"And what are you two doing here?"

dreamwidth invites

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:26:47 GMT

I keep meaning to post this and forgetting!

Anyway, I have two dreamwidth invites available. If you'd like one, drop me an email (it's in my profile); I'd prefer they went to people who don't already have an account there, but otherwise I don't care who gets 'em!

an unusual request: het recs

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:19:23 GMT

So, uh, I promised an RL friend I'd send her some of the "hot" fics I liked. She's a het reader, and I'm primarily a slash reader (she doesn't know this), but I figured I've read enough het that I could come up with some offerings even if they were from my "older" days in fandom. Then I went digging through my bookmarks, ... and I found one. ONE. Which was a broken link, but I emailed the author and got a copy.

Either I have read a lot less het than it feels like, or I have done something unfortunate to my bookmarks, but either way I am feeling a bit sheepish. Is all my porn gay now?

So I was hoping you lovely people on my flist could help a slasher out and point me at some good NC-17 het for the following fandoms:

Harry Potter
Pirates of the Caribbean
FF7: Advent Children
Lord of the Rings

Thanks SOOOO much, you guys!

Lance's Pretty-Much-Complete List of Roy/Ed Recs

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:23:02 GMT

Edited to Add: WHAT is wrong with JF that it rejects my html? This is getting REALLY BLOODY ANNOYING.

This post was made for <lj user=painless_j>, but because I subscribe to the theory that it's better to do a thing once and well, it contains ALL of my Roy/Ed recs, including those I know J has already read, the better to serve as my own personal bookshelf and a rec list for others.

Warnings, disclaimers, notes, and other miscellany:

I should perhaps warn that many of these are AU-from-the-movie, because the movie breaks my stupid little heart and I prefer to pretend it doesn't exist.

I have not read every fic by every author; ergo, that I have recced one thing by Author X but not another may mean that I liked the former and not the latter, or that I simply haven't read the latter, and thus have no opinion.

Edward Elric, in canon, is 12-16 years old. This means that in a lot of fic, Edward is 12-16 whilst Having Feelings For someone. I do not warn for underage-ness unless Ed's in the lower half of that range.

Other miscellaneous quirks:
* I detest fangirl-Japanese, and won't rec fics where everyone is "Taisa" and "nii-san" and "Edward-kun"; likewise I hit Back immediately upon encountering "Edo" and "Aru", so if there are any really brilliant fics out there that use these, they will not be recced here.
* I'm dreadful at summaries, so I just tried to keep them short; please don't put too much weight on them.
* I have tried to warn for the timeline status of things, but reserve the right to have goofed up in places.
* I have included Al/Roy/Ed in this Roy/Ed post.
* I do not use the "name order conventions" common in anime fandoms; "Roy/Ed" does not imply any particular sexual role for each character.
* I hope you enjoy it! I am amazed at how much I found once I started digging through my folders... :D

<lj-cut text="Let the recs begin!">
Let the recs begin!

<a href="http://sarunotoki.livejournal.com/1952.html">Nuclear Blanket</a> by sarunotoki: nonmovie; Edward returns to Amnestris, and Roy makes a realisation.

<a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAsituation.htm">Situation Normal</a> by Coyo: nonmovie; Edward Elric, alchemical genius, can't figure out why everybody is acting so strange when he's around.

<a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAcontact.htm">Contact</a> by Coyo: Ed never seems to stop moving; when he does, he finds something unexpected.

<a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAhold.htm">Hold</a> by Coyo: shameless snuggling with smut!

<a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAcode.htm">Code</a> by Coyo: preslash; AU; but I love it for the intensity of the understanding that Ed gradually develops, and the intricacies of alchemy that convey it.

<a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAcradle.htm">Cradle and All</a> by Coyo: short; AU, but I find this subtly darker military quite believable; and Roy's actions and reactions, too.

<a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAgrowth.htm">Growth</a> by Coyo: Ed doesn't notice things until they're right under his nose.

<a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAcinders.htm"> Cinders</a> by Coyo: nonmovie; Roy would never have good memories of this hill, but Ed had half a lifetime that said differently. Ed goes home, with Roy.

<a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAheart.htm">Hearts and Hands</a> by Coyo: Ed/Roy/Al; nonmovie; Ed can't be held, but Al and Roy can live with that.

