Zoicite

drafty fic snippet: Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson

2014-06-20T11:20:33Z

This is either the prologue-y first section of the larger fic I'm working on, or it's getting cut from the fic and is just a standalone snippet thing. Keep going back and forth.

When Sam reached out to Steve, after Steve approached him, he’d done it because they’d seemed to hit it off right away. He’d done it because he thought he might know a bit about what Steve had been through -- not the Captain America stuff or the frozen for 70 years stuff, of course, but the soldier stuff -- Sam was pretty sure he could relate to that. He’d sort of thought that’d be it there on the Mall -- Sam could relate, sure, but Steve was Captain America, and their encounter that day ended with Steve climbing into a Corvette driven by a gorgeous woman and driving off. Sam’s shared experience only went so far -- but Steve took Sam up on his offer anyway, showed up at the VA, and they hit it off then too.

“What makes you happy?” Sam had asked. It was a question that he asked people a lot when they sought him out there. It was a question he’d had to ask himself a lot over the years too.

“I don’t know,” Steve returned.

It wasn’t an uncommon answer, but Sam stood there for a long moment trying to decide where to go with it next. He knew where he should go. He knew professionally what he should say, but Steve Rogers had approached Sam on the Mall and Steve had approached Sam at the VA and Sam was pretty sure Steve hadn’t approached because he was looking for Sam’s professional advice.

“You know what?” Sam asked. “How about this; you ever decide you want help trying to figure that out, you let me know, all right?”

Steve smiled, looked down at his feet, and then he squinted at Sam and said, “Yeah, all right. What are you doing right now?”

“Whatever you want, man,” Sam had returned, his smile wide. “Whatever you want.”

He didn’t think that spending an afternoon lounged in a booth at a dark bar was doing much to help Steve Rogers figure out what made him happy, but they talked a lot, sat back and relaxed over a few beers. It was just like it’d been on the Mall, bouncing off each other, easily falling into a comfortable rhythm, a nice give-and-take. Steve didn’t seem to want to talk about himself much. He turned most of Sam’s small-talk questions back around on Sam, and that was fine. If that’s what Steve wanted for now, then Sam was cool with talking about himself for a while. Steve listened as Sam talked about growing up in Harlem, about his parents and his brother and his sister. They talked about New York, about the things that were the same and the things that were so completely different. Finally, Sam downed the last sip of his beer and nodded toward Sam.

“So what else’ve you got on your list?” Sam asked. “If you don’t mind me poking around in your business, that is.”

“I don’t mind,” Steve said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his book, tossed it across the table toward Sam.

Sam picked it up. “I better make sure there aren’t any glaring gaps in this new education of yours.”

“You’re looking out for me now?” Steve joked, leaned back against the booth bench.

“Yeah,” Sam snorted. “You look like you need it.”

The items on the first few pages had all been crossed off, big ones that Steve probably would have found relevant; Hiroshima and Nagasaki, V-E Day. These were mixed in with Vietnam, The Beatles and Chernobyl, the Cold War, 9/11, and Martin Luther King. Later pages got more specific, smaller scale. There were movies and books, albums and more historical events, but even smaller things too. Sam recognized the names of a few restaurants in DC, and the --

“Is this the name of the panda cub over at the zoo?”

“Yeah,” Steve said.

“You’ve never seen a panda before?” Sam asked.

“Actually I have,” Steve said. “At the World’s Fair in ‘39. The Bronx Zoo had -- I just made the note to look into it is all. Something to do. I saw it on the evening news. It’s free.”

“Oh, I know it’s free,” Sam nodded. He turned a page. “What’s this? A grocery list?”

“All right,” Steve smiled and leaned forward again, his arms leaning on the table, one hand out, palm open. “If you’re going to make fun of it, you can give the book back now.”

“I hope this is a grocery list,” Sam pressed. “Don’t tell me someone has you researching eggs, bread, and apples.”

“The book is really a catch-all,” Steve explained. “I use it for notes, lists, directions, and then yeah, the things people tell me I should look into.”

“I’m just picking on you. Calm down,” Sam laughed, though Steve didn’t seem like he was actually getting worked up at all. A little exasperated, maybe, but he was smiling, so even that seemed mostly for show, like it was part of whatever game they had going here.

Sam closed the notebook and tapped it down on the table, pressed his fingers to the worn cover. He took a moment just to study Steve, the set of his shoulders and the way that his throat worked when he took a sip of his beer. Steve caught his eye and they stared at each other, caught there until the corner of Steve’s mouth started to pull up into a smile and Steve said, “What is it now?”

Sam pressed his lips together. “I have a few of these movies in here on DVD. You wanna go back to my place? Get one or two of them crossed off your list? I mean, if you don’t have anywhere else you need to be.”

“Sure, okay,” Steve said almost immediately. “I have time.”

Sam slid the notebook back across the table toward Steve and wondered what the hell he was thinking. He could have suggested they walk up to the zoo, check out little Bao Bao the panda, or he could have offered to accompany Steve to buy his damn groceries, but he didn’t do any of that. Instead he invited the guy home with him. He wasn’t sure they were even on the same page here. He thought he knew what was happening, but then --

“Okay, I’m just going to say it,” Sam said. “Just, you know, throw it out there, get it all out in the open and see where we stand. This here, what we’re doing -- this is flirting, right?”

Steve’s eyebrows shot up. His brow furrowed and he looked down. Sam was learning that Steve did that a lot, looked away, looked down, broke eye contact for just a moment, sometimes smiling a little crooked while he did so. This time Sam thought Steve might have even flushed a little. He was starting to lean forward, trying to get a better look at Steve’s face, when Steve looked back up and said, “I, uh --"

Steve started to trail off, cleared his throat. The bar was pretty dark, even in the middle of the afternoon, but yeah, Steve was definitely a little flushed.

“Because it feels like flirting," Sam continued, decided he better keep talking and give Steve some more time to process the direct nature of the question. "It’s felt like flirting since you first sped by me, but sometimes I misread these things, you know. It can be hard to know sometimes, so I just want to throw it out there before it goes any further and I do something that’ll scare you away and make me feel pretty stupid.” Or pretty beat up and bruised, but Sam was almost entirely positive that Steve wasn’t the sort of guy to take offense or get angry at Sam’s question, even if maybe they weren't on the same page, even if Steve was born in 19-old-enough-to-be-Sam’s-really-pale-grandfather. Even so, better to get this out here and now.

Steve thought about Sam’s words for a moment longer and then he nodded. He still wasn’t making direct eye contact with Sam, but when he spoke again, he didn’t stumble. “Before you do something pretty stupid like what?”

“Like what do you think?” Sam returned, his tone dry, barely missing a beat. Steve's question was pointed, leading, and Sam took the bait, knew right then that he'd received his answer.

Steve let out an audible puff of breath, almost a laugh, and then he nodded again. And then he finally looked back at Sam, his gaze steady.

“Yeah,” Steve said. “This is flirting.”

Sam spent a few seconds trying to control his face. It was a battle he was bound to lose, so he gave in, surrendered and let his smile stretch wide. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Good to know.”

Steve made the first move. He waited until they were alone at Sam’s place, just barely through the front door, and then he leaned in and kissed Sam, his touch tentative, his mouth pressed carefully against Sam’s. Sam reached up, his fingers sliding around the back of Steve’s neck, holding him close, kissing him back. That seemed to startle Steve and he felt Steve freeze beneath him for a moment, like he hadn’t thought this through and he was unsure what he was supposed to do now that he’d started it.

Steve kissed like -- well, not like Sam expected. Not like a national icon, a fucking Greek god who must have women literally chasing him around the National Mall. Steve Rogers kissed like he spent the last ninety years playing video games in his parents’ basement, like he hadn’t really believed that anyone would ever try to kiss him like this at all.

Sam opened his mouth against Steve’s and Steve responded, let out a shaky breath against Sam’s lips. Oh, this was good. Steve like this -- this was very quickly climbing the list of the sexiest fucking moments of Sam’s life, and he leaned closer, kissed Steve’s lower lip, pressed it lightly with his tongue.

Steve started, stepped back and away, stood there and stared at Sam. Steve’s mouth was open just a little, and Sam wanted nothing more than to step in and kiss him again, but Steve’s actions were pretty clear and Sam wasn’t about to ignore that startled retreat, so he stood where he was and he waited.

“You okay, man?” Sam asked. He was breathing a little heavy, could hear it in his words when he spoke.

“I probably shouldn’t have done that,” Steve admitted. “I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

“Well, I don’t know about what you should be doing,” Sam said, and it was going to sound terrible, lame and cheesy, and he was sure he was trying too hard, but he said it anyway. “But what you’re actually doing is making me pretty happy, I can tell you that much.”

Steve let out a breath. “I had a nice afternoon,” he conceded.

“Oh, we’re -- you sure?” Sam asked. He took a step back toward the front door. “I mean -- I’m not trying to be that guy, but you did literally just get here.”

“Yeah,” Steve said. He crossed his arms over his chest, screwed up his face a little. His body language was mocking, trying to show Sam that he realized his own actions were maybe a little ridiculous. “I’m sorry.”

Sam shrugged. So maybe they went too fast. They’d known each other less than tweny-four hours, maybe they needed to slow things down. It was a valid reassessment. There was no reason for Steve to feel like he should apologize for that. And frankly, if slowing things down might lead to another kiss like that -- that was probably something worth waiting for.

“Maybe we should do it again sometime,” Sam offered. “Maybe actually watch that movie, go visit little Bao Bao at the zoo or something, you know. I saw you had sushi on that list. I wouldn’t mind being there when you decide to cross that one off.”

Steve laughed.

“I should’ve stopped talking after the part about the movie, right?” Sam asked, laughing now too. “I just kept going and now you think I’m a little too eager, maybe kinda desperate.”

Somehow Sam’s self-deprecating remarks seemed to be the right thing to say because Steve relaxed a little, nodded. His arms unfolded from across his chest and he reached out a hand toward Sam. Sam accepted it; a nice firm hand-shake.

“We should do it again sometime,” Steve agreed. “I’d like that.”

i have no appropriate icons for this post

2014-06-19T20:35:59Z

Emails that I have sent to eirenical (so far) today regarding my current Captain America Steve/Sam situation:

1. "You know, these might be the first two characters I've ever shipped where I'm all 'YES, you SHOULD write about them getting married and having babies. YES, PLEASE. I DO WANT TO READ ABOUT THAT A THOUSAND TIMES (but no mpreg)'"

2. "But also, my obsession is not fading with time over here. IT'S GETTING WORSE. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A QUICK DIP MY TOES IN THE FANDOM WRITE FIC AND THEN LEAVE AND INSTEAD I"M OVER HERE ALL !!!!!!11!!!!1!!! AND IT IS SCARY."

3. "I LIKE MY FANNISH SHIPPER FEELINGS TO BE AT A LOW-GRADE SIMMER. THIS IS NOT A LOW-GRADE SIMMER RIGHT NOW. LOOK AT ALL THE CAPS I'M USING. STOP LAUGHING AT ME. THIS ISN'T FUNNY. I HATE EVERYTHING."

Seriously though. How did this happen?

Damien Molony on Ripper Street

2013-11-06T13:38:11Z

I didn't really think I had anything to say about this week's episode of Ripper Street, but then I read this article and it turned out I had things to say after all. So:

I mostly found this episode pretty boring. The case of the week did not really grab me, there were way too many scenes that just involved listening to Merrick's labored breathing, and it's only the second episode and I'm already really sick of this Shine storyline and dreading the fact that it's likely to last throughout the rest of the series.

That said, hey Damien Molony. I like you. And, as the above article makes sure to note, you've apparently managed to land another character who shows up to replace a recently departed fan favorite. And so far you're just not [insert recently departed fan favorite].

I think I must have missed something by watching the first series of this show on Netflix several months after it aired. I never would have guessed that Hobbs was so beloved by the fanbase. I mean, I probably should have guessed, given that he's cute and looks like he's about 12 (and apparently people ship him with Jackson, though I'm not really sure why other than the fact that he's cute and looks like he's about 12 and therefore he must be shipped with the other fan favorite) but mostly the character never made much impression on me. I can see why Reid et al mourn him, of course, but as a show viewer, I wasn't really mourning him much. Therefore, it didn't really occur to me to compare the character to Hobbs, except to the extent that the show did by having the characters worry/object to his presence (I have no idea why Reid says he's a boy, though, when Hobbs looked 12 and Damien Molony most definitely does not, but whatever).

I will, however, agree with the article's points that so far DC Flight is a pretty shit cop (the title of the article I linked above: Is Constable Flight the Worst Policeman Ever?). He's overly eager and pompous/arrogant and he fails a couple times and then really fails when he falls asleep on the job (is this where his angst is going to come from the rest of the season, or does he have some super tragic backstory as well?), which results in Shine managing to kill Merrick (in another really long scene full of Merrick's labored breathing). Unfortunately, based on the doctor's words, everyone seems to think that Merrick killed himself, so Flight's probably not getting blamed for this yet (which is why I'm wondering if he'll be angsting about it the rest of the series) and also we're going to have to continue to deal with this Shine storyline. Dammit.

Most of the article seems to be recapping Flight's transgressions throughout the episode. It then goes on to compare him unfavorably to the dearly departed Hobbs, and concludes with the following: The episode ends without any emphasis on Flight’s failure, however I’m sure we’ll see some sort of repercussions in the next episode. He’s got a lot of work to claw his way out of the hole he’s put himself in and, at this point, it seems doubtful that he’ll ever be worthy of H Division.

Has this person never watched television before, or is the conclusion to the article just more literal recapping of what happens in this episode and that's it? Because it seems a little silly to say that it seems doubtful the character will ever be worthy of H Division when Flight becoming worthy of H Division was just set up by this episode as the likely arc for this character. (eta - though now that I'm thinking about it, they're right in that it would seem an even more obvious arc had it been clear to everyone that Flight was at fault for Merrick's death right away. The fact that the show did not emphasize Flight's failure there is interesting.)

I suppose the show might surprise us and have him flip the bird to H Division, join forces with Shine, and therefore make him thoroughly hated, but doesn't it seem a whole lot more likely (based on the fact that they did show us that the character has good qualities in addition to his failings) that he'll angst a bit about his initial failures, and then make up for them, becoming an appreciated/accepted/worthy member of the team by the end of the series?

I mean, maybe not. Maybe he'll continue to be a shit cop and he'll leave disgraced at the end or something (after getting beat on several more times based on circulating promo photos). This episode really seemed like a clear setup for later redemption to me though. I almost wonder if he'll be the only one who doesn't believe that Merrick's death was a suicide moving forward, therefore working extra hard to get to the bottom of this Shine bullshit.

Or maybe the character's tragic backstory/secret is that he's narcoleptic. That could be fun! ;)

Also, this show needs to feature way less Shine and way more Jackson, please. This episode was sadly lacking in Jackson, though I enjoyed the fight between Jackson and Susan and the bit of fallout with Reid afterward. Also, Jackson + Flight + cigarettes. Also Drake + Flight + 'you should call her Mrs. Drake'. Also Reid's face in general.

Reid will never not remind me of Jeeves

2013-10-18T00:44:38Z

Based on his few short moments in the trailer, I'm now very much looking forward to Damien Molony on Ripper Street. I mean, I was looking forward to it anyway because I watched the first series a few weeks back and enjoyed it quite a bit overall and I would keep watching regardless, but Damien Molony in a confessional. Yes, please.

Also, finally a promo shot of him for this show that I actually like (though I think Adam Rothenberg still wins the lineup for me with that head tilt).

Also also, the trailer leads me to believe, based on the similar reaction shots from both Jackson and Damien Molony's character (what is his name? Flight? Flight.) that they're drawing parallels between the two and connecting them both to Drake's statement regarding a bad man going good and um, yes. I would be totally on board with the idea of another miniature (sorry Damien, you're kinda short for this show) Irish version of Jackson.

(Also also also, I did not realize that Adam Rothenberg had done a whole bunch of theatre before apparently heading to the UK for this show. I just googled him and found pictures of him with Santino Fontana, Uzo Aduba, Lily Rabe, and Matthew Maher [who I mostly only ever remember because he has a bit of a speech impediment...and also he randomly happened to be in the last three off-broadway plays I've gone to see with my friend D] doing various theatre-y things. I approve.)

fic thoughts

2013-10-09T12:14:13Z

Drafty BH fic snippet:

He doesn't think she stands a chance. She's young, soft. She's never had to work a day in her life. Her skin looks like milk and he imagines that if he presses his tongue to it, she’ll taste new and just a little sour. He doesn’t taste her. Once he has her away from her mother, he barely touches her except to throw her into her chambers. She stumbles and falls to the floor.

It confuses her, he can tell. Young women like this, they’ve been told what will happen to them at the hands of men like him. They’ve been told, but in this case, they’ve been lied to. He won’t touch her. That isn’t why she’s here. He wants to keep her guessing.

He does it because he enjoys it. He anticipates her terror, her screams, and he wants to relish in them. He never expects that she'll win.

She screams, yes, she screams in fright and in horror, and it’s delicious, but after that initial shock the screams die in her throat, cut off as though strangled. He thinks for a moment that she might faint and he feels disappointment wash over him. The vampires behind him shift, impatient.

How boring. How predictable, this young girl fainting at the feet of a monster.

She doesn’t fall. She bends to the floor and she picks up the knife that he tossed into the cage with them at the start of this. She picks up the knife and when she stands, her eyes have changed. They're hard now, cold, and suddenly Hal realizes that he was mistaken in this choice. This girl isn't soft or easy. She's a survivor. There's a killer in her. It’s been asleep for sixteen years, and Hal has managed to rouse her for the very first time.

When it’s over, when the wolf lies dead at her feet, she drops the knife and clutches at her waist, at her torn gown.

“I’ve been hurt,” she says. She says it as though she’s surprised, as though even here, taken by force and thrown into a cage, even here, death was never a realistic option for her.

“You’ll heal,” Hal says. He smiles. He can’t help it. He smiles and then he starts to laugh. One of the vampires standing behind him starts to laugh too, and then the rest join in.

She’s just seen a man bend and twist and scream. She’s seen him transform into a monster. The smooth young skin of her stomach is as torn as her dress, Hal can smell the blood that spills out of her, yet here she stands. As they watch, she unfolds beneath the sound of their laughter. She pushes up against it, stands tall and straight. Her clutching hand, red with her own blood, is the only indication that she’s wounded.

He wonders if perhaps it’s taken hold already. He wonders if it’s already working on her, changing her, this infection that’s started its race through her veins.

"Why Lady Catherine," Hal says. "What a surprise you've turned out to be."

"What happens now?" she asks.

The smile stretches wide across his face.

I have no idea where I'm going to end up going with this. I'm thinking ... I think this story might be Alex/Lady Catherine, which - well, we'll see. Right now I'm going back and forth between liking the start of it and thinking it's way too close to how things started for McNair. I'm not sure that matters though, considering that it'll end differently, especially if I go the Alex/Lady Catherine route (which I know sounds like time-traveling crack, and it is, but it might work!). Or, hm, even if I do attempt Alex/Lady Catherine, I might end up scrapping this entirely and going a bit more straight forward with the whole thing, just Alex's POV with none of these flashbacks. Decisions!

you stink, mister

2013-09-08T14:37:38Z

I'm so confused as to who can smell what on Being Human.

Can ghosts smell at all? Annie doesn't seem to have any issues hanging out with Sasha, which suggests that they can't (and I think that would make sense), but then Kirby does that thing where he just kinda inhales that shot while talking to Hal as though he's smelling it in 4x04 and Alex makes that comment about Hal's breath in 4x07.

And then there are werewolves and vampires. Herrick can smell human blood on a different floor of the house. Hal can smell that Allison is a werewolf while he's inside the cafe and she's outside and across the street. Tom, on the other hand, doesn't seem to pick up on the whole werewolf thing and questions if she's a vampire at first. Mitchell realizes that Tom's in the house in 3x04 based on smell (though it takes him a while, really) but in 3x03, George can smell Sasha rotting when she's still outside, and Mitchell's surprised by this, all "What? From here?" which suggests that he can't smell her.

Do werewolves have a heightened sense of smell except when it comes to vampires and their own kind? Tom doesn't seem to realize that Dewy is a vampire until he sees the bite marks on his neck in 4x01, but then he knows that Hal's a vampire right away in 4x02. That might be because Hal looks out of date and out of place and have nothing to do with smell at all, though.

Do vampires only have a heightened sense of smell when it comes to blood specifically? Or blood and, perhaps, werewolves? ...though Lauren had to get pretty freakin' close before she realized George was a werewolf. She was also pretty new to the whole thing. And Sasha's pretty gross and bloody, though I guess Mitchell might not think that's notable, because he can see the blood, so of course he can smell that aspect of the situation. On the other hand, he's surprised a moment later when Annie says that Sasha has a body, so who knows.

Really, I mostly care about the ghost thing right now, as I have a section in the fic I'm working on where Annie mentions not being able to smell, and I'm wondering if that's actually the case or if I should remove it/change it. Hm.

if i can make it there, i'll make it anywhere

2013-09-03T01:00:45Z

I spent the weekend in Vermont and Montreal and I'll probably post about that a bit in the next few days, but first some -

Being Human 4x01 nitpicking:
I'm assuming the dude on the radio probably just leaves some things out because of time restraints associated with invading hoards of vampires (also, British TV show, so some NYC hand-waving allowed), but if taken literally, the flashforward at the start of 4x01 makes NYC seem pretty stupid.

The New Yorker on the radio says "We blocked all the bridges. We turned cars on their sides and painted crucifixes on the roofs and hoods, but they came through the sewers and the subways under the Hudson."

I'm really really hoping he's lumping the Lincoln and Holland tunnels in with 'bridges' (since vehicular traffic uses them) because otherwise New York pretty much deserves to lose to the vampires.

Also, you guys blocked the bridges (and hopefully the traffic tunnels), but it never occurred to you to block the subway/train tunnels? Really? So essentially, what you're saying is, you just let the vampires take NJTransit right into the heart of midtown. Oops!

(I don't know if there actually are sewers that go beneath the Hudson. I kind of doubt it, but I'll give the Resistance a pass for not thinking to worry about those.)

~~Hal~~ the vampire on the radio says "New York has fallen. The Resistance has been crushed. The Earth belongs to the vampires." which suggests pretty strongly that New York was the last major city standing. And if New York WAS the last city to fall, then why were there still bridges and tunnels at all? Vampires are taking over the world and you know they're coming for you, you blow that shit up!

Come on, people.

Happily Ever After Halex

2013-05-08T18:44:07Z

I end up making the most exaggerated confused frowning faces at my computer screen whenever I stumble upon people's human!Hal/Alex post-series headcanon posts on Tumblr. It's all cute dates and wedding nights and babies. Babies!

And then after I'm done making confused frowning faces, I'm left sort of wanting to write loads of fic in which Hal/Alex crash and burn spectacularly even in scenarios where they actually get to stay human (especially in scenarios where they stay human).

That's maybe mean, right? ...but it might also be fun? And probably closer to what would actually happen. (And really if I was going to write fic centered on Hal/Alex that's what it would end up being anyway, so it's not like I'm skewing my own headcanon just to be a jerk. And I mean, I'd probably at least let them have a bunch of sex before they go down in flames.)

UK BH US BH

2013-05-07T00:48:37Z

I randomly decided to watch the first episode of the US version of Being Human because I was bored and it's on Netflix and...I kind of enjoyed it? Not all of it, but definitely more than I expected that I would.

I mean there's stuff I definitely like a lot less. I really like that the BH UK vampires don't have a buttload of superpowers. They aren't super fast or super strong or anything like that, so I dislike that the vampires on the US version do seem to be capable of super speed, and I didn't like the bit where the US version of Herrick pretty much glamoured that other cop. I guess I'm okay with the fact that they can't eat real food though? I don't know. Actually, no, I like that they can subsist on real food on UK BH because it makes drinking blood more of a voluntary act/addiction, so that gets a thumbs down too.

I also don't like the sexed up underground vampire lair. Or shallowly, Sam Witwer's face (his face just bugs me from the nose down. There's something about his mouth and chin. he looks all pinched. It's not as bad in motion as it is in screenshots on Tumblr, but still.)

I do like most of the ghost stuff so far though. I like that Sally can't interact with things yet, and I liked that when Aidan tried to touch her they added a little special effect to show his fingers going right through her hand. Ghosts and touch always seemed so fuzzy on UK BH, so I like that that's set up clearly here.

I also liked the introduction of Josh's sister and his sister's girlfriend, his reunion with his sister, and her following him and accidentally locking them both in the basement room just as he's about to change (first ep is a cliffhanger, and I haven't watched the second part yet. I assume Aidan is going to stop dicking around with the other vampires and come save him. Either that or Sally will figure out how to leave the house. Or maybe Josh WILL actually kill his sister, but I doubt it. This isn't the BBC.)

So yeah, I don't know. Less bad and painful than I was expecting, really, though the vampire stuff is disappointing so far.

eta: Oh, and I like the outside of the house.

eta 2: Ugh, yeah, Aidan came to the rescue with his super vampire speed. I really hate these vampire superpowers a lot.

This is a post about Hal's poo. I'm really very sorry. But not sorry enough not to post it.

2013-04-09T01:23:12Z

...I've been rewatching bits of Being Human series 5 for fic research and instead keep catching references alluding to the fact that someone had to deal with Hal's bodily functions while he was tied to that chair.

Dear show: I hate you.

(I don't really hate you. Most of the time.)

But come on. You can't keep your major canon straight over the course of 6 episodes, but in 4 out of 6 of them you can remember to throw in comments and suggestions and props to make sure we *really* get what tying someone to a chair for a month or two would entail?

1. The bucket and toilet rolls in 5x01, of course.

(crappy cap quality, cause I wasn't about to spend THAT much time on this)

Man. it still makes me crazy that they rigged this up right in front of the giant front windows.

2. Hatch's colostomy bag runneth over in 5x02.

Patsy: Captain Hatch needs a hand getting cleaned up in his - his toilet area. I'm sure you can manage that.
Tom: Yeah, of course. It'd be a pleasure.
Hal: No, I didn't mean Tom should do it!
Patsy: [to Tom] A bit more suited to your skill set.

At least Hal's rehab ended up teaching Tom some marketable skills?
Ew.

3. Crumb and Alan's rehab in 5x04.

Hal: Look, by bringing them into our pact, we are making it bigger. Stronger. Helping them will help us.
Alex: I don't trust them.
Hal: Good, don't. They're junkies. But with the right sort of help, they can change. If I can be redeemed, surely they can too.

The Story of Alex and Hal: Alex meets Hal, Hal gets creepy, Alex gets killed, Hal drinks Alex's blood, Annie blows up a baby, Alex helps tie Hal to a chair, Alex spends the next 1 to 2 months dealing with Hal's 'frenetic' stages of withdrawal and cleaning up poo (or more likely watching Tom deal with that part, because let's face it, she and Hal aren't exactly close at that point). And then Hal immediately recruits a vampire and lies a lot. It's okay though, because somehow he still seems like a catch.

He's really not THAT hot, Alex. (Though I did superficially very much enjoy your kissing scene). Back to poo.

4. Hal's only back in the chair for like 5 minutes in 5x05, but Alex remembers the importance of the bucket.

And really, 500 years of off-and-on abstinence from blood and Hal really hasn't come up with a better method for making it through the first stages of withdrawal than tying himself to a chair with plastic sheeting underneath? Really?

I would have spent a good portion of my 'good' phases actively coming up with more dignified alternatives, personally.

5. Ugh, going back to 5x04, Crumb and Alan get the bucket too.

Gross. Seriously, Hal. Wouldn't it have been preferable to just stake them?

eta (because I'm mad that I didn't think to add it yesterday)
In conclusion:

/eta

I CANNOT BELIEVE I JUST TOOK THE TIME TO POST ABOUT THIS. SORRY.

This entry was originally posted at http://zoicite.dreamwidth.org/576620.html.

vampires and their inscrutable bullshit

2013-03-04T11:58:04Z

Being Human Set Details: More Leo, 5x05:

I feel like I have a lot to say about this episode (mostly about how I loved it), but I have to get to work so I'm just gonna talk about this one little set detail thing for now.

This is not a particularly spoilery sceencap (though some of the talk that follows is) for this episode, but I'll cut anyway.

I LOVE that Hal removed the picture of Leo from his mantle (and then moved the radio over to maintain symmetry). It says so much about what a mess he is and how he feels about his current state.

I imagine that he put the picture in a drawer or one of the wardrobes right before he gave in and drank the blood from Rook's flask at the end of 5x04. He couldn't handle giving in like that with Leo watching.

A couple other random things:
Hatch constantly has chess pieces spread out and lined up on that table in his room, but -- at least in this episode -- there is no chess board. What are you doing?

I thought I had one other set thing to say, but I'm blanking.

Oh! I remember.

THERE'S the pool cue.

eta:
One more thing - Is there a running tally of people on this show who have died while standing in that same area there in front of the bar at Honolulu Heights? Because I imagine that at this point, it's quite a few. Mitchell, Fergus, Larry, Natasha, Kirby, Cutler...

This entry was originally posted at http://zoicite.dreamwidth.org/573649.html.

more tv nerdiness

2013-03-02T02:36:11Z

Being Human Details: Leo's Picture and Hal's Chess Set

I was watching the extra scene from 4x06 with Hal and Adam and the lute talk the other day and Leo's picture on the mantle in Hal's room caught my eye.

In 4x04, before Kirby breaks it, the photo is held in a black frame.

Right before Kirby drops and breaks the frame.

When Annie kicks Hal out of the house he packs the picture, probably along with the dominoes and the chess set and the contents of his leather bag (which appears to contain a deck of cards, a smaller travel sized set of black dominoes and a seashell, among other things), as suggested by the tidiness of his room later in the episode.

The deck of cards falling out of Hal's bag. Also, the chess set, that I'm going to bring up again in a bit. Also, Hal's shaving implements by the sink. How DO you shave without being able to use the mirror, Hal? I guess you've had 500 years to practice...

The photo of Leo falling, the box of black dominoes in front of the wardrobe, and chess pieces/white dominoes all over the floor.

More photos/meta/talk of the box of dominoes and seashell in fadeanddecay's tumblr post here.

Hal's packed suitcases after he returns to the house.

The photo is back on Hal's mantle by 4x06, but it doesn't look like Hal ever replaced the black frame that Kirby broke. In the youtube clip above and in the photo from 4x07 below, it appears the picture with the white mat is just propped against the wall without a frame.

and zoomed in a bit more:

I like how Hal's clothes and shoes are sitting in a haphazard pile on the floor here. It doesn't seem like Hal's the sort that would leave his clothes on the floor when he removed them at the end of the day on most nights, so I think it's a nice touch that shows his frame of mind in this scene.

(I'm not actually sure what the point of this post is, except that I found it interesting that the frame is never replaced.)

Oh! And the chess set. I meant to talk about the chess set. This falls more into my Annie vs. Hal as head homemaker category, but I love that once Hal has been released from the chair and is able to clean/organize again in series 5, he moves his chess set from his bedroom to a prominent location on the table at the front of the main room.

That appears to be the chess set's permanent home now (except when Hal removed it to use the space for his blank puzzle). It makes me think that, in whatever random domestic free time there might be between series 5 episodes, Hal is forcing Alex and Tom to sit through lessons on the fundamentals of chess in the hopes that he can get one of them into it enough to play him as a worthy opponent (And then eventually he gives up and just plays against himself.)

(season 4 screencaps: lj user = letseyx, crappy 5x02 screencap: me)

This entry was originally posted at http://zoicite.dreamwidth.org/573359.html.

Being Human Details

2013-02-28T02:35:07Z

Being Human Details (aka I'm resisting the urge to write fannish love letters to Andrew Purcell):

This is really nerdy, but a week or so ago I caught myself wondering where Hal obtained the exercise bike that's in his room.

Did he find it somewhere in the house, or did he go out and buy it (clearly used)? Did he and Tom end up at another thrift shop in search of used exercise equipment?

I randomly decided to start rewatching series 3 today, and guess what makes a special guest appearance in 3x01!

I'd totally forgotten that the basement was advertised as a 'gym' when George, Nina, and Mitchell went to view the house.

Mostly, I just really love following moving furniture on this show. So much. At this point the house in Barry might actually be my favorite character...which means there are probably posts forthcoming regarding wallpaper, musical beds, unopened doors, photos, messes, and Annie's homemaking vs. Hal's.

(screencap credit: Season 4 - lj user = letsey_x, Season 3 - lj user = brasaremean)

This entry was originally posted at http://zoicite.dreamwidth.org/572715.html.

walking, BH, posting daily and stuff

2013-02-25T12:41:25Z

Things I learned yesterday afternoon:
So it turns out that if you're walking on a wooded trail alone and all of a sudden a guy comes running down the trail at you wearing a scary looking mini gas mask thing, it's possible that he's NOT actually some psycho tearing through the woods and is in fact a different sort of insane. Like a super running type who is trying to condition himself for x-country/mtn running at high altitudes while actually running pretty close to sea level.

Good to know.

Also, that was one of the weirder things I've encountered in the woods on the Palisades.

Unstructured thoughts on Being Human 5x04:
Remember in Series 1 when Mitchell was trying to help Lauren and he stole some blood for her from the hospital and she spit it all over the place because it had been sitting around for a while and was therefore disgusting?

I guess that's not true anymore? (and hasn't been for the last couple series) Or desperate times call for desperate measures? (Which is totally understandable with the maggoty blood on the floor incident from last year, and I guess the scene last night with Hal drinking blood from the flask that he's been holding on to for at LEAST a month - probably longer unless Rook gave him a new flask of blood when he came over to clean up Larry. But it doesn't explain Cutler taking blood from a fridge at the warehouse in series 4)

Also NOW they realize that if they're going to tie vampires to chairs for undetermined lengths of time they should probably do it in the basement and NOT in front of the main windows of the house?

I really really don't like the Jekyll & Hyde thing they're suddenly doing with Hal (though I thought Damien Molony did well with what he was given). What the hell was that? He's actually two different people now? "He was here, wasn't he?" Come on, dude. This was annoying enough when it was Angel/Angelus.

This is probably my least favorite episode of series 5 at this point, but it had its moments. Like Alex for the most part. I loved some of her bits with Hal. Not all (and there were too many here) but some. I loved the moment with Hal and Tom sleeping on each other on the couch, obviously. And Tom helping Bobby and sparing Hal even in wolf form. And getting to be a mentor for once. Aw, Tom.

On a random note, I'm sad that they didn't do more filming in some parts of the house this series. We have yet to go inside Tom's room at all this year and we were in Hal's room for the first time at the end of this episode, and that was a really close shot as though they didn't feel like dressing the rest of the room for the scene or something. Is Alex even calling any of the rooms her own, or is she of the mindset that she doesn't sleep and therefore doesn't need her own personal space? It doesn't appear that she moved into Annie's room, at least as of 5x02, because there is no longer any furniture in that room. Maybe she just goes in there and lies on the floor and stares at the ceiling? Maybe she's hanging out in one of the guest rooms behind the doors that never get opened? I don't know.

(Also, dear show. You cannot zoom in on the bay windows on the second floor at the front of the house and imply that those are the windows to Hal's room. I know you are pretending that they ARE and kinda have been for a series and a half now, but it does not make sense with the floor plan of the house and it drives me nuts. The bay windows on the side of the house would really make more sense...unless I'm wrong and the stairs turn differently than I think they do. Hm. Aaaand I need to stop paying attention to this kind of thing because I'll drive myself crazy and no one else cares. I really don't know why I get all excited and hung up on this crap.)

Lastly, someone on Tumblr posted the following:
‘The bods who made the [facebook] page asked when Hal said ‘he was here’ was he talking about bad Hal or the devil. So is the reason Hal can’t control ‘bad Hal’ because the devil is actually trying to take over Hal? As has been said, vamp stuff [has] never [been] done as a kind of split personality thing before, so thought that was an interesting angle’
- Someone on the Digital Spy forums

I think it's an interesting idea (and one that seems like it could end up sparing Hal from a stake-y end this series), and the fact that he didn't remember what he was saying during his Hyde moments and had to ask Crumb if 'he' was there *maybe* supports that? There's been no suggestion of memory lapse prior to this. Except that you'd think Hal would be far more surprised by the whole J&H routine if that was the case. He didn't seem all *that* shocked that he was suddenly jumping back and forth between Hal/Lord Hal (or whatever we're calling him) all of a sudden. Really, I think I'd like any idea that might explain the momentary passing out/switching personalities routine though.

This entry was originally posted at http://zoicite.dreamwidth.org/572257.html.

Dear Yuletide Writer 2012

2012-10-25T03:56:28Z

Hi Yuletide writer! Thank you so much for writing for me! I hope whatever I’ve requested is not giving you massive cause to spend December freaking out and pulling out your hair. I’m seriously easy going, and already appreciate your efforts! I will adore you no matter what you decide to write.

Feel free to ignore this letter and go your own way if that’s what works better for you, but if you’re the sort who likes guidelines and more to work with, I’ve tried to articulate some of my likes and dislikes a little better.

General Likes:
- Endings that feel like beginnings
- first kisses
- looking at life with a sense of humor
- banter
- complicated relationships
- friendships that become more
- I like everything from G rated gen to NC-17
- adventure and the outdoors
- pretty much anything that’s not on my dislikes list, and sometimes even the stuff that is…

General Dislikes:
- I'm not generally an h/c fan, nor am I generally a fan of stories that insert an abundance of angst where the canon doesn't necessarily call for it. I'm not saying that I require my stories to be all sunshine and rainbows all the time (my Downton Abbey request kinda proves otherwise), but I'd also prefer not to receive a story where, say Chloe from Pitch Perfect requires comfort from Beca after some kind of extreme trauma outside of the movie's canon.
- second person pov

Okay, requests! For most of the fandoms I requested, I don’t have much to add other than what I already included in the optional details, so this is mostly a rehash of that (with a few things added here and there):

1. Pitch Perfect (2012): Chloe, Beca, Cynthia Rose

Optional Details: I left the movie convinced that Chloe had all kinds of unrequited feelings for Beca. I'd love a story where this is explored. I'd love a story where Chloe's crush on Beca is requited, but I'm equally interested in a story where said unrequited feelings result in Chloe turning to Cynthia Rose for advice. Perhaps they bond, maybe it becomes more. And if none of that is your thing, then I'd also love something that looks at the characters (any individual character listed or any combination of the three) either before or after the events of the movie.

Additional Optional Details: I don't have a whole lot to add here. Chloe/Beca, Chloe/Cynthia Rose, or no pairing at all, please write what inspires you.

2. Bunheads: Truly Stone

Optional Details: I'd love a story that explores Truly's character. I'd love to read something that explores her changing relationship/friendship with Michelle. Or something about how she fits into the Paradise community. Maybe something exploring the episode with the pirate plumber (though I'm really not looking for a Truly/plumber story here). Or a story about shenanigans with her book club.

Additional Optional Details: Truly is an interesting character to me in that she sometimes seems to be a caricature, way too childish and needy and out there, and at other times she seems 100% competent, responsible, and adult. Either way, somewhere along the line she ended up being my favorite character on this show, so most of all, I'd just love to see a story that's centered around her.

3. Downton Abbey: Sarah O'Brien, Thomas Barrow

Optional Details: I've been itching for a dark dysfunctional almost-but-not-entirely relationshippy O'Brien/Thomas story with blackmail! and backstabbing! messed up and wrong sexual encounters! One-upmanship! cigarettes! some more blackmail! But uh, yes, I realize that this might be kind of out there as far as Downton fic requests are concerned. I would be equally thrilled with a platonic exploration of the relationship between the two characters, or even just a bantery scene of them being gossipy out back with their cigarettes. Really, you could write me any story that includes O'Brien and Thomas being, well, O'Brien and Thomas, and I will be very pleased!

Additional Optional Details: I don't have much else to say here, other than that I really hope that the first section of my optional details didn't scare you away. I really meant the last sentence just as much!

4. As You Like It - Shakespeare: Rosalind (Ganymede), Celia (Aliena)

Optional Details: I would love to see a femslashy encounter between these two during their time in the Forest of Arden. Maybe Celia suddenly finds she's developing feelings for 'Ganymede.' Or perhaps Rosalind gets a little too carried away in her role. If you're not into the femslash element, I'd love to see a story exploring how their retreat into Arden effects their friendship. Do their secret identities and shared exile threaten to drive them apart or work to strengthen their friendship?

Additional Optional Details: Anything Shakespeare seems (at least to me!) like it would be pretty daunting. It isn't necessary for the characters to speak in iambic pentameter or to use Elizabethan terms (though if you offered this fandom because you're comfortable writing it, go for it! I will be both excited and impressed!). If it's less daunting to set the story in a different time period with more modern language, feel free. I'm totally okay with this going somewhat AU. I only ask that the main elements remain - characters, names, general plot, and some kind of outdoor setting, but other than that, have at it!

Yuletide 2011

2011-11-19T19:02:34Z

Hi Yuletide writer! Thank you so much for writing for me! I hope whatever I’ve requested is not giving you massive cause to spend December freaking out and pulling out your hair. I’m seriously easy going, and already appreciate your efforts! I will adore you no matter what you decide to write.

Feel free to ignore this letter and go your own way if that’s what works better for you, but if you’re the sort who likes guidelines and more to work with, I’ve tried to articulate some of my likes and dislikes a little better.

General Likes:
- Endings that feel like beginnings
- first kisses
- looking at life with a sense of humor
- wit
- banter
- complicated relationships
- friendships that become more
- I like everything from G rated gen to NC-17
- adventure and the outdoors
- pretty much anything that’s not on my dislikes list, and sometimes even the stuff that is…

General Dislikes:
- stories where all the men are gay and all the women are straight
- hurt/comfort (unless you're writing for As Meat Loves Salt, in which case I'd be fine with this. Just please please don't write me a story where say Viola from She's the Man turns to Olivia for comfort following some kind of extreme trauma)
- excessive sappy schmoopiness
- second person pov
- stories with no dialogue
- character bashing
- high school a/u’s, modern day a/u’s - really for this challenge pretty much any alternate universe seems like a cop out to me.

Okay, requests! For most of the fandoms I requested, I don’t have much to add other than what I already included in the optional details, so this is mostly a rehash of that (with a few things added here and there):

1. Miranda - Miranda Hart, Gary Preston

Optional Details: I love this show in all of its hilarious ridiculous awkwardness. I’d love to see ANYTHING related to Miranda, Gary, Miranda & Gary, or Miranda/Gary. Seriously, anything. I’d love to see how they met and ended up as friends. I’d love to see them ridiculously handling a ridiculous situation complete with some awkward UST. I’d love awkward kisses/intimate relations. Anything, seriously. I’ll take it.

Additional Optional Details: Nothing to add here. Just requesting this left me with the urge to go rewatch the first 2 series. Such fun!

2. She’s the Man - Olivia Lennox, Viola Hastings

Optional Details: I’d love a story where Olivia still pines for Viola even once she realizes that Viola is Viola and not Sebastian. Bonus if it ends up being reciprocated. More cross-dressing and gender play would be fun, but isn’t necessary, and in the end I’d really prefer Olivia/Viola to Olivia/Sebastian!Viola, if that makes sense.

Additional Optional Details: Man, I love this movie so. I don’t have a whole lot to add to this. Except that I love Duke Orsino also, a really lot, so please don’t get Viola out of that relationship by turning Duke into some massive jerk?

3. As Meat Loves Salt - Christopher Ferris, Jacob Cullen

Optional Details: I’d love to read anything involving Ferris and Jacob set post-novel; an encounter, confrontation, messed up tryst, anything. I’d love a Ferris character study type story. Anything, really. Obviously, this does not have to be a fuzzy happy hearts and flowers kind of story, but if you decide to set it prior to the end of the novel and therefore it is, dripping kisses and all, then that’s more than good too!

Additional Optional Details: Obviously some of my list of general dislikes are canon in this novel, so you know, ignore them? Also, please don’t write something where Jacob is suddenly a great guy, cause that‘s not really the point. He’s a murderer, a rapist, an unreliable narrator, and a jealous asshole. (But let's face it, you could easily get around dealing with all of that by writing from Ferris' POV sometime before they move to the common, and I'm totally good with that! Completely good.) Also also, please don’t write something where Jacob starts calling Ferris ‘Christopher.' It’ll pull me out of the story. Unless he DOES refer to Ferris by his first name in the novel and I’m just forgetting. I don’t think he does though. He thinks of him as Ferris.

4. Playboy Club - Alice Beasley

Optional Details: I would love something centered around Alice. I’d love a character piece, or a little romantic pining thing over any of the bunnies, maybe more on her attraction to Maureen. I‘d love to see more of her with Frances and I‘d love to see more of her friendship/marriage with Sean.

Additional Optional Details: (Just wanted to note that the list above was supposed to read as different suggestions, not suggest that I was looking for ALL of those things in the same story. You don't have to include them all!) ~~A little confused as, based on the yuletters, it looks like other people were requesting Alice, but I wasn't seeing her in the drop down. But honestly,~~ though I'm really pining for an Alice-centric story, of the nominated characters I'd be more than happy with stories focused on Carol Lynne, Brenda, Janie, Frances, or Sean. Not so interested in John Bianchi, but it doesn't mean that I wouldn't happily read about him either, so please write what moves you.

Just a heads up

2005-09-12T20:24:53Z

If you're looking for icons, they're this way - zoicite_icons

If you're looking for fic, head in this direction - z_fic
(a list of stories can be found here)

If you were interested in my boring ramble-y everyday posts, this is the spot.