Nia's DW

The first one is an entry of sshg_giftfest and - yep, that's far from my usual slash pairings - but who cares when art and story are as wonderful as here. Really, don't let yourself be put off by the pairing or that it's het or whatever reason you might come up with. Just take a look and laugh your arses off about the brilliant innuendo, the artist's charming style, and the whole amazing idea. Please go, and look at this treat here:

Title: Farmer Granger and the Most Glorious Cock
Author/Artist: Anon
Pairing: Snape/Granger
Rating: M
Word Count/Art Medium/Craft Material: 611 words/digital painting
Warnings: Out of control whimsy
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and associates. No copyright infringement intended.
Summary: Hyper-competitive Farmer Granger desperately needs to find a glorious cock.
Author's Note: Thank you to my Most Glorious Beta, K, who unfailingly and gently nudged me in the best direction.

xox

Next I wanted to point out the series of advent drabbles by earlgreytea68. I was on time and able to leave one of the 24 prompts. Yay.

So, here's Advent drabble #16 - Game (Arthur/Eames)
The drabble is fabulous and I'm in awe how the author managed to show their personalities in such few words, all the while they're playing a children's game. I shouldn't have been surprised as EGT has written and writes the most gorgeous things. If you're familiar with Inception or Sherlock fandom I don't have to tell you more. If you have no clue what I'm talking about, go and read the drabble. It's worth it. :D

xox

As you can see from today's icon I need to balance all the fluffy holiday fics currently posting with some bloody and gruesome stuff...and found the perfect fandom to do so. Haha. You can ease your way into it by reading non-cannibalistic fics first, but even those are kind of 'murder husbands' stories. I passed that threshold pretty fast and can say it's all great fun. No, I don't have any strange cravings, but I can't resist smart people (no matter what they're up to) and Hannibal and Will both are very much so, and mad, but that's part of their appeal.

Apart from fandom I'm fighting to get ready for Christmas: Posted the last international holiday cards this morning and hope they'll reach their destinations on time. Had a succesful Christmas shopping trip and found things for everyone except one person (have to brainstorm with Mr Kantorka about that one). My usual pre-Christmas panic decreased linear with every find. Have to pack more parcels to be posted, but as those won't leave the country they all should be fine when send out on Monday.

Now I need to go and spend some time with someone's lovely Harry and Draco and hope you're gonna have a lovely weekend! *waves*

P.S.: The first pretty cards reached me and I'll write a proper thank you post after Christmas. They are all placed on my desk and make me smile whenever I sit there.

Wanted to rec more, but got hit by a head cold. Not sure if I'll manage to write another rec post in November. Will continue in December if needs must, as I have already two more themed posts planned.

Title: Lines That We'll Draw
Author: VIII_XIII
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 21,086
Content/Warnings: Inception Reverse Bang, Epistolary, Slow Build, Introspection, there are major plot points that rely on art history, why can't I write an Inception story without any major plot points that rely on art history?, I'll link to images for people who don't know much about art history, Bottom Eames, Romance, Post-Inception, Canon Compliant, thousands of words of porn!

Summary:
And you know, there's something really liberating about putting your thoughts down and sending them out and not being able to take them back. I think you're probably reading this and thinking that I'm significantly weirder deep down inside than you'd thought, and that's all right because it's the truth. But maybe you don't care and you've already thrown this away and you'll toss any other ones I send out with the junk mail, unopened. And that'd be okay too. It's not the reading that counts; it’s the writing.

There are two boxes full of letters in Eames's desk drawer. The ones he receives from Arthur, and the ones he wishes he could send in reply.

Why I loved it: I read this story a while ago for the first time and stumbled upon it again because this year's i_reversebang is just finishing posting and this story (from 2013's reverse bang) came to my mind and I had to reread it immediately. It's not only beautifully crafted, but contains an irresistible atmosphere. There's much art - and I just love art in most of its forms - in the story. It's also a tale about these two men that thrive with the other though they need an outrageous amount of time to realise it. And then there's an explosive and wonderful love scene once they are finally in each other's vicinity.

I really loved that they weren't together for quite some time in Lines That We'll Draw, but are nearly always on the mind of the other. How gorgeous is that? They fall for each other nonetheless. Eamus at least gets Arthur's letters, but as Arthur travels and doesn't leave a return adress, Eames can only write his replies and stack them into a box at his desk. The letters they write are absolutely brilliant. Yes, I have a super soft spot for epistolary fics, but that's not all what this fic is. Eames and Athur grow quite a lot during this story. It's so beautiful to see. And yeah, at the end of the story there's not only a hot sex scene, but also some stunning art by kivvii to see. It is a whole package of beauty.


( Excerpt )

∞

Title: Love Is Pure Gold and Time a Thief
Author: Aja │ bookshop
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 43,699
Content/Warnings: Military Backstory, mutual antagonism, Competence Kink, Pining, Inception Reverse Big Bang Challenge 2016
Summary: Having a history with someone isn’t the same as having a present.

Why I loved it: This story. Gosh, I can't. This story is a raw gem. Reading it hurts a bit, but well, it's only because they do talk a lot with each other, but not talk with each other. But it's so well done and I loved so many ideas here. Their shared military past, how Eames tricked everyone into underestimating him, how that came back to roost him later, how he helped Cobb though he couldn't stand his incompetent arse (for Arthur, of course), how he fell so hard and remembered every word he ever shared with Arthur, and yet, it took them so long to actually find a way. Jesus fucking Christ, these guys killed me. LOL

I fear this is neither a coherent nor persuasive rec, but I'm in awe about this fic. It is so beautifully written and hurtful in just the right ways and the sex is smoking hot and yeah ... please just do yourself a favour and read it. As it's also an Inception Reverse Bang story, it comes with fantastic art too. This one is by assasyngal - a great picture and a perfect match for the story.