<a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAsymbolic.htm">Symbolic</a> by Coyo: nonmovie; short, but I think that "Ed and Al speak Alchemist at each other" is a kink of mine, and then there's the fact that I laughed more in this short piece than I have at many a longer one; the humour is wonderful.

<a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAsettling.htm">Settling</a> by Coyo: nonmovie; Al and Ed are complete opposites, but Roy and Al are more similar than an outsider might expect. Al's subtly maneuvering Ed is incredibly cute.

<a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAtrade.htm">Trade</a> by Coyo: AU -- colonel!Ed and Stoneseeking!Roy; all I can say about this fic is that it sets my GUH!meter on overload. If I am a very, very good serpent, maybe one day Coyo will write more of it one day...

The Altered States Arc (<a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAaltered01.htm">Albedo</a>, <a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAaltered02.htm">Citrinitas</a>, <a href="http://ciceqi.slashcity.com/FMAaltered03.htm">Rubedo</a>, Nigredo) by Coyo: WIP; nonmovie; Ed and Roy think they've figured out a better way to make a Stone, but there are some bumps along the road to discovery. Incredibly hot sex, great Al, and I love that the political consequences and military infighting are dealt with as well as the relationship.

<a href="http://impishclawmarks.livejournal.com/2141.html">Morning In</a> by Dragonimp: PWP, really, and this is something of a "conditional rec" -- there are a few very small things that irritate me (mostly word choices -- I despise "teen"), and I'm not sure I quite believe in an Edward this emotionally open, but in other parts Ed is well-characterised, and it's nice to have a bit of notaslut!Mustang sometimes.

<a href="http://community.livejournal.com/prolific_geeks/33554.html">Half Empty</a> by Cepheid: the author calls this "WTF Pretentious Roy/Ed", but I love the interweaving of alchemy (remember that "Ed and <strike>Al</strike> anyone talk Alchemist at each other" kink?) and history, the way it's so much part of their language and their worldviews; and the hints at the political realities of the setting, and the way it affects Ed, and Roy.

<a href="http://harukami.hanashika.com/fanfic/FMA/oneshot/fullmetal.html">Fullmetal</a> by Haru: short; automail kink! Mmmm.

<a href="http://harukami.hanashika.com/fanfic/FMA/oneshot/circles.html">Circles</a> by Haru: short; alchemy, sex, life -- they all move in circles.

<a href="http://harukami.hanashika.com/fanfic/FMA/oneshot/ashortrein.html">A Short Rein</a> by Haru: short; nonmovie; the appeal of submission depends on whether one has chosen it.

<a href="http://harukami.hanashika.com/fanfic/FMA/oneshot/godsandheroes.html">Gods and Heroes</a> by Haru: short; Al had put his foot down and refused to let Ed sell himself any further. Ed had snapped that he wasn't opposed to it, which was the closest he'd ever come to a confession. It was only typical that it had been made to Al in front of Roy rather than any other way. Ed and Roy discuss deities, pederasty, and devotion.

<a href="http://harukami.hanashika.com/fanfic/FMA/oneshot/orbit.html">Orbit</a> by Haru: short; Fullmetal walks a knife's edge between burn-out and despair, either of which could destroy him. Roy will spot him where he can. I love the quiet sort of love Roy demonstrates, and his mix of determination and resignation.

<a href="http://harukami.hanashika.com/fanfic/FMA/oneshot/dates.html">Dates</a> by Haru: short; Roy's calendar used to be defined by his women; now it's defined by Fullmetal.

<a href="http://sea-priest3ss.livejournal.com/10730.html#cutid1">Old Soldiers Never Die</a> by SeaPriestess: nonmovie; old heroes may fade, but Roy doesn't forget; it's his private penance.

<a href="http://rainjoyswriting.livejournal.com/64666.html">Ink</a> by Rainjoy: movie-compliant; Ed initiates a correspondence across space and time. I love this fic so much; some of the letters break my heart, and the sheer stubborn love in the face of its hopelessless awes me, and is made even better by the ending.

<a href="http://rainjoyswriting.livejournal.com/28976.html">The Line of Symmetry</a> by Rainjoy: Ed's genius gets him into the most amazing scrapes, but getting stranded with an alternate version of himself -- all because of one stupid experimental array -- is more than he knows how to cope with.

