Fannish Year In Review 2006, Part 2
I forgot the whole actual meme part of the meme, so here it is in part 2. *g* ( Part 1, with the full list of stories)
Also, I will take this opportunity to tell anyone who hasn't heard of it yet about the soon-to-debut Surfacing SGA zine, which I seriously cannot wait to see, my story for which does in fact get mentioned below in the end of the year categories, just guess which. :>
End of the Year meme:
My favorite story of this year: I might have to go with The Dark Side, because it let me recapture my love of Star Wars, and it was just so much fun conceptualizing Rodney and John as Jedi and Sith.
My best story this year: I'm calling it for Queen of Spades, because, M is just that awesome.
Story most underappreciated by the universe, in my opinion: Any of the Wiseguy ones, not because they didn't get love, but because there are so not enough people in this fandom. I'll pick Just One Of Those Things as the specific one, because a lot of the pleasure of it is dependent on the canon that not enough of you have seen, cry. (PS: see Wiseguy pimping posts!)
Most fun story: Reconcilable Differences, because it just flowed like anything, and because of the one transcendent moment I experienced during the writing process when I had what Tim refers to in the story as the most spectacularly bad idea ever. Also Raven's looming cake of darkness.
Hardest story to write: Ordinary Life, the Surfacing zine story, because they totally caught me on my way out the door to another fandom, and I really kind of knew better but sort of hoped I could pull it out, except really not so much, and it was so hard that I, uh, didn't do it, and instead made cesperanza finish it for me, which let me tell you is the way to go if you can swing it, cough cough. *runs away from Cesca really fast*
(Also, I made her put in tuxedoes. \o/)
Runner up is Moving On, which flowed all the way up to the point John stared. What the fuck., and then dropped back again to a slow painful crawl over broken glass, where Ces made me rewrite some scenes, no kidding, six or seven times, wah. But then mutecornett made me PAPER DOLL LEX, so it was all worth it.
"Holy crap, that's *wrong*, even for you" story: ha ha, that would be But Some Things Never Stop Being Funny, sequeling svmadelyn and thisisbone's girl!John genderfuck stories.
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters: The Powell/Donovan story, Nice Work If You Can Get It, where I really sort of invented the characters over in my own head.
Biggest disappointment: not finishing the two SV and SGA stories I have left on deck, which are three-quarters-done and which I love and just -- argh, sigh. Thankfully, they're both living fandoms, so I will hopefully get sucked back in again at some point. I know a lot of people who hate living fandoms and even deliberately avoid a fandom until after it's done, for fear of being jossed or the show going downhill or whatnot, but I find that without an ongoing supply, I get lured away to the next shiny thing too easily, and I really don't care about being jossed or, uh, actively stomping on canon for that matter, as long as I'm still getting grist for the mill.
Biggest surprise: Occasions. Mark Antony and Cicero. Seriously, wtf. I still don't know where this came from, other than melina123's pernicious influence. Also, who knew that the Philippics are the funniest thing in the history of ever?
Most unintentionally telling story: judging by my Yuletide comments, clearly Duende. *facepalm*
I am breaking out one category, most sexy story, and totally stealing the poll idea from cesperanza and flambeau, because I would be fascinated to know what people liked best. (And tell me why in the comments, if you feel like it!)
Poll Sexy story poll
And also, the Favorite lines meme
From Under The Sea: "Oh, congratulations," Rodney said, "I'm sure you'll make some therapist very happy someday."
From Futures: There was something oddly comforting about the idea that someone had lived in these spaces before him without leaving any palpable ghosts or bitterness behind; that someone would come after; that someone was walking through his own abandoned house now just like this, touching the mantlepiece swept bare of photographs, the empty shelves, the cool shining clean-scrubbed tile, and smiling.
From Distancing: "That's okay," House adds, magnanimous from the moral high ground. "It's sweet, actually, you seducing gorgeous young women to lure them home for my benefit. Kind of like a cat bringing home its prey."
From How To Succeed In Sex Slavery Without Really Trying: "Mmmphr mrf mpmph," Rodney said, glaring at John sideways.
"Don't even start with me, Rodney," John said, clinging to the edge of the table to brace himself against the thrusts.
From Composition: He can't come again this soon, but he needs to see; no, he needs to touch, to put his tongue to the crease of Rodney's thigh and lap the salt away, to close his eyes and press his face to the warm soft skin of Rodney's belly and breathe in the smell of him, knead Rodney's thighs in his hands; to nuzzle his way up Rodney's chest and, remembering, graze his teeth over Rodney's nipples and suck them, hard, to hear for himself the way Rodney's breath catches.