( Excerpt )

∞

You might need these not to drown in sorrow...
I love bdsm fics. To read all the reasons why people want to submit to or dominate a person. The psychology behind, how our brains might crave an outlet for our body. And how those actions finally calm the mind ... yeah, I think it's one of the most fascinating things ever. Be aware that I love it when things get rough, so read the tags and proceed carefully from there.
If you have any recs yourself, please tell me about them. I'd even jump into new fandoms if the eveloping bdsm realtionship is worth it. Also, fair warning, this post is long. Most of the fics are long and worth some words and a proper excerpt. 'nough said, here we go:

Title: Strangers to Ourselves
Author: Nonymos
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Pairing(s) Clint Barton/Loki
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 121,417
Warnings/Tags: Dominant!Loki, sub!clint, Dom!Loki, Dom/sub, Explicit Sexual Content, Porn With Plot, Smut, BDSM, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Bondage, Whips, Gags, Blindfolds, Painplay, Hair Pulling, Slapping, Asphyxiation, Masturbation, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Leashes, Begging, Cock Rings, Forced Orgasm, Humiliation, Subspace, BDSM - Freeform, Trying to escape the clichés here, Real-life BDSM is all about trust and respect, that shouldn't be an issue between those two, ha ha, Internalized Homophobia, Internalized BDSM-phobia, Denial, Aftermath of Fuck or Die, Self-Loathing, Trust Issues, trust issues everywhere, Angst, Truckloads of sex, Clint drops the F-bombs everywhere, but he's going through rough times okay, Coulson Lives and he's awesome, Loki's motives are a mystery, Clint is too stubborn for his own good, also Sitwell is a prick

Summary: Loki likes it when people kneel before him, and isn't that the sign of a heavy dominant complex.

Clint enjoys having nothing but his next target in mind, and isn't that the sign of a heavy submissive complex.

Loki and Clint slept together during a sex-pollen-induced frenzy. They both agree that it was an unpleasant, shitty road-bump, they still hate each other a lot and the situation is not going downhill at all, fuck you very much.

Or: What do you do when your greatest enemy becomes the one man you can't live without ?

Why I loved it:
It's hard to describe this fic and its companion piece (see rec to From The Top) and what they did to me. Last week I promised a rec about my favourite fic from 2016. That wasn't the truth, but not a lie either, because these two fics are my favourites so far. Tbh, I can't see that change in the few weeks that are still to go in 2016. They are an entity, but I still try to point out each's specifics.

In Strangers to Ourselves the reader gets Clint's pov. Loki's pov is told in From the Top. To read one after the other was kind of an revelation. There are scenes that are particularly hard to read from Clint's perspective and the reader gets too curious about Loki's view ... and the whole picture just blew my mind.
First, I should start with the story though:
There is that sex pollen event which is actually more a pwp fic and a short prequel to this story. Afterwards neither Clint nor Loki can get the events and the other out of their head. Well, it was easy to let go when one was high. In Clint's case that was living out a submissive streak more than a mile long, and in Loki's to thrive on it. He gave Clint something that comes easy to him and got a whole being just for himself to play with. Yeah, but that was when they were high as kites. Now, they aren't and it's not so easy for Clint to let go. With Loki of all people. The terrible, terrible God who brainwashed him. Of course he fights it. Without much success I might say. Because he got hooked, and now it's Loki and his treatment that Clint craves. The more he tries to suppress it, the greater the urge gets. It doesn't take long for him to break. He begs Loki to become not only his submissive, but his slave. Yupp, for real. He wants to be Loki's. That's when the Avengers come to know about them and shit really hits the fan. ... And all that is just the start.

See, it's difficult to describe this fic and even describe a tenth of what happens in it. It's even more difficult to explain their relationship. Clint is not an easy submissive. He's strong and doesn't just give in. Yet he needs it so badly, and he doesn't want safewords or consent or safety. There's a part where Loki has to leave him, and someone [can't spoil it, all right?] takes over. But it's not the same and he hurts and - even his friends finally see that they are unable to help him - only Loki can. Everybody should remember that and how Clint suffered like a shrivelling plant in the desert without him, because then he gets trained as Loki's slave.
Holy shit. I won't tell you much more. Lets just say Clint is stripped of his defences one after the other and ... that was tough shit at times ... and yet I loved it, every brutal step on the way. Even from Clint's pov you could see that Loki did care about him, even (or especially because) he has a sardistic streak more than the Bifrost long.

Now I cease my rambling about this one, because Loki has his own story. If you love bdsm fics and are willing to accept that it is a story and would never take place in rl (nearly nothing in this story is to be tried at home kids and adults!), you'll get a fantastic fic about two characters that badly need each other. How they discover just that, that the other's a perfect fit for their special needs, is told in Nonymos' fabulous story with such verve, vivid pictures, and an unexpected amount of humour. Both fics made it on my all-time-favourites-list in no time.