<a href="http://rainjoyswriting.livejournal.com/33193.html">Padam, Padam</a> by Rainjoy: movie-compliant(ish); Ed/alter!Roy; Ed meets someone who isn't Roy, and they understand each other, maybe too well. Impossibly beautiful prose, amazing emotional impact, and wonderful characters; Rainjoy is an expert at breaking my heart.

<a href="http://rainjoyswriting.livejournal.com/25786.html">Untitled fic</a> by Rainjoy: nonmovie; Roy doesn't realise he loves Edward until after Edward vanished, but he can't give up.

Pieces (<a href="http://rainjoyswriting.livejournal.com/37976.html#cutid1">Part One</a>, <a href="http://rainjoyswriting.livejournal.com/38334.html#cutid1">Part Two</a>, <a href="http://rainjoyswriting.livejournal.com/38743.html">Part Three</a>) by Rainjoy: nonmovie; Ed does something phenomenally stupid, and Roy does something equally stupid in the attempt to bail him out. (Ed/OMC, Ed/Roy)

<a href="http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=rainjoyswriting&keyword=Through+The+Dark&filter=all">Through the Dark</a> by Rainjoy: Ed's fearlessness backfires, and he acquires a different kind of learning while recovering.

<a href="http://sutlers.livejournal.com/21348.html">Ab Hinc</a> by Sutlers: Al/Roy/Ed; short; nonmovie; a strange kind of arrangement. I love Sutlers's language; so beautiful and so infused with emotion.

<a href="http://add.xepher.net/fma/quietlies.html">Quiet Lies the Hearth</a> by Sutlers: nonmovie; Domestic bliss, Ed and Roy style.

<a href="http://add.xepher.net/fma/horehound.html">Horehound Drops</a> by Sutlers: Al/Roy/Ed; nonmovie; in sickness and in health, but a little outside help can be useful.

<a href="http://add.xepher.net/fma/gatherus.html">Gather Us With Dawn</a> by Sutlers: short; nonmovie; a quiet morning, a good morning.

<a href="http://add.xepher.net/fma/iceupon.html">Ice Upon the Water</a> by Sutlers: short; Winter in Amnestris brings inadequate heating, snow, and Edward Elric.

<a href="http://sutlers.livejournal.com/8487.html">With Hinged Knees and Steady Hands</a> by Sutlers: short; "In which Roy could have died and Ed was very angry with him."

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_dana_tpot.php?title=The%20Physics%20of%20This&author=dana&list=01_dana">The Physics of This</a> by Dana: He wondered what Al would do. He thought vaguely about running away to call and ask. Sometimes the simplest actions are the hardest, and sometimes the hardest things are worth it.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_dana_sun.php?title=Sunday&author=dana&list=01_dana">Sunday</a> by Dana: nonmovie; Roy decides that they need to do something pleasant. A rec with a Really Minor Caveat, i.e. that I think Amnestris is landlocked, but one can always suppose they hopped a train somewhere that isn't. :D

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_dana_wax.php?title=Wax&author=dana&list=01_dana">Wax</a> by Dana: "Rest, Fullmetal" -- the hardest order Ed's received yet.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_dana_sama.php?title=Samadhi&author=dana&list=01_dana">Samadhi</a> by Dana: formatting error (all dashes appear to be ?s); Surprise sex in the library... except Ed disclaims the "surprise" part.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_cryoge_gs.php?author=cryogenia&list=01_cryoge&title=%20Graceful%20Slide">Graceful Slide</a> by Cryogenia: hot morning shower-sex, with insight.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_devi_noes.php?title=Noesis&author=demidevi&list=01_devi">Noesis</a> by Demidevi: while not exactly a canon Ed, I nonetheless find him strangely believable and endearing; and I love the ways in which alchemy alters alchemists.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_girlst_mlc.php?title=Must%20Like%20Cats&author=girl_starfish&list=01_girlst">Must Like Cats</a> by Girl Starfish: Roy/Ed, Al/Roy/Ed (if you want to see it); Elrics do everything together. And they approach every difficulty like it's an alchemical experiment.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_kaltia_coha.php?author=kaltia&list=01_kaltia&title=Cohabitation">Cohabitation" by Kaltia: Al/Roy/Ed; short; humour; There is one disadvantage to living with Alphonse Elric.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_lykoma_check.php?title=Check&author=Lykomancer&list=01_lykoma">Check</a> by Lykomancer: nonmovie; Ed doesn't know what to do about feelings, but he knows all about planning ahead.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_lykoma_ewa.php?title=Each%20Wins%20All&author=Lykomancer&list=01_lykoma">Each Wins All</a> by Lykomancer: Ed has a proposition for Roy. No, not that kind of proposition! Even if he's blushing.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_lykoma_aftermath.php?title=Aftermath&author=Lykomancer&list=01_lykoma">Aftermath</a> by Lykomancer: Roy debates with himself, after it's too late to change anything; Ed is wiser than that.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_mirabe_troi.php?title=The%20Rituals%20of%20Infinity&author=mirabella&list=01_mirabe">The Rituals of Infinity</a> by Mirabella: Al/Roy/Ed UST; AU/nonmovie; A newly-restored Al finds that human bodies have really inconvenient reactions. This is actually in the middle of a multi-part series; the first fic is "Stormbringer" and it (with all its sequels) can be found <a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01_mirabe.php">here</a>.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_mirabe_5trh.php?title=Five%20Times%20Riza%20Hawkeye%20Threatened%20to%20Shoot%20Someone,%20and%20Meant%20It&author=mirabella&list=01_mirabe">Five Times Riza Hawkeye Threatened To Shoot Someone, and Meant It</a> by Mirabella: I love outside perspectives on relationships, and I love Hawkeye; what, therefore, is not to love? :D

