Exploding Poohsticks

General:

We spent Christmas evening at my parents-in-law's, where the shawl marginaliana had made for me was much admired, and I received the first volume of Love Control from my sibs-in-law, who had sent it in a box with other things for other members of the family. My mother-in-law said, "At first I thought the box was for us, but when I saw that, I figured I'd better look for a note explaining who was getting what."

Started James Turner's Rex Libris: I, Librarian over breakfast. Cover blurb: "The World's Favorite Kick-Ass Sesquepedalian Librarian!" There is an evil mastermind with cat. Evil masterminds with cats = happy Ribbons.

I had no intention of writing a fic yesterday. I blame geri-chan for the bunny-ambush that resulted in Present Understanding (Yoshizumi/Kenzaki, Haru wo Daiteita, PG, ~1025 words).

I made beef bourguignon for my father-in-law's birthday earlier in the week, and "garlicky beef daube" for lunch just now. And the nephews+niece gave the BYM a bag of peppermint chocolate bark. Nom nom nom.

Yuletide:

I'm reading very sporadically, and bookmarking anything over 5K for later (current powers of concentration = nil). With that caveat, the standouts for me so far:

Haru wo Daiteita: Dust to Dust. 3273 words. Iwaki/Katou, with significant Yoshizumi and Mochimune. Make that awesome!Yoshizumi. This fills me with almost more glee than I know what to do with.

FAKE: Things Moving and Known. 2404 words. Dee/Ryo, with a Bikky cameo that is full of win. Set a month after Like Like Love.

Lord Peter Wimsey: The Sceptre at the Feast. 2784 words. Vignettes across the life of Viscount St. George. I especially felt that the author did well by Helen, which is not an easy ask.

Brideshead Revisited: The Invisible Line. 1182 words. Charles and Cordelia meet after the war. A glimpse of different ways to love the lost.

Brideshead Revisited: Gillyflowers. 1308 words. Charles and Sebastian. Sensual and heartbreaking.

If on a Winter's Night a Traveler: I'm recommending the entire category, because they are all centered on a reader trying to access his/her Yuletide fic, and the comments on both the fest and fandom behavior in general are a collective hoot. If you are a fandom meta junkie, you must read these.


A side note: There is Cambridge Latin Course fic (locked to archive members only). With a BDSM tag. Dude.

Another side note: I am not yet clicking on the link to the massive Dr. Who/Lord Peter Wimsey Great War crossover out of sheer self-preservation, but I hear tell that it rocks the casbah, and that there is significant Bunter. (Is that a redundancy? Anyway, that'll be a treat for some afternoon when I'm not out of orange juice and marjoram...)

Tags: indecent gloating, recs, yuletide

Sundown being so early last Friday night meant I was able to light eighth-night candles before my overnight Room in the Inn shift.

It was a pretty mellow shift, all things considered. We didn't have time to rustle up a more recent movie, but Bulletproof Monk was stupid fun, and while everyone else slept, I whaled through some copyediting and read volume 2 of Antique Bakery.

Sometimes it really is timing: when I first tried reading AB a couple years ago, I couldn't get through more than a couple episodes, and had brought along v2 mainly to give it one last try before putting it in my trade-in pile. This time, though, I was grinning from ear to ear. (It didn't hurt that Recipe 9 is a Christmas story. With croquembouche.)

This, of course, means looking at what AB fic there be out there. I am so in love with Omikuji, and Cakemate is soooo cute.

!@%#$^ vorpal fic of doom is still !@%#@!% vorpal fic of doom EATING MY HEAD. I have nothing to say about it that isn't profane or blasphemous. Moving on...

Picked up some sort of lemon-flavored liquid energy shot from Whole Foods back in the summer, stuck it in the fridge, and promptly forgot about it. Tried it yesterday after naps stopped working. Tasted nasty, but damn if it didn't work. But I think I'll try to return to getting enough sleep and brewing strong tea.

