get me off this crazy thing

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!

It's been BUSY over in my world, but I have this week off which is nice. Haven't done as much as I wanted because, well, *makes vague gesture at everything*.


HOWEVER, it is HLH Shortcuts and Yuletide season, yippee! Both of my story gifts are delightful.

For Highlander Holiday Shortcuts, this year I received a fascinating time travel story:

The Future is Prologue (10273 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 6/6
Fandom: Highlander: The Series
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Duncan MacLeod/Methos (Highlander)

Honestly makes me think more immortals should take heads on holy ground if this is the result. Please also check out all the other Highlander Holiday Shortcuts this year! We are small but mighty group and stories are being revealed every day. 


And for Yuletide, I got my favorite thieves *heart eyes*:

another song for California (1676 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Ocean's Eleven Trilogy (Movies)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Danny Ocean & Rusty Ryan

I am still so in love with Danny and Rusty. This story nailed their dynamic with such ease and deft; i'm fascinated.

~~~

I wrote three (3) Yuletide stories and one (1) HLH Shortcut story, and had a blast writing each of them. The HLH story is probably my favorite HL story I've ever written. The Yuletide stories all have a theme, which was not intentional exactly except I chose to write each one so I guess in a way it was intentional. hah. 

Now I have to sit on my hands. 

So much to type about, so little brain.

This is what I've been doing:

1. I watched all of season 1 of Westworld and have decided not to continue with it. As a friend of mine said when i mentioned I just watched it and that I didn't think I would bother with season 2, it's too "rapey." That, and I pretty much actively hate every human and I'm not that fond of the robots either, so when I'm rooting for everyone to die I'm pretty sure that's time for me to bail.

2. In my infinite wisdom I decided to pick up Friday Night Lights again. I'd only seen season 1 back when it aired, and never continued. This was because of reasons, some to do with the show but mostly because life was very life at that time and I can pretty much pin point my break up with appointment television to that period. Anyway, a friend had just watched it all on Netflix, and I had always intended to watch it anyway, and I heard it was good, so I was like, okay, I think I'm ready. And I started watching it again and all through rewatching season 1 I was like, OMG this show is soooo goood why did I ever stop watching it whhhyyyy I love everyone on this show so much. And then I started watching season 2 and I was like.... OH RIGHT THIS IS WHY. Hah. No no, not because season 2 was uneven or anything but because I love these characters so much that watching them hurt even a little bit, emotionally or physically, makes me very anxious. Let's just say when I roll my eyes at the MCU fandom for losing their collective heads over Bucky Barnes, just say Tim Riggins to me and I'll shut up.

3. The kittens over at The Librarians are all very kittenish and that show is too darn adorable.

4. Life got out of hand this month so I haven't seen Logan yet. Nor Iron Fist, which I do plan on watching even though everyone and their grandmother says it's terrible.

5. Even though I saw the movie The Martian in theatres, and I had a copy for ages and watched it at least a few times since then, I suddenly had a desire to read fan fiction for it the other day. Specifically, I wanted Watney/Mitch Henderson (don't ask me why) but there's NOTHING in that pairing. I am so disappointed in fandom right now. BUT I did read a bunch of lovely fic in various pairings and threesomes, and some group Ares fic. I've bookmarked a handful that I liked, and I'm still poking my way through the stories on AO3 (surprise surprise there's not a lot) but I have a fic rec for anyone even remotely interested.

All This Could Be Yours, by mardia (Lewis/Watney) -- Both Commander Lewis and Mark Watney are stranded on Mars together.

It's not even remotely a popular pairing, but I adored this story. In such a small fandom, one starts to read everything, and I was not sorry to give this one a try. It's the first in a series, but the other 2 stories are more companion pieces. Not sure I've read another story, fanfic or professional, that truly delves into real intimacy between 2 people as well as this one, imo.

This is likely to be the only rec I will make before the reveal. I'm working my way through the archive, but slowly (I'm just to J!), and lack the patience right now to do more than flail slightly in the direction of this story.

As the Starling Said (long version): Jane Austen -- Mansfield Park, Mary Crawford/Maria Betram (Rushworth). This story is set after Maria's fall from grace. I try all the time to defend or illuminate Mary and Maria to people, and never get very far. Most readers of Mansfield Park are determined to hate them. And perhaps rightly so; neither girl is particularly sympathetic, and both end up with the fates they more or less deserve (although, even that, I cannot agree. Life was cruel and unforgiving for women who do not fit into what that society wanted them to be. I, for one, do not condemn them.)

Anyhoo. I loved this. It does not apologize for Mary or Maria's actions or behavior, nor does it smooth over their faults. They are entirely in character, and I loved them a little bit more for it.

There is a gen version of the story here that is considerably shorter, although having read the long version I cannot imagine it any other way. It's quite firmly canon in my head now.

Hello there, friend's list, how's it hanging? I have been away from my computer all day. :D

~~~

I called in sick today. I'm not really sick, lest you all should worry, although I wasn't feeling well last week. Food does not agree with me. I'd do away with eating all together if it weren't, you know, necessary.

