The Road to Hell

quickly...

2009-12-17T03:21:21Z

I need to be going to sleep, but I just wanted to apologize for falling behind on commenting on my f-list. Work is hectic and crazed and this is why having a full-time job makes me crazy (except I kind of love it - I'm a stress-junkie).

Today, Healthy!Coworker offered to share with me a smoothie he made. He brought it to me in a clear glass and it looked like a slightly thick pea soup. What was in this delicious smoothie? Spinich, pineapple, flaxseed and algae. Yes, algae, like the stuff that comes from the sea.

Surprisingly, it wasn't too terrible. And it did keep my stomach from growling all morning (my lunch break isn't until 1pm).

HEY THERE!

2009-12-15T01:06:17Z

Guess who is officially done with all assignments, papers, physics problems, quizzes, labs, readings and exams? Oh, yeah, that would be ME. Aand, because I'm a crazy workaholic, I'll be starting my job bright and early tomorrow morning. But tonight it's just good to have yummy food and Christmas decorations.

ONE LAST REMINDER: If anyone would like some fic written for them for Christmas/Hanukkah/OtherHoliday/Winter, check out my post here. Just leave me a quick prompt and I'll write you something by the end of the month. Don't feel awkward if we haven't been friends for very long! I'm trying to widen my writing range so I'd really love the practice.

And now I'm going to watch start second season of Chuck!

GIF PARTY

2009-12-14T04:07:32Z

MULTI-FANDOM GIF PARTY!

Bring all of your funny, strange, cute gifs over here and check out the ones others have posted. Because procrastination is what makes the world go round. Hosted by the fabulous miss_emily08, a rather proactive procrastinator.

Sunday Recc Post (#7)

2009-12-13T15:15:28Z

Title: Dictionary Definitions: Five Kisses
Author: them0rgue
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Characters: Ensemble - Gen (maybe some Lily/Logan)
Rating: PG-13 (swearing)
Word Count: 10,257
Spoilers: Through Second Season

It's a little hard to find VM gen fic. This is mostly because the show is oh-so-shippable and the main canon pairing (Logan/Veronica) is something that almost all of the fandom is on board with. This story stands out as a tiny gem of general character studies. While I'm a big fan of assuming that all the characters are sleeping together, it's really nice to find a story which focuses on relationships in a way that is so simple and real. I have no trouble believing that these are missing scenes from the show because they are so perfectly in character. It's not often you have someone who writes a story about the relationship between two brothers or who really focuses on Wallace-Veronica's dynamic.

An Excerpt:
There. In a mix of leather, gray, and black, there was Lily, leaning casually, talking to some wetback PHCer. She was balanced on one foot like a flamingo, the other shoe propped up on the row of lockers behind her. Her books were drawn up to stomach, and she her head was tilted to one side, all that long hair cascading in one unbroken wave over her shoulder. She was smiling, looking perfectly comfortable. Logan recognized that look.

It usually meant she’d just won something.

Without further ado, the story is here.

Be sure to let me (and the author) know if you like the story.

Only One More Exam

2009-12-12T14:57:45Z

This week on fannish5: "Five canon moments that turned a casual fandom into a hardcore fandom for you." (We'll edit this slightly and I'll give five moments that turned shows I watch into fandoms for me.)

1. "There are three flowers in a vase. One of these flowers is green." This episode and most specifically this moment transformed Dollhouse for me. It changed it from a show I watch because Joss Whedon made it into a Joss Whedon show. There is a distinction.

2. I want to say all of third season Supernatural because that was when I fell in love with the show. I'm not sure about a specific canon moment. I loved the introduction of both Bela and Ruby because they were both beyond fabulous. But I think the moments that sold me on the show were either the Christmas episode or the moment in the finale where Dean and Sam are singing in the car. Such perfect expressions of brotherly love, which I had not been sold on until that season.

3. There are a lot of things you can with a stopwatch. And that one little sentence got my attention and made me fall hard for Torchwood. Up until then, the story had just been aliens on crack, but that scene gave way to all the hidden stories about the characters, the things you don't see on screen. And, most importantly, it got me wondering about what exactly Ianto Jones could do with that stop watch.

4. The first season finale of LOST, more specifically when the Others took Walt off the raft. That moment of cold realization was creepy and mysterious and had me speculating just who these 'Others' were. Up until then, the story of the survivors on the strange island was just something I watched to pass the time. The end of the first season really pulled it together - with Boon's death and Hurley finding the numbers on the hatch and the raft scene.

5. My favorite Being Human moment (having trouble finding the quote online so the wording might be a little off):
GEORGE: We're not fit to live among decent people.
MITCHELL: It's a good thing we don't.
Because it perfectly summarized all of Michell's bitterness and lose of faith in human beings. My love for Annie was immediate and my affection for George grew over time, but Mitchell earned my love in this moment and that was when it became a fandom. Speaking of, I have heard that a season two release date has been announced *excited*

Not much going on in my real life these days. I've got one more final and then I start work on Tuesday.

This Week on "Too Much Awesome..."

2009-12-10T17:58:13Z

I realized I hadn't gotten around to this yet. Finals do so interfere with television reviewing.

1. Oh, Joss Whedon, I should have known that having Cindy be a doll was too easy. I still don't think I would have called Perrin being a doll. That was a perfect twist.