Things I'd like to get to today, in addition to billable obligations: reviewing some spots I stumbled over when I was sight-reading this year's Lessons and Carols pieces; prepping for the dinner I'm hosting for my beau-pere's birthday; writing some holiday/New Year notes; working on my Penny Experiment art -- oh, who am I kidding, that's more mountain than I can scale today as it is. (Also, we have houseguests. Fortunately, the BYM has been wholly in charge of that, and they all headed out for breakfast while I was still asleep.) Onward!

Horror #1: so-called unicorn on Etsy. My own reaction was a distinctly un-eloquent "What the -- EWW!" (which is rich, considering my own reputation for sick nonsense). My favorite reaction has been LJ:hugh_mannity's "Fair enough use of a stillborn lamb, but the horn's just wrong." (I wish he was kidding. Again, EWWW.)

Horror #2: Reading the plot of Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning. Again, kinda rich coming from me, given how I have no qualms about inflicting character death and alternate universe in my own fanfic. But still, I thought "A Continuing Story" was dreadful from start to end (with the sole exception of Anne and Gilbert's reunion clinch), and this sounds like more of the same. Ergggggh.

Ooh-ing: The Blythes Are Quoted. I read the old edition of The Road to Yesterday back in high school, and that there's now more - ooh, yes. *adds to wishlist*

Rec #1: The Howling Moon at Snupin Santa. NC-17, 17K, warnings for "underage sexual activity among same-age teens, frottage, oral, hand-job, dub/non-con, bestiality/werewolf sex, angst, smoking." Author notes that "this story diverges from canon around the time of the Shrieking Shack incident, for reasons which will (hopefully) be apparent from the text." Why it stood out for me: outstanding portrayal of Severus/Lily friendship (there's a scene where they do the best-friends-making-out thing, and it's awesome), inventive plotting, and a lovely imagining of a happier alternate storyline.

Rec #2: Veiled Christmas at Kinky Kristmas. NC-17, 4555 words, kinks/Themes include "threesomes, bondage, gags, cockrings, pegging, piercing, voyeurism, breathplay, cockgagging, dirty talk, facials, and pervy use of the Death Chamber and Veil." Author's summary: "Teddy has finally found an intimate connection to his parents -- in the Department of Mysteries. Victoire, on the other hand, has found an entertaining idea of what to do with it." Hands-down THE filthiest fic I've read this season so far (*watches half of friendslist immediately scamper off*), and Victoire is so much a chip off the old cursebreaker. This exchange between her and Teddy (as she's ordering him to strip) made me laugh out loud:

"I used two Hittite locking charms, one Mayan, and one Etruscan. I do not think they will come in here even if they had cause."

" 'Less they called your Da," he commented as he let his trousers fall to the ground. The realization of what he said and what it would mean hit him like a brick to the face about three seconds later.

The recs (both by currently anon):

Open Hand
Nc-17, Snape/Lupin, 6000 words
Author's summary: After the war, Severus must decide whether or not he wants to pick up where he left off with Remus, and Remus helps him make up his mind.
Author's warnings: not canon compliant in that Snape and Lupin survive the war and Teddy isn't Remus' biological child, mutual masturbation, use of Legilimency during sex, desperation, established relationship
Ribbons's reaction: Superb hurt-comfort, dry humor, a Remus equal to Severus
Excerpt:

"...the media are portraying you as a redeemed anti-hero," Remus said, amusement lacing his voice. "A wizarding version of Heathcliff, if you will."

Severus rolled his eyes at that and gave an annoyed huff.

"Well, you are tall, dark, and broody," Remus pointed out. "I dare say you'll have women flinging their knickers at you after this, eager to help you forget the lingering memory of your doomed and tragic love for Lily."

Remus was giving him a pointed look, and Severus tried not to appear sheepish as he glanced away and picked idly at the bed sheets, grateful he couldn't talk at the moment.

"Admit it: you were trying to rattle Harry even in your almost-dying moments."

Severus grimaced and nodded, silently damning Remus for knowing him too well.