The excerpt will give you a pretty good idea if you can stomach the story or not. I love that scene, even if my heart always breaks for the Bilgesnipe. [Warning for a fictive animal dying, its death serves a purpose]
( Excerpt )

xxoxx

Title: From The Top
Author/Artist: Nonymos
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Pairing(s) Clint Barton/Loki
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 203,635
Warnings/Tags: Loki, not exactly Safe Sane and Consensual, more like Unsafe Insane and Sensual, BDSM - Freeform, D/s, Submissive!Clint, Dominant!Loki, sub!clint, Dom!Loki, Explicit Sexual Content, Porn With Plot, Smut, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Bondage, Whipping, Gags, Blindfolds, Painplay, Hair-pulling, Slapping, Asphyxiation, Masturbation, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Leashes, Begging, Cock Rings, Forced Orgasm, Humiliation, Sex Machines, Sexual Torture, Cages, Vibrators, Subspace, Domspace, Denial, Refusal, Aftermath of Fuck or Die, Self-Loathing, Trust Issues, TONS AND TONS OF SEX, also angst, Loki Angst, So much angst, The God of Chaos has disturbing fantasies, Thank God Barton shares most of them, Thor is trying his best, Jarvis is one upgrade away from turning into a Robot Overlord, What the fuck is Clint thinking, Odin's A+ Parenting, Loki Feels, Clint Feels, BAMF JARVIS, BAMF Phil Coulson, Bloodplay, Knifeplay, Breathplay, Tickling, Sounding, Cock & Ball Torture,Heat Torture, Shaving, Dehumanization, Objectification

Summary: Loki has always yearned for control; but he never did get to control anything.

Barton was made to be ruled; but he was never expected to realize it.

Power is the flame, and Loki Laufeyson is the moth; however, it turns out that even catching fire is not that easy. There are princes and monsters at war inside him – and Clint Barton got caught in the fight.

Or: Can Loki trust himself not to be a monster, when all the prince wants is to take power?

Why I loved it:
This Loki. Wow, he's really crazy, as in personality disorder crazy, and an incredibly lonely soul. It's kind of a blessing that he stumbles into that sex pollen situation and therefore discovers a new side of Clint. Breaking Clint gives him a new purpose, one that makes him care about things. Only about Clint at first, but - yes, there's still the threat of Thanos coming - later on even about the worlds. In the excerpts he already has that apple of Idunn. What he was willing to do to get it was astonishing. He humiliates himself just that Clint can't stay with him through the centuries (well, if he gets rid of Thanos that is...), yeah, he really does care for Clint. Yet, he breaks him over and over and over again. For his own sake and for Clint's.
It was so fascinating to see. There was a scene where Clint suffers for days and in the first fic you really can't believe that Loki left him like this, but here you see what it did to him. How Loki nearly broke down himself, how much it cost him to not intervene and not say, 'ah, it is just a game'. That he actually took Clint's wish, to be his slave to heart ... ah, it was perfect. And there were many, many more scenes like this, where you see why Loki did what he did.

I loved to read about Loki's struggle. There were these two parts of him, one that wanted to destroy everything, especially the things he held dear, and the other where Clint was his most precious possession: a lover, a slave, the perfect companion. And I loved the ending. Can't say much about it, but that their story carried on when Strangers to Ourselves had long ended. I was and am in awe about that ending. It was absolutely perfect and ... oh I just shut up now before I spoil things.

I'm planning to reread both stories this winter, not one after the other, but simultaneously. After the part of Loki's past, frist every chapter from Clint's pov and then again from Loki's pov. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

This fic broadened my horizon. I know it wouldn't be okay to do anything like this in real life, and yet it opened my mind about how deep the needs a person might have can run. I loved to see them becoming happy with their chosen life-style. I could go on and on about how this story spoke to me. If anybody gives it and its companion piece a try, please tell me how you liked them. I'm sure both will gain strong reactions. :D


And the same part - this time from Loki's pov [sorry, the Bilgesnipe is about to be killed again].
( Excerpt )

xxoxx

Title: Smoke and Mirrors
Author: oakstone730 │ Oakstone730
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing(s) Charlie Weasley/Harry Potter, past Charlie Weasley/Remus Lupin
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 25,669
Warnings/Tags: Bondage and Discipline, BDSM Scene, Post - Deathly Hallows, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Sensory Deprivation

Summary: Charlie seeks out transient encounters to relieve the stress of dragon-wrangling after losing his partner Remus. When the mysterious Dom known only as Black offers him an unusual contract, he can't say no.
Time frame: 2008-2009. AU: Remus/Tonks & epilogue Harry/Ginny never happened.

Why I loved it:
This fic had some beautiful dynamics. There is Charlie, a submissive, but a wonderfully strong character. He lost his lover, Remus, ten years ago and never fell for another in all the time. Well, until he meets the mysterious Black in a Parisian BDSM club. The man calls him Red and offers him things he has only dreamed about for years. He fulfils said dreams, but there's one condition: Charlie/Red can't see Black's face. It comes how it must and Charlie learns that Black was Harry all along, just after he was finally ready to let Remus go... Don't worry, they manage to get there in the end. :D

The scenes in the fic were fabulous, and it was a real treat to see oblivious Charlie falling for Black. Of course he was really pissed when he learned the truth. And Harry? Seeing him as Black through Charlie's eyes, oh my god, he was so, so hot. I wish someone would draw them both in action. Though maybe the paper will catch fire...
I also loved that it was a story about loss and how you can get lost in it when you notice nothing beside your own 'bubble of desperation and loneliness'. It was great to see Charlie finally heal and carry on. Harry's demeanour wasn't perfect, but in his defense, he'd tried for years to get Charlie's attention. I could relate to him taking desperate measures.

Don't get me started on their scenes. Damn they were awesome. Harry had some great kinks for a Dom and they fit this great role reversal perfectly. Don't get me wrong, he didn't come across as weak or not capable to wield whatever instrument he chose to beat Charlie with, and the descriptions of his deep sexy voice gave not only Charlie gooseflesh. I just loved that Charlie - the strong and stout dragon tamer - was the one who craved submission in all ways possible. It's brilliant when a bdsm story plays with expectations and turns them upside down. Really these stories are the best. You probably know Oakstone730 as an author, but yeah, you might haven't read this story as it's not their 'normal' pairing. Give it a try nonetheless. I'm sure you won't regret it.