2. Okay, I'm going to say it - I like Echo. Not quite as much as Sierra and definitely not as much as Victor (who I adore above all else), but Echo has her moments. Moments of awesome hilarity include when she makes sex tapes with the Senator (Alexis + Eliza = me being happy) and charging extra for threesomes. And I loved her when she's beating up Cindy. 'My bad guys are better than your bad guys' was a great line.

3. And I think I would like Paul much better if he beat up two guys while handcuffed in every episode. His scene with Madeline was sweet and touching. I love her firmness in 'I'm not Mellie', because she's not and I think Paul forgets that sometimes.

4. The idea of slightly tweaking the personality of people concerns me more than the Dollhouse itself. Can't you just imagine Perrin's parents, fully disappointed with their party-boy son, taking him to the Dollhouse and asking them to make him better? Creepy.

And, two episodes in one night, how delightful.

1. I waited the entire last episode for Summer Glau to appear and I was not disappointed. Joss really can pick his actors and Summer may be one of the best. I loved her character and was both amused and frightened. Oh and I ship her with Topher, even if she was just pretending to be all sweet and bubbly to put him off his guard. They're still perfect for each other.

2. Enver Gjokaj is a level of awesome that I often have trouble comprehending. As soon as I think I know how awesome he is, he goes and ups the stakes. He was Topher. I fully believed every second of it.

3. It was pretty haunting to watch Topher come up with all the technology that's going to destroy the world in Epitah One. He and Bennet developing the way to imprint a doll from a distance was eerily familiar. And, as much as I loved Topher!Victor, I couldn't help but be reminded of the scene where the boss man is downloaded into Victor and informs Adelle and Topher that the Dollhouse is now offering 'upgrades'.

4. Oh, Adelle, I love you more than all the others (but I would appreciate some Sierra this friday, alright?)

Now, back to physics.

A List

2009-12-10T03:52:00Z

Things That Are Not Conducive to Studying
1. Uploading several pretty Christmas icons.
2. Stressing about getting all my paperwork together for my security-level at work.
3. Going home this evening to pick up my social security card so that I can get my badge for my job.
4. Watching episodes from S3 of Angel (Cordelia is still horrible OOC, but Gunn/Fred is love.)
5. Taking a half an hour to go through today's fandom secrets.
6. Scouring the internet for tonight's episode of Glee... download, anyone?
7. Calculating and recalculating my GPA to determine what grade I need to get on my upcoming final (instead of just studying for said final, I'm so ridiculous).

And, just to remind everyone, go here if you want me to write you a short fic for the holiday season. Even if we haven't been friends for very long, I'd love to write you something. Just pop in and tell me what character/pairing/situation you would like =D

Three Things

2009-12-08T03:40:27Z

1. I got a writing journal. It seemed like a prudent idea because me writing bug seems to be going no where. (Let's hope I didn't just jinx it.) The journal is law_like_love. The name comes from the title of my favorite poem ever by WH Auden.

2. Thanks and hugs to gretchystretchy, mfirefly90, callingpiper, starcrossed and sourpony for my lovely snowflakes. My profile now has a wintery glow =D

3. I think my professors may be trying to kill me.

SQUEEE fest

2009-12-07T21:56:25Z

So, this afternoon while I was cramming in the last hour before my econ exam, my roommate and I had a very important realization.

If everything goes as planned (*fingers crossed*), she and I will both be studying in London next fall.

Which means...

...

...

WE'LL BE THERE FOR THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PREMIERE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday Recc Post (#6)

2009-12-06T18:10:39Z

Title: Five Times Shannon Rutherford Fired a Gun (Except, Okay, Kind of Not Really, Whatever, But She Thought About It, so Shut Up, Okay? Whatever.)
Author: anitchika
Fandom: LOST
Characters: Shannon
Rating: 18+
Wordcount: 887

This week in the midst of not doing our homework, fragmentedsky and I made a wonderful discovery - this author has the best Shanon fics ever. There's a whole series of delightful one-shot character pieces about this often overlooked character.

One of LOST's shortfalls, in my opinion, is a lack of interesting female characters that stay alive. Of course, there are a good deal of Juliet fans and Sun is occasionally badass. I like Kate a lot, though I may be the only one. Still, that isn't much considering all the awesome men walking around the island. Shannon was one of my favorite characters in the beginning and she had incredible potential to be absolutely fascinating. This story takes that potential and runs with it.

The voice sounds like Shannon. This is exactly the way I imagine she thinks. The story doesn't pull any punches either. It doesn't pretend that Shannon has a long history of childhood trauma to make up for her bitchy attitude. She's just a girl stuck on an island.

An excerpt:
He asked her what she was doing, and she doesn't remember what she said. She's fairly certain she didn't admit that she was looking for her father's (mother's?) gun to go shoot (threaten) some guy for some stupid reason she doesn't even remember now.

It was a dumb idea, and she wasn't even going to do it, really, but it would have been nice just to wave it in his face and -

- he cheated on her with Angie Carver, of course. Fucking asshole.

Without further ado, the story is here.

Be sure to let me (and the author) know if you like the story.

Icons... weird

2009-12-05T17:38:39Z

The other day, I found myself wanted a Buffy/Xander icon from a specific scene in the comics. I couldn't find anyone who had made some, so I thought I'd give it a go myself. I have all the comics downloaded on my computer, so I didn't think it would be too difficult.

I may have gotten a bit carried away because the results is 90 icons below. This is really strange because I've never made icons before in my life. I really don't know what got into me.

