: Treat, Trick
Characters Requested: Barry Allen (The Flash TV), Mark Mardon (the Flash TV), Lisa Snart (The Flash TV), Axel Walker (The Flash TV)

I love the Flash in all its ridiculously over the top glory. It’s like it looked at the grimdark tone of certain other superhero adaptations, and decided to be extra bright as a result. It’s really fun, really absorbing and actually kind of profound for a show that believes in wasting the absolute minimum of time on brooding (at least most of the time *Glares at certain bits of season 2*). I truly adore it, and I also truly adore all the weird and wacky characters that came out of it!

Axel

I like how chaotic Axel is. He only appeared in one episode, but he seemed to be having such a fun time in that episode that I couldn't help but love him. I adore how over the top he is, I adore his games and I absolutely adore his habit of getting in over his head.

Treat Prompts:

-Axel decides to be nice to people for a day, and so only gives out fun presents.
-How much fun does Axel have on Halloween?
-Something where Axel takes great pleasure in crafting his toys, before sending them out to hurt people.

Trick Prompts:

-What was the creepiest trick that Axel ever crafted?
-How much fun does Axel have on Halloween? Except the sinister version, where he really terrifies some people.
-Axel turns out to be half sone kind of supernatural creature (on his mother's side, maybe). How does he deal with this?

Barry

I love Barry so much. He makes so many bad decisions, but at the same time he's such a sweetie and I absolutely adore his levels of optimism. I especially like him when he isn't trying to go all broody, and is instead doing the whole superhero thing at full speed!

Treat Prompts:

-Barry indulging in his powers and taking trips around the world.
-Barry indulging in his powers, and appreciating just how cool they are. He can run through walls! And up buildings!
-Barry being an adorable dork, and talking about science non-stop.

Trick Prompts:

-What if Barry had decided to use his powers for evil instead?
-Barry encounters a supernatural creature (I have a weakness for vampires but am fine with anything), what does he do?
-A no-win scenario where everything is terrible no matter what he does.

Lisa

I LOVE Lisa. I wish she got given more to do! She's a character who has been through so much, but who is still so strong and flirty and mischievous. I love her sense of humour, I love how competent she is and I'd love to see more of her kicking ass and taking names.

Treat Prompts:

-Lisa goes on holiday, and has a great time.
-Lisa goes ice skating, and has a great time.
-What does she do when she's not comitting crimes? I'd love to see her indulging in her favourite hobbies.

Trick Prompts:

-Lisa commits the perfect crime, and is absolutely ruthless while doing so.
-Lisa's gold gun is kinda horrifying and I'd love to see her using it more.
-Lisa is a vampire alongside her brother. What has her life been like, over the years?

Mark

Mark is such a jerk, but he definitely has his soft spots relating to family and the way he approaches the world. I like how determined he is, and how much fun he seems to have doing his supervillain thing. He honestly seems like a hurricane wrapped in a human body sometimes, and I'd love to see more of that.

Treat Prompts:

-Something showing how important Mark's family are to him.
-Mark learning how to use his powers and having fun with them.
-Mark manages to redeem himself, and works out how to build a good life that doesn't involve crime.
-AU where Mark ends up as the Star Labs Superhero.

Trick Prompts:

-Mark's powers are terrifying. I'd love to see whatever terrifying applications of them you can think of. From targeted hail to a sudden hurricane.
-Mark's powers go haywire. He can't control them, and as a result things get a bit too chaotic even for him.
-Where was Mark in between the dwath of his brother and when he first showed up, and what sinister stuff happened in that time?

Axel/Barry

The potential that these two have just really interests me. Both of them are relatively chaotic in their own way, and both of them have interesting and complex relationships with their fathers. I can really see Axel glomming onto those similarities, and their relationship developing from there. Anything where Barry is weirded out, but still kinda flattered, would be great!

Treat Prompts:

-Axel develops a crush on Barry, not knowing he's the Flash.
-Axel develops a crush on the Flash, not knowing he's Barry.
-Established relationship fic where they're really good for each other! I'd love to see anything from eating ice cream in the park to holding hands together.

Trick Prompts:

-Axel kidnaps Barry on one of the occasions he's depowered. I'd prefer no non-con, but rather to see what creepy games he comes up with.
-Supernatural creatures (up to you which ones, though I do like vampires and any of the more inventive kinds) attack Central City and Barry and Axel have to stop them.
-Axel turns out to be a supernatural creature (maybe on his mother's side), how does Barry deal with this?

Barry/Lisa

I really love these two. There tend to be a lot of looks exchanged and a lot of obvious chemistry when they're on camera together, and I'd love to see that being built on. They’re both really fascinating characters, who interact and contrast in a number of interesting ways, and I’d be very interested in a fic that focuses on just how compelling they are as people and how compelling they could be together.

Treat Prompts:

-Lisa has always wanted to travel but has never been able, Barry helps her.
-Lisa starts flirting with Barry instead of Cisco. How does this change things?
-Lisa starts dating Barry before she knows he's the Flash, how dies their relationship develop?
-The two of them having fun together! Lisa taking Barry ice skating or Barry taking Lisa for ice cream or anything you can think of.

Trick Prompts:

-Barry gets hit by Lisa's gold gun, in has unexpected effects.
-Lisa is an ice elemental, just like her brother. How does Barry react to finding this out?
-Lisa is a vampire, just like her brother. How does Barry deal with this?
-Lisa refuses to stop committing crimes, but still wants to pursue Barry. How does Barry deal with a murderess who wants him?

Barry/Mark

I will admit that I mainly started shipping these two because of the visual, but it has definitely developed from there. I'd love to see something where Barry notices Mark's soft spots, and they work together towards a more equal relationship. It's another slightly cracky relationship where I really do think they could balance each other out, and I'd love to see more of them together.

Treat prompts:

-Something exploring their mutual commitment to family, and possibly them building a new one of their own.
-Sweet weather related stuff, them kissing in the rain or the snow. Or Mark begrudgingly giving Barry a perfectly sunny day.
-Something where Mark, perhaps compelled by prison or inspired by Barry/The Flash, decides to try to reform.
-An AU where Mark ends up being the superhero at Star Labs and Barry ends up being a metahuman villain.

Trick Prompts:

-Hate sex!
-Mark is obviously very committed to family. So something where he refuses to forgive Barry, and vows to hunt him no matter what.
-Mark's powers go haywire, and not even Barry can fix them or stop their power.
-AU where Mark is some kind of nature spirit come to seduce Barry.

Axel + Lisa + Mark

I liked how season 1 seemed to be heading towards a unified band of rogues, and was annoyed when season 2 veered elsewhere. I think these three could work really well together, or at least amusingly. I'd love to see how their varying levels of chaos interact!

Treat Prompts:

-How do they get together, as a unified band of Rogues?
-Them just having fun at a bar, shooting the shit and talking over their achievements.
-Something where they build their own sort of family together.

Trick Prompts"

-Them committing the perfect crime together, and being utterly horrifying assholes about it.
-Supernatural creatures invade Central City! And the Rogues are the only ones who can stop it.
-They're all different kinds of supernatural creatures. How do they get together in the first place, and what dothey do with their powers?

Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Medium Requested: Treat, Trick
Characters Requested: Severus Snape, Sirius Black

I started rereading Harry Potter recently, and was surprised by how nice it was to slip back into the world. It's just so compelling. The characters are excellent, the world building is absorbing and it really does feel magical. I would love something that captures the sheer wonder inherent in the universe.

Snape

I still find Snape fascinating. He's a lot more of a dick than I remembered on past rereads, but I find his reasons really compelling and can sympathise with him a great deal. He's a man who has lost everything due to his own actions, and who isn't sure if he deserves redemption but is desperately trying for it anyway. I'd love to see more of the complexity of his character!

Treat Prompts:

-Snape takes the Luck Potion and has a perfectly lucky day, how does this go?
-Hogwarts is just as much a home for Snape as it is for anyone else. Show me a moment where he truly felt at home there.
-Snape saves the day in some small way, and has to react to being a hero.

Trick Prompts:

-Snape is literally haunted by the ghosts of all the people that he's lost
-Snape encounters a monster when searching for potions ingredients. How does he cope?
-AU where Snape gets the Defence Against the Dark Arts post far earlier than expected... And falls victim to Voldemort's curse.

Sirius

I've loved Sirius since he first turned up. He's also a man who had his entire life ripped away from him, but through very little fault of his own. As a result he's still kind of the wild teenager that never got to grow up, or really prove the world wrong about him. I find this hugely compelling, and would love to see more of it.

