we're all stories in the end

Taking a look back at all the prompts you gave me back in December - still lots of good ones I'd like to answer! And while I make no promises, do feel free to leave any other suggestions if you have them.

amaresu asked for most influential stories in your life, which is a lovely question.

I think that the worlds of Star Trek, Harry Potter and Doctor Who form a trio of stories that have mattered the most to me over the years. I was raised on Star Trek from birth, I read Philosopher's Stone at 7 and had to wait until I was 18 for Deathly Hallows to be released, and Doctor Who's return in 2005 instantly rekindled my love of sci fi and is a love that has lasted nearly a decade now.

Although they're three very different kinds of franchises with different philosophies and goals, I think there are a few common themes connecting them which say a lot about the things I tend to look for in fiction. Found family, heroism, good vs. evil, exploring strange new worlds, finding yourself, trying to work out what it means to be a good person. They're ultimately optimistic about the human condition, regularly with a sense of silliness and whimsy, and all provide instant happy places for me. <3

+ My Pottermore email arrived at last, though given how overloaded the servers are, I have not been able to do much in there yet. My username is StarKnight142 - feel free to add me, but do let me know who you are so I can nickname accordingly. They sorted me into Hufflepuff - I figured it was going to be that or Ravenclaw, and I am very okay with this.

+ The BBC have cancelled Doctor Who Confidential for budget reasons. :( Guardian article, official announcement on the BBC (a little spoilery for the next episode). This Saturday's will be the last.

+ Inspector Spacetime: a case study in how fandom is The Best. I haven't actually watched last week's Community yet, but apparently it included a throwaway gag featuring a spoof of Doctor Who called Inspector Spacetime. Fandom has run with it like you would not believe. TV Tropes has a tropes page as well as a fanon section and list of episodes. My particular favourite is 'The Earth Goes "OM NOM NOM"' and 'The Om Nom Nomed Strike Back'.

Also:

The Inspector and his Associates having to cram themselves inside the DARSIT was intended to capitalize on the fad of Phonebooth Stuffing, which had just arrived the UK in 1959. Now the ridiculousness is lampshaded with the characters' catch phrase "I thought it would be bigger on the inside!"

+ There's an Inspection Spacetime Confessions tumblr too. Obviously.

+ Go read all of pocketmouse's recent Doctor Who fic for kink_bingo because it's great. Here's a handy list. All Amy/Rory or Amy/Rory/Eleven, all brilliant. Three Turtledoves is possibly my favourite, partially because it's long and glorious.

+ oh gosh, I watched most of the livestream of the HP premiere at Trafalgar Square last night, and UNEXPECTED FEELINGS ATTACK. I first I was all 'ooh, look at the pretty dresses, here are some interviews with people I like', and then Dan and Emma and Rupert and JKR made all these emotional speeches at the end and I was suddenly an emotional wreck, what even. So it would appear I will definitely be a mess when we go see the film at Diacon, then, heads up everyone.

+ Relatedly, today I am off to London Film & Comic Con! To see Karen Gillan and Alex Kingston, as well as other cool people. *insert massive flailing here* I am quite excited, as you may imagine. But, okay, when I was registering I got my general con ticket and a ticket for Karen's talk and also a ticket to get my photo taken with her. Which I do not know how I feel about! I couldn't not do it, because Karen Gillan, but given my track record of getting kind of weirded out and also totally speechless when face to face with people I am fannish about, well. At least on this occasion I've known it was coming so have had time to think about what I would like to say. And also, you know, it'll last a couple of minutes if that and I can photoshop myself out of the resulting photo if I look like a complete dork, etc. It is not a big deal. (Except it totally is, omg tomorrow I will be in the presence of the person I am fangirling like it's my job right now, ack ack etc.)

ANYWAY. Aside from that, I will try and take some pictures and report back in as much detail as I can about what Karen and Alex say and also any other talks I make it to, like Mark Sheppard or Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred. Also, if any of you are going to be there, give me a shout! I do not promise to be particularly coherent at any given time, but I can promise squee.