What tifah did on her sick day:

Item 1) went to the beach! :D :D Of course, I forgot sun screen lotion, so I'm, er, rosy-colored on my backside. whoops? I'd lathered up before leaving, but, well, the ocean was lovely, and I got some reading done.

Item 2) got a green tea latte (over ice) from my local cafe. yum.

Item 3) bought a desk, finally. woo!

Item 4) drove around in traffic in Westwood when there were gobs of people there for the Step Brothers premiere, just so I could go through the In and Out drive through to get a burger. Yeah. And I wonder why my stomach rebels on me.

Item 5) built said desk, and is currently sitting at it. yay! It's small and cute and purty and fits snugly right where I wanted it. I haven't sat at a desk for writing since forever, so I figured small and compact would do me, although maybe I'll sit more at this one, since it's more comfortable than the last desk I had. hm.

Operation!Bedroom is, well, one step closer to done, at least. :/

All in all, a full day. Bored yet?

~~~~

Everyone, please meet Mr. Bailey Cat. Sexy Pose.

~~~

I never use mood themes for posting, and certainly do not have the patience to upload a custom one for the use. It's just a thing; my moods are fairly even tempered anyway. Sometimes I'm tempted, though, because I love other people's mood themes and the little pictures look so shiny! I'm tempted again today looking at this new animated mood theme for the Doctor & Donna.

Tempted to watch series 4 again right away now, and also, jeez, look at them. *cries*. I got sad all over again. Especially looking at Love, Content, Flirty, Weird. Oh, Donna.

~~~

I spent all day this past Saturday reading a few of the stories posted to sizeofthatthing. And by "few" I mean, all of the Doctor/Donna, Doctor/Martha, and Doctor/Rose. ;) Kinkmemes are like a box of chocolates... haha. Besides the Ten/Donna I reced a few weeks ago, I have two more recs:

Before and After, Nine/Martha -- I've been wanting a Nine/Martha for AGES (er, and if there are others, please to be showing me where). Not particularly kinky, but lovely, yes.

Nine/Donna, untitled -- Also not very kinky, but timey-whimey, and with vague spoilers for JE. Donna's a touch ooc for me at the start, but only a touch.

First, a Doctor Who fic rec:

Bed Bath and Beyond by cjk1701. Written for sizeofthatthing, although not listed in their master list for some reason.

I found this doing a random search on whofic yesterday when I was overcome with a need for Donna fic (omg Donna don't leave me. *sob*). It's lovely, with understated angst, and is surprisingly hot for being more DoctorDonnafriends than Doctor/Donna. And short, as most Donna fic seems to be at this moment. Set post Midnight, no spoilers for 4x11 or 12.

~~~

( Day in History meme: )

~~~

( 'ship meme )

Look what was waiting for me in my inbox this morning!

Come to Love a Rose
Northanger Abbey
Henry Tilney/Catherine Moreland
written by the lovely mojavedragonfly as a New Years Resolution. FOR ME! *greedy smile*

:D :D :D

( cut for blathering )

These are the stories I really liked and admired for Yuletide 2006. I wanted to do this before the reveal, but it's not like after the reveal any of it changes, so I don't think it really matters! *g*

( Click here for tons of recs )
~~~

Lordy, that took all day.

I've been meaning to do this for *months*, since before I left for Prague. I'm a lazy lazy girl. *g* These are Pride & Prejudice stories. They are also going to be mostly het stories, just fyi, but I did find some slash.

( A little bit about P&P fanfic )

( Regency: )

( Modern Day Stories )

( Slash: )

Once Upon a Midnight Deary - Darcy/Bingley from Yuletide 2006. It bothered me a little bit, but I quite liked it. *g*

( Fiction at Hyacinth Gardens: )

( Jane Austen Fanfic and Historical Links: )

woo. all done.

The New Canterbury Tales: The Warrior's Tale, by teresa_c. A lovely gen piece that reminds me how much I love gen stories. And it has Storyteller!Duncan, always a favorite. :)

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In other news, I'm busy. Or rather, I have a lot of work, both at work and at home, none of it of a very fun nature, but it has to be done. I'm also reading a lot. I recently picked up a couple Dover editions of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice which I'm ashamed to admit I've never read. They're delightful, and I've even been searching for fan fiction. Most of the fan fiction I've found is P&P, which is fine and good and yay, but I want more Sense and Sensibility stories! (and this is where I look pitiful and ask for recs? Slash would be heavenly, but I'm good with shmoopy het romance... *mew*)

I'm writing (Highlander, of course *g*), but very slowly. Painfully slow. I hate beginnings. But yay story.

Sadly, I have nothing else of much interest to report. The grad school application inches forward. I'm procrastinating on writing the statement. Bad me!