Unholy Love in a Neat Little Box

Should have had this up weeks ago but it's been disturbingly busy for winter break. *off to try and catch up on four weeks of flist*

Fic Roll Call for 2007

Summary: Significant majority is Stargate: Atlantis and most of that is McShep.
Note: Does not included snippets of WIPs still under f-lock

SGA by pairing
McKay/Sheppard
+1000 word Fiction
Of Candy & Puddlejumpers (R)
The Silence of It All (PG)
And We Breathe (PG)
Failure Isn’t Inevitable (PG-13)
Those Promises That You Made (G)
The Way a Rose Garden Burns (G) companion piece to Those Promises That You Made
Closer Than This Life (PG)
When Breathing Is Like Flying (R)
Of Yesterdays (PG)
In Time, All Is Understood (PG)
A Night of Waking (R)
Tonight I Lie (R)
keeping the world at bay (PG)
Having Love (PG)
Solutions Unnecessary (R)

Playing in openice’s Paradigm Shift Universe
Five Ficlets (G toPG-13)
The Puzzle (G)

Drabbles/Ficlets (under 1000 words)
Cars & Girls (G)
Breathe Me to Sleep (G)
The Ways (G)
The Simplest Touch (G)
Sometimes (G)
If Wishes Were Pennies (PG)

O’Neill/Sheppard
A Word Between Soldiers (NC-17)

OMC/OMC
The Choices We Make (PG-13) (based on Post Secret Challenge by elfbystarlight here)

Part of lyndseas’s Former Robin’s Club Universe.
Tim/Bernard
Losing Sense (NC-17)

General rundown of This Mortal Coil:


Hello, yet another SG1 rip off. (Has anyone ever counted just how many times they've done this, some much more successfully then others.) Truly I understand there are only so many ideas out there (especally with the same base people), and that reusing old plots are helpful but can't they at least change something about them besides the location?

First serious whoa moment after the inital snickering of "oh man, McKay broke the 'gate. Sheppard has gotta be pissed" was the Lorne moment. Lorne got owned. Sheppard totally told him off and I love Lorne deeply, really I do, but it was still a gleeful moment for me.

The team interaction with their counterparts was pretty much awesome. Sheppard being all confused about his pronouns and McKay with the self praise was totally adorable. Then the paralell scenes between Teyla and Ronon to their counterparts. Still pretty meh about Elizabeth and not all that happy nor impressed with her, she's done better. I think at this point I would have been happier if she'd been evil, though the self depriciating humor was a nicely unexpected touch.

Self-sacrficing blah blah blah.

Overall banter was still up to par and with the happy making. The ending kinda surprised me, more so I think because it was Zelenka he was talking to (not that I think he wouldn't talk to Zelenka) but I was startled that TPTB hadn't defaulted to Sheppard as the confident. Still lovely Zelenka-McKay moment.

In conclusion: Didn't care about the plot in the least bit but the characters maintained the good and as a follow up to Miller's Crossing it was lacking.

If I drank today would be the perfect day to get trashed, despite knowing that running from my problems aren't an acceptable solution. *sighs*

Written in April 28th 2007 for openice as a comment. Posted here for memory purposes.

Title: A Word Between Soldiers
Author: Astrid Maisiuil
Beta: (none)
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 1,040
Summary: On the helicopter ride over O’Neill hadn’t seemed terribly impressed with him
Warnings: (none)
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Stargate people. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

( A Word Between Soldiers )

Written a couple of days ago for _kiden as a comment.

Author: Astrid Maisiuil
Beta: (none)
Rating: G
Word Count:
Summary: "What are you doing?" Rodney tries to turn and look at him, but John is too close.
Warnings: (none)
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Stargate people. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

( The Simplest Touch )

I have spent the evening digging around in other pairings within SGA, some het, some slash and this is the result.

( I seem incapable of doing non-angsty drabbles )

Um, I'm sorry I thought we were out of high school? Apparently not.

"[A] 23-year-old college student..was forced to alter her skimpy outfit before flying on Southwest Airlines."

From what little surface scratching I've done this is apparently old news now that she's posing in Playboy but truly it boggles the mind. Now we can't even wear what we want to fly? What happened to freedom of expression? Especially when I've seen kids "oh isn't she cute"ed over while wearing something I wouldn't be caught dead in (and for matter of record covers less than this 23 year-old's outfit did). What the hell is that? Why must we all be forced to cover every inch of skin to ride in an airplane (where maybe a hundred people catch a five second glimpse of you) but walk into a restaurant in a shirt that's more bra than shirt or shorts that if I didn't know better I'd swear were painted on and nobody says anything. Sure, I suppose I could understand if she'd shown up in something truly "skimpy" but her outfit, aside from possibly the miniskirt (and a show of hands how many of us have worn a miniskirt-come on now), covered more than most. [Censored comment about the flight attendant who complained] What is the world coming to, I ask, what indeed.

