metachronous spread

Fandom Snowflake Challenge, day 2 : Snowflake, the sequel

2018-01-02T15:32:43Z

Yikes, 'tis the season for new insurance cards and having to do the whole massive calling-around to Big Insurance Conglomerations thing to make sure my coverage is still active, because I enjoy that whole normal-blood-pressure-and-controlled-asthma state of being. I may be on hold until I die, but at least I can dabble in fannishness while it's happening, thank you Challenge Mods!

Day 2

In your own space, share a favorite memory about fandom: the first time you got into fandom, the last time a fanwork touched your heart, crazy times with fellow fans (whether on-line or off-line), a lovely comment you’ve received or have left for someone. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Wow, I have so many good fannish memories over so many years that it's hard to know where to start, but given the recent Christmas holidays I'm still all about that late November/early December period when everyone is focused on holiday fic/art exchanges. I've done Yuletide a couple of times and enjoyed it, but my favorite now-defunct exchange of all time was the Profiler Secret Santa fest that ran over at
profiler_fans. (For those of you who weren't one of the 20 or so fans of the show, Profiler was a late 1990's-era show that was kind of a forerunner to Criminal Minds and the like, and the fandom was small but passionate back in the day.) Over time the community quieted down and kind of fizzled out as we all wandered off to new fandoms, but I still have lots of fun memories of that fannish holiday spirit and the sense of accomplishment at creating something for a rare 'ship that you knew your recip would love and squee over. I'll still go back to the archives and peruse once in awhile when I need a nostalgia boost.

I'm not sure it's possible to recapture that with a new fandom because of the way comms have changed, but I'm hopeful to find the next fun iteration this year. And hey...two out of two posts in 2018, go me!

This entry was originally posted at https://empty-marrow.dreamwidth.org/287672.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Sticking a toe back in the fannish waters: Happy 2018, have a snowflake!

2018-01-01T22:43:26Z

So, DW/LJ, it's been long time no see. I figured the Snowflake Challenge is a good place to stick my proverbial toe back into the fannish/journaling waters to see if I can spend a bit more time in creative pursuits in 2018.

Day 1

In your own space, talk about why you're participating in Snowflake and, if you’ve participated in the past, how the challenge has affected you. What drew you to it? What did you take away from it? What do you hope to accomplish this year? Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I've been in fandom for a long time - I'm a mid-1990s dinosaur, get off my lawn you young whippersnappers - and I miss the fun, feedback, and general conversations that used to happen in the old LJ communities. Fandom has definitely changed since those days - a bit for the better, a bit for the worse, and a lot for the Tumblr style of communication, which has its pluses but IMO makes interaction a lot more challenging. I really like this annual challenge because it's a throwback to the give-and-take style I loved in the heyday of LiveJournal. I know there are a few of us out there who prefer this format, and hopefully this will help us find one another.

...Plus, anything that pushes me to get my fandom mojo back is a good thing, because I've missed it and this space!

This entry was originally posted at https://empty-marrow.dreamwidth.org/287338.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Long time no post, and updatey things.

2015-09-07T20:52:50Z

Wow, so in my last post from July I seem to have mentioned that I can't believe it will be Labor Day soon. 0_o Happy Labor Day to my US flisters, and happy September, everyone!

I'm about two days late if I have my time zones figured out correctly, but I want to send out better-late-than-never happy birthday wishes to hidden_houses - I hope it was a good one, Sari, and I hope you have a happy & healthy year ahead with all of the good things you deserve!

Things took a turn for the crappy in mid-August because we had to hospitalize our teeny kitty Sophie.

Sophie and Christopher are both fourteen years old at this time (well, for all intents and purposes they are, Sophie's bday is September 30th and Chris' bday is October 5th), so although in my mind they're always going to be kittens, unfortunately age-related creakiness and chronic illnesses are starting to catch up to them. Christopher is on medications for an overactive thyroid at this time and is so far *knocks wood* tolerating them well with his symptoms and weight back under control. Sophie actually got diagnosed with mild kidney disease way back when she was about six, when she decided to vault up in the air playing with her brother, landed oddly on one shoulder, and needed labwork to be sedated for X-rays - it was serendipity in a way because we were able to switch over to kidney-protective foods, and she's had seven and a half years of completely stable kidney function.

Earlier this year on routine labwork her rock-solid-for-years weight was starting to drop off and her labs were showing some worsening of her kidney function - she hung in there for awhile, but she got very sick and lethargic by mid-August and her levels were sky-high at the vet's. After a week in their ICU on IV fluids her labs are still not great, but under control, and actually a little bit better at her post-hospital follow-up. She was a poor exhausted baby for her first week home, to the point that for the first day or so Ian and I were wondering whether we were doing this for us and not her and whether it was time to let her go - but she's made a great turn-around and is doing all of those eating/drinking/peeing/pooping/playing things that says we're doing the right thing so far. She's also on daily meds and sub-cutaneous fluids every other day, which she's taking like a little trooper, and she's back to screaming at the top of her lungs when she wants attention, so I think she wants to stay here with us awhile longer *knocks wood again*. All things considered, I'd say it's pretty good for a seventy-something-year-old to pop back into shape just two weeks out of the ICU. :)

So we're going to keep being really proactive and hovering over her and her brother and probably driving them crazy, but I'm holding out hope that our little household will stay intact as long as possible. I'm incredibly grateful that we've been fortunate enough to have these guys as long as we have, but it's never really enough time that we have with them. I'm trying to enjoy Sophie as much as I can and minimize the weeping on top of her fur, but some days are easier than others. There's just been too much loss in my life lately, and coupled with turning 50 a couple of weeks ago my birthday wish was that I'm not here to see 51 if this is all that's left. (Not that I'm going to do anything about it, chances are Chris could live a long time yet and I'm not about to leave him without his mom.)

Anyway, Sophie and I have been logging a lot of quiet Netflix and Amazon hours while she recuperates, and we just finished our re-watch of season 1 of Veronica Mars. I think this is about the third or fourth time I've done a complete re-watch, and I still love it to pieces and am still picking up little details that I missed the first time or two around. Case in point, the scene where Logan picks out the belt his father will use to beat the crap out of him is set to "Ventura Highway," and it's just so evocative of that whole California baby-boomer vibe and yet so jarring and so disturbingly perfect for such a dark scene. America's Greatest Hits will be playing on my iTunes for awhile, haha. I'm also wondering where all the good Wallace fic is, because I can't be the only person who loved him in every single scene he was in?

Will try to have a more uplifting post one of these days, although I think I've been saying that for about a year now? Stay well my loves, will try not to be gone for a month this time. *hugs*

Entrepreneurial genius, I tell you!

2015-06-28T20:18:39Z

A bit of lady-parts humor for a Sunday afternoon - I saw this on Facebook today and scared the cats I was laughing so hard. *G*

On the semi-serious side, I'd never heard of the company HelloFlo before this, and now that I've poked around the website I think I'm jealous that it wasn't available way back in the day when I was of an age to appreciate the mail-order delivery and the candy.

Dear Crossovering Writer...

2015-06-27T19:06:27Z

Dear Crossovering Writer,

Hi there, welcome to my weird and obscure little corner of the 'Net, and thank you so much for creating something for me!

If you want to get a general idea of the things I'm into, you can check out my Yuletide letters in this journal, as well as my fic journal nancefics or my AO3 profile.

In terms of my likes and dislikes, I'm going to pull a couple of paragraphs directly from one of my old Yuletide sign-ups, because I'm a boring old thing who hasn't changed all that much:

*my likes: I read and write first/second/third person, past/present tense, “five things”-style ficlets and drabbles, longer plot-driven fics, episode-themed fic, holiday-themed fic, shippy stuff, gen stuff, slashfic, hetfic – so essentially I want you to create in whatever format best fits your personal style and your characters. If my writer enjoys the process, I’ll enjoy the creation!

I love fics that take one-dimensional canon characters and imbue them with complexities – I’d happily read about the villain with a hidden soft spot, or the good guy with a subtle streak of cruelty, or what really happened behind the scenes of a certain episode/chapter/canon interaction. I tend to be fairly “meh” over the handsome prince but pretty intrigued by that hot guy or girl who’s trying to take over the world/thwart the FBI/impress the oblivious princess – although that poor bland prince just might have unexplored/untapped potential that would make him a lot more interesting, so go ahead and try to convince me! I love angst and unconventional endings, but I also adore humor and parody (make me laugh and I’ll fangirl you for life). I’m a sucker for snappy dialogue and pop-culture references. And I love a good crossover/fusion/AU - hence the Crossovering sign-up! - so feel free to combine anything in any of my fandom requests if you’re so inclined.