From Wear Sunscreen: He turned to look out at the ocean: no storm clouds, no tidal wave coming, no giant shark fin splitting the water.
Oh, wait.
From But Some Things Never Stop Being Funny: John looked down at himself, really looked: uneven breasts filling out Rodney's hands, nipples pebbled tight, slim waist sweetly curving out to hips and slick narrow thighs; he loved this body, how it could open up and hold Rodney and Ronon both, just singing in their hands, how he could watch Ronon's cock sliding in and out so easily-he was, she was beautiful, and if-if Beckett never-
From Ulterior Motives:
"I'm not the one who hates you," Lex said, venomously, and Clark's hands fell away as if Lex had backhanded him with a fistful of kryptonite.
Lex walked straight past him to the bar and poured a glass of Scotch. He sipped it with one hand in his pocket, looking out the window."That's another lie, obviously," he tossed over his shoulder, casual again.
All Cretans are liars, Clark thought wildly, and fled.
From Bloodletting: Startled out of fighting for a moment, Lois was panting, staring up at him; he had her wrists pinned against the desk, his hips were pressed up against her, between her legs, and he said softly, viciously, "You can't ever really touch him, can you? Can't break the skin, can't hurt him, can't ever drive him so crazy he can't stand it, he has to be inside you, now, fuck all the consequences-" and Lex's hand was sliding up her thigh quick as a snake, shredding the pantyhose, leaving reddened lines on her skin where his nails had scraped.
From Reconcilable Differences: "If anyone is going to go evil, it is totally you, you asshole!" Tim yelled. Kon winced away from the phone. "I just sold my ipod on ebay so I could buy a plane ticket to Metropolis for next weekend and make sure you weren't dead!"
From Vacation: Kon finally threw a rock through the window, with a note wrapped around it saying, "HELLO DUMBASS YOU ARE SITTING IN YOUR ROOM READING ABOUT SOME STUPID RUSSIANS WHEN YOU COULD BE HAVING ACTUAL SEX WITH AN INCREDIBLY HOT GUY (IE ME!)!!!!"
From Moving On: "Granted, the current market value for a Kryptonian is about four industrialized star systems, so I wouldn't rely on it," Lex admitted.
From The Dark Side: "Oh, excuse me, I am an excellent Jedi," Rodney said.
From Eggplant: "I want to give you everything," Lex said softly. "Everything you want,Clark, even the things you don't know you want yet, the things you don't know how to ask for..."
From Revenge: "You'd better fucking believe you're going to swallow," Lex said, savagely.
From Apology:
And then when he did figure it out, he just blurted it, like a dummy. "Is this supposed to be some kind of apology?"
Sonny tossed his head like a restless horse, irritably, and shot his cuffs. "Don't push your luck," enough of an answer, and Vinnie looked away uneasily.
From On The Other Side: Lorenzo was still grinning crazily, even with the small black bullet-hole in the middle of his forehead and the liquid crayola-red puddle underneath him, blood spreading through the yellow carpet.
From Confessional:
Vinnie came out naked and rubbing his hair dry: a couple of old scars, something that looked like a knife cut just above the hip, black hair down to his groin, thick cock hanging loose. All that heavy muscle, big thighs, and only a little spare fat softening up the waist. Not much of a tan on him.
He was a beautiful animal to look at, Vincenzo.
From Exceptions:
Sonny caught Vinnie's face with his hand and turned it to the light back and forth. "You're not so pretty anymore, Terranova," he said.
"Look who's talking," Vinnie said, half-grinning at him because his mouth hurt too much, and swiped a thumb under Sonny's puffy bruised eye, purpling and spectacular.
From got yourself a gun: "Fucking lie to me. Tell me Pat threatened your mother. Tell me you were going to put poison in his cup. Tell me it was all some big fucking mistake. Tell me-" He stopped, panting. "Tell me-"
From I am on a lonely road and I am traveling: He couldn't fucking do this. Blow the whole goddamn investigation, not to mention get himself whacked like a piñata, Sonny caught him even looking, for Christ's sake.