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_mikken_lf.php?title=Little%20Failings&author=Mikkeneko&list=01_mikken">Little Failings</a> by Mikkeniko: seven sequential drabbles, two alchemists, one word never spoken.

The Untitled War Arc (<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_quagga_et.php?author=quagga&list=01_quagga&title=Ed's%20%20%20Turn">Ed's Turn</a>, <a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_quagga_heat.php?author=quagga&list=01_quagga&title=Heat">Heat</a>, <a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_quagga_resp.php?author=quagga&list=01_quagga&title=Respite">Respite</a>, <a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_quagga_savi.php?author=quagga&list=01_quagga&title=Saviour">Saviour</a>, <a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_quagga_face.php?author=quagga&list=01_quagga&title=Faceless">Faceless</a>, <a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_quagga_endl.php?author=quagga&list=01_quagga&title=Endless">Endless</a>) by The Quagga: nonmovie; future AU; dark; Edward Elric, State Alchemist, finds himself on the front lines when war erupts between Amnestris and Drachma. This series feels like an alternate WW2; gritty and dark, but the desperate bond between Ed and Roy shines.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_vikki_ls.php?title=Literary%20%20%20Space&author=Vikki&list=01_vikki">Literary Space</a> by Vikki: short; Ed is only ever to be found in one place, when he's in Central City.

<a href="http://www.scimitarsmile.com/alchemy/01fiction/01_vikki_iab.php?title=In%20a%20Bed&author=Vikki&list=01_vikki">In a Bed</a> by Vikki: short; a small moment of peace.

<a href="http://whitecat.hanashika.com/writings/d-pen_is.htm">The Pen Is</a> by Whitecat: short; Ed and Roy, crosswords and compromises.

<a href="http://whitecat.hanashika.com/writings/andhome.htm">And Home Once More</a> by Whitecat: nonmovie; preslash; Ed is recalled to Central City when Roy becomes Fuhrer, and isn't sure what he thinks about it. I love the subtle tensions drawn between Ed and Roy -- Ed is, well, not completely unaware of them, but obviously doesn't understand their roots or their strength.

<a href="http://whitecat.hanashika.com/writings/onthisnight.html">On This Night</a> by Whitecat: fatherhood, even at one remove, makes Ed a little introspective.

<a href="http://whitecat.hanashika.com/writings/seasonal.htm">Seasonal</a> by Whitecat: nonmovie; AU from ending; It takes time to grow up, even for Edward Elric, but Roy is patient.

<a href=" ">Housewarming</a> by Whitecat and Harukami: nonmovie; Now that Ed is a little less busy, he has to face a really tough assignment: the annual State Alchemist dress party.

<a href="http://whitecat.hanashika.com/writings/cicatrice.html">Cicatrice</a> by Whitecat: Ed has scars, and Roy has scars, but the way they each regard them is a little different.

<a href="http://whitecat.hanashika.com/writings/whatremains.html">What Remains</a> by Whitecat: AU after Hughes; Two old heroes visit the grave of a friend.