I read and write all ratings, from G through NC-17. I’m pretty hard to squick and/or offend, so go ahead and include sex/violence/language as the story demands. If you’re more comfortable writing G or PG fic, that’s totally fine too.

*my dislikes: I’m not a huge fan of non-con, although I can deal with it if it serves as a necessary plot-point. The only things that really hit my squicks are animal abuse – looking at my fandoms you’ve probably figured out that I have no problem with beating on the human characters for the sake of plot – and non-cracky mpreg. (As to the crackier side of mpreg, see above: make me laugh and watch me fangirl you.)

As for prompts, I'm going to be intentionally vague and leave them up to you and your creative process - if you have fun I'm sure I'll love whatever you come up with. Thanks again and I can't wait to see what you do!

ETA: On re-reading this I realize that I never said anything about specific characters or ships in any of my fandoms - I don't really have any noTPs or disliked characters, so I'm going to leave that in your capable hands as well. I have faith that you'll make me like whoever you write about. *G*

Rair Pair Fest 2015

2015-06-27T15:26:43Z

Dear Rare Pairs Writer,

First off, hi and welcome to my weird and obscure little corner of the 'Net, and thank you so much for creating something for me!

If you want to get a general idea of the things I'm into, you can check out my Yuletide letters in this journal, as well as my fic journal nancefics or my AO3 profile.

In terms of my likes and dislikes, I'm going to pull a couple of paragraphs directly from one of my old Yuletide sign-ups and repeated above in my Crossovering sign-up, because I'm a boring old thing who hasn't changed all that much:

*my likes: I read and write first/second/third person, past/present tense, “five things”-style ficlets and drabbles, longer plot-driven fics, episode-themed fic, holiday-themed fic, shippy stuff, gen stuff, slashfic, hetfic – so essentially I want you to create in whatever format best fits your personal style and your characters. If my writer enjoys the process, I’ll enjoy the creation!

I love fics that take one-dimensional canon characters and imbue them with complexities – I’d happily read about the villain with a hidden soft spot, or the good guy with a subtle streak of cruelty, or what really happened behind the scenes of a certain episode/chapter/canon interaction. I tend to be fairly “meh” over the handsome prince but pretty intrigued by that hot guy or girl who’s trying to take over the world/thwart the FBI/impress the oblivious princess – although that poor bland prince just might have unexplored/untapped potential that would make him a lot more interesting, so go ahead and try to convince me! I love angst and unconventional endings, but I also adore humor and parody (make me laugh and I’ll fangirl you for life). I’m a sucker for snappy dialogue and pop-culture references. And I love a good crossover/fusion/AU, so feel free to combine anything in any of my fandom requests if you’re so inclined.

I read and write all ratings, from G through NC-17. I’m pretty hard to squick and/or offend, so go ahead and include sex/violence/language as the story demands. If you’re more comfortable writing G or PG fic, that’s totally fine too.

*my dislikes: I’m not a huge fan of non-con, although I can deal with it if it serves as a necessary plot-point. The only things that really hit my squicks are animal abuse – looking at my fandoms you’ve probably figured out that I have no problem with beating on the human characters for the sake of plot – and non-cracky mpreg. (As to the crackier side of mpreg, see above: make me laugh and watch me fangirl you.)

As for prompts, I'm always up for reading about zombie apocalyspses, chance meetings between old flames/old enemies years later, and characters forced to work together for the sake of solving a case/clearing their names/saving the world. Otherwise I'm going to be intentionally vague and leave the details up to you and your creative process - if you have fun I'm sure I'll love whatever you come up with. Thanks again and I can't wait to see what you do!

The OTP meme

2015-01-21T02:54:43Z

I was tagged by fellow shipper jaq_of_spades to discuss some of my favorite couples - I think the biggest question of the night will be who even recognizes some of them!

Choose 5 OTPs without looking at the questions under the Read More, then tag.

1. Frannie Malone/Jack of all Trades (Profiler)

2. Veronica Mars/Logan Echolls (Veronica Mars)

3. Christina Nickson/Lucas Boyd (Point Pleasant)

4. Molly Hooper/Jim Moriarty (Sherlock)

5. Alexandria Quartermaine/Tiffany Hill (General Hospital)

1. Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter you first started shipping 5? (Alex/Tiffany)

It definitely wasn't when I first saw them battling it out over the Cassadine brothers on General Hospital in 1981, haha. I think it happened when I did an impromptu re-watch courtesy of some old YouTube clips about a year ago - it hit me that they were both awesome women and they'd be much better working together than against one another. Add my fangirl-colored glasses and a couple of nostalgic conversations with velvetwhip, and the 'shipping was inevitable.

2. Have you ever read fanfiction about 2? (Veronica/Logan)

I think everyone has read fanfic about Veronica/Logan at this point. I think I'm less typical of a LoVe fan in that I really liked their dynamic in season 1 the best, when Logan was allowed to be the dysfunctional yet oddly intriguing asshole who pushed all of Veronica's buttons but who was very much like her in that he too was grieving for Lilly and for some idealized version of the past, where the Lilly/Logan/Veronica/Duncan friendship dynamic overcame everything and they all had one another's backs against the world. As the seasons wore on it seemed to me that there was more of a tendency for fandom to see Logan as a poor woobie and Veronica as a heartless bitch, which IMO didn't give either of them enough credit.

3. If 3 (Christina/Boyd) were to suddenly break up today, what would your reaction be?

Surprise that a) they even got together in the first place without killing one another and b) that it took them this long to break up or kill one another. Let's face it, the hot sex would be what held them together that long anyway. *G*

4. Why is 1 so important? (Frances/Jack)

I...don't think it is to anyone except me at this point? I always thought Frannie was enough of a train-wreck and that she had enough baggage with her father that she'd make an incredible apprentice for Jack - in fact, at one point both Frannie and Jack had versions of "I Put a Spell on You" playing as background music to their activities (his was Nina Simone, hers was Marilyn Manson), and to this day I believe that the original writers were going in that direction rather than coming up with the Sharon character.

5. Is 4 a funny ship or a serious ship? (Molly/Moriarty)

I think it could be both, and I've seen fics treat it both ways. Not surprisingly, if I ever wrote it I'm sure it would veer towards the cracky side of things. *G*

6. Out of all the ships listed, which has the most chemistry?

Given that most of the 'ships exist only in my fangirly little head, I'd go with Veronica/Logan - although the hate!chemistry between Christina/Boyd and Alex/Tiffany was pretty smokin' too.

7. Of all the ships, which has the strongest bond?

Definitely Veronica/Logan - despite their angst and all indications that they really aren't very healthy for one another, I agree with Logan that they're epic indeed.

8. How many times have you read/watched 2's fandom? (Logan/Veronica)

Oh wow, I think I've watched the series all the way through at least three times, plus I've seen the movie, plus I'm reading the VM novel now, plus there's all that fanfic...erm, a lot?

9. Which ship lasted the longest?

I'd say Veronica/Logan since canonically it's still going on, although when you think in terms of actual time Alex and Tiffany have been around since the 1980s...

10. How many times, if ever, have 5 broken up? (Alex/Tiffany)

Unless they were getting up to their own secret sexy times on that remote island, that would be never, given their lack of being a couple in the first place.

11.If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive, 1 (Frances/Jack) or 3 (Christina/Boyd)?

Ahaha, this just serves to remind me that I have an actual fic out there where Jack and Frances are dealing with a zombie apocalypse and kicking zombie ass. Let's face it, Christina and Boyd would be directing the zombies from the sidelines, enjoying the carnage and taking bets on how creatively people are turned into zombie chow.

12. Did 4 (Molly/Moriarty) ever have to hide their relationship for any reason?

Funny thing, they had a fake relationship in canon that was pretty visible at Molly's job - she was just the only one who didn't realize it was fake, poor thing.

13. Is 5 still together? (Alex/Tiffany)

As they never got together in the first place, they're only a couple in my sad fangirly little mind.

14. If all five ships were put into a couples' Hunger Games, which ship would win?

I'd say it's pretty hard to beat the daughter of the devil and her senior demon/mentor, so I think Christina/Boyd would have those games locked up pretty quickly.

15. Has anyone tried to sabotage 5's (Alex/Tiffany's) relationship?

I think it's safe to say that even in a non-shippy sense they're one another's worst enemies - they wouldn't need any help screwing things up.

16. Which of these ships would you defend to the death and beyond?

Hmm...probably none of them since they're all pretty damned unhealthy. Apparently in my fictional life that's just how I roll. *G*

17. Have you ever spent hours going through 3's (Christina/Boyd's) tumblr page?

That would be a total of about 3 .gifs out there, so no.