From Sunday Driving:
Sonny kissed Mama too, and said, "Signora Terranova, I haven't eaten like this since my own mother passed, rest her soul," and from the door, too late, Vinnie saw it coming; not that it would've made any difference if he'd had a month's worth of warning, no matter what Mama felt about gangsters or how many times Vinnie had told her Sonny was dangerous; you couldn't wave a red flag to a bull and expect it not to say-
"You must come again next week," as she handed him a box of leftover cannoli.
From Peacemaking:
"I loved you too," Vinnie said.
"Not enough," Sonny said, flash of bitterness like a burst of heat, blooming red underneath the drowned blue cold of his skin.
From Knocking Over The Table:
"Then I guess I'll freeze to death," Sonny said. "That's what you were after anyway, what the hell do you care?"
"Oh, that's good, Sonny," Vinnie said. "The world's coming to an end, and you want to go sulk somewhere. You know, you're starting to remind me of my ex from high school-"
From Just One Of Those Things: "All right. Jesus," Sonny said. He stood there looking off at nothing, frowning, then he looked back at Vinnie. "And now you're busting a service station? What the hell are they servicing, nuclear submarines?"
From Queen of Spades: "I will admit that it's something of an unfair advantage, being post-menopausal," she said, pressing her hair neat in the mirror.
From Occasions: The day was not very cold, and Antony's litter was draped too heavily, hot and miserably stuffy; he hated the damn things anyway. Good enough a reason to jump down and press Cicero up against the table; besides,it made him yip amusingly with surprise.
From awakening: In the morning, though, he led them to the hollow: a soft lush wet green place like the elvenlands themselves in miniature, old rocks pillowed with thick springy moss, the waterfall spray clinging in a jeweler's shine to the frond leaves, and a chain of scentless white flowers like open hungry mouths, spattered pink and red within, climbing up the side of the rock wall.
From Nice Work If You Can Get It: It was the only the beginning of a relentless campaign of terror and romance.
From Ante Bellum:
He shrugged his mail back on, groaning softly, his muscles cracking as he stretched his shoulders back. Arthur got up out of the warm bed and knelt down to strap the greaves back onto Lancelot's legs.
"Who's playing the servant now?" Lancelot said, looking down at him. "I can manage."
From Duende: Stephen was mildly surprised the second night, startled the third, somewhat wild-eyed by the fourth, and on the fifth, lying sprawled on his back on the floor beside Jack, both of them limp and breathing heavily, he asked a little plaintively, "Is this frequency quite natural, for you?"
Whew!
Also, I will take this opportunity to tell anyone who hasn't heard of it yet about the soon-to-debut Surfacing SGA zine, which I seriously cannot wait to see, my story for which does in fact get mentioned below in the end of the year categories, just guess which. :>
End of the Year meme:
My favorite story of this year: I might have to go with The Dark Side, because it let me recapture my love of Star Wars, and it was just so much fun conceptualizing Rodney and John as Jedi and Sith.
My best story this year: I'm calling it for Queen of Spades, because, M is just that awesome.
Story most underappreciated by the universe, in my opinion: Any of the Wiseguy ones, not because they didn't get love, but because there are so not enough people in this fandom. I'll pick Just One Of Those Things as the specific one, because a lot of the pleasure of it is dependent on the canon that not enough of you have seen, cry. (PS: see Wiseguy pimping posts!)
Most fun story: Reconcilable Differences, because it just flowed like anything, and because of the one transcendent moment I experienced during the writing process when I had what Tim refers to in the story as the most spectacularly bad idea ever. Also Raven's looming cake of darkness.
Hardest story to write: Ordinary Life, the Surfacing zine story, because they totally caught me on my way out the door to another fandom, and I really kind of knew better but sort of hoped I could pull it out, except really not so much, and it was so hard that I, uh, didn't do it, and instead made cesperanza finish it for me, which let me tell you is the way to go if you can swing it, cough cough. *runs away from Cesca really fast*
(Also, I made her put in tuxedoes. \o/)
Runner up is Moving On, which flowed all the way up to the point John stared. What the fuck., and then dropped back again to a slow painful crawl over broken glass, where Ces made me rewrite some scenes, no kidding, six or seven times, wah. But then mutecornett made me PAPER DOLL LEX, so it was all worth it.
"Holy crap, that's *wrong*, even for you" story: ha ha, that would be But Some Things Never Stop Being Funny, sequeling svmadelyn and thisisbone's girl!John genderfuck stories.
Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters: The Powell/Donovan story, Nice Work If You Can Get It, where I really sort of invented the characters over in my own head.
