I am going to take a page from sdwolfpup's book and leave this post unlocked so that anyone who wants a Dreamwidth invite can snag one. (And I do mean anyone, including random journal surfers passing by.) I have 8 of them, and it just seems silly to keep piling them up. All I ask is that you just leave me a comment with the number code that you are snagging so that I can cross it off. I mean, I'd like that you use it, but having a backup journal that is never used seems a much better option than having these poor things go unused.

( Here be codes )

If you are looking for a free app that lets you do both Facebook and Twiter, I've been having good luck with Seesmic so far. It is MUCH better about actually giving me all of the Facebook updates (which Tweetdeck just WASN'T) and I am finding myself really appreciating the ability to open and close columns as I want.

Still feeling sad about the Panic shennanigans? Neutral Zone by marksykins helped me a LOT in getting to a place where I am now just INSANELY entertained by punctuation instead. (DEAR BOYS - I AM NEVER GOING TO STOP LAUGHING AT YOUR EXCLAMATION POINT DRAMA. I AM JUST SAYIN') But anyway, in my head, this now my fanon. I know that RL Spencer seems to be a lot more pissed than this version, but it soothes me, and that just brings me GLEE. <3

SPEAKING OF THINGS THAT BRING ME GLEE (and don't you just LOVE my segues?) DEFYING GRAVITY FINALLY HAS AN AIR DATE! \0/ Everyone and their mom seems to be billing this as "Grey's Anatomy in space" and you know something? That is EXACTLY what I want out of it. All it needs to have is Ron Livingston, being sexy and awesome and snarky and in SPAAAAAACE and I'll love it more than is probably healthy. And it looks like I am getting just that, so :-D :-D :-D. (To put it in perspective C6D guys, this is kind of akin to my glee over Eastwick. BUT WITH SPAAAAAACE!!)

Now I am off to go make myself some spanakopita for dinner. I've only used phyllo a few other times, so I suspect that these are not going to be the PRETTIEST spanakopita in the history of ever, but I am totally expecting them to be tasty!

*laughs* Wow - sorry about that. Between getting a random case of the flu (in JUNE? Really immune system, REALLY?), helping omphale move and the various and sundry big bangs that have been occurring, I've managed to drop off of LJ almost entirely. But I hope to make up for it with recs! Lots and lots of recs for things made of total WIN.

The buttermilk cake recipe that inspired my current cooking frenzy. (Don't even ask - I managed to make 6 dozen muffins and scones last week. *facepalm*) It is just light and fluffy and YUM. I really loved the contrast of the tartness of the raspberries with the sweetness of the cake, but I suspect that a sweeter berry would be really wonderful in a different way. \cake/

anything, please (except for defeat) and the sequel conjuring up our melancholy by figletofvenice (Panic at the Disco/My Chemical Romance, gen for the first story, Mikey/Ryan and Mikey/Pete for the second, PG-13)

I am actually planning on waiting until bandombigbang is done posting before I do a recs post for those stories. But since I never got around to actually finishing my recs from the LAST round, and the first story was one of the ones that is still sitting forgotten and unrecced in a draft somewhere, I am going to make an exception for this pair, because this is quite possibly the best alternate timeline story I've read in ANY fandom. figletofvenice took what was already a REALLY interesting premise (Ryan getting Panic's demo to Gerard instead of Pete) and thought through exactly what impact that would have on their characterization as well as the plot. The combination just makes my heart SO happy.

Sol Se's vid recs.

So I've had the vid recs tag on sol_se's journal stalker pinned for a while now. And every time ze updates, I just get a little thrill, because even when they are not my fandom, the vids are always worth checking out. I feel slightly awkward about saying anything directly on the recs posts (mostly because I've silently lurked for so long) but SERIOUSLY you guys. If you have any interest in vids, that is an EXCELLENT place to do a stalker pin on, not gonna lie.

Semper Fidelis Familia by hackthis (Generation Kill, Nate/Brad, AU, NC-17)

So for as much as the fandom aspects of Generation Kill really don't interest me, I really couldn't resist reccing this. It is a HARLEQUIN AU, for starters. Also, NATE IS THE HEIR APPARENT TO THE MOB. Really, what is there NOT to love about this story!

connections by mardia (Standoff/Life, Matt/Charlie, PG)

I have only three words for you with regards to this story - Dani. Fucking. Reese. You GUYS. mardia got Charlie and Matt together, and she made Dani the emotional center piece. I just ... *flails for fucking EVER* What, you mean that isn't actually a rec? OK then! I shall tell you that I love the way that she develops Matt and Dani's friendship. I adore the way that it just slowly unfolds until you go "well DUH Dani would have awesome friends like this. Why aren't these two shows one big canon again?" Consider this my gift to you, as an enticement to come and flail with us over at cranky_zen. Because we totally have cookies on this dark side.

Silly Love Songs by athousandwinds (Singing in the Rain, Don/Cosmo/Kathy, NC-17)

This is the ficlet that caused me to spend an entire Friday night looking all over the internet from top to bottom, looking for more Singing in the Rain OT3 fics. And after I went through the other two from yuletide (both of which are AWESOME by the way - you should really check those out too!) I came up with nothing. NOTHING! Guys, it is really possible that there is not a large, booming fandom pushing these three crazy kids together? I am shocked and appalled, I really am. And if you don't know why I am so shocked and appalled, read this story. And THEN tell me that you don't ship those three more than life itself. I'm not sure if I'll believe you if you still are not swayed, but that is a whole 'nother discussion all together. *g*

I am sitting here at work, bored to death and feeling like crap because I can't quite seem to shake this odd cold thing I've come down with. However, the sun is shining and my sister is graduating high school this weekend, so I have decided to be in a good mood anyway. And then it occurred to me that it has been FAR too long since I've done an edition of recs for things that made me happy. So in order to trick myself into feeling more chipper than I am actually feeling, have some recs for things that are made of complete total WIN. \0/

Gossip Folks, Dubbie! by fizzawrites First cardinal rule of Middleman vids? NEED MOAR ALWAYS. But the second rule is OBVIOUSLY to showcase the funny, and this vid does a splendid job. It made me smile a ton and miss my show, so go forth and share in the Middleman glee. Because honestly - if you haven't watched Middleman yet, what ARE you waiting for?!