On a personal note, I don't actually see anything offensive about her outfit and would go as far as to say for today's "style" it was tasteful.

*hasn't written anything NaNo related all day*

( sorta angst, sorta fluff, generally me acting out from frustration with NaNo )

Woo. I survived NaNo: Day 1. Even went over my quota, yay, and still had time to you know, have a life :D

This weekend will prove more challenging however, because I am literally booked to do things with people all weekend. I am offically insane to have decided to do NaNo, by the way.

I never really was one for PWP, just doesn't interest me all that much. Lately though I've been unable to read even NC-17 stories with a vague plot, which previously was really the only way I would do PWP. It just seems like I am reading the same stories over and over again as far as PWP goes which is sad because some of the recent PWP have been by wonderful writers who I normally love. I think what makes it worse is that seems to be all that is being posted lately and I get so desperate for my fix of McShep that I will go read the PWP and come out even more displeased with that whole genre. Don't get me wrong there are days when I can really get into PWP, or as much as a person can get into a fic without a plot, but lately I find myself frustrated with them beyond belief.

Anyway.

NaNo started. I totally wrote 286 in the first fifteen minutes after midnight and then went to bed. *facepalm* And it's already mid-afternoon and I haven't written anymore. This is not a good way to start a mass project like this when I already have trouble completing said mass projects in the first place.

*wants to go clubbing tonight, which is so not going to help*

Jipped from lyonza

Rules:
- Bold all of the following TV shows of which you've seen 3 or more episodes.
- Italicize a show if you're positive you've seen every episode.
- Asterisk if you have at least one full season on tape or DVD
- If you want, add up to 3 additional shows (keep the list in alphabetical order).

( Testiment to how pathetically little TV I watch )

This fic I'm planning is a monster. A big scary intericate monster. It's been on and off in the works for six months now. After some bumps in the road, which mainly are a result of losing contact with the person who was to be my soundboard, I think I've finally managed to stumble my way through the central plot. Now it's mostly a matter of finding the time to write it and stop second guessing the choices for plot I've made. When I say mostly I mean that very loosely. Normally I can deal with my fic on my own but really this one is different from everything else I've written, not just in estimated length but in essence and I needed that soundboard person. Sigh. This fic is going to be a huge strain on what little writing ablility and creativity I have especially lacking input but I've settled down for the long haul. Of course this also means I am likely to not post anything until this is finished, or what I do post will be drabbles. I know as far as fic goes I really haven't posted anything in a long, long,long while, but my fingers are crossed that with this plot smoothed out I can start really writing again.

I totally and completely forgot it was official release night. Oops. Not I suppose that it matters much since I don't get that channel anyway. But I did finally actually do something with my LJ layout so now it is all pretty. Also did a tiny bit of work on the profile. We shall say I did it in honor of the start of season four. As such here are a few thoughts on episode one.

Things I liked/Squeed about:
Ronon is awesome, if bizarrely anxious about Elizabeth.
Rodney is awesome and that's all there is to it.
Dr. Lee I have a bizarre residual fondness for from my week of cramming eight seasons of SG1 a year ago.
Zelenka and his inability to jump far distances.
John being in charge and his horribly amusing idea of throwing them both across a hundred foot ravine.

McShep. YES. He called him John and then John yelled at him and it was real yelling and then they made up by planning a heist. The McShepness in this episode totally wiped out the strange unflowyness of it for me.

Things that made me mad or go huh?:
Keller. Just yeah. Sorry no. And frankly it has nothing to do with the fact that she replaced Carson. I just don't like her. I like Carter being in this better than her, which considering my deep phobia of Carter stealing McKay from Sheppard, is saying something.
Teyla I really was fairly blah about this episode which doesn't bode well, especially since I'm already kinda meh about the upcoming pregnant arc.
Phallic symbolism. Everywhere. With shield in not so subtle places. *cough* I really don't have words.
Truthfully I can't say I ever cared enough about Elizabeth to be even slightly fazed by the weirdness of her situation.

I do have a huge burning question but I can't ask until episode two is officially released, which makes me sad because I am really curious. Also I'm pretty sure it was better with real music and sound beyond people yelling 'bang' and 'boom' on the background so I may have to look into getting a finished copy to watch, eventually.