18. If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you to pick one of the ships to break up forever, which would you pick?

Again, with the level of unhealthiness in these relationships it's a fair bet that one or both members of each coupling will end up dead/in prison for life/vanishing off the face of the earth except for Veronica/Logan, so they're the only ones I wouldn't break up. It's odd to think of them as the healthy couple!

I'm not tagging any specific person, but I'd be curious to see what my flisters come up with for their ships!

Fic: Almost Home, SPN/Dead Like Me, PG-13

2015-01-03T14:20:32Z

I figured while it's the weekend and I'm feeling both creative and human again that I'd post a snippet or two for 12_daysofficmas, even though my 12 days will probably be more like 2 or 3.

Title: Almost Home
Fandoms: Supernatural/Dead Like Me
Characters/Pairings: Jimmy Novak, Georgia Lass, Mason
Disclaimer: Definitely not mine!
Summary/Teaser: In which Jimmy Novak finds out there’s more to life after death than peace and the Pearly Gates, and that even minus one angel on board, his day job just got a whole lot weirder.

Rating: PG-13 (language, some off-screen violence)
Word Count: 2451

It has to be whipped cream.

He woke up to find himself suspended in some kind of white gooey floaty substance, and he’s had what feels like a long time to debate the various possibilities while he hangs around – it doesn’t smell like mayonnaise, doesn’t feel like meringue or milk, and hello, he hates Marshmallow Fluff, so he’s not even going there.

Yeah, Jimmy’s pretty sure he’s doing the backstroke in Cool Whip.

At least he thinks he’s on his back – it’s a little tough to get oriented because he can’t seem to turn his head or move his arms. Or, technically, find his head or his arms.

This should probably freak him out more than it does, but to be honest, living with an angel inside him has pretty much upped the tolerance on his Freak-o-Meter to insanely high levels over the past year. Besides, it’s not like Castiel has ever been very good about sharing the little details with him. In general he favors a put-the-vessel-to-sleep-first, answer-questions-later approach. Which suits said vessel just fine, thank you, especially after that one time things got a little busy and Castiel only got around to knocking him out after he/they caught a carving knife between the ribs. Still, the current situation is new, annoying, and a little gross, and he’d kind of like to know why this seemed like a good idea to anyone.

So where is Castiel?

“—so where’s Cas?”

He still can’t see or move, but he recognizes the voice. If Dean Winchester’s nearby, it’s a safe bet that his angel is also somewhere in the vicinity. The thought makes Jimmy release a slow breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“—archangels – right out of the house.”

The second voice is unfamiliar and a little winded, like its owner is recovering from hard labor or a bad scare. And apparently whipped cream sort of sucks as a sound conductor, because Jimmy can only catch bits and pieces of the conversation no matter how hard he concentrates.

“—sure, Chuck? Maybe he just vanished in the lights?”

“—like, exploded – a water balloon with chunky soup.”

Okay, so apparently this Chuck person is into the food references too. He can’t quite make out what that’s supposed to mean, but Dean’s tone changes in response to whatever it is.

“Stupid bastard – it wouldn’t have happened if…”

And now Jimmy’s starting to get a little nervous, because that pained, leaden affect just isn’t something he’s ever associated with Dean Winchester, and because he still can’t feel Castiel anywhere at all.

He wonders if he can talk through the Cool Whip, figures it’s worth a shot.

“Castiel? Cas, what’s going on? Are you in here?” He tries to look around, though he’s pretty sure his efforts are in vain. “Hell, where is here?”

He barely recognizes the sound of his own voice, gummy and thick and rapidly damped out by the soft substance surrounding him.

“Dean? Can you hear me? Hello?”

There’s no answer from within or without, just a low thrum of conversation between Dean, Chuck, and a third voice he recognizes as Sam Winchester’s. The words are so muted they’re almost unintelligible, the mood downright funereal, when suddenly Chuck shouts about feeling something and Jimmy simultaneously senses a low static buzzing that fills the space around him.

At last, thank you God, he breathes to himself, because he’s gotten pretty familiar with this form of dramatic entrance over the past year, and he’s only too ready for a little angelic relocation. Forget whining over the heavenly hassles of bleeding eardrums and blinding lights – as soon as he’s out of here he is so ripping Cas a metaphorical new one for abandoning him wide-awake in a vat of goo.

“You just keep your distance, asshat – you jump-started Judgment Day!”

Or...maybe not.

“ – say it’s all our faults and just move on. Like it or not, it’s Apocalypse now.”

That’s not Castiel’s voice, and the sheer power of the new presence is like nothing Jimmy’s ever felt with any previous visitations. It’s overwhelming, rattling the space around him and sending vibrations over and through him with each word of what’s obviously turning into an increasingly antagonistic conversation. What was someone saying about archangels?

“ – listen to me, you two-faced douche.”

And that part was certainly audible enough. There’s a new, cold rage in Dean’s voice that prickles the hairs on Jimmy’s possibly non-existent neck, and he wonders just what the new arrival did to provoke this kind of reaction from someone who’s always been so unflappable. Nothing he can think of is remotely comforting.

“You listen to me, boy – rebel against us – like Lucifer?”

Wait, archangels were the good guys, right?

“You’re bleeding.”

“—insurance policy – learned this from my friend Cas, you son of a bitch!”

There’s shouting and a sudden bright flash of light that penetrates right through him, and a split-second later Jimmy’s yelping in alarm as he twists over and back with the force of the following shock wave. He flails like a rag doll, unable to right himself or stop his momentum or even do the damned doggy-paddle through the Cool Whip, because he still can’t seem to find any of his limbs. He stops bobbing woozily after what feels like a long time, dizzy and nauseated and he hopes to God right side up, because the idea of choking on his own vomit upside-down in cosmic dessert topping is a bit more than he can handle right now.

The powerful buzzing has faded away, and with it, apparently, the creature that caused it. Based on Dean’s reaction, that’s probably a positive.

“Dean? Hello?”

His answer is a very disconcerting quiet.

“Sam? Ch-chunky soup guy, Chuck?”

And still there’s nothing in reply, no voices or sounds of movement or any indication that anyone was ever here in the first place.

Clearly the Winchesters are gone. Jimmy doesn’t want to think too hard about what might have happened to them during the shock wave. His Inner Optimist pipes up helpfully that at least Dean had sounded like the one in control of the situation, but really? After today Jimmy’s not so sure that you can even use words like “control” and “archangel” in the same sentence.

He’s also not too sure he wants to attract any heavenly attention right now, but he’s not really in a position to be very choosy.

“Cas? Castiel? Come on, anyone, hello? Please, what’s going on here? Why can’t anyone hear me?”

Maybe it’s his neurons finally connecting through the Cool Whip, or maybe it’s those last little shards of optimism falling away with an irrevocable horrible finality that do it; but as the words leave his mouth the proverbial lights come on and that last piece of the puzzle clicks into place. And the fractured conversational snippets come together with the clarity of one big terrifying run-on sentence: out of the house Apocalypse Judgment Day stupid bastard exploded oh SHIT.

Jimmy gets it. Castiel isn’t coming back for him.

Castiel isn’t coming back at all.

Okay, now he’s freaking out.

***

He is not going out like this, damn it.

There has to be something – some One – that’ll help. They kept telling him he’d been called for something special, surely even if his task is completed and his angel is gone he’s not just going to be thrown away and forgotten, right? They promised protection.

They promised protection for your family, dumbass, says a little voice in the back of his mind. Why’d you assume you were part of the package deal?

Yeah, apparently his Inner Optimist has turned into a nasty, bitter little bastard who’d rather be filling his glass-half-empty with vodka. Jimmy kind of agrees with him.

Oh God, his family – if this happened to him, what are they going through right now?

He prays for what seems like hours, until his voice is ragged and strained. He calls for Castiel and Dean and God and the police, just to cover all his bases. He recites and then sings all the lyrics to every Bob Dylan song he knows, first alphabetically and then chronologically, in an effort to pass time and hang onto his sanity. Halfway through the third verse of the third go-round of “Subterranean Homesick Blues” he switches gears and starts to talk to Amelia and Claire, a final apology and a final good-bye, but he stops short after the first few words, knowing that even a one-sided imaginary conversation with them will leave him too heartbroken and lonely to survive whatever hell this is.

...Oh God, he couldn’t actually be in Hell, could he?

He’s pretty much exhausted everything he can think of save for screaming like a little girl at the top of his lungs, and that’s looking like a pretty good damned option when he hears a new set of voices.