Speaking of vids, I don't know that I've ever gotten around to sharing this, but the fake trailer for a Titanic "squeal" is one of the funniest things I've ever witnessed. I just ... Jack is on the run! After being magically unfrozen over 80 years after the ship sank! I love cracky minds, and this trailer is clearly the product of one such mind.

omphale has created a special twitter devoted to random poetry. AND SHE IS STARTING WITH HOWL. :-D (Speaking of Howl, you can actually hear the man himself read part 1 and a portion of part 2 here, a discovery which made me GLEEFUL. Especially in light of the other poems that he reads before getting to Howl. ♥) If you have a twitter, follow! Share in the poetry glee! For it is made of WIN.

newredshoes wrote a wonderful Lipton talking like DDub snippet and I nearly cried from laughing so hard. I just ... between that and the DDub-Lipton icons I think I spent nearly ALL of Friday thinking of Donnie Walhberg and grinning my ass off. DEAR DDUB - HOW SO MOTHERFUCKING ENDEARING? ♥

I Raised an Army of Pickpocketing Squirrels! by sionnain WHICH IS TWITCH CITY OT3 FIC! (Which ... I don't think I ever got 'round to commenting on. *headdesk* Sionn, smack me in the head if I don't get around to doing that, ok?) Curtis, Newbie and Hope wouldn't have suave, smooth threesomes. They just WOULDN'T and sionnain treads this awesome line of hotness and mirth and just GETS them. Honestly, if you like Twitch City at all and you don't like this, then you have no soul. I am just sayin'

And finally, not related to the recs, but still on the subject of things that please me greatly, today is akamine_chan's birthday!! *throws confetti in the air and brings out the glitter cupcakes* Aka, I hope that today is all that you could hope for it to be and more, because you deserve it sweetie. ♥

So as EVERYONE who has interacted with me in RL anytime during the past two months knows, omphale has been writing an epic Standoff/Life crossover fic of doom and love, and caersmane made vids to tell the story. I was privileged enough to be beta on this joint multi-media effort, so that does in fact make me INSANELY biased. And it is from this biased position of glee and love that I am telling you to RUN, not walk, over and read part 1 of between two points of no return, and watch Caers's vid version. O is posting a different part each day for the next six days, so the story isn't all posted yet. And your decision to wait until it is all posted is literally the ONLY excuse I will grant you for why you are still here instead of there, reading part 1 and then flailing over Caers's vids. Because this is, simply put, the COOLEST fannish project I have ever been lucky enough to be involved with. These two different media work together to create a story that just does NOT work on its own. (This is about as far as I ever get in describing it to people, before I devolve into flaily hand gestures. If you doubt the force of my flail, know that I did manage to injure myself from flailing during betaing part 2 or 3 of the fic. Noses tend to HURT when you hit them with your own hand. WHO KNEW?) But the point is that O and Caers's love for these boys shows in EVERY bit of their efforts and I honestly just don't understand how you could fail to fall in love as well. So go forth, read, flail and if you don't, I might have to make good on my various and sundry offers to hire hit men. You don't want that, do you? :-D

There was this whole big long post that I was mentally composing. It was big, it was long and it was FULL OF EMO. I couldn't even handle that level of emo long enough to type it up, so instead I am going to focus upon things that I have been made happy by recently. 'K? 'K.

Hell of a Place by giandujakiss

This vid? Is what The X-Files wishes it was. Don't get me wrong - I REALLY ♥ The X-Files. But you've got to admit - you keep something on the air that long and something's gotta give. (Also, darling Chris Carter is not exactly the most skilled person in the world at producing a coherent narrative arc. /understatement) The point is that all of the awesome things that I love about X-Files are distilled into 3.5 minutes of sheer glee that I can watch at any time! What is not to love about that!

Lacrymosa by solestella

I have to confess - I downloaded this vid by accident. (Don't even ask me HOW I managed this, I am still not sure) Because really - a multi-fandom DANCING vid set to EVANESCENCE? However, I am going to encourage y'all to download it on purpose for the following reasons. First of all, it is REALLY nicely done on the technical elements. Second of all, it doesn't really vid to the lyrics. I mean, there is a LITTLE bit of the "Come on, love me back" reflected in the clips, but mostly? It is just the vidder taking the HOT that is Amy Lee's voice and having fun with it. (What? Dude, I actually had an unironic love of Evanescence at one point. And it was ENTIRELY due to their using a rock violin and Amy Lee's voice. I AM JUST THAT EASY.) And finally, hi - MULTI-FANDOM DANCING VID. I am sucker and I have my favorite tropes. Dancing is AWESOME. Just sayin'

O's Winters/Nixon Playlist-Fic thingy Also Band of Brothers in general.

So for starters, BAND OF BROTHERS IS MADE OF SO MUCH AWESOME, OMG. *FLAIL* And omphale23 is the world's BEST pimp and used her natural love of musicality to make me a playlist of love. And if that wasn't enough? THERE ARE LITTLE FICLETS CONNECTING EACH OF THE SONGS! ♥ I think that my favorite bit is the fact that their wives ship them. Or the fact that they are lost without each other. Or the fact that it has Ask on it. (Um, I maybe have an irrationally large love for that song? Sorry to everyone who got caught in my capslocks glee over that in chat - I tend to get a little flaily about shiny new things.) IDEK you guys. This whole fandom is just full of messy complicated relationships and death. Why that is making me make heart eyes at the screen is a never ending source of confusion for me. (Well, no - I actually have very specific reasons for this love, but I am going to save my "Hi, plz to come and flail with me about BoB" post until AFTER I have actually seen the last 4 episodes. *g*) BECAUSE IT REALLY REALLY DOES. ACTUAL HEART EYES PEOPLE. ♥_♥ SEE?