Treat Prompts:

-Sirous having fun at Hogwarts! Getting up to mischief, and having a whale of a time
-Sirius having fun in his dog form. Basically just bouncing everywhere, and being a happy puppy.
-More glimpses of what Sirius was like before he went to prison. We saw some bits, but I'd still love to see more of him before he was twisted by Azkaban.

Trick Prompts:

-Sirius has nightmares about his time in Azkaban
-Sirius goes out flying on Buckbeak, and maybe meets a few more magical creatures on the way.
-AU where Sirius does follow his Black genes, and goes evil as a result

Snape/Sirius

I'm a sucker for antagonistic dynamics, and boy am I interested by the potential in this one. They're very different characters, Snape is a survivor while Sirius is often too bold for his own good, but both have lost everything and both struggle to keep going in the aftermath of that. I'd love to see more of their dynamic, in light of that!

Treat Prompts:

-Sirius survives Order of the Phoenix, and they grow reluctantly closer in the aftermath of his near miss
-They both know what it is to have nightmares. They still pretend to utterly loathe each other, but they still help each other through it.
-A rare time where they worked together, maybe to stop James or Harry doing something stupid, and managed it surprisingly well

Trick Prompts:

-Hate sex when they were teenagers
-Hate sex when they're adults, with the both of them just desperate to feel something.
-Sirius accidentally gets tangled up with some kind of supernatural beast, Snape reluctantly helps him.

Hello From the Magic Tavern (Podcast)
Medium Requested: Treat, Trick
Characters Requested: Chunt the Shapeshifter (Hello From the Magic Tavern), Arnie Niekamp (Hello From the Magic Tavern)

I started listening to this podcast this year, and just find it so very charming. I have a weakness for fantasy, but often find it disappointing that it's usually played absolutely straight. Thus does not play it straight. It's quirky, and it's insane and it takes a fierce joy in its premise that I can't help but find endearing.

My beastiality squick is obviously complicated for this fandom, due to Chunt. I'm gonna say that implied beastiality is fine, but I'd prefer no explicit stuff. I'm also gonna say that I consider sex with supernatural creatures closer to xeno than beastiality, and thus am beyond fine with that!

Chunt

Good lord do I love Chunt. He's such a fun character! He's a shapeshifting badger obsessed with buttholes and sex, who seems both quite intelligent and rather cosmopolitan at the same time. I love the strangeness of his character, and I love the many possibilities inherent in his powers.

Treat Prompts:

-Chunt transforms into an incredibly cute creature.
-Chunt having fun with his shapeshifting powers! It must be such a cool thing, to shapeshift. I'd love to see him indulging in it at great length.
-What does Chunt do when he's not on the Podcast? Show me him having fun by himself, and maybe getting into fun hijinks

Trick Prompts:

-5 magical creatures Chunt turned into/slept with
-Chunt's powers could be used for absolutely terrifying purposes. Show me a time that he did use them to scare the wits out of someone!
-The one supernatural creature that Chunt met and didn't want to sleep with.

Arnie

Oh, Arnie. I also love his character. The idea of a man who got sucked into a magical land and then was too lazy to do anything but sit in a tavern and talk all day is just hilarious to me. I love his laziness, and I also love his reactions to all the weirdness around him.

Treat Prompts:

-Show me a time when Arnie really had fun in Foon!
-Arnie goes to a party, and has a great time! Even though everything is a bit weird, in traditional Foon style.
-Arnie is forced to go on an adventure, and has a surprisingly good time.

Trick Prompts:

-5 supernatural creatures that Arnie met
-Arnie interviews the dark lord for his podcast
-Arnie gets turned into a vampire at some point. How does this change things?

Arnie/Chunt

I... Also really ship these two. They just have such an interesting relationship in the show! They're best friends, but often snipe at each other and have so many misunderstandings that it's hilarious. I love how the guests keep commenting on their sexual tension, and I'd love to see more of it.

I'd prefer if Chunt wasn't a badger for any sex. I also have infidelity as one of my squicks, so I'd prefer Sarah either not to be mentioned or for an open marriage to be implied.

Treat Prompts:

-The two of them go on an adventure together, and actually have a surprising amount of fun!
-To their mutual shock, they survive Make Out Point together
-Chunt finally decides that he wants to pursue Arnie enough to take human shape. What are the varying reactions to this?

Trick Prompts:

-5 magical creatures that Chunt shifted into, and that Arnie had sex with him as
-There are some things in Foon that both Chunt and Arnie are freaked out by. Show me one (or a few) of them!
-Slightly more messed up sex, ideally involving bloodplay
-What is it actually like, to wake up to your own face lying on the pillow besides you?

Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Medium Requested: Trick
Characters Requested: Zorua (game), Sakurabyss | Gorebyss (game), Phantump (games), Juppeta | Banette (game), Fuwante | Drifloon (game), Desumasu | Yamask (game), Lampent | Ranpuraa (game)

I've been into Pokemon ever since it came out, and I don't see that stopping any time soon. It's just an incredibly compelling world, wuth so many interesting - and horrifying - facets to it. I love how much work goes into creating the Pokemon, and how they deliberately seem to leave spaces in those stories.

And the creepiness of pretty much all Ghost Pokemon definitely gets my interest.

Banette

The Pokedex entry for Banette states "A doll that became a Pokémon over its grudge from being junked. It seeks the child that disowned it". I am very interested in the idea of a vengeful doll, who apparently has evil energy trapped inside it, wandering the world in search of one poor child.

Trick Prompts:

-Anything where Banette searches the world for years, scaring the crap out of everyone in search of this one child.
-Many years later, Banette finds the child that abandoned it. How badly does this go?
-What terrible things will actually happen if Banette opens its mouth?

Drifloon

These pokemon look so sweet and innocent, but apparently children go missing around them and they're a signpost for wandering spirits. There's a lot of creepy stuff you could do there, and I'd like to see any of it.

Trick Prompts:

-What exactly does being a signpost for wandering spirits entail? Is Driflon actually a portal for far darker things?
-How does it feel, to be kidnapped by a Drifloon? What exactly happens?
-Several children have gone missingfrom a village and nobody knows why, and then somebody spots a strange balloon...

Gorebyss

Gorebyss is one of the few non-ghost Pokemon on here, and for good reason. The Pokedex says that "Although Gorebyss is the very picture of elegance and beauty while swimming, it is also cruel. When it spots prey, this Pokémon inserts its thin mouth into the prey's body and drains the prey of its body fluids", and the thought of something so beautiful being just this horrifying killer is really compelling to me.

Trick Prompts:

-A trainer is very pleased when they catch a beautiful Gorebyss, but then the rest of their Pokemon start getting sick...
-A trainer who is out surfing has their water pokemon attacked by a Gorebyss, and ends up with no way back to land.
-A swimmer is attacked by Gorebyss while deep at sea, and has no way to fight it off.

Lampent

According to the Pokedex, "The spirits [Lampent] absorbs fuel its baleful fire. It hangs around hospitals waiting for people to pass on." There is literally not part of that that's not creepy. I love the image of Lampent lurking in the shadows of a hospital, just waiting for people to die.

Trick Prompts:

-A trainer keeps thinking that they glimpse a Lampent out of the corner of their eye. But they're perfectly healthy, right?
-A person lying in a hospital bed keeps panicking because they can see a Lampent getting ever closer, but nobody else can see it.
-Honestly, I'd love anything to do with the imagery of Lampent just hanging creepily around an old gothic hospital!

Phantump

Phantump, to me, is possibly one of the most horrifying pokemon out there. The Pokedex says that "According to old tales, these Pokémon are stumps possessed by the spirits of children who died while lost in the forest" and... There are just so many messed up things you could do with that.

Trick Prompts:

-A child wanders off the beaten path, and then gets steadily more lost. What does it feel like, to slowly turn into a Phantump?
-What does it feel like, to be a phantump? How much of their old lives can they remember?
-A parent searches frantically for their lost child in a forest, and then a strangely familiar Phantump turns up...

Yamask

From the moment my SO pointed out the creepiness of Yamask to me, I have been fascinated by it. I mean, the Pokedex says "Each of them carries a mask that used to be its face when it was human. Sometimes they look at it and cry" - there is so much creepiness inherent there, they used to be humans and know they used to be humans and have to carry a reminder around with them, and I'd love to see it explored.