“Holy shit, look at this splatter-fest. Ugh, Rube is going to owe me big-time for this.”

“George, you have to check out the bedroom – guy was a total pervert, he actually has blow-up dolls in here. Oh God, I think this one is used!”

“Yeah, while we’re on that subject, try and stick a stolen sex doll in my car and you’re walking all the way home. Will you get your ass out here and help me look for the body?”

They’re not angels – the conversation kind of gives that one away – but they don’t exactly seem human either. From where he’s standing/floating/whatever, he can sense a sort of energy, subtler and less dynamic than anything he’d felt from Castiel, but present nonetheless. It prickles around him, raises the small fine hairs at the back of his neck – hmm, apparently he’s beginning to feel his neck again – and stirs the goo into gentle waves.

“Hello? Can you hear me?”

His voice sounds stronger, a little more like himself this time, but the others prattle on, still oblivious to his presence and deeply embroiled in a conversation that makes even less sense to him than Dean’s little tête-à-tête with the archangel.

“—still don’t know why we have to fix Supernatural Events’ fuck-ups. Two weeks of piled-up Post-It time because some flunkie Reaper caught his lights early, you’d think Upper Management would actually get off their asses and do something about it.”

“I thought Tessa’d be here.”

“She’s out somewhere in the Midwest with the rest of her team tackling the backlog. Rube said something about all sorts of weird shit going down in the Heartland.”

“Well, damn. I was really hoping to spend some quality time with Tessa.”

“You were hoping for another chance to ogle her rack.”

“Possibly, that too. Okay, yes.”

“God, Mason, you’re such a guy sometimes I – what did I just tell you about keeping second-hand porn out of my car? Are those sex-doll panties sticking out of your pocket?”

“They’re - my handkerchief?”

“Of course they are. Because you’re such a red-lace kinda guy.”

“I am deeply offended by your suspicions, George, really.”

If he weren’t in his current situation, Jimmy thinks, the exchange might be borderline amusing. “Mason” sounds male, British, and guilty, and “George” is annoyed, possessed of a rather impressive catalog of obscenities, and name notwithstanding, decidedly female. She also seems to be the one in charge of – whatever they’re here for. Jimmy readies himself to start yelling for her at the top of his lungs before they leave him too.

“Whatever. Where the hell is this guy?”

“More’s the point, love, where isn’t he? I don’t think the wallpaper in this room was originally red-streaked, you know?”

“So...what? I just touch the wall? I usually have a whole body to work with.”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Because you’ve been doing this a hell of a lot longer than I have, Mason, I figured you’ve seen more weird shit before and after death.”

“This is new territory for me too, Georgie girl. Just pick a piece and go for it.”

Whatever’s going on out there sounds not only ominous but also on the verge of wrapping up, and panic forces Jimmy’s voice into a near-bellow.

“Hey! Hello, can you hear me?”

“Oh, wait – what’s this on the mantelpiece?”

“I think it’s – eww, a molar?” George’s voice jumps a good octave higher. “I’m popping a soul from a fucking tooth? That’s it, I am kicking Rube’s ass for this.”

“Hey! Stop and listen to me, please!”

“Come on and get this over with so we can go, George, this place is seriously fucking creepy.”

“Fine, give me the damned tooth and we’ll go.”

So they don’t hear him either. They’re leaving too.

If Jimmy could find his hands, he’d bury his head in them and scream in frustration, but all he can feel is the cosmic Cool Whip coalescing around him, emitting odd little sparking sensations as it coats his legs and travels up his – wait, what?

In the second it registers that he’s actually beginning to see and feel his body again, George mutters “Okay, J. Novak, come out, come out wherever you are, you poor exploded bastard.”

And then all Jimmy feels and hears is a tremendous pop as something pulls him together and out and down.

He blinks slowly at the pattern in front of his face, the brown paisley a nice change from endless white expanses of goo. There’s something rough and scratchy against his palms, and he realizes he ended up in a sprawl on someone’s wool carpeting. Clearly he won’t be winning any points for style from that landing, but he’s too happy to be solid and three-dimensional and real again to sweat the little details.

He sees two pairs of sneakers a few feet in front of his nose, and he pulls himself onto his knees with a groan, gaze traveling upwards until it lands on two startled faces.

“Um.” George is petite, blonde and looks a lot younger than she’d sounded before. “Uh, J. Novak, I presume?”

Fandom Snowflake Challenge 2015: day 1

2015-01-01T18:54:42Z

So, to try to realize my good intentions of increased blogging in the new year, and because this has been a lot of fun in the past, I'm jumping into this year's Fandom Snowflake Challenge.

Day 1

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

*****

Ha, first off, anyone who knows me knows that I have a lot more unfinished material in my docs files than finished fics that have actually been posted, but I have managed to finish a few over the past few years that I'm especially happy with, posted alphabetically by fandom below:

1) Beware of Falling Objects, Les Miserables, Cosette/Javert - I thought I'd be the only person in the world who was into the idea of modern!AU Cosette & Javert getting drunk on a bridge and talking themselves out of suicide and into bed, but there are apparently other weirdos like me. *G*

2) somewhere east of Taliesen (can't get there from here), Once Upon a Time, Ruby-centric fic with brief Ruby/Whale - post-season 1, Ruby/Red dealing with post-curse Storybrooke and who she is now.

3) I Have Not Conquered Everest, Point Pleasant, Christina/Boyd - I'm probably one of about five people who remembers this show, so I was really excited to write for this fandom in Yuletide a few years back.

4) Crack-the-Whip, Profiler, Frances/John - continuing the unconventional theme, I'm probably one of about five people out there who likes Frannie Malone or Frannie/John, but they have a train-wreck quality that appeals to me.

5) Call It An Adventure, Veronica Mars, Veronica + Logan friendship - written for a very early VM Secret Santa exchange in the middle of season 1, so it's a bit dated now in light of what happened in the following seasons, but still one of my nostalgic favorites.

I hope this list provides a little bit of enjoyment and amusement, and I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else comes up with!

This entry was originally posted at http://empty-marrow.dreamwidth.org/250988.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Trickortreat2014 : Dear Author...

2014-09-20T21:42:58Z

Hi there, author!anon, sorry for my delayed letter and thank you for your patience, I hope I didn't cause you too much alarm with the prolonged place-keeping post. Life has kindly allowed me to be fannish again for a few hours, so let's do this! \0/

You can check out my account at AO3 or my LJ nancefics if you want to get an idea of what I write, but basically I'm pretty laid-back and easy to please when it comes to fics and fandom and shipping - I can get into gen, het, slash, angst, humor, casefic, AU, crossovers, coffee-shop fic, holiday-themed fic, supernatural-themed fic, zombie apocalypses, you name it, so please feel free to do whatever is fun and comfortable and interesting for you. I don't really have any squicks except for animal abuse; I'm not a huge fan of non-con, but if it serves to advance your plot I'm OK with having it in a fic.

Below are some fandom-specific prompts/suggestions, although bear in mind that I'm fine if you come up with something totally different:

The 100 (Bellamy Blake, Raven Reyes, Marcus Kane) : Anything with any or all of these characters would appeal to me, either in season 1 or your speculations for season 2. If they had to help one another break into or out of Weather Mountain, how well would they work together?

Breaking Bad (any) : This show is my new crack, because apparently I'm behind the rest of the world and finally watching it, and I'd love anything about anyone. Angsty character studies, WAFFy Jesse/Jane moments before everything went to hell for them, Walt and Jesse as supernatural zombie fighters, Saul Goodman finding a book of incantations and accidentally reanimating the big blow-up Statue of Liberty on his roof - you get the idea.

Dead Like Me (Georgia Lass, Rube Sofer): I love everything about these two! I can totally get on board with George/Rube as a 'ship, but I also adore their sort-of father/daughter, sort-of equals relationship on the show. I'd be interested in seeing them having to work together to pull off a complicated or awkward reap.

The Good Wife (Alicia Florrick, Eli Gold, Owen Cavenaugh, Glenn Childs, Becca): If you write me Alicia/Glenn hate!sex I'll love you forever, but I'll probably also love you if you do anything with any of these characters. I'd love to see what happens if Eli and Becca run into one another several years later, or Owen's take on his sister's complicated life. If you're prone to cross-overs, how would Alicia or Eli deal with having to work with or against Saul Goodman?

Grimm (Adalind Schade, Drew Wu): These are two underutilized characters IMO, and I'd love to see backstory on either or both of them. I think it would be amusing and interesting to throw them both together into a situation where they were stuck together for awhile and see how they relate to one another.

