All the RomCom of Qi Xi

Day 3 of NaBloPoMo. I found about 8billion thinkythought posts on an external harddrive and, thus, am now posting them to keep this baby going.

Exchange Sign-Ups – Fandom's version of Mongolian BBQ

I'll admit it, I'm one of the crazy-assed bitches that give WAY too much information in a sign-up for an exchange. I'll list out fifty kinks, twenty desired scenarios and about 50 squicks so I'm rather biased in my interpretation of how exchange sign-ups should work.

There's a reason for my level of detail. I don't trust anyone (see above crazy-assed bitch comment). I don't trust you, my assigned prompt fulfiller, to know that clones, baby oil and the phrase "dripping folds" are major squicks for me without me telling you. Why don't I trust you? Because I don't trust the mods to assign my BFFs to write for me and, thus, you're probably a stranger/acquaintance. Why don't I trust the mods? Because it's not their job to only assign my BFFs to write for me. Their job is to make matches based on about a billion things and hope that something inspires.

So I figure, from the get-go, that someone that I don't know is going to be writing/drawing for me. I assume, from the minute I start to sign-up for an exchange, that you know only what is on that sign-up, that you aren't going to do any further research, and I fill it out accordingly. I give loads of kinks, lots of scenarios that will make me happy and tons of things that send me running for the hills. That way, you'll know, going into it, what I like and don't like. I make certain that there are both art-friendly and fic-friendly kinks and scenarios because I love and adore receiving art.

(side note from the main point, if you say you don't mind receiving art, throw the artists a bone and give them something to work with, plzkthx. I can only imagine how hard it has to be to only see fic-related prompts/requests and tweak that to art.)

( moar thoughts on exchange sign-ups )

Reveals are up at a variety of fests. rs_games and hp_summersmut are the two I participated in.

My Summersmut story:

Title: Both. Equally.
Author/Artist: wook77
Recipient: attilatehbun
Pairing: Luna, Dean, Seamus
Rating: R
Word Count: ~2650
Warnings: Infidelity
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Dean loves them both. Equally.
Author's Notes: written for hp_summersmut for attilatehbun. Beta'd by elanorofcastile and anathema91. Abused Used request for non-linear narrative.

( Both. Equally. )

Title: Of Quidditch, Trains and Footie Matches
Author: wook77
Rating: Hard R
Pairing(s): Dean Thomas/Seamus Finnigan
Summary: What's the best way to cope with turning thirty and realising that your life isn't what you'd planned? Go on a road trip with your best mate. It's just too bad for Dean and Seamus when even that doesn't go according to plan.
Warnings: none
Word Count: ~11,800
Author's Notes: Originally written for goneoffthelump at hp_springsmut. She was very patient in waiting for the story as I worked through block after block after... ♥. For my betas (nefernat, best_of_five, maple_mahogany, miz_thang88, kaalee), so much love and thanks. The remaining mistakes are, obviously, my own. Finally – many thanks to midnitemaraud_r for her patience and handholding as I ironed this story out. Also - I think this one is a story that I've a bit of meta on because of the research and such. We'll see.

PART I

( Of Quidditch, Trains and Footie Matches Part II )

Title: Into the Mouth of Charybdis
Author: wook77
Recipient: loony4lupin
Rating: R
Warnings:
Wordcount: ~4150
Disclaimer: Not mine. Written for fun not profit. All recognisable aspects belong to JKR and related entities.
Summary: Seamus feels like he's trapped between Scylla and Charybdis, between the devil and the deep blue sea. It's all Dean's fault and Seamus has just the list to prove it. (Dean/Seamus)
Author's Notes: Originally written for loony4lupin at hpvalensmut. Many thanks to my betas, yodels and janicechess. All remaining mistakes are my own. Tea-leaf reading information from this website.


( Into the Mouth of Charybdis )

Before I head in to work (sans shower due to this fic), you all simply must go read the story I received at smutty_claus on journalfen. War Wounds which is Neville/Lavender. OMG, I'm aflail. I requested the pairing on a lark. To be honest, I needed a third pairing in my request and, after scrambling, I thought, huh, well, Neville/Lavender then. This story is post-DH and is simply made of win. The way that the mystery author has characterised Neville and Lavender, the way they deal with their insecurities and the scars (SCAR LICKING, did I mention it had scar licking?) and Neville's sudden-ish popularity, everything about this story is made of win.

They're not perfect in the story, they're real. Neville isn't hung like a horse and Lavender isn't so amazing that she might as well be a Veela. The sex is fumbly first time and it's brilliant, absolutely brilliant because it's hot just the way it is.

There was even a quick cameo mention of Seamus!