Amor Vitae
Rating: PG-13, gen, 5K
Character(s): Flitwick, McGonagall, Snape, Moody, Lupin
Author's summary: "Some people wonder why Filius Flitwick is always so cheerful at Christmas"
Ribbons's reaction: I have a soft spot for fics that give Flitwick his due, and this one does so in a way that's both heartbreaking (I was in tears by the end) and hopeful (as befits the season). The author is deft with both characterization and revelation, and rereading it, I keep admiring how s/he shows you what's just happened without over-detailing or over-dialoguing it, if that makes sense.
Excerpt (and yes, I'm conscious this bit doesn't mention Flitwick at all, but it's the first, short, non-spoilery part that best illustrates why I'll be rereading this story):

"Anyone else for tea?" Minerva snapped her book shut and got up from her armchair by the fireplace.

"Not me, thanks," Remus said as he slumped down on the lumpy sofa.

"What you call tea should be a Class A tradable substance," Alastor Moody growled. "But I'll have some if you're making it anyway. And how often have I told you to take your wand with you, even if you go to the kitchen?"

Minerva pursed her lips and shoved her wand between the folds of her robes.

"TIP DOWN! You wouldn't be the first witch to lose a..."

He was reduced to silence by the arched eyebrow that every British witch or wizard under the age of thirty-eight knew to interpret as a danger sign. "Thank you for your concern, Alastor, but not everybody handles their wand with such brute force that they blow off their..."

"I think I may have some tea after all," Remus said and got up from the sofa. He was still rather new to the Order of the Phoenix.

A side-note: I learned about both these fics through the recs of other fans (in this case, lore and pale-moonlite respectively). Please, please comment on the ones you enjoy (even a one-word YES! warms the cockles of most writers' hearts) and rec if/when you are able (even if it's months later) - it means so much to the creators, and it is, in the end, our only means of rewarding them for sharing their gifts.

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The outright squee: LJ: opalmatrix's Appetizing: FAKE, Ryo/Dee, PG-13, 675 words. Prompt was "kissing someone to shut them up - eggplant." GLEE!

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The moan:

Saints and saeurbraten, the fic-I-am-not-really-working-on-yet is ALREADY being a mejorama epic PAIN IN THE ASS. (And that's without a single mention of cows. Or cream. Yet, anyway.)

Ok, back to work now. *shoves out-of-control outline into duffel bag and slams the locker door shut, panting*

My favorites so far (all anon @ Snupin Santa):

A Picture of Success
PG-13, 11K, warnings for "implied prostitution, violence (though nothing worse than canon)."
Giftee's prompt: "Snape and Lupin assigned to work together to find some arcane artifact for the Order."
What Ribbons liked about it: mucho action, competent Remus, great use of a guest star, sneaky dark humor
Excerpt:

"So if any rumours do reach the Order, what do you want me to say?"

"Tell them I'm a good fuck," Snape said dryly, tossing a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace, and disappeared into the flames.

No Greater Love
R, 9K, warnings for "Warnings: Torture, suicide, character death"
Author's summary: "When Remus learns that Severus has been spying on Voldemort all along and that he'll be executed at the next full moon, he embarks on a dangerous rescue mission into an England reigned by Voldemort to save the man he loves. On that mission, he receives help from the most unlikely people – and ends up saving not only Severus."
Ribbons' reaction: beautifully plotted, inventive use of magic, deft characterization (in a story where there characters are continually on the cliff-edge of who they should(n't) trust)
Excerpt:

"I don't believe one word you're saying," he tells Peter, or whoever it is.

"I know. But I’m sure you have Veritaserum, don't you?"

Of course Remus does. It’s expensive and hard to get, but usually, all of them manage to keep at least one vial stocked most of the time. If nothing else helps, Hermione has learnt to brew it acceptably.

"Why would I waste it on you? I should just call the French Aurors and let them deal with you. There's nothing that I need to know from you."

But Peter only shakes his head.

"It's about Severus," he says, as if that made it all clearer, as if that alone could change Remus’s mind.

He is right.