Point Pleasant (any): This show was my under-appreciated baby and I'm still sad that we didn't get a second season. I'd love absolutely anything with Christina and Judy, alone or together, 'shippy or not. What happens if Judy's the one who's supposed to kill Christina?

Profiler (any): My other underappreciated baby and my first real fandom - I love every one of the characters in this show and I'd be happy just to see new fic out there! Any and all ships work for me, as does a case-fic, or a completely non-crime-genre AU for that matter - Profiler as a coffee-shop AU, anyone?

Sleepy Hollow (Jenny Mills, August Corbin): How exactly did August groom Jenny into such bad-assery? I'd love to get some backstory on their relationship, or a story of how they acquired one of the demonic objects to thwart the apocalypse.

Veronica Mars (any): This is another show that I pan-shipped, so if there are specific characters that appeal to you, chances are they'll appeal to me as well. How did Veronica celebrate Halloween in Neptune, and what kind of weird Halloween-themed cases are coming her way now?

Thanks again for taking the time to write for me, I hope you have as much fun with this as I'll have reading what you come up with!

Exchange fics for summer, exchange fics for fall.

2014-09-16T03:03:09Z

The authors have been revealed for the Low-Key Summer Exchange, so I can officially thank semele for her marvelous fic for The 100, People to Come Back For - it will give me a happy fic fix until season 2 rolls around!

Oh, and now that I can 'fess up to it, I wrote Maybe They're Hiring at Wok n'Roll for the marvelous serialbathera.

Next up on the writing front: sign-ups are open for the Trickortreat2014 exchange over here. There are lots of fandoms represented and it looks pretty low-key overall, so it should be fun if anyone wants to sign up with me. *insert peer pressure*

That AU meme.

2014-07-26T02:21:47Z

Because I apparently go from no contact for months --> posting like a mofo. This may also be the influence of the nice pinot I had ~~instead of~~ with dinner. So now I'm going to bug my friends list for inspiration courtesy of some meme-age that's making the rounds:

Pick a trope/AU from this list and provide a fandom/pairing and I’ll write you a fic or mini fic or drabble.

• Noir AU
• Police Procedural AU
• Reluctant teammates that save the world together AU
• Platonic living together AU
• Lawyers AU
• Stuck-in-an-airport-because-the-flights-were-SO-VERY-delayed-and-it’s-like-two-am AU
• Sent to live with cousins AU
• Fairytale AU
• Pretending to be siblings because of reasons AU
• Forget high school students AU I want a high school teachers AU
• Supernatural hunters AU
• Law school AU
• Royalty AU
• Forced to share a table at the coffee shop a couple days in a row because crowded coffee shop and no room AU
• Thieves AU
• Spies AU
• Doctors AU
• Medical School AU
• Ride the same bus together literally every day AU
• College professors AU
• On a train together and the train is stopped in the middle of nowhere for some reason AU
• Musician AU
• Time travel AU
• Medieval AU
• Character Swap AU (Characters swap places in the narrative)
• On the Run AU

(Fandoms, pairings, characters, etc. can mostly be found on my profile, my tags or my fic at nancefics. But also, feel free to shout things out and if I know it, I'll attempt to write it.)

Low-Key Summer Fic Exchange: Dear Author

2014-07-26T01:39:05Z

Dear Exchange Author:

Hi there, and thank you for taking time out of your summer to write for me! I'm generally pretty low-key myself, so please consider these really loose suggestions for fics that would appeal to me. I love humor and angst and 'shippy fic and genfic and hetfic and slashfic, so please pick the style and story that appeals the most to you as a writer and go for it!

Dollhouse : Anything about Laurence Dominick or Boyd Langdon - how did Dominick end up in the NSA and on the Dollhouse assignment? What happened to him after the end of the Dollhouse? Or how about giving poor under-utilized Boyd a better ending that was more consistent with the character he was in Season 1?

Sleepy Hollow : I adore Jenny Mills and August Corbin - would love to read anything about them being bad-ass together, or any father/daughter-type moments where August tries to reunite Jenny with her sister.

The 100 : I am holding LJ personally responsible for spreading the squee and getting me hooked on this show over the course of a week. I have a particular interest in the shades-of-grey characters like Bellamy Blake and Marcus Kane, but I'd be just as happy to read about Clarke or Finn or Octavia or Raven or...you get the idea.

Veronica Mars : I love just about every single character in this show/movie and I'd be happy to read about anyone, although I have a particular love for Veronica, Lilly, Logan, Duncan, Wallace, and Piz.

Wild Card : I'm just gonna leave my list of shows here, including Dollhouse, Grimm, Once Upon a Time, Sleepy Hollow, Supernatural, The 100, The Good Wife, Veronica Mars. Feel free to combine any of the shows/characters/ships or make any kind of AU that interests you.

Thanks again for writing for me, and have fun! \0/

Pimping/Motivational Post: Low-Key Summer Fic Exchange

2014-07-26T01:03:52Z

Poor LJ seems to be turning into an ever-vaster wasteland these days in terms of actual fannish stuff, but there are still some interesting writing opportunities to take advantage of if you scour the corners enough.

Case in point is fluffyfrolicker's Low-Key Summer Fic Exchange. The idea is to leave at least 3 fic prompts and offer to write in at least 3 fandoms/pairings, plus you get to leave a "wild card" set of prompts in your own journal for off-the-wall pairings/crossovers/etc.

1000 words in a month sounds like something I could actually find time to do right now...does anyone want to succumb to my peer pressure and sign up with me??

Dear Yuletide Author...

2013-10-10T21:07:00Z

Dear Yuletide Author:

Welcome to my odd and obscure little corner of the 'Net! If you're sitting there going "holy crap, what did I get myself into?" -- chances are I'm sitting here reading a DYA letter and doing the same thing right now. We'll muddle through, I promise!

If it helps, I’m beyond excited and all squeeful that you’re going to create something just for me, and I can pretty much guarantee I’ll love whatever you do. Below are some general points about my likes and dislikes, followed by a more fandom-specific breakdown, but please note that these are guidelines and examples only – if your muse latches onto an idea that isn’t contained here, consider this blanket permission to take your plot and run with it. Half the fun of Yuletide is in the creating process, and I want you to enjoy this too -- who knows, you might turn me onto a whole new ship/plot/crossover idea!

At this time I'm expecting to be home on the 25th and able to hop online fairly early -- who am I kidding, I'll probably be up all night depleting my stash of Pumpkin Spice K-cups and looking forward to a very caffeinated Christmas morning -- but if my travel plans change I'll be sure to update this letter so you don't wonder why I've gone silent. Rest assured, I'll be reading and excitedly spilling squee all over the place ASAP. :D

On to the stuff you’re really interested in:

If you want to get a more generalized sense about me or my approach to all things fic- or life-related, feel free to check out my nuts-and-bolts info in this entry, and either my fic journal nancefics or my AO3 site empty_marrow for my fics.

As for the (hopefully helpful) detail-oriented stuff….

*my likes: I read and write first/second/third person, past/present tense, “five things”-style ficlets and drabbles, longer plot-driven fics, episode-themed fic, holiday-themed fic, shippy stuff, gen stuff, slashfic, hetfic – so essentially I want you to write in whatever format best fits your personal style and your characters. If my writer enjoys the process, I’ll enjoy the creation!

I love fics that take one-dimensional canon characters and imbue them with complexities – I’d happily read about the villain with a hidden soft spot, or the good guy with a subtle streak of cruelty, or what really happened behind the scenes of a certain episode/chapter/canon interaction. I tend to be fairly “meh” over the handsome prince but pretty intrigued by that hot guy who’s trying to take over the world/thwart the FBI/impress the oblivious princess – although that poor bland prince just might have unexplored/untapped potential that would make him a lot more interesting, so go ahead and try to convince me! I love angst and unconventional endings, but I also adore humor and parody (make me laugh and I’ll fangirl you for life). I’m a sucker for snappy dialogue and pop-culture references. And I love a good crossover/fusion/AU, so feel free to combine anything on my fandom list if you’re so inclined.

I read and write all ratings, from G through NC-17. I’m pretty hard to squick and/or offend, so go ahead and include sex/violence/language as the story demands. If you’re more comfortable writing G or PG fic, that’s fine too.

*my dislikes: I’m not a huge fan of non-con, although I can deal with it if it serves as a necessary plot-point. The only things that really hit my squicks are animal abuse – looking at my fandoms you’ve probably figured out that I have no problem with beating on the human characters for the sake of plot – and non-cracky mpreg. (As to the crackier side of mpreg, see above: make me laugh and watch me fangirl you.)