Modern Courtship Conundrum by sloanesomething

Heh. So since I was feeling emo, I wasn't really feeling like searching out BoB fic, because trying out new authors in unfamiliar fandoms in that state of mind is like trying to find dress shoes with two broken feet. Technically possible, but NOT WORTH IT. (Also, reading the bios of these guys is kinda like reading fic. Not only do they ship themselves, they have about the same relationship with history that most fic writers do. *g*) And then I remembered that I had a whole bunch of Middleman fics bookmarked from before I had actually finished watching it all. So I think that I am going to have a Middleman fic glut tonight after I do some more reading for class. Because this is just DELIGHTFUL! (Note that my Middleman OTP is Wendy Watson/ME, so every other pairing is automatically inferior. Just sayin'. :-D)

*waves* Sorry for the late posting today - I was being a busy little beaver. ;-) Anyway, it has been an AWESOME two weeks and so many thanks to bunnymcfoo, idyll and vylit for organizing this all. For 14valentines day 14: International. And your woman for today is the lovely Victoria Asher, better known as VickyT from Cobra Starship!

Casting Couch by misspamela (Patrick/VickyT, PG-13)

"Hey, hey!" Pete held up his hands in a completely bullshit imitation of innocence. "I'm not saying you have a 'casting couch' or anything--"

"Except you are." Patrick slapped Pete's hands just as they were finishing the air quotes.

Simple When It Is Sweet by gonnafeelgood (Travis/VickyT, AU, PG-13)

Experience has shown Victoria that attentiveness is an important quality in bed.

But she doesn't go home with him. Instead, they spend all night laughing and talking at Yaffa with Brendon, Jon, Ryan, Pete, Patrick, and Jon's co-worker Spencer. They trade looks and phone numbers and a quick kiss outside in the alley before Vicky walks with Ryan, Jon, and Brendon to catch the L back to their apartment.

It's not an orgasm, but it might actually be a little better.

Chances Are by redbrickrose (Gabe/VickyT, PG-13)

She inhaled absently, blowing the smoke over her shoulder and said, “I'm replacing Elisa on the keytar. Only. Do we understand each other?” She tightened her grip on his arm, betraying the calculated disinterest in her voice.

He blinked at her and swallowed back defenses that would have just been lies anyway, grinned and said, “Welcome to the band.” He promised himself he'd never so much as kiss her.

She said, “excellent” and squeezed his arm again, this time in excitement, dropping all her studied nonchalance in one motion. She smiled up at him, bright and open and he admitted to himself that not kissing her might be difficult.

We Use Our Wings to Swim by formerlydf (Cobra-smush, PG)

Elisa grits her teeth under a bright smile. "It was nice to meet you, Victoria," she says, turning around and leaving the room again.

The back lounge is silent for a moment before Gabe says wearily, "We promise not to be bitchy to you if you're not bitchy to us."

"Deal," Vicky T says immediately. "Whose turn is it?"

it's like this by stephanometra (Cobra GSF, R)

(Much later, when they're all lying in a tangle of sweaty legs and mussed hair and bitten-red mouths, she'll wonder out loud about it, and Alex will just smile against her shoulder and say, "It wasn't time." She'll roll her eyes and pinch his thigh, tell him she wasn't asking him, and Gabe will say that she wasn't really asking at all—that she already knew the answer.

Her boys, Jesus. Only Gabe could be fucking profound about something as simply convoluted as the five of them less than ninety seconds after coming his brains out.)

Unwanted Afflictions by somewhatdeluded (Spencer Smith/William Beckett/Victoria Asher, genderfuck, NC-17)

"Oh, huh." He frowns. "It's a pity you don't go for boys, because I've been telling Mike to fuck himself for years."

"Fuck you." She lowers the eyebrow, anyway; takes another drag off her cigarette. "I'm way better looking than Mike."

Spencer squints. "Hmm," he says.

"I am," she insists.

I started watching Gilmore Girls as a way to bond with my mom after I started undergrad. I still remember the first time I watched it with her and my sister, I kind of raised my eyebrow at my sister and went "seriously, you want me to watch this?" And somewhere along the line, it crept into my heart and is now probably my favorite small fandom I am not in. I ♥ the show, I ♥ the authors and I especially ♥ Lorelei Gilmore. If anyone wants to turn this into a recs fest in the comments, please fee free - my reading taste tends towards the rare pairs and so I am fully aware that there is a ton of good stuff that I've missed! (For 14valentines day 13: Arts and Entertainment.)

A Progression in Sentances by urban_stoop (Rory/Paris, NC-17)

The first time you kiss her is during spring break, and though that goes all wrong, you do remember it, cherish the memory of that first, peaceful, vacation together.

Something Borrowed by amidalashari (Luke/Lorelei, PG-13)

"You still have danishes," and that's probably the worst segue ever, but he passes one over, his hand brushing hers -

His lips meet hers, his hand on her waist, and the pastry lies on the counter, forgotten.

"What are we doing?" She isn't sure she cares, but someone should probably ask, and he smiles, really smiles, and god, she's missed him

Ballroom Suite for Intellectuals by mosca (Rory/Paris, PG)

"I can't do this," Paris said, sitting down in the grass. "I have no rhythm."

"That's a serious disability," Rory said. "They should excuse you from P.E."

Richard Gilmore and the Homemade Broomstick by oxoniensis (Rory/Dean, AU, PG)

"I want the very best for Rory, and I'm sure you do too, Sir. I thought it would be easier for Rory to get back and forth from school if she had a broom." He smiles sickeningly at Rory, and takes her hand in his, adding, "And all her friends have them."

"Not homemade ones," Richard points out. "It's all very well thinking it looks safe, but the moment she's in the air it will shed twigs and become impossible to steer, and I am not having my grand-daughter's life put in jeopardy."

Love Songs of John Philip Sousa by jae_w (Lane/Paris, PG)

"It's me, Paris, Lane. Rory's friend." She opened one eye carefully and watched Paris stow two canisters in a holster attached to her calf. "Have you really used Mace on someone? That's dangerous, you know."