Surprisingly, Only One Joss Character

2009-12-04T18:51:32Z

This week on fannish5: If you could resurrect/bring back five characters, who would they be?

This question was obviously hard to answer (my original list had about twenty names on it) and just painful to do because I have repressed all these memories. Because of the nature of this question, massive spoilers are under the cut. Click at your own risk.

1. Donna Noble: I don't think I'm quite as upset about this as most of the fandom. A lot of people have taken their anger over what happened to Donna and turned it into misplaced animosity toward Rose, which is irritating because it makes me spend more time defending Rose than grieving for Donna. Her ending was awful and tragic. I'm not throwing a fit and demanding that RTD bring her back. I don't think DW is obligated to give every companion a happy ending. But Donna's ending did break my heart and made me cry. She's the first character in all of television I would bring back if I could. Especially now because the doctor really needs some slapping and some hugs. She could provide both.

2. Ianto Jones: Oh, my Ianto Jones, I miss him so much. His death was bad enough, but that fact that it came after losing Tosh and Owen just made it worse. Yes, part of my pain was because Jack/Ianto was one of my favorite pairings, but it's so much more than that. Ianto was my favorite TW character, hands down. He was the one I admired the most. He wasn't always the best, but he always tried to do anything he could. He was composed and private and didn't like to over-share. I really wanted to enjoy more episodes with him.

4. Sam Anders: I just... don't really know what to say for this one. I loved Sam to pieces and his death is one of the most painful television events I have experienced. It wasn't just that they killed him, it was how it happened. They stretched it out for weeks. Every episode I had a little hope that he would come to and be Sam again and each week I was disappointed. Everyone else got their happy ending on the pretty new earth and Sam had to die while hooked up to that machine? It's just so completely unfair.

3. WASH! I don't think this one really needs explaining. I love him. I love Zoe. I love him and Zoe being together and it really does hurt to think that they aren't.

5. Bela Talbot: She was nine kinds of awesome (I literally counted) and she didn't get nearly enough time express that awesome. Arguably, there were some issues with her episodes and the writers could have handled her better, but the SPN writers don't do many things well. She was interesting and badass and stood apart from the Winchester's code of honor. She had a great death, but I am so ready for her to come back as a demon.

(Please Note: As a rule, I do not accept anything that happened in third season Veronica Mars. Sheriff Lamb is alive and well.)

Now, I'm depressed all over again.

This Week on "Can We All Just Acknowledge that House and Wilson are in Love?"

2009-12-02T18:07:55Z

I really, really, really liked House on Monday. (A quick glance at my icon should tell you why.) It's been a long time since I liked an episode that much.

First of all, I think an episode like this is long overdue. I'm of the firm belief that Wilson is the most interesting character (with the obvious exception of House) and we hardly ever get to see that explored.

The "I'm me and you're you" may have been one of my favorite parts. House truly understands that, while he can do reckless things and deal with the consequences, Wilson really can't. He needs to help people, to fix them. The sicker and more broken they are the better. That's why he puts up with all of House's antics. He can't walk away from him because he thinks he can make him better.

House and Wilson really are perfect opposites. The contrast between them is often a focus of the show. House's problem is that he really can't love people. He even has a lot of trouble liking them. He puts together a team of people, based largely on who he can respect. If they have good ideas and can stand up to him, he can respect them, but I honestly don't think he likes them (or Cuddy for that matter). Wilson, on the other hand, is flawed because he loves everyone. He loves every one of his patients and coworkers. He's been married three times and two of those marriages ended because he cheated. Not to excuse adultery, but I don't think Wilson did it because he was looking for hot sex. I think he just loves many people and failed to stop himself from expressing his love for other women. (God, that sounds like an awful excuse, but I do think it's true.) He can't let go of House either because he can't stop loving him.

And the shipper in my is very pleased. I feel like we just had a season's worth of House/Wilson moments in one episode. In many ways, I think that Wilson is the only person in the world that House truly cares for. He may be attracted to Cuddy and he may obsess over ways to win her over, but it always just seems like much more of a challenge to him than actual affection. In the convention episode, we saw House do something that was (almost completely) selfless by making the speech for Wilson, to protect his friend/lover's career.

Things that Should Happen More Often on House:

I think I actually squeed when House really came to watch Wilson during the surgery and was sitting with him as he recovered. I especially loved House pushing Wilson to stand up for himself. They both just make each other better and it's perfect in every way. *shipper sigh*

Sorry about the rant. This is my OTP to beat all OTPs.

brb

2009-12-01T02:06:00Z

Just popping into let you all know that I'm going to by missing in action for the next few days. I'll be making every effort to stay off livejournal until Wednesday. Talk to you all then!

(And don't forget to give my your request for your holiday present over here.)

Sunday Recc Post (#5)

2009-11-29T15:16:22Z

Title: 32 Short Fics About Xander
Author: nwhepcat
Fandom: BtVS
Characters: Xander, others
Rating: R
Length: 3200

Essentially, this story is 32 drabble about Xander. It's a great insight into the character, ranging from first season to post-series. (It's AU after the S7, so no comic-canon.) I always think of Xander as one of the more overlooked BtVS characters. A lot of people seem to stress his role as the comic relief and ignore his more serious side. This story really examines everything that happened to him throughout the series and considers how it affected him.