<a href="http://nekokoban.livejournal.com/12492.html">Knowledge</a> by Nekokoban: AU for Hughes; established relationship; Roy is complicated, Ed is confident. I love this adult, confident Ed; it's the kind of ending I want him to have. :D

<a href="http://community.livejournal.com/prolific_geeks/31222.html">Coffee</a> by Cephied: What does Ed see in Roy?

<a href="http://community.livejournal.com/prolific_geeks/35981.html">A Cup of Truth</a> by Cephied: Truth can heal, truth can hurt. I love the amazingly artless writing of this, and the last line shatters me.

<a href=" ">Thread</a> by Rainjoy: postmovie/AU; Ed may be in trouble, so Al calls in Roy, who arrives in not quite the nick of time.

<a href="http://rainjoyswriting.livejournal.com/35324.html">Untitled</a> by Rainjoy: Roy tries to give Ed advice on courting Winry; Ed isn't interested.

<a href="http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=rainjoyswriting&keyword=69+Love+Stories&filter=all">69 Love Stories</a> by Rainjoy: sixty-nine drabbles inspired by the Magnetic Fields' "69 Love Songs". 43, 42, 69, 6 & 45, 63 & 39 & 35, 20, and 62 are favourites, but they're all worth reading. Yes, even the mpreg. <---Not a sentence I ever thought would come out of my mouth!

<a href="http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=rainjoyswriting&keyword=Closer&filter=all">Closer</a> by Rainjoy: WIP; nonmovie; AU; This is the only WIP I am going to rec -- I generally don't consider things recommendable until they're finished, but I think that 70+ chapters is a significant story in itself, and I trust the author to finish it eventually.

<a href="http://community.livejournal.com/caveat__lector/6850.html">Cat's Eye</a> by Demidevi: Ed tries to save a kitten, and Roy tries to save Ed, and neither goes quite as planned. Another "rec with caveats" -- there are a few grammatical errors, and multiple epithets, and blond-with-e; and I'm not sure I quite buy into an Ed who's this ready with his tears in front of Mustang, but but she gets Kimberly's surname right and overall I enjoyed it.

<a href="http://harukami.hanashika.com/fanfic/FMA/cross/thesuicideking.html">The Suicide King</a> by Haru: crossover (Vagrant Story); in which Sydney is mystical and ironic, and Edward doesn't find a stone.

Not Exactly Recs:

<a href="http://community.livejournal.com/steelandsparks/355307.html"> A bunch of stuff I haven't read most of yet</a>.

</lj-cut>

Next post: recs for other pairings; gen fic; character-centric fic.

Loveless ficlet: 'Wait For It'

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:19:18 GMT

So I wrote my first Loveless ficlet, in response to inksheddings's Loveless Anonymous Kink Meme.

..And it's the wrong pairing! I have no idea why this particular request grabbed me so hard.

Written for the prompt: Soubi/Kio. Soubi is leaving permanently with Ritsuka and Kio wants to say goodbye properly. Must have some kind of sex, whichever type you like. Extra points for tears during! If actual kink is a must, orgasm delayal would be cool.

With minor tweaking, here it is:

Wait For It

He'd never realised Kio had such a stubborn streak. Or that Kio had quite such clear understanding of Soubi's training, and the quirks it had left in his psyche.

But when Kio ground his cock against Soubi's and growled out "don't be in a hurry, Soubi-kun", Soubi's spine liquefied; Kio's mouth was hot and fierce on his throat, his shoulders, the scars like thorns entangling a Name Soubi no longer answered to.

=====

Kio's ferocity was prompted by a more recent Name; Loveless had finally laid claim to Soubi, was moving into his apartment next month, before his last year of high school started. Kio was losing Soubi, losing to a 16-year-old, and the fact that he'd known for years it would happen didn't stop it from hurting.

Some part of him wanted to share that hurt, but Kio was neither a sadist nor a masochist, wasn't obvious the way Soubi was. He was just Kio, just a man in love with his friend, and he wanted Soubi to remember him that way. He couldn't hold Soubi back from the fate that called him, but he held his own body back; he was fighting, fighting, refusing to surrender to the pleasure that waited to sweep over him, and refusing to let Soubi surrender, either. At any other time he would have welcomed it, because he wasn't a masochist. But this was the last time; once it came, he would never have a chance to feel it again.

