#lightgetsin

[callmearcturus]

writer questions meme: 8, 13, 20 if you please

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

It wasn't explicitly writing advice, but I can tell you where I learned what my specific style would be. There was a fic in the Dresden Files fandom called "Cross" by LightGetsIn. LGI was a tremendous writer and a very kind mentory-friend who I attended my first fan convention with. Extremely accomplished adult who I looked up to when I was barely an adult.

"Cross" is a story about the limitations of perspective. It was the first story that really drove home the idea that Character A would not have the same knowledge and understanding of the world as Character B.

In "Cross", the POV character is John Marcone, a non-magical mafia boss who is deeply entrenched in the magical world. He has a lot of factual knowledge of how magic works, but he's an Italian-American Catholic. So when he's pulled into doing magical rites to bring another character back to life, he specifically doesn't pick up on the more pagan symbology of what he's doing, but filters it through a Guilty Catholic filter. Hence the name of the fic, "Cross."

And that story, which isn't even my favorite LGI story, probably taught me the most about how to write Close Perspective Third Person, which is my default style. When I'm writing in a characters POV, I rigorously limit what the POV character knows and picks up on. I will plant clues and information that the audience will understand, but the connections a character makes, the reference pools they pull from, their morality and ethics, all of those inform that POV, and what you and I know does not.

That is probably the most important lesson I've ever had in creating my own writing method.

20. Describe your perfect writing conditions.

8 hours of sleep, small breakfast snack like a croissant, decaf beverage, one dextroamphetamine, and no one fucking talk to me for about 2 - 4 hours. I will write 4,000 words.

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Lets put this under a cut, and I'll give you some DVD commentary. This is from chapter 2 of you'll need a new name to survive this. It's the point where Benji realizes Ethan is stalking him and does that trick to lose him in the bookshop, then sits outside waiting for him.

Only five minutes later, the door opened, and Bell took one step out before freezing, his eyes falling on Benji.

Got you, Benji thought with a sharp little smile. "You didn't even buy a book? Bit rude."

One of the goals of the early chapters of PT AU was establishing Benji's character as boldly as possible because we were essentially telling a story that canon does not. This is YEARS before MI3, where Benji gets two gd scenes.

To me, the tightrope walk was that I wanted Benji to have a reasonable grip on authority, to be shiny and new and out of his depth but still empowered because of his accomplishments. He has managed to land a good job working for the US government, he successfully emigrated before he was 30 years old, he has an apartment and a cat, he's new to everything in the spy world but he also has a steel spine that frankly he's fucking earned.

Which is a long-winded way of saying that Benji is a bitch and I love him so much.

Bell's face was blank, but Benji could almost feel how fast his brain was moving, weighing his options. Eventually, he settled on huffing out a little chuckle and stepping closer to Benji. "Hi."

Meanwhile, Ethan. MI1-era Ethan is very very smart but very very traumatised. His skillset is rooted in controlling people and predicting them. So Benji, a fucking civilian, catching him off-guard like this is like waving a red flag at a bull. Or dangling a steak over a lion enclosure. Benji doesn't know it yet but he's setting himself up to be a tasty treat for Ethan Hunt circa the late 90s.

"Are you going to kill me or something?" Benji asked. "Is that your spook job, are you a hitman?"

The flash of expression on Bell's face was offended. (This makes me laugh every time. Ethan Hunt is not a killer unless he absolutely must be and he will go out of his way to avoid it. Being an assassin is gross and he doesn't want to be perceived at all bc he's a spy but if he MUST be perceived jfc don't assume he's a HITMAN) "What, no. I just…" Grimacing, he looked away, eyes scanning the other pedestrians around them. "Okay, I'm screwing this up, I can admit that. Can we talk somewhere private?"

Benji didn't even have to think about it. "We can talk somewhere public."

Benji is never going to be an IMF agent but his instincts are wildly correct. And that knowledge comes from a different place! He was a gay punk rock vagabond who dropped out of law school, he knows how to keep out of trouble. He is probably the guy who told his other punk friends "if you are arrested do not say a goddamn thing, just ask for your public defender, don't joke, don't be a smartarse, keep your mouth shut."

The smile that took over Bell's face was lovely, transforming his whole face from storm clouds to something more seasonal. "That's honestly a very smart answer, doc. C'mon, there's a bakery nearby. I'll buy you a coffee. Least I can do."

It really was, so Benji nodded and followed him.

They didn't speak until Bell opened the glass door to another shop and held it open for Benji.

"Wrong hand," Benji said, noticing the small wince Bell let out.

"Inside, doc."

If it isn't obvious, all of the observational skills Benji has canonically have been funneled into his preternatural observation of patients.

Basically, if Benji as a character has a specific set of SPECIAL stats, all of those are the same, he just has different tagged skills in this universe.

Canon Benji is probably.... Guns, Science, and Repair. PT Benji has Medicine, Barter, Speech.

"Not a doctor," Benji said. "You know I'm not a doctor."

"What do you want to drink, doc?"

Ethan is being purposefully annoying and I could write a whole post about Ethan's soft power and the way he manipulates people, but that'd be another post. Short version: some people you seduce, some people you act like a wounded gazelle at, and some people you annoy.

Inside the bakery was loud. It was a strangely open floor plan. A long pastry case cordoned off the seating area for the customers. On the other side was just… the bakery. There were ovens and industrial mixers and rolling racks of cooling bread. In the corner, the espresso machine howled with noise as the milk frother worked.

It smelled divine, like living inside a baguette during a spring shower of dark roast coffee.

It also was a constant racket, which Benji mentioned to Bell as he sat down and slid a dark tea with vanilla syrup across to Benji.

"That's the point," Bell said, slouching back in his chair. "It's very difficult to eavesdrop in here."

Well, he wasn't wrong. Looking to another occupied table nearby, Benji briefly tried to pick out a word of what was being said by the woman seated closest to him. Nothing.