( Excerpt )

xxoxx

Title: Stuck on the Puzzle
Author/Artist: thespectalesofthor
Fandom: Dragon Age - Inquisition (#3)
Pairing(s) Iron Bull/Cullen Rutherford
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 235,586
Warnings/Tags: Kink negotiation, non-sexual kink discussion, Drug Withdrawals, resistance to aftercare, corporal punishment discussion, Cullen Has Issues, which surprises no one at all, references to unhealthy SM dynamics, watchwords, Flogging, Aftercare, Resistance, communication issues, Subspace, Touch-Starved, PTSD, covert self-harm, Masochism, Slow Burn, Scratching, Massage, Dominance/submission, Wrestling, Mild Humiliation, Mild subdrop, handjob, Blow Job, Size Kink, Mild Cock & Ball Torture (because I realised most people wouldn't know what CBT meant), Caning, Blood, Impact Play, Punishment, Rimming, Praise Kink, Rope Bondage, Dubious Consent, Clamps - Freeform, Anal Sex, Fingering, Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assisted Suicide of Minor Character

Summary: Once, back in Kirkwall, Cullen had an arrangement with a member of the city guard that satisfied his needs. But time changed all things, and he despaired of ever finding a similar arrangement again - that was, until he met The Iron Bull. Problem being that Bull seemed to care far more about sorting out the nitty-gritty of such an arrangement than Cullen ever has.

Why I loved it:
I went through the relevant tags on ao3 on my query to find new and long bdsm fics à la Needs Must and found this one. I had literally no clue about Dragon Age, but there are ways - aka great wikis for all and every person on the internet - and after some reading I felt ready to dive into this fic. Man, what a journey. The author took canon and wove things into it, so let me try and explain:

There's Cullen, a former Templar with a ton of baggage. First, he is a former Lyrium addict (all Templars use this drug and as they rarely leave their order, they don't even know what it does to you if you don't take it anymore...). Yet Cullen left them because ... reasons ... and with that he had to learn to live with returning intervals of physical withdrawl. Lyrium never leaves for real, and on top to the physical side of things, whenever the drug is around, it literally sings to Cullen. Second, he has this craving for submission, he likes to be beaten and used and hates himself for it. In this world he has a name, a reputation, he's the Inquisitor's advisor in all things military, he commandeers the forces of Skyhold and ... he just can't give into this shit. Take also into account that the arrangement he once had with that man in Kirkwall was very, very unhealthy. That man let him feel that he secretly despised him for his needs. No wonder he has a problem to see himself as a healthy and worthy human being...
Then there's the Iron Bull, a mercenary, with his own horrible past (in imo the past of Cullen is an even bigger shitload of suffering, but yeah, one could have a lenghty discussion about that). Bull's a one-eyed Qunari, a big, strong and humanoid species with horns. Let's say he looks impressive and is normally paired with Dorian Pavus ... but yeah, not in Stuck on the Puzzle. Anyway, he has not a single problem with his sexual kinks and loves to let out his dominant side. He also is a very caring Dom. He has his problems, but not with Cullen's cravings, more with feelings and such things. Him being kind of a flagship-Dom makes it problematic for Cullen though. Cullen doesn't want aftercare, negotiations, and whatnot it is Bull wants of him. Mostly, because he doesn't feel worthy to get such treatment.

Well, it was truly beautiful and very angsty to follow these two on their journey. At times I thought they would never make it, but it was great, and especially when feelings entered the mix, it got breathtakingly bumpy. But they got there in the end, even though it took them a long time, which was part of the fun for me.

The scenes between them were wonderful, yet I loved it even more that both of them came from such contradictory positions. To see them overcome all the shit that stood between them was the real treat of Stuck on the Puzzle. Another gem was the worldbuilding. Yes, a lot is given by the games, but Thespectaclesofthor took canon and added their own stuff in such brilliant ways. For example Cullen's withdrawl episodes. The varied in intensity and hardship, and at times he and I thought he wouldn't survive it. And just think about a drug that sings to you. Not like a hallucination, but for real. And only people who ever used it can hear its song. How glorious an idea is that?

Yeah, this fic's bdsm scenes were pretty good, but not this fic's true speciality. No, it was the journey these characters took. They showed such great deepth, and their interactions and inner monologues were wonderful to read. It totally made me crave more fics with them. Sadly there are not that many more stories (I should probably try to fall for Dorian too), but this one was worth every minute I spent with it. A beautiful story.

( Excerpt )

xxoxx

Hi lovelies!

It's been a while and the world has turned green over here in the meantime. Nothing is more uplifting or helpful to get rid of the remaining residues of winter from the soul than sunshine and a clear blue sky. So, thanks to well-meaning weather deities I was out and about a lot:

• I bought new Inline skates and it went better than I thought it would after nearly 10 years of not being on skates at all.


• We, candamira her daughter, mine and I, often meet on one of the playgrounds in our neighbourhood after kindergarten. It still ends sometimes in tears at the end of the day, but it goes so much better than last year. And it's so cute to see the two little ladies getting along, even though one is one and three quarter years older than the other.