A Romance
NC-17, 35K, warning: "Canon characters pop in and out of the story, and while (hopefully) the personalities are true to canon, the relative ages aren't."
Author's summary: "Busaikko wanted a non-magical AU, supermarket-aisle paperback romance with unusual careers."
Ribbons's reaction: This reads very much like a McKay or Arionrhod or Shanti_writes creation - super-sexy secure-in-his-sexuality Severus, sensuous descriptions of clothing and hair, good meals, quirky humor (there's a cat named Hairy, and yes, it has green eyes), and jokes/reactions about being older. Good fun while home sick on a dreary Sunday afternoon.
Excerpt:

It was Friday when they were made up and rolling that Severus asked his first personal question. "How did a New Orleans boy, who's lived around as much as you have, end up here?"

Remus blinked. How the hell...? "Party trick?"

Severus shrugged. "Hobby."

( spoiler cut )

No Tell Books is offering a free tarot reading or dream interpretation to you if you purchase a book from them before the end of this weekend (August 9; publisher is based in the Eastern U.S.).

(Sorry this alert is so eleventh-hour-ish, but I've been somewhat occupied with other things, so I only spotted the offer an hour ago meself.)

My connection: one of my poems, "Coat," appears in The Bedside Guide to No Tell Books - Second Floor. "Because It Makes Me Ha--" appears in the first Bedside Guide. The archives of the online journal include four other poems by me.

A recommendation: Wanton Textiles by Reb Livingston and Ravi Shankar, a collection with a beautiful cover and tremendous fun both to read and react to -- my copy is covered with my own scribblings (and water-wrinkled from keeping me company in my bathtub), which included the beginnings of two poems eventually published by flashquake.

No Tell's catalog also includes a collection by Jill Alexander Essbaum, author of "On Reading Poorly Transcribed Erotica."

(1) meretricula's
four reasons Roger Federer wished the Japanese Davis Cup team would fall into a really deep hole (and one reason they weren't that bad after all). Tennis RPS / Prince of Tennis crossover, 2800 words, absolutely hysterical, and with mentions of the Spanish Davis Cup team as well. Its opening lines:

To be fair, Roger actually liked playing Echizen. The kid was good, he was getting better all the time, and the stretch of trying to beat him was satisfying. The problem was that whenever he played Echizen, he would almost inevitably have to talk to Echizen, and as soon as the brat started speaking Roger felt an extremely uncharitable urge to punch him in the mouth. Since Echizen was seventeen years old and less than five and a half feet tall, Roger thought that this might be problematic for his reputation.

(2) There's a teacher in Nevada seeking donations in order to purchase a gyotaku (rubber fish) printmaking set for her students.

(2a) The anonymous donor from LJ's fandom-of-one comm is still making contributions to charity in honor of New Year's Resolution fic. She or he donated $5 to the rubber fish project in honor of Deserving. This has made me ridiculously happy, as did his/her earlier donation to a tennis-equipment-for-kids project (now fully funded) in honor of Interrobang.

(2b) [blatant hinting] There are still 3625 prompts up for grabs at the Yuletide archive. You do not have to be a previous participant to play. You do not claim a prompt - you simply submit the story when it is done. (You do have to write the story specifically for NYR, and it has to be 1000 words minimum.) The open prompts currently include one for Harudaki (*cough* - yeah, it's mine) and others for Three Investigators, Bujold, the a-ha "Take on Me" video, and a bajillion manga/anime titles I've never even heard of...

(1) Project P finally delivered to client this afternoon. Yay! I am looking forward to sleeping through the night!

(2) While it was not a good thing to hear the dentist say, "That fracture went deeper than I thought," nor to feel said dentist's drill against said fracture, the repair has been made, I have painkillers at hand, and also a blenderful of homemade tomato soup. And because of good thing #1, I can also indulge in shots of St. Germain.

(3) I also had a jar of sardinade au thym I'd brought back from France. Lovely on toast.

(4) Listening to Stile Antico's recording of Byrd's "Vigilate."

( three recs: Tokyo Babylon, Harudaki, Rachel Manija Brown )

A rec: Frostfire's Hi, I'm Captain Jack Harkness. Captain Jack Harkness/Chewbacca, 3480 words, NC-17, awesometastic crossover goodness:

"Right," said Chewbacca. "Jack. And what brings you here, besides the blue drinks and the attractive Wookiees?"