An excerpt:
Xander rolls a pencil along the top of the desk as Ms. Bossman calls attendance. It's the six-sided kind, not the round, so it makes a soft clicking noise. Schoolbus yellow -- is that on purpose, he wonders, or just coincidence -- except where the paint is flaking around the teeth marks. He's a biter.

"Jesse?"

It's the second time she's called his name.

"He's not coming back," Xander says. He stares at his hand, the pencil bumping along underneath.

"Oh," she says softly. "Thank you, Xander." She asks no questions.

They never do.

He can't believe he's never noticed that before.

Without further ado, the story is here.

Let me (and the author) know if you like the story!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

2009-11-26T18:50:54Z

I hope everyone is having an excellent day filled with turkey and pie and family. (And I hope all of the nonamericans have a lovely day as well, even if there is no turkey or pie.)

I've got a short Thanksgiving-themed fic. Written for whedonland.

Title: Thanksgiving
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Length: 600 words
Setting: Post-Series / Comic Eighth Season
Characters: Buffy, Xander (friendship unless you're reading between the lines)
Summary: It doesn't really feel like Thanksgiving when you're in Scotland.

~~~~~

Buffy climbed the spiral stairs wearily, her limbs aching after training with the girls all night. She pushed open the door to the outside balcony and was surprised to see that someone was already in her chosen alone-time place. “Didn’t expect to find you out here,” she said as she walked toward him.

Xander turned at the sound of her voice and smiled. “Yeah, you know, I thought I’d try being unpredictable for a change. No more video games for me. Now I’m all about pensive reflection.”

Buffy walked forward to stand next to him, leaning against the railing. The sun was just starting to rise above the hills and the field and forest were covered in morning frost. It really was quite a view. She never thought she’d end up in a place like this. Buffy Summers, cheerleader from Los Angeles, living in a castle in middle-of-nowhere, Scotland.

“I meant, so early,” Buffy commented with a yawn. “Aren’t you usually in bed until noon?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” he admitted quietly. “You know it’s Thanksgiving?”

“Is it?” she asked with a slight frown as she realized he was right.

“Willow called,” Xander said with only a little hesitation, “while you were out.” Bringing up Willow was not something either of them did often. There was a soft, unspoken agreement that they both missed her too much for her to be a regular topic of conversation. “She went to see her parents for the holiday.”

Buffy nodded. “Parents,” she commented simply because that summed everything up for Xander and her.

“Must be nice to have those,” he said and she could almost taste his bitterness. He never talked about his parents much and she had learned not to ask. His occasional comments were enough to draw a blurry picture of what his home life was like. The few times she’d pried Willow for some details, Willow had just shaken her head and said it was best to leave those things buried.

Buffy waited quietly to see if he was going to say something else. They were quiet for a long time as the sunlight grew brighter. “You think I should cook a big dinner for the girls?” Buffy asked finally, deciding that he wasn’t going to say anything else.

Xander chuckled a little. “Knowing our luck, we’ll be ambushed by shape-shifting Indians right when the turkey’s done”

Buffy smiled. “The food was a little cold – but delicious!” she insisted as she remembered the meal. Giles trying to convince her that he loved the mushy peas and Spike moaning that his hands were tied too tightly and Willow shooting death glares every time Anya said the turkey was too dry. God, things were easier back then. She had so many people.

Buffy leaned against Xander, resting her head on his shoulder. The sunlight was getting so bright she had to squint, but at least it was warm. She was suddenly, inexplicably grateful that Xander was still with her. She couldn’t think of anything she’d done to deserve it. “Thanks,” she murmured quietly.

“For what?” he asked as he draped his arm over her shoulders.

“You know,” she answered, “for being Xander.”

“No problem,” he answered, sounding like he was torn between being serious and making a joke. “Thanks for saving my life all those times and being awesome in general.”

Buffy laughed as she pulled away from him. “What do you say we get a few hours of sleep and then order a pizza?”

Xander nodded as he walked with her back toward the door. “Pizza on Thanksgiving – feels just like home.”

~~~~~

Feedback always appreciated.

This Week on "NO GIRLS ALLOWED"

2009-11-23T19:23:24Z

And, since I have a major paper due tomorrow that isn't written, it seemed like a good time to write up the thoughts. The first time I've recapped a SPN episode since being caught up, so it's a big moment.

1. Oh, Mark Sheppard, I do love you. How does he always get the very best guest roles? I mean, Badger and Lampkin and now Crowley. I hope we see more of him on SPN because, you know, someone has to show our beloved Winchester boys just how ridiculous they are.

2. Hahaha, I like the NuMeg. And as the only remaining female character (until the possible Anna return), I will have to transfer all of my needs for a sarcastic, badass woman onto her *wants more Meg*

3. Castiel's plot in this one was painful and rather unnecessary. I may be biased because I do not worship at the alter of all that is Misha, but I really think the show should use him more sparingly. He's such a fan-favorite that it would be better to save him for really important roles, not just to ride into town with the Winchesters, get caught in a ring of fire and escape. I suppose, his interaction with Lucifer may be an important step in his spiritual journey, but it just felt rather pointless in the arch of the episode.