• Mr Kantorka and I reopened summer season with our favourite non-alcoholic drink: elderberry syrup, fresh basil leaves, lime juice, sparkling water and ice cubes. It's wonderfully refreshing and tastes great. Oh, and if you add Prosecco instead of fizz and mint leaves instead of basil you have a hip drink called Hugo. I shit you not. This stuff is well known as a summer drink in the whole country and comes originally from South Tyrol in Italy. We thought to name our own version but couldn't agree on a name so far. lol

Before I start to babble about fics, I want to send some big hugs and lots of positive energy to capitu, whose kind spirit I miss terribly, and to akatnamedeaster, who deserves more than hugs.

I've been a bit mia from reading H/D fics lately, because I found quite some other interesting things to read. These are some rare pairings and crossovers that kept me entertained:

• For example Pawn Takes King by Lunavere. This fic is about John Watson and James Moriarty, and it is still occupying my mind even though it's been 3 weeks and I've read countless other things in the meantime. Beforehand I didn't even believe this pairing could work and, my, I was wrong.


• Or this strangely captivating fic The Golden Queen by S_EER (Fritiriel) that's a mixture of a RPF and Anne McCaffrey's Pern. I'm currently waiting that the author finishes its sequel. And I'm not shy to admit that I loved it even though real person stories are normally not mine and there are probably a lot people more *ehm* sexy than Elijah Wood and Sean Astin (it might be just me though). Yet they were perfect as dragonriders and I'm still green with envy about the mind blowing idea of a male queen rider. Everybody who knows Pern knows what I'm talking about.


• Don't get me started on all the weird things that can happen to our darling Harry Potter. You wouldn't believe where crossovers can take him. I found some entertaining stories where he's been thrown into Middle Earth and paired with this or that Tolkien character (I'm still not over the one with Haldir).
  Even more weird stuff happens when he's thrown into MCU and seriously the pairings here are mind-boggling. So far I've read Harry/Loki, Harry/Thor, Harry/Steve and at the moment I'm reading Harry/Tony. If someone sees Harry conquering other fandoms, please tell me.
  Some goes for Loki btw. I still have a fic on my tbr list where he goes on an adventure in Middle Earth as well. *rubs her hands*


• Oh yes, and Hobbit Big Bang is finally posting on hobbitstory and the first stories were fabulous. I've been looking forward to it for a while. :)


• Bought an extern hard drive for my laptop so I can watch movies and series without banishing Mr Kantorka from the tv and his beloved football. The first thing I saw was Skyfall because I really needed to see Ben Wishaw as Q in action. I didn't expect much from the movie and was pleasantly surprised. Well, you can guess how this went. I had to read quite a lot 00Q fics afterwards. My favourites so far were the ones by Kryptaria and her partners in crime.


• A last one. I've found a wonderful Harry/Tom fic which I nearly loved as much as did SweetSocery's The Love of a Good Wizard. People who write this pairing well are rare (imo). ToAStranger's love is touching souls (surely you touched mine) did a good job, despite the fic's weird (too long?) title.


This list is good evidence why I've been a bit absent. LOL
I've wanted to talk about music too, but it's late, so that'll be a topic for another day.

Hope you're all having a fabulous weekend! <333

Oh well, I'm a very bad online friend at the moment. It's not that I'm more busy than usual, no, I just don't feel the need to post or be that much online at all. I'm sure it will change again. At the moment I'm the happiest reading or just taking glimpses here and there. You know, I'm not ignoring my flist on purpose.

On to the important points.

• First of all I have to thank akatnamedeaster for my lovely Christmas card. It arrived last week and it's a wonderful card with Sirius/Severus surrounded by a mistletoe. Thank you very much, Kat! ♥



• In case someone want to check out what I'm currently reading. It's one of the big fics in The Hobbitverse, Sansûkh by determamfidd. Everybody who reads Bagginshield fics recs it sooner or later and now I know why. I'm only 11% in, which is about 150 pages out of 1,200, LOL and it's like listening to an epic song or poetry in motion. It's as canon as it gets which is very interesting and kind of the clue here. I won't say more, but if you ever want to read an epos about Tolkien's world, you should give this one a try.



• One of my prompts has been claimed and I'm really looking forward to reading that one. Yet, I have to tell you my most favourite is still unclaimed as are hundreds of other lovely and kinky prompts. I need to finish another story first. If that goes well, I'll claim something on short notice and write a naughty ficlet. I do have ideas. :D
  
  hp_kinkfest
  Prompt Submission: 28 December 2015 – 3 January 2016
  Prompt Claiming/Sign-ups: 6 January – 10 January 2016
  Posting: begins 1 February 2016



• This song makes me happy. I love it's energy and dancing vibes and its positive message.
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Dear f-list!

I got the most wonderful Sherlock-gift over there on Winter holmestice ever. It's title:

Where's My Scarf (A Choose Your Own Adventure Story) (http://wheresmyscarf.livejournal.com/)

And I really, really beg everyone to go and check it out. I’ve never seen such a concept (a CYOAS) in Sherlock fandom - or in any other fandom - ever before. And I’m over the moon with what that wonderful Anon Author put together.

This is an interactive CYOA story created for the 2015 Holmestice exchange.

Taggedy Tags:
Pairing: Sherlock/John (Or not! You choose!)
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: graphic depictions of rebar, some butt stuff, character death, too many bees
Summary: A Choose Your Own Adventure story set in the ruins of a far-future London. Help Sherlock find his missing scarf, or don't! You decide.

I mean seriously, they even created the story’s own LJ for the occasion: http://wheresmyscarf.livejournal.com/

Here take a look at the start. And that’s only the cover - wait until you get to choose your first masks...
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I've been choosing masks and options for the past day and I'm still in awe about this gift. Gosh, I’m so in love with the story and its concept, and have the dire need to hug my Anon Author to pieces.