"Well, I wouldn't need any more reason than that," said Jack, "but you know, I have these friends," he waved towards the other two humans, "and they like to travel around and get into other people's business."

Chewbacca tensed. "How into other people's business?"

"Oh, they won't do anything unless you're in trouble. Or getting someone else in trouble. Or if you look like you're going to get into trouble or get someone else in trouble." Jack sighed. "So, if you're in the business of getting people in trouble--maybe put it on hold until you don't see us around anymore?"

Chewbacca thought about this. "Han doesn't like people who stick their noses into other people's business," he said finally.

Jack gave him a quick, penetrating look. "Oh yeah? And what do you think?"

"He's the captain," said Chewbacca.

Jack leaned onto the bar, looked down into his drink. "Right. I know how that works. Get caught up in something, meet this guy, suddenly you're flying around with him in his ship, doing what he does, except whoops, by the way, he's fucking crazy."

Chewbacca couldn't help it; he started to laugh.

Via a friend: science badges. The existence of a "I'm a marine biologist and, to be honest, I kind of f***ing hate dolphins" badge and its manifesto nearly made me spit my tea all over my netbook.

Via my alma mater's alumni magazine: a look at an ongoing effort to produce in vitro meat.

Tags: bujold, chicago, dr who, recs, star wars

Title: The Way Things Grow
Author: Mnemonsyne (reposted here with her permission)
Rest of header information in Part One

( Staring at Draco's profile, Neville felt his heart turn over. )

A few days ago, I received a plea from a Crack Broom reader for a copy of this story. Syne has graciously granted me permission to repost it.

Title: The Way Things Grow
Author: Mnemonsyne
Pairings: Neville/Draco (and unrequited Neville/Harry)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 17,429
Beta: the awesome rufus who has been a trooper though multiple word counts as the fic grew. . . and grew. . . and grew. . .
Summary: Neville's life is quiet after the war, and he's content in his greenhouses. Until one day...
Author's Notes: for suntzu_s, as requested by coffee_n_cocoa - this was meant to be a few hundred word gift ficlet for that fun little meme that went around. Obviously my muse had different ideas. Original prompt was Neville/Draco, Fanged Geraniums.

( Neville stared down at his arm and sighed. The Fanged Geranium had taken a real chunk out his right forearm, and there was nothing more awkward than trying to cast healing spells with your left hand. )

Musigneus has written Not About You, which is Ryo/Dee (FAKE, NC-17), and it is AWESOME.

[For those of you newer to Snape/Lupin: Mus is one of THE classic writers of the ship (you don't have to take my word for it -- six other people have rec'd her work on crack_broom; here masterlist is here (including translations in Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and Czech). Hie thee to her stories if you are not yet acquainted with them!]

( teal deer: tennis. Including a smut rec. )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyXmp-FiPJo

Irish alto + two jumbo pop-up books = awesomeness. Oh, and there's even a cephalopod in a corner at around 1:55 in.

Still too drained to drabble, but I just stumbled across meretricula's "Really Awkward Adulterous Lesbian Sex Is Still Better Than No Sex At All" over at Yuletide while looking up something else, and I am blown away. It's needle-sharp and wry and honest and heartbreaking, and it makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time. ( compulsive spoiler-cut for Twelfth Night )

So, reckoning up my Saturday (which involved very little of what I'd ought've done... *sheepish*)...

total hours of sleep: six, maybe (three in the morning and three more as a crash-nap)

medications: inhaler, cough drops, Empress Afternoon tea

poems accepted: two
poems rejected: four
poems (re)submitted: eleven

wordcount so far for Not As Dumb part 3: 269. Not for lack of dwelling on it -- it's just not jelling yet. *grumpf*

Harudaki drabble-plot conceived and later discarded: 1 (on the phrase Mi o mochikuzusu, which is idiomatic for "His immoral life led him to ruin" but literally reads "He let his body go to the dogs," which was giving me ideas for Mochimune vs. Onozuka snarkage)

Number of times I thought of Yoshizumi during tonight's Noh performance: dozens
(the troupe is based in Kyoto; the lead dancer is the same one pictured in this flyer for the show in Memphis next Monday - Nashville was the second stop on their three-city tour)