On an unrelated note: lyndseas I miss this. You need to do some more in it. Please?

Normally I don't do recs and those I do are always fics. This is the expection. First off those of you who have not read Written by the Victors read it, read it now. Those of you who have read it and haven't watched this, what are you thinking? I don't care if you don't watch videos this is something you have to see if you got even a sliver of enjoyment out of the fic by cesperanza. You don't even have to download it as it's embedded. Go watch it! And if you want to download it, it's totally fucking worth it.

Oh my God. The last of the mcshep_match stories was released today. Now I can actually read them! I hate that it's over though cause it means there wont be anymore, which is sad. If only I didn't have exams this week-grrr. Evil professors and they're bad, horrible timing. Then again I have to take a break from studying sometime...

When a snake is found (compliments of my six year old cousin) while picking up golf balls in the back pasture, the call for the hoe and shovel go up. Then the entire fourth of July party rolls up their jeans and proceeds-barefoot-through the yard and creek sporting said gardening tools. Upon arriving at where the snake has been cornered by my sibling and the dog (neither of whom is the least bit intimidated by the fierce rattling noise coming from the snake) against the fence it is seriously obvious the animal is not happy and very very very much huge. So is then the shovel and hoe used to cut off the snake's head, or shoo it into someone else's yard, especially considering it sounds like a rattler? No, of course not. The shovel is tossed aside and instead of chopping the snake's head off the hoe is used as a pole for the snake to curl up and around. Snake is then heaved off the ground so everyone can "ohh" and "ahh" over the five feet of pissed off male rat snake. The worst part? Or maybe the best part depending on how you look at it--it didn't even strike me as odd until I mentioned it to a non-Southerner and got a WTF were you thinking response.

I know I haven't responded to the comments I've gotten in the past couple days but I swear I will just give me a little time. What have I been doing instead of keeping up with my beloved fandom? Well my dears, I have just (and yes I know this is obscenely late) discovered the flailing goodness that is Queer as Folk. Yes, yes I know it's been around for a long time as far as fandoms go but while it was on the rise I was fairly enamoured (monogamously so) with HP so lay off. I had some free time the other day and was handed a website for some reason or another and for shits and gigles I decided to watch the first episode. Thirty something odd hours later I am on Season two, episode three and currently bitching out my computer and the unreliability of torrents in general (first time user of torrents here-god how do you people do it?) I have up to S2E9 saved on the computer from various places but I'm missing episode four and I can't find it anywhere so in a fit of madness this afternoon I got a torrent client and have the second season downloading. It's telling me three days. I think I might die if I have to wait three days. Plus the other three seasons but the lack of ep four is currently what is causing me the most pain and anguish becuase I can't move on and I really, really don't want to skip it but my iron will was seriously worn down by the first three episodes of season two *sigh*

For those of you who know QaF already or don't care anything about my newest obsession please feel free to ignore this next part. Why, why dear god did I not get my ass in gear and go watch this sooner? I am appalled at myself. I'm really not thinking clearly right now so I really cant say much that would make sense. Emmett is positively adorable and I don't think anything he does will change that. Ted I enjoyed up until the past like two episodes and then I was kinda like what the fuck happened. Michael I spend half the time yelling at and the rest of the time hurting for. I relaly love all the characters in this series, really and truely which is totally weird for me. Seriously ask me to give you a run down of SGA characters I like and you'll get a handfull on a good day. But they aren't why I've been able to sit through and get seriosuly emotionally attached to this show. Brian is just, he's just. God Brian. He is one of the most complex characters I've ever seen. I'm sure some people are all no, not really, but see that's just it, you think you know exactly what he's going to do and then poof, he goes and does something you hadn't even thought was an option. He's one of those characters that has a permanent shrine in my heart. He always does and says exactly what I expect and yet not. I feel like watching this in so far as I have I am watching him come into something, maybe not himself or anything drastic like that but something extraordinary. It probably doesn't help that I'm pretty much in love with his loft. Dear god, where can I get one of those? And then there's Justin. I shocked myself at having words to describe Brian but for me there aren't words for Justin. I'm not sure why since his character so far is not such that he should be as hard for me to pick and choose what I like and don't like about him but it is. Everytime I find something to not like about him I turn around and love it in him two episodes later. *flails* Anyway the show thus far is a-ma-zing and wow so much love for it. I shall try and restrain too much gushing about it or whining about fucking slow torrents *growls* but hey no promises. Also be warned one of like three pet pevees of mine is spoilers. Hate them. Just so you know.