4. And, finally, of course, Jo and Ellen. I'm glad we got to see them again this season and I'm beyond glad that they got an epic, badass ending. But (and I'm trying not to sound like a eight-year-old here), it's not fair. If we were to name recurring characters who have been killed on SPN, we have John, Bela, Ruby, Yellow-Eyes, Jo and Ellen (I may have forgotten someone). So, two-third have been women? On a show with painfully few women as it is. I suppose I should be grateful that Bela, Ruby, Jo and Ellen all got really good endings, but I was sad to see all of them go. Ellen has long been one of my favorites and, while I have had some concerns about Jo's characterization, they turned her around beautifully this season. Her ending with Dean was touching, poignant and not overly romantic (which is good because I still think they are brother and sister). Ellen and Jo in the end brought me to tears, especially during Jo's speech and when Jo died and Ellen was crying. I'm about to tear up again, so I'm going to stop. To sum up, mixed feelings on the Ellen-Jo death. It was beautiful and badass, but I need more wimminz.

And, I'm in class now, so let me go back to paying attention.

Sunday Recc Post (#4)

2009-11-22T17:28:03Z

Title: I Nothing But To Please His Fantasy
Author: paperclipbitch
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, John
Rating: NC17
Length: 8,609 words

The story is by one of the more prolific author's in TW fandom (and in Doctor Who, House and LOST). She has several of the most convincing Owen/Ianto stories I've ever read, but this is my favorite of all of her pieces. Upon finishing it, I immediately read it again, watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and then read it a third time.

A lot has been written about the five years that Jack and John spent in the time loop. This story paints a picture that is much darker than any other take I've read. It features a Jack that we aren't accustomed to, a man from before he went by the name Jack Harkness and before he met the doctor. He's cruel and careless and still very Jack. And we see John with a sense of innocence and care that would be out of character if it wasn't all shot to hell by the end of the story. Five years trapped inside the same two weeks would drive anyone mad and this fic allows you to witness their decent into insanity.

I scanned reviews and the adjectives that were used often to describe the fic were powerful, horrific, vivid, brutal, vicious, beautiful, lyrical, twisted, sharp, haunting, raw and terrifying. One review stated that it had been "a long time since I was this disturbed by a fic." She then went on to rant and rave about it's brilliance.

Do take heed that this is not a comfortable read and not for the easily squicked. Read the warnings given at the fic. Most of the painful bits were vague enough that I could skim over them. They aren't too graphic and are not the central point of the story.

An Excerpt:

One loop, early on, the two of you thought you’d try an experiment. A bad idea all round, really, slaughtering the entire town and burning the buildings to the ground. Of course, it all came back to normal worryingly fast, time ticking back and everyone laughing and breathing again.

Still, once, there was a pile of shattered bodies and charcoal smuts on your face, as you tried to catch smoke in your open hands.

You’ve never been quite the same since then.

Without further ado, the story is here.

Let me (and the author) know if you read/enjoy the story.

New Fic

2009-11-22T04:35:38Z

I wrote a quick story for a Crossover competition over on whedonland. Of course, because I am still newly getting into writing, I would love any feedback you can offer. It's a Doctor Who / Buffy crossover (emphasis on the Doctor Who).