"It's meant to be dangerous. It's not really a threat if it's not. But it's not all that dangerous. Two perverts at the park and a guy who tried to steal a cab from me when I was on my way to a Harvard alumni meet and greet have all lived to tell the tale."

for another brick in the wall by fated_addiction (Rory/Dean, PG)

Homesick. It’s all this is. She stops writing inevitably, the split over days coming closer as she keeps calling home and gets a call from him too, from day to day. It doesn’t make sense to her and she files it away.

Wish you were here. She stops at signing her name.

My Heart Is The Worst Kind Of Weapon by offtheceiling (Tristan/Dean, NC-17)

Then someone said, "Well, what do we have here," and Dean was suddenly very sorry he'd ever come here at all. He really should have known better. There would have been nothing wrong with just meeting Rory at the bus stop with a cup of coffee. At least then he wouldn't have to deal with fucking Tristan. He really should have kicked that punk's ass when he had the chance.

I have a not-so-seekrit enthusiasm for random crossover pairings. And one of my absolute FAVORITE crossover pairings is Dean Wincester from Supernatural and Faith from Buffy. So when I realized that I actually had enough things to rec to make a full recs set, I maybe did a little dance of joy. Just possibly. ;-D (For 14valentines day 12: Education)

Fic

What They Don’t Say by femmenerd (fic, NC-17)

But Dean doesn’t break eye contact when he comes, mesmerizing her with those pretty, green, saucer-wide eyes and she goes off again big time, losing control of her limbs and wits—breathing out a single, uncontrollable syllable: Dean.

The gloating look on his face would almost be funny if he hadn’t won.

Fifteen Percent Concentrated Power of Will by musesfool (fic, R)

It's all sweetheart and baby and fuck, yeah, just like that when he lifts her up against the brick wall in the alley and fucks her, her legs wrapped around his hips and her tongue hot in his mouth, her body clenching wet and tight around his dick when she comes, dragging him along with her, all white hot light behind his eyes and pleasure so intense it's nearly pain.

And then it's, See you 'round, sweetheart, and Have a good night, sugar, and she's just another girl in another town in his rearview mirror, nice to think about when he jerks off in the shower sometimes, but nobody special.

revving from a central source by hateable (fic, R)

Most girls lie, maybe not at the start but definitely at the end, when they give Dean the sad puppy eyes (which Dean is immune to, at least when it comes to girls) or the rejected death glare.

Faith doesn’t even bother with that kind of preface, just grabs him right there in the middle of the club and mutters, “Your place or mine?” into Dean’s ear. Dean knows he can trust her when her place turns out to be a motel at least as cheap as the one where he’s staying.

Vids

Tap That by boom_queen (vid)

Two hunters walk into a bar ...

Souljacker by danegen (vid)

Not actually meant as a pairing vid, but LA LA LA! Can't hear you! *g* An AWESOME exploration of why these two work so very well together.

Occasionally I creep myself out with my level of enthusiasm for My Chemical Romance and their non-famous girlfriends. But Mikey really chose well! Alicia Simmons kicks ass! So please enjoy today's set of recs, for they are all about her. (For 14valentines day 11: Economics and Work)

Hood Rat by lyo (gen, PG-13)

She doesn't mean to be that girl on this Warped Tour. Last summer, with Avenge, she was the other girl, the awesome one that didn't hook up and talked about how much she reeked with as much profanity as any of the guys. She belched and threw up her beer on her own shoes at least twice, but there was no rush behind the bus, no hands pressed to her hips and stubble-beard-beer-mouth at her throat. She was respected and awesome, and now.

Now she's that girl, the one that works for the label and was fucking the bassist on said label because his real girlfriend isn't here, and she's not sure who she's more pissed off at. It's probably her, for fucking around and squandering the reputation that she fought for, wasting the times she went back to the tech van alone and too horny every night so she wouldn't become just a lay.

You Can Find Out Firsthand by 7iris (Mikey/Alicia, R)

This isn't the first time Mikey's woken up in a different bunk than he fell asleep in. This isn't even the first time he's woken up in a different body. It's the first time he's woken up with tits, though.

Holy shit. He feels his chest experimentally and, yeah, definitely tits.

Someone yanks the curtain back. "Alicia! Let's go!"

Snapshot by pearl_o (Mikey/Pete/Alicia, NC-17)

Pete nixes the video camera right away.

"Are you fucking kidding?" he says breathlessly. He twists his hips again and Mikey moans where he has his face pressed down against the pillow. "The entire world has already seen my dick. I don't think they need to see it again."

Handle The Curves by cheshireempress (Alicia/Mikey/Ray, NC-17)

So when Mikey calls her at three in the morning babbling something about "fucking clit doesn't work right," Alicia blinks, pushes Bunny out of bed, and sits up so she can think better.

"Slow down," she says, still half-asleep. "And Bob's gonna kick your ass in about two minutes if you don't drop the volume."

The Stupid High School AU Where Hardly Anyone's Gay: Mikey, Pete, and Alicia by impertinence (Pete/Mikey/Alicia, R)

Alicia, Mikey learned quickly, was Pete's girlfriend. Except on days when she wasn't. "It's complicated," Alicia said when he stuttered out a question about them. She didn't even stop texting.

Pete had a habit of asking Mikey over, only to abandon him on the steps to make out with Alicia for five minutes, only in turn to abandon both of them and hop over the neighbors' fence to harass the cat. When Mikey explained it to Ray, Ray scrunched up his face and said dubiously, "Why do you put up with him?"

"Because he likes him," Frank sang, giving Mikey a wet willy.

The Differences and the Space Between by gonnafeelgood (Alicia/Pete, Alicia/Mikey, PG-13)

Pete smiles, his grin stretching across his face.

“You’re cuter than my last tech, that’s for damn sure.”

She breathes in deep and bares her teeth in what could be a smile.

And she gets the job.

three-piece puzzle by onneonlights (Pete/Mikey/Alicia, NC-17)

Pete's hotel room for his short stay in Jersey is nice, clean and well laid out, but everytime Pete glances at the coffee table and his one, lone cup sitting on it he thinks it's missing something.

It's not so odd at first because Pete frequently thinks his life is missing something, but then he thinks of the clutter he'd seen on the coffee table at Mikey's, in the split second he'd observed it. Then he blinks, and looks away, and tries to stop thinking.