Oh and while I haven't written anything I need to (i.e. SGA) I have written a couple of short things at the various break times for my poor eyes, none of which are typed and thus why I'm not psting them yet. This whole house sitting thing was suppose to enable me to have free time to write, yeah that hasn't worked...So yes, no fic, just incoherent babbling and now I must go grieve and scream about the unbarable slowness of torrent downloading.

I have made a decision. The other day I was playing catch up, or trying to, when I came across a fic by an author who has rarely written anything I didn’t love. Being the good little fangirl I am I sat down and quickly read the fic, first to last. Immediately following the last word I had a huge mental but where were John and Rodney? I had clearly seen their names written and yet found little trace outside the occasional backhanded comment of the boys as I know them (and have seen the author write them). Not only was I confused but I found myself sighing in disappoint because this is not the first time I have seen this happen. What is the ‘this’ I speak of? ‘This’ is becoming a well-known or big name writer in a fandom and then suddenly it is as if the writer stops trying. It is as if they are operating under the assumption that anything they write will be read and all previously enforced regulations/expectations are null and void once they reach a certain peak. And that’s what it is as far as I am concerned for these writers--a peak because it seems that from then on everything that might have been worthwhile is suddenly subpar. I saw this is the HP fandom and I am beginning to see it here, well beginning as in this is the first one, and if I was a praying woman I’d pray to God this is just a mental fumble both on the part of fandom and on the part of the writer. A fumble on the fandom’s part because they praised the work in comments as much as ever and I was left feeling as if I had missed something. Have my characterizations of John and Rodney changed so far from the mainstream/current fad that I can no longer appreciate them? I would think not but I can find no other explanation for this open arm acceptance by writer and fandom of the what I consider massively flawed characterizations.

When I read a fic I often find myself judging more harshly those things which I find lacking in my own work. I know this. So perhaps that is why I am being so unflexible on the issue of characterization in this case. I like to think though that it is because I know the writer could have done the same amazing job on the story and made it ten times better with more recognizable characterizations. Perhaps this has to do with my own struggles with the AU I am writing and trying to maintain the characterizations, but I really don’t know. Not to say that when it comes to AUs I am a completely frigid bitch about characterization because I’m not. I accept much more in the way of different directions of development in an AU than I do in that of a canon based fic but there is a point where I just think this isn’t working. There’s a point where it becomes the writer’s own characters with the canon character names and I just can’t handle that.

Of course I hope that this is just a one time thing for this writer, or at worst a phase of some sort because I have previously thoroughly enjoyed the writer’s work, but if it is not then I bid a sad farewell to one of my favorite writers.

Um, ok, wow so this is not what I was actually wanting to say. What I wanted to say is that I have decided I never want to become a big name writer. Well, let me rephrase that. I don’t ever want to know where I am on the writer totem pole if you will. I am happier being blissfully ignorant of my “status”, being so completely thrilled with every response I receive that I still get excitement butterflies and consider every word, every phrase to an obscene amount before deciding if it’s as right as I can get it. So if by some utterly bizarre change in circumstances I one day become or someone sees me as a well-known writer, please don’t tell me. It is not that I think I would change my style, but I’d one: rather not take the risk, and two: am perfectly content with living in denial in that case. I am perfectly okay with the small group of people I know of who read my stuff and don't feel the need to further spread myself. Maybe I'm just weird like that but for me it goes back to the whole writing for yourself thing. Even when I do prompts for others the fics are still written for me at their most basic level and I hate to imagine what it would be like if they weren't.

Author: Astrid Maisiuil
Beta: (none)
Rating: G
Word Count: 185
Summary: drabble based on some thinking I pretended to do *shrug*
Warnings: (none)
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Stargate people. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

( The Ways )

Vacation's over. Well sorta. At any rate I am back in the house and no longer roaming the wilds of the U. S. Furthermore, I shamefully did not write even a word and though I've been back a couple days have stayed well away from LJ for the most part mostly due to the utter flood of stuff I don't even want to try and catch up on. Of course, I shall eventually but as of right now I am so utterly behind I fear I shall never be up to date enough to find the time to write.

Speaking as such, I am and have been fooling around with an idea. One that I am now stumbling with and I call upon any of you who are willing to offer assistance. It is, of course, SGA related. I really don't want to get into the plot here but anyone interested know it is an AU in that it stems from the beaten canon path. I suppose you could call it canon with a twist. Either send me an email or leave me a comment if you're interested in listening to me whine and I'll take the first couple offers. Thanks :)