Title: White Christmas
Fandom: Doctor Who (and BtVS)
Length: 2713 words
Characters: Martha and the Doctor, a little bit of Oz
Setting: During "Amends" on BtVS and in between "Deadlocked" and "Daleks in Manhattan" on DW.
Summary: The doctor and Martha arrive in Sunnydale on Christmas Eve, 1998.

~~~~~

“Doctor, I thought you said it would be Christmas?” Martha asked as she opened the door to the TARDIS, expecting to feel a breeze of icy cold air and getting heavy heat waves instead.

“Mmhmm,” the doctor responded as he came to stand next to her, looking out at the quiet, unremarkable street before them, “Christmas Eve, 1998 – good year. Don’t know where we are though.” A brief puzzled look passed over his features before he turned and went back to the console to check.

Martha followed him back to inside. “When I said I wanted Christmas, I meant I wanted snowy sidewalks and carolers and warm eggnog,” she finished as she came to stand next to him.

The doctor did not appear to be listening to her. “You see, because you said you didn’t care where we went, I set the TARDIS to randomly select a location on earth.”

“It can do that?” Martha asked, wondering why she bothered. She was new at this, but it seemed like the TARDIS could do anything.

The doctor nodded. “Well, I’ve got to put in some parameters – otherwise we may end up several miles underground or in the middle of the ocean or-“

“Or somewhere where they experience heat waves on Christmas eve,” she interrupted with a small smile.

“Otherwise known as southern California,” he finished with a look of glee as he pointed to something on the screen. “Brilliant! We can go to the beach.”

Martha rose an eyebrow. “You don’t strike me as the beach type,” she commented skeptically.

The doctor looked mildly offended. “Could be,” he protested quietly before suddenly changing his entire demeanor – he did that a lot. “Well, best get out there. It’s not Christmas in here.”

She followed him as he made his way to the door, unzipping her coat and hanging it on the railing as she went. When they stepped out into the humid night air, they came face to face with a short young guy with spiked orange hair. He was staring at the TARDIS and them curiously.

“Huh,” the man said as the doctor closed the door firmly behind them.

Martha, unsure what was supposed to be said in these situations, looked at the doctor questioningly. This couldn’t be the first time someone had noticed the blue box materialize.

“Hello!” the doctor greeted in the enthusiastic tone she was starting to get used to. Martha took his lead and smiled at the man who was still looking at them curiously.

“Hi,” he responded shortly. “Did that blue box just appear out of thin air?” His tone was calm and even and not at all how she would sound if she had just seen what he had.

The doctor feigned confusion. “Did it?” he asked as he turned back to the look at his TARDIS. “I didn’t notice anything odd. Did you, Martha?”

“Oh, no, nothing strange at all,” she answered immediately, unable to keep the smile from her lips.

The young man didn’t seem to quite be listening. “I’m pretty sure it did,” he continued as he took a few steps forward and ran his hand over the door.

“Alright, you got us,” the doctor conceded easily. “I’m the doctor and this is Martha Jones. We travel in this telephone box.”

The young man nodded slightly. “Okay.” He was silent for a moment as he stepped back from the TARDIS and looked at them. “I’m Oz,” he finished as though this was a perfectly normal conversation and Martha grinned.

The doctor immediately grasped his hand and shook it enthusiastically. “Nice to meet you, Oz,” he said with a wide smile that Oz didn’t match. “And where are you off to on this lovely night?”

Oz held up the plastic bag in his hand that seemed to come from a convenient store. “I’m on a very important popcorn mission,” he said with a straight voice before his face became puzzled again. “If you’re travelling, why come to Sunnydale?” His question was more curious than suspicious.

Martha grinned. “Because it’s Christmas,” she answered, despite the obvious point that it is Christmas everywhere.

“Fair enough,” he replied simply. “Well, enjoy your stay.”

“Right!” the doctor answered, seeming pleased with the stoic attitude of the young man. “Happy Christmas!”

“You too,” he answered as he started to back away and disappeared into the crowd.

Martha turned to the doctor with a disbelieving smile. “Does that happen often?” she asked as she pointed in the direction the young man had walked.

The doctor shook his head. “On occasion,” he answered with a slight frown. “They usually get a bit more excited about it,” he said, sounding disappointed. “I suppose I shouldn’t feel insulted – we are in Sunnydale.”

Martha couldn’t see how this seemingly average suburban town could be relevant. “Why’s Sunnydale special?” she asked curiously as they started to walk down the street.

The doctor was looking around curiously as though expecting to see something other than the people rushing to finish last-minute shopping. It must be pretty late because the dark street only had a few stragglers left. “Sunnydale was built on a dimensional weak spot.”

“And that means… what exactly?” Martha asked as she glanced around too, not sure what she was looking for.

The doctor seemed to enjoy explaining himself. “There are infinite other dimensions in the world. Most of them are completely separated from ours, but some are so violent, so full of glinkaric energy, that its walls weaken and things can spill out.” Martha supposed that she must have looked deeply worried at the idea because the doctor quickly added, “Only in certain places.”

Martha shook her head. “So the only parallel worlds we have access to are the bad ones?” She knew they were treading on dangerous territory, getting very close to discussing Rose.

He nodded in reply. “I think you’ll find that residents of Sunnydale are quite used to seeing very strange things and pretending like it’s nothing,” the doctor said as they walked on. “Humans do that a lot. You have an incredible ability to not see what’s right in front of you.”

He’s one to talk, Martha thought idly as she looked up at him. She’d been travelling with him for nine days and he still didn’t seem to notice her. “What kind of strange things?” she asked to keep her mind off of it.

“Well, I suppose you would call them monsters, but they’re just creatures that could have existed here,” he explained. “A few random genetic switches and a lot of things could have been different about the human race, right?”

Martha smiled because he was talking about genetics and biology now and that was something she knew about. She had always liked science and math and finding out how things worked. She’d been the top of her class at school, but just look at her now. Most of the time she spent with the doctor she felt slow and stupid, incomparable to his rather irritating brilliance. Everything he said was so fantastic, so impossible that it seemed more like magic than science.

The streets soon grew silent in that complete way that only seems to happen on Christmas Eve, like the world is waiting for something. Martha and the doctor walked for a long time, down main street and through a dark alley or two. They meandered down several neighborhood streets lined with nice houses and big yards. Conversation was steady and comfortable. They talked about little, inconsequential things. Martha told him about her favorite presents that she received as a child and the doctor told a few stories of his gallant world-saving on previous Christmases.