♥ ♥ ALL THE HEARTS ♥ ♥

Just finished a thing and because I'm exhausted and full of vims, I wanted to share some music recs. Most of them are old news, but does it even matter with good music?

The first two songs are curtsey of a fic soundtrack. I recced the fic, An Expected Journey by MarieJacquelyn, in my last rectober post. You can listen to this great soundtrack on 8tracks.
It contains some music, I just have to share here too.

Dear Fellow Traveler by Sea Wolf
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Why I love it: This song is just gorgeous. Tbh, the whole album, Old World Romance, is for the win. His voice reminds me a bit of Coldplay but not that tiring. You know, I love Coldplay, but can only listen to a few songs at a time. I don't have these problems with Sea Wolf. I could listen to him all day.
As a side note: If 'Dear Fellow Traveler' is a perfect song for the above mentioned fic, which is a story about Bilbo and Thorin, my next favourite song, 'Changing Seasons', is a perfect John and Sherlock song. It's a bit strange how I listen to music nowadays and sort it sometimes after the slash pairings I love. Well, it's fun, so I probably won't stop.

xox

Keep the Streets Empty For Me by Fever Ray (aka Karin Dreijer Andersson)
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Why I love it: I don't listen to many songs sung by female voices. Most of the time they are just to high for me. Why all singer try to reach the high 'e' is a mystery to me. I prefer lower voices. There can be a nice head voice, but please not all the time. That said, I do love this song. Even though the voice is sometimes high and it's a tad bit exhausting. Tbh, I haven't found anouther Fever Ray song I really love. In this song I love the rhythm and the refrain (see the voice is lower in the refrain) and, yeah, I think it's composition is a piece of beauty. Well, my friends, I'm married to a trained audio engineer, and even though he doesn't work in that branch anymore, he trained my ears quite a bit. So, I think this is a fabulous song.

xox

Now, a very different style in another language.
Est ce que tu m'aimes by Maître Gims
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Why I love it: It's quite awesome to realise how much my English skills have developed over the past years, but there is one big disadvantage. You know, I love to listen to music - even one with lyrics - first and foremost for the melody. And it's much easier to blend out utterly rubbish lyrics... Exactly, when you don't understand them (or not that good). Well, that's one of the reasons, I'm listening to much more French songs than ever. I do look up the lyrics to check, if someone wants to tell a message or not. But other than that, I don't bother. Gosh, that's so very relaxing. :D

Well, and Maître Gims' voice is so voluminous, I'm sure he'd would have been an opera tenor in another century. As it is he produces something akain to rap music and every once in a while that's fine with me. I can't listen to him all the time, but I tend to come back to this song because it's just lovely. Oh yeah, and the video is fun too. There you can see what the lyrics are about (love that isn't that wonderful anymore and where everyone asks themselves if they are still in love with this or that person).

xox

I could name a lot more songs, but think one more doesn't do any harm.

Another Love by Tom Odell
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Why I love it: I had a hard time to choose, which link to show. You know, there is a wonderful dance version of this song (this Zwette Edit). In the end I've chosen the original because I love the rough edges Odell's voice has. I know this song is old news, but I still love it to pieces. Every few months I'm in a situation where a desperately sad love song is just the right sing to listen to on repeat - though I'm thankfully far from living through a heartbreak. Autumn always makes me moody and then I have to indulge in sad songs. Most of the times they make me feel better. Sorrow halved and all.

Thanks for listening!

This is my 3rd and last rectober post because I'm busy at the moment.

There are two groups of multi-talented ones for me. The first group are those awesome people who create for more than one fandom on a regular basis, people in the second group use more than one medium for their creative outlet. And there are even a few who do both. With this post I want to honour some of them.

banner by raitala

Title: An Aching Soul
Author/Artist: writcraft │ Writcraft
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing(s) Harry/Draco
Rating: R
Word Count: 14,713
Warnings/Tags: Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction

Summary: I can’t help but wonder if Potter’s really as fine as he claims to be. There’s something strange about seeing the vanilla hero of the wizarding world eye-fucking someone across a crowded bar before slipping off into the shadows - Draco Malfoy escapes to the Muggle world to avoid his parents, memories of the war and Harry Potter. However, some things prove harder to escape than others as Draco realises when his favourite Muggle haunt is rudely invaded by a post-war Harry who is struggling to cope with grief, growing up and the battle with his inner demons.

Why I loved it: Tbh, I thought I've already recced it and didn't. Tsk. An Aching Soul has been my favourite of 2015's smooch fics. Yes, there have been plenty of great fics in the fest (I even loved my own fest entry), but this fic gripped me like no other. Even today I remember the feeling of awe when I had been sucked right into the story during its first paragraph. I love a good 1st person pov and being in this Draco's head was a treat. I loved how they both ached so much and only got better because of each other. They didn't even want to, yet it happened. This fic was a piece of great beauty and I feel lucky that I can re-read it whenever I want.

What I adore about Writcraft: She's wonderfully talented with words and creates art too. I adore how she uses pastel colours in a way that they lose all their clichéd innocence. Just take a look: It's a surprise. I had the pleasure to meet Writ in 2015 and she's as kind, generous and funny as her online presence.

xox

Title: The Consort and Loki and his Raven
Author/Artist: alby_mangroves │ alby_mangroves
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe (and lots of others fandoms)
Pairing(s) none, just Loki
Rating: Gen

Why I loved them: I might have said once or twice (cough) that I love Loki in all universes and all his forms. There is something wonderful about a God who can laugh about mischief and himself no matter how lost, lonely, or hurt he is. The funny thing, I don't find Tom Hiddleston that handsome with his normal hair colour and style. Yet I think he is the most stunning Loki ever. And I love how Alby captures his persona in fathomless eyes with hair that has a life of its own and...ah, idk, he just lives. And, yes, I have to admit, I'm a sucker for black-and-white-drawings.