Trick Prompts:

-What does it feel like, to know that you used to be human while currently being a Pokemon?
-A Yamask stares at the face that used to be theirs, and mourns the life that they've lost.
-A trainer encounters a Yamask, and it's holding their own face.

Zorua

Zorua can transform even into a human, is incredibly smart and lives causing mischief. I've loved the idea of this pokemon ever since I first saw it, I love trickster fox types, and would absolutely love to see what dark stuff could be done with it.

Trick Prompts:

-A woman one day finds out that the person she married, and has loved for years, is actually a Zorua in disguise. What happens next?
-A Zorua causing the worst kind of mischief, and putting many people in danger.
-A trainer has to go through a forest at night, but unfortunately they've attracted the attention of a Zorua determined to scare them to death.

Star Wars (Marvel Comics)
Medium Requested: Treat, Trick
Characters Requested: Darth Vader (Star Wars Marvel), Aphra (Star Wars Marvel)

I picked up the Marvel Star Wars comics in a sale, not expecting to enjoy them that much, and was surprised by just how good they were. They're truly astonishing on so many levels. They just get that very specific Star Wars tone so well, the sheer hope of it all mixed in with the darkness inherent in the concept of an evil space empire. I love the hopeful tone of it, and also love how much deeper it's willing to delve into the motivations of the characters and the bonds between them. I'd love a fic that also captures that tone, while examining just how the characters interact in new and interesting ways.

I love basically everything Gillen chooses to do, so it was no surprise that I loved the Darth Vader comics. They're the darker corner of Star Wars tone wise, a lot of people die and get tortured, but... At the same time they're just so fun? They just really feel STAR WARS, the darkness mixed in with such a huge amount of hope. I've loved basically every issue of it that I've read so far, and anything set within that story would be wonderful to read.

Aphra

Aphra is slightly less murdery than Vader, but that's a bit like saying a mouse is slightly smaller than an elephant. She's still ruthless, a born survivor and often seems to see other people as expendable. I love the darkness that lurks just behind the affable front, and I'd love to see more of it.

Treat Prompts:

-Something where she plays a semi-active role in the later films, lighter version. Her views on the events of Empire would be interesting, as would her having fun science antics.
-Aphra has a happy time building and toying with droids.
-What does Aphra do on her days off, when nobody is bothering her? Does she have any specific games she likes to play, or stuff she likes to eat?

Trick Prompts:

-Something where she plays a semi-active role in the later films, darker version. Her views on the events of Empire would be interesting, as would her fully participating in all the murder that goes on.
-Aphra murdering her way accross the galaxy, half so she can survive and half because she really enjoys it.
-After Vader dies and the Empire falls what does Aphra do to survive, and does she even manage to?

Vader

I just feel so SAD about Vader despite myself! This is a man who has had his whole life ripped away from him due to his own actions, and the comics do a really good job at making you sympathise with that. I'd love to see something where he's still murder lord of the galaxy, but also something that hints at the humanity that still lurks underneath.

Treat prompts:

-Vader actually gets to live for more than five seconds after his redemption, and dedicates himself to bettering the galaxy.
-Vader has a good day for once, possibly with cake and/or strangling his underlings
-Vader practices with a lightsaber and forgets all his troubles!

Trick prompts:

-Vader actually gets to live for more than five seconds after his redemption, and has to deal with all the horrible shit he did and the fact that most of the galaxy hates him.
-Vader, just after he became more machine than man, deals with personally destroying everything he loved.
-Vader meets a Star Wars monster, possibly a Rak-Ghul from Taris, and has to deal with it.

Aphra/Vader

These two have such a complicated relationship on so many levels. She's obviously terrified of him, and he obviously regards her as an employee. But she also obviously respects him an incredible amount, and he also obviously has a lot of sympathy for her. The comics really accomplish what the prequels tried to do, and manage to humanize Darth Vader while still keeping exactly what makes him terrifying. And Aphra is there all the way, being completely morally dubious but still bringing out that lingering human side of him. I'd love to see a lot more of the complicated relationship between them! And I also ship them like hell, so no worries if you want to go in that direction.

Treat Prompts:

-5 times that Aphra made Darth Vader feel a human emotion (and possibly one time that he actually displayed it).
-He finally lets her see under the helmet.
-What's their sex life like, and how hard does Aphra kink on being with a person who is more machine than man?
-Super optional prompt, as neither Luke or Leia are requested, but her meeting the kids when they all know about the whole father thing!

Trick Prompts:

-Them meeting a Star Wars monster and having to deal with it. I'm particularly fond of the Rak-Ghuls on Taris, but feel free to put in whatever monster you'd like!
-Fun murder adventures throughout the galaxy, where they have fun but everybody in their path is left either dead or on fire.
-Aphra's reaction to hearing about Vader's death post-RotJ
-Super optional prompt, because Palpatine isn't even nominated in this fandom, but Vader is forced to bring Aphra to meet the emperor.

Wolf 359 (Radio)
Medium Requested: Treat, Trick
Characters Requested: Doug Eiffel, Alexander Hilbert, Daniel Jacobi, Warren Kepler

I really love Wolf 359. I got into it this year, and binge listened all the episodes in less than a month. It starts off a very Red Dwarf sort of show, but quickly adds complexity and darkness in a way that really appeals to me. I love the characters, I love the plots and I love the many ways it could go.

Eiffel

I wasn't expecting to love Eiffel quite so much when I first listened to the podcast, but I really do. He seems a very fun slacker type character, but also has a lot of layers that really add to him. He clearly cares quote deeply about others, and his dark and mysterious past remains fascinating to me.

Treat Prompts:

-Space is really cool. Show me a moment where Eiffel was able to enjoy that for once!
-Wolf 359 has issues, but it's still home. Show me a moment where Eiffel appreciated that!
-Eiffel decides, come hell or high water, that he's making a cake. How does this go?
-Super optional prompt, as I don't think Anne is even in the tagset, but fun times he had with his daughter pre-canon

Trick Prompts:

-Eiffel did do something terrible to send him to jail, and now it's finally catching up with him
-Space madness! Where Eiffel goes slowly mad due to the isolation of space
-The aliens actually arrive on the station, and they're not at all friendly.

Hilbert

I LOVE Hilbert so much, to a degree that I'm slightly embarrassed by. On one hand he's a despicable human being, he murdered at least most of the old crew, but on the other he definitely has his reasons and seems to have a lot more morals than anybody gives him credit for.

Treat Prompts:

-Hilbert gets a chance to geek out over science!
-A flashback to happier times, when his family were still alive.
-Hilbert appreciating how cool space is! In his own unique way, while being creepy and mired in science.

Trick Prompts:

-Hilbert is literally haunted by the ghosts of all the people he's lost/killed
-What was it like to be on Wolf 359 before Minkowski and Eiffel (and Hera) arrived. I'd love to see something where Hilbert is all alone with the ship and the dead.
-A snippet of what it was like, to lose his entire family to radiation sickness

Hilbert/Eiffel

I'm really interested by the idea of these two together. It started out a crack ship, because they're played by the same actor, but it's definitely developed from there and I find thrm really interesting together. Eiffel seems reluctant to let Hilbert get hurt even after all he's done, Hilbert seems to worry about Eiffel despite himself and they both seem to have grown into working really well together. I'd love to see more of them!

Treat Prompts:

-Hilbert gets his redemption arc, and Eiffel falls in love with him on the way.
-Hilbert chemically engineers something for Eiffel as some sort of weird love confession. Does Eiffel realize, or does he remain oblivious!
-Porn! I'd love to see them falling into bed, and being kinda stunned by just how good they are together.
-Super optional prompt, but Hilbert gets to meet Eiffel's daughter. How does this go?

Trick Prompts:

-Hate sex, at the beginning of season 2 while they still kind of hate each other.
-The aliens come to Wolf 359 and are not friendly. Eiffel and Hilbert have to band together to try and ward them off... And perhaps fail to do so.
-Something playing off them having the same voice actor, where they're actually doppelgangers and it's becoming steadily more obvious as space takes its toll.

Jacobi

I'm very fond of Jacobi, despite him often working against the main group. He's a sarky little shit with dubious morals, and I can't help but like that. I adore his moral dubiousness, I adore how much he stirs things and I'd absolutely adore seeing more of his unique view on things.