So he kissed every part of Soubi he could reach, and pulled himself away when Soubi started to tense. Over and over; kiss and lick and touch and press skin to skin and draw back, then do it again. "Wait for it," he said, when Soubi whined and tried to follow him. Kiss and lick and touch and press; draw back.

It was a tiny thing that drove him over the edge at last; he hung suspended in pleasure for what felt like a year, until -- tongue outlining the tendons of Soubi's throat -- he saw two little drops splash onto Soubi's heated skin, and realised that over the heat of his flushed face he could feel two hotter trails.

Goodbye.

He pressed his face into Soubi's shoulder and his hands tightened their grip on Soubi's hair, his cock; he got out a strangled "Now," before the world dissolved into rapture.

He came back to himself minutes later, because Soubi was stroking his hair. Silently, Kio pretended to be unaware, lying boneless and confused half on top of Soubi, sorting through everything he was feeling until he'd come to some sort of balance within himself. It's always my job to be the normal one. At least that won't change.

It didn't take Soubi's kind of training to hide your pain. Sometimes Kio thought just knowing Soubi was training enough.

Which was why it was Kio who gathered his wits and his spent muscles and slid out of bed; Kio who brought a flannel from the bathroom and wiped them both down; and Kio who dug up his clothes from the pile on the floor and got dressed before tossing Soubi his own. And it was Kio who stuck out a hand and pulled Soubi upright, and groped in one pocket for a lollipop and said, "Tell Ritsuka-kun hello for me, and that I expect you both for dinner next week."

happy things meme

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:45:20 GMT

I was tagged by <lj user=skuf>, so you all get a meme.

⇒ Meme: The rules are simple. Just create a post about a few things that have made you happy recently. Then tag 8 people and have them post this meme on their journals.

1. After four solid days of overcast skies and rain, today the sun came out!
2. Losing weight! Almost nine pounds so far!
3. Paychecks!
4. <lj comm=snarry_games> artwork! \o/
5. Earl Grey!
6. A day off, spent painting!
7. Spicy potatoes!
8. Even numbers
9. Christmas is coming!
10. Chocolate-covered marzipan!

I tag anyone who wants to be tagged (it's not very happy-making to be tagged for something you don't like, or to not be tagged for something you want to do!)

Fic rec: "Time and Again"

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 05:54:50 GMT

If you've been missing Sushi's HP fic, I have great news! Go and read Time and Again. (Try not to wibble as embarrassingly as I did, though.) Since Sushi doesn't give away the pairing/s, I shan't either, but be warned that there are het overtones. (Don't let that stop you!)

fic rec: "A Reason To Celebrate"

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 03:07:50 GMT

DementorDelta and CruiseDirector have just earned 10,000,000 points and a free lifetime supply of squee! A Reason To Celebrate (<a href="http://dementordelta.livejournal.com/74442.html#cutid1"> Part One</a>, <a href="http://dementordelta.livejournal.com/74725.html#cutid1">Part Two</a>, <a href="http://dementordelta.livejournal.com/77111.html#cutid1">Part Three</a>) is exactly what I wanted: post-Deathly Hallows Harry/Snape that fixes canon in the best ways without destroying it.

ETA: What's with the html-buggery?

fic rec: "Cost of Living"

Thu, 31 May 2007 05:10:45 GMT

Cost of Living has one of the most original premises I've encountered in HP fiction; and yet, it makes so much sense. After all, Voldemort is striving for a particular prize; if he loses, Harry wins, and, well, they do say that to the victor goes the spoils.

Sansa does exactly that: Severus and Harry realise that, as the ones responsible for slaying Voldemort, they have inherited the immortality he sought. Harry shows up to consult Snape about a cure for their strange condition, and slowly develop a friendship amidst the strangeness of their new lives.

The best part of this fic is the sense of time it's imbued with, the heavyness of centuries, the moments of singular clarity that seem to stand still, and the rushing flow of years that begins to seem far away, like a river glimpsed through the trees. Harry and Severus are at once outside of time and occupied by it, barely noticing the centuries while obsessed with how fast they pass.

fic rec: "Barmy"

Mon, 28 May 2007 01:57:01 GMT

If you're feeling the need for an antidote, Barmy is just the thing.

Schemingreader mixes liberal doses of humour with the occasional startling insight. I love her Snape and Harry, and the ambiguous position they occupy, both with the outside world -- patients to be coddled and healed, yet prisoners to be feared -- and with each other -- tormentor and healer, both wounded and each trying to mend the other.

