Miss Cellaneous

I should be studying, and I should definitely not be starting so many lj posts of mine like this but either shut up about it or just return to my books, but SGA fans, I've got ( an insta-rec for you )

ETA: Still icons unclaimed! Get them while they're...there.

( 12 Claimable SGA Icons )

I need to get back to my studying, otherwise I'd search for myself: If someone pointed me to an(y!) explanation how a tiered tagging system on lj is supposed to work, I'd be much obliged.

ETA regarding SGA: Right! Still a few hours left to contribute the Fake Out Make Out challenge over in siegeofangels' lj! (Be sure to read pentapus's contribution. No, really. Go read.)

14valentines recommendations( under the cut )

( A poll/question regarding my -- multi-fandom as well as non-fannish link -- recommendations )

In other news, pukajen is coming today and will stay in this my country and region till next Friday. I'll definitely have to study some, or try to anyway, but still--yay! ( Details few people will care about )

Since it's TTOTM, I'm having this for dinner (and a salad afterwards, for some freshness & vitamins):

( Lotus Seed and Tapioca Pearl in Coconut Milk )

I blame machinistm who kept lauding her green-tea-filled-with-chocolate daifuku. mach, I got the traditional ones filled with red bean paste because that--plus peanut and sesame, not favourites of mine--was the only option.

Also,

1. ( two SGA recs )
2. and one SGA snippet of mine ( under the cut. )

When I compiled my quality, not quantity! list of fanfic written in 2007, I forgot the first story written that year, and one of my two femslash offerings, at that: Twenty-One, Alias, rated R.

Note to self & others: Tag your fic properly the moment you post it.

And while I'm at it, ( two insta-recs of the the SGA kind. )

Also, the ones who are interested already know, and the rest couldn't possibly care less, but it's Joe Flanigan's birthday. ( Have 3 icons! )

(I'm recommending an SGA story, but really, this is more like a review. You may want to read the fic first and then come back. Suit yourself.)

Maybe this is a case of Be Careful What You Wish for, but since it tends to be rare, I greatly enjoy fanfiction that doesn't just touch upon my story preferences but actual hobbies of mine. Photography is right there in the summary, so how I missed this story the first time around I have...an idea, actually: I don't usually pursue fic featuring Lorne for reasons both within and outside canon. He may be snarky, but he's also your model boy soldier, your perfect 2IC, your so-sympathetic painter with a sensitive soul underneath the uniform. Then, there's the fact of my general affinity to protagonists, as I told rez_lo very recently; minor characters generally don't do it for me unless they ping my very own radar. This story, though? Transcends that Lorne!fic category in my mind in several ways.

( More about the story I'm talking about, or perhaps more about me & my reading of the story in question )

Here you go, hopefully literally:

Tanlines & Dogtags by icarusancalion. Lorne and Sheppard, mild exhibitionism, NC-17.

***

While we're at it, may I add a pair of exceedingly well-written Sheppard/McKay smut that left me quite breathless? Pi and Aesc have never disappointed me with their longer, plottier, often humorous and/or lyrical stories, and I'm always looking forward for more from either-both of them.

PWP warning. (Hah, warning. "Incentive," to many.)

SGA, John/Rodney, no spoilers. NC-17. By apple_pi.

And its companion piece from Rodney's POV:

.pornlet. (John/Rodney) NC17. By aesc.

***

There was more. I know there was more. I should really make a habit of putting favourites of mine in the Memories.

Slowly aching day, and it's not yet over, but let me share a tiny rec set with you.

( Three SGA stories that caught my eye )

I loved seperis's latest fic. I really, really loved it.

Title: Story of a Girl
Author: jenn
Codes: Sheppard/McKay, AU, genderswitch
Spoilers: Rising, The Storm, The Eye, Siege II, Conversion, Common Ground, McKay and Mrs. Miller (and general for seasons one, two, three)
Rating: R/NC-17

This is where I'd usually put my little excerpt, for a first taste, but really, with this story, I cannot decide. If you read German, go look at frogspace's flail-y recommendation post. Bear in mind that this is not a genderswitch kink story (not that I don't love those, I do!); it's an Alternate Universe paralleling canon exactly, the sole premise being that Sheppard is and has always been female.

( My FEEDBACK for this story )

***

And to round 'em all up -- hel-lo to the non-SGAers who roll their eyes and currently consider putting me on filters (if they haven't already):

gaiaanarchy has also written a great (if much too short) Sheppard-As-A-Woman story, but that one's definitely more of an AU, complete with trips to different dimensions and different life choices:

Title: Half the Perfect World
Author: Gaia (gaiaanarchy)
Characters/Pairing: girl!John/Rodney, McShep preslash
Rating: R (for language and violence)
Category: genderfuck, Mirror Universe, sprogs
Disclaimer: Don’t own SGA and don’t make money.
Spoilers: Trinity
Word Count: ~10,900
Summary: John asks an ancient device to go home and ends up over the rainbow instead (assuming 'over the rainbow' resembles suburbia, of course). Girl!John/Rodney.

Taking a brief study break, in good spirits because I Did Get Things Done Today. No Amsterdam, though. Alas.

So. It was no secret to any reader of mcshep_match that I really liked this story today. ( Maybe you will, too? )

Also, three icons. Black-and-white: ( John, Rodney, and Joe Flanigan )

(Yes, I had some free time today. How did you guess?)

ETA: Not receiving comment notifications.

Mona <--------------------------> LOOP

No matter whether you're in this fandom or not:

"Considering the powerful impact this vid had on me, I can imagine how it affected someone who has a strong emotional investment in the series. Because if you're a female fan of media products these days, you have to look past these things and -- for your own protection -- adapt a certain selective blindness unless you want to give up your hobby altogether. Therefore, it's all the more shocking when someone violently rips away the veil for a brief moment. Ouch.

This vid works so well that it works almost too well. Recommended unconditionally!"

- frogspace, translated from German by yours truly

Women's Work by Luminosity and Sisabet




ETA: Falls hier jemand lieber auf Deutsch über das Video reden möchte -- es entspinnt sich eine kleine Diskussion in frogspace's LJ.

Came home from the office and dreary, dry deeds; must now study till midnight and beyond.

But if you have time and would like to read SGA fic featuring fabulous fun, be sure to ( give these two stories a try )

On my way into the living room to do my exercises, but I've been wanting to share this ever since I saw it:

Teiresian odyssey by miera_c -- girl!Sheppard/Cadman, rated NC-17, no spoilers. Genderswitch as so often the case with "girl!John."

Elizabeth debated with herself silently, but he knew from the grim look on her face that like it or not, she was conceding his point. She glanced at Carson, Ronon and Teyla. "We'll put the word out that Colonel Sheppard was injured by a malfunctioning Ancient device. He's fine, but he's been exposed to a potentially toxic element, so he's being confined to his quarters until the tests are done."

She got silent nods of agreement, then reached out and touched John's arm before she left. Elizabeth wasn't real big on physical contact with people, so John was somewhat relieved that it felt just as weird as it always did.

Leave feedback if you like it, okay? ::barely refrains from waving pom-poms::

In the last study break, I may have made a simple John-and-Rodney banner.

( Still the least-artsiest! )

Also, if you like the McShep, even -- especially -- if you don't have much time, check out this little ficlet by wesleysgirl (spoilers for Sunday, rated R for adult situations).

( What I Have Been, Am & Will Be Doing )

Also, prompted by the latest lj_biz post, the ever-wonderful solvent90 wrote 300 words of their one night:
Night's candles are burnt out, Romeo/Juliet, NC-17
they dare not risk candles or their voices

Speaking of fanfiction, selenak is daring the world to write Deb/La Guerta. I would totally not be cheering you on and making icons or such. Nuh-uh. Never.

Heroes icons

3 x general (with spoilers for the season finale), 3 x Peter/Claire, 3 x Peter/Nathan, 3 x Mohinder (!!!), 1 x Peter, 2 x The Girls ( when you click here )

Now, of course this show works nicely as an ensemble show full of comic-book wackiness.

But then, there's more to Heroes. ( On Yays! and it All Being The Writers' & Actors' Fault )

( Some P/C ship recs )

Got the message; let's talk about something else but me for a while. & ;-)

1. BtVS: Still re-watching S 1 during my exercises. On the menu tonight: ( Nightmares )

2. CSI Vegas: ( For the longest time, I couldn't figure out one thing. )

3. SGA:

a) Here's visual proof that John does check out Rodney's butt. Canonically. Live. On TV.

b) In the duh! category, I've been enjoying the new round of genderswitchery. Everybody's talking about always should be someone you really love by thingswithwings, and onto that in a bit, but y'all, not just the fans, should give spike21's Teyla-centric vignette a spin: Maybe Oracle, gen, rated R for subject matter, no spoilers except for, you know, life. ( Brief notes on both stories )

c) This has been gnawing at me for a while: Where on Earth, Atlantis, or elsewhere is all the post-Season-Three finale fic?

Coincidence is when you re-read Chapter 6b of The Best Things In Life Are Free on your hand-held because it gives you warm fuzzy feelings every time, then you get off the train into your father's car...and he's just playing Money by the Beatles. smittywing, thank you so much. I love this story beyond reason; the two riffs I wrote for it may have clued you in a long time ago & ;-).

***

While we're at it: Thank you so much for the Valentine(r) greetings some of you sent me! wickedwords, amireal, pukajen, syderia, yin_again, volari, not_sally, kskitten, you even signed your name, which I totally didn't for that meme -- I just left anonymous comment in every LJ I stumbled across. kangeiko, you didn't sign, but since no one else calls me "honeypie...."

Your kind -- not to mention funny and sweet and uplifting -- words really, really saved me from a quick'n dirty bout of despair over matters that do not need explaining at this juncture (but perhaps a later one). As for the anonymous ones -- I'm DYING TO KNOW WHO SENT THEM! The poem especially made me smile, as did the spirited rendition of "Hey baby!" And more than one were just amazing. Touching, really.

***

I'd been planning to post 14valentines recommendations and share the story of how I tickled Cutie's naked belly today (he totally had it coming, as he'd kept mentioning and showing glimpses of skin all day in class, the tease!), but looking at the clock...yeah. Later.

Came back earlier -- frustrating story which I'll refrain from posting because while I love them, I don't need more glitter pens -- and had even escaped the Great Presentation for my supervisor. *exhale* Of course, aufgeschoben ist nicht aufgehoben: forbearance is not acquittance.

Yesterday night, though, I stumbled across not one but two great femslash stories, which I'll proceed to share here. Both are excellent character pieces well worth reading (even if you don't cherish femslash per se).

The first one is a continuation of a fic I recommended before, Big girls don't cry by femmenerd, which all of you need to read not just because it's given us a John-Has-Two-Daughters Supernaturalverse but because it's awesome:

— Sister, My Sister by femmenerd, R, character spoilers for Everybody Loves A Clown:

In high school girls always assumed Dee was gonna fuck their boyfriends, and she probably would, but that was actually beside the point.

The second one's made me very glad I read it despite the unconventional pairing and the low rating & ;-). technosage's Teyla voice is low-key but wry and amused, and her character dynamics made me smile with delight. Something for all my McShep friends, too, because the boys are a secondary (tertiary? quaternary..?) pairing. You should, however, know that she's playing off a casting rumour:

— Intimate Geometries bytechnosage, PG-13, spoilers through S2

At lunch on the third day, Colonel Sheppard loosened the caps on all the condiments and Dr. McKay dumped an entire shaker of salt on his MRE. He ate the meal anyhow, but groused his way through every bite.

I'm always feeling slightly bereft, having no femslash pairing in my primary fandom. BtVS made me fall in love with Buffy/Faith, and Alias had me adore more than one spy girl duo over the course of the series, but there's no f/f couple in SGA that makes me sit up and take note. It's not all that surprising, though. ( Shipping tendencies including femslash )

[sleeping in + getting more than 5-6 hours of sleep + being in my apartment when it's light out there = bliss]

If you've been annoyed by these pop-ups with other folks' LJ info -- here, in the "Contextual Popup" line, you can turn it off.

I can't think of a segue, but SGA folks -- go check out volari's Love in Three Parts. Rated PG, set during 3x02 Misbegotten; I'm witholding the pairing because despite being all about well, see title, it's mostly a character piece, and one I found resonant, lovely, and true to each of them.

Also, I've re-tagged my fiction by