December Talking Meme Master List

(There are still some days left open in the meme, if you want to suggest a(nother) topic.)

Day 4 was suggested by umadoshi, What's your relationship with old fandoms (your own previous fandoms) like?

Except for one-off fandoms I only write to create a gift for someone else (Dawson's Creek, for example; it's on my to watch list, but when I wrote the Dawson's Creek section of Ten Slayers Who Never Were (The Of All the Women in All the World Mix) for nikitangel, I did a lot of research and had someone who liked the show take a look at it), I tend not to have previous fandoms, in that they once were my fandom but no more. My first online fandom was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, circa season two and the Willow/Angel mailing lists (and then the spin-off list of awesome), and I still write Buffy fic sometimes. (Often in crossovers, because, as you may notice from the fic I just referenced, I love making women from other fandoms slayers.) The Lost Boys was my second online fandom, and I still write it occasionally. So mostly, my relationship with my old fandoms is pretty damn great. I miss some of the people who used to write fic and meta in my old fandoms, but it's still pretty awesome.

However, there is one previous fandom that I broke up with and broke up hard: Glee. I only steadily watched during the second half of season two, when wakeupnew introduced me to the joy that was Lauren Zizes. (I did then go back and watch all of season two at that point, and I'd already seen pieces of season one when it first aired, before I got so fed up with the treatment of half the characters I couldn't take it anymore.) I was all set to watch season three, and then Zizes wasn't a big part of it anymore and I was already pissed off about the racism and biphobia that I just couldn't do any more. And then I made the mistake of keeping up with meta even though I wasn't watching, and it made me angry and bitter, and in the end, I couldn't even finish the stories I had in progress. Which sucked, because I loved them, particularly my believed marching band AU series, The Marching Band Refused to Yield, but no. I couldn't. I still can't. I do sometimes pull up the next story in that series, just to see if I can finish it, but I can't. Glee infuriated me with the choices the creators made, and I just can't. I've never felt so frustrated by a fandom in which I still wanted to create, but couldn't.

So that's how I feel about my old fandoms. Awesome, awesome, awesome, OMGWTF GLEE.

Because I do want to recapture my fannish joy -- and right now, just joy in general, it's been a stressful few months -- I thought I would actively look for things that bring me joy right now and share them, sometimes with commentary.

While trying to find the video to "Total Eclipse of the Heart" to see if I wanted to add it to my potential Yuletide fandoms to offer to write, I stumbled over the fact that Reba McEntire covered Beyonce's "If I Were a Boy," a song that I love despite the gender roles and heteronormativity of the lyrics. I still prefer Beyonce's version, but the video for Reba McEntire's is gorgeous.

It makes me want to write a story about the magic and monsters in that house, particularly the long train on the dress as the monsterous magic following her, the things moving in the pictures and the mirrors, and that gorgeous room with the columns and the wall of windows and the giant mirror and the fireplace -- oh yeah, there are stories about monsters in this video.

Which led me to watching Meat Loaf's cover of "It's All Coming Back to Me Now."

I need to write a music video crossover that involves ghosts and monsters and magic.


AND THEN, FUUUUUUUCK, AND THEN, a link led me to my first moment of Glee joy since season 3 began:

( Spoilers for Song and Singer(s) )

This awesome discussion of J.Harvey at selenak's blog, which has me really eager to watch the movie, amazing considering I had zero interest in it before.

Also at selenak's blog, a discussion of the five scariest villains that thrilled me.

If I vidded, I would be all over this suggestion for a multi-fandom celebration to Rihanna's "Cheers (I'll Drink to That)" by zvi, because hell yes, I want that too!

Cookie Jar, a prompt meme associated with I Saw Three Ships. So basically, threesome prompts. I've never done I Saw Three Ships, though I love threesomes (and foursomes and moresomes), but I might try this prompt challenge.

LOL Just tuned in to Glee and the Droid commercial was AWESOME. Also the Cowboys v. Aliens trailer makes me grin. I want to watch it.

Anyway, Glee season finale, tuning in about ten minutes late. What did I miss?