I started watching Dr. Who mostly as a way to fill in Jack back story, and I continued watching it mostly for Rose. However, Martha Jones was the companion I most fell for, head over heals. (I still haven't met Donna yet because I am really lazy at catching up on things once I fall behind. *facepalm*) Martha is honestly one of my role models for life - she is smart, competent, goes after what she wants and doesn't take any crap from ANYONE. I don't read a lot of fic in the Who fandom (it is so big and I already have SO many fandoms!) but I do watch a lot of vids. And so, without further adieu, have a few vid recs that celebrate the awesome that is Martha. (For 14valentines day 10: Women of Color)

Shut Up and Drive by laurashapiro (gen)

Martha > you

A Question Mark by hollywoodgrrl and Diary of Jane by xandra_ptv (Martha/Ten)

I am grouping these two together, not because they are actually related, but because they can both be summed up as "Ten is kind of a jerk to Martha and she deserves more than to be his rebound girl."

Don't Give Up by millylicious (gen, study of the Master story arc)

When the system's wrong, you gotta tear it down

The Trick is to Keep Breathing by mischief89 (gen)

Being the companion takes a lot more than people give them credit for.

LYN-Z! *flaps and flails* So I perhaps have an unreasonable amount of enthusiasm for her, but I don't really care! She is intelligent and articulate! She is bendy as all fuck. Here - go scroll past some pictures of her husband and look at some more pictures! And then come back and squee with me about her epic awesome. BECAUSE I NEVER GET TIRED OF DOING THAT! \0/ (For 14valentines day 9: Althetics)

The Stupid High School AU Where Hardly Anyone's Gay: Gerard/Lyn-z by impertinence (Gerard/Lyn-Z, AU, R)

Christ, he was a loser even by art geek standards. "It's school property!"

"Whatever," she said, and flipped him off.

It was totally unfair to land in detention for that. She hadn't even punched him.

Get to Kiss That Twisted Mouth by nokomis305 (girl!Gerard/Lyn-Z, AU, PG)

After the set ends, she hangs around side stage and steps up to the girl, sweaty and fucking glowing like she'd been ridden hard and put up wet, and sticks out her hand. "I'm Lyn-Z," she says. "You kick ass."

The grin that breaks across the girl's face is beautiful, tiny teeth and all. "Thanks. Gee. Um. My name is Gee. I didn't like, just channel the 50s or anything. Fuck."

Bred in the Bone by collapsible (Bob/Gerard/Lyn-Z, PG)

He settles into the cushions, takes a sip of beer, then sets it down against his thigh to type, Well, you know.

Even Lindsey's avatar looks annoyed. That's not an answer, Bryar.

Married to Gerard for a year and she already sounds like him. Maybe she always did. Bob tries not to think about Gerard too much for now; he's supposed to call him at some point anyway. He tries again: Sorry. I'm okay, just haven't been feeling very talkative lately.

All their personal belongings have intertwined by chiromancy (permutations of Frank, Gerard, Lyn-Z and Jamia, NC-17)

"People have been having babies since fucking forever, and it's a three month tour. She's gonna be barely showing by the end of it. She'll be fine. Find something else to freak out about. Like the fact that you're going to have a damn baby and you're obviously mentally challenged."

"Oh, fuck you." Frank feels like an idiot, and it's a vast improvement. "Is Lindsey coming out?"

"Yeah, married folks bus is going to be awesome."

Steps by lovebashed (Gerard/Lyn-Z, PG-13)

The mower is old school, hard to start up as you have to pull that thing attached to that other thing and do it with fast, determined moves.

“I think it knows you’re afraid of it. Don’t let it see your fear,” Lyn observes from the garden swing. She’s wearing his sunglasses and her own Mikey Fuckin Way t-shirt, boyshorts that show less skin than the skirts she wears on stage.

i see the girls are out, a lot of freaks in the house by gonnafeelgood (Jamia/Lyn-Z, AU, PG)

Lyn-z loves everything about college. Before she moved out west, she’d always kind of felt like an alien. An alien trapped in New Jersey.

It’s maybe a little strange that she finds her place in a Jesuit school in bumfuck Washington.

But she does. She finds a place, a name, a whole person. A life.

Sixteen miles to the promised land by violin_road (Bob/Gerard/Lyn-Z, NC-17)

Bob has, at the end of the unpacking, eight pairs of black socks in decent condition, six pairs of black socks in various stages of decay, three unmatched black socks, seven pairs of stripey socks, five and a half pairs of white socks in various stages of decay, and a pair of giraffe socks that Ray found somewhere and left on Bob's pillow in Des Moines, wrapped very elaborately.

And a CD-R.

Burn Bright Like A Star by iamsupernova, nokomis305 and perspexsea (Frank/Gerard/Lyn-Z, NC-17)

When Lyn-Z tells him that she’s filling in on bass for Leathermouth for a little while, Gerard just nods distractedly and says he'll go to all her shows. He’s been working on sketches for his comic and the deadline is looming, so he doesn't give the situation the attention it deserves until Lyn-Z comes home from the first practice with a giant bruise blossoming on her arm and a grin on her face.

He traces that bruise with his mouth that night, and she laughs and tells him that Frank is a crazy motherfucker.

He keeps idly wondering about it, right up until the first show.

Today's 14valentines theme is Politics and Voting. So really, what better excuse do I need to pull out some of my favorite West Wing fics! *beams* I really couldn't think of a better one, could you?

Four Times Ainsley Hayes Tried to Explain (And One Time She Didn’t Have to) by llyfrgell (PG, gen)

Smith College was a well-respected educational institution with an excellent reputation and many successful graduates. This is what Ainsley told her mother when she received her acceptance letter.

Smith College was a well-known female space where sleeping with other women might as well have been a requirement for graduation. This is what Ainsley’s student host told her at Admitted Students Day.

Ainsley already knew both of those facts, and to her, it sounded perfect. Now all she had to do was avoid letting her mother know that she knew about the latter while also convincing her fellow students that she, a lifelong Republican from North Carolina, was just as much there for the latter reason as they were. If the skeptical looks she had received from both her mother and her student host were any indication, she had her work cut out for her.