Treat Prompts:

-Him having fun blowing stuff up!
-Show me a solo adventure that he had before going to Wolf 359, where he has a lot of fun and blows a few things up.
-A slightly cracky prompt, perhaps, but something where Jacobi has always dreamed of appearing in Robot Wars. What happens when he finally gets to compete?

Trick Prompts:

-Jacobi says that he accidentally killed a few people in his mini-episode. What if the accident wasn't so accidental?
-Jacobi doesn't believe in ghosts, but when he gets to Wolf 359 he can't stop hearing strange whispers coming from the shadows...
-Jacobi is a robot, a secret that has been kept even from himself. What happens when he finds out?

Kepler

I can't help but like Kepler, despite him moving ever more steadily into the antagonist role. He's hella competent, hella hilarious and also seems to have a lot more depth to him than you'd expect. I'm amused by his leading style, and I'm interested to see how he develops.

Treat Prompts:

-I'd love to hear another one of his overly complicated stories!
-One of the missions he did before he went to Wolf 359, where everything went perfectly and he - at least - had a great time.
-What does Kepler do when he has time off? Show me what he does while he's relaxing!

Trick Prompts:

-Kepler is a vampire, maybe turned by Cutter. How long has he been alive, and how has this changed his views?
-Kepler encounters a supernatural creature on one of his missions before Wolf 359. How did this encounter go?
-Aliens come to Wolf 359. They're not friendly, and a lot of their malice is targeted at Kepler.

Jacobi/Kepler

I was largely fine with the idea of these two... Up until Jacobi's mini-episode, and then I fell in love completely. They just seem to work really well together! There's a lot of loyalty on both sides, they're obviously close outside of their jobs and they seem to encourage the more morally dubious elements within each other. I'd love to see more of them!

Treat Prompts:

-Kepler taking Jacobi to bed for the first time after he recruits him, and just completely worshipping him.
-Show me an adventure they had before they got to Wolf 359!
-Loyalty kink. They're obviously super loyal to each other, and I'd love to see more of it!

Trick Prompts:

-An adventure they had before they got to Wolf 359, involving supernatural creatures!
-There are ghosts on Wolf 359, and they don't appreciate these two interlopers.
-Kepler is some sort of supernatural creature, and Jacobi just realized.
-Serial Killer AU!

Thank you for reading! And I look forward to your fic. :D

15 Memes Part 2

doreyg — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 16:42:11 GMT

This is the sequel to this meme, except about three weeks later as opposed to a week later. I'm so sorry, you guys, time rather got away with me on this one. ;;

The characters, for reference:

1. Kylo Ren (Star Wars)
2. Steph Brown (DC Comics)
3. Londo Mollari (Babylon 5)
4. Jo Grant (Doctor Who)
5. Hartley Rathaway (The Flash)
6. Circe (The Odyssey - Homer)
7. Peter Grant (Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch)
8. Ahsoka Tano (Star Wars: the Clone Wars)
9. Edmund Blackadder (Blackadder)
10. Jessica Jones (Jessica Jones)
11. Maxwell Lord (Supergirl)
12. Kate Bishop (Marvel Comics)
13. Data (Star Trek: TNG)
14. Shayera Hol (DCAU)
15. Scott Lang (MCU)

And now onto the questions! :D

killing_kurare asked:

If 3 (Londo Mollari), 9 (Edmund Blackadder), 12 (Kate Bishop) and 15 (Scott Lang) were benders in the Avatar-Universe, which element would they be?

Londo... Good lord, I'm not sure I can actually imagine Londo being a bender so much as a rich and frequently sniffy non-bender that frequently follows people around huffing while they try to get on with their lives. Possibly fire though, if I have to choose.

Edmund Blackadder SHOULD NOT BE A BENDER GOOD LORD. I can see him being an extremely manipulative waterbender, though!

Kate is either an airbender or a firebender, depending on her mood and how many arrows she has in her quiver. I can't really see her fitting either of the others, so those are the choices left to me.

Awwww, Scott. I can see him most likely being an airbender, but he could also be an entirely passable waterbender if the situation called for it.

If 5 (Hartley Rathaway) and 13 (Data) were running a flower-shop, who would arrange the flowers better?

Data would arrange those flowers to mathematical perfection, but would perhaps lack some genuine passion in his arrangements. He still does a lot better than Hartley, who spends his time making sarcastic comments and probably storms out at first provocation.

If 1 (Kylo Ren), 6 (Circe) and 8 (Ahsoka Tano) were to be stuck with each other in a zombie-apocalypse, would they get along? Who would die first and why? Who would sacrifice him-/herself?

...That sure is a group of people.

Once Ahsoka got done with slapping Kylo for wanting to be like his grandfather, I think she'd make herself leader of the team by default. Despite this, or maybe because of this, none of them get along at ALL and their various fights are absolutely legendary. They're all fairly competent people, though, so I can't see any of them dying easily. Ahsoka is probably the first one to go, and that's literally only because she's the only one willing to sacrifice herself for anybody else.

Following this, Kylo and Circe probably split up and survive to the end of the wall by backstabbing various people around them.

In a Buffy-AU, who would be the Slayer, who the watcher, who the witch, who the comic-relief-guy, who the popular bitch?

Hm. Slayer would definitely be Kate. Watcher would probably Data. Circe already has magic, so she'd be the witch (although her chances of helping out are loooooooooooow). Scott is the comic relief guy. Popular bitch... um, if we're going by Buffy canon - where the popular bitch eventually proves herself incredibly useful - then possibly Shayera.

That was surprisingly easy!

daria234 asked:

If 10 (Jessica Jones) and 14 (Shayera Hol) were an established couple, who would they invite (from the list of 15 or from either of their fandoms) to join them for a threesome?

...I WANT THAT SO BADLY GOOD LORD.

Um, right, now that I've gotten over that sheer hotness... Hm. I'd say either Circe or Kate, depending on their moods. If they want a bit more of a challenge, or feel particularly confident in their powers that day, Circe is bound to be a lot of fun with a little bit of an edge to her. If they want a more simple threesome, where everybody involved has heroic goals in common, then Kate is also going to be fun and will probably be their best bet.

Out of 2 (Steph Brown), 5 (Hartley Rathaway), and 7 (Peter Grant), which would you choose to spend a day with, if there were no crises or problems and their only goal was to make sure you had a good time?

...The moment Steph's name came up I already knew my answer to this one. We could eat waffles together! :DD

batmarg asked:

5 (Hartley), 10 (Jessica), & 15 (Scott) enter a marathon. Who wins?

If they're being forced to run this marathon then probably Jessica, if there's no particular compulsion... Then maybe Scott, but more likely none of them feel that motivated to run a marathon and instead retire to the nearest bar to get drunk and complain intensely about various things.

6 (Circe) & 8 (Ahsoka) are getting married. Who do they have as their best man/maid of honor?

...Probably Odysseus for Circe and Anakin for Ahsoka. Both of whom immediately get together, and decide to talk the both of them out of the wedding because in no universe is those two getting married a good idea.

1 (Kylo) & 3 (Londo) are going into business together. What are they doing?

...Space whining? A support group for would-be galactic conquerers who got in a little too deep?

It would probably be something vaguely imperial related, in some way. Maybe some sort of protection arrangement for imperial citizens, where they hire out bodyguards to those who need them. It doesn't last too long. They sympathize with each other rather too much and end up crying over their mistakes instead of balancing the books.

megan_moonlight asked:

4 (Jo Grant), 9 (Edmund Blackadder) and 11 (Maxwell Lord) go on a road trip togeher. Who drives, who picks the music and who picks where they're going? Where would they go?

...Poor Jo.

Um. I'm going to try and see this as some sort of TARDIS journey, considering all of that. Maxwell Lord gets displaced in time, and Three has to get him back to where he should be with the help of Jo and his brand new companion Blackadder. They take a long and winding route, and it all ends with Blackadder and Max getting kicked out of the TARDIS and told never to come back.

Jo, who has picked the music through the trip because Blackadder and Max were rather too busy trying to backstab each other to actually decide on anything, is quite pleased by this outcome.

healyg asked:

12 (Kate) and 13 (Data) are competing chefs in a cooking tournament. What do they each make, and who wins?

Kate probably makes some sort of pizza, as it's a solid dish and she rather likes it. Data makes a technically perfect italian dish that is practically impossible to make. Data, of course, wins - but Kate doesn't mind too much, and they end up becoming close friends because of it.

2 (Steph) and 7 (Peter) go camping. What do they bring, and what do they forget to take?

These are some very sweet combinations!