"Right, then," Benji said, attention back on Bell. "Why are you following me?"

"Why?" Bell seemed taken aback.

One of the many moments in the early chapters that establish that Ethan's perception of Normal is not anything approaching actual normal.

"Yes, why."

"Normal intelligence collection."

"On your physical therapist?" Benji asked with a barked laugh.

"Yeah." Bell leaned on his elbows, one hand cupping his own jaw and holding his head up as he made uncomfortably direct eye contact. "You really don't know who I am? Or why some of the appointments on your calendar come with no information?"

Pursing his lips, Benji shook his head.

Blowing out a whistle through his teeth, Bell grinned. "Sorry, that's just… it's new. I'm surprised Dr. Falsion didn't clue you in, but I guess she's not technically supposed to." Lifting his mug, he looked down into it. "People do shit they're not technically supposed to all the time in this town."

Ethan's major trauma at this point is being targeted by Kittridge and the Mole Hunt, and his trust in people to do their jobs is at a critical low that it'll never recover from.

"I don't even know your name," Benji sighed, sipping his own drink. It didn't taste at all like iocaine powder, so he was probably safe for the moment.

Bell rested his temple against the knuckles of his hand, his gaze so intense that Benji didn't know how to look away without making it patently obvious he was unsettled. Whatever Bell saw, it made his lips curve up slight. "Alright. Yeah. My name is Ethan. I work for an organization that shouldn't legally exist, so that's why you don't get anything on me. Even CIA jackboots manipulating local governments are realer than I am." He blinked once. "Also, I was an unprofessional shitheel last session, and I apologize."

Ethan apologizes here because Benji has earned his respect. And also by earning his respect, Ethan is also aware that Benji is not going to be so easy to maneuver around, so he fesses up that he was a prick, softly setting up a different tactic with Benji.

Benji felt his eyes going wider and wider with every sentence until it was a little hard to breathe. So his patient wasn't the American equivalent of an MI5 or MI6 so much as an MI8?

That did sort of start to explain what a pain in the ass he was.

"Shame," Benji managed after a moment of sitting fairly gobsmacked. "I was getting attached to 'Bell.' But I appreciate… all that. Thanks." He frowned. "Are you saying all this because you're actually sorry or are you sick of being stonewalled?"

Benji has a much more cynical mind than Ethan is the funny thing. Benji gets arguably more accurate reads on people than Ethan does. Or, Ethan gets accurate reads but he is continuously poisoned by the hope that people will be better than he expects. So FUNCTIONALLY, Ethan is an optimist and Benji is a realist.

Bell— Ethan— grinned. "That's a very good question. You actually have great instincts, doc. You did a surprisingly good job of shaking me when I was tailing you, especially for a civilian."

One of my favorite running gags is Benji being impossible to tail, so I'm glad we really drove it home the first time it happened. I love consistency in longfic.

"Again: thanks. Don't suppose you'll answer my other question?"

Ethan sipped his coffee, his smile visible around the edge of his cup.

"Right," Benji sighed. At least this felt like progress. And at least he probably wasn't going to be disappeared by a government assassin. That was a relief.

So this entire bit is Ethan reassessing Benji and pivoting his methods and tactics, setting up for a better way of handling Benji. And also being kind of charmed by him.

[eusuntgratie]

Okay updates on my hockey ~descent~

I've been reading a bit of bennguin and that was pretty good, I've been looking at some vids and I swear when Tyler got into a fight after someone took a cheap shot at Jamie 😭 like why do I care so much about that?? Anyway I have also just finished reading closed fracture by lightgetsin and it was so lovely <3 so looking for some more recs for sidgeno if you have them! (also why are there (((( all over the place sometimes? I've seen a few in fics and in tweets?) I do really like the Penguins logo and jerseys so maybe I'll follow them closer when things get moving a bit more, its the off season now right? Some other ships I'm a fan of is sterek from teen wolf, Sirius/Remus from hp, Macdennis from iasip, steve/bucky - just pretty basic ones lel 😬

oooooh i'm so excited to answer this okay okay. thank you for the update i love this!

tyler seguin is everyone's favorite slutty bisexual. go bananas in his tag (just #tyler seguin or #seguin) on tumblr and you'll find some great shit. that ship doesn't get as much attention anymore bc benn isn't fandom's favorite. i don't know enough about the stars to know all the reasons, but he did a very dirty and unneccessary hit on the vegas golden knights captain in the playoffs this year and that was enough to make me not like him. i can rec some stars blogs if you want - they are a great team with a solid fandom presence and a lot of young amazing players. and they have seggy :)

um, if you love boys being overprotective on the ice, i can definitely give you some pens moments but ALSO you should look into tknp (travis konecny/nolan patrick). i think i have a #protective tk tag on here you can browse bc the boy goes batshit insane anytime someone touches his boy. one of the big reasons a lot of us fell for that ship. you don't have to be a flyers fan to love them; tk is a fandom darling bc he's so tiny and fighty and wonderful.

also, any decent player is very protective of their goalie, so if you love that dynamic, you might enjoy some defenseman/goalie pairings or there's just some fun clips and gifs out there. i'll try to reblog some stuff for you. give my poor followers a break from the rwrb posting and tzp thirst 😂

DON'T GET ME STARTED ON SIDGENO OH GOD. okay i'll reblog a few posts for them because the things they say about each other are just. alright. you're in love. we get it. okay.

King and Lionheart is the fic that made me fall for sidgeno. There is an excellent podfic available as well.