In the time to come by intl_princess and inveigler (apocalypse AU, PG, Toby/CJ)

There's a quiet flurry of activity while a steward attempts CPR to no avail, and CJ watches in horror as Carterton's body is covered with an airline blanket. She feels nauseous, an uncomfortable combination of fear and psychosomatic illness. She uses the airphone to call Danny who's writing at home in Santa Monica, but she can't raise him or the nanny.

CJ thinks the seventy three minutes before the plane hits the tarmac are the longest of her life.

Story of Seasons by raedbard (West Wing/Buffy the Vampire Slayer, PG, CJ/Tara)

When it is snowing, Tara writes to her in the condensation which mists up the windows. It is always cold in Boston, or it seems so to her. She sees sunlight, high and cold, in the clean swipes her fingers make on the glass. She writes CJ letters which dissolve into water, letters easily lost, letters silent, gone.

in New York, this is the shortest day by mazily (CJ/Toby, PG)

In the end, he doesn't write that book at all. That book, n. The one everyone always assumed he'd write, after the administration ended, the one about faith and liberal ideology and a man who was at once too much and not enough. The one they'd pestered him about at dinner parties, over cocktails, so...

Blink and you'll miss it: he writes a love story.

Point, Counterpoint; or, Galactica Encounters of the West Wing Kind. by anjali_organna (West Wing/Battlestar Galactica, PG, gen)

"No, sir," Leo said. "This is the real thing."

"A spaceship."

"It's holding steady," Nancy said, "and hasn't made any movement toward the planet since we first detected it."

"I bet you felt a little ridiculous saying that, didn't you Nancy?"

ETA: This was just posted today, and is made of AWESOME.

Suffrage by arsenicjade (gen, G)

CJ knew as well as--perhaps better than--anyone else that a vote might give someone a voice, but it didn't allow her a loudspeaker. Which was why, beyond satisfying her personal curiosity, she would ask other things of the people she met. She asked if the roads they were building went where people needed them to; if the jobs provided by the building of the roads were affecting the economy of the towns in any way noticeable at a ground level. Mostly she asked what people wanted, what they needed.

So you know what woman I have been loving a lot these days? Ashlee Simpson. I was going to put together a picspam ... but then I realized that all the pictures I had were from this picspam anyway. So please go forth and enjoy! And if you don't find your way back ... well, I understand. I'll be disappointed, because these stories are pretty kickass, but I have the exact same problem with Ashlee. *g*

However, the thing to keep in mind about Ashlee is that she isn't just gorgeous. (Although she really is!) She is actually really talented too. She is classically trained in ballet! And was Roxie Hart in a West End production of Chicago! And man, I know that her music isn't to everyone's taste, but she honestly does pop REALLY well, and I have a ton of respect for her for that. (Here! Have a little sampler of my favorite songs.) And recently, she made me stand up and cheer with her passionate defense of her sister and the hypocrisy of judging women on weight. However, since I expect that you are not all as sold on the Ashlee love as I am, allow these stories to convince you. I started out fond of her because of how she made Pete smile, but she is SUCH an awesome person in her own right, she really is. (For 14valentines day 7: Domestic Violence.)

Joyful Girl by longtime_lurker (mostly gen, Pete/Ashlee, R)

When you're Ashlee, you're just the ugly duckling with the big nose and mismatched outfits and peculiar sense of humor, clamoring vainly for attention, burning with the resentment of the forever-ignored.

But at age three Ashlee starts ballet lessons, and dancing becomes her life.

Three To Get Ready . . . by naotalba (Pete/Patrick/Ashlee, R)

So, they're pretty sure the baby is Patrick's. Patrick's entire sexual history has consisted of the kind of long-term partners you drop the condoms with pretty quickly, and Pete's, well, hasn't. Even after they made the decision to knock Ash up (and Pete insisted on calling the baby-making that – ‘Operation: Knock Ash Up’ – mostly to annoy Patrick, since it just made Ashlee snort), Pete would reach for a condom on instinct, and Patrick wouldn't, so red hair and green-blue eyes was pretty much exactly how Pete had pictured his son.

Pure Texas by sinsense (Pete/Ashlee, R)

He isn't her type, though, which she remembered in the morning. A little too swarthy, though she'd never say that. He's simultaneously too cool for her -– pop-punk is harder than pop, at least -– and too uncool, too proud of being a dork and a mental patient. He's kind of ugly, with his long torso and the weird blotchy patterns of tattoos on his arms and chest and back. He's got donkey teeth, and a weird laugh. And he wears his own designer line with plaid motherfucking pants.

"Are you wearing that out?" she asks, and he just laughs. She rolls her eyes and laughs back, but she's thinking nah, never again.

each peach by etben (Pete/Patrick/Ashlee, NC-17)

"She's—like, on the one hand she's totally been shaped by the bullshit culture of celebrity out here, but she has this thing where she just—she fucking owns it, you know? She makes it part of her." He runs his finger around the rim of his coffee cup like he's trying to make it sing. "I'm glad you like her, though."

Patrick shrugs. "I just hope she likes me, you know?"

"Well," Pete says, "duh," like it's just that easy.

sick hearts do fine with wasting their time by octette (Pete/Ashlee, PG)

Pete and Ashlee meet three times before someone introduces them. The first time, Ashlee doesn't even remember where, she sees Pete from across the room and makes a crack about his hair to the crowd of people standing around her. They laugh politely, which is okay since Ashlee knows she really wasn't that funny. Later, at the bar, as she's getting her third gin and tonic, she bumps into him "accidentally" and says, with a laugh in her throat, "Nice hair."

He looks her up and down and totally dismisses her. She knows when she's being excused with an eye roll. He says, "Nice tits," and grabs his drink, and leaves her standing there.

we were born to live here by loveyouallwrong (Pete/Patrick/Ashlee, PG)

Patrick stands, with sweaty palms and a rapidly beating heart, because no matter how many times he does it, standing in front of a crowd without the weight of a guitar never gets any easier.