Biggest disappointment: not finishing the two SV and SGA stories I have left on deck, which are three-quarters-done and which I love and just -- argh, sigh. Thankfully, they're both living fandoms, so I will hopefully get sucked back in again at some point. I know a lot of people who hate living fandoms and even deliberately avoid a fandom until after it's done, for fear of being jossed or the show going downhill or whatnot, but I find that without an ongoing supply, I get lured away to the next shiny thing too easily, and I really don't care about being jossed or, uh, actively stomping on canon for that matter, as long as I'm still getting grist for the mill.
Biggest surprise: Occasions. Mark Antony and Cicero. Seriously, wtf. I still don't know where this came from, other than melina123's pernicious influence. Also, who knew that the Philippics are the funniest thing in the history of ever?
Most unintentionally telling story: judging by my Yuletide comments, clearly Duende. *facepalm*
I am breaking out one category, most sexy story, and totally stealing the poll idea from cesperanza and flambeau, because I would be fascinated to know what people liked best. (And tell me why in the comments, if you feel like it!)
Poll Sexy story poll
And also, the Favorite lines meme
From Under The Sea: "Oh, congratulations," Rodney said, "I'm sure you'll make some therapist very happy someday."
From Futures: There was something oddly comforting about the idea that someone had lived in these spaces before him without leaving any palpable ghosts or bitterness behind; that someone would come after; that someone was walking through his own abandoned house now just like this, touching the mantlepiece swept bare of photographs, the empty shelves, the cool shining clean-scrubbed tile, and smiling.
From Distancing: "That's okay," House adds, magnanimous from the moral high ground. "It's sweet, actually, you seducing gorgeous young women to lure them home for my benefit. Kind of like a cat bringing home its prey."
From How To Succeed In Sex Slavery Without Really Trying: "Mmmphr mrf mpmph," Rodney said, glaring at John sideways.
"Don't even start with me, Rodney," John said, clinging to the edge of the table to brace himself against the thrusts.
From Composition: He can't come again this soon, but he needs to see; no, he needs to touch, to put his tongue to the crease of Rodney's thigh and lap the salt away, to close his eyes and press his face to the warm soft skin of Rodney's belly and breathe in the smell of him, knead Rodney's thighs in his hands; to nuzzle his way up Rodney's chest and, remembering, graze his teeth over Rodney's nipples and suck them, hard, to hear for himself the way Rodney's breath catches.
From Wear Sunscreen: He turned to look out at the ocean: no storm clouds, no tidal wave coming, no giant shark fin splitting the water.
Oh, wait.
From But Some Things Never Stop Being Funny: John looked down at himself, really looked: uneven breasts filling out Rodney's hands, nipples pebbled tight, slim waist sweetly curving out to hips and slick narrow thighs; he loved this body, how it could open up and hold Rodney and Ronon both, just singing in their hands, how he could watch Ronon's cock sliding in and out so easily-he was, she was beautiful, and if-if Beckett never-
From Ulterior Motives:
"I'm not the one who hates you," Lex said, venomously, and Clark's hands fell away as if Lex had backhanded him with a fistful of kryptonite.
Lex walked straight past him to the bar and poured a glass of Scotch. He sipped it with one hand in his pocket, looking out the window."That's another lie, obviously," he tossed over his shoulder, casual again.
All Cretans are liars, Clark thought wildly, and fled.
From Bloodletting: Startled out of fighting for a moment, Lois was panting, staring up at him; he had her wrists pinned against the desk, his hips were pressed up against her, between her legs, and he said softly, viciously, "You can't ever really touch him, can you? Can't break the skin, can't hurt him, can't ever drive him so crazy he can't stand it, he has to be inside you, now, fuck all the consequences-" and Lex's hand was sliding up her thigh quick as a snake, shredding the pantyhose, leaving reddened lines on her skin where his nails had scraped.
From Reconcilable Differences: "If anyone is going to go evil, it is totally you, you asshole!" Tim yelled. Kon winced away from the phone. "I just sold my ipod on ebay so I could buy a plane ticket to Metropolis for next weekend and make sure you weren't dead!"
From Vacation: Kon finally threw a rock through the window, with a note wrapped around it saying, "HELLO DUMBASS YOU ARE SITTING IN YOUR ROOM READING ABOUT SOME STUPID RUSSIANS WHEN YOU COULD BE HAVING ACTUAL SEX WITH AN INCREDIBLY HOT GUY (IE ME!)!!!!"