You have recurrent and unpredictable memory loss, possibly due to spell damage. The only thing you seem to be able to remember is your antipathy for me. Every so often you inform me of it, with bellowed threats."

"Really?" Harry said to himself. "Good for me."

And then there's what I can only call Snape's Midlife Crisis. Fast driving, sunglasses, loud nostalgic music. (And sex! In hotel rooms!) I nearly died laughing, and at the same time was misty-eyed at seeing Snape actually, normally happy.

Fic rec: Two Lockets

Wed, 23 May 2007 00:26:05 GMT

Sinick and Acid have done it again! "Two Lockets" is amazing -- I love the way the story unfolds, the little details and separate parts slowly fusing into/with the greater whole; and Severus and Harry are the same, managing to slide from antagonistic into supportive in such an amazingly well-built, lifelike way. Bonus: Mrs. Black is actually a human being!

fic rec: Truth, Like Light

Wed, 23 May 2007 00:24:22 GMT

Briar's story "Truth, Like Light" hit me like a punch. Solid, dense emotion; you want so much, so hard, to believe in Snape, and in Harry, and in futures. The writing is beautiful, and Snape is cunning, competent, human and hurt. I love this story so hard.

a word about FanLib

Sun, 20 May 2007 01:28:50 GMT

The lovely and spirited Cofax has a thorough list of the various problems associated with this site, but in summary:

* It is intended to make money for someone else from the stuff you do for free;
* The TOS gives you no protection from lawsuits, and no say in what's done to your fic (they can edit it however they like, or even sell it!);
* The Folk In Charge consist of investors, media lawyers, and other such notables, all of whom are male and have no connection to fandom; and
* The whole thing reeks of exploitation.

Stewardess suggests that everyone go there and register their pen name/s, just to keep them from being used by others, which strikes me as a good idea. Other than that, everyone? Please let's avoid the whole stinking pile, because it just reeks of abuse waiting to happen.

Fic rec: "Fifty Days"

Sun, 20 May 2007 00:37:21 GMT

"Fifty Days" by Hikaru is a pleasant read -- a light, funny, sweet story with a Snape and Harry who manage to be not only real, but often outright funny. :D

Fic rec: "Black Story"

Fri, 12 May 2006 02:32:28 GMT

Senility has set in, because I could have sworn I recced this already, back when it first appeared. Nonetheless, "Black Story" is worth reading again. Jay Tryfanstone writes the most fabulously real Snape and Harry; wounded, heart-hungry, with sharp edges and unpleasant truths and need. "Black Story" is a tale of mending: of Snape, desolate and desperate and deeply wounded; of Harry, haunted and hiding; of books and lives, as well as bodies. Very sensitive readers should beware; there's a pretty graphic, if brief, scene involving (child) sexual abuse.

Fic rec: "Homecoming"

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 02:32:40 GMT

This story left me breathless; elation, and suppressed tears; a lingering ache tinged with triumph. Garlandgraves is a wordsmith of great talent, and Homecoming is an absolutely brilliant thing. What an amazingly strong, mature, yet recognisable Harry; what a sharp, beautiful, and genuine Snape. Subtle foreshadowing. Awesome sensory details, well-chosen poetry, and so very much said in such minimal and starkly sufficient lines.

Fic rec: "Commonplace Magic"

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 02:19:35 GMT

While you're waiting eagerly for updates to "The Price of Magic", wander over and read "Commonplace Magic", Acid and Sinick's alternate-reality spin-off story. It would stand alone, if you haven't read PoM for some reason; you'll miss the small references to PoM, but the story is definitely a whole, contained piece nonetheless, and beautifully done. Harry, a local Uni student, works as a waiter in a London restaurant, and slowly comes to befriend one of his regular patrons. Dour Professor Snape introduces him to Shakespeare, the importance of umbrellas, and, eventually, love.

fic rec! "The Price of Magic"

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 02:10:17 GMT

Hurrah for Acid and Sinick, whose joint WIP The Price of Magic has me utterly enthralled. There are ten chapters so far, and several lovely pieces of art; I can only hope that more is forthcoming soon. This is a post-war Snape and Harry I can believe; more, it's a story I can feel, from the very mundane locations to the changes and consequences suffered by everyone as a result of Harry's final strike against the Dark Lord.