They probably bring a lot of food and games, and then entirely forget a lot of the more practical stuff. They definitely go in summer, though, so it's not too bad. They try sleeping outdoors for one night, and when that proves a bit impractical splurge on a hotel the next. They probably end up having a lot of fun on the way!

FemslashEx 2016 Letter

doreyg — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 17:00:09 GMT

Hello, dear writer, and welcome to my FemslashEx letter! I really adore femslash, but rarely get to focus on it as much as I'd like to. I'm thus really looking forward to this exchange, and all the possibilities within it! I love literally all of the pairings here, and would be extremely excited to receive fic for any of them. As long as you avoid my squicks (and preferably my dislikes too) I'll probably end up absolutely adoring anything you write for me!

On the subject of squicks (and dislikes (and, far more importantly than either, likes))...:

Fic Likes: Fusions (especially Harry Potter/Hunger Games/Daemon/A:TLA based, or anything on this list), AUs of pretty much any kind (excepting slavefic and A/B/O), badasses in love, smut (my major kinks include biting, bloodplay, voices breaking in sex, talkative characters, anything oral, totally consensual rough sex, xeno, robosexuality and usually composed characters COMPLETELY LOSING THEIR COOL), threesomes/moresomes, polyamory, the entire Enemy Mine trope, fake relationships/fake marriages becoming real, wingfic, huddling for warmth, sex pollen, first times, female characters, fluff and badass action stuff.
Fic Dislikes: A/B/O, Slavefic, mpreg, anything scat/waterplay related, mind control, completely dismissing female characters (unlikely here, but just to play safe!), issuefic and unrequested incest.
Fic Squicks (as in: will almost certainly not read fic if it includes these): Rape/Non-con, bestiality, Severe underage (anybody under 14 for this exchange), abuse (especially abuse presented as romantic), relationships being broken up within the fic (I'm fine with 'getting back together' narratives!) and infidelity.

Now, onto the femslash! :D

Arrowverse (CW TV)
Astra/Alex Danvers, Kara Danvers/Cat Grant/Lucy Lane, Kara Danvers/Lucy Lane (Arrowverse), Kara Danvers/Siobhan Smythe, Linda Park/Lisa Snart (Arrowverse), Lisa Snart/Iris West (Arrowverse)

I love the Arrowverse in all its ridiculously over the top glory. I'm most familiar woth the Flash and Supergirl, and adore both of them. They're both really fun, really absorbing and actually kind of profound for shows that believe in wasting the absolute minimum of time on brooding (at least most of the time *Glares at certain bits of the Flash season 2*). I truly adore them, and I also truly adore all the weird and wacky pairings that can come out of them!

Astra/Alex Danvers

I've been interested in these two basically since the Black Mercy episode. I started out being interested in them mainly because they're both obviously so passionate about protecting Kara in their own way, but that quickly grew into a fascination with how they would work outside of that. Both of them are deeply passionate individuals, who are willing to go a little too far in pursuit of their cause and are both incredibly dedicated to it. I'd really love to see how they'd work together, and just what impact a potential relationship between them could have on the universe.

As a side note: I don't particularly care about Non, so I'm fine with you not including him or just having him in the background.

Some ideas:

-Something where they meet pre-canon, perhaps while Astra is undercover and spying on Kara, and get into a relationship then. How does this change things? Does Astra feel more merciful to the humans as a result? Does Alex approach her career at the DEO differently?
-Something set when Astra is in prison, where she slowly seduces Alex into revealing more and more of her secrets despite herself.
-Something where Astra survives "For the Girl Who Has Everything", but is badly wounded as a result. I'd love to see something where Alex feels honour bound to take care of her in the aftermath, and where they grow a hell of a lot closer than either of them ever expected as a result.
-Super optional prompt, but how does Kara react to finding out that her aunt is dating her sister? Is she absolutely horrified? is she totally weirded out, but trying to be supportive nonetheless?

Kara Danvers/Cat Grant/Lucy Lane

These three! I ship all of them individually, and I'm absolutely thrilled that somebody nominated the threesome. I'd be really fascinated to see how this would work, here. They're all characters who'd work together in individual combinations, and it'd be really interesting to see how those dynamics would alter in a threesome setting. Kara is so loyal to both Cat and Lucy, Cat is determined to act as a mentor figure to both Kara and Lucy and Lucy refuses to be overwhelmed by either Kara or Cat. I'd love to see what you could do with them altogether, and I'd love to see how their different dynamics come into play.

Some ideas:

-I'd love to see how they got into the threesome arrangement in the first place. Does Cat basically order them into it, and do Kara and Lucy go willingly along with her plans? Do Kara and Lucy just jump Cat one day? Something else? I'd be really interested in seeing a get together fic with the three of them!
-I'd also be really interested in seeing how they function together. A slice of life fic with the three of them together would be absolutely great. Do they keep their relationship secret, and go out for business dinners instead of dates? Do they curl up together at the weekends? Does Cat insist on moving Kara and Lucy in with her and Carter? I'd love to see any of that, or even something else with them all being sweet together!
-Cat and Lucy's views on Kara's superheroing. It must not be a fun task, being the significant other of a superhero. How do they deal with it? Do they support each other when Kara goes out, or do they have to keep separate for that time because they just stress each other out?
-Porn. I'd love to see anything where they're all in bed together. Does Cat take pleasure in ordering Kara and Lucy around? Do Kara and Lucy just grab her occasionally, and do they all end up having a lot of fun as a result? Do Cat and Lucy delight in testing Kara's limits?
-Can be linked to porn, but more specifically: sex pollen. I'd love to see something where they all get dosed with some kind of weird alien thing, and end up working through it with each other.

Kara Danvers/Lucy Lane (Arrowverse)

And speaking of individual shipping...

I really love Kara/Lucy. They have a surprising amount of chemistry in the show, and despite being placed into competition for the most of it ~~(Boo James)~~ seem to have a genuinely caring relationship. They're both badasses, they're both optimists in their own ways and they both seem to care really sincerely about other people. I'd love to see more of them being adorable badasses together, and I'd love to see them working out a functional relationship.

Some ideas:

-Anything fluffy! I honestly ship the hell out of these two, so would love to see anything cute with them. Cuddles? Holding hands? Going on dates? I'll eat it all up!
-Something set post-canon, where Kara helps Lucy with her new role at the DEO and Lucy helps Kara with superheroing and they steadily grow closer as a result.
-Kara and Lucy meet for the first time as in canon... And immediately are attracted to each other. I'd love to see something where they start dating instead! And I'd also love to see how this changes things.

Kara Danvers/Siobhan Smythe

I absolutely adore all enemy mine pairings, and I was thrilled with how quickly the Kara/Siobhan dynamic turned that way. Kara helped to ruin Siobhan's life, and Siobhan responded by going absolutely too far in response. This leads to a really interesting dynamic between them, with Kara feeling desperately guilty over what she did but still being unwilling to let Siobhan wreck an entire city over mistakes that were largely her own. I'd love to see more of this, and I'd love to see what you can do with the tensions that already exist within their relationship.

Some ideas:

-Hate sex! I'm fine with any setting for this, I'm just a sucker for hate sex of all kinds. I'd love to see Siobhan viciously going for it, and Kara getting sucked in despite herself.
-Future fic, where Siobhan has decided to firmly become the villain of the story and her and Kara keep clashing at every turn and having steadily more sexually charged meetings.
-A slight AU where the events of Falling don't happen, Kara and Siobhan steadily grow a little closer, Siobhan gets inducted into team Supergirl... And then Kara gets exposed to Red Kryptonite/Siobhan transforms into Silver Banshee anyway. How does this change things? Does it make events more hopeful, or less?

Linda Park/Lisa Snart (Arrowverse)

Both Linda and Lisa really interest me as characters. They're both incredibly bold and smart (and pretty), but are also both obviously using that boldness to cover up vulnerabilities within themselves. Lisa has obviously faced a lot, and we haven't seen much of what Linda has faced yet but even her life since she met Barry has been basically a rollercoaster. I'd really love to see what their dynamic could be considering all of this, and how they'd work together as a result.

Some ideas:

-Lisa has to seduce Linda for a job. How does this go, and does she end up getting in over her head?
-Linda and Lisa meet entirely away from the world of superheroes and start dating... And then superheroes start intruding anyway. How do they deal with this?
-What is/was their dynamic like on Earth 2, where Linda was a supervillain and Lisa - presumably - was/is the law-abiding sister of the mayor. Did Lisa have a crush? Did they engage in a secret relationship of any kind?