*my fandom-specific requests & suggestions (listed alphabetically):

*Ghost - Radical Face (album)

This is my "off the beaten path" request. I wasn't the original nominator, but when I read this in the list I had to pull out my iPod and remind myself how much I love the beautiful, bittersweet lyrics and music in this album. "Wrapped in Piano Strings" is easily one of my favorite songs of all times - I've come up with half a dozen interpretations of the story behind the lyrics and I'd love to read your take on it or any of the other songs here.

*The Good Wife (characters: Alicia Florrick, Glenn Childs, Peter Florrick, Becca)

I fell for this show primarily due to Alicia and her wonderfully nuanced reactions to all of the various important relationships in her life. Of all of the characters she interacts with, Glenn in particular intrigues me, because he strikes me as a work in progress who left the show too soon - what exactly was his relationship with Peter in the SA's office? Who was he ten years ago and where will he be ten years from now? Is there any situation that would compel him to forge an alliance with Alicia? Bonus points for Glenn/Peter or Glenn/Alicia hate!sex, because wow, talk about a big ball of angst and bitterness and pretty.

As for "darling Becca," I'm probably her fandom of one as per usual, but I confess to getting a huge kick out of her mean-girl antics, if only for the way she manages to ruffle Eli Gold like no one else can. I'd love to read about a typical day in her life: what exactly does she think about Zach and Eli and the Florricks? What happened in the past to make her approach life the way she does, and where is she five or ten years in the future?

*Point Pleasant (characters: Lucas Boyd, Judy Kramer, Christina Nickson, Terry Burke)

To me, the Boyd/Christina/Judy interactions were the best thing about this show. More than any other characters and despite their own flaws and failings, Judy and Boyd were symbolic of everything good, evil, and in-between that Christina could hope to attain, and their tug of war over her affections and loyalties was the linchpin of almost everything she did. I’d love to see this “threesome” explored further, either as an actual shippy threesome (or a couple of twosomes) or just a more in-depth look at the events of “Swimming With Boyd” and their aftermath. For those into future-oriented fic, if Season 2 had existed, what would happen if Judy and Boyd found themselves forced to work together to stop/save Christina?

I was kind of "meh" about Terry when I watched the first couple of episodes, then he ended up completely winning me over when I realized he was becoming one of the most complicated shades-of-grey characters in the entire show. I was especially intrigued by his interactions with Boyd, and I'd love to read anything featuring the two of them, from Boyd being fatherly to his protégé to Boyd/Terry slash. Feel free to write about Paula, Jesse, or any of the other PP characters and how they view Terry's relationship with Boyd.

*Profiler (characters: Samantha Waters, Frances Malone, Jack of All Trades, Chloe Waters)

Samantha is an intriguing character to me because we get to see her evolve over several seasons, from a vulnerable grieving widow in hiding to a tough professional out to take down a serial killer at any cost. I'd love to see an exploration of how she deals with all of these changes. What does she do when she profiles Jack? What happens to her after she kills Jack and leaves the VCTF? Would anything pull her back into the life of an FBI profiler?

Chloe is another character who does a lot of growing over the course of the show, both physically and emotionally. I'd love to know how she evolves over the course of the years spent in hiding, how she deals with her father's death and her mother's obsession with all of the dark details of her job. What did she take away from her meetings with Jack and what kind of a person is she five or ten years later?

If you glance through my fics you'll see that I'm one of about four people out there who likes Frannie Malone, although in my case I crossed the line a long time ago to pretty much adoring everything about her. I've always thought that a “relationship” between her and Jack would be a hot, pretty train-wreck of epic proportions. What would happen if they met while she was on the run after shooting her father, and what would the fallout be for both of them? For a more gen/plot-centered fic, what’s going on in Frances’ life during season 4 (since she isn’t onscreen then)? Who is she five or ten years later? What kind of cop/profiler would she make?

Jack is just all kinds of potential fun, if your idea of fun is on the sick and twisted side. *G* His connection to Samantha is always intriguing and great fic-fodder, but I’d also love to see some behind-the-scenes context. What made him who & what he is? What exactly was he doing all those months in Otis, California before the FBI showed up?

*Sleepy Hollow (characters: Abbie Mills, Jennifer Mills, August Corbin, Ichabod Crane)

One of the things I love about brand-new shows is all the wonderful untapped potential in the characters, and I think we've only begun to scratch the surface of the complicated relationships between the Mills sisters and Sherriff Corbin. I'd love an exploration of the back-story of how the sisters' relationship grew apart and how they feel about being reluctant partners with Ichabod today. I'm getting a definite Sarah Connor-type vibe from Jennie's character, and I'd love a glimpse into the times she trained with Corbin and how he prepared her to get her bad-ass on for the impending Apocalypse.

*A Tangled Web (characters: Nan Penhallow, Gay Penhallow, Roger Penhallow, Noel Gibson)

I’m pretty sure I’m one of the only Nan fans out there – I’d really like to see an exploration of the outspoken, independent city girl who chafed against her traditional rural kinfolk, something that acknowledges her flaws without bashing her character. What was the real reason behind her stormy relationship with Gay? What happened when she broke off her engagement and returned home – were the Margoldsby dollars really better than love? Who is she five or ten years later? I’m open to Nan/Gay slash, het, interactions and relationships of any kind with Roger and Noel, etc.

So, I hope the above has served as a helpful and hopefully anxiety-reducing set of guidelines. Remember, Optional Details are Optional! Feel free to twist them around, stand them on their head, or run with them wherever your muse takes you. Thanks again for creating something so unique and wonderful just for me, and have fun!!

This entry was originally posted at http://empty-marrow.dreamwidth.org/248298.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Pretty Things: David Rakoff Book and Vid

2013-08-05T01:15:27Z

It occurs to me that I haven't posted about any pretty/shiny things that have grabbed my attention for a long time, and I just read a review on David Rakoff's posthumous novel-in-verse "Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish" over here that completely intrigues me - I think it'll be next on my Kindle to-buy list.

Incidentally, I enjoy NPR but I'm not necessarily over-the-moon for every essayist or author featured on their programs, and I'm not a particular fan of poetry. But the thing that clinched this book for me as a must-have was Rakoff's appearance on "This American Life" a couple of months before he died, as seen on YouTube below - accompanying box of tissues not necessary but strongly encouraged:

OUaT fic: somewhere east of Taliesen (can't get there from here)

2013-01-22T04:26:54Z

Title: somewhere east of Taliesen (can't get there from here)

Author: empty_marrow

Rating: R (language, mentions of some violence and sexual situations)

Characters/Pairings: mainly Ruby and Granny; mentions of Ruby/OFC/OMC, Ruby/Billy and Ruby/Whale; appearances by most of the rest of the Storybrooke crowd

Word Count: 9,179

Warnings: spoilers up to and including season 2 episode 9, "Queen of Hearts"

Disclaimer not my characters, I'm just playing in the OUaT sandbox.

Summary: She can still feel the longing of the little girl she never was as she fell in love at first sight with the skyline of a city she never set foot in. Irony, not!Ruby whispers in the back of her brain, can be a real bitch.

Author's Notes: originally written as part of the 2012 ouat_exchange

at AO3 || at LJ

Pimping Post: Profiler_Fans Secret Santa 2012

2012-11-12T04:46:25Z

Just wanted to do a quick pimping post and remind my flisters that the 2012 Profiler Secret Santa exchange is up and running over at profiler_fans - sign-ups close on November 14th and more participation is always a plus. I can say from experience that it's always been a positive, pretty low-stress event, so if you have any fond fannish memories of Samantha and Jack and the VCTF and want to stroll down memory lane again, please consider signing up!

Things are fairly quiet over here at the moment - I suspect I'm like lots of people in post-Election Day hangover mode who're just happy that all of the negative ads are off the air and hoping that both sides can learn to play nicely together so our country might actually accomplish something to help people over the next four years. Closer to home, Maryland passed its referendum in support of same-sex marriage, so yay to my adopted state for leaping into the 21st century! \0/ Otherwise, I'm doing the work/sleep/occasional Internet thing and pondering that the holidays are about to hit us upside the head. 0_o Seriously, wasn't it just October five minutes ago?

Happy Amanda Day! \0/ \0/

2012-05-05T23:49:56Z

I wanted to join the party and wish a happy, healthy and wonderful day to Amanda, aka serialbathera, who's one of the nicest and most generally awesome people to grace LiveJournal. She's also a marvelously patient soul, as she's been waiting for the final part of her fic for the last ten years or so (one, at least).