"Hey," he says, and clinks his fork against his glass. "I kind of want to do my speech, if you guys are done eating."

For the first couple of days of this awesome challenge, I was mostly making an effort to keep with theme. Unfortunately, most of the subjects that I felt vaguely qualified to rec on a theme for came at the beginning! So for the rest of the challenge, my intros to these recs posts are going to be ... interesting. Like how I am going to make the claim that the reason for reccing 6 Sarah Connor Chronicle fics is due to the fact that Cameron would be an AWESOME person to have on your side if you were ever sexually assaulted. No, really, she would! Not so much with the compassion, but A+ for revenge. *g* (for 14valentines day 6: Sexual Assault)

She Moves (In Mysterious Ways) by svmadelyn (gen, PG)

"I read eight issues of Cosmopolitan magazine and decided this was a contemporary style that would complement my attire." At his blank look, she amends, "My dress. My hair looks good with my dress."

"Yeah," he grins. "It really does. Wait!" he says, as she starts heading for the gym doors. "I didn't give you your corsage!"

Maybe Tomorrow by hackthis (Cameron/John, PG)

Terminators do not prevaricate. There are no half-truths. And yet, she is Cameron Philips and she is not. She is the soul of Cameron Philips; she is Cameron Phillips' brain. She looks like Cameron; she has seen the photos. She has had this conversation many times with John -- her John, not this John. She meant what she said to Sarah Connor -- this is not her John. Her John is different. Her John created her when she died.

Her John -- her John is not really hers either. And yet, he is.

Happy Birthday by bigboobedcanuck (Cameron/John, NC-17)

Cameron didn’t reply, and methodically sopped up the milk from the floor. At the door, John turned. “Do you ever tell the truth?”

She continued wiping, not looking up. “Yes.”

“About important things?”

Her eyes met his. “Yes.”

The Past, in Plural by seperis (Cameron/John, PG)

"Who am I?" she asks. She isn't sure what it means; identity is for humans, their need to be something unlike what others already are. There's an edge to her voice that she's never heard; her programming processes it and finds no reference. He hadn't programmed her to know.

He leans back, arms folded over his stomach, seeping satisfaction like a scent. "That, you'll have to figure out for yourself."

Man, Moment, and Machine by lint138 (Cameron/John, PG-13)

“Is he?” He starts again, thinks it so weird to refer to what is essentially himself, as another person. “I don’t know, happy? Can you be happy living in hell?”

“Can you be happy not? She replies, her eyes softening, looking exactly as she had that day in New Mexico. Where she seemed so human, when he had no clue as to her true nature, something he hasn’t seen since.

Strangers on a Park Bench by oxoniensis (Cameron/John, PG)

"Don't do that, okay," John snaps, and walks off.

"I have to," Cameron says, catching up with him easily even though he's almost running. "I have to be aware of every possible source of danger."

So I was going through my bookmarks, and I realized that I had a TON of awesome stories about women who were confident and take charge with their sexuality. Unfortunately, there were not enough to do a single rec set for any one woman who I didn't already have a rec set planned for, so you guys are getting a very grab-bag RPF porn assortment today! It is oddly het centered, but with lots of pegging. IDEK. Enjoy the porn at any rate. ;-) (For 14valentines day 5: sexuality)

with my good eye closed by keepaofthecheez (CW RPF, Jared Padalecki/Lauren Graham, NC-17)

She snags the drink, swallows. “You old enough for this, Padalecki?”

The joke’s an old one, gets the same delighted belly laugh. Head thrown back, lips spread wide. Then, warm breath at her ear and his hand curls along her fingers. “Careful, now. Wouldn’t want Scott to be getting any crank calls next week.”

Girl with a Dangerous Smile by lordessrenegade (Canadian Actor RPF, Katee Sackhoff/Molly Parker/Callum Keith Rennie, NC-17)

Katee had told him to meet her in her trailer after filming. "I have a surprise," she said with a grin that had bent stronger men than Callum to her will.

He wasn't sure what to expect, but walking in to find her fucking Molly over the sofa was pretty much at the top of the list of things he hadn't planned on. He opened his mouth to say something, but then realized that after years of talking for a living, there was no possible line he could use in this situation. Instead, he stood there, and he watched.

Pretty Pink Ribbon by 7iris (Bandom, My Chemical Romance/Mindless Self Indulgence, Gerard/Lyn-Z, NC-17)

He snorts against her neck, and then says, careful and almost tentative. "I would, you know. I'd let you do that."

"Let me?"

"Want you to." His voice is lower, more certain. "Fucking hot, I want you to."

She laces their fingers together and thinks about it. "Yeah, okay."

Bend Over Boyfriend by sinsense (Bandom, My Chemical Romance, Jamia/Frank, NC-17)

She's actually looking for Pirates of the Caribbean when she finds the other DVD. The boys are out doing something, she didn't even ask, and she's too tired to go out and be sociable. She just wants Johnny Depp and microwave popcorn, but she can't find the damn movie. She thinks she has, when she feels the edge of a DVD box in the back, behind a messy pile of other movies. It takes some careful handling to get it out without toppling the whole stack over, but she manages. It's not Pirates of the Caribbean, though. It's Bend Over Boyfriend 2.

Of course she watches it.

And I Said No, No, No by gonnafeelgood (Bandom, Dresden Dolls, Katie Kay/Amanda Palmer, R)

But the thing that Amanda can not accept, the thing that is not fucking okay with her, is giving up sex.

Which the doctor never said she had to do.

Katie, apparently, has different ideas.

We Must Do as the Lady Demands by joker_and_thief (Bandom, Panic at the Disco, Brendon/Jon/Cassie, NC-17)

A lazy grin spreads across Jon's face. "She's pretty like that, huh?"

Brendon drops the Sidekick as if he's been burned by it. "I - uh..."

"I have to go to the bathroom," Brendon squeaks, and then he's gone

These Aren't the Droids You're Looking For by fiddleyoumust (Bandom, Panic at the Disco, Brendon/Ryan/Keltie, NC-17)

"Never have I ever made out with my best friend," Brendon says.

