green_quill

i always feel sad as the year draws to a close. that's when i look back on the year fandom had and realise how drastically we've changed as we've aged. i was moving some of my fic bookmarks over to delicious today, and one of the ones i transferred was beautiful world. that was the fic that introduced me to slash. i still remember how i felt when i read it three years ago: torn apart by the story and amazed that a piece of fiction could do that to me. irresistible poison, eclipse, sex magic, bond, love under will, underwater light -- remember those? they were my training wheels when i first discovered H/D fandom. some of them i adored, others i couldn't get into, but H/D fandom wouldn't be the same without them.

back then, writing H/D was an entirely different craft. almost all H/D fics were set in hogwarts. stories were chaptered and posted on schnoogle or FF.net. the angst was more situational than emotional -- it came from war, fighting for survival, forced allegiances, family obligations, and house rivalries. we had an open canon: no one knew what would happen next, and some of the best stories would be become AU the moment we got a new book.

our harry and draco aren't fumbling teenage boys sneaking around behind their housemates' backs anymore. they have nothing to fear from death eaters and voldemort. forget N.E.W.T.s and quidditch; they're adults, and they have children, marriage, and work to deal with. yeah, we still have murder mysteries and 8th year fics, but there's a certain maturity to the H/D fandom closing the decade that its younger counterpart didn't have.

the worst part is waiting for fandom's inevitable demise. we only have two movies left to go. i don't think HP fandom will ever completely disappear, but it sure as hell is dwindling. some of our best writers have left already. people (myself included) are losing interest, and it's kind of painful to see it happening. i know things change, but it sucks that it has to happen to something that was the only stable thing i had during my horrible teenage years.

btw, here's the picture that prompted this impromptu sobfest:

Trajectories by anon, Harry/Draco, PG, 35k, EWE
Summary: Rembrandt's phrase in describing his painting: "Die meeste ende di naetureelste beweechgelickheijt", can be translated as greatest, most natural movement (emotion or motive).

The best way to explain my love for this fic is that it brings the magic of Harry Potter back to life for me and reminds me what drew me to fan fiction in the first place. My heart felt like it was going to burst from joy and awe and love after I finished reading it. It's a truly spectacular 8th year fic that seems to easily fall in line with the rest of the books. I really felt like I was reading the next installment of the series, the characterisations and style were so on point.

There are so many great things to say about the fic, but what I like most is how effortless the writing is. The author doesn't use any convoluted or cliched plot devices, but instead allows the simplicity of the language to bare the heart of the story to readers. Every little detail, from Colin and Dennis's strained relationship to the description of the bed Luna paints, contributes to my understanding of the world. Most importantly, he progression of Harry and Draco's relationship doesn't feel forced or unnatural, nor do their characters ever behave OOC for the sake of moving the story along. Even as Draco begins to open up to Harry, the lack of animosity between them is believable. Every hint of attraction, every flirtatious interaction is handled subtly but effectively. There's one scene near the beginning in which Harry glances up and sees Draco rebuilding Hogwarts with his sleeves rolled up and plaster in his hair that's really wonderful because it doesn't try to shove itself in your face.

But the story isn't just about Harry and Draco getting together (though I do adore that part the most). It's about grief and denial, and the difficult, bumpy process of recovering from tragedy. The pain the characters feel is powerful because it's so understated. Every character handles the aftermath of the war in a different way, but each one remains so true to character that it's hard not to believe this is what really happened after DH. A mystery isn't what holds the story together; it's the human experience of healing that we all share that really gives this fic cohesiveness and significance.

To put it simply, this fic is stunning. Please don't ignore it because of its rating or length, or you'll miss out on an incomparable reading experience.

So, I tried green tonight:

( Grun )

Ah, I'll smile tomorrow. Make up is so annoying. I'll try harder tomorrow, seeing as it's Christmas :)

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Fest season is underway, and I've been trying to catch up on my reading. I'm seriously impressed with the quality (and quantity) of the fic being put out this year. Here are a couple of the ones I really liked from camelotsolstice and hd_holidays (starred are extra recommended):

( 3 Merlin recs )

( 7 H/D recs )

Merlin, you and I are done. I'm sorry, but that season finale was a heaping mess of recycled FAIL.

