March recs

Apr. 29th, 2024 08:27 pm
spatz: Mr Tumnus and a probe at the lamp post, from <a href="http://xk3d.xkcd.com/665/">this XKCD comic</a> (winter lamppost)

I didn't read a ton in March -- between my birthday, attending SXSW Film (16 movies in one week!), and then getting over the cold I caught at SXSW -- and what I did read was mostly… Harry Potter fic? Yeah, I was surprised too. I've bookmarked only one fic in the last few years since JKR went off the transphobia cliff, so it was a bit strange, but I was pleased to see fandom is persisting in being aggressively queer and/or 'fuck canon' about it.

So I've got 1 Murderbot fic, 1 The Fugitive fic, and 5 Harry Potter fics, plus a handful more at Pinboard.

reasoning made lucid and cool by The_Onion (Murderbot, gen)

Iris is guest-teaching a PUMNT course, so it makes sense for Murderbot to go as her security. Yes, ART is doing most of the job, and yes, they are making Murderbot take a class, but it's still only there for work. It thinks? What do you mean it has to do a group project.

"Really, the longer I stayed here, the more it seemed like this was all a ploy to force me into an education module."

A++ Murderbot-ART dynamic, plus Murderbot blowing its cover to save lives, as per usual.

Wikipedia: List of notable manhunts by rastaban (The Fugitive, Sam/Richard)

Categories: Manhunts | US Marshal's Office | Overturned convictions in the United States | Withdrawn drugs | Gay & lesbian figures in the 1990s

Charmingly meta fic from the POV of someone editing the articles about Richard's story. I love the details filling in the case details, and every quote from Sam sounds just like him.

 

HARRY POTTER

Heal Thyself by astolat (Harry/Draco)

"Are you going for the course?" Lovegood asked. "You have the NEWTs.”

“What course?” Draco said, then, “No, don’t be ridiculous,” when he realized she meant the notice pinned up on the board he’d been staring at: Applicants To The Introductory Mediwizard Course For The Coming Term Shall Present Themselves In The Chief Mediwizard’s Office By August 24th.

“Oh, I thought you might,” she said. “Well, goodbye.” And off she wandered again in her addled way.

Great redemption arc for Draco with fascinating worldbuilding about magical healing. And competence porn, of course - astolat always excels at that!

the dogfather by hollimichele (gen, Remus/Sirius)

“I’m not a reverse werewolf either,” says the man. “I’m your godfather.”

Wonderful AU where Harry gets adopted by Muggles and Sirius escapes early that I started reading on Tumblr ages ago and finally got around to finishing on AO3 years later.

All Our Secrets Laid Bare by firethesound (Harry/Draco)

Over the six years Draco Malfoy has been an Auror, four of his partners have turned up dead. Harry Potter is assigned as his newest partner to investigate just what is going on.

Creative and engaging plot (mystery with intermittent work disasters), and VERY hot.

that’s the art of getting by by sarewolf (Remus/Sirius)

“What do you want me to do?” Remus says, tiredly. All he wants is to curl up on his bed. Smoke a pack of cigarettes. Get drunk. He can’t stop looking at Harry.

“Remus…” Dumbledore is gentle. Remus hates when he has that tone. Hates that he knows it will hurt. “There is no one else left.”

A bitter laugh escapes him. “So you’ll curse the poor thing with a werewolf for a guardian?”

Wrenching, gorgeously written AU that digs into Remus and Sirius's trauma, then patiently untangles their grief and betrayal and love so they can start to heal.

Lost and Found by rosie-writes (Remus/Sirius)

Imagine a universe in which Remus never went to Hogwarts. The Marauders never became Animagi, and so Peter had nowhere to run when Sirius cornered him after the Potters' deaths. Peter was the one who ended up in Azkaban, whilst Sirius was granted custody of Harry. Fast-forward six years or so, to a sunny day in April 1988….

Wistful but startlingly sweet AU.

spatz: Amy tackle-hugging Eleven in front of a beautiful vista of stars (DW Eleven Amy stars)

Happy International Fanworks Day, everyone! Have some fic recs for Star Wars, The Witcher, The Fugitive, Knives Out, Avatar: the Last Airbender, and Shadowhunters.

STAR WARS

what good are the stars above by fabrega (Rey/Finn/Poe)

“I don’t want to lose you guys,” Poe says quietly.

Post-TRoS OT3 coda of cuteness. <3

a much better dream by rain_sleet_snow (Zorii/Rose)

 “Who are you?“ Zorii asked.

 "Rose Tico,” said clipboard girl, “and I asked you first.”

 Zorii said that this was Babu Frik, and he was an excellent droidsmith, and she was Zorii - just Zorii - and she was good at fighting things and flying things, in-atmosphere for preference, and she’d already parked her yacht, thanks.

 “You’ve landed it on top of a navigation sensor and I’m going to have to ask you to move it,” Rose Tico said.

In which Zorii joins the Resistance and gets a massive crush on Rose. Charming romp with two characters who were neglected in the movie, with some great worldbuilding and background OT3 slipped in for a bonus.

MISC

home is nowhere, therefore you by Ark/@et-in-arkadia​ (The Witcher, Geralt/Jaskier)

“Right, well,” Jaskier says, when he halts before Geralt. Up close, he looks much more nervous. There is sweat on his brow and his collar is damp with it, and his teeth keep catching on his lower lip. “True love’s kiss. There's—ah—there’s nothing to it.” And he bends, the utter imbecile, and kisses Geralt full on the mouth.

*heartclutch* Chock full of fae and their shenanigans, true love, banter, Geralt’s skill at feeling a lot and having no idea how to say most of it, and a good deal of very hot smut.

The Hunter From the Field (The Fugitive, Kimble/Gerard)

He didn’t keep in touch with ex-cons, even innocent ones. He didn’t befriend them and he sure as hell didn’t sleep with them—it was him and them and never the twain should meet.

I didn’t even know I wanted this, but it’s a fantastic follow-up to one of my id’s favorite movies. Great character voices all around, the slow reveal of Sam’s attraction was beautifully handled, and I loved having more closure for Richard’s trauma and grief as well.

If I’m Haunting You, You Must Be Haunting Me (Knives Out, Marta/Ransom)

It seems horribly fitting that when Marta’s soulbond arrives, it’s in the most absurdly ridiculous, horrible way imaginable. It involves the Thrombeys, so of course something that should be wonderful just ends up being terrible in the end.

INCREDIBLY fun and smart remix of the movie, where Ransom is still terrible (I appreciate she didn’t gloss over Ransom’s major flaws) and Marta is still the best but things go rather differently due to their soulbond. But don’t worry, there’s still murder! Also, porn!

Safety First by Haicrescendo (ATLA, gen)

Zuko’s used to feeling unsafe. Zuko is also used to sleeping like shit. Somehow, he’s never considered that these things are connected.

Or, Zuko figures out where he stands with Toph and almost immediately falls asleep on her.

Sweet and soft and right in the feels. I can never have too much of their friendship. <3

you who have come from my old country by paperiuni (Shadowhunters, Magnus/Alec)

A century later, Magnus returns to the city he loves to find it changed for the better.

Yet another fandom I am only in via fic and YouTube videos – but this story is a wonderfully delicate and gentle look at Magnus looking at the world they changed, both grieving and hopeful and still entirely in love with Alec. I don’t often enjoy sad stories, but this was the perfect mix, and I cried throughout and loved it.
spatz: Leito crouched on the hood of a car, grinning (B13 Leito grin)
Dear Yuletide Author,

Thank you so much in advance for writing me a story! I love that we both share one of these tiny, beloved fandoms, and I'm excited to read what you come up with for me.

General likes/dislikes )


Fandoms: The Breakfast Club, Nirvana in Fire, Murderbot, B13 )


Thank you again, and good luck with your writing! If there's anything that's really confusing or stymying you about my prompts, or you have a thrilling plot bunny that really inspires you but you're not sure I'll like or not, or whatever, please feel free to get in touch with inmyriadbits (DW, Tumblr). She's my twin sister, so she knows all my preferences and all of these fandoms and can guide you - and will probably be delighted to keep the secret from me and then tell me all about it after reveals ;)
spatz: frost covered red leaves on frozen grass (frost leaves)
Dear Yuletide Author,

Thank you for writing fic in this tiny fandom for me! Here's some information about me, my general likes/dislikes, and specific ramblings and prompts for my requested fandoms if that will help you.

General )


Requested fandoms )
spatz: sundial with fall leaves (sundial)
XMFC space assassin AU
I have a vague memory that this started as a dream, but then I wrote the opening scene and had nothing else.

In retrospect, it's very Erik-as-the-Winter-Soldier, but IN SPACE! :D )

Snow White & the Huntsman
Wow, I have...no memory of writing this. Apparently I liked the movie enough to want to write fic, which must have lasted all of a week. Warnings for...overly poetic and euphemistic cunnilingus?

breathe )

SPN post-S5 coda
I think I wrote this scene of Dean unpacking his duffel bag at Lisa's right after the S5 finale, and then never a) posted it or b) watched the S6 premiere. So, you know, caveat lector. Prettty sure it's been jossed.

I literally just titled the draft 'coda'. Original of me. )
spatz: miniseries Alice approaches a vial of red liquid (Alice curiosity killed the cat)
I've seen that movie meme going around:

Anyone who feels like it should post their ten most CRUCIAL CRUCIAL CRUCIAL-ASS movies, like the movies that explain everything about yourselves in your current incarnations (not necessarily your ten favorite movies but the ten movies that you, as a person existing currently, feel would help people get to know you) (they can change later on obviously).

I actually did this on Tumblr first, but on reflection (and since it's no longer 3AM)(just 1AM), I have revised it thusly:

1) The Philadelphia Story
2) District B-13
3) The Shawshank Redemption
4) The Sting
5) Spider-Man 2
6) Trash Dance Aliens
7) Matilda
8) Bull Durham
9) Apollo 13 The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (my go-to rent-this-for-me-when-sick movie at age 6)
10) Anastasia

Technically, if these are supposed to be formative/representative films, this should *also* include the *other* movie I watched a million times when sick as a child -- but for the life of me, I cannot remember the title. I vaguely remember that it was about a fairy who granted those "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight" wishes. She was lonely and overloaded, so she ended up recruiting a team to help her, and then there was something involving a villain who attacked their castle and took the original fairy captive and the team had to rescue her. I wish I remember what it was called, because clearly I imprinted on it with regards to someone being lonely and unloved, teams becoming found families, wish fulfillment, and h/c rescues. And groups of awesome ladies.

****

In other news, everything is Bucky feels and therefore everything hurts.

If you are looking for a WIP to read for your daily dose of emotional agony, check out Out of the Dead Land, written for the prompt:

Sam and Steve find the Winter Soldier and begin the process of deprogramming him. At first his progress seems to be astounding -- it's like having Bucky back again. But there's little cracks in the facade, and Steve catches on that Winter Soldier doesn't have his memories back. He's just studied up on how to be Bucky. He's memorized facts about the Howling Commandos, their old neighborhood in Brooklyn, even personal details about Steve himself, but it's not *perfect* and it's not truly *Bucky*, it's the Winter Soldier playing at being Bucky. He wants to be Bucky very badly.

SO GOOD. It's gorgeously written Bucky POV, and hitting every 'Bucky is emotionally broken but still uber-competent, yet doesn't know how to handle his Steve love' button that I have. Plus, there's a cool plot that I won't spoil, and her Natasha may be the best Natasha I've found post-movie.

The author-anon says it's two-thirds done, so you could wait, but man, sometimes I just like torturing myself in this fandom.
spatz: cartoon bunnies on stilts with caption "dramatic character-driven stories... or stilts?" (Bunnies stories or stilts?)
So I pulled an all-nighter last night finishing the draft of my Bucky post-movie fic. I...haven't ever done that.

Well. I did take a break and write a mini-essay on Mary Pickford, so it was sort of like film school.

I also had a thought about Steve and Natasha: Read more... )
spatz: Tony Stark working on machinery (Tony mechanic)
I was googling "Captain America: Living Legend & Symbol of Courage" to see if I'd remembered the name of Steve's Smithsonian exhibit correctly, and discovered a) I was right and b) they apparently put the exhibit at Disneyland.

Don't get too excited: the internal content is not really the same, but they must have donated a few of the props from the movie because the entry sign is the same IIRC, and they have the skinny Steve/serum Steve holographic display.

OMG, NERDS. Film people are the best.

ETA: Wow, also just realized spoilers )
spatz: darkfield photograph of a nematode, caption "Unleash the nematodes of war!" (nematodes of war)
I feel like March has lasted forever, I've been so busy -- and it's not even over yet. Here, have some random links as I clean up my inbox and my life:

The Indian sanitary pad revolution

A rural Indian man invented a cheap, simple machine to make sanitary pads, and the fallout has been awesome. I've heard of this man before, but it was a while ago -- when he won that contest for his invention, IIRC. Apparently in the years since, he's taken his invention, refused to commercialize, and instead started to spread them through impoverished areas: creating jobs, improving hygiene, and makes it easier for girls to stay in school after they hit puberty. And now he wants to go international. *hearteyes* There's a documentary about the full story available streaming here for $4. I'm documentary'd out after SXSW, but I'll have to check it out.

Researcher reveals how “Computer Geeks” replaced “Computer Girls”
Asked to picture a computer programmer, most of us describe the archetypal computer geek, a brilliant but socially-awkward male. [...] It may be surprising, then, to learn that the earliest computer programmers were women and that the programming field was once stereotyped as female.
5 Truths About Sexual Fetishes

Interesting and funny read, but man, Cracked.com is almost as dangerous as TvTropes once you get going.
spatz: Finch peering into air duct (POI Finch peer)
[personal profile] inmyriadbits and I are finally catching up on POI, and saw 3x03-3x05 tonight. Since I'm quite tired, my primary reaction was a) disappointment over the ladies night episode, which was expected given the reaction of my flist, and b) profound amusement that they titled 3x05 'Razgovor', which means 'talk', 'conversation' or 'job interview' in Serbo-Croatian. Which makes it both a nerdy classic film reference AND a nod to Shaw & Finch's arc in the episode.

Well-played, POI writers. Your legacy of excellent nerdery continues promisingly.
spatz: cartoon bunnies on stilts with caption "dramatic character-driven stories... or stilts?" (Bunnies stories or stilts?)
Yuletide reveals are up, yay! I wrote gimel for [archiveofourown.org profile] donutsweeper, a quiet little Arrow team story about Oliver and Diggle crashing Felicity's Hanukkah celebration. Many, many thanks to [personal profile] inmyriadbits for the beta job of awesome, and to [livejournal.com profile] arsenicjade for doing a last-minute Judaism-pick for me. ♥

I got three awesome stories this year, which was a new and delightful experience!!!

gifts: Lockout, B13 )

I also beta'd three fics this year, all of which were awesome.

betas: Bletchley Circle, Arrow, & Curse of Chalion )
spatz: Dr Erskine flicking microphone to get attention (Erskine microphone)
As some of you might have guessed from my last post, I fell face-first back into Avengers fandom recently (hahaha, typoed that as 'feel face-first', also accurate). Partially, this is an attempt to finish a WIP that's been sitting around since May 2012 and partially because I was getting a little crazy about Person of Interest. (I broke down in insane tears of frustration over something very stupid involving codecs, and decided to take a break. Basically.)

Tonight, I spent literally an hour trawling through Samuel L. Jackson's IMDB page to play six degrees of separation with the Avengers cast and every other comics movie ever. I was having so much fun that I did not even realize it was taking that long until I looked at the clock.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME.



....But for the record, Samuel L. Jackson is totally in the lead in that game.
spatz: Leito crouched on the hood of a car, grinning (B13 Leito grin)
Dear Yuletide Author,

First of all, I am SO sorry it took so long to write this for you. I have two people and a whippet camped out in my living room, and none of them are fannish, so finding space to write this has been difficult. :D

Secondly, hi! Yuletide is here, and I am so happy you're writing for me! Clearly, you have awesome taste in fandoms :) I'm incredibly easy-going, so if prompts are not something you find useful or inspiring, feel free to ignore any and all of the rambling below or my prompts in the sign-up. My only hardline request is that you not write incest. It's my one cast-iron squick, and I would not be able to read the story.

An incomplete list of things I do like )

Banlieue 13 )

Lockout )

The Wolverine )

Books of the Raksura )

Fast and the Furious series )

Temeraire )
spatz: Reese smiling with camera (Reese happy lurker)
After reaching page 56 on my dashboard and passing 4 AM, I made a thing comparing Person of Interest and North By Northwest. (spoilers for 2x21)

I think that makes this three posts in 5 hours. And I didn't even post the fic I wrote. ALREADY MOST PRODUCTIVE MONDAY EVER. (...goddammit, POI, stop eating my brain.)

Now I am going to sleep.
spatz: Gene Kelly pantomiming ridiculously in period dress, caption "OH NOES!" (SITR oh noes)
Apparently Greg Grunberg is in a movie called Big Ass Spider! in the Midnighters group. I must go to this. Oh, god, it looks so terrible. *glee* (for those unfamiliar with SX, Midnighters are usually genre scifi/horror/slasher films. Attack the Block was a Midnighter two years ago.)

Also, there's a sequel to Before Sunrise and Before Sunset premiering tomorrow, which I am going to try for, but since this is a Linklater film in Austin, I'm not super optimistic about my chances, even at the Paramount. Cross your fingers for me.

This sounds kind of annoying, but I am tempted to go see it just because it supposedly includes the Drafthouse's Air Sex competition.

ETA: Also, if the SX schedule could stop crashing on me and losing my bookmarks, that would be awesome. *sigh*
spatz: closeup of Ray's hand revealing detective badge hidden under his jacket, caption "Duty" (Due South RayK badge)
I should really stop saying I don't like things, because then I inevitably end up wearing pink, or reading RPF, or writing fic where two characters played by Jeremy Renner are actually the same person. *facepalm*

I don't even LIKE this movie, wtf. I just got pissed that they killed off the only likeable and intelligent character in the movie, and, combined with my firm belief that Coulson would never let a zombie apocalypse happen on his watch, wound up writing fix-it fic.

(Jeremy Renner in tactical gear had absolutely nothing to do with that decison. Noooo.)

...Um, anyone interested in doing a beta? Preferably someone who has seen 28 Weeks Later recently?
spatz: sparrow perched on a branch (books)
Yuletide is here! I got an amazing story for the film Weekend, which about a man named Russell having a one-night stand with a man named Glen, that turns into something more. It's a stunning little film, far and away my favorite of the twelve movies I saw at SXSW this year - now available on Netflix streaming, thank goodness, because it doesn't have DVD distribution in the US yet.

My gift was you cannot conquer time and it is GORGEOUS post-movie fix-it fic that somehow perfectly captures the characters and the tone of the movie (which I can barely believe the *movie* did, sometimes). Basically: 15,000 words of exactly what I wanted. *g* Yuletide Author, you are the best!

*****

Other awesome stories so far:

Taking The Stairs (Life)
Charlie, Ted, and Tidwell get stuck in an elevator together. I mean - the concept *alone*, right? But it's also a hilarious combination of Charlie in full-on Zen babble mode and some lovely character moments. ♥

The Team Player (Sports Night)
In which Kim is a PR ninja and everyone should worship her in awe. Why are there not already a million fics of this? It's basically canon.

A Madcap Proposal (Lost in Austen)
Post-miniseries, Caroline Bingley and Wickham team up and have Heyer-esque shenanigans in London. All the hysterically catty comments and engagement-of-convenience a girl could want!

In Uniform (B13)
Leito has feelings about Damian in his police uniform. JFC, awesome study of how violence and passion are intricately intertwined in their relationship. And fucking hot.

give me courage not to fear no one (Attack the Block)
Four weapons Moses used, and one he didn't. Why hello there, pitch-perfect Moses voice.

*****

Hey internet, can you recommend some good scifi books of the more lyrical/attention-to-prose/well-written vein? My sister [livejournal.com profile] ersatzemma was asking for recs for her boyfriend, but we basically came up with Ursula LeGuin. :| Ya'll can do better than that, I'm sure! He likes the beat poets, if that helps narrow it down any.

SXSW 2011

Mar. 20th, 2011 02:34 am
spatz: sparrow perched on a branch (rock out)
18 shows
+8 days
+7 documentaries
+5 feature films
+4 band members who recognized my face by the end of the week (whoops)
+3 blisters
+2-day trip to Vegas for free
+1 sunburn
+large quantities of booze and tangelos

=an awesome week.
spatz: sparrow perched on a branch (DC Lex ideas)
I went to see Inception for the second time - just as enjoyable as the first time, and I absorbed a lot more of the universe rules this time around.

Unfortunately, *that* meant discovering that Inception Math timescale thing that has been linked in every pimp post and picspam I've seen so far, which I have been basing all of my mental math on?

It's wrong! At least, wrong during the Fischer job. And during any dream sharing that isn't Ariadne's training.

Warning: basic arithmetic and anal-retentiveness )

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