I could give you a billion sidgeno recs and writers and blogs to follow. What kind of fic do you like? Fluff? Whump? PWP? Kink? ABO? Monsterfuckery? Sidgeno is the most popular hockey rpf ship at least by numbers on ao3; we got it all, baby! I read a lot of angst and porn, so I don't want to throw a bunch of recs at you without knowing what you like :)

((( and )))))))) are russian smileys... so you're probably reading Geno texting. So instead of texting (or tweeting - you can see these in some of his old tweets): i'll be there soon :) he would text i'll be there soon )))

we ARE in the offseason but hockey comes back (relatively) soon. preseason games (exhibition games that don't count towards playoff standings) start at the end of september and the season kicks off in October. The Penguins season opener is vs the Chicago Blackhawks which should be a VERY fun game to watch, bc Chicago drafted Connor Bedard this year, one of the best hockey prospects since Sid himself. Bedard is insanely talented and we are all very eager to see how he does in the NHL. Sid was Bedard's favorite player growing up (he is so many players' favorite player growing up) and they've met and they are both very sweet boys and anyway it will be an interesting game.

Stucky was my first ship since really diving into fandom and I spent a ton of time in Teen Wolf fandom! There's a ton of teen wolf on my ao3, mostly sterek, but i mostly write hockey these days.

feel free to keep sending me questions! there's a lot to learn when you first dive into hockey but i love the sport and love this fandom!!

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (12-18 Mar 2023)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🥰👂‍The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (The Doomsday Books #1) (KJ Charles, author; Martyn Swain, narrator) - another knock out hit from KJC!!! I loved that most of the conflict was external - they had some shit to sort out but it was not drawn out excessively. Great sense of place. Really looking forward to the next book in the duology, but not because this one left me wanting. [audio narrator's voice was lovely-sounding but the pacing was TERRIBLE - very, very slow with drawn out pauses in the middle of sentences, just weird & annoying. I read it on 1.45x speed and it was just bearable but I mostly read it in text when I could]

🥰 All the Things Money Can't Buy series (Lys ap Adin (lysapadin)) - 62K series (45 main story, rest later vignettes) - Sheith modern sugar daddy AU, complete with a delicious 'snowed in together' section and a cute dog named Potroast 🐶

😊👂‍Death In Irish Accents (The Dublin Driver Mysteries #4) (Catie Murphy, author; Ruth Urquhart, narrator) - Megan just can't stay away from murders - literally opens with a body falling on Megan & her girlfriend while they are having coffee - absolutely love it!

😍Monoclonius (Zenaidamacrouras1) - 62K, stucky AU with single dad/environmentalist Steve & dino scientist Bucky - absolutely delightful, loved loved loved it to bits! Genuinely loved the OCs (including a very important stuffed trilobite; found family vibes off the charts (even outside of S&B)). Also there's a very decent amount of hot sex! THIS FIC HAS EVERYTHING.

😊👂‍Christmas at The Grange (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries #3.5) (T.E. Kinsey, author; Elizabeth Knowelden, narrator) - novella

💖💖 +70K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

Cross (lightgetsin) - Dresden Files: Dresden/Marcone, 33K - haven't read DF in years bc I'm well done with that canon but shout out to the inimitable @drunktuesdays, who threw this pairing onto my radar and 🤯🥵🤯🥵🤯

cybersex series (Adure) - Stranger Things: steddie, 7K - friends-to-accidental-sexters - short, sweet but super hot

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Ted Lasso - s1, e6-10; all season 2; s3, e1 [x2]

Maine Cabin Masters - s7, e10

Schitt's Creek - s2, e3

Dickenson - s1, e1-3

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

Menus To Be Buried With - Judgement Day! • Comic Relief 2023

Richmond Til We Die: A Ted Lasso Podcast - I Love You Guys So Very Much ("Season 3 Preview")

Shedunnit - The Trials of Madeleine Smith

Desert Island Discs - David Sedaris, writer

⭐Twenty Thousand Hertz+ - Soundalikes

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Exploring the underworld with Jessica Leigh Hester

You're Dead To Me - Frederick Douglass

⭐Hit Parade Plus - Raise Your Glass Edition

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - NYC’s Most Beautiful Public Bathroom

Vibe Check - I Stand In Exhausted Solidarity

⭐99% Invisible #528 - A Whale-Oiled Machine

You Must Remember This - 1988: Kevin Costner, Sean Young, No Way Out & Bull Durham (Erotic 80s Part 11)

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Manuscript Writing Cafe

Welcome to Night Vale #224 - Liminal Spaces

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Blurred lines with Stacy Horn

⭐Switched on Pop - Modern Classics: Seal - Kiss From a Rose

Into It - Are We Into Tom Cruise Skipping the Oscars, Nancy Meyers, and M3GAN's Sartorial Debut?

Switched on Pop - Switches Brew

You're Dead To Me - The Columbian Exchange

It's Been a Minute - Silicon Valley Bank and the sordid history of 'Palo Alto'

⭐ICYMI Plus - Pedro Pascal Is the Internet’s Daddy

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Remixes

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

TRUSTFALL [P!nk] {2023}

P!nk

Carly Rae Jepsen

Little Freddie King

The Hamilton Instrumentals {2015}

[unidentifiedwhistlingobject]

happy 20th birthday to the oldest good omens fic I could find on ao3! it's really good actually

[tamurakafkaposts]

There is a crack in everything That's how the light gets in

[oopshidaisyy]

July Fic Recs

a little late but here we go!

praying for sparks in the dark (in the heart) by susiecarter "Him," the Bat repeats, in a low and deceptively soft growl. "I don't know who he was," the man says immediately, taking this cue and running with it. "I don't, honest. Honest, I swear to god. Nobody did. He just showed up, that's all. Asking about you, asking everybody what they knew, if they'd ever seen you, what you'd done. Metropolis," the man adds belatedly. "He had that look, you know? Clean. Said his name was—Carr, or Kemp, or something. Something like that." (Or: in a universe where Bruce becomes aware that someone's looking into the Batman, he goes to the effort to track down Clark Kent. It doesn't play out quite the way either of them expected.) Clark/Bruce, 20k, E

having let go forever the fallacy of ever being alone by gyzym This time there are shitty dogeared paperbacks Arthur wouldn't be caught dead reading piled on the coffee table, and half-finished crosswords tucked into the bookshelves, and the far wall is hung with that tapestry they'd bought in a shit part of London on a whim. This time they've spent all day fixing their sink and there's a mug of yesterday's tea sitting on top of the television and it's not just Arthur's living room at all. Arthur/Eames, 16k, E

A Sure Thing by lightgetsin "Okay," Peter says, and there's a rasp in his voice. "Repeat after me: theft is not foreplay." Neal/Peter, 3k, E

perfect strangers by susiecarter Batman and Superman are fucking. Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are a great cover for fighting crime, and also might be dating. Bruce and Clark have no idea what they're doing; but they definitely aren't going to be able to talk themselves into stopping. Clark/Bruce, 15k, E

run to the river (dive in) by susiecarter MoS AU: With one successful fishing season already under his belt, Clark's finally getting comfortable on the Debbie Sue. He just wishes this guy Dixon hadn't signed on with them, because the way he watches Clark is really starting to give Clark the creeps. (Or: Bruce goes undercover looking for enhanced individuals before BvS instead of after—and finds one.) Clark/Bruce, 5k, M

Took Me By Surprise and Then by thehoyden After the second surgery in New York, Charles doesn’t anticipate anyone keeping vigil by his bedside — and certainly not Tony Stark. Charles/Erik, 5k, T

as to which may be the true by susiecarter It isn't difficult to go on in the wake of Superman's death. His resurrection, though, poses a problem—especially when it turns out there's no such thing as the right moment to explain that Martha Kent's obnoxious billionaire friend? Is also the man who tried really hard to shove a kryptonite spear through Clark's face. Clark/Bruce, 53k, M

Blue Devils by VillaKulla /blo͞o ˈdevəl/ noun, inf: a feeling of despondency, depression, or low spirits origins: Old American West Billy/Goody, 4k, M

Spree by thingswithwings "So, okay, Britta," Annie says, "this thing you gave me is seriously just a scrap of ripped looseleaf that says 'IOU one shopping spree at A Woman's Touch.' I do not even know what that is." Britta does an excited little leap in the air and claps her hands. "It's me deciding to help you discover your true womanhood." Britta/Annie, 4k, E

embroidery appreciation by Annie D Written for an anon on tumblr who requested Natasha and Tony as brotp, or Steve/Tony being schmoopy in love. This is a bit of both. Tony & Nat, 1k, T

and every map is blank by gyzym It's -- topography, Carlos thinks, of a person, of two people, it's so complicated, it's so much easier to just go it by yourself. He doesn't want to hurt Cecil but he doesn't want to keep any part of himself from Cecil, either, and it scares him that that's true, and it scares him to know it's what Cecil wants. Carlos/Cecil, 7k, T

trothplight by arriviste “What a metaphor,” Grantaire said bitterly. “I may dress your windows, but no more. We’ll greet each other in the streets, but you won’t admit me to your chambers or your hearts. I know all the words, all the empty speeches one needs to mouth for membership – I can rattle them off as well as you. Want me to prate Hébert or praise the Supreme Deity? Quote Rousseau or Marat? I can mum them; I don’t, because I don’t mean them, and because I’m an honest sceptic, I’m untrustworthy.” Enjolras/Grantaire, 4k, E

A-Wing, X-Wing, Y-Wait, B-Mine (Please) by ester_inc Finn keeps finding himself in situations where – no, wait, let's start over. Poe keeps ending up shirtless, nearly shirtless, or soaking wet, and somehow Finn is always there when it happens. The universe is either taunting him with what he can't have or rewarding him for good behavior, and Finn can't decide which is more likely. Either way, he's emotionally unprepared for, oh, let's be honest here: Poe's entire existence. It's fine. No big deal. He's working on it. Finn/Poe, 7k, E

Just Give Me Moments by barricadeur Enjolras comes home from a protest to a not-empty apartment. --- "What happened?" Grantaire says. His other hand grips Enjolras's shoulder, as if to keep him from pulling back, but Enjolras is so tired that the energy necessary to break away seems monumental. He lets Grantaire inspect him, says only, "I hit my head." "On someone's fist?" Enjolras/Grantaire, 1k, T

The Rare Gift by triedunture The prompt was "Dean receives an . . . unusual . . . Christmas gift from Castiel." The gift turns out to be wings. Dean/Cas, 4k, M

i love you now like i loved you then (this is the road and these are the hands) by theappleppielifestyle Somewhere in their phone calls after Derry 2.0, Richie and Eddie had decided to finally take that road trip. Richie would fly in from LA, then they’d drive back there from New York. It’ll be just like it could’ve been, Richie had said once. (Or, Eddie and Richie resume.) Richie/Eddie, 6k, M

i guess i should say thanks or some shit believe it or not, charles has a well-thought-out moral philosophy. he doesn’t follow it. but he has thought it out. alternatively: charles and erik douche it up in amsterdam. Charles/Erik, 17k, M

this is your sword, this is your shield by susiecarter Post-BvS, Diana and Lois start to develop a habit of protecting each other. But sometimes habits become ruts, and every now and then it's a good idea to break out of them. (Or: a whole bunch of times Diana and Lois looked out for each other, plus the time Lois ended up feeling like it might be worth it to be just a little less careful.) Diana/Lois, 9k, T

Family Portrait, c. 1840, oil on canvas by littlerhymes Lestat's latest favourite is a painter. Lestat/Louis, 2k, T

get religion quick (cause you’re looking divine) by brinnanza So it was fine. Even if Crowley couldn’t love him, he clearly liked him well enough, and that was almost the same thing. It no doubt would have continued to be fine, or at least fine-adjacent, were it not for a narrowly averted apocalypse and several bottles of a really quite nice Riesling Aziraphale had found in the back room of his newly restored bookshop. Aziraphale/Crowley, 4k, G

[reredundant]

There were several downsides to having apprentices: they made noise, they made messes, they made him, with startling regularity, helplessly terrified or overwhelmed. On the upside, however, they could do all the legwork.

lightgetsin, Though I Sang in My Chains Like the Sea

[quotablefanfiction]

I just had to keep my head up and not freak out. Shame I'd been trying and failing at both for months.

Dresden POV (chp. 1)

The Spirit and the Letter by lightgetsin (AO3) Dresden Files – Explicit – Harry Dresden/John Marcone #Alternate Universe #Sexswap #Magic #Dysphoria #Sex #Blowjob #Post-Changes

“Hey, I just realized!” Bob said. “You’re like a country song: you lost your house, you lost your car, you lost your job, and now you’ve lost your dick!”

[arrowsbane]

"The Bastard is not in love with me, and I can prove it. With science!"

Game On: Part II

author: lightgetsin

wordcount: 16,209

rated: E

[callmearcturus]

Jake killing the monster in chamomile gets me every fucking time. The way that fucking got to me and the weight of that moment just. Made me fucking transcend, arc. And Dirk's reaction to it immediately after just instantly destroyed me!!! Jesus!!!!!!!

god i do really like doing that in stories. Jake vs the monster, Dirk in the volcano, roxy vs AR, i love my stupid fucking cinematic climaxes so much.

okay here's another one that I remix and steal all the time. LightGetsIn, Dresden Files, Another Word For Friend:

Christ, Marcone was an intense motherfucker. If he could be the one to personally give Dresden air to breathe, he probably would.

I THINK ABOUT THIS LINE ALL THE FUCKING TIME AND SHOVE IT INTO STORIES EVERY TIME I CAN. I tend to reframe it as "wanted to be more important than oxygen" but yeah it lives in my brain

[callabang]

Fic Rec: Recovery

assorted definitions of healing

All my ribbons and my medals and my trophies | Anonymous

Jeff leans in and rests their foreheads together. “It’s really gonna be fine. You’re a great player.”

Mike wants to snort, wants to yell at him because for the past fifteen days, that’s all Jeff’s been saying. Mike wants to ask him if he needs glasses. “Yeah,” He just says, around the lump in his throat.

notes: this one is tough & painful but the climax is one hundred percent worth it! mike and jeff’s relationship is beautifully written and the rock-solidness of it in the end of so powerful

Faster (series) | lightgetsin

"Okay," he says, "You know how when you're on a breakaway, and you've got a couple D-men on you? Like, right behind you. You can't see them, but you can feel them right there coming for you?" Jamie nods. "The only thing to do is to be faster than them." Tyler says. "You can't turn and look, you can't slow down. You've just . . . you've just got to skate harder. It's like that."

notes: a somewhat unorthodox but very poignant and real depiction of coping with past trauma, in a way that feels like an pitch-perfect characterization choice.

dig a hole, fill it up | inlovewithnight

Going up to the NHL was supposed to be a new start. Everything would be different there.

It wasn't quite that simple, but Aaron had help to figure it out. 

notes: really lovely and moving look at aftermath and healing. i love the dynamics between aaron and willie and megan, especially in relation to the age difference and the guidance and support they provide

I Will Weather the Storm | escherzo

“Stress fracture.” Boone sighs, scrubbing a hand through the short hairs at the nape of his neck. “Could be three months. Five, at worst.”

“Shit,” Ryan says. “No surgery though?”

“Nope. They don’t think so anyway. Got lucky there, eh?” Boone’s smile turns rueful. “As long as we don’t go stir-crazy being stuck here together all winter, I might be alright yet.”

notes: i read this fic for the first time on a friend’s recommendation and didn’t know who the characters were, but i will still blown away by the atmosphere and palpable feelings of care that suffuse this story

You're Still Picking Me Up | loochskywalker

Mitch is 26 when he retires from the NHL. His brain a jumbled mess of pieces that won't fit together no matter how many doctors try to make them. He was supposed to be great. He was supposed to be a legend.

Instead he goes to Vermont. Instead, he goes to see Matt Martin.

notes: a story of healing and acceptance all-around. i love the setting in this fic and the fact that both mitch and matt are healing in their own ways 

came around for a one night thing (and i never left) | whitchbhitch

Carter's thumb pauses on what should be just a fairly standard picture of some abs and a chest, a neck and head turned to the side, the picture cut out to just show his jawline. The guy looks good, built, like his muscle isn't just for show, thick in the waist and no defined abs, even though it's obvious he's very strong. That's all fine, but it doesn't explain what caught Carter's eye. The profile name is just one letter, J, and all the bio says is "here come dat boi !" It's the meme that does it.

(Or, Carter grows, heals, and gets his man.)

notes: this is part of a larger series but i think you can read this on its own! the depth of emotion in this one is especially good juxtaposed with the very hot sex scenes, and it deals with grief in a very real and active way

They Say Love Heals All Wounds | Deastar

“Geno? Are you okay? Physically,” Sid asks, which is good, because Zhenya doesn’t think he can put into words how he’s feeling emotionally. He imagines saying, The person I’ve loved for ten years finally took me to bed last night, but it turns out he didn’t want to, and now I can read his mind. No, thank you. “Feel fine,” Zhenya answers. “Even head feel fine.” And suddenly he realizes how fucking odd that is: he was concussed, and the room is brightly lit – he should be hiding under a blanket right now. He narrows his eyes and asks, “Sid, why head feel fine? What happen to concussion?” Sid takes a halting step closer to the bed and says, “Our bond, it’s—it’s a healing bond.” “Holy mother of God,” Zhenya breathes. So. They’re definitely not breaking the bond, then.

notes: i haven’t read this one in some time but it’s such a classic, both in terms of sid/geno and in terms of hrpf in general. a really unique premise feat. sid and geno actively working and healing together

so collect your scars and wear them well | addandsubtract

It’s been two months when Connor gets on a plane and flies to Arizona. He tells his parents, and they don’t like it at all, but he goes anyway. He has a cane, a strict PT schedule, and an ounce of pot cleverly hidden in his luggage. It’ll be warmer there. It’s January in Toronto, and he aches all the time.

notes: an incredible fic about relying on others and being kind to yourself

This Time Next Year | Oplopanax

Tyson Barrie, one of the very rare Omegas born only into ultra observant religious communities, finds himself pregnant after the death of his husband Gabriel Landeskog and to survive in 1870s Denver, must marry Nathan MacKinnon.

notes: i’ve rec’d this before, which makes sense because it’s so so good. an incredibly expansive fic about how people work through and make the best of some really tough situations 

puttin' on my shades (to cover up my eyes) | electrumqueen

The kid - McLeod - sways against Taylor's shoulder. “I want to go home,” he says.

“What you want is a glass of water and two Advil,” Taylor says. “Trust me on this, kid.”

“Okay,” the kid says. He hiccups.

notes: this fic was my inspiration for a recovery rec list! really painful and poignant, deals with a whole mess of complicated emotions amongst a whole mess of people. the relationships (romantic and platonic, past and present) in this are incredible 

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (26 Mar-1 Apr 2023)

ᵉⁿᵗᶦʳᵉˡʸ ᵗʰᵉ ᵐᵒᵒᵈ ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉ ʷᵉᵉᵏ

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

😍👂‍Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries #4) (Martha Wells, author; Kevin R Free, narrator)

😍👂‍Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6) (Martha Wells, author; Kevin R Free, narrator)

😍👂‍Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries #5) (Martha Wells, author; Kevin R Free, narrator)

😊Spun like Sugar (Neyasochi) - 66K, sheith modern AU, very light sugar daddy vibe to start but mostly just a warm & fluffy low-angst relationship fic

🥰Lima Charlie (One-EyedBossman (desert000rose), SecretFandomStories) - 71K, Differently Okay Local Idiots #9, modern no-powers stucky - next episode of this fantastic series of two really damaged people figuring out how their jagged edges fit together - i just love it a whole lot

🥰just say you do (not playing a part #1) (biblionerd07) - 173K, shrinkyclinks modern AU, arranged marriage - reread; love this fic! lots of juicy angst & pining, great supporting cast

💖💖 +351K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

The Spirit and the Letter series (lightgetsin) - The Dresden Files: Dresden/Marcone, 4 works, 55K total - very good series that explores Harry & John's developing relationship, best summed up by this summary from the 2nd fic: "It was like playing chicken with intimacy, both of us pushing and pushing and waiting to see who blinked first." (first fic does feature a sexswap to start)

Life or Something Like It (AidaRonan) - Stranger Things: steddie, 9K - San Junipero AU!

Your last chance to trust the man with the star (burning_brighter art (burning_brighter), chaosmanor) - MCU: stucky, 30K, arranged marriage fic - I really loved Steve's character in this + the wedding outfits were amazing - would kill for some art of them

I have a lot of regrets about that (HairMetal666) - Stranger Things: steddie, 4.7K - cute & mildly angsty musician exes AU

bullet in a gun (but in the end, my time will come) (voxofthevoid) - MCU: stucky, 25K - canon divergent post-Endgame with Bucky getting railed by several different multiverse versions of Steve - reread, forever fave, hot AF

second hand unwinding (greatunironic) - Stranger Things: steddie, 23K - satisfying post canon divergent with some bonus prophecy stuff

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Maine Cabin Masters - s7, e13

Poker Face - s1, e9

Schitt's Creek - s2, e7

Leverage - s2, e14

Staged - s3, e1

Ted Lasso - s3, e3 [2x]

LACKADAISY - Pilot

Murdoch Mysteries - s15, e1-2

Hot Ones - Florence Pugh Sweats From Her Eyebrows While Eating Spicy Wings

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

Into It - Andy Warhol, Black Eyed Peas, and Unicorn Poop

⭐The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Great Balls of Twine with the Places Team

Vibe Check - In Case of Emergency - Break Glass

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - A Delicious Mission with Cheuk Kwan

99% Invisible #530 - The Panopticon Effect

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Wild Chocolate with Rowan Jacobsen

Ologies with Alie Ward - Chickenology (HENS & ROOSTERS) Part 1 with Tove Danovich

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - The Beat Museum

Films To Be Buried With with Brett Goldstein - Suzi Ruffell

Hit Parade Plus - The Bridge: Still a Rock Star

Into It - Are We Into the Gwyneth Paltrow Trial, Questlove's Disney Project, and Remaking 'The Bachelor'?

⭐ Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster - Ep 185: Florence Pugh

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

The Essential Kenny Loggins [Kenny Loggins] {2002}

Shiny, Happy Pick-Me-Ups

lots and lots of various 'white noise'

[arrivisting]

what are your favorite books, if you're okay with saying? what about fics? also congrats on your PhD!!!! that's so cool :D

Sorry this is belated!

I have trouble narrowing down favourite books - I read a lot, and across many kinds. I would say the books that influenced me most as a young teen were the Lymond Chronicles (Dorothy Dunnett), Le Morte D'Arthur (Malory), the Wimsey novels (Dorothy L. Sayers), and Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte). Of course, I'm much older than that now, but they were fairly important bedrocks in my young brain. I use Goodreads to track my reading now (since late 2014, anyway) - you can find me at bryoniadioica if you're curious.

Fics! Ah, that's hard.

There are a few 'desert island' stories I return to and reread every few years, for many years now (I'm missing some, I know):

Truth and Measure, by Telanu (The Devil Wears Prada, Andy/Miranda, 270k).

Chosen Man by Sineala (The Eagle/Eagle of the Ninth, Marcus/Esca, 116k).

Ain't No Grave (Can Keep My Body Down) by spitandvinegar (MCU, Steve/Bucky, 107k).

A Deeper Season by lightgetsin and sahiya (Vorkosigan Saga, Miles/Gregor, 390k)

A Place to Lie Down by ellen fremedon (Les Miserables, Enjolras/Les Amis, Enjolras/Grantaire, 10k).

If you mean Tolkien, that's harder! Everything emilyenrose wrote, but especially Less Than Kind.

I am also terribly fond of Quenta Narquelion, by bunn, Nothing Gold Can Stay by penknife, and These Gifts You Have Given Me, by thearrogantemu, and clodia's sequence of stories about Erestor (Goldilocks and the Three Balrogs, Blood and Fire, Nightingales and Starlight, The Loneliness of the Fishermouse (I cry EVERY time), Wanderlust). And Anna_Wing's Conditional Release, and potboy's Celeborn/Galadriel series (Oak and Willow, Moving Apart, Dancing the Darkness, Battle of the Golden Wood, Seeds of Old Trees).

But that's off the top of my head - I have loved many many others, and I'm still behind on, oh, just everything posted since the pandemic.

[unsettledink]

Comfort (Re)Reads Recs

It's been a rough couple of weeks, both personally and just *waves hands around* you know, everything. I found myself going back to some of my comfort reads again and again and thought – you know, I bet other people are in serious need of that too.

So here's a handful of some of my favorite comfort reads across a bunch of fandoms. Most are pretty long, or series. Everything has a happy ending, but I like h/c so plenty have some hurt or angst on the way. I put the ones that have the most near that bottom.

For all of them I'd suggest looking at the author's other works too! And if you liked what you read, please tell them that it made your day a bit better. I'm off to do so myself.

Leader Of The Free World, @copperbadge

Marvel (MCU) - Steve/Tony, Bucky/Clint, 15k

Summary: Clint Barton's presidential campaign started as a joke. It didn't end that way, except for Steve.

Sixpence In His Shoe, @scifigrl47

Marvel - Steve/Tony, 100k

Summary: Steve and Tony should really read the fine print on what they're signing. Then again, some mistakes are not really mistakes.

Always Starts the Same, with a Boy and a Girl, lightgetsin

White Collar - Neal/Elizabeth/Peter, 21k

Summary: Summer, 1998. Neal Caffrey robs the gallery where Elizabeth O'Dell is working late, and comes away with a lot more than art. Agent Burke has no idea what's about to hit him.

Take Me Out,    @setepenre-set

Megamind – Megamind/Roxanne, 10k

Summary: The Metro City Wolverines are the worst team in the MLB. So Megamind, using the disguise watch to manage the stadium’s illegal betting pool, is understandably shocked when Miss Ritchi (at the stadium on a ‘date’ with Metro Man…and his mother) wants to place a bet that the Wolverines can win against the best ranked team in the league. But then, maybe the luck is turning for all of Metro City's underdogs…

My Heart Comes Tumbling Down, @devildoll

Teen Wolf – Derek/Stiles, 5k

Summary: "This is a casual, adult relationship based on sex, and it is awesome." In which Stiles and Derek have a great time buddyfucking until a burrito ruins it all.

Technical Support,    @astolat

Person of Interest – John/Harold, 13k

Summary: The IFT Plaza security team wasn't what John would have called the brightest stars in the firmament. (Written for the tech support AU prompt.)

From Thy Bounty, @ibby-writes​

Marvel (MCU) – Tony/Peter, 30k

Summary: Tony’s eyes are always dark, but now there's almost no iris left. He looks hollowed out. There’s something terribly hungry there, despite the feast they've filled themselves on.

Gift of Choice, @everysecondtuesday

Marvel (MCU) – Tony/Peter, 11k

Summary: Tony Stark had a thing about giving Peter stuff.

Feels Like Something, Maybe It Fits, @learned-foot

Marvel (MCU) – Tony/Peter, 7k

Summary:  Peter’s still not used to hearing that voice. Four months, and part of him thinks it’s a lie every time.

Better Than, unsettled (yup, it's mine. It feels weird to include it? But it was the comfort reread that set this off, so)

Marvel (MCU) – Tony/Peter, 40k

Summary: Maybe there isn't really a fixed point where it starts, where any of it starts, nothing Tony can point to and say, there, there is where I made my mistake, there is where I could have stopped this, there is where I can stop it from happening again. Maybe it shouldn’t have been something Tony tried to stop. (or: the one where Tony is going to be responsible for once, ok? He is!)

The Swear Jar, @allthemarvelousrage

Marvel (MCU) – Clint/Laura/Tony, 12k

Summary: In the last three months, she’s seen Tony go through a lot of mood changes and shifts of introspection, but she doesn’t think he’s ever been close to leaving. Then again, she doesn’t think he’s actually aware of how intertwined his life’s become with theirs, because half the time, he’s exhausted from Avengers business or exhausted from engineering binges, and the other half of the time, he’s either trading one-liners and witticisms with Clint or coloring with Lila or building things with Cooper or letting Nathan crawl all over him.

This, You Protect, @vmohlere

Marvel (MCU) - Steve/Bucky, 64k

Summary: The mission resets abruptly, from objective: kill to objective: protect

have you heard, peradi

Star Wars - Finn/Poe, Finn/Poe/Rey, 42k

Summary: "I heard FN-2187 was a Stormtrooper."

Transfigurations, Resonant

Harry Potter – Harry/Draco, 71k

Summary: Five years after Voldemort's defeat, Harry returns to England to help re-open Hogwarts.

Something Blue, Lapin

The Hobbit – Bilbo/Thorin, 34k

Summary: Thorin marries Bilbo after the Battle of Five Armies, a marriage of convenience, not love. Slowly, they must come to make the best of it, Bilbo resolves. After all, he's a Hobbit. They make the best of things.

Nothing Gold Can Stay,  @bilboo

The Hobbit – Bilbo/Thorin, 296k

Summary: Bilbo Baggins led a rather peaceful life, thank you very much, until an old acquaintance decided to turn it upside down, and he found himself agreeing to take a job that’s… let’s say not exactly up his alley, and might eventually cost him a little more than his treasured cozy lifestyle. Who would have thought tutoring a slightly menacing monarch’s more than slightly overbearing nephew could prove to be such an adventure?

Like a Comet Streaming On, @sineala

Marvel (616)– Tony/Steve, 32k

Summary: Tony escapes Afghanistan with a functioning Iron Man suit and a perfectly normal heart. He even manages to bring Ho Yinsen home safely at his side. But he may as well have lost everything... because his wolfbrother is dead. Six months later, the Avengers find Captain America, frozen in ice, miraculously alive. Everything and everyone Steve has ever known is gone -- except his wolfsister, the recipient of the lupine version of the super-soldier serum, who was frozen in his arms. Tony has everything but his wolf. Steve has only his wolf. This is how their lives fit together.

All Our Secrets Laid Bare, @firethesound

Harry Potter – Harry/Draco, 149k

Summary: 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.

The End Where We Begin, @ingu

Man From UNCLE (Movie) – Illya/Napoleon, 21k

Summary: Illya kills an American spy in Zurich. Three days later, he’s staring into the face of a dead man standing in his hotel room.

A man turns around., spqr

Marvel (MCU) – Tony/Steve/Bucky, 6k

Summary: Liver failure or a lone assassin with a long-range weapon will get him eventually. He doesn’t think it will take too long, now that he’s retired. He wishes death would hurry up. If happiness were coming his way, it would’ve gotten here by now. All that’s left to do is wait. Languish in the "later life" section of his Wikipedia page. Wake up in the morning and go to bed at night. Exist, until it’s over.

[elrhiarhodan]

White Collar Fic Recs

@darkisrising asked for some Collar fic recs.  These are some of the best.  Of course I know I’m missing a few and I’ll probably need to add to this, but let’s call this a good start.`

Call of the Void - @theatregirl7299 Author Peter Burke can't seem to get a handle on his latest Gothic horror novel--until he meets Neal Caffrey. There's something about this charming, sophisticated club owner that strikes a chord with Peter. But is Neal all that he appears to be? Or is Peter entering a world of darkness that he may not be able to come back from?

Dragon’Verse - theatregirl7299 Peter Burke is a high-end jeweler. When he meets Neal Caffrey, a talented young jewelry designer, it seems like a match made in heaven. But when Neal discovers that Peter is an ancient dragon, it sets in motion a firestorm that neither one may survive.

Chasing Tails - rabidchild67 Meet Neal Caffrey: convicted bond forger, suspected art thief, con artist. And dog whisperer. This is a canon divergent retelling of the Pilot.

Neal vs. the LOLcat - rabidchild67 Neal has a LOLcat. Named Henri.

Steal My Body Home Series - rabidchild67 Sometimes, running away means going home--you just might find what you need there. And sometimes, you just need your mom. Neal finds out all of these things on a road trip with Peter.

Pillow Talks - @rubynye Three and one true stories Peter, Neal, and Elizabeth tell each other.

White Collar Artist AU - Storiesfortravellers AU where El is an artist who photographs nudes and Neal pretends to be a model to steal something.

Clever Men - Storiesfortraveller Angsty Peter/Neal slash and UST. The fic starts in Season 1 and ends a few years into the future, and shows snippets of different stages of their relationships.

Always the Same, Starts with a Boy and a Girl - Lightgetsin Summer, 1998. Neal Caffrey robs the gallery where Elizabeth O'Dell is working late, and comes away with a lot more than art. Agent Burke has no idea what's about to hit him.

Contractual Obligations:  A Love Story in Three Traffic Lights - Shaenie The way Neal says it, though, amused and dismissive, is almost insulting. Of course Peter would never do such a thing, Neal's tone implies. Absurd notion.

If You’re Gone - Sahiya What do you do when the people who've become your Pole Star move three thousand miles away? Neal Caffrey is about to find out.

Without You - Sahiya Working for Kramer in D.C., Neal is doing his best to get by until, quite suddenly, he isn't.

Somewhere I Have Never Traveled - @copperbadge-writes In another universe, Peter Burke went corporate. He wouldn't have met Neal Caffrey -- except Neal tried to rob his company. And Peter, naturally, caught him.

The Wonderful Years - @elrhiarhodan School Years A/U centering on the friendship between Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey, from the time they are in kindergarten through their senior year in high school. For the purposes of this story, all of the characters are roughly the same age (Peter is a year older than Neal). The setting is middle class suburban New York (Westchester County), circa 1970–1983.  The series continues through their lives, from college to careers in the FBI to domestic happiness.

The Lost and Found Series - @elrhiarhodan Time is irrelevant when you’re traveling without purpose, when it’s not the destination but the journey itself that matters.

The Gloriana 'Verse - @elrhiarhodan Early Elizabethan Era Historical A/U - Peter Burke works for Sir Francis Walsingham, the Queen’s Spy Master, Elizabeth Burke is the Queen’s Mistress of the Revels and Neal Caffrey is a ne’er-do-well artist and courtier, incarcerated in the Fleet Prison for debt. The golden age has yet to flower in Merry Old England, and it’s going to take a deft hand to manage all the players that will keep Good Queen Bess on the throne.

Let Your Honesty Shine - Elrhiarhodan (Crossover with The Normal Heart) On a hot June day, one summer in the near future, Ned Weeks finds himself in a West Village coffee shop. When he overhears a fascinating conversation about blackmail, kidnapping and getting shot at, he has to take a look. One of the speakers is definitely a Fed – Ned can tell just by the haircut and the ugly suit. The other man is his lover, Felix. Except that Felix has been dead for thirty years.

The Eternal Optimism of Two Men Stuck in a Single Hotel Room with One Bed - Elrhiarhodan

The blizzard of the century is about to hit, and Peter and Neal take refuge in the last hotel room available in Schroon, New York.  The only problem is that there’s just one bed.  At least it’s king sized, right?

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell/Don’t Ask, Don’t Care - Elrhiarhodan Admiral Peter Burke is having a bad day. He walks into a dive bar off of K Street in Washington and meets Commander Neal Caffrey. To say they hit it off would be a vast understatement. And that’s going a problem of monumental proportions for both men.