What I adore about Alby_mangrove: I adore Alby's art since the first pic I've seen (it was a Merlin/Arthur pic) and I still think her one picture of Harry/Draco is one of the best ever. I'm sure my Steve/Bucky shipping friends know her faboulous pics of those two, but Alby also writes stories. I recced one last rectober. It's one of the stories I've re-read on more than one occasion even though I don't read that much Merlin/Arthur. I would love to see some art for her own story. Yes. Imo Alby's really an epitome of multi-talented!

xox

Title: An Expected Journey
Author/Artist: MarieJacquelyn
Fandom: The Hobbit
Pairing(s) Bilbo/Thorin, implied Dwalin/Nori
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 294,971
Warnings/Tags: each chapter has its tags and warnings, a general warning for temporary character death

Summary: “I just wish...”

“What do you wish?”

“I wish I could have changed it all.”

For years Bilbo has written about his adventures and told stories about his dealings with dwarves and dragons. To most it seemed like fanciful nonsense but to Bilbo it was all very real. A weight followed him home from his travels, one called regret. Now in his final moments Bilbo has a choice to make – go quietly into death’s embrace or go back again and face all the fear and pain for the chance to make things right?

Of course, change is a fickle thing and not everything can be done again as Bilbo is about to find out. In the end, it may not only be salvation that he’s fighting for.

Why I loved it: This fic has it all. A wonderful sense of humour, an epic adventure, time travel, great friendships, big love, so much hurt and angst, and deliciously awkward smut. It has some of the best plot twists ever (I could squeal for days over Smaug here). The author created their own banner and art of their characters (not specially for this fic). A sequel is currently being posted (8/12 chaps) and can't wait to read it when it's finished. I loved the story to pieces and it kept me up for hours and hours - all that though I'm not even a big Hobbit shipper. It was fabulous. :D

What I adore about MarieJacquelyn: One can always get me intruiged with a great sense of humour and the humour in the fic and on their tumblr is just wonderful. I have no clue about GuildWars2, but think the art for those characters (and the ones who took up a life on their own) is pretty impressive too. So, I became of fan just recently, but I'm looking forward to everything that's coming my way.

xox

I wanted to add some more talents, but have gotten lost browsing their online profiles all over the internet. So, I keep them in mind for next year. Cheers, my friends. Enjoy your weekend!

Autumn has arrived, the nights get shorter (at least in the nothern hemisphere), and that's the time to spend with a good book or fic on the sofa, candles flickering in the background and a mug of hot tea to stay all warm and cosy. If you'll need some inspiration what to read, take a look at all the rectober recs which are currently being posted.

This first week of Rectober I like to share a few gorgeous fusion fics. I want to focus mostly on multifandom recs because I think there will be enough H/D and other HP fics recced this month.


banner by raitala

Title: Your Body Before Me 3rd and last part of the Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc series
Author/Artist: etothepii
Fandom: Sherlock BBC
Pairing(s): Sherlock/John
Rating: R
Word Count: 3,476 (of 20,213)
Warnings/Tags: The author choose no warnings and no tags, but I'd like to tag dark humour, and warn about various forms of removing body parts and digesting poisons.
Summary: Sherlock experiments on John.

Why I loved it: This is a fusion with The Addams Family and it's so wonderfully done. Geez, I'm still so glad that I found this series. John and Harry are related to the Addams family by their mother's side and they've inherited a lot of their special abilities. If you know the story, you can guess some of the things John (and Harry) can do. In the second part John's nature is revealed to Sherlock because of a case (of course) and in the third part Sherlock wants to know all about it. So, Sherlock's invited by John to do a autopsy on him. Yepp, an autopsy on the living John. And it's strange, and a bit medical, and gross, and heartwarming and if you take that literally, you're not wrong either - I loved it to pieces.

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xox

Title: I Seem to Be a Verb
Author/Artist: Aja
Fandom: Inception
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 93,873
Warnings/Tags: Notting Hill AU, Celebrity AU, London, Bookstores, Celebrities, RPF, architecture, Buckminster Fuller, Schmoop, Hipsters, Arthur's life is so hard, But not as hard as Ariadne's, Science, Bookstore AU, Social Anxiety, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Falling In Love, Relationship Issues, Things are ok then really happy then really sad then slowly better then really happy again I promise
Summary: Notting Hill AU, written for the i_k prompt, "I'm just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her." Arthur owns a quirky hipster science bookstore. Eames is a world-famous mega-celebrity.

Clearly this calls for a meet-cute.

Why I loved it: This is not only a fic about Arthur and Eames, as one would assume reading an Inception fic. No, it's also a fic about words, books, authors, book titles, and Arhtur's wonder of a bookshop, The Robie House. And that bookshop, Jesus, I wish it was real. I'd love to go and take a look. If I could choose, I'd have taken a look at its version before Arthur even met Eames, but I'm sure the version Ariadne and Mal designed and reconstructed would be a fabulous place too.
Arthur and Eames are fabulous and funny in this story, and dorks because they talk a lot but not enough about things that matter.

Yeah, this fic has a lot of wonderful scenes: ridiculous ones about the bookshop owner and the celebrity being together or seperated in public, and some more wonderful and hurtful ones when they are on their own. Arthur does a lot of mistakes, Eames too, so there's heartbreak and getting over it and - don't worry - a lovely happy ending as well. It's one of my favourite Inception fics and if you take a look at its amount of kudos and bookmarks I'm not the only one in love with this long and brilliant story.