Lisa Snart/Iris West (Arrowverse)

I started shipping these two when I started thinking about them interacting separately from their brothers, and ever since then I've been hooked. They're both really interesting characters, and similar in a variety of amusing ways. They're both incredibly bold, both determined to put themselves in danger and both seem to get off a little on the thrill of danger. I'd love to see them properly meet, and I'd love to see something that explores how they could both be bad influences on each other.

Some ideas:

-Iris has a secret admirer, who obviously turns out to be Lisa. How does she react, and how well does this go?
-Lisa and Iris meet away from superheroics, and start dating when neither of them are aware of their links. What happens when they do find out? Do they shrug and carry on, or is there a little more tension?
-Lisa and Iris meet at a Flash team meeting while the Rogues are helping out, and immediately hit it off. How do things progress from there?
-An AU of the end of season 1, where they meet by chance and Lisa encourages Iris to look a little deeper into what her family are keeping from her. I'd love to see something where Iris uses her reporter skills to figure everything out, and where Lisa supports her every step of the way and grows steadily more loyal to her. I'd also like to see them grow steadily more romantically entangled as the story goes on!

DC Animated Universe
Diana (Wonder Woman)/Harleen Quinzel (Animated), Mercy Graves/Lois Lane (Animated)

I love the DCAU, and still think that it’s pretty much the perfect adaptation of DC comics stuff. It’s just so wonderfully done. So bright and easy to watch, and yet still dealing with really dark subject matters in an absolutely excellent way. I really enjoy how hopeful it is, what emphasis it places on working through things and showing strength. It's definitely one of my feel good universes, and I'd love pretty much anything that captures the general tone of that.

Diana (Wonder Woman)/Harleen Quinzel (Animated)

I was discussing these two with a friend a few months back, and I think they could be really interesting with each other. They're very different characters in many ways, but I can see Diana developing a definite sympathy for Harley and Harley responding well to that. Harley has had such a tough life in so many ways, but still has such a strong policy of getting up and facing the new day no matter what's thrown at her. I really think that Diana could appreciate that warrior spirit, what with her own struggles and her own policy of getting up to fight another day, and that they could really bond as a result. I'd love to see something that lets them meet and explores their dynamic!

Some ideas:

-Getting together fic! I'd love to see something where they meet on a mission, get along super well and end up dating each other very soon afterwards. I'd especially like to see them both being a little confused by this, but rolling with it nonetheless.
-I'd love something fluffy with them, where Diana shows Harley how much she's worth and Harley shows Diana how much that means to her in return.
-Back to back badasses! They're both so very badass, in their own slightly different ways. I'd love to see something where they have to fight their way out of a bad situation - alien attack! Rogue attack! evil pollened!Superhero attack! - together, and where this causes them to grow closer and get together romantically as a result.
-In the comics (don't worry! You don't have to have read them for this prompt!) Harley canonically has a huge crush on Diana. I'd love to see something where this is also the case in the DCAU, where Harley has a huge and barely hidden crush on Diana and freaks out as a result when she gets to meet her.
-Sort of related to the last prompt: An AU where Harley falls madly in love with Diana instead of the Joker. I'm not sure how this would be accomplished, maybe Diana visits America early and Harley is assigned as her liaison or something, but I'd love to see something where Harley gets a far happier ending and maybe turns her considerable skills towards good.

Mercy Graves/Lois Lane (Animated)

This started off as a crackship for me, as so many of my ships do. but has been totally serious for a while now. I love Lois - she's such a brave character, and also so smart and determined in a way that really resonates with me. Mercy fascinates me too - she's equally brave in some ways, and definitely a badass, but also very obviously bound into her role and seems to have big problems with overcoming her loyalties. I think the clash of their personalities could be really interesting together - they're both backing characters who are more competent than their male counterparts, both experienced with the superhero scene in different ways and have very different but not necessarily conflicting views on life. I'd love to see what kind of trouble they could get into together, and what a romance between them would look like.

Some ideas:

-Back to back badasses, again! Both of these characters are so badass, even if Lois is more mentally badass and Mercy is more physically badass. I'd love to see them in a situation where they have to work together, and where they work surprisingly well with each other and grow a lot closer as a result. Bonus points for adrenaline fueled makeouts! :D
-Something set post Superman: TAS/the Justice League episode where Lex finally goes to prison for the first time. I'd love to see something where Lois decides to do an interview piece with Mercy, and gets a lot more than she bargained for.
-AU where Mercy was the one that Lois actually dated pre-Superman: TAS. I'd love to see a slice of this relationship, be it a relatively simple date - or even a relatively simple after date ifyouknowwhatImean - or a more fraught moment where Lois confronts Mercy over her loyalties.
-AU where Mercy was the one that Lois actually dated pre-Superman: TAS. How does this affect canon events? I'd love to see how them being bitter former lovers who still have feelings for each other alters anything in canon, and I'd also love to see a happy ending where they overcome that and get back together.

DCU (Comics)
Beatriz da Costa/Tora Olafsdotter, Diana (Wonder Woman)/Barbara Minerva (Comics), Kate Kane/Lois Lane, Koriand'r/Stella Gomez (Comics), Lois Lane/Lana Lang (Comics), Soranik Natu/Lyssa Drak (Comics)

I got into DC comics properly last year, and I honestly cannot believe just how fun they are. The entire tone just appeals to me – incredibly serious things happen, but they’re generally treated so lightly that you can still enjoy them even through the trauma. I truly love all of them, and I'd be thrilled to get fic for any pairing here.

Beatriz da Costa/Tora Olafsdotter

I first met these two in Justice League International (the Giffen run on it), but have a vague knowledge of all their other appearances. They're just so sweet together! I love how well they work in tandem, how different they are but how much they obviously care for each other. They seem to have a real bond, perhaps deeper than anybody else on the JLI, and I'd love to see a lot more of that in fic.

Some ideas:

-Fluff! I'd love to see something where they're girlfriends, and incredibly cute about it. Going out to dinner together? Going to see the latest popular movie? Cuddling in bed when Bea has a cold? I will literally eat any of that stuff up with a spoon.
-I'd love to see something from their pre-Justice League International days, when they only really had each other and were presumably even more cute as a result. Did Bea have a tongue tied crush for years? Did Tora fall in love at first sight? Did they sometimes forget themselves, and go out on dates in uniform? Give me all of the backstory!
-Bea gets increasingly jealous of anybody who goes near Tora, but keeps trying to deny it to herself. I'd love to see her seeing various suitors off, while Tora gets steadily more annoyed and Bea gets steadily deeper into denial. I'd also love an ending where they work it all out!

Diana (Wonder Woman)/Barbara Minerva (Comics)

Oh god, these two. I have an irresistible fascination for 'punch in the gut'/enemy mine pairings and these two are definitely that. I love the many complex layers of their relationship, how they veer between friendship and hatred and a strange mixture of both depending on the day. They're obviously in opposition to each other a lot of the time, Diana is so very good and Barbara is so very not, but they also seem to care about each other so very much despite that. I'd love to see more of that complexity explored, at any stage of their relationship.

Some ideas:

-Honestly, I'd be fine with 1000 words of a charged conversation between them. I've loved pretty much every interaction they've had in the comics, so I'd be thrilled to see something where Diana tries to convince Barbara she can be redeemed and Barbara keeps viciously shutting her down.
-Something set in NU52 continuity, where Barbara gets closer to Diana and slowly seduces her. I'd love to see more of their relationship before the Cheetah interfered, how Barbara handled keeping so many secrets from Diana and how their close friendship eventually turned to more.
-Something set in any continuity, where Diana actually manages to cure Barbara from the Cheetah affliction. I'd love to see the aftermath of this, how Barbara settles back into normal everyday life and how they both deal with how much has changed. I'd be fine with a renewal of their established relationship here, but I'd also be very interested in seeing how they build a relationship anew in the aftermath of all that Barbara has done.
-Hate sex. I would be totally down for rough, animalistic (with claws, fur, biting, everything!) hate sex between them where the tension between them explodes in a way that can't really be ignored.

Kate Kane/Lois Lane

I saw this in the tagset, and the idea really fascinates me! They're both very badass ladies, with similar attitudes to getting out there and making a difference. Lois takes a slightly more cerebral approach to it all, but both of them are obviously determined to make the world a better place in whatever way they can. I'd love to see something exploring more of their similarities, and maybe seeing how superheroics intersects with both of their lives.