The Zombie!verse is still plodding along in my Fic Files, Amanda, but I believe I promised you a fanmix for it -- apologies for the crappy artwork, I forgot I hadn't loaded PSP onto this computer. In terms of the music itself, I decided this one needed a kind of Western, "last-man-standing" theme with a mix of old and new tunes.

Happy Day, chica! \0/ Hope you enjoy!

How Everything Goes to ~~Hell~~ MP3 During a Zombie Apocalypse

::1:: Theme from Mean Season : Rench
you can feel the future creeping / and it's not a pretty sight / there's murder in the trenches / you'd better learn to fight

::2:: Prodigal Daughter : Jonatha Brooke
i walked on a wire, i tried every trick that i dared / broke every promise to whoever cared / burned all my bridges like a lamb to the slaughter

::3:: Oceans and Streams : The Black Keys
with guilt that no man should carry / heavy enough for me to get buried / i feel death on the road tonight

::4:: Cadillac Dust : Elliott Brood
cadillac is rollin' down / dust along the road, the sun is dying / there's a dead man in the back

::5:: Feel Alright : Steve Earle
i ask you questions, tell you lies / criticize and sympathize / but be careful what you wish for friend, 'cause i've been to hell and now i'm back again

::6:: Theme from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly : Hugo Montenegro [instrumental]

::7:: Invincible : Pat Benatar
this bloody road remains a mystery / this sudden darkness fills the air / what are we waiting for / won't anybody help us / we can't afford to be innocent

[download here]

Dear Yuletide Author

2010-11-14T14:40:41Z

Dear Yuletide Author:

Welcome to my odd and obscure little corner of the 'Net! If you're sitting there going "holy crap, what did I get myself into?" -- chances are I'm sitting here reading a "DYA" letter and doing the same thing right now. ;) We'll muddle through, I promise!

If it helps, I’m beyond excited and all squeeful that you’re going to create something just for me, and I can pretty much guarantee I’ll love whatever you do. Below are some general points about my likes and dislikes, followed by a more fandom-specific breakdown, but please note that these are guidelines and examples only – if your muse latches onto an idea that isn’t contained here, consider this blanket permission to take your plot and run with it. Half the fun of Yuletide is in the creating process, and I want you to enjoy this too -- who knows, you might turn me onto a whole new ‘ship/plot/crossover idea!

At this time I'm expecting to be home on the 25th and able to hop online fairly early, but if my travel plans change I'll update this letter so you don't wonder why I've gone silent. Rest assured, I'll be reading and excitedly spilling squee all over the place ASAP. *G*

OK, onto the stuff you’re really interested in:

If you want to get a more generalized sense about me or my approach to all things fic- or life-related, feel free to check out my nuts-and-bolts info in this entry, and nancefics for my random fics & scribbles.

As for the (hopefully helpful) detail-oriented stuff….

*my likes: I read and write first/second/third person, past/present tense, “five things”-style ficlets and drabbles, longer plot-driven fics, episode-themed fic, holiday-themed fic, shippy stuff, gen stuff, slashfic, hetfic – so essentially I want you to write in whatever format best fits your personal style and your characters. Again, if my writer enjoys the process, I’ll enjoy the creation! *G*

I love fics that take one-dimensional canon characters and imbue them with complexities – I’d happily read about the villain with a hidden soft spot, or the good guy with a subtle streak of cruelty, or what really happened behind the scenes of a certain episode/chapter/canon interaction. I tend to be fairly “meh” over the handsome prince but pretty intrigued by that hot guy who’s trying to take over the world/thwart the FBI/impress the oblivious princess – although that poor bland prince just might have unexplored/untapped potential that would make him a lot more interesting, so go ahead and try to convince me! I love angst and unconventional endings, but I also adore humor and parody (make me laugh and I’ll fangirl you for life). I’m a sucker for snappy dialogue and pop-culture references. And I love a good crossover, so feel free to combine anything on my fandom list if you’re so inclined, bold, or partaking of the fandom monkey-crack. *G*

I read and write all ratings, from G through NC-17. I’m pretty hard to squick and/or offend, so go ahead and include sex/violence/language as the story demands. If you’re more comfortable writing G or PG fic, that’s fine too.

*my dislikes: I’m not a huge fan of non-con, although I can deal with it if it serves as a necessary plot-point. The only things that really hit my squicks are animal abuse – looking at my fandoms you’ve probably figured out that I have no problem with beating on the human characters for the sake of plot – and mpreg. (Granted, I’m not sure how exactly you’d slip mpreg into any of these fandoms, but I’m not taking any chances! O_0).

*my fandom-specific requests & suggestions:

*A Tangled Web (characters: Nan Penhallow, Gay Penhallow)

I’m pretty sure I’m one of the only Nan fans out there – I’d really like to see an exploration of the outspoken, independent city girl who chafed against her traditional rural kinfolk, something that acknowledges her flaws without bashing her character. What was the real reason behind her stormy relationship with Gay? What happened when she broke off her engagement and returned home – were the Margoldsby dollars really better than love? Who is she five or ten years later? I’m open to Nan/Gay slash, het, additions of other characters like Roger Penhallow and Noel Gibson, etc.

*Point Pleasant (characters: Lucas Boyd, Judy Kramer, Christina Nickson)

To me, the Boyd/Christina/Judy interactions were the best thing about this show. More than any other characters and despite their own flaws and failings, Judy and Boyd were symbolic of everything good, evil, and in-between that Christina could hope to attain, and their tug of war over her affections and loyalties was the linchpin of almost everything she did. I’d love to see this “threesome” explored further, either as an actual ‘shippy threesome (or a couple of twosomes) or just a more in-depth look at the events of “Swimming With Boyd” and their aftermath. For those into future-oriented fic, if Season 2 had existed (I wish!), what would happen if Judy and Boyd found themselves forced to work together to stop/save Christina?

*Profiler (characters: Samantha Waters, Frances Malone, Jack)

*headdesk* I...don't quite remember if I'd requested any other characters, because I am an idiot and forgot to check my sign-up form. I know these three were there, at any rate. >_< Regardless, although I selected specific characters of interest, don't feel obligated to include all of them in a single fic, or to exclude other characters who might contribute to your plot!

Samantha is an intriguing character to me because we get to see her evolve over several seasons, from a vulnerable grieving widow in hiding to a tough professional out to take down a serial killer at any cost. I'd love to see an exploration of how she deals with all of these changes. What does she do when she profiles Jack? What happens to her after she kills Jack and leaves the VCTF? Would anything pull her back into the life of an FBI profiler?

I’m one of about four people I know who likes Frannie Malone, and I think a “relationship” between her and Jack would be a hot, pretty trainwreck of epic proportions. What would happen if they met while she was on the run after shooting her father, and what would the fallout be for both of them? For a more gen/plot-centered fic, what’s going on in Frances’ life during season 4 (since she isn’t onscreen then)? Who is she five or ten years later? What kind of cop/profiler would she make?

Jack is just…all kinds of potential fun. *G* His connection to Samantha is always intriguing and great fic-fodder, but I’d also love to see some behind-the-scenes context. What made him who & what he is? What exactly was he doing all those months in Otis, California before the FBI showed up?

*The Good Wife (characters: Alicia Florrick, Glenn Childs, Eli Gold, Peter Florrick)

*note*: As I'd said in the "Profiler" section above, don't feel obligated to include all of these characters, and feel free to include other characters as your plot requires.

This is my new favorite fandom, despite my coming to it a whole year later than most people. I fell for it primarily due to Alicia and her wonderfully nuanced reactions to all of the various important relationships in her life. Although Peter (for better and for worse) clearly has a hand in everything that happens to her, Glenn and Eli also have a big impact despite a relatively small chunk of screen-time. Glenn in particular intrigues me, because he strikes me as a work in progress - what exactly was his relationship with Peter in the SA's office? Who was he ten years ago and where will he be ten years from now? Is there any situation that would compel him to forge an alliance with Alicia? Bonus points for Glenn/Peter or Glenn/Alicia angsty!hate!sex, because hey, pretty characters and superficial Yuletider here. ;) As for Eli, who exactly is this guy? What drew him to Peter in the first place and how does he see the Florricks? What does he do when he's off the clock?

*re-reads massive paragraphs* OK, stepping away from the keyboard now! I hope the above has served as a helpful and hopefully anxiety-reducing set of guidelines – remember, Optional Details are Optional! Feel free to twist them around, stand them on their head, or run with them wherever your muse takes you. Thanks again for creating something so unique and wonderful just for me, and have fun!!