This author totally hit all of my favorite kinks (and, dude, I was only expecting like one of them let alone almost all of them). Heck, she/he even hit my secret kink of handholding! This is just absolutely brilliant beyond words and takes me straight into flail mode.

Please go read and tell the mystery author how much you love it!

Dude, I've been getting so lucky on festfics! I'm not sure what I did to deserve all the shiny but whatever it is, I really want to know so I can keep it up. This is, at least, two in a row! Last time was Observances by acromantular and now this one! I cannot wait to find out who this is so I can shamelessly fangirl them.

Title: Life through Inkstains
Author/Artist: wook77
Rating: Hard R
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Summary: Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.
Warnings (if any): bit of angst, tattoos
Wordcount: ~4400
Author's Notes: So many thanks to my betas, without whom, I would still be lost. So, to yodels, janicechess, why_me_why_not and thescarletwoman, all my love. Any remaining mistakes are my own. Originally written for tenderly_fierce at hp_summersmut as a pinch hit. The quick sketches are done by myself and inspired by photos of Gary Oldman as Sirius Black in OotP.

( Sirius is sixteen the first time he gets a tattoo... )

Random ramblings as I'm bored at work and I need to remind myself that today will eventually end and that I have plenty to be doing that's not even work related -

( cut for the uninterested )
Speaking of a photoshop sort of thing, I've been playing with it and I made a few things. To the graphics people on my flist especially but really everyone - wanna give me some concrit? I know there are things off but I'd love to hear your opinions on them.

( they're under here )
Do you all have favourite tutorials you could link me to? Some hints/tips you've discovered on your own? I know some of you make brilliant things (I'm looking at you, elethoniel, irrevokable and mortenvida especially) so I really respect your opinions.

Finally - as that barely alleviated the boredom - do you all have a favourite story of yours that you'd like to pimp? A fantabulous piece of artwork you've done? There are so many new people on my flist and I'd love to see what you think represents you in your opinion. A favourite song? A favourite graphic? A favourite photo? A favourite book? A favourite movie?

Pimp it all to me please.

I, like everyone else on my flist basically, signed up for merry_smutmas but considering that I'm the 95th person to sign up and that there are probably going to be another gadzillion people signing up, I highly doubt I'm going to get picked to participate.

That's ok though cause the next thing I'm signing up for is hp_springsmut and one of the valentine's exchanges (probably corvidae9's hpvalensmut.

I want to write for me for now. Haven't done that since February, really.

I'm writing Monaboyd instead of X-men slash for the Friday Fuckfest or whatever it is that anael and her evil enabling cohorts of doom have decided it was but it will probably be posted on Saturday or Sunday. *woe* and fails at deadlines.

Am going to a Ringers event tomorrow. Meeting people for breakfast and then watching all three movies back to back. Found one girl who reads/writes Monaboyd but not on lj (that's changing under my influence) and we shall perv together.

Ok - a real update on my life - I've been going to the gym really steadily for two weeks, watching what I eat, not really cheating or anything (ok, so I had some french fries and a vanilla frosty :P) and how much weight have I lost? NONE! I've GAINED a sodding pound. This is complete bullshit.

This post was generally pointless, wasn't it?

First - please to be excusing typos (and rambling) here. I've just taken my night-time painkillers and my brain is mush but I have to get this out...

A while back, back when I was basically a n00b to fandom, I signed up for slashfest and claimed something by furiosity. The story that came out of it is Hands that I was and still am fairly proud of. It was one of the first things I ever had rec'd in a newsletter and I still have the issue bookmarked (yes, ok, I'm a dork).

Fast forward to hd_remix where I didn't list any safe stories. I put my faith in the other writers and decided to let them have free reign/rein/rain (sod it if I can remember which one I mean right now). If I had picked safe stories, there were two that I would have chosen - Hands and Moments.

The Months of Poker in Manchester takes Hands and improves it so very much that I really can't claim the original because the remix is so much more than anything I could possibly have ever written. I'm so very glad I didn't pick any safe stories. I would have hated to miss out on this.

The story is sharp, witty, and amazing. I pinged quite a few people on my flist begging for help in what to say because, honestly, all I could think was "fucking brilliant". This truly is fucking brilliant and you seriously will not be disappointed in it.

There are so many little details that the anonymous author has incorporated in here to make this hers (his) that she (he) has overwhelmed me. She (He) makes my dialogue seem witty and painful but true, so very very true to how I see Harry and Draco. They're dysfunctional and symbiotic and breathtaking. I must have stared at the screen for a good long while just absorbing the entirety of this.

I hope every single person that participates in hd_remix gets something equally as amazing as what I received.

Also - have a song. It's from The Constant Gardener and is Justin's Lament. I've had this on repeat all day as I've been writing. Painful and beautiful.

Picspam is tomorrow as I didn't get near what I wanted to accomplish done. Sorry.