Month of Awesome Women, week two:

Martha Jones | Kaylee Frye | Cara Mason | Jennifer Keller | Guinevere | Jadzia Dax | Olivia Dunham

Luna did not seem perturbed by Ron's rudeness; on the contrary, she simply watched him for a while as though he were a mildly interesting television program.

( 'Don't worry, you're just as sane as I am.' )

Rec: Not A Necklace by snegurochka_lee (Ginny/Luna)
Asking Luna Lovegood if she would be willing to break a few rules was something like asking a Puffskein if it would be willing to have a go on the dance floor, Ginny decided early in their sixth year at school: in both cases, you would be asking the wrong question.

From miakun, Comment and I'll give you three of your fandoms, then copy and paste the questions onto your journal and fill it out.

She gave me Harry Potter, Doctor Who and Merlin.

( questions! )

Two Steps Back
Harry Potter ; Remus/Sirius ; PG ; 1100 words ; written for day fifteen
Remus busies himself at the stove while Sirius looks around, a strange, tight feeling in his chest as he takes in the life that Remus has built without him.

This story is available in two formats! You can download the podfic version here, and read the text of the fic below.

"Dumbledore really said you could stay? Here?"

Home Team 2009 Round Two is now up and oh god, so many are so close! Like, three votes in it. *refreshes obsessively* I'll tell you who needs your vote this time: Tosh. Vote Toshiko Sato for great justice! /PSA

Here are the first batch of Five Fannish Things responses, keep them coming if you like!

( The top five things you would change about New Who/Torchwood. )

( Top 5 awesome female characters )

( Top five fics )

( Top five Potter moments )

( Top five Merlin moments )

Oh wow, imochan is hosting this wonderful Remus/Sirius Love Post which is making me so happy and nostalgic, combined with it popping up all over my flist today. ♥ So many recs and so much squee!

I am thinking that I would like to write a little something for it tomorrow when I have a minute, but I do not know what to write. If you have any spare prompts lying around, please do send them my way. :)

So yes, that totally distracted me from doing the Star Trek Rewatch post when I got in this evening. Sorry, everyone, it'll be up tomorrow!

Back to those shiny prompts now; more to follow.

nk_aoede gave me Remus/Sirius and 'fingertips on skin'.

A Weaving
Harry Potter ; Remus/Sirius ; PG ; 500 words

( Remus groans as he turns to see Sirius lagging behind once again. )

It occurred to me, whilst replying to comments for a flame in two cupped hands the other day, that I have written stories about Sirius at Christmas three years in a row for holiday exchanges, and they all run on something of a theme, namely that Sirius loves his friends, his makeshift family, so very much. That's probably one of the things that makes me fall the very hardest for characters, that complete, fierce love and devotion, even when it's ill-expressed. See also: Jack Harkness, Lyra & Will, Kaylee Frye, John Sheppard, Luna Lovegood, Dean Winchester, etc.

I like seasonal-themed fic, any time of year, and all the wintry and Christmas stories at the moment are delighting me. I have teand's A Midnight Clear (Supernatural) open in tabs which looks great already. Also there is copperbadge's The Gift Of The Mad Guy (Doctor Who) which is entirely wacky and fun. Should the Christmas special on Thursday not thrill me, I shall simply imagine that this was on my TV instead.

Speaking of the Christmas special, I'm not actually all that excited about it. I mean, I will sit down and watch it on time, obviously, and no doubt enjoy it, but I will miss my companions! And I'm so hugely looking forward to a new regeneration that I'm probably not appreciating Tennant's last hours in the role, heh. Still! Cybermen in the snow, that should be entertaining. (Oh, as a note: I haven't watched any of the preview clips and very few of the trailers, so please don't spoil me!)

Anyway, I now return to working on the charming tale of a very Torchwood Christmas, in which there are in-laws, and Rhys has a run-in with alien tentacles. (Not that sort of run-in, you'll be relieved to hear.) Hopefully that will be posted this evening, timing being of the essence and all that.

Oh, and lastly, for neatness: sheafrotherdon had a SGA cold!fest the other day which resulted in the following little comment!fic - That Time When The Team Had To Snuggle For Warmth. Teeeeam! :D

And I didn't even mention Merlin once, I am so proud. Mostly because this entry is garnering enough tags as it is.