Lys

And back again...

2005-08-13T13:00:49Z

So I unexpectedly left with friends a couple of days after I came back and didn't have Internet access, which means I now just came back and have to catch up with everything and everyone after I didn't even have the time to do it ten days ago. A couple of things:

- The CSI Lyrical Challenge is officially over, but since I came back later than I had first planned, I won't have the stories up until Monday, which means anyone who hasn't yet sent their submission has two more days to do it. Those who are done can start posting now if they want to, or wait until all stories will be revealed. I'll make an 'official' announcement on Monday, of course, but before that I want to thanks everyone who participated. You all rock muchly.

- Something went wrong with Crack Van, since I wasn't given posting access, so, *shrug* I sent them an e-mail asking what the problem was, but they haven't answered yet. I don't even know if someone else is posting recs or not, so I guess I'll just post mine here.

- re: Duet: I love love love David Hewlett/Rodney. Love. More to come later, on how much and why I love him so, but yes. Love.

- I've been watching old episodes of Degrassi Junior High, and it saddens me to realize that a lot of the kids were really bad actors. I mean, I remember Can't Live With 'em being sad and powerful and true, and now, save for a couple of scenes, all I can think is that Neil was just extremely bad and awkward as Orphaned!Wheels. OTOH, Joey, I am happy to report, still rocks as much as he did twenty years ago.

And now, I'm off to watch The Little Mermaid, for which I've had a craving since I saw the sea the other day. I haven't yet given up my childhood hope that we will all one day be changed into mermaids, you know. Under the sea...

So how's everyone?

2005-08-01T18:05:34Z

So I got home this morning to find a notification [Bad username: from crack_van] in my inbox reminding me that I signed up for CSI recs God knows how many months ago, and that my turn has finally come.

Damn. Damn damn damn.

I don't have a specific list, I have no idea which stories have already been recced, I have a gigantic pile of feedback to send on recent-ish (read: a couple of months old, or more) stories that I can't very well rec before I send said feedback, and August has already started.

Damn.

To follow, a short description of my trip (read: whining about how my sun allergy started acting up and forced me to use anti-histamines, to which I'm also allergic), possible comments on SG1 and SGA once I get my hands on them, and general catching up. Not before a full 25 hours, though, which is the time I estimate I'll need to go look through the Crack Van memories and compile the list of recs.

Damn

mintgold @ 2005-07-24T14:52:00

2005-07-24T12:52:09Z

So I've packed enough clothes to last me three months, even though I'll be back in seven days. I have about 24 hours of music in CDs, 100 Mb worth of fics and books on my palm (thank God they weigh much less on it than they do on computers), a dozen DVDs and half a dozen of 'real' books, so hopefully I won't die of boredom. And! I found out there's a Casino there (wherever 'there' is), so I know I'll spend at least one night playing Blackjack while drinking whiskey and losing all of my money. Good times in perspective.

Have fun, everyone, and I'll see you next week.

mintgold @ 2005-07-23T16:50:00

2005-07-23T14:50:44Z

Okay. Is this legit? Because I know they tend to downplay those kind of news -- and it's not like they found a permanent cure, after all -- but this is still pretty big, and it's the first time I've heard of it. I did a rapid search on Google news and got nothing, but the website appears to be true, so... *shrug*

New drug blocks HIV from entering cells

- What the hell happened to Rodney's hair? Last week it was all... fluffy, and now it's just. Bad. And wrong. And not as pretty as before.

- The Earth flashbacks were nice, but it would have been better to get a whole episode about it rather than just this, IMO. I understand they want to keep the action up, but they could very well have done half of an episode on Earth -- with everything we saw plus some more bits (Rodney!) -- and the other half on Atlantis with, I don't know, the search for Ford, Zelenka's discoveries, the big, unsupervised party post-victory, maybe? Even making sure all the Wraith inside the city were dead and not sending more intel to the others, if they wanted to include a few fights.

- So last week it was BB aging five years in six months, and now it's Colonel Skinner aging ten years. Seriously, how long has it been since The X-Files ended? It can't be that many years.

- "Erm erm." "What was that?" and "Is he supposed to be naked?" Hee! Asgard guy and people's reactions to him crack me up. Can't we keep him? He could come to Atlantis and replace Peter, right?

- "Air person. Don't be there." Eee! Just for that, Rodney, I forgive you the hair. *loves*

- Poor Carson and his under-qualifications. Though this begs the question: how were the original team members chosen? Rodney is the very best with Carter, and Elizabeth was head of SGC so those two make sense, but if there really are so many doctors more qualified than Beckett, why did he get the job? I understand that he had to be part of the expedition because he was one of the few who had the gene, but surely they didn't have to put him in charge to get him to go? And I realize all of the scientists are probably the best in their respective fields, but what about the "Air force persons" and the, I don't know, cooks, nurses, etc... Though all those "little jobs" are probably done by Air Force guys, I suppose, but even so, how were they chosen? Did they just ask all the people at SGC who had no kids?

- If all the senior staff was gone, who was in charge of Atlantis? I know they probably had no pressing matters with the Wraith gone, but still. Is Bates still there? What was Teyla's role?

- The plot itself wasn't very original, and I wasn't on the edge of my seat wondering how it was going to end, but the McKay/Sheppard stuff more than made up for it. The look they shared when they were wondering why they weren't dead was absolutely priceless, as was the banter in the space-shuttle-thingy. (That certainly has a proper name -- F something or other, right? -- but I can barely remember the Daedalus' name.)

- And talking about the banter, did we ever have any indication that Rodney's claustrophobic, or is it just that he's afraid to run out of air? Because that certainly turns up a lot (here and in The Siege I, at the very least, and I know there are others).

Still haven't watched SG1, but I re-watched Letter From Pegasus, and it led me to think about Sheppard's family, which I always believed from Rising and on that he had none of. So many stories use the 'big fight with parents' background, though, that I was starting to wonder if I'd missed something, but the "Not all of us do" in his message to Sumner's family really indicated to me that he was one of those people. And do we know for certain that his father was in the military? Because I have yet to see one fic in which he isn't, and I can't for the life of me remember when/if that was ever mentioned.

mintgold @ 2005-07-23T01:50:00

2005-07-22T23:50:17Z

*taps fingers rhytmically on the keyboard*

How long until SG1 & SGA air? And how long until the torrents are up?

*goes back to tapping fingers*

And in RL-ish news, I found out today that I apparently agreed at some unknown poiont in time to travel for a week with my mother starting this Sunday morning, and that the place we will stay at ("somewhere up North", apparently) has no TV. Cue panicked reaction, ranting about how we must bring our own tv and a dvd player and please, please, pretty please, let there be Internet access there. But of course there isn't, so I'll be MIA from this Sunday to the one after that, only able to relay on my palm for fics and music. These will be some sad, sad days indeed.

Courtesy of the fact that I can't sleep...

2005-07-21T23:26:05Z

Several people did this back when Moebius first aired, but none of the versions I've seen satisfied me because I want to believe that the team we saw at the end of Moebius is ours, and for that the one we saw at the beginning has to be an alternate version. So here's the diagram:

And here's the the explanation: in black, we have Timeline 1, the one from which all others are diverted. Keep in mind that pre 10000 b.c. Timelines 1, 2, 3 and 4 are all the same, and that, as far as we know, Alt 1 and our timeline (T4) are pretty similar until 2003 (their version of Rising). In 2003 of T1 (their Rising/Before I Sleep), Elizabeth went back in time and thus created T2. Until 2004, T2 is basically the same as our own timeline except for a couple of things (no fishes). But in 2004 (Moebius 1), SG1 goes back to 5000 b.c. and thus creates a new timeline, T3, in which the 'new' SG1 team (Moebius 2) was born. Of course, pre 5000 b.c., T2 and T3 were the same just as T3 and T4 were the same before 4095 b.c.

Then in 2004 of T3, the new SG1 team goes back to around 4095 b.c. and that creates T4, our timeline, in which we and the characters we know were born and live, and in which there are fishes.

So in Alt 1, where presumably everything was the same except that the city didn't rise, the Atlantis expedition died and SG1 lived out, never knowing what happened to them nor going back in time to find the ZPM. Carter's probably remembering McKay while Daniel thanks Jack for not letting him go there, and they're all happily fishing (whether there are fishes there or not, I have no idea). Good for them.