Other people's poems recently read and/or revisited:

Meghann Marco, WTF Sestina

Lafayette Wattles, I Couldn't Tell Which Were The Thoughts And Which Were The Trees

Scott Owens, January Looks Forward and Back, Feeds the Stove October's Wood, Saves the Ashes for April's Garden

Tony Hoagland, Reading Moby-Dick at 30,000 Feet

And, one of the poems I read late last night was Charles Olson's "A Newly Discovered Homeric Hymn" (1955), which freaked me out just enough that I intend to inflict it upon the rest of you as a voicepost soon (because, y'know, that whole thing about comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable... *friendly evil smile*). (But seriously, it's not so much its subject matter - I mean, the Wattles poem hurts way, way more -- but something about the sounds of the Olson poem connected with something in my gut, and while it's not why I couldn't get back to sleep after 4:30 a.m. yesterday morning, it's probably poking at the phantom ribs of my subconscious when I'm not looking. And speaking of getting to bed -- oy.)

Minuses:
* dodgy Internet connection at the office

* sinuses feel like they've ballooned back up to the size of pumpkins

* sick kid not covering up at the table next to mine at lunch

Pluses:
* I'm done with my office chores for the day

* Christine Kane's "This Is Just What I Do." I'm nowhere near systematic, but doggedness I got down.

* Realism (Hamlet done Haru-style by geri_chan, which in addition to being a great fic, demonstrates two of my favorite things about fandom: (1) getting rewarded several times over for simple gifts (she wrote it in response to a drabble I'd written for her, which makes it one of the best sets of 100 words I've ever come up with), and (2) the way AUs and crossovers show familiar characters from new, thought-provoking angles (and often with dialogue that's also keyboard-endangering hilarious). In other words, GLEE.

* LJ:mrissa sporking BSG Season 2

* I had a chance to sort through some of my snapshots from the visit to London back in November. valis2, I took this one for you:

From UK 2008

;-)

I am being a wuss about the things I ought to be doing... which translated into tackling the long-ass book meme busaikko tagged me with a couple eons ago. Standard disclaimer: I am mercurial and moody and absent-minded. My favorites change by the hour. And this questionnaire's questions are weighted so weirdly it's impossible to take it all that seriously, but you probably already knew that.

( Read more... )

From 1804 renovations

From 1804 renovations

From 1804 renovations

Would any of you lot be interested in a handful of Chinese pattern magazines from the early 1970s? I'm willing to ship them gratis to anywhere in North America (overseas airmail has gotten too pricey, sorry).

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Still coping with the Bronchitis of Doom Revisited, which means delays in dealing with everyday life, which correspondingly means delays in making progress on audiofics, "Not As Dumb," care packages, reading the bajillion-word backlog of fics y'all have been building up in my bookmarks, etc. All in good time. I do have a handful of quick recs before I head back to the de-stashing:

A Night In by currently anon. Fandom: The Dark Is Rising. Will/Jane/Bran. Three friends coping with Midsummer heat. A mix of potential hurt-comfort and massive UST leading to... Jane's POV; beautiful characterization.

Geri-chan started posting Haru wo Daiteita fic in November, primarily about Kikuchi. Some really thought-provoking examinations of the dynamics among the characters and about their careers.

Cartography by penknife. Fandom: A Little Princess. A beautiful, thoughtfully narrated piece from Ram Dass's point of view.

Little Settlement on the Moon by Rina. Fandom: Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series. busaikko-san, I am looking at you.

A Willow/Squid/Whomping Willow drabble by drusillas_rain. Fandoms: BtVS/HP. *glee*

Escaping Gravity by misura. Fandom: Vorkosigan. Ivan/By. Mostly with Miles', ah, assistance, but Gregor gets the last word. *glee*

I'll Find You In the Morning Sun by rilla. Fandom: Angels in America. Beautiful, insightful, heartbreaking, real.

Commonplaces by astolat. Fandom: Sherlock Holmes. Holmes/Adler. Irene's POV. Fine characterization and dynamic.