ishtar79

Happy Apocalypse Year 2012, everybody!

-The traditional thing for this time of year would do some new year’s resolutions, but I’m currently going through such a self-examination/existential crisis in RL, any post I made would come off as incredibly navel-gazing and/or whiny. So I’m keeping it brief and simple:
RL goals: Get out of current rut/achieve complete and radical status quo changes by the summer at the latest. Oh, and quit smoking and go the gym more, obviously.

Fandom goals: Comment more and write that crackfic I promised ariadneelda under the influence of much tequila (which, as far as “questionable decisions I’ve made under the influence of tequila”, isn’t even in the top 20)

-At the rate my “to read” bookmark folder is growing, I might have caught up with all the fest by the year 2018, or something. Why so many fandoms, self? I was hoping to do most of my Yuletide recs before the reveal, but now see this was a pipe dream.

First off, some HP recs:

On License by Anonymous Harry/Draco, Draco/Astoria, Harry/Ginny (NC-17, ~57,000 words)

An unusual premise, involving Draco being placed under a new program under the supervision of Auror Harry Potter after being released from Azkaban. The details Draco’s crime are very gradually and grudgingly revealed, by a Draco that’s at his most distrustful and bitter, contrasted with Harry’s maturity and competence (though the impulsive streak is still there!). The rest of the cast are brilliant as well, and Scorpius is particular is a delight!

Riches and Wonders by Anonymous Harry/Draco, Harry/Ginny, Draco/Astoria (NC-17, ~9000 words)

So this story pretty much encapsulates why I adore infidelity!fic. You won’t find any justifications, romanticizing, or vilification of spouses here-neither Harry or Draco are particularly torn up over their actions. In fact, I found Harry’s attitude in equal parts fascinating and offputting at times (which of course made it even hotter).

The Boy Who Only Lived Twice by Anonymous Harry/Draco (NC-17, ~56,000 words)

This was so much fun to read! I love the idea of Harry as an Unspeakable (and completely agree with this story’s take that regardless of what he claims to want, deep down he’s an adrenaline junkie who’d never be satisfied with a normal life), and the secret identities, conspiracy-filled plots and general feel of a fast-paced, witty spy novel.

Take the Air by Anonymous Harry/Draco (NC-17, ~50,000 words)

My personal favourite. Aurors Harry and Draco are forced to cooperate on a case, and definitely start off on the wrong foot. And yes, the premise is hardly unique to H/D fic, but the execution is flawless. I couldn’t even begin to list all the things I loved about this fic: the gradually changing dynamic between the pair, attention to detail when it comes to magic, the equally well-portrayed background canon character (Narcissa is brilliant in this!) and engaging OCs, just…everything about it.

An Inconvenient Wedding by Anonymous Draco/Hermione, Scorpius/Lily (NC-17, ~19,000 words)

Probably the best take on the pairing I’ve read in ages. The unexpected engagement of Scorpius and Lily throws a wrench into Draco and Hermione’s illicit affair. This story’s got it all: a well-handled infidelity plot (this year has been good for one of my favourite tropes), a fantastic portrayal of both Draco and Hermione and the rest of the cast (I loved Rose in this), and sex that feels completely real while being scorchingly hot.

Yuletide fic:

( Once Upon A Time, The Good Wife, The Wire, The Borgias )

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IS IT APRIL 2012 YET?

-In the latest “one too many shows I'm getting addicted to” news, I'm enjoying the hell out of Once Upon A Time. The fairytale premise could have easily gone a bit too precious/cheesy, but the plots are tight, the acting fantastic, and I find myself caring about every single character. For those unaware of the premise, each episode features two parallel stories: one in “our” world and one in the fairytale realm, and not only am I finding myself engaged in both equally, but I'm also interested enough in each and every single character and not having any “oh no, an X-centric episode” moments yet. I really love the way the updated take on the fairytales (Most. Kickass. Snow White. Yet.), the fact that the show features several interesting female characters (and complicated relationships among them) and the the gradual way the pieces of the story are revealed. The real standouts on the show are Jennifer Morrison as an unexpectedly likeable protagonist (I wasn't much of a fan of her in House and HIMYM, but as Emma, she hits the right balance of cynism and more humanizing moments), Ginnifer Goodwin as the aforementionned kickass Snow White, the Queen/Evil Watch as a truly fantastic villain and Robert Carlyle at his most delightfully creepy and charismatic Rumplestilskin. Hell, the show is so good, I'm not even annoyed at the obligatory (for the genre) child character.

-Community's Christmas Episode/Epic Takedown of Glee was possibly The Best Thing Ever. I've lost count of the times I've rewatched Troy and Abed's rap number (which actually works as a legit song) and Annie's cringeworthy “sexy” Christmas tune (which really works for an entirely different reason).

-I realise it's been ages since I've made a rec, and I have a ton of older stuff across several fandoms to share, but for now, two recent things:

Iron by obsessive24 This is pretty much the Game Of Thrones vid I've been waiting for since the show began. With a focus on the Starks (mainly Ned), it does a beautiful job of both exploring the tragedy of the the show so far skillfully aluding to the larger picture and things yet to come in the books. The editing is as flawless as you'd expect from obsessive24, and the song seems to have been written for Ned Stark.

 Blame it on the Rhine by snegurochka_lee Harry/Pansy, Draco/Hermione It's been a while since I read a HP fic, but this is just the kind of thing that can draw me back in. The Harry/Pansy was hilarious, emotionally effective and searchingly hot, the side Draco/Hermione obvious to everyone but Harry, but what really made the fic for me was the use of famous works of art (complete with images and Harry and Pansy's wildly different takes on them).

It’s been ages since I made a rec post, so most of those aren’t new, but on the off chance some of you haven’t read them already:

( Mostly Merlin, 1 HP, 1BSG )