Art rec: "Shattered Glass"

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 03:58:25 GMT

Oh, my. Somebody hand me a fan and some ice cubes!

"Shattered Glass" (anonymous artist; will post when revealed) is the hottest fanart I've seen in a year! I'll let the artist's own description sum everything up:

So it's the summer after Harry's 5th year, and Sirius has died. Harry and Remus are still at 12 Grimmauld Place. In the night, Harry's anger and unhappiness gets the better of him, and in a rage he smashes a picture of Sirius, as well as his own glasses. Remus hears the crash from his room next door and hurries into Harry's room, wand at the ready. Only to find Harry sobbing on the floor, surrounded by bits of broken glass and a mangled picture frame...

I'm continually finding new details to love, but in particular I keep coming back to Remus's hair, Harry's stomach, the fabric of Harry's pyjamas, and the textures of the room -- the grain of the floor and walls, the drape of the bedclothes. Amazing. Emma is one lucky fan!

Apologies

Mon, 16 Jan 2006 05:26:45 GMT

I'm sorry I've been so quiet lately, but I'm afraid it's not going to end yet. I'm moving, so lately my life has been consumed with boxes, loading, and entirely too much stuff; it's exciting, but I haven't had time to do anything else (well, I did read one book), and I'm going to be without internet for a couple of weeks to a month after moving.

Don't forget me, and keep on slashing!

art rec: "The Flight of the Prince"

Sun, 11 Dec 2005 04:53:32 GMT

I'm sick and working overtime, so naturally my Flist explodes with wonderful things! :D Like The Flight of the Prince, by Mneomosyne. Beautiful atmosphere; a very eerie, almost surreal, depiction of one of my favourite HBP scenes.

Art rec: "I am not a coward!"

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 03:54:27 GMT

Ooooooh. Glock has done it again! Beautiful HBP art, with Snape and Harry and one of my all-time favourite scenes: "I am not a coward!" really captures the emotional resonance of the moment, with Snape's ferocious expression and battle-prepared stance. And such beautiful details: the clasps of Snape's robe, the surprise on Harry's face. Lovely!

Fic rec: more Pornish limericks

Sun, 13 Nov 2005 04:48:11 GMT

The marvelous Florahart has done it again! Four more dirty limericks, even better than the last bunch, are now available for your delight. :D

fic rec: untitled drabble (HP/SS)

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 05:37:15 GMT

Written by the marvelous Icarus, this is a "HP/SS gen" drabble. (I suppose I'll double-file it.) It's a wonderful take on the old "X and Y are locked up together" plot, and their answer is priceless. :D

Fic rec: Limericks!

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 05:32:51 GMT

Florahart is absolutely brilliant: not one, but five pervy limericks! Pairings range from Harry/Ron to Lucius/McNair to Draco/Buckbeak; all are wonderfully written.

Fic rec: "For Gods to Menace Fools"

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 04:52:36 GMT

For Gods To Menace Fools has been lurking in my recs folder, getting buried and uncovered several times because, erm, because my organisation skills register in the negative scale. :D If I'd given it a proper title, I probably wouldn't have kept overlooking it... It's certainly not a story that ought to be overlooked! Eodrakken manages a post-HBP Remus who is all too human: tired, grieving, and uncertain, and not above petty sniping at the wrong target. Harry comes to say goodbye, and instead finds something unexpected. I love most the unplanned feeling of the sex, and the sort of quiet, melancholy mood of this story; Eodrakken keeps everyone in character, and manages everything within the canon of HBP, as well.

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Since at least one of you has suggested :D that I make real-life posts as well as recs, I have to tell you about this. I work in a company that ships things; I'm one of the linemen, the ones who load the packages. Contrary to any expectations you might have, package damage is not uncommon; in fact, it's pretty much a constant. :D Mostly, though, the things that spill out are pretty boring: advertising pamphlets, mechanical parts, pill bottles, and lots and lots of packing peanuts.

Today, however, was something else entirely. Today it was a dildo that made a bid for freedom. Bright translucent pink, ten or twelve inches long, double-headed, and probably two inches thick; not your run of the mill sex toy. :D It was gaily waved about, laughed over, shown to everyone in the area, and then sent off for repackaging. I hope the gentleman or lady who receives it doesn't find out, although I'm sure they'll notice that it's been torn and taped back up. So much for discreet, unlabeled packaging. ((Dies laughing))