( Spoilers )

So mostly I was either bored or infuriated, though I did really like a few little things at the end. Not infuriated enough to break up with the show, though, so that's something, I guess.

J just texted me because it looks like a big storm is about to hit this area; literally as I got his text, this loooooooong roll of thunder shook the house.

I can't believe that three months ago, I never thought I'd watch Glee again after much it angered me in season one, and yet here I am, giddy as freaking hell over tonight's episode. I don't recognize myself sometimes. (Not just for this reason. There are many reasons. This life is not the life I anticipated.) God, I love prom stories. LOVE THEM. I do so hope I can mostly love this episode, instead of love-hate-mostly hate as is normal.

ANYWAY, spoilers beneath the cut.

( Prom spoilers )

So mostly? I adored this freaking episode.

Okay, I have chocolate (thanks to B) and fresh iced tea and menthol cloves because I randomly found them at the gas station Friday, for the first time in almost a year. (I don't smoke regularly, but menthol cloves are my weakness. And now everyone who's reading the marching band au is smirking at me knowingly.) On the way home from a late day at work, I was flipping stations and caught "Born This Way" on the radio. (Still not a fan of the faily lyrics.)

Let's do this.

( Glee  )

Sporadic, exhausted commentary, but I think I liked more than I didn't. (What I didn't like, though, caused great rage. GREAT RAGE.)

Fic writing is going slow tonight. (I did finally remember to bring home that Mercedes half-finished story, but now it is less half-finished and more what did I get myself into? Perhaps I will break it off at this one scene and leave the stuff I have no idea how to handle for a sequel. It's a part of the big poly fic anyway, there are lots of random scenes in their lives.) Instead of fic, have some recs.

tinylegacies has a bunch of really awesome "Original Song" icons. I have uploaded a bunch to LJ; I'm at my DW limit already.

Speaking of Glee poly fic, I found some that made me grin. (And made me want more.)

spin a bottle, smash a glass by Anonymous and Untitled by Anonymous
Prompt: (summarized) As adults, the glee poly group decides to pair off to get married for benefits. They pick partners by spinning a bottle.

Two awesome fills. Ridiculously cute, with a couple very heartbreaking moments. I am so sad I can't read more fic by these authors. DO WANT.

It's Sunset and Vine (Or What Blaine Anderson Doesn't Say) by tara1031
Summary: They’re in the backyard, Blaine’s thirteen and on his spring break during his first year at St. Ignatius Boys’ Day High School and Drew’s spray painting an old wooden office chair they’d found in a dumpster three towns away. They’re both wearing paint masks and Blaine’s covered in dirt and no one from school would recognize him now, no sir.

I freaking love the characters in this, Blaine and Kurt and the original characters, Blaine's brother Drew, and Bagel. Awesome nonlinear story, too.

Lord, What Fools These Mortals Be by videlicet90
Summary: For this prompt on the glee_fluff_meme: "...Epic crack about Santana's quest to brave the labyrinth-like maze of sewers under Lima to rescue her girl."

So freaking much fun! I love Santana's epic quest and also the sharp perfection of her voice.

Untitled by snorkellingfish
Prompt: Brittany gives Blaine the "hurt him you die," speech in her sweet more than slightly spacey way, because he's her favorite ex-boyfriend because of all the facials she got. (This was prompted and filled back in November, because I am still catching up on fanfic from before I was sucked back into the show.)

Hilarious. Unbelievably hilarious. Also, awesome.

we'd share each other like an island (617 words) by Sham
Fandom: Glee
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Characters: Santana Lopez, Brittany S. Pierce, Quinn Fabray
Summary:

three moments set after heartbreak. post ep 15.

Gorgeous and heartbreaking and perfect.

Turn This House Into a Home (9060 words) by lls_mutant
Fandom: Glee
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Burt/Carole, but otherwise pretty gen
Characters: Carole Hudson, Burt Hummel, Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel
Summary:

A house is just a building; it becomes a home when a family lives there. The Hudsons and the Hummels slowly become a family.

Sweet and funny and a little heartbreaking; the perfect story about people becoming a family.