It was very warm, but Martha noticed that the doctor didn’t take of his jacket. She wondered if he got hot and cold the same way that humans did and filed that question away for later. When they reached a small playground, Martha realized that her legs were growing tired and her throat was aching from talking for too long. The doctor seemed to understand and they fell quiet as they made their way back toward the main town.

They had just reached the shop-lined street when the doctor broke the silence. “Why Christmas?” he asked suddenly.

“Hmmm?” she responded simply because she was growing used to the nice silent moment. Having a family like hers, she had grown very fond of comfortable silences.

“I said I’d take you anywhere, all of time and space, and you picked Christmas?” the doctor explained his question as he looked down at her.

“Well, I assumed that this wasn’t going to be my last trip?” she asked as she looked over at him, waiting for an answer.

He nodded immediately, which was nice because she’d hate for that to be a hard question. “Yeah, I think we’ve got a few more stops before we’ve got to get you back to your life.”

It was an interesting use of pronouns and she was sort of grateful that he made it sound like they were both making the decision. The longer she stayed with him, the less important her real life seemed.

“I like Christmas,” she answered simply as she looked at the red ribbons and green garlands hung from the stores on main street. “And my family is particularly crazy these days. My parents are barely speaking to each other and I know there’s going to be a big battle over who to spend the holiday with and there’s going to be fighting and screaming and mum will throw things and Leo will be inconsiderate and Tish will cry because no one’s getting along.” She stopped abruptly because she realized she was rambling and took a deep breath.

The doctor took her pause as a chance to comment. “That’s what families do, right? Fighting is what shows that you love each other.”

Martha looked at him curiously. She wished she could ask him about his own family without him evading her with a less-than-subtle change of topic. It wasn’t like she had the right to expect much more from him. She had just sat him down and demanded that he tell her all about his home and the war and what he had to do. His eyes had been so lost in time, so full of pain, that she almost wished she hadn’t insisted. And she had learned enough about him to assume that whatever story he had about his family would be tragic enough to make her family problems look comical. Still, she kind of hoped that he might tell her one day, just because she was starting to suspect he didn’t have anyone else to tell.

“I suppose,” she accepted quietly as they turned a corner and she saw the TARDIS down the street. “But I just thought a quiet Christmas would be nice. That way, when I have to go through the crazy one with my family in a few months, I can remember this one and it’ll be something they can’t ruin.”

They had reached the blue telephone box, so she quickly sat down on a nearby bench. She wasn’t ready to go just yet. The doctor looked up at the sky. “The sun’ll be rising soon,” he said simply. She wondered if he was hinting that they should go, but he sat down next to her.

“Christmas morning,” Martha said with a sigh. “All the kids must be so excited.”

“Laying awake in their beds, getting ready to rush downstairs and open their presents.” He was smiling now and she was glad because it was nice to see him happy. “I should have taken you to New York – it’s probably snowing there.”

Martha half-laughed. “Uh, no, we just went to New York and I ended up being kidnapped and trapped on a motorway, remember? I don’t quite fancy a return.”

“Oh, but that was New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York,” he said with a gleeful smile and Martha giggled at his ridiculousness. “This time we can go to the original New York, yeah? I promise I won’t let you get kidnapped.”

She nodded as she realized that he was leaning closer to her, his face only inches away and her heart was pounding in her chest. “Alright, but we don’t have to go during Christmas,” she whispered as she moved a fraction of an inch closer. “This Christmas is pretty great.”

The doctor abruptly turned away. “You sure? You really had your heart set on that snow.”

Martha looked down and half-shrugged. “Just silly childish dreams,” she admitted. “I always fancied a white Christmas. I loved playing in the snow.”

The doctor paused for a moment and then a wide smile spread over his face, like he’d just had a wonderful idea. “I suppose I ought to give you your Christmas present.” He got off the bench suddenly. “Stay here,” he said as he rushed inside the TARDIS.

Martha rose an eyebrow, unsure what to expect. After a few seconds, a great light formed at the top of the TARDIS and then blasted into the sky. She looked curiously at the door of the TARDIS, waiting for the doctor to come out and tell her what he’d just done.

But, then, she realized that she was shivering and her breath was a white frost. By the time the doctor came back outside with her jacket in his hand, soft white flakes were falling from the sky.

She was smiling so wide her cheeks hurt. “You can make it snow?” she asked, unable to keep the awe out of her voice.

The doctor nodded. “Just a simple atmospheric shift,” he said with a casual shrug.

She was laughing now as flakes melted on her bare arms and got caught in her eyelashes. She wondered as she shivered in the cold how she got so lucky, why this strange, brilliant man chose her, Martha Jones. She shook her head in disbelief at the falling snow around her. “You’re impossible!” she declared as she rushed forward and threw her arms around him.

The doctor laughed as held her closely, lifting her off her feet. “And you’re freezing,” he said when he set her down.

“Just think of all those children, waking up on Christmas morning to see a winter wonderland,” Martha said excitedly as the doctor slid her jacket over her shoulder. “You’re like Father Christmas,” she commented and decided not to read too much into his knowing smile.

“Well, Martha Jones, do you fancy another quick walk through the town?” he asked as he offered his hand. “Perhaps we could build a snowman?”

She couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of the doctor playing in the snow, but had to admit that it was definitely something she wanted to see. “Sounds marvelous,” she said as she took hold of his hand. “And when we get back, we can drink warm eggnog in the TARDIS?”

They started to make their way back down the quiet main street. “I’m not entirely sure I have eggnog,” the doctor said after a moment of consideration. “I may have some rasedgan.”

“And what exactly is rasedgan?” Martha asked even though she was pretty sure she knew his answer.

“It’s like eggnog,” the doctor answered, “only, you know, alien.”

Absolutely impossible, she thought with a little smile as she watched her feet make footprints in the snow. “Okay, yeah, I’ll give it a try. After all,” she added with a grin, “it’s Christmas.”

“Yes, it is,” the doctor agreed as he squeezed her hand.

And it didn’t matter that that her family was imploding and that she would soon have to return to a life of work and school. It didn’t matter that her days of travelling through the stars were numbered. It didn’t even matter that the doctor seemed to wish she was someone else.

His hand was warm and dry; his smile was wide and trusting; his life was fantastic and spectacular and he chose to share it with her. It couldn’t last forever, but right now, on this Christmas morning in Sunnydale, it was snowing and she couldn’t ask for much more than that.