Some ideas:

-Back to back badasses! I'm drawn to both of these characters because they're just both so competent in their own ways. I'd love to see something where they team up, maybe to get a story or to stop a bad guy, and end up working exceptionally well together.
-Something where they meet after Kate is discharged from the army, perhaps with Lois wanting to do a piece on her and the injustice of her case? I'd love to see something where they grow closer, and where Lois slowly starts to realize that she's not quite as straight as she always thought she was.
-Kate visits Metropolis on business, and meets Lois when out doing some crafty superheroing. I'd love to see something where they work together, and very quickly come to appreciate each other's talents.

Koriand'r/Stella Gomez (Comics)

One of my favourite things about this comic (the 2015-2016 run) was the relationship between Kori and Stella. They obviously care about each other a lot, are both fiercely competent and are both really adorable together. Their interactions were generally my favourite parts of each issue, and I’d love to see more of them in a fanfic setting.

Some ideas:

-Kori and Stella have to solve a case together! How badly does this go wrong? How annoyed does Stella get on the way? Does Kori learn a valuable lesson at the end of it, or does everybody learn a valuable lesson from Kori?
-Kori and Stella slowly get together. They obviously like each other, and I think it’d be really sweet. Maybe a slow build sort of thing, where they’re adorable and badass and fighting against aliens together? Or an exploration of Stella realising that her feelings for Kori go beyond the platonic? Or Kori just deciding to jump Stella one day and Stella rolling with it? Any of those, just show me them being adorable together!
-Kori and Stella go on vacation together. I really want to see them having fun antics and causing accidental chaos wherever they go, and maybe Stella ending up just as much a fish out of water as Kori.
-Something that alters the ending of the comic. I loved basically all of the comic, but - as much as I can understand the RL reasons behind it - I think the ending was a mistake. I'd love to see something where Kori realizes that she's in love with Stella instead of Sol, and stays with her instead.
-Porn! I feel this has great scope for being both adorable and hot, and I'd love to see Kori getting Stella to let loose for once. Maybe with some cunnilingus? Or an impromptu bout of outdoors sex?

Soranik Natu/Lyssa Drak (Comics)

I started idly crackshipping these two when reading the Sinestro comic, and then it became serious. Soranik is such a battle optimist and Lyssa delights in dragging others down, but both have their own set of grudges against and problems with Sinestro. I can totally see them being drawn together because of that, and remaining drawn to each other because they're both just so fascinated by something so unlike them. I'd love to see something exploring their differences, and maybe them interacting in a more romantically charged setting.

-Soranik learns about Lyssa's backstory. Because, you know, poor Lyssa's backstory is horrifying and I can see Soranik totally starting to sympathize with her over it. How does Soranik react to having to change her opinion? How does Lyssa react to somebody actually acknowledging that her life is a bit messed up?
-Lyssa seduces Soranik to get back at Sinestro. I can imagine her being subtle about it, but worming her way ever deeper into Soranik's affections and turning her even further against her father.
-Soranik keeps being drawn to Lyssa despite herself. She's a doctor, so I can imagine her being fascinated by a person so unlike herself yet so interesting at the same time. I'd also love to see Lyssa's reaction to this, is she amused or confused by the sudden amount of attention?
-Sex. I'm very interested in them meeting in a sexual setting, and am also totally open to as many alien/xeno bits you want to throw in there. I can definitely see them having fun with Lyssa's teeth, for a start!

Marvel 616
Doreen Green/Nancy Whitehead (Marvel 616), Felicia Hardy/Cindy Moon (Marvel 616), Kate Bishop/Kamala Khan (Marvel 616)

I really love the general tone of Marvel Comics. They all seem to share a general sensibility that I like, one where serious things happen on a regular basis but it's still a lot of fun to read. I love the action adventure stuff and the lightness it's generally treated with, and I also love how that general lightness really highlights the more serious moments and the impact of them.

Doreen Green/Nancy Whitehead (Marvel 616)

One of the things that makes me happiest about this comic is the dynamic between Doreen and Nancy. They’re amazing by themselves – Nancy writes fanfic about Cat Thor and Doreen is THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL – but together they’re even greater - Nancy defends Doreen from mole men, Doreen regards Nancy as her best buddy EVER. They just balance each other out, Nancy reminding Doreen to be sensible and Doreen dragging Nancy into whacky adventures, and I really love the dynamic between them.

Some prompts:

-General fluff! Either them getting together, them already being in an established relationship together or somewhere in between the two. They're already adorable together, how much does that increase with the addition of romance?
-Scooby Doo/Detective Fiction style AU. Where they go around solving mysteries in a van/bus/giant squirrel car, and are super cute about the whole thing.
-Established relationship future fic. Where will Doreen and Nancy be in sixty years time? I’d like to think still superheroing, and then coming home to their little house and being cute old grandmothers together to their mixed family of squirrels and cats.
-Super optional prompt, as I know I didn’t request them, but fic where their animal companions get them together. Maybe both Mew and Tippy-Toe see that Doreen and Nancy are adorable together and work to bring this about? Maybe they get various other squirrels and cats in on the act? Either way, I’m sure it’ll be hilarious and adorable!

Felicia Hardy/Cindy Moon (Marvel 616)

I've been reading Silk for a while now, and these two really fascinate me. They go from enemies to allies back to sort-of enemies again, and it's fascinating every step of the way. Cindy is at first fascinated by Felicia, then unexpectedly grows to almost care for her. And Felicia for her part almost starts to trust Cindy, then has that ripped away from her like so many other things. Their relationship is so fraught and complex, and seems to be set to get even more so, and I'd love to see more of it.

Some ideas:

-Canon goes slightly differently, and Felicia ends up seducing Cindy as opposed to just trying to kill her when she finds out about the whole double agent thing. I'd love to see them both getting in over their heads, and finding the whole situation surprisingly hot despite themselves.
-Felicia doesn't find out that Cindy is a double agent. I'd love to see Cindy getting deeper and deeper in over her head, especially once they get romantically involved with each other.
-Something set in the future, where they've become arch-enemies. I know that a few more comics will have come out by the time this is due, not that I'm sure Felicia will feature in them too much, but I'm more interested in your interpretation of events here. I'd love to see them falling into a sort of enemy mine thing, where they keep fighting each other but can't quite stop genuinely caring for each other.

Kate Bishop/Kamala Khan (Marvel 616)

I nominated these two because they both start with K, and then did my usual thing of actually thinking about it and deciding that they definitely have potential. They're both really brave and really smart, both combat optimists, both legacy superheroes and both saddled with mentor figures who they look up to but who are entirely different from them. I'd love to see them meet, and I'd love to see their many similarities be explored.

Some ideas:

-Kamala had a huge crush on Kate as Hawkeye, to the point of having posters of her on the wall and everything. What does she do when she actually meets Kate in a superheroing context?
-In contrast to the above: Kamala has no idea who Kate is. Cue Kate getting into increasingly ridiculous situations trying to impress her, and Kamala getting steadily more charmed by this.
-Something where they meet out of superheroing, and secret identity hijinks ensue. Maybe they go to the same college, Kate as a mature student (as much as she objects to the term, because she's only in her mid-twenties) perhaps, and end up finding each other cute and starting to date... And then missing the increasingly obvious clues that they're both superheroes, while everybody else facepalms in the background. Maybe they meet on the street when both scrambling away from superhero stuff in civilian identity, and strike up an immediate bond. Maybe something else altogether. As long as it involves secret identity hijinks, I am there for it!
-The flipside of this: they meet while superheroing, and steadily have to work out their secret identities. I'd love something where they slowly come to trust each other, and end up revealing themselves because of that.

Marvel Netflix Universe
Elektra Natchios/Jessica Jones, Elektra Natchios/Karen Page

The Netflix Marvel shows are a little darker than I generally like in a fandom, but that didn't stop me from REALLY enjoying them. I loved how a lot of dark shit happened, but how the general thrust of them still seemed to be about getting up and seeing the good in life no matter what. I really adored the way street level superheroes were portrayed, and how both shows really got into moral dilemmas and difficulties. In a fic I'd be thrilled to see more of that moral ambiguity, not to mention more of that combat optimism that I really enjoyed.