Sacrilege (8460 words) by wildseed
Fandom: Glee
Rating: Explicit
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Will Schuester/Sue Sylvester
Characters: Will Schuester, Sue Sylvester, Shannon Beiste
Summary:

Will shaves his head, gets drunk with Sue on a Friday night and makes an impulsive decision. It’s what happens next, though, that he really needs to worry about. Featuring appearances by Will’s concerned BFF Shannon Beiste, a bottle of Johnnie Walker, fruitcake, verbal banter, Sue’s $1600 coffee maker and the Cleveland Browns (although not all at once).

This was amazing. I can't stand Will and Sue is a bad parody of her former self these days, but holy shit, this fic. This amazing fic.

I don't tend to rec stories that are incomplete (if it is a series and the individual stories work as stories, I rec those, but not WsIP), mostly because I don't tend to read them. (I get really disappointed when a story isn't finished, so I just wait until the end.) However, I am reading a lot of WsIP lately, and I will rec them when they are complete.

So awhile back there was this interview with Ashley Fink, who plays Lauren Zizes. (I believe you know my feelings on Lauren Zizes.) (Spoiler: Good feelings.)(Spoiler: In my pants.) And then I read this interview.

Who's your dream guest star?
Seth Green has been my ultimate celebrity crush -- well actually it was Raphael from 'Ninja Turtles' but then I realized I can't. But then it was Seth Green. I have his action figure. I've avoided meeting him left and right because I'm nervous. I've heard from everyone that he's the nicest person ever, but I would be such a geek. Seth Green would be my flip over. It would be my N'SYNC moment.

OMG Fink, want to be my BFF? I will totally bond with you over both of those crushes. (RAPHAEL <3<3<3) (And again, you all know my feelings on Seth Green.) (Spoiler: Good feelings.)(Spoiler: In my pants.) The down side is she says to trust the show. Yeah, no.

Uh, speaking of celebrity things, which I rarely do, Glee Twitter Fight Club Part One and Glee Twitter Fight Club Part Two. I love that they have so much fun while working.

Slight spoiler for seating arrangement from tonight's episode.

ETA: And another!

( Glee slight spoiler )

Dudes!

A) Check out this icon tinylegacies made for me to encourage my new favorite foursome. IT IS SO FREAKING AWESOME.

B) Whoever anonymously gave me paid LJ time, dude! Thank you! I'd love it if you spoke up so I could thank you properly (ooer, that sounds pervy), but I totally understand anonymous gifts too. I was literally in the middle of uploading this icon when I saw that suddenly my space had exploded. So I, uh, uploaded a bunch of Glee icons. Apparently, this is really, truly my main fandom right now. How did that happen?

C) ICONS! I freaking love icons! Thank you again, anonymous benefactor. I love all my icon space A LOT!

Good things about today:

A) I just got to seriously use the line KISSING AND PUNCHING ARE VERY SIMILAR THINGS, OKAY? This is kinda one of my life philosophies. So you know.

B) New poster for Fast 5. JESUS CHRIST VIN DIESEL HOW ARE YOU SO HOT? I would like to hit you and then kiss you. A LOT.

C) KISSING AND PUNCHING ARE VERY SIMILAR THINGS, OKAY?

ETA: A) I am liveblogging this (for, uh, definitions of liveblogging) and will post if I ever get through the episode (have paused it about a billion times so far) and B) spoilers in the comments, because sotto_voice and I are commiserating.

/ETA

Oh, man, I miss the days when I didn't care about this show, because I do not trust Glee not to piss me off, but now it might also break my heart too. SO MUCH BETTER WHEN I DIDN'T CARE. But I have my rum and Coke (I had planned to drink champagne, not because I am celebrating, but because that's what I had chilling in the fridge, but then I remembered the rum and that is a better plan) and, well, I am used to breaking up with shows. (Lost. Supernatural. Heroes. Glee, once already.)

And I keep reminding myself that I prefer the delightful worlds fic writers create anyway, and the world in which I've been writing (because most of those stories all thread together), and I don't have to stop writing just because I break up with the show. (Probably.) And at least when I'm done, I can read everyone's reaction posts.

Bracing myself now (big gulp of rum and Coke) and away we go.