~~~~~

Tea Fixes All Problems

2009-11-20T21:02:52Z

This was, hands down, the most difficult Fannish 5 I have ever done. My original list included twenty-eight character and I had to narrow it down.

Name the five most annoying characters ever. (In order of annoyance...)

1. John Locke - LOST: *points to icon*

2. Mohinder Suresh - Heroes: Because the incessant narration never ends. I found him irritating by the third episode. The only thing that makes him at all worthwhile is the yummy slashy tension with Sylar and Matt.

3. Matt Parkman - Heroes: Honestly, all the Heroes characters were contenders for this spot. Matt won out because of S3 plots including desert walks, weird turtles and forced romances with the speedster.

4. Connor - AtS: He was very cute as a baby and I hate to be cruel to Vincent Kartheiser (because *love*), but the moody teenager got to be a bit much.

5. Cally Henderson - BSG: *typical BSG fan is typical*

Now, I'm annoyed just from thinking about them.

Team Mike

2009-11-19T21:15:35Z

I'm seeing New Moon at midnight tonight.

Don't judge me. It's for the lulz I promise. My roommate and I are wearing these shirts...

...(because we're awesome) and laughing all the way through the film. And, yeah, I'm excited. It's not every day I get to watch a vampire try to kill himself by public sparkling =D

amused

2009-11-19T15:37:00Z

I'm not the biggest J2 fangirl, but I think we can all agree this might be the greatest gif ever made, Y/Y?

Feel free to take and upload wherever you feel necessary. Be sure to credit fatedcinderella.

=D

2009-11-17T18:01:51Z

For those of you who don't know, I've been having a blast over at whedonland. Go Team Buffy! I entered a drabble contest last week and, surprisingly, I won 3rd place. A few people have asked for the drabble, so here it is.

~~~~

Gunn promised his grandmother he’d get the money for the surgery. Three weeks later, he feels her hand grown cold in his as she breathes her last words.

He told Alonna he’d always protect her. Her breath is cold on his neck as he jams a stake through her heart.

He whispered that he’d love her forever. That’s a promise he’s going to keep, even when Fred is hollow and her warm eyes and wide smile are replaced with the cold indifferent stare of a stranger. He would still love her. He’d rather face the cold than another broken promise.

~~~~

This Week on 'That God Complex Isn't Going Anywhere, Is It?'

2009-11-16T19:17:37Z

I did manage to wait for my roommate's return to watch Doctor Who.

First of all, I liked it I really liked the episode, which is saying a lot because I have really disliked the last two. When is was over, I felt the need to sit and process because the awesome was a little too much for me to handle.

Most of my love is probably because Angsty!Doctor is my favorite kind (with Gleeful!Doctor running a close second). That's why I'd always had trouble totally committing to the tenth doctor - the ninth doctor was just so much more grumpy. It was a fascinating character development and one that feels rather inevitable. While Nine once bitterly commented that he 'won' the Time War, he did everything in his power to run from the reality of that fact, the responsibility and power that went along with it. To watch Ten take control and declare himself the winner and master of all time, it was eerily reminiscent of the Master, which I suppose is perfect because a big confrontation is coming.

This episode was particularly painful because all I could think was that what the doctor needed was for Rose to call him out the way she did in 'Dalek' or for Martha to slap him across the face the way she did in 'Human Nature' or Donna to take charge and tell him what to do the way she did in 'Fires of Pompeii'. But, he has no one and it's awful because he needs someone. The longer he goes without, the more obvious it becomes.

The only complaint I have is that I wish we had an entire season for the Doctor-Is-Going-Off-The-Deep-End plot. This is the sort of thing that could have been fleshed out and shown through 13 episodes. Of course, I understand that we don't have 13 episodes, so there isn't anyone to blame. (Also, a small complaint that the dramatic flashes to newspaper headlines got a little hokey. Although, I can't really think of a better way to show the subtle changes in the time lines, so I shall let it be.)

In other news, I have finished my revamp of my journal. The fabulous o0myyl0v30o was kind enough to make me a Bela Talbot banner and, after a few days of searching, I tracked down a Bela moodtheme. So, now I can completely express my love for her =D

Sunday Recc Post (#3)

2009-11-16T01:20:30Z

Oh, I almost forgot! And, in honor of the new DW episode, a story from the early days.

Title: Five Times Rose Tyler Didn't Die
Author: lilith_morgana (Possibly my favorite writer ever.)
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Rose, the doctor, (Mickey).
Rating: PG
Length: about 1300 words

I've ~~probably~~ definitely recced this fic before, but something this brilliant deserves repeated praise. It may only take a few minutes to read, but it's the kind of story that stays with you for weeks. The story is five short pieces that take Rose from the beginning of her time with the doctor until the end. (AU after School Reunion, so the ending is not the one you're used to.)

lilith_morgana doesn't write many Who fics and most of them are not centered on Rose or the D-R relationship. This is a shame because she has an incredible ability to write the Rose we first fell in love with (before the fandom wank made us forget why) and, perhaps more importantly, a perfect grasp on how Rose sees the doctor. It's beautiful, poignant, bittersweet, and it breaks my heart ever time.

~~~

An Excerpt:

Rose Tyler, nineteen, no life, no ambitions, no adventures but she's just seen the Earth die five billion years in the future with a man who claims he can no longer remember his own name but knows how to save lives and think that it's nothing special. He trusts her.

And it's fantastic.

It's terribly, awfully, violently oh-bloody-fucking-hell-I'm-going-to-die fantastic.

~~~

Without further ado, the story is here.

Don't forget to let me (and the author) know if you enjoy it!