Helping at help_haiti

2010-01-16T18:23:05Z

I figured I'd throw my ~~hat~~ laptop into the ring and join up with the wonderful people at help_haiti: my offer of fic (1500 word minimum in a variety of fandoms) can be found HERE if anyone's so inclined.

(I'm also very tempted to sign up for a stint with Doctors Without Borders, but I don't think I could keep my mother and in-laws sedated for the entire time period, so fic and donations it is for now.)

Yuletide Reveal!

2010-01-01T23:02:40Z

*cross-posted to nancefics*

Now that I have a name to go with my fabulous yuletide gift, I have to send a special thanks out to tetsubinatu! She wrote Three Times That Hannah Penhallow got the better of Gabrielle Penhallow and One Time that she didn't, a marvelous take on L M Montgomery's "A Tangled Web" and a re-telling of a "frienemy" relationship that takes a rare sympathetic look at the complexities of Hannah "Nan" Penhallow. I really lucked out with a wonderful Yultide Santa!

And in case anyone's interested in Point Pleasant Christina/Boyd fic, my Yuletide gift for m_ravensblood is I Have Not Conquered Everest. Special thanks to sinaddict for reading over my first crappy paragraphs, and m_ravensblood, it will be nice not to have to hide from you and watch what I say/type anymore! ;)

If anyone wants to pimp their own fics or gifts, please comment away - I'd love to read your recs, and I might even find a new fandom or two to obsess over. *G*

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T02:20:11Z

It's half-sleeting tonight and Ian's battling some kind of stomach bug, so I suspect our big sexytimes New Year's Eve celebration is about to degenerate into falling asleep with cats on our head. Clearly I'm beginning to act my age, because that's sounding pretty good right now. ;)

Here's to a happy & healthy 2010 ahead for everyone - stay safe tonight and I hope to see you 'round the 'Net soon! Love you all. *muah*

Merry Christmas, flisters!

2009-12-25T20:55:20Z

It's technically about 30 minutes into Boxing Day over here, but I finally have a chance to send out good wishes to my lovely online buds - hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and here's to a great rest of the weekend and a happy, healthy 2010 ahead!

I'm off to bed for a little bit, but if the AO3 archive ever cooperates I'll post links and squee-age over the wonderful yuletide fic I received. Hope everyone who participated in exchanges enjoyed their gifts!

Dear Yuletide Author...(massive blather & squee within!)

2009-11-05T04:53:57Z

Dear Yuletide Author:

Wow, my condolences for being stuck with such an oddball obscure-fandomy recipient. ;)

If it helps, I’m beyond excited and all squeeful that you’re going to create something just for me, and I can pretty much guarantee I’ll love whatever you do. Below are some general points about my likes and dislikes, followed by a more fandom-specific breakdown, but please note that these are guidelines and examples only – if your Muse latches onto an idea that isn’t contained here, consider this blanket permission to take your plot and run with it. Half the fun of Yuletide is in the creating process, and I want you to enjoy this too -- who knows, you might turn me onto a whole new ‘ship/plot/crossover idea!

And before I forget the most important thing: I’ll be traveling early Christmas morning to meet up with my parents, and my ability to read & comment on your fic will be very much dependent upon the wireless setups in Palm Beach International Airport and/or my final destination at the Giant Florida Retirement Community o’Doom. >_< Chances are I won’t be able to comment until the 28th or 29th, but rest assured I’ll be reading, flailing and squeeing ASAP!

OK, onto the stuff you’re really interested in:

If you want to get a more generalized sense about me or my approach to all things fic- or life-related, feel free to check out my friending info in this entry, and nancefics for my random fics & scribbles. I'm not exactly a big ball of excitement unless you're into things like bladder epithelium, but some of the details might be helpful. ;)

As for the (hopefully helpful) detail-oriented stuff….

*my likes: I read and write first/second/third person, past/present tense, “five things”-style ficlets and drabbles, longer plot-driven fics, episode-themed fic, holiday-themed fic, shippy stuff, gen stuff, slashfic, hetfic – so essentially I want you to write in whatever format best fits your personal style and your characters. Again, if my writer enjoys the process, I’ll enjoy the creation! *G*

I love fics that take one-dimensional canon characters and imbue them with complexities – I’d happily read about the villain with a hidden soft spot, or the good guy with a subtle streak of cruelty, or what really happened behind the scenes of a certain episode/chapter/canon interaction. I tend to be fairly “meh” over the handsome prince but pretty intrigued by that hot guy who’s trying to take over the world/thwart the FBI/impress the oblivious princess – although that poor bland prince just might have unexplored/untapped potential that would make him a lot more interesting, so go ahead and try to convince me! I love angst and unconventional endings, but I also adore humor and parody (make me laugh and I’ll fangirl you for life). I’m a sucker for snappy dialogue and pop-culture references. And I love a good crossover, so feel free to combine anything on my fandom list if you’re so inclined, bold, or partaking of the fandom monkey-crack. *G*

I read and write all ratings, from G through NC-17. I’m pretty hard to squick and/or offend, so go ahead and include sex/violence/language as the story demands. If you’re more comfortable writing G or PG fic, that’s fine too.

*my dislikes: I’m not a huge fan of non-con, although I can deal with it if it serves as a necessary plot-point. The only things that really hit my squicks are animal abuse – looking at my fandoms you’ve probably figured out that I have no problem with beating on the human characters – and mpreg. (Granted, I’m not sure how exactly you’d slip mpreg into any of these fandoms, but I’m not taking any chances! O_0).

*my fandom-specific requests & suggestions:

*A Tangled Web (characters: Nan Penhallow, Gay Penhallow)

I’m pretty sure I’m one of the only Nan fans out there – I’d really like to see an exploration of the outspoken, independent city girl who chafed against her traditional rural kinfolk, something that acknowledges her flaws without bashing her character. What was the real reason behind her stormy relationship with Gay? What happened when she broke off her engagement and returned home – were the Margoldsby dollars really better than love? Who is she five or ten years later? I’m open to Nan/Gay slash, het, additions of other characters like Roger Penhallow and Noel Gibson, etc.

*Point Pleasant (characters: Lucas Boyd, Judy Kramer, Christina Nickson)

To me, the Boyd/Christina/Judy interactions were the best thing about this show. More than any other character and despite their own flaws and failings, Judy and Boyd were symbolic of everything good, evil, and in-between that Christina could hope to attain, and their tug of war over her affections and loyalties was the linchpin of almost everything she did. I’d love to see this “threesome” explored further, either as an actual ‘shippy threesome (or a couple of twosomes) or just a more in-depth look at the events of “Swimming With Boyd” and their aftermath. For those into future-oriented fic, if Season 2 had existed (I wish!), what would happen if Judy and Boyd found themselves forced to work together to stop/save Christina?

*Profiler (characters: Angel Brown, Frances Malone, Jack)

*note* Although I selected three characters of interest, don't feel obligated to include all of them in a single fic, or to exclude other characters who might contribute to your plot!

I’m one of about four people I know who likes Frannie Malone, and I think a “relationship” between her and Jack would be a hot, pretty trainwreck of epic proportions. What would happen if they met while she was on the run after shooting her father, and what would the fallout be for both of them? For a more gen/plot-centered fic, what’s going on in Frances’ life during season 4 (since she isn’t onscreen then)? Who is she five or ten years later? What kind of cop/profiler would she make?

When it comes to Angel I think I’m the only one out there who likes her! I’d love to read about how she deals with the whole locked-in-a-firehouse, stalked-by-a-madman situation. How does her relationship with Chloe evolve into a surrogate motherhood, and what happens to their relationship over the years? What happens to her after Jack is killed?

Jack is just…all kinds of potential fun. *G* His connection to Samantha is always intriguing and great fic-fodder, but I’d also love to see some behind-the-scenes context. What does he think about Angel, and did they ever interact outside of a couple of taunting phone calls? What exactly was he doing all those months in Otis, California before the FBI showed up?

*The Sting (character: Doyle Lonnegan)

Doyle absolutely intrigues me, mainly because he’s a big mess of contradictions. He’s a vicious thug who’s at home on the links of an exclusive country club; he’s uptight, self-involved, and oddly moralistic, yet he systematically gets close to and then destroys several senior mob bosses on his way up the food chain. Who was he ten years ago (when, as Henry says, “he decided to be somebody”)? What happens after the big sting? How does he end his days?

*re-reads massive paragraphs* Wow, logorrhea! I hope the above has served as a helpful and hopefully anxiety-reducing set of guidelines – remember, Optional Details are Optional! Feel free to twist them around, stand them on their head, or run with them wherever your Muse takes you. Thanks again for creating something so unique and wonderful just for me, and have fun!!