So today is exactly one week to Christmas, and there is still the hope that someone out there might get something right about the holiday, so a rather Merry Nice Report this week.

My DH actually asked for a list more than 2 days before Christmas! YEAH!

I already have a present for my mother.

And my father

I got a really sweet wonderful Christmas card from a friend in which she said very nice things, and it really cheered me up on a bad day.

We went to a wonderful nursery for Braveheart's Christmas visit to Santa this year, and had a marvelous time even though I spilled coffee all over the floor and so forth.  (I really did also spill coffee all over the floor.)  Santa was a very nice man with a real beard and real white hair, and the little storybook area with the moving elves was set up very nicely.  They've come up far in the world since the last time we went at Christmas.  They also have a little cafe now.  We got two ornaments and some mistletoe, too.  A nice time altogether, and BH wants to take his little brother tomorrow, which I think is very sweet.

DH has been making noises about actually getting me the sewing machine I want for Christmas.  When I tried some out last week I got him a card, but really, for the one I really want he needs a little luck.

There was a nice little party at the House Elf's school in his classroom today, to which I brought 2 dozen cupcakes, 23 of which came home with me, as there was way more than enough food, and I was the one who ate the other one.  And a few more.  They are going to have to go into the freezer.

My mom made me some nice cards from something she had painted so I at least have cards to send to one segment of my card-receiving public. 

I tried voice posting, and by the third one I was doing all right.  Not brilliant, and I think I gave Mrs. Figg sentences in which by the time I am done reading she's had three or four DIFFERENT British accents, but then, I am not an actress and I've never had any accent coaching.  My basic narrative voice does not entirely reveal my roots, at any rate.  I think only two people have listened to it at all, that or everyone thought it was horrid and was afraid to leave a message, but I am satisfied with the improvement between post one and post three.

I cleaned out half a cabinet to put magazines in. 

I got to Spinning on Wednesday night like I rarely get to do, and there were people there who wanted to sit with me, as well as very good food. I ate way, way too many peanut butter and chocolate thingies for a woman on WW, let's just say that.  There was also someone there getting rid of yarn from her family - she had had several sales of various kinds and was showing what was left...which was the entire front of the stage.  I had five dollars so  I got what I think is enough of some peach colored stuff for a tank top for two dollars, and three balls of Berrocco Sensu-Wool for three dollars.  It has a texture very different from most hand knitting wool and I am not quite sure what I am going to do with it, but it was my color!  I also spun some.

I also got to knitting on Monday night - so, actually two nights this week when I got to talk to real, live people who are not paid to be there.  (Most of my conversation is with Braveheart's service providers.)

I had the GREAT BAG TRIUMPH I reported earlier.

I found a nice gift for the nurse, who is leaving tonight until March or so...

I have a new nurse coming in Monday.  So if she's any good, that will mean unbroken service.  I am holding out some hope that she will, indeed, be some  good.

I finally bought the Severus Socks pattern.

We got one air-conditioner out of the window.

Today I took the boys to the craft store and among other things we got nice silk flowers to use on the tree.  We saw this at the fancy nursery, and we can do similar for a fraction of the price. 

The week had its challenges, but I made it through.

Your niceness below, please.

HOW AMAZING WAS AVATAR?!

VoicePost 692K 3:28

(no transcription available)

Thanks, everyone. Yesterday's muddled part 2 was not supposed to post, but it did, so a special thank you to all who suffered through that one. I think this one is the most clearly audible so far. I do know at least one person has been listening, and I thank everyone else who has as well.

So why is it that everytime DH asks me to make a Gift list, I end up crying? And it is not good crying, either. And that is just making the list.

Spindlewand must admit to liking bags.

By Bags, we do not mean expensive designer handbags, which, quite frankly, spindlewand thinks are ridiculous. Said wand is not defined by the pile of leather/pleather/stuffthatoughttobeholdingupasink that passes for a fashionable object.

I am, however, (because I can only talk like the Queen for so long) absolutely addicted to bags as things-in-which-other-things-can-be-put.

I come by this totally honestly. My father is exactly the same.