If you love books and loved Inception, you'll have a hell of a good time with this story.


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xox

Title: Kings Among Runaways series
Author/Artist: dfotw
Fandom: Avengers/Hellboy (Marvel/Dark Horse)
Pairing(s) Loki/Nuada
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 20,564
Warnings/Tags: Avengers Hellboy crossover
Summary:
The Avengers/Hellboy villain crossover you never knew you wanted.
Or,
Loki meets Nuada at a young age; the consequences of this encounter reverberate along both their lives until they meet again... and we get to see what these fallen princes can do together.

Why I loved it: It all started with alby_mangroves pic For I Shall Watch Over You which I saw and fell in love with from the start. Of course I had to read the story behind this picture. And boy, did I fall in love again.
I have a soft spot for the outcast, the ones not fitting in, and the ones who make a lot of wrong decisions because that's what the deeply hurt ones do. These two princes are so lost and misunderstood and alone until they meet. They don't are easy on another, proud princes that they are with all their hidden agendas. But they'll get there, being lovers and partners in crime and that's fabulous. Three parts out of four are told from Loki's pov, one from Nuada's. Both are done so well with their voices a bit strange and unhuman and very different from another. If you're up for a rare pairing and two MC's with intruiging voices, take a look at it. This series is a little gem.

Oh, you can totally read it without knowing much about Hellboy and if you know who's who in the Avenger's movies that's enought to enjoy this series. At least I did, and I'm one of this crazy chicks who often get their canon knowledge from reading fics...

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Ok, you might remember my rambling about not reading Work in Progress. Really, I hate it and try to avoid it like the plague. But, and that's a huge BUT, I love epistolary fics. There's been this one, (Dear John), where I missed the whole ordeal of real time posting and the back and forth between them.

And then I found Letters from Sussex by Sussex Bound actually on the day the first chapters were posted. And I loved some other fics by said author and just started and OMG...

Now, I try to be more coherent here.

Title: Letters from Sussex
Author: sussexbound │ Sussex Bound
Fandom: Sherlock
Pairing(s) Sherlock/John
Rating: NR-17
Word Count: ~21,5k (after 40 chapters)
Tags: Epistolary, Retirementlock, takes place immediately post Season 5
Summary: In the wake of the Mary/Moriarty affair, John and Sherlock have fallen out, and are living apart. But Sherlock isn't content with this state of affairs--not one bit. He's tired of dancing around the obvious. The wooing of John Watson starts now!

Why I loved it: I just need to rec it. I mean, it started on the 16th of June and that's been only a week now, but my whole life is rotating around this fic. Do you think I'm exaggerating? Nope. See for yourself; I'm checking my phone first thing in the morning for nightly updates (thankfully there are always between 1-3). After indulging in those chapters I leave a more or less coherent comment on the latest chapter and bring myself uptodate with the comments from the crowd. During the afternoon (sussex bound's morning) an update is coming. Then I squeal with joy, stop everything I'm doing and ingrain the next part. If it's Sherlock's, I know I'll can swoon and melt into a puddle of goo. If it's John's, it depends on his mood (lately his emails/texts/ideas) make me flail too. Those two are wonderful! During the night I'll check my phone for AO3 notifications or (better) sb's tumblr for updates. So, that's how my days and nights go at the moment. I'm planning to keep this up as long as it takes those two to to get their HEA. And it's pretty visible from the nearly 1400 comments (at 23.50 pm June 23th CEST) that I'm not the only one.
But really, this story is written with such beauty. There are tender and kind parts and others are rough and hard to read. There's humour, anger, sadness, a cutepie of a dog, a cottage in Sussex, a flat in London, a friendship hanging by a threat (at least in the beginning) and so much love. It's worth every waiting minute, because it's such a joy at the same time. If you can stand a communication through letters, emails and texts and have the patience to read a WiP...what are you waiting for? Go and read it! I'm sure you'll love it.

Excerpt: (That's part of a message by Sherlock)

I have wanted you here from the start.

From the moment I laid eyes on this cottage, I knew it was for you. There is a bedroom on the ground floor. That is so uncommon in these old houses. I think that it must have been a morning room before, or something of the kind, and been converted later. But when I saw that room, I knew that it would be yours.

You will have no need to climb the steep, narrow staircase to the upper floors when your leg aches in poor weather. It’s why I took the room upstairs. I left that room waiting for you. It is yours John, or perhaps it could be ‘ours’ if you prefer.

There is the garden, of course. It is desperate for attention, and you always seemed to have a way with those little potted herbs at the flat. I imagine your skill in this area surpasses mine. It was barely more than intuition, but something seemed to call to me when I first saw it. ‘This is for John,’ some inner voice said.

You have a way with slightly wild and stubborn things. Everything yields to your skill and care, everything blooms beneath your touch. And soon you will be here, and we shall see...

Will I bloom beneath your touch? Oh, I think so. I long to find out. All the things I long to explore, to discover... So many things...

Will you let me tell you? You said you wanted to know.

I’m still unsure how much is too much, or if, perhaps, my desires are too simple to satisfy you. I want everything you have to give, and I want to give you everything you desire. You must tell me if I get it wrong. I will learn. We can learn one another together.

Do you know what I would like, when you are sure, when you are ready? I would like you to invite me to your bed. Not in the dark of night, but in the early morning, when that room of yours will be golden, and warm, with lace-shadows of the lilac leaves outside the window dancing against the pale, cream walls, and the sound of bird song drifting in from the garden. I want you to invite me to your bed, and I want you to let me worship you.