Spencer and Ryan smile at each other and take a swig. Jon takes a quick swig too, and when Brendon raises his eyebrow, Jon says, "What? Tom's an excellent kisser."

Keltie says, "Fuck it. Ryan's my best friend now," and she takes a drink too.

"You're in the minority on that one, Bren," Spencer says.

"Maybe it's because I don't have an exclusive bff," Brendon says. "I love all you assholes equally."

A Better Fuck by neverneverfic (Bandom, Panic at the Disco, Ryan/Keltie, NC-17)

She probably should have known going into it that sex was going to be an issue. Any boy who called himself “a hotter touch a better fuck” in his teen years probably had some inaccurate notions of his own prowess.

Today y'all are getting a celebration of motherhood in its various guises. Mostly because I have a pretty kick ass Mom and I realized when trying to figure out what to rec for today that I don't spend nearly enough time celebrating that fact. If you would like, you can consider it a continuation of this set of recs. Or just an early Happy Mother's Day to anyone who would consider themselves a mother. Or possibly just evidence that I feel guilty about thinking more about how awesome my mom is than I spend time telling her this. I think that all of the above would be accurate descriptions of this post. *g* (For 14valentines day 4: Reproductive Rights/Motherhood)

Talitha and Not Dead, Only Sleeping by lyo (Bandom, My Chemical Romance, Mikey/Alicia, gen, PG-13, 5 hanky warning)

When she cries, Mikey tries to remember everything he read and Alicia told him. He tries to support her head and not drop her and keep his voice calm and soothing, even if he feels grimy from sleeping on the couch without a sheet, where a spring cuts into his back for most of the night--when he's not pacing with Deirdre in his arms, hips bumping against the counter because he's too sleep-starved to keep his pacing in a straight line.

and with our red umbrellas by fated_addiction (Gilmore Girls, Dean/Rory, NC-17)

It’s much later where she plans it – although for the record, it’s his idea this time around and not hers, the subject breaking somewhere between early runs and breakfast.

Mothers and Daughters by muselives (Heroes, Matt/Audrey, PG-13, written during season 1, so I have NO clue if it is canon compliant with the rest of the show)

Trish Hanson was not a woman to mess with. It was the peacefulness of this neighboorhood that had convinced her to enjoy her last few years of old independence before her ungreatful daughter stuck her in a home. She flipped on her porch light and opened her door, ready to let loose her fiercest volley of words on whoever was ringing her doorbell at this ungodly hour of the morning.

Crazy Love by runthegamut (Bandom, Fall Out Boy, Pete/Ashlee, NC-17)

The last eight months of Pete’s life have been crazy: from the initial shock of finding out about the baby, which was quickly replaced by the pure, unadulterated joy of it; to the wedding and the subtle shift that’s taken place in his relationship with Ashlee now that he’s a husband and not just a boyfriend; to the writing, recording, and impending release of the new album and a new era of Fall Out Boy. It’s been crazy, but in the best way and even though he’s not happy every second of every day, he is happy, in that meaningful way where he feels like everything’s clicked into place and it’s okay to be in his skin.

Duet by dsudis (Numb3rs, gen, PG)

Don let his fingers hover over the keys, just learning their places again, before he sounded a chord from his mother's piece, sliding into a couple of measures he remembered. He played softly, letting the notes linger in the silence, and then let his hands fall to his lap. He didn't know where Charlie had put the music--probably in the bench, with all the rest. It wasn't on the dining room table anymore.

Uptight by smercy (Sarah Connor Chronicles, gen, PG)

After all the fight and work, they only managed to delay J-Day for long enough to give John a future worth fighting for.

There are so many different vids in which our fictional women kick ass and take names. For today, have six different examinations of how these women do so across genre! (For 14valentines day 3: Women and Health)

Glorious by such_heights

This is the story of our heroines, who are knocked down but rise again, and they're glorious for doing so. Some of the fandoms here are old favourites of mine, some are shows I got to know a little about through putting this together. This isn't so much about Buffy Summers or Teyla Emmagan or Kara Thrace or Martha Jones or Temperance Brennan as it is about all of them, about the stories we're told time and again, and the stories we tell ourselves.

Revenge by absolutedestiny

Because sometimes bad shit happens ... and damn isn't it cathartic to envision the revenge. A profile of the aesthetics and violence of 30 years of exploitation cinema... with all that that implies.

I Want to Be Evil by halcyon_shift

I wanna be evil, I wanna spit tacks, I wanna be evil, and cheat at jacks! Or, as LithiumDoll put it, This one was raised by wolves.

Ladies Night by counteragent

Professional competence is sexy.

The Reckoning by astartexx and xandra_ptv

’The beast has come to steal your heart.’ Good, bad, friends, enemies and everything in between. The women of fandoms are hottest while taking each other on.

I'm Your Man by charmax

A Celebration of Media Cliches for International Day of Femslash 08

ETA: I didn't actually read today's essay before posting this, but I have another book rec for you! The Making of Our Bodies, Ourselves by Kathy Davis. If you have any interest in the history of the Boston Women's Health Collective or in exploring a multi-cultural feminism, this book might be of interest to you. It's grad school, so some of my fellow class-mates picked it to shreds on theoretical grounds last semester, but it is readable, thought provoking and it really convinced me. Enjoy!

Continuing on with 14 Valentines, I have more recs for you. But this time, it is mostly for actual books, with pages and everything! I know, I know - don't fall over from the shock - I do read things not on my computer every once in a while. ;-) (For day 2 of 14valentines: Transgender Issues)

Non-Fiction

Transgender History by Susan Stryker

This is an AWESOME place to start if you consider your self entirely uninformed on most things related to transgender issues. I think that it is quite possibly the most readable academic book I have ever read in my entire life, but without sacrificing any of the important intellectual questions.

How Sex Changed: A History of Transsexuality in the United States by Joanne Meyerowitz

Not quite the best book I have ever read on the subject, but it does a very nicely readable history. Meyerowitz sketches out a much more detailed history than Stryker's book has time to go into and includes some very interesting food for thought about the role of medicine in the lives of many in the transgender community.

In a Queer Time and Place by Judith Halberstam

JUDITