Below are the most recent 24 friends' journal entries.

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009
thebratqueen	10:49p	Shiny new thing! I have a printer! It's a new printer! It's a WIRELESS printer! I can sit on my couch and print things! Sadly I still have to stand to get them, but still! *bounce bounce bounce* Also unrelated to that: thanks to those who gave Wii recs the other day. I passed them on to my boss who was very appreciative. Current Mood: bouncy (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
thebratqueen	9:17p	It's aptly named My boss got his kids a Wii for Christmas (or at least that's the official story. How much the kids have actually gotten to play with it is another matter... ;) ) Anyway, he's not much of a tech geek so he doesn't know what all is out there. He and his wife liked bowling and tennis, and his oldest son (who is 7) absolutely loved Lego Star Wars. Actually his oldest son loves Lego anything. I do not own a Wii myself, but I know many of you do. So - got any recs for games? For him or his kids. Thank you! Current Mood: optimistic (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009
painless_j	3:07a	Quick rec: Marauders’ Era on LJ Sort of meta, very, very funny! Not quoting because it's a tiny thing but go look, it's so worth it! Marauders’ Era on LJ, by Regan V. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
fandom_wank [ dogbite12 ]	12:54p	So Transfan, I Herd U Liek Pedo Bear? Transformers comic book fandom wank.. Early this morning, it was about pedophilia. My doppelgänger from the IDW fan forum Skwege learned that he had been accused of having sex with children by the IDW forum fantards on Transfans.net. Sprunkner is a real internet tough guy. Unfortunately, he made it quite easy to find his dox. Skwege was not happy to find he'd been slandered as a pedo. So he calls (yes, as in calls Sprunkner's landline) to tell him to take it down. No yelling, just something along the lines of "call me whatever you want but accusing me of child fucking is not cool." What does Spencer (Sprunkner's IRL name) do? He freaks out and hangs up! That's right-he's a coward. So Skwege leaves him a voicemail: "Hi Spencer : You like to make libelous accusations about people having sex with kids? That is really grown up of you. Oh wow, you live in Washington State as well? What a coincidence! Bellingham is only an hour from here. It's not funny! I know little punks like you think they can run around all anonymous on the internet and think nothing can bite them in their ass. However let me tell you little man, you are going to retract your statement, and then apologize. Talking shit about someone is one thing, but making a disgusting and FOUL comment like that is libelous. I have the time, money, resources, and most importantly the fucking patience to see this through so don't toy with me little man." Then Sprunkner has his wife (yes, someone actually agreed to marry him) respond. He doesn't have the balls to answer Skwege himself-he makes his wife call him back and tell him not to call. Unfortunately, Spencer posted her phone number and email as his contact information. Some PMs get exchanged on the IDW forum and Sprunkner accuses Skwege of threatening him (although I doubt the police consider being asked to take down a post or telling someone you're suing them for slander are violations of any particular laws). He makes an announcement on Transfans.net, crying that Skwege is harassing his family and that he called the po-po on him. Sprunkner did call the police and they in turn contact Skwege. The result? The police are highly pissed off-at Sprunkner. Because this is much ado about comic books. All this name calling and wank is over whether or not the comic book series All Hail Megatron is in continuity. The police were not too happy about being called to mediate a dispute over Starscream's alt mode. They lecture Sprunkner and felt Skwege was somewhat justified. Skwege apologizes for dragging the wife into the mess because being accused of fucking children is serious business that involves the IRL banhammer. The wank continues on Tranfan.net where Sprunkner whines some more (I guess his wife made him sleep on the couch) and Skwege threatens to post a scan of the police report. These fine examples of male adulthood continue to fight about giant robots. I believe Sprunkner's wife summed it up succinctly in an email to Skwege: "This is a fight over made up robots-let it go." Unfortunately, everyone ignores her. Edit: I accept this is total fail. Need more recipes and fail macros, please. (425 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, January 5th, 2009
thebratqueen	11:15p	One of the least things I can do I just got finished watching Dear Zachary: A Letter to a son about his father. It aired on MSNBC last night and is in theaters around the country (check the link for info). I'm not sure how much to say about it because I feel like anything I say will give too much weight to some aspects and not enough to others. If you poke around on the website you'll find out all the details about the film. Including spoilers, if documentaries can be considered to have spoilers. Which some of you may want to read in order to decide if you can see it. But others might not want that information because without it you get to experience many of the events as the filmmaker did. The shortest summary is that Andrew, a close friend of the filmmaker's, died, and the filmmaker (Kurt) decided to make this movie as a way of honoring his friend. Then he found out that his friend had a son, so he decided to make the movie for the son, Zachary, so that Zachary would have something to know his father by. I'd say that information gets you to about the halfway point of the film, and after that are a lot of events that unfolded while Kurt was still making the documentary. This is a hard movie. It's not the best documentary ever created, but at the same time its weaknesses are its strengths. It's not a polished film, it's a deeply personal memorial. You watch it and you feel like you know these people. These are people who are going through horrible events that no one should ever have to go through. Watching it you are going to be devistated. I personally feel like I got kicked in the gut. I still haven't stopped crying. But at the same time - it's a story that needs to be told. It needs to be known. By the end of it I think you'll understand why you needed to be told about Andrew, and Zachary, and Andrew's parents. And part of it is that the only way the dead can live on is through memories, so by watching this we increase the amount of memories out there. And part is that even as you're there, probably crying yourself hoarse and feeling sick to your stomach, you see the absolute best in humanity and that needs witnessing and remembering too. I want to own this movie at the same time that I feel like I couldn't possibly ever watch it again. And this all goes back to that feeling of how this must be known. A part of this story needs to live in as many people as possible. So I'm doing my bit to honor that part by telling all of you about it. It's not easy and those of you who are parents and/or are sensitive to the idea of parents suffering the loss of their children should probably go to the website and get the full story so that you can decide if the movie wll be too triggery for you. But if you can watch it, do. For all of Andrew's family. Current Mood: crushed (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 4th, 2009
thebratqueen	10:58p	Where did all this room come from? Christmas decorations are gone. My tradition is to leave them up until the Epiphany (...heh) but since that's in the middle of the week I figured may as well do it now. My living room has so much ROOM now! WHEEEEE! Tomorrow I go back to work. While I'm in the in-between stage I'm all meh about it. I think once I make it to work I'll be more content about it. In an odd way I think I've been thrown by not having a routine. Mind you I'll probably deny this when my alarm goes off tomorrow and I have to drag myself out of bed 4 hours earlier than I've been getting out of bed over the past 2 weeks. But then I'll just remind myself of how much I spent over the holiday and how it's nice to have a paycheck to replenish the ol' savings account. Of course the cats are of the opinion that I shouldn't go anywhere. Mac in particular, as he lies across my arms right now. It's possible he won't even let me go to bed. Current Mood: mellow (Comment on this)
painless_j	3:47a	HP rec: Until We Meet Again, by Hollycomb (Harry/Teddy) Until We Meet Again: part 1, part 2, by Hollycomb ## Harry/Teddy, NC-17, novella. Summary: Harry Potter, now considered a dangerous loner by Wizarding society, has financially provided for Teddy Lupin for the boy's entire life. Emotionally, however, he has been completely unavailable, until the summer before Teddy's final year at Hogwarts, when Teddy finally connects with his remote benefactor. Warnings: EWE. This is my absolutely favourite next gen fic now. Yes, I do realise that this is not the first time I said it. I know I said something like this two times about another fic of Hollycomb's, too. And it will happen again in the future. But for now, this is how much in love I am with this story. Terribly in love. This is, like, my ideal next gen crossgen fic. Right after finishing it, I thought that I wished I had read it in the fest while it had been anon and become all excited about an unknown new author. But then I thought, no way I wouldn't recognise Hollycomb's writing. Nobody writes post-war and next gen fics as she does. In one word... well, I nearly said 'unhappy' but that's not true. I can't find a one-word definition. I think I can't find a three-word one either. Hollycomb's future is usually less than happy, or not ideal. Or not as ideal or fictionalised as we are used to seeing in HP fics featuring epilogue generation. Her characters are a bit (or not a bit) broken, a bit (or a lot) fucked-up, and that and the tone of her writing made the stories sound very real. But that doesn't make them unhappy. Harry lives in a large mansion in Northumberland. Alone. With only Kreacher for assistance. Well, basically, Teddy lives there too, only he's in Hogwarts all year long and when he isn't, Harry is barely ever home, travelling on some mysterious and vaguely sinister business of his. They aren't family. They aren't even close because Harry doesn't let anyone close to himself. And it's not that Teddy minds. Only then he does, sort of. I loved how Harry always seemed larger than life to Teddy and how the author underlines it with his physical description: how large his hands or his clothes are for Teddy. I also absolutely loved details. This is what always works best for me. My mind needs something to catch, to visualise and remember: what Teddy picks off Harry's plate and how he does it (and that scene at all), the owl that delivers Harry's last letter and how it's introduced, how Teddy tries to envision his domestic future, and many more. I would love to say more but I'm still pretty overwhelmed and very, very happy that I've read this story. Run, don't walk! (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 3rd, 2009
jordangrant	3:49p	Owned (HP/DM) -- Post 74 Title: Owned Rating: Adult Summary: The Malfoys have always been owned by the Potters. HP/DM. Deathly Hallows compliant although the epilogue is ignored. Warnings: Slavery, dominance/submission, slash, angst, romance. Since this story spins off of canon, Harry's in a relationship with Ginny when we begin. Disclaimer: Based on JK Rowling's Harry Potter works, the full canon except the DH epilogue. No infringement intended and not for profit. Feedback: Yes, please. ---- This story is based on a prompt provided by lothy. ---- Latin incantation and translation provided by fabula_rasa. ---- Owned banner art by quill_lumos. ---- Thanks to triomakesmehot, quill_lumos, hogwartshoney and clauclauclaudia for the feedback and valuable comments. WARNING: Cliffhanger ( Continue Reading ) Current Mood: head-achey. Owww..... (Comment on this)
fandom_wank [ aeka ]	3:26p	You Knew this was coming The wank over the new Doctor Who has already begun. Some like the new Doc, Others Don't One Rants About Him Being a Crappy Choice Another post says everyone needs to grow up Another says DO.NOT.WANT And the posts just keep on coming! Still, I really wanted Paterson Joseph. :o ETA 1: More screaming and capslock at Who_Anon! ETA 2: More ugly wank at ONTD, with bonus Martha Jones wank ETA 3: Macros at ihasatardis, including one of Matt and Billie! ETA 4: Also Captain Jack has spoken! Bishy wank and age included! ETA 5: Round 900 And Counting! ETA 6: The missed Crafty Tardis wank post! ETA 7: The Eleventh Doctor has enraged the internetz so much that even readers of The Sun are having a field day; Page 2 and Counting! (615 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, January 2nd, 2009
thebratqueen	5:32p	Hippo Ewe Deer! I had a lucifrix this week and you didn't, neener neener neener. There was eating of food and watching of DVDs and I dare say fun was had. At least by me. lucifrix will have to speak for herself, assuming she wasn't eaten by snow beasts on her way home. After dropping her off at the train station I hit the bookstore, then went home to read and nap. Not at the same time. Though boy would I get so much done if I could. Only 2 days left until I have to go back to work again. It was a productive vacation, and I shall miss it. Now to start the new year off with a meme! Which I have stolen from ktnb81: Please comment with something you think I should do or try to do in 2009. Big or small, silly or earth-changing. Current Mood: recumbent (Comment on this)
painless_j	3:24p	Eroica rec from Yuletide2007 The Beat That My Heart Skipped (Sounded Like This), by Livia # Dorian/Klaus, PG-13, 4600 words. "You'd think a queer like you wouldn't care to use blackmail as much as you do," Klaus remarked. I had to go and look what other Eroica fics this author wrote after this year Ylutide's one (see rec here). How did I miss the last year's? This story was harsher than most Eroica fics I've read and I liked it, especially that Livia didn't make it in any way melodramatic or even pointlessly dramatic. It explores a what if: what if Klaus really secretly wanted Eroica but couldn't cave in to his advances because of Eroica's own nature that makes him a pretty ruthless individual for whom nothing is too low if it makes him closer to his goals? The story is very vivid. I enjoyed it a lot. (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 1st, 2009
painless_j	10:55p	HP rec: The Fall, by anon (Teddy/James Jr) The Fall, by anon # Teddy/James Jr, NC-17, ~30K words. Summary: "You may go now. I don't want to see you back in detention again." James mutely picked up his bag, heeding Teddy's instructions. "Walk back to Gryffindor Tower, no stopping anywhere. I want to imagine you with come dripping down your legs." Warnings: None, other than the rating indicates. No, that's not an overly long PWP, even despite what the headers might make one think. When I finished it, I thought that it was a lovely story, and said so in my comment, realising almost immediately that it was silly of me to use that word when I had kept biting my fingers while reading. The story is pretty tense; I kept expecting things to go pear-shaped. Spoilerish thoughts ahead, highlight if you want to read them: I admit I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't, or didn't quite go pear-shaped. I felt that Teddy needed to learn a lesson. On the other hand, I suppose he did learn it, even if only by approximation :) The story contains lots of sex and then some but despite it, the strongest impression it left on me wasn't with its hotness but with the problems of various kinds of teacher/student relationships Teddy faces. Teddy tries hard. He wants to be a good teacher like his father was, from all the stories he hears about him. But thing is, he's kind of not. That is, everybody keeps telling him he's good but he feels out of sorts, inadequate most of the time. Add to this the slippery slope of his highly inappropriate relationship with James. Teddy tries (when he does) to be an adult but in truth he's barely out of childhood himself, still impulsive, immature, and rather insecure. Anyway, it was an interesting story :) Worth rereading later. (Comment on this)
fandom_wank [ hypno_jango ]	9:21a	The grammar! My eyes! I'm just C&P'ing a mousie's post from wank_report. I can't pass up entitlement wank. Crunchyroll is going legit. The site owner, Shinji, has been wheeling and dealing to have anime air subbed only days after it airs in Japan. OK, users are pleased, the Naruto fans look on in anticipation, everything seems hunky-dory. Then, Shinji introduces Anime memberships for the site. Did not read all of the benefits but the gist seems to be higher quality videos and quicker access to the anime from Japan. That happened in the past few weeks. Now queue the new year! Oops, did he just say that he was removing all fan uploaded content and getting permission from the publishers? Queue the butthurt, angst, and I will kill for my anime!!!!Z!!!!!!ZOMG~!!!! Along with people eagerly trading links for other sites to feed their addiction. The dramas, anime, and music sections now look like ghost towns, with the exception of stuff Shinji has wheeled and dealed for. People are predicting the death of the site, but for now, it's fun seeing the entitlement angst going on over there. (403 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
thebratqueen	10:10p	THIS IS THE SKIN OF A TAX ACCOUNTANT! Okay people, I have lucifrix here and SHE HAS NOT SEEN THE EDWARD SPARKLE SCENE. And I cannot find it on google or youtube for the life of me ("Twilight sparkle" is not specific enough, who knew?) (Okay I also tried "Skin of a killer" but that just brought up the soundtrack. DAMN THEM) I NEED A LINK. DIRE SHOCK THE TWILIGHT NOOB EMERGENCY. Except she already knows about the sparkling but STILL. Hook a girl up with a link to the sparkle scene? Please? With boobies on top? *looks hopeful* Current Mood: quixotic (Comment on this)
fandom_wank [ kalloway ]	4:02p	At the intersection of FFVII and FFR... When shezoo reposts hir Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children fanfic, "Flower Face", to ffvii_yaoi (locked, comm is open membership), the response is seemingly underwhelming - that is until eternalwings posts to fanficrants about the story. The first few comments are pretty tame and agreeable, until some of the author's friends and the author hirself show up. It's called AU, twit. Apparently, the story title comes from Welsh mythology, something renos_rude AND screamersgirl explain in the comments using the exact same text (with a tiny error likely because the entire lump wouldn't fit in AIM). And then the author appears, complete with capslock, insults and exclamation point abuse. AND YOUR RUINING THE PRETEND! Not to mention the entire thread devolving into something to do with coconut. All's well that wanks well, right? Except that a quick check back to see when "Flower Face" was originally posted reveals that shezoo is sepherotica is ssgallery is annataria (that Annataria), because ze changes usernames as often as ze changes URLS. And while some of those journals have been deleted, Annataria's is still there, listing many of the 'random' defenders (including the one so taken by the story) on FFR as friends. ...whoops? (197 Comments |Comment on this)
painless_j	5:48p	Eroica rec from Yuletide 2008 An almost perfect alibi, by ??? ## Dorian/Klaus, R, ~10K words. "I need a favor," Klaus said, very carefully, if the words were bits of broken glass. Written for musamihi in the Yuletide 2008 Challenge Loved it, loved it, loved it! Delightful and perfectly Eroica. This is exactly the sort of Eroica fic I want to read. Saved it to my hard drive halfway through and in places simply squealed, for real. It's flirty and tense, funny and hot. Aww, I'm a happy reader now :) As he approached, Dorian's vanity battled his curiosity. His impulse to wash up and put together a really sensational outfit was strong, but so was the urge to find out what could have possibly prompted the Major to call. After a rough and dirty fight, his curiosity won the day. Whatever it was that had brought the Major here, onto Dorian's territory, it must be awfully impressive, especially after-- No. Dorian pushed Zurich out of his mind as he entered the castle, hurrying through its spacious halls. The Major had rejected him, that was all. Nothing odd about that. Dorian wasn't going to give it a second thought. -- Having stopped only to run a razor over his face, comb his hair, put it into a ponytail, pull it out of the ponytail again, and put it back into the ponytail once more, Dorian strode into the sitting room where the Major waited. He pulled the tie from his hair impatiently, tossing his head to shake his hair out. Of course it looked better down-- what had he been thinking? The Major looked as he always did, forever and ever amen. His clothes were crisp, if unstylish, his tie was a tragedy, and his expression was businesslike, betraying only slight impatience. Dear Klaus. Dorian had always enjoyed ruffling other people's feathers, and the Major was an eternal temptation in that regard. Among others. He had, Dorian noticed, dragged one of the Queen Anne chairs nearly eight inches out of place, turning it fifteen degrees to the left. It ruined the neat arrangement of the furniture in the room, but allowed the Major to sit facing both the door and the window. It was very like him. (Comment on this)
Monday, December 29th, 2008
fandom_wank [ bishounenhideto ]	9:58a	Vintage Update Does anyone remember this wank from awhile back? http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/1157179.html I know Taral Wayne from the above article, personally, and while it took awhile for him to get around to seeing the article, he did finally see it. He felt it was well-written, as factual as could be, and had few problems with it. He did feel people might like to hear more directly from him, so provided me with a brief article. I'll include it below. ( Taral's response ) use (79 Comments |Comment on this)
painless_j	1:56a	HP recs: next gen crossgen, Snarry, and H/D. Practical Uses of the Orphaned Heart, by Hollycomb # Harry/Teddy, NC-17, one-shot. Summary: Harry misses the annual Weasley Family Reunion after Teddy Lupin, his summer houseguest, comes down with a mysterious illness. Shenanigans ensue. Firstly, ridiculously hot. Secondly, messed up like (I suppose I've read enough fics of Holycomb's to say it) next gen always is in her stories, and I loved it here, as I always do. And thirdly, hopeful and lovely despite it. I loved it! A Time to Forget, by GatewayGirl # Snape/Harry, NC-17, ~25K words. Warnings: Epilogue-compliant. Summary: Harry had expected teaching at Hogwarts, even temporarily, would have complications -- his children, for instance. But when he goes exploring in the dungeons, the past moves inexorably into his present. This is a cliché plot (highlight to read: sort of mental de-aging/amnesia)) but with enough originality to make it stand out and with enough 'meat' to sink my reader's teeth into. Reads wonderfully, perfectly entertaining and captivating. The Potter-Malfoy Problem, by anon [] Harry/Draco, NC-17, ~29,000 words. Summary: The room of requirement's gone mad — at least, that's what Harry thinks. There's no way that Draco Malfoy 'requires' him, of all people, but why does it keep dragging Harry there like he's some kind of furniture, every time Malfoy enters it? Throw in Pansy the pervert and a clipboard-wielding Hermione, and things can only go from bad to worse. And that's not even mentioning the pirates . . . Warning(s): Hot sexin' (om nom nom) of both a top!Harry and top!Draco variety, sort-of voyeurism, bad language, a dash of girl-on-girl snogging and blatant abuse of the prompt 'pirates' to get Draco in a dress. I just realised the following might sound as a critique while in fact, I'm going to pay compliments to this fic. So keep my intent in mind :) This fic reads like an Old Skool HD, a bit cliché, a bit fanon, with some things a bit careless (why would Draco know about Peter Pan?). You know how it will end; you probably even know the steps to get them there. But it's one of the most pleasantly entertaining and feel-good pieces of HP fiction I've read recently, in which making you feel good after reading is done without undue sappiness. Besides, it's hot, even though there's nothing particularly edgy or innovative in how the sex is written. On the whole, it reads as if it's written as a good-natured tribute to the old times HD. I enjoyed it a lot. (Comment on this)
Sunday, December 28th, 2008
painless_j	3:54a	HikaGo recs. Vol. 7 Square One, by murinae # Touya/Shindou, PG-13, ~26K words. But if Shindou Hikaru is a frog prince waiting, that would make him, perhaps, the princess. And since Akira refuses to accept such a role, he kicks Shindou's sandals with a not-so-gentle thump... One thing is clear: I'm going to read more by this author. This story is wonderful on many levels. Plot is: Hikaru is framed and accused of cheating in his Tengen matches. Imagine how it affects him. He knows he didn't cheat. Touya trusts him. They begin investigating. It written wonderfully, with lots of moving scenes, and lovely scenes, and lines that are perfectly placed. But I want to just stop at a couple of points that made me fall in love with this story. Ogata. He is perfect. I'm a big Ogata lover but, disregarding the fact that there are too few fics at all that feature him, as for me, most of them either fluff him up a bit (or not a bit, but I'm not speaking about those) or villainise him. This one though... As for me, he's spot-on here. Another moment that I'll be re-watching inside my head is how Shindou sort of moves into Touya's life and how Touya frets about it. It's just so IC, real, and lovely. Very engaging and satisfying reading! And a few gen pieces from fifthmus that I liked. Affecting Eternity: Ponnuki, by lanerose [] Gen, G, short. Summary: In which Touya Kouyo acquires a student and, some day, a rival. A nice short story where we can see the much younger future Touya Meijin and the coming to go of another character I like very much. Lovely! Reasoned Madness, by thephoenixboy [] Gen, G, short. Summary: After the last match of the Honinbou tournament, Kuwabara takes Ogata out for a drink. The Ogata-Kuwabara duo never gets old. Ogata finally wrestles the Honinbou title from Kuwabara. But the latter wouldn't be the man he is if he couldn't find his victories elsewhere. Very amusing. Drunk!Ogata (and hangover!Ogata) is fun. The Simple Life Plan of Shotaru Shindo, by aka_anonymous [] Gen, G, short. Request 1: Hikaru's dad - his opinion of his son's liking for go. Apart from the Western first name-last name convention applied in this fic that my brain, used to the opposite, stumbled over, I liked it. Hikaru's father is a bit more present than absent in it, the fic being from his perspective, than in canon but he's still rather detached and doesn't really get his son, which, IMO, is as it should be in this universe. A very ordinary man raises a very extraordinary child. What's going on inside his head? This fic offers us a look into it. I found it believable and the story, interesting and a bit amusing, if a bit sad at the same time too. (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 27th, 2008
painless_j	4:21p	OMG so extatic! RAMMSTEIN ARE RECORDING A NEW ALBUM, OMG WHEEEEE!!!! I've been thinking there were gone for good. But the official site got redesigned (i.e. lost former super design) and some news started leaking. YAY! OMG, this is the best winter holidays' present. By the next New Year we'll probably get this new album :)))) (Comment on this)
Friday, December 26th, 2008
thebratqueen	11:30p	Boxing Day! WOOO! So today I went out and did some shopping as part of my plan to single-handedly stimulate the economy. The biggest amount of money got spent at Michael's where, amongst other things that I needed to get, I ended up getting supplies for making cards. And then when I got home sat down and made my own holiday cards for next year. Because I am both incredibly productive and insane. But at least I make my insanity work for me, which I think is key. No huge plans for the weekend. Cleaning, playing with the other new crafty toys I got at Michael's, that sort of thing. Have I mentioned how much I love holiday weekends? For verily, I do. Current Mood: productive (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 27th, 2008
painless_j	5:35a	Jeeves and Wooster recs, from Yuletide 2008 The Aunt and the Ankh, by ??? # Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster, hint of J/W, PG-13, ~5K words. "It would seem that Miss Bassett has her heart set on an Egyptian-themed wedding." "Will this involve everyone wrapping themselves in gossamer drapes and clasping asps to ye olde bosom?" "I fear so, sir." Wonderfully in-style, following Wodehouse's narrative manner and story structure, wonderfully in character, and very funny. The plot is properly Wodehousesque too: an Aunt, a theft, a misadventure, and Jeeves saving the day. What else would one want from a J&W story? If only a hint of slash? Here you go then :) Jeeves and the Christmas Spirit, or, Turkey in the Offing, by ??? # Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster, Gen, G, 3000 words. Christmas at Brinkley Court. What could go wrong? Not as funny as the other story of this year's Yuletide that I picked but just as charming, Wodehousesque, and enjoyable. This time it's a traditional battle for the incomparable Anatole. Jeeves saves the day, of course :) (Comment on this)
Friday, December 26th, 2008
painless_j	3:37a	Miscellaneous small fandom recs. Yuletide: Antique Bakery Fools and Their Money, by ??? # Fandom: Antique Bakery, gen, G, ~1000 words. Fabulous and funny. Chikage plays at stock market. An impending disaster, you'd think? Heh. Read and see. I adored it. All the characters are IC, especially Tachibana and Chi whom we can see the most. I want to quote the entire short fic because there are wonderful bit after wonderful bit but I'll limit myself with just one of them: He was also strangely good at remembering things long after a true idiot could have been distracted from them. It was a talent that Tachibana's parents had exploited many times in caring for their son. Tachibana might forget to take his vitamins or change his sheets or call home, but Chikage would helpfully remind him beyond all hope of pretending he forgot anyway. Worse, you just had to reward him for being helpful, because yelling at Chikage was like kicking molded gelatine: it caused a ripple, but ultimately didn't change much. "We could play together, if you taught me the rules?" Eager as a daisy in the morning. It took a week of asking followed by a week of hopeful glances, until finally Tachibana gave in and explained the quotes. "So you're helping companies that need you, and someday they pay you back?" "Or they suck your money into a black hole of bad management and a soft economy and you never see it again." As usual, Chikage had blissfully ignored that part. Omikuji, by ??? # Fandom: Antique Bakery, PG, ~11K words. Pairing: not telling. Summary: Paper fortunes for a life no more substantial. Sometimes Tachibana wondered what things would be like with just a little more dimension. Then he drank more sake and had a nap. Maybe read porn. Depended on the day. This story is completely different from the one above. It's quiet, contemplative and, I don't know, unobtrusive, if one can say so about the story. The relationship between the characters I'm not naming (so that you could see how it works on your own) grew so logically, so, to use the author's word, inevitably, that I was completely persuaded that they make sense together by the end, even though I'd never even thought about them as a pairing before. Tachibana's having a sort of midlife crisis. He feels like something is missing in his life. Purpose maybe? Or anything truly meaningful. I felt his disquiet throughout the story, and love the details that highlighted it, such as the cup and what adventures it gets. The story is like a less comical episode of the anime/chapter of the manga, although not like those sinister ones either. I liked it. Now to think where to put these recs at my site. A new page? In case you have no clue what I'm talking about here, my rec of the manga, of the anime. Btw, I downloaded and watched the Korean Antique Bakery live-action film yesterday from komick's LJ (CAM version, no subtitles). Loved Ono, didn't like Chikage, and Chikage is who I like best in this animanga, so, well, mixed impressions. The film is pretty trashy, aesthetics-wise. I like the highly stylised anime version better. (Comment on this)
Thursday, December 25th, 2008
painless_j	6:26p	HikaGo recs. Vol. 6 I've got lots of recs for you: more in HikaGo, some HP, and miscellaneous small fandoms from Yuletide. I'll be posting them as I've typed them. Outside the Lines, by aishuu # Touya/Shindou, NC-17, AU, ~14K words. Summary: Akira, the mangaka of "Bleach," meets Hikaru, the mangaka of "Death Note." All kind of awesome and so much fun! The idea is crazy on the surface: to make HnG characters mangaka. Not only that! The mangaka who draw the most popular manga: Naruto, Bleach, Doraemon, Prince of Tennis, Death Note. I admit I'm familiar only with about 1/4 of the manga mentioned but I believe one doesn't have to read all of them to get the story. As for me, this AU works surprisingly well, especially the ending -- I never saw it coming but it's very logical. It all makes sense, even Sai. I do wish, seeing which manga Hikaru is doing, that he had some guidance from Sai :P Wonderful story! Hot, fun, moving, and entertaining. Seance de Go, by aishuu (or here) [] Gen (with some Touya/Shindou undertones), PG, short. Spoilers: Through the anime. Summary: A stormy night, a game between Hikaru and Akira, as promises are finally fulfilled and made. This is a nice story. I was sort of under-impressed when I began reading it. Like, well-written but didn't sink a hook in me. But the ending was what did it. I thought, gah, the clues were all there. Why didn't I notice? The story is very sad but somehow not quite hopeless. I like this feeling. The Rumour Mill, by Harukami # Touya/Shindou, R, 7K words. Set some year or two post-series. Spoilers for the series. A rumour appears seemingly out of nowhere that Shindou and Touya are in a relationship. Shindou freaks out in a very Shindou-ey way. This is, IMO, one of the very best versions of Hikaru's possible sexual identity crisis. Funny and very moving at the same time. It's also a story where Akira cuts his hair. I nearly cried. It works so well here both on the emotional level and as a sign of, well, things :/ Really wonderful! I'm going to read more of this writer. "I'm expecting news in the mail any day now. Whoever it is, though, I look forward to a real good game!" The interviewer laughed politely. "And... let's see, any chance that it might be Touya Akira?" "I can hope, right?" His grin brightened at the sudden interest on her face. Well, of course -- two young Go geniuses across the board from each other, attractive and smart, what wouldn't a girl be thinking about? "So, you don't think your relationship with Touya 4-dan will interfere with your playing?" Hikaru chuckled. "Of course our -- what?" "Pardon?" "Relationship? What?" (Comment on this)