Elektra Natchios/Jessica Jones

The thought of these two together really interests me. They're very similar in some ways, as both are combat oriented badasses with varying levels of trauma. But they're also very different in others, both morally and in the ways that they cope with their trauma. Jessica seems to withdraw and try to protect herself, while Elektra is basically the definition of screaming against the dying light. I'd love to see them interact, and I'd love to see how destructive - in all senses of the word - a romantic relationship between them could be.

Some ideas:

-Elektra seduces Jessica in college instead of Matt. Maybe she diverts from her plan when she spots Jessica, or maybe she was told to seduce Jessica instead. Either way, I'd love to see them meeting when they're in their early twenties and getting completely wrapped up in each other to an unhealthy level.
-Elekta asks for Jessica's help to infiltrate the company instead. Maybe they've met before, or maybe she just figures that having a super strong private detective on side would be helpful. I'd love to see them helping each other, and maybe accidentally bringing out the worst in each other on the way.
-Elektra is around for the events of Jessica Jones season 1. I'm not so much interested in how this happens - they knew each other before? Elektra rolls into town around the start of Hope's case and decides to stick around for the show? Elektra takes Luke's place in the narrative? - as the impact of it. What changes? Does Elektra encourage Jessica's worse tendencies? Does Jessica let her?
-Sex. I'm fine with any amount of backstory you'd like to add, but mainly I'd love to see the both of them just letting loose and smashing everything with the force of their lust.

Elektra Natchios/Karen Page

I saw these two in the tagset and immediately let out a little 'oooh' sound. I'd love to see more of them together, and how it would work. They're framed as very different characters, but also seem to have some interesting points of similarity. Elektra is the wicked temptress figure while Karen is the pure and innocent one, but... At the same time Elektra is very much a lost little girl, while Karen has definitely killed people and seems perfectly willing to do what it takes to survive. I'd love to see the differences explored even further without Matt between them, but would also like to see more examination of those similarities.

Some ideas:

-Elektra meets Karen as in canon, and immediately decides to transfer her affections to her instead. I'd really love to see how Karen copes with having a deadly assassin suddenly trailing her around, and how much fun they both end up having as a result.
-They meet pre-canon. Karen obviously has a rich pre-canon life that hasn't really been gone into at all, and I'd love to see Elektra running into her in this mysterious period. Does anything go differently as a result? Do they end up having a slightly messed up teenage fling, or does it last a lot longer and alter canon as a result?
-Leading on from this (though you totally don't have to combine the two): Elektra and Karen run into each other in present day New York, except that they had a teenage fling with each other in the past. I'm fine with this being canon compliant - in that Elektra had an affair with both Karen and Matt - or a definite divergence - Elektra's romance in the past was with Karen instead of Matt - but... Mainly I'm interested in the present day here. Them being faintly bitter about each other in the beginning, but then maybe having to work together and growing steadily back together as a result.
-An AU where Karen attempts to be a superhero, and Elektra watches on in baffled amusement from the side.

Vampire Babylon - Chris Marie Green
Dawn Madison/Kalin, Dawn Madison/Original Female Character, Della Bennett/Lilly Meratoliage

I looooooove this stupid kinky fandom. I'm not really expecting us to match on this one, but I just love everything about these books. They're high drama romance novels involving vampires, which should be something that attracts severe side eye, but they're just really enjoyable! Great worldbuilding, absolutely fantastic characters and so much room for porny interpretations. I'd definitely recommend them to anybody who likes vampires and villains.

Dawn Madison/Kalin

I love basically everything enemy mine related, and these two certainly qualify. They loathe each other for a good chunk of the series... And yet are capable of working together very effectively despite that. They're also very similar characters, who are both very dedicated but tend to be overzealous with it. I'm interested in the difficulties that could result from this overzealousness, as well as the difficulties that could result from their mutual antipathy and Kalin being a spirit.

Some ideas:

-Kalin attempts to bind Dawn for Jonah, and things get a little out of hand. I'd love to see something where they end up focusing entirely on each other instead.
-In book 6 they spend a lot of time alone together. I'd love to see this escalating to hate!sex, with full use of both Dawn's mind powers and Kalin's spirit powers.
-Kalin falls in love with Dawn instead of Jonah, and Dawn starts having a slightly twisted relationship with her instead.
-AU where Dawn is the immortal vampire hunter, and Kalin is her loyal spirit Friend. How did they meet in the past? How have they got on over their years together.
-AU where Dawn is the Dragon and Kalin is one of her vampire daughters. How loyal is Kalin to the cause? How much messed up bloodplay do they indulge in?

Dawn Madison/Original Female Character

Dawn makes such a performance about her sexuality in the books. She not only presents herself as straight but as aggressively so, not only presents herself as preferring men but as the female version of a jock screaming 'no homo' at the top of his lungs. I'd love to see something where this is just as much of a front as it seems, and maybe something where she meets somebody who challenges her perceptions and gets her to admit that she might not be as straight as all that.

-Some of her past conquests, before she met Costin, were actually women. But she doesn't think about them too much, because she's Dawn. I'd love to see something where one of those conquests is a little more connected to the supernatural world than she initially seemed, and unexpectedly comes back into Dawn's life looking for help.
-Dawn starts edging into a relationship with a Friend. This can be linked to the Dawn/Kalin prompts above, but mainly I'm interested in Dawn having a romance with a spirit - a bit like she did in canon, except not with Costin - and slowly losing her ability to deny exactly what's going on. Bonus points for spirit sex!
-Dawn meets a lower level female vampire on one of the underground hunts, and starts sympathizing with her plight entirely too much. I'm fine with the female vampire either being totally sincere or playing her completely, but mainly I'd be interested in something where Dawn gets totally enraptured with this female vampire and only realizes that her feelings go far beyond the platonic a little later.
-Dawn meets a higher level vampire, and quickly realizes that the Dragon didn't only sire male children. She's initially wary, but the higher level female vampire proves just why she's survived for so long in such rough circumstances and quickly manages to seduce her from her path.

Della Bennett/Lilly Meratoliage

I've been fascinated by these two ever since I first read the second trilogy. They don't interact much, but their potential is amazing. They're both captivated by the same things, both stand against the same things and seem to have strangely similar goals. Della is a lost girl a lot of the time, Lilly is similar in a surprising amount of ways and I can easily see them both becoming fascinated by each other to the point where canon alters as a result. I'd love to see something where they interact in more depth!

-Lilly grows fascinated with Della, as opposed to Dawn or Wolfie. I'd love to see her getting steadily more into Della, and maybe Della feeling increasingly the same way.
-Della catches Lilly in the hotel room, when Lilly first goes to imprint the memories. How does this change things? Does Della believe Lilly when the woman tells her what's going on? Does Lilly start becoming fascinated by this young vampire who can best her?
-AU where the Dragon does win, and Lilly and Della have to deal with the aftermath. How do they react, to achieving all their dreams and finding them to be more bitter than they seemed? And how much closer do they grow in light of this?
-AU where they meet pre-canon. I'd love to see something where Lilly meets Della - maybe she's a few years above her in secondary school? - and they start dating... And then vampires and the Dragon get in the way. How does this change things?

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy writing my fic as much as I'm going to enjoy reading it! :D

Currently Reading Wednesday XXXV: Motion Reader

doreyg — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 06:20:45 GMT

Just Finished: Wolverine and the X-Men, vol 1. Which... I think it's just time to admit I don't like Jason Aaron.

Currently Reading: Just started Thors, because hope springs eternal?

Coming up: Hm. Probably another Animorphs book depending on the post? The Stranger is next, I think.

15 Memes

doreyg — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 20:26:30 GMT

Stolen from lost_spook! I'll be leaving this up for about a week or so, so feel free to ask stuff until then. :)

1) Make a list of fifteen characters first, and keep it to yourself for the moment.

2) Ask your f-list to post questions in the comments. For example: "One, nine, and fifteen are chosen by a prophecy to save the world from four. Do they succeed?", "Under what circumstances might five and fourteen fall in love?", "Which character on the list would you most want on your side in a zombie invasion?"

3) After your f-list has stopped asking questions, round them up and answer them using the fifteen characters you selected beforehand, then post them.

Currently Reading Wednesday XXXIV: Messier Object Book

doreyg — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 20:40:04 GMT

After an accidental break, as a result of having to go to training! <<

Just Finished: Animorphs: the Encounter. I'm steadily rereading these, and am pleased by how well they hold up.

Currently Reading: Starman, vol 10: Sons of the Father. It's so good and I'm so not ready for this series to be done. ;;

Coming up: IDK. I'd like to say Animorphs: the Message, but that entirely depends on the post!