There could be a lot of reasons for this, starting with the amount of stuff I seem to take any time I leave my local cruising area. My mother is certain my great-grandmother emigrated with less junk than I routinely brought back to college from Thanksgiving break, for example, and I have never argued with her. I'm fairly certain she's correct. However, at this point I rarely leave my local cruising radius. Once a year I got to my brother's house for the holiday (we were not invited this year and I will not lower myself to discuss this omission, *sniff*) and sometimes, but by no means every year, and certainly not twice in one year, we go on a family vacation by car for which, in all honesty, we are prone to pack in the big blue bags you get for under a dollar at Ikea. (The glamour just never ends around here.)I do not work outside the home. I do not go anywhere that requires a knitting project larger than a sock, and I can fit a sock in my handbag. In short, I have a need for, let us be generous, one or two knitting bags, and perhaps one in which I can throw my netbook when I am not throwing it in my purse, where it fits quite well.

I love bags, however. I will not, at this point, go into the reasons why, but I love bags. Sacks, totes, suitcases, rolling totes, I adore them all. I want them all. I thrift, and when I see nice ones, I buy them all. At one or two dollars each, who can really blame me?

And every time I bring one home, Mr. Wand makes fun of me.

Mr. Wand is not enamored of my thrift shopping. Mr. Wand would prefer I purchase everything new. Mr. Wand has clearly never added up the potential cost of "everything," but my father, in an extremely uncharacteristic moment of taking-my-side-in-front-of-my-husband (As in, we have been married 20 years, and I do not recall a previous occasion) has recently told him that I save him a great amount of money by buying my clothing that way which said Mr. Wand does not, according to Father Wand, realize because he has no experience with woman who can spend hundreds of dollars on a blouse, (or some similar example. And Father Wand must know this from his years in the wilderness, because Mother Wand is exceedingly frugal and has never, even when she worked in industry and was billed to big businesses as a computer consultant at 300 dollars an hour spent that much on a blouse.)

Mr. Wand is, indeed, unappreciative of both my thrifting, and my propensity to not exactly hoard, but let us say, prepare against eventualities. Some day, for example, I may actually get to leave the house. (Two winters ago I went about 6 days without leaving the house, quite literally, as in "did not put foot to ground on front or back landings.) And that would require a bag of some kind. And so I have some.

And when I see another one for 2 dollars, I buy it. Then I bring it home, and then Mr. Wand makes fun of me. But today, today I had my just revenge....

Mr. Wand called out from the top of the stairs "_____________, do you have a bag?"

And I called back "As in the bags you make fun of me for buying?"

And he called back, "Yes"

To which I replied "Of course! You know that last one you made fun of me for? You can take that one!"

He came downstairs with his stuff in this bag, which was entirely new when purchased for two dollars at the thrift. It has two compartments, so his cd's can be apart from his paperwork. It has regular handles which unclip and then clip back together to be a shoulder strap. It has a zipper to make one part of the bag either thicker or thinner.
"This is a great bag!" said he.

Revenge is very, very sweet.

VoicePost 1037K 5:08

(no transcription available)

I thought I'd better make a regular post to explain what I'm doing with that voice posting. I'm reading a Christmas story I wrote aloud. It's about Mrs. Fig's Christmas during the Half Blood Prince. The first one is a bit difficult to understand, but I 'm moving on to the next part and I will try to speak more slowly. (I thought I was speaking VERY slowly - that is what happens when you come from Brooklyn, I suppose...)

If I get a volunteer to beta/BritPick it'll go up on MNFF too, and then you'll be able to read it... Which will probably help a lot with the parts that might have been difficult to hear...

My accent will probably send all you who know what Brits actually sound like from long experience rolling on the floor with laughter, but I have a really good reason for wanting my stuff audible. Audible is the only way Braveheart gets to "read" anything. I've read books aloud to him, but I wonder if having it coming out of the computer or CD player won't make it seem more like a "real" story to him. Anyway...

VoicePost 1049K 5:08

(no transcription available)

I'm afraid my British accents aren't quite as bad when I am just fooling around as they are when I'm reading, but the MerMuggles are very busy and I thought you'd like this. Part one of three, I think. Let me know how you like the story and the reading... I can probably take it...