From Moving On: "Granted, the current market value for a Kryptonian is about four industrialized star systems, so I wouldn't rely on it," Lex admitted.
From The Dark Side: "Oh, excuse me, I am an excellent Jedi," Rodney said.
From Eggplant: "I want to give you everything," Lex said softly. "Everything you want,Clark, even the things you don't know you want yet, the things you don't know how to ask for..."
From Revenge: "You'd better fucking believe you're going to swallow," Lex said, savagely.
From Apology:
And then when he did figure it out, he just blurted it, like a dummy. "Is this supposed to be some kind of apology?"
Sonny tossed his head like a restless horse, irritably, and shot his cuffs. "Don't push your luck," enough of an answer, and Vinnie looked away uneasily.
From On The Other Side: Lorenzo was still grinning crazily, even with the small black bullet-hole in the middle of his forehead and the liquid crayola-red puddle underneath him, blood spreading through the yellow carpet.
From Confessional:
Vinnie came out naked and rubbing his hair dry: a couple of old scars, something that looked like a knife cut just above the hip, black hair down to his groin, thick cock hanging loose. All that heavy muscle, big thighs, and only a little spare fat softening up the waist. Not much of a tan on him.
He was a beautiful animal to look at, Vincenzo.
From Exceptions:
Sonny caught Vinnie's face with his hand and turned it to the light back and forth. "You're not so pretty anymore, Terranova," he said.
"Look who's talking," Vinnie said, half-grinning at him because his mouth hurt too much, and swiped a thumb under Sonny's puffy bruised eye, purpling and spectacular.
From got yourself a gun: "Fucking lie to me. Tell me Pat threatened your mother. Tell me you were going to put poison in his cup. Tell me it was all some big fucking mistake. Tell me-" He stopped, panting. "Tell me-"
From I am on a lonely road and I am traveling: He couldn't fucking do this. Blow the whole goddamn investigation, not to mention get himself whacked like a piñata, Sonny caught him even looking, for Christ's sake.
From Sunday Driving:
Sonny kissed Mama too, and said, "Signora Terranova, I haven't eaten like this since my own mother passed, rest her soul," and from the door, too late, Vinnie saw it coming; not that it would've made any difference if he'd had a month's worth of warning, no matter what Mama felt about gangsters or how many times Vinnie had told her Sonny was dangerous; you couldn't wave a red flag to a bull and expect it not to say-
"You must come again next week," as she handed him a box of leftover cannoli.
From Peacemaking:
"I loved you too," Vinnie said.
"Not enough," Sonny said, flash of bitterness like a burst of heat, blooming red underneath the drowned blue cold of his skin.
From Knocking Over The Table:
"Then I guess I'll freeze to death," Sonny said. "That's what you were after anyway, what the hell do you care?"
"Oh, that's good, Sonny," Vinnie said. "The world's coming to an end, and you want to go sulk somewhere. You know, you're starting to remind me of my ex from high school-"
From Just One Of Those Things: "All right. Jesus," Sonny said. He stood there looking off at nothing, frowning, then he looked back at Vinnie. "And now you're busting a service station? What the hell are they servicing, nuclear submarines?"
From Queen of Spades: "I will admit that it's something of an unfair advantage, being post-menopausal," she said, pressing her hair neat in the mirror.
From Occasions: The day was not very cold, and Antony's litter was draped too heavily, hot and miserably stuffy; he hated the damn things anyway. Good enough a reason to jump down and press Cicero up against the table; besides,it made him yip amusingly with surprise.
From awakening: In the morning, though, he led them to the hollow: a soft lush wet green place like the elvenlands themselves in miniature, old rocks pillowed with thick springy moss, the waterfall spray clinging in a jeweler's shine to the frond leaves, and a chain of scentless white flowers like open hungry mouths, spattered pink and red within, climbing up the side of the rock wall.
From Nice Work If You Can Get It: It was the only the beginning of a relentless campaign of terror and romance.
From Ante Bellum:
He shrugged his mail back on, groaning softly, his muscles cracking as he stretched his shoulders back. Arthur got up out of the warm bed and knelt down to strap the greaves back onto Lancelot's legs.
"Who's playing the servant now?" Lancelot said, looking down at him. "I can manage."
From Duende: Stephen was mildly surprised the second night, startled the third, somewhat wild-eyed by the fourth, and on the fifth, lying sprawled on his back on the floor beside Jack, both of them limp and breathing heavily, he asked a little plaintively, "Is this frequency quite natural, for you?"
Whew!