In Alt 2, SG1 mysteriously disappeared. The Atlantis guys probably all died during the Wraith attack, since they had no back-up and no ZPM. Alt 2 sucks. Plus, there are no fishes there.

In Alt 3, Jack, Sam and Teal'c were killed. Daniel lived out his life in Egypt, all alone. Their geeky counterparts were born 7000 years later and went back in time (except for Daniel of course. Damn, but this reality sucks for its Daniels) and there was never any Atlantis expedition. McKay ate lemon and never met John, and there may or may not have been fishes, but who really cares?

In Alt 4, otherwise known as Our Timeline, the T2 Daniel watched his team die, lived alone for a few years, then was joined by a new version of his friends and lived out his life with them. That must have sucked, too. Thankfully, our 'original' team was created and able to fish in peace and send back-up to Atlantis, and everyone lived happily ever after.

To come soon, if I don't manage to sleep: version 2.0 including timelines from 2010 and 1969. Oh, and I probably got the dates wrong: 10000 b.c. was probably 8000 b.c., and I can't remember if it was 5000 b.c. or 3000 b.c., but you get the general idea.

ETA: Version 1.1 including 2010, is up.

So the team from Moebius 2 and Alt 3 actually created Alt 3.1, in which SG1 visited PX-whatever and met the Mean Aliens Who Wanted To Kill All Humans (cut me some slack, it's been years since I saw that episode). And then in 2010 of that timeline, SG1 sent back a message to keep them from going to that planet, thus creating our timeline from then on (before that moment, Alt 3.1 and Alt 4 were the same, the ones we'd followed from Day 1).

There were fishes in T3.1, but no Atlantis expedition, I suppose, since Daniel never died and they never needed to find Atlantis. The Mean Aliens probably won, and everyone died. Yet another reality that sucks.

Edited yet again to add some more stuff about 1969.

1969, though, doesn't make any sense, because in the SG universe, going back to the past immediately creates a new reality, one in which the persons who went back will spend the rest of their lives. Even if they went back again, to a time where their original timeline and the one they'd created were the same, they wouldn't get to live in their original timeline but instead would live in the newly created third one.

So let's say in T1, SG1 went back to 1969. That created T2, in which they met Hammond and he later slipped a note to Jack. In T1, SG1 disappeared and was never heard from again because this Hammond had never wrote that note, never having met them in 1969. So obviously, T1 isn't our timeline.

In T2, SG1 dies because they don't know when to use the gate. 30 years later, Hammond gives the note to Jack, and SG1 goes back in 1969 and creates yet another timeline, T3, in which they'll meet Hammond who will provide the note to Jack from T3, who himself will create T4 and meet its Hammond, etc. But let's stay with T2: they get the note, they create T3, they go from there to 2060 or so (still of T3), then go back again to 2000 of T3.5 or whatever you want to call it (because, remember, new reality every time).

In Back to the Future, I should note, this doesn't work this way, because timelines are created only at certain points, which allowed Doc and Marty to go back to their timeline before it got screwed and stay there. But in SG, there is an infinite number of realities, and a Big Event isn't needed to create a new one.

And so, 1969 can only work if we accept that the reality at the beginning of the episode isn't the same one they come back to at the end -- really, really similar, but the Jack Hammond met back then and the one that he works with for years aren't the same. And, since they go to the future before they come back, one could argue there are realities in which they never come back or that they come back in each one, but that it's yet another new Jack/Team that gets there. I don't know anymore, my brain is too tired to figure it out. And the question remains: why the hell aren't there fishes in all of these realities?

mintgold @ 2005-07-21T00:18:00

2005-07-20T22:18:43Z

New CSI spoilers (scroll down to the end of the page, in the last few paragraphs).

So good news first: no more split team. But does that or does that not include Catherine? Because the only way for it to work (that I can see) is for her to be demoted -- and that would be a big thing, certainly something we'd get to see. So, at least at first, she wouldn't be working with the others, but maybe later on?

And tying with it the bad-ish news (LL/Sofia becoming a regular) and the previous spoiler of a new regular Latino CSI, I'm thinking maybe those two will be in Catherine's team, replacing Nick and Warrick? That way the original team is (almost) back together, we get to see Catherine since her whole team consist of regulars (it wouldn't make any sense to see them as much if they weren't), and they get to have cases both during the day and the night. And, let's not forget, Sofia stays but Grissom and Sara are reunited, which will warm the hearts of the shippers.

mintgold @ 2005-07-20T14:03:00

2005-07-20T12:03:33Z

I've finally gotten around to watching SG1, and my feelings are mixed. On one hand, I can't say I disliked it -- it had some funny moments, the introductions of the new guys was very smooth, the premise was interesting, etc.

But on the other hand, it felt like I was a long-time TNG fan watching DS9 in hope to catch some O'Brien and Worf scenes. Of the remaining cast members, only Teal'c and Daniel were really present, and we had two completely new ones and one not-completely-new, but still not original and very present one. It was a little too much, you know?

- How much did I love that we got to see Jack once more? About as much as I hated the fact that, in both of his scenes, he was alone/with new characters. Couldn't they at least have all shot the one with BB together?

- Damn, Ben Browder aged five years in a few months. Still v. v. pretty, but wow. I liked him, but I'd like to see more of him with both Daniel and Sam before I pass final judgment. Still, very nice that they had him hero-worshiping the team and running around to get them together.

- Talking about that, I know I'm a Fab Four fan and have always been in for the team, but damn, they all went their separate ways? *sniffle* The end of an ERA! Couldn't they work without Jack and, y'know, spend the week-ends and the holidays at his place? All together?

- Still, am almost saddened that BB and Vala came in, because how great would it have been for Daniel to go to Atlantis -- both for him and us? And that got me wondering: you think MS will head over there once SG1 is truly over? If this RDA-less season works -- and there's no apparent reason to think it won't -- and considering that TPTB have said that they've already planned a cliffhanger for the end of the season (which thus mean they don't want it to end at the end of this year), then it could very well go into season 10. If it ends there, or even later, it'll be season 4 or more for SGA and grand time for new blood, so that would probably fit. Me likey this idea.

- Beau Bridges won me over during his first ten seconds on screen, but there was never any doubt about the man. *loves*

- Vala is fun, but -- six episodes? Isn't that a little too much? And does that mean the Avalon-quest will last that long, or will she stick around afterward, or is that only 2/3 now and the rest later in the season? Otherwise, yeah: baby, her and BB, dominatrix attire, pretty much everything with Daniel -- lots of fun, as everyone else already pointed out numerous times.

- So shoot me, I like the beard. It's a New Era Daniel, you know? That said, his only look I didn't like was the one in Out of Mind/Into the Fire, when he had that stupid hair. Otherwise, the man is too pretty to be ugly.

I'm waiting until the next episode to pass real judgment on Daniel, Teal'c and Sam (she probably won't reappear in this one either, though), but as of now I like what we've seen of them. I just want more Original Team interaction, as fun as was the Vala/Daniel and the Mitchell/Teal'c stuff -- did we even have one Daniel/Teal'c scene? I know their goal right now is to introduce the new guys, but can't we just agree that they fit in and have all of them interact?

I realized yesterday while reading a new SGA fic that it's been weeks since I've read anything anyone on my flist wrote -- stories, you realize, not entries (though I haven't been checking as much this week as I usually do, and almost not commenting at all). And I don't know why that it, exactly, but I suspect I have a harder time getting into a story when I 'know' the author, because I keep thinking about the fact that I'll have to say something if I read the story, and what if I don't like it, or what if I can't find something suitable to say, or if I forget to feedback for whatever reason? And I get nervous, and I analyze each sentence carefully, and then it's not much fun anymore, you know? Clearly that's a problem, in no small part because a lot of talented people are on my flist and I want to read good fics, damnit, but there you go.

And now, off to watch the third season of 24. Why did I stop watching after the second season, again? This show rocks.

mintgold @ 2005-07-18T03:45:00

2005-07-18T01:45:44Z

1. Am already incredibly bored with all things HP. Yeah, that didn't last long.

2. The word 'I' bores me greatly tonight. Shall try not to use it in this entry.

3. Have spent the whole afternoon painting my heater in bright yellow. Result is pleasing, but activity itself was a bitch. Have only put six drops of yellow on the white walls, though, and none on the floor, so this is considered a success. We will ignore the stained cushion which really was kind of ugly, anyway.

4. SGA from torrentspy.com isn't one nice avi file but lots of little files, which annoys me greatly. Have no idea what I should download to make them work (probably WinRar, right?), and am too tired to try and find out. Hear McKay is still as wonderful and McShep still as slashy, so that'll suffice for now.

5. Am getting SG1, because people are all omg so GOOD!, but reserve the judgment to hate this new and improved version of ~~SG1.2~~ SG1.4 -- forgot about the whole ascended thing and Parker Lewis, there.

6. Yeah, 'I' is kind of useful, isn't it?

7. Caught an episode of QAF US tonight, and realized that my hatred for this show was absolutely not as necessary as I previously thought it was. The UK version was a beautiful, beautiful thing, but this isn't bad, it's just soapy porn, isn't it? And fun porn, too. The only really good looking one is Brian, but Justin isn't too awful to look at either, and though I absolutely do not care for the other characters, the two of them will probably be enough to make me keep catching the reruns.

8, 9, 10... Many, many other things, about my love for Quantum Leap, and the way my genderswitch-CSI fic is just completely stuck and driving me insane, and how I keep dreaming about my teeth falling off and spending my days clutching at my jaw but too scared to go to the dentist, and the unwashable yellow paint I have all over my body and face that's keeping me from going out and other such things, but the night is more than half gone already, and I need to get some sleep.

Oh, but before that, meme-time. 'Twill be short, as the only fictional character I could fall in love with would be Rodney McKay. Our meeting would be wonderful: he'd yell at me, I'd cower, then I would dye my hair blonde and come back to yell at him. We would spend our days drinking coffee and eating chocolate while talking about numerous theories -- he would, of course, think me stupid, but as I passed the Mensa test he would probably tolerate me. We would have wild sex in his lab, then he would scurry off to write some equations -- still naked and all genius-y and hothothot, and I would jump him again. The perfect love story, really. I'd even let Sheppard join us from time to time.

Yeah, be glad I have hatred of Mary-Sues.

mintgold @ 2005-07-17T01:26:00

2005-07-16T23:26:10Z

Took me six hours, but I've finally finished the damn book.

First thing first: I spent the whole time wishing for Draco to die but, hey, better luck next time, right?

So, yeah, I liked it. I didn't expect to -- I positively loathed OotP and only ever really enjoyed GoB -- but this was more than fine. Too long in some places, of course, particularly everything that took place before Hogwarts (as it always is save for in GoB) and in Dumbledore's private lessons, but it was really nothing compared to OotP. And we learned stuff, a lot of stuff, and Harry wasn't the sniveling little bitch he was in the last book or the naive boy he was in the ones before, so that made it a lot easier to read.

The only thing I didn't like and would really give anything to make disappear is the part were Draco lowered his wand. I'm in the minority, here, but I just can't stand that character, can't stand the hundreds of 'Draco turns good!' stories and I just really, really wanted for him to be 100% BAD, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. And even if that couldn't happen, I at least wish Harry hadn't thought about it later on and reminded anyone that poor Draco could be good and doing all of this just to avoid dying and was now suffering and blah blah blah. Which, yes, is very true -- but I just can't stand most villains and almost-villains in these books. (Believe me, that came as a surprise to me, too).

Apart from that, I was pleasantly surprised -- especially by the Harry/Ginny stuff, which got me to groan in disbelief a few times, but found rather funny later on. The fact that they broke up and that there was really little of the actual relationship helped, of course, but it wasn't as boring as the Cho thing, and though I still don't like Ginny, it didn't make me nauseous like most Ginny/Harry fics do. The Ron/Hermione stuff (including the Ron/Lavender affair, which, squee!), I of course loved. Yes, I know, again in the minority but, squee!

And of course, as pleased as I was by that, I was even more so by the fact that Snape turned out to be bad. And, as Dumbledore bored me to death, I am especially ecstatic that we found this out for certain when he killed the old man. Sweet, sweet justification. (I didn't, however, guess that he was the HBP. Naive me, I thought it was Voldemort and didn't think more about it, too busy trying to get to the end and see if/who had died).

Mostly, though, mostly I'm in love with the whole Horcruxes idea and the prospect of the final book. Usually the last ten or fifteen pages bring nothing but filler, and this time I was more elated with each one -- from the break-up to Harry announcing that he wasn't going to come back to school to Ron and Hermione standing there with him and declaring that they would follow him -- *happy sigh* I've never been truly excited by HP before, just read it to not feel left out, but this last book, this one I think I'll get at midnight.

Seriously, I'm sure a lot of people will hate this book because of Draco, of Snape, even of Lupin and Tonks (and oh, but how I laughed, remembering the Tonks As Sirius fics and awaiting the reactions of S/R fans) or Dumbledore, but for me, the simple fan who only reads the books and wants to see Voldemort die and Harry, Ron and Hermione live and be happy? This is the best that I could hope to get. And it makes me want to hunt down Trio-threesome fics.

And a last note: we all agree that OotP didn't serve any purpose, then, right? The Prophecy doesn't matter, the order itself doesn't matter much, the Cho kiss has been forgotten and -- well, that's pretty much everything that happened, isn't it? Save for killing Sirius and making Harry and millions of fans desperate, of course. So let's just all forget it ever happened, then. I know I almost already did, and it'll save us a lot of Sirius angst.

And I'm an awful fan, but SGA will have to wait until tomorrow. Avoiding flist until then because I don't want to be spoiled for that either.

Be still my heart...

2005-07-15T20:41:56Z

So it was a tie between re-reading Order of the Phoenix and re-watching the second half of the first season of SGA in preparation of new canon for my shiny fandoms and, unsurprisingly, Rodney beat out Harry. And really, until the Boy Wonder grows a spine, gains some IQ points and stops boring us to death with his mortal-enemy-blah-blah-blah-dead-parents-blah-blah-whatever, there's no way he'll win that battle.

That said, I'll be heading out in eleven hours to buy the damn book, because I want to make sure Rowling didn't get any funny idea and decided to kill either Ron or Hermione before they could get together and live happily ever after, because ohmyGod first almost-canon het ship since Sleeping Beauty eeeee!!!!!!!!!!

In less fannish news, the gin-induced headache of Tuesday evening is still here, and I had the (seemingly at the time) excellent idea to only eat fried cheese for dinner. A lot of fried cheese. And if you were planning to do that one of these days? Yeah, opt for potatoes instead.

Note to Self:

2005-07-13T21:18:21Z

Gin = V. Bad

Man, why did no-one warn me that the stuff tasted like crap and would give me the hangover from hell? Bleh + Ouch. Definitely sticking to whisky from now on.

Am v. v. ded right now, and I have weird sort-of-flashbacks in which I can see myself declaring to my friends my love for all things Verlaine & Rimbeau and their love story while eating orange juice-coated cheese and jam and reading poetry upside down, and then -- and this is the scary part -- agreeing to go to the swimming pool tomorrow which, eek! so I shall go and get some sleep to forget all of this.

But before that, here's a CSI Lyrical Twin Challenge announcement, by yours truly: I've sent out all of the lyrics, so if you signed up and haven't received them yet, comment here to let me know.

And now I go die some more.

mintgold @ 2005-07-12T14:25:00

2005-07-12T12:25:05Z

The OC is coming back early this year -- link to Kristin's chat on Eonline, contains spoilers for The OC and other shows. If you only want the good news without being spoiled, then you just need to know that it's coming back before baseball season on *August 29*. That means we'll probably have to suffer through a gigantic hiatus after that, but man, less than two months to wait? I'm in Heaven! Except I'm a moron, and it's a another show premiering that night. No date set for The OC, but at least it's definietly coming back early, hopefully by mid-September or so.

I was hit by a plot bunny in the middle of last night, for SGA -- and it seemed so good and all very obvious, but when I woke up this morning and remembered it, it suddenly became even more obvious that this should be a SG1 story and not an Atlantis one. And now, I'm sitting here and trying to think of further details, and it's Nick and Gil & Co. coming to mind instead of Jack, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c. I didn't think it could work at first because the main plot requires supernatural/alien things to happen, but I think I've figured out a way to make all of it happen in the normal world, and I just don't know anymore. I may very well end up writing the three versions just to avoid making a choice.

mintgold @ 2005-07-11T15:35:00

2005-07-11T13:35:15Z

I'm watching a TV movie (with tragic! infant! death!) starring a young Christopher Meloni who's sporting, would you believe it, hair! It's all spiky and covers almost all of his head, and it makes him look so very un-Keller. I suspect he's the one who killed the baby, though, because the poor wife is so obviously innocent and wrongly accused, and so he could end up in jail, having to bunk with, hmm, Chris Thormann, maybe? Who was obviously the one to kill Ryland instead of Tim.

Cue Grand Love Story of Oz: the Remix. Voiced over by Michael, one of the famous plane crash survivors who, upon being rescued, admitted to the murder of a certain "Locke".

Ahh, the joys of crossover (prison) love. Makes me want to request a new Sim, prison game just to play it all out.

Ficathon fic: Essence -- NCIS -- Tony, Gibbs/Tony

2005-07-11T11:52:14Z

Title: Essence
Fandom: NCIS
Rating: light R

Many thanks to the wonderful pinn2480 for making this much better than it originally was, and even agreeing to work on the last version in the middle of last night -- though I certainly hope it was only 'late evening' for her. All remaining mistakes are of course mine.

The rest of the notes, including the quotes used, can be found at the end, but for now, on with the story.

Essence

Tony can't quite remember the first time he tasted blood. He has a memory, a vision of himself at age three or four or five, running or stepping down stairs and falling, biting his lip, cutting through the superficial skin and feeling that bitter, almost acid flavor on his tongue. All of these versions had probably happened at one point or another, but he has no way of arranging the memories into some semblance of chronological order and so he'll never know.

He'd thought it should matter, once, but he's long learned that it doesn't. There have been countless other times since, all blurring into one another but for the end: that same undistinguishable slight shock as the realization of what he's tasting hits him, followed by the physical reflex of sucking until the wound has nothing left to offer. He can recall a blinding flash of light, the lack of a gunshot and an electric current shooting through him, but the causes are never as important as the consequences.

***

1. Nescience

His mother's blood looks alien and dark, too dark, almost black. The intensity of it shocks him and he can't understand why she's so pale when her blood is so dark; shouldn't it be giving her color? But of course it isn't, he realizes, because it's not in her body anymore. It's gone, probably all of it, because it's stopped leaking a lifetime ago and her heart would keep the flow going if there was any left.

He can sense the logic flaw in there somewhere without needing Mrs. Thompson to point it out for him, but he's too tired to look for it. "Anthony," she's saying, "look for it Anthony, it's right here in front of you," but he's not in algebra class right now, he doesn't have to listen to her. She shouldn't be here, anyway: only two people can fit comfortably in the front seats and if she stays there she's going to hurt his mom, bump into her leg or hit her with her elbow or something. He'll kill her if she does, and he doesn't even care that she hears him think it -- he's just had a car accident, his head hurts, and his mom has some kind of blood disease that turned it all black. It has to be hurting her, too, and Mrs. Thompson should really go warn someone instead of sitting there frowning at him. He's really tired, and he can't do it himself.

He leans his head back on the car seat and blinks, and when he re-opens his eyes she's gone and the sky is suddenly much darker. Probably because of the blood shading it, he muses, and that's really worrying because what if the blood starts shading the sun, too? That would really suck. His parents would never allow him to go out as much if it was always dark, and he'd never get to spy on Missy McArthur sunbathing naked in her garden again, and his mom's skin would stay white and it would make her really angry, even more so than she'd been earlier.

Maybe they could get rid of the dark blood? They'd have to find normal blood to fill his mom up, but he wouldn't want to give her the sick blood back, anyway, and that way things could go back to normal. Yeah, that would probably work. He'd have to explain it to the paramedics when they got there -- and damn, how long ago had Mrs. Thompson left to warn them? Everything seemed to happen very slowly around him, and even his thoughts don't have their usual flow, but shouldn't they be there already? He had a history paper that he had to finish for tomorrow and he was supposed to meet Chip and Mike later, and his dad would never let him go out if he was late for dinner or didn't have his homework finished.

The sun, though. Maybe Mrs. Thompson had gotten lost in the dark? Or maybe the blood had swallowed up all of the lights and the ambulance couldn't get there? He should do something, find them and guide them or something -- his mom still hadn't woken up and the lack of blood was probably hurting her even more than the dark blood had. But if the paramedics and the doctors couldn't find them with all of their diplomas, how could he ever hope to find the way himself? He hadn't even finished high school; there was no way he wouldn't get lost.

"Think, Anthony, think," Mrs. Thompson was saying again, and he really wanted to hit her now, or yell at her or do something, because what did she think he was doing, here? Not like he could spy on Mark Jenkins, what with the little geek sitting all the way in the back of the trunk, and he really wanted to cry because it wasn't fair, damn it! He'd never hurt the guy, had even paid him instead of simply threatening him like everyone else when he'd needed help for his English papers. The least he could do now would be to give Tony a hint, something to get Mrs. Thompson off his case.

Mark's lips were twitching, though, he could see that now, but no sound came out of them until they'd been closed for several minutes, and then the whispered "blood" echoed loudly in Tony's and of course. No wonder the guy was heading to Harvard early, he was a genius: all Tony needed to do was wash off the blood by himself, and the lights would come back and help would get there. It was so obvious he started laughing, a full booming laugh that had him clutching at his head to keep it from falling off. He didn't even notice Mark and Mrs Thompson and his father all laughing too before he calmed down enough to take his hands away, and then the unfamiliar sight of their faces deformed by their smiles got him going again.

Haphazardly, he grabbed the jacket he'd thrown on the floor when he'd gotten into the car and started sweeping up the blood that had gathered next to it, his arm still shaking from the leftovers of the laugh. Next to him, his dad was giving him a thumbs up and Mrs. Thompson was smiling her approving smile, and his own threatened to burst his face in two. The jacket wasn't really absorbing the blood anymore, too full of it already, letting it leak onto his fingers and down his arms to his elbows instead. But he kept working, washing up the part of the wheel where his mother's head wasn't resting, careful not to get any on her.

His dad was taking up a lot of place, though, and he kept moving around and shaking Tony's arm until the jacket swiped her right cheek, leaving a trail behind it and God, his mom would be really mad, now, even more than she'd been when she'd picked him up from detention. He had to get it off of her before she saw it, before it dried off and left a permanent imprint on her face. But he couldn't just stop cleaning up the blood, could he? No-one would ever be able find them, if he did.

He started going faster, frantic to finish and not paying attention to his dad anymore, accidentally bumping into his glass of Scotch but not even minding. His whole world consisted only of the jacket and the blood and the stain on his mother's cheek and he didn't even notice the man talking to him through the broken window until he saw the light. Small and round and when he turned around, the yellow-white glow of it made him blink and look at the windscreen instead, and that was when he saw the other lights.

He sighed in relief. Artificial, but that meant he'd done enough for now; they'd have to take care of the sun themselves. He dropped the jacket just as he heard a loud noise and turned his head to his left to see two men trying to break open the driver's door. The first man, the one to the right of Tony, was still talking to him but the words made no sense to him, drowned out by the never-ending repetition of Mark's whisper. He stuck his thumb into his mouth, sucking and licking it clean but careful to spit out the dark blood when he was done and, leaning over, he touched it to the end of the trail and carefully washed his mother's face clean.

She opened her eyes, then, and smiled at him, extending a bluish hand to stroke his hair off of his own bloody forehead. He smiled back, pride and accomplishment lightening his head, and he closed his eyes, confident that she would take care of everything else for him.

***

2. Cognizance

Jeffrey's blood is thick where Tony's is thin. Rougher, and it doesn't ooze out from his throat like Tony's does from his hands. It should be the other way around, Tony knows: his blood filled with fries and hamburgers and too much cholesterol, and Jeffrey's slippery with false weakness and health. It's all wrong and it makes the situation seem even worse than it already is.

There are shallow cuts at the tips of Tony's fingers, trailing down to his left palm and across the deeper, more serious cut there that's already swelled up and ugly, and blood's leaking everywhere. He lets the gun fall from his right and listens to the muted thud it makes as it lands on the passenger's seat, then brings both hands up to his face to examine the damage --

(Jeffrey)

-- the knife caused. The same straight line runs through both of them, following the beginnings of his lifelines and abruptly cutting through them beneath his middle fingers. There's either irony or justice in that, Tony thinks, and he bites back a snicker that he knows both Kate and Gibbs would take as a reason to temporarily question his sanity. Murderer and victim, killer and innocent, and whichever way it goes --

(rule number 0.5)

-- you never laugh after you've taken a life away

***

3. Wisdom

There are things Tony does in his line of work he never expected he'd have to do. Aiming to kill someone. Inform clueless parents of their child's death.

Washing off a friend's blood.

There are only three spots on the left side of his face: two on his forehead, barely an inch apart, and one on his cheek, flirting with his smile-wrinkle. He'd find that ironic if he took the time to think about it, but he's too busy trying to count for that; not that easy a thing to do as it would seem, counting droplets of blood. Numbers aren't the actual problem, of course; he's had them down for almost thirty years, and they dance in his head to the sound of a waltz: one two three, uno dos tres, un deux trois�

But blood leaks, and try as he might to number each of them, palming the smooth surface of the mirror and mentally checking them off one at a time, they insist on running around and forming new, bigger blotches. Just like rain on car windows, he thinks. You could try and try to follow one of them from top to bottom but it would inevitably meet others on its path and melt with them, again and again until you were left to wonder how some of them could stay stranded.

It's the same, really, except instead of water it's Kate's blood, and there's no car nor its windows, only a hospital bathroom and Tony's face in the mirror. And instead of rain splattering on the car roof, he hears Abby's screams and Ducky's muffled sobs and Gibbs' silence shutting out everything else, even McGee's imagined cry of pain as a bullet tore through his flesh.

Kate doesn't make any sound. Her body lies alone, stored away in a drawer, cold and unmoving. Tony doesn't know if her soul is with any God right now, if it's floating around somewhere or if it never existed in the first place, but what he knows is that it's not here anymore. It may very well be conversing with McGee's comatose one, but it's not accessible to those for whom it matters anymore; Abby, her parents, him.

He feels a sudden flash of understanding for the people refusing to wash a loved one's scent off their clothes, for those clutching desperately at cremated remains. The only piece of Kate he has left is smudged on his skin, and he wants to use it as ink and permanently mark his face, needs to inject it in his veins to make it merge with him. He watches with distant fascination as his tongue comes out, vainly trying to lick whatever it can but not managing to catch anything. What splattered his mouth is long gone, washed away during one of the several times he's thrown up in the previous hours.

The door on his left opens just as he moves his hand from his mirrored brow to the lone spot on his cheek's reflection, the sweat on his palm letting it glide with barely a whistle. Gibbs' steps are clipped and measured as he approaches the sink, and Tony doesn't even have to move his eyes away, recognizing the man from them alone.

"DiNozzo. We've been looking all over for you."

Uno, duo, trio, he singsongs to himself, and wonders if in another language, different "we"s are used depending on the number of people involved. "I was right here."

He feels Gibbs' eyes on him, staring at him with an intensity that rivals his own. Forcibly tearing his eyes off his reflection, he turns his head just in time to catch Gibbs' barely perceptible nod and his lips part, "McGee's out of surgery."

He should probably nod or do something, but Gibbs' eyes have become agitated now that Tony's facing him, moving back and forth from one side of his face to another and never settling, and the idea that he could force Gibbs to drop his gaze obscures any other thought, makes him nauseous in a way he hasn't yet been today. So he turns back to face the mirror, hiding away most of his temporary scars and resuming his contemplation.

"I'll be right there," he answers the unvoiced question, and watches in wonder as his lips move and deform his mask, rendering it alive. Gibbs turns back to the door and in the resounding clickety noise of high heels shutting out everything else, Tony silently words 'eins, zwei' and brings his hand away from the mirror. He watches himself smile and deform the third spot, and roughly wipes it off.

'Drei'.

***

4. Salvation

The funeral had held in Boston, in a small cemetery overlooking the bay. The small alleys had been filled with gravel and boarded with grey rocks, contrasting with the fresh grass and the groves of flowers. There had been ancient benches placed under age-old trees, and the spring sun had been shining through the leaves, whitening the greyish paint on the benches and giving a sense of out of time-ness reinforced by the 19th century's structure of most of the graves.

Tony had hated it.

It had been so pretty and perfect; so filled with good intentions and hope and love and things that had nothing at all to do with death. Death was supposed to be pain, to be loss and endings and hatred and guilt, and he'd wanted to step out of the group and shout it, make all of these so well- meaning people understand that she was dead. She was never coming back, never going to laugh or eat or shop or have a date, it was all over. He'd wanted to physically shake them, just grab their shoulders and do it; he'd felt the need in his body, the rage mounting in his throat and expending throughout his body until it had reached even the tip of his fingers: they'd started twitching, madly trying to find release.

And then Gibbs gripped them.

Gripped, not held, and only his fingers; his hand had had nothing to do with it. He'd turned his head, sought out Gibbs's eyes, but the other man had been staring upfront at the priest, not thinking or acting like anything was out of place. So Tony had gone along with it, had thought 'Kate' and then forced his mind to stay focused on the scene in front of him. And somehow, through the prayers and the committal of the body, through the ride back to their motel and the greasy dinner McGee had bought at a fast-food on the way, the grip had seemed to remain.

It probably hadn't, he realized, but he couldn't remember a second when he hadn't felt the pressure, the heat punctuated only by the cool scrap of Gibbs' watch bracelet on the back of his hand. It had kept on until now, when they were lying against each other, barely touching but for their fingers and their arms, extended out of the way over the pillow.

The heat was just as strong all over them, though, radiating from their legs to their mouths, their lips parted and barely an inch apart. They were breathing each other's air, breathing into each other, and the sudden thought that they were the only ones left of their team who still had that chance was the right incentive. Tony crossed the space between them, brought his head forward and suddenly they were touching and then kissing, messily and with teeth clinging and tongues soothing and Tony thought this was close to Heaven as he'd ever get. He wasn't even aware of the rest of his body until he heard the rustle of sheets and realized that they were rubbing against each other, and only then did he feel the pleasure spike through him, only intensifying the electricity he could feel their kiss generate.

His heart began to thrum loudly and his hips sped up accordingly, and he knew that he was close. He tried to open his mouth wider, to swallow up Gibbs' but it never seemed to be just enough, always just out of reach and he settled for trying to melt them together, interlacing their tongues as far as their teeth would allow. He couldn't even get enough air in anymore, but it didn't matter. He only wanted completion, wanted to feel the connection and the rightness and the bliss. He felt Gibbs moan against his lips and a rush of heat on his thighs and teeth closing in, biting and slicing and flashes of goodyeslifepleasurehotwhitestrong made any intellectual thought disappear, and his fingers disentangled as he let go and came.

He was vaguely aware of the weight lifting from the mattress and the heat leaving him, but an instant later it was back and he opened his eyes to see Gibbs carrying two washcloths. He handed one to Tony, who nodded in thanks and wiped himself clean, then gave it back as Gibbs once again got up and left. But instead of going back to the bathroom, he put them on the night table and sat on the edge of the second bed.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Don't you think you'd sleep better over here?" Gibbs asked as Tony made no movement to follow him, and damn the man, but his eyes and his tone never betrayed a single thing. He was right, though, so Tony abandoned the wet and sticky sheets and sat down next to him.

It should be awkward, he knew, there should be unsaid words and impossible situations hanging between them and rendering the atmosphere un-breathable, but somehow it wasn't. Instead, there was their thighs touching and their skin tingling with leftover intensity, calmed and under control. Gibbs brought a finger to the corner of Tony's mouth and whispered "I'm sorry."

Tony blinked exhaustion from his eyes, "Why?"

Gibbs silenced the word halfway through with his finger, tracing the lips then the tongue, and when he held it up to Tony's eyes, it shone under the light of the motel's red neon sign. Except the 'No Vacancy' sign reflected white on the headboard, he realized, and then he knew, could recognize that it wasn't a pearl of saliva that Gibbs was showing him but blood.

"It's all right," he started to whisper, but the tingling he'd felt up to that point materialized into pain halway through the words, so he took the presented finger and the others in his fist and laid down, using his grip to lead Gibbs to him. The neon sign flickered through the window, bringing and taking awaydarkness with it, and Tony knew it was.

Notes: I used both of these quotes:

"Don't throw yourself like that in front of me ". (Damien Rice)

There is none who cannot teach somebody something, and there is none
so excellent that he cannot be excelled.
- Baltasar Gracian

Feel free to ask just how those transformed into the story above, but since the explanation is likely to be long and rambling, I'll hold on to it until someone specifically asks me to write it down.

For those who may be interested, I wrote this while listening to Wild World by Cat Stevens, California Dreamin' by The Mamas & Papas, Never Be The Same Again by Melanie C., Tomorrow Never Dies by Sheryl Crow, Jealous by Sinead O'Connor, What if God was one of us by Joan Osborne and Kiss From a Rose by Seal.

mintgold @ 2005-07-10T18:02:00

2005-07-10T16:02:23Z

Gacked from forcryinoutloud:

Why not take this opportunity to tell me a little something about yourself. Any old thing at all. Just so the next time I see your name on my flist I can say: "Ah, there's so and so...she/he wears mismatched socks." I'd love it if every single person who friended me would do this. Yes, even you people who I know really well. Then post this in your own journal.

Music dumpage

Here are the songs I listened to while writing my NCIS ficathon assignment -- and seriously, this should be its own meme, because I'm curious. You should each post the songs you've listened to while writing your last story, or at least tell us what they were. And if you write in silence, tell us why: is it because the music sets a mood and you want to be free to write outside of it, or because you can't concentrate properly, etc?

Wild World by Cat Stevens

California Dreamin' by The Mamas & Papas

Never Be The Same Again by Melanie C. (God only knows why I have a song from an Ex-Spice on my HD)

Tomorrow Never Dies by Sheryl Crow

Jealous by Sinead O'Connor -- link from last week, let me know if it's not active anymore

What if God was one of us by Joan Osborne

Kiss From a Rose by Seal

CSI Sims question: should I make everyone live together in a giant mansion, or should I give them their own places but give them all law enforcement jobs? Because I'm afraid my Nick will fall into a severe depression and my Greg will put his hair on fire if I leave them unsupervised. But at least they're all adults -- I've given up on trying to play OC Sims because teenagers are just not manageable, and without Sandy, Kirsten and Julie, it would never have been as fun.

And talking about CSI: you have until tonight to sign up for the CSI Lyrical Twin Challenge, so go on and do it now!

GIP

2005-07-04T18:49:16Z

From the promo pictures of the episodes every SGA fan is madly waiting for, Duet. Not the kiss one would have hoped for, of course, but only a few more weeks left to see that one. (Just scroll down to the end of the page if you can't stand to wait that long to know who will be kissing whom. *bounces*).

MTV insist on airing the video of Ass Like That every ten minutes, and I intensely dislike that song. I just -- no no no. Each time I hear it I think I'll find it better the next time, but it's just too bad. The video and the chorus and just, blergh. Who knew the day would come when I wouldn't like something of Eminem? *sigh* Ohh, Incomplete is on. Much better.

Anyway, I'm looking for a website host to hold both my personal site and the CSI Lyrical Twin Challenge stories (Go! Sign up!). Something free, preferably, and mostly just allowing adult material and with no ads. I don't need much storage space or bandwidth (it's only for my stories, recs, maybe icons and a few odds and ends), nor even email accounts and the like, but it'd be nice if it supported FTP use and, most of all, if it was reliable. I don't want the sites to randomly disappear or work only two weeks out of a month.

So, any of you have recs or links of places to look?

And speaking of recs:

The Abomination by Paul Golding.

"The tale of a young boy living a gay childhood" seems to be the most common descriptive when it comes to this book, but this is so much more than that. Yes, Santiago -- the young boy in question -- is gay, but his story isn't only about his sexuality. It's about a boy growing up alone away from his country and uncaring family and surrounded by so called peers who delight in abusing him, of first love, of the contrast of two countries and two lives. It's been a while since I read it, but mostly I remember loving the prose -- where many reviewers seemed to disliked it, I was just in awe of it, of the flow and the richness. His memories, the recounting of his childhood and of his teenage years is certainly the best part, but the inkling we get of his adult life is not without interest, either.

No excerpt because I can't manage to get my hands on it, but go pick it up in a library and see for yourself. (Fannish recs shall make their return one day, as soon as I get off my ass and organize them. So, yeah, someday soon-ish.)

Yet another GIP

2005-07-03T18:58:04Z

Which, you know, I have to use as a GIP because it's not like I'm going to use it a lot, or at least not here.

Only one part left on my NCIS ficathon story, and then it's off to the betas. I have no idea whether it'll be the easiest one to write, as I know exactly what's going to happen in it instead of only having a vague idea, or the hardest one, both because of its content (sex, people, sex!) and because I'll have to write the things I have planned, instead of just making it up as I go.

So do you lot usually find it easier to plan things beforehand, or do you just do a vague outline, or even nothing at all? Or does that depend on the type of story you're writing (size, challenge, etc.)? What about when you're doing an improv and have to use certain words: do you plan the sentences, too? I'm curious as to others' writing processes.

And here, have Come on Eileen, because it's been stuck in my head since I caught it on VH1 Classics last night, and Jealous, for no other reason than the fact that I love it.

ETA your daily reminder to go sign up for the CSI Lyrical Twin Challenge. We'll have even more fun with you

GIP and a drabble

2005-07-02T01:45:21Z

This was supposed to be part of something longer, but it doesn't fit with the rest anymore. I was going to write Gil's POV -- still am, in fact -- but it's late and I need sleep and it's only a drabble, so it'll have to wait tomorrow. Not cutting because it's too short to, Nick/Gil drabble post GD.

Panacea

His hands are a whisper on your skin, his words a soothing promise in your ears. You don't know how long you waited for him to notice you, for him to come to you and blow whispered poetry in your mouth. Time has lost its meaning and memories flutter in your mind, melting away as they blend in with dreams and thoughts.

Knowledge you remember, memories you know, and you shatter and scatter away and welcome them back, a never ending wave engulfing you and leaving you wide open. You tire of it, long for peace and quietness of mind that you never quite achieve, so close but always out of reach as the raisins of Tantalus that your mother hummed to you about when you were a child, quiet and measured and meant to reassure and lull. But eternity and its concept cast shadows in your mind and you yearn for his reassurances, for his knowledge to complete yours and make you whole. You will your mouth to open and form the words that will grant you your wish, but your body doesn't agree even as your mind floats and wanders.

This is a benediction, you know, for reassurances are nothing but coated lies, and if the truths he is kissing on your throat are burning, they will leave no sugary scars behind.

Love Life

I'm having fun with Cute Boy, but that's not going to last much longer.

Work Life

I'm in college, about to start looking for a part time job that will, no doubt, be interesting, very well paid and will propel my future career to great heights.

Friendly Life

I have a best friend who I'd choose over all my other friends put together because she's that wonderful, half a dozen friends I still call hers but that I share, half a dozen others in college and friends of friends and from high school that I know and sometimes hang out with. I like being on my own, though, so I may not see several of them for several weeks, or go for one or two weeks without seeing any of them.

Music Life

I was raised to 60's and 70's classics, and spent the beginning of my adolescence listening to the Bro listening to and playing hard rock, so those I don't necessarily like but will never be able to shake off. I have a thing for end of 90's pop (see: Backstreet Boys, Nsync, Britney Spears, etc.), but generally I'm more of an independent and rock girl.

Film Life

My father bought a VCR when I was four, and since then I've been addicted to movies. The Bro and I used to watch at least one every day for most of my childhood, and then I did the same on my own, sometimes more than one, for most of my adolescence. I've calmed down somewhat since then, but there are still 50 movies or so I can quote from memory alone.

TV Life

God, during my teenage years (and still now, but somewhat less), I was known as the TV addict/expert. I watched everything -- and when I say everything, it means at least six hours of TV every day, from soap operas to old TV shows to dramas and cartoons and weird German sort-of dramas that aired at 5 am. Like with movies, I calmed down somewhat these last couple of years, and currently I only watch (reruns and DVDs excepted, of course) CSI, Stargate SG1 and Atlantis, NCIS, The OC, Nip/Tuck, 24, Six Feet Under, Smallville, The Sopranos and The Dead Zone.

DVD Life

I don't have enough money to buy everything I want to, but I'm currently burning all the movies, pop footage and TV shows I have on tapes. Right now, I only have Buffy, Sports Night, Sex and the City and Friends on the TV shows front, a dozen Nsync and Backstreet Boys DVDs and a dozen movies (almost everything Tarantino, almost everything Kevin Smith, LotR, Trainspotting, Velvet Goldmine, Moulin Rouge, Billy Elliot and a few others I can't remember. Most were bought on a whim).

Theatre Life

Extremely poor. Theatre and I just don't click, the same way concerts and I don't either. I think seeing the performers live kills the thrill of it for me.

Fandom Life

Its history would deserve a post all on its own, so let's just do the current one: CSI, Popslash, NCIS, The OC, Stargate Atlantis are the ones in which I'm active (where I keep informed of everything, read, write and rec). There are a dozen more only passive (for the moment), meaning I only read and sometimes rec in them, and another dozens old ones I sometimes pay a visit to.

ETA: Insta-Rec

Clean Break by laytoncolt. NCIS, Gibbs/Tony, R. He starts where he knows it will hurt most, not with him, but with her. -- What could have happened, but probably sadly won't, after SWAK and Twilight.

And remember to sign up for the CSI Lyrical Challenge right here.

GIP

2005-07-01T11:05:35Z

I now present you Mr. and Mrs. Affleck. Let's just be glad it's not Jennifer Lopez.

And man, apparently TPTB has decided to stop airing the fifth season of CSI and instead go back to the first one. I'm torn: I want to bitch because it means Grave Danger won't be airing anytime soon, but OTOH, I've already since it a dozen of times and I've never seen the first season. So, to bitch or to not bitch? That is the question. But in any case, here are a couple of thoughts on the first two episodes.

- The credits are all weird looking. No Jorja Fox, for one thing, and the font looks different, too. And wow, they all look so much younger, especially GE. And I keep thinking that WP is hotter with a beard, but he looks more... normal, without. Attainable, in a way.
- What's with the Brass & Co. meeting? Did we ever see another one of those? And are those all CSIs, there? Because we don't see much of them, later on.
- Dude, Gil hugged Holly? After knowing her for all of five minutes? I know she was panicking, but man, that's weird.
- Greg! With the funky shirt and the crazy hair! I didn't know he'd been there since the first episode. (And aww! ~~Flirting~~ Talking about video games with Nick. So cute!)
- Young Nick is the most adorable thing ever, with the quick smiles and the looks and the adorableness. Adorable!

Yeah, I suppose Holly's shooting/death was really shocking the first time around, wasn't it? As it is, I just spent the whole episode wishing she'd just die already and be replaced with Sara. And then there was the second episode with Sara and it... wasn't that good or interesting. Lots of Gil/Nick time, which is always nice and fun (and the adorableness! With the "Don't you feel anything from having taken a life?" and, again, the smiles!), and Sara kicks so much more ass than in the later seasons, but overall: pretty boring.

I know the tension between Sara and Warrick just goes away, but does the one between Brass and Warrick ever come to blows, or does it just disappear, too? And I'll admit I'm curious to see how the addiction storyline will play out -- I already know how it ends, but I have no idea how it evolves before that. I'd probably have kept watching it if only for that and Nick, if I'd seen it back then, but I can still see why the show didn't grab me the minute I started watching it, at least not in a "Quick! Join the fandom!" way.

And after trying once more to get into the HP fandom in anticipation of the new book, I have come to the realization that, no matter the fact that I love pretty much all the characters in the books, I cannot stand the majority of them in fic. Especially, but not only, Snape, Remus, Sirius and Draco. The only pairing I can manage to read seems to be Harry/Ron/Hermione. Without the third -- whichever one -- they're schmoopy as hell, but the rounding up adds a nice angsty feeling, God knows why. Also, I'm a sucker for 'relationships' (versus sex-only) threesomes.

Insta-Rec

Scabs by lucyhale. HP, hard R, dark fic. The other voice, now rasping and low. "Kind boy... kind master." -- The exception that proves the rule, or How Dark Fic Can Eat Your Brain. If you ever read the books, read this.

And hey, you know you want to sign up for the CSI Lyrical Twin Challenge. Yeah, you. And you. Come on, join the fun.

CSI Lyrical Twin Challenge

2005-06-30T19:24:52Z

Since several people seem to want to do this, I'm officially opening a CSI Lyrical Twin Challenge.

Rules and basics

1) You have until Sunday, July 10th at 11.59PM GMT to sign up by leaving a comment below with your email address or sending a message at mintgold [at] hotmail [dot] com. (This doesn't apply to the people who already let me know they would participate.)

2) I'll send out two sets of lyrics by Tuesday, July 12th. One will be from a song featured in CSI, another will be from a The Who song. You do not have to work these lyrics into your story/artwork, they just serve as inspiration. You do have to put the lyrics you used -- either one or both sets -- in your liner notes, and let me know which one you'll be using as soon as you can.

3) Each set of lyric will be sent out twice, so that each story/artwork has a partner -- however, since people do not have to use both sets, some stories/artwork may end up alone. To avoid this, I'm looking for voluunteers wishing to write for those; if you do or want to both sign up and volunteer, please let me know.

4) Ficathon is open to both stories and artwork (icons, graphics, vids, etc.):
- stories must be at least 1000 words, or consist of several drabbles amounting to 1000 words, and can be gen, het, slash, AU or anything else you want, but remember to put adequate warnings and rating.
- there is no minimum size for artwork, but try to do more than a single 100*100 icon.

5) Submissions will be due on Saturday, August 13th. You should send your artwork or your story in a text file at mintgold [at] hotmail [dot] com by 23.59PM GMT or, if you don't want them to be archived, send the link. You can send your submissions earlier than the 13th, but please do not post anything before then so that all results will be revealed together.

And of course, feel free to pimp this around; the more the merrier.

GIP of pretty, pretty MW

2005-06-29T12:09:44Z

OC Spoilers

I'm not sure I either like or believe these sides. Some sound good, but others read like fanfic and it's awfully early to be getting so many of them already, isn't it? And if they're true... I love Trey, but I don't want him to stay around just for a couple of episodes in order to stir up trouble that will be resolved in one big scene before he leaves town to go join Anna and Luke in Nowhere Land. That's just... no. And skipping time is fine, but not that soon, not when it'll mean skipping important scenes.

And adding Ryan's father to the mix already? Who are they gonna dig up for season four, his grandmother? His long lost sister who'll become Seth's new love interest? Seriously, if they want to make Ryan deal with his past, couldn't they just deal with the characters they've already introduced -- Dawn, Theresa and Trey -- instead of creating new ones? Idiots.

And was the flashback episode was just a rumor, then? Or is it a later episode? Because I would have loved to see that one. I almost had hope, when reading side 1, that Ryan would pass out in the hospital which could clue in the flashbacks, but the "As Ryan re-focuses he sees Sandy entering. Panicked." line made it clear he wouldn't. *sigh* Why am I always torturing myself with spoilers?

CSI Spoilers

They're adding a new guy? But, but I don't want a new guy! At least not a regular one. *grumblegrumble* Seriously, though, what do they think they're doing? GE and GD are already getting close to no airtime, adding a new CSI isn't going to make things better. And didn't they learn from the split teams fiasco that viewers want to see the main cast interact together -- as in, with no one else? And where are the good spoilers? Casting news is all good and fine, but I want something substantial. Shouldn't scripts start leaking soon?

Huh, everyone else on my flist seems to be having as shitty a day as I am. Well, let's suffer alongside each other, shall we?

mintgold @ 2005-06-28T00:34:00

2005-06-27T22:34:25Z

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!1&!&11!!!!! I found a CD full of BSB mp3s! I'd completely forgotten I'd burned them, and there they are! 67 songs, all in perfect quality, including all of the ones that were never released (and that I could find)! Whee! I may have lost 40 Gb worth of footage, but at least I have these.

~~Squeeing~~ Talking about BSB, I've watched Behind The Music today, and I have to say that, Brian? Is the most forgiving, professional and adult 23 year old man I've ever -- well, not 'met', but you get my point. That he felt he should keep his heart condition a secret from all of them and then that they proved him right by asking him to postpone the surgery was bad enough, but then he woke up all alone! *sniffle* You... you MEAN Boys! *hugs Brian*

Yeah, Caroline's death and all of the AJ stuff was awful, but we knew about that already. That they hadn't stood by Brian just baffled me -- I'd never have believed a fic that portrayed the ordeal that way, no matter how well written. And same thing goes with Kevin being so seriously done with AJ before detox -- and now that I think about it, I don't think I knew that AJ had actualy quit the group before checking himself in. "Several days" before, too, so there must have been a point before they realized he was trying to get better where they all thought it was over. *hugs Never Gone to chest*

And while I'm talking about catching up on fandoms, I've cauhgt up a little with The OC. And... I don't know. I love Ryan and have high hopes for him next season, but Seth and Summer just bore me. Zach was fun for maybe two episodes (mostly when he was with Ryan and Seth) but caught the S&S boring bug quickly enough and so I spent most of the time during that storyline thinking: "oh, just get it over with already, you three". They're still adorable together, but I don't think I like the whole "will they or won't they" thing. They should be the next generation of Sandy and Kirsten (circa S1, of course) and face issues, but do it together.

And talking about Sandy and Kirsten, I could seriously have done without the sort-of-affairs, there. The 'alcoolic' storyline could have been handed better, but overall it wasn't too badly done (and it kills me to think of how it'll all pan out. Sandy won't risk getting her out or calling her before 48 hours, but can you imagine what'll happen during those 48 hours? And how she'll react when she finally learns what's been happening?).

Lindsay... *sigh* She had so much potential, and then she suddenly turned around and became worse than Marissa at her worst, which is certainly saying something. And the wrap-up of her storyline ('Hey, let's get rid asap of all the new characters we've spent weeks introducing! Why do you mean, we need a valid reason to make them go away? Can't they all just decide to spontaneously leave on their own?) was rushed and crappy. And Jesus, I know they like to pretend people stop existing when they leave, but couldn't they have at least mentioned her at Caleb's funeral? I'm not even asking for an explanation for her absence, I just want to hear her freakin' name.

But, yeah, Ryan. As much as I love most of the characters, this show is, for me, really about him. Explains why I stopped caring about it earlier in the season, I guess, what with him becoming a tertiary character. It's his life and his view of the OC that I care about, and so the season only perked up for me when Trey was introduced and it started focusing more on him. Ahhh, Trey. I haven't seen every single episode yet, but I think no matter what happens Trey will always have a special place in my heart. RIP, hon.

I can't wait to see what they do with Ryan -- and no matter what happened, they better not go the way of the 'lost baby'; the need to have him actually feel things. I don't care whether it's grief or anger or guilt (actually, the three would do nicely), but it cannot go away the minute they're cleared for the fight/shooting/murder. I want a funeral, for one thing, and that means I want Dawn (or a mention of her) and Sandy trying to take care of it for Ryan and Ryan not knowing what to feel and being conflicted. Because in spite of it all, it was still his brother, and that? Needs to be addressed.

Hmm, Incomplete is apparently number 8 at the European Countdown, which seems weirdly low for Europeans and BSB. (And dude, they're behind Destiny's Child? Aren't they still broken up? Or, well, again?) And Lynn is going to write a book about Justin? Heh, I so want Bev to write her own, too. Battle of the SDB's Mothers! (Denise could totally take them all.)

And seriously, people, you know you want to participate in a CSI ficathon. Come on, tell me you do. I'll give you cookies.

mintgold @ 2005-06-27T14:38:00

2005-06-27T12:38:03Z

You think I'd be used to not being able to connect for several days, after years with the same shitty Internet provider. *sigh* Ah well, am back, now. I probably won't check four days worth of posts from all of you, though, so let me know if I missed something important.

Not really an update, of course, since I never mentioned him, but I was going to when my connection broke.

So, Cute Guy and I met last Thursday in the train. He sat across from me, we gave each other looks, we 'accidentally' touched each other's legs, and did I mention he was cute? Yeah, and so I did the unthinkable and gave him my phone number. And 'lo and behold, he sent me a message the very next day asking if we could see each other, and we've been text messaging each other since then (I feel so... teeny-ish) and he is probably coming over Friday afternoon.

I'd feel slutty, but honestly? I'm 21, I haven't kissed anyone in months, haven't had a date since I broke up with The Ex in January, and The Ex? Was bad at it. And annoying. And kind of ugly. And Cute Guy is cute, and fun, and won't run around dating several of my friends when I dump his stalker-ish and juvenile ass. (Whoo, bitter much?) So I think I'm allowed some fun.

Would anyone be interested in a CSI challenge/ficathon? Because the NCIS ficathon has inspired me and I'd be willing to make the work if people were interested. Would be open to fics, artwork and vids, with lyrics or quotes for inspiration. Or something a little more restrictive, if people wanted to (specified characters/pairings/times/places/etc...). Anyone?

And talking about the NCIS ficathon, any of you willing to beta a Tony fic for me? Not yet completely done, may go the way of Gibbs/Tony at the end (but probably not NC-17). I should have it done in a few days and I'd need it back for July 11th (date of submission). Come on, people, don't make me beg strangers in ff.net-like NCIS communities.

And here's the icon meme gacked from adelate in place of recs, because I'm feeling too lazy to make any.

The first one I used was lost in the crash, but I still have the first one I made -- it's still up, in fact, because I'm sentimental that way:

And then I made a bunch of new ones, but didn't update them in order. So the last one I made is either this one:
or this one:

So, any progress?

GIP

2005-06-23T13:03:48Z

Had my first CSI-inspired dream last night. Unfortunately, it didn't feature Nick, Gil and Greg naked and covered in chocolate, but it was still pretty fun. Me and my "friends" were part of a new reality show, and our goal was to find Nick and get him out of his coffin. We had clues and races, and a big Prime Time Show in which my mother cheered and assured everybody that, since I'd watched Grave Danger more often than any other participant, I was certain to win. Heh.

Trying to make this post not complete and utter spam: I'm so behind on everything it's not even funny. Beta should be finished very soon, though, so there's at least that, but I need to get off my ass and do something beside playing Mah-Jong and listening to music. Hmm, I could start with a to-do list:

- Finish beta for chase_acow (Soon! Very soon!)
- Get a gift for my mom's b-day.
- Find a gift for Father's day.
- Find and finish CSI, OC and NCIS fics. Yes, all of them.
- Read a damn book, and finish all the ones I've started.
- Organize my recs and start posting them again.
- Catch up on the tv shows and movies I wanted to watch.
- Shopping! I need shoes and t-shirts.
- Get a haircut.
- Wash clothes.
- Vacuum the place, while I'm at it.
- Start working out again. I knew I should never have stopped.
- Pet my cat, who has been adorable and not too clingy and really deserves it.

Things I shouldn't do anymore:

- Make more icons.
- Play Mah-Jong/Gold Miner/any other stupid and time-wasting game I can find.
- Read TWoP Sucks.
- Reload flist every five minutes.
- Read other people flists.
- Sunbath.
- Lie in my bed while listening to music and staring at the ceiling.

ETA: I really think clothes should be ironing themselves when it gets to 100 degrees. Even doing it in underwear with the windows wide open, I felt like I was going to pass out. And incidentally, I'd like to know when we decided I should be the one ironing the Bro's shirts -- who's not only 26, but doesn't even live here anymore. Because I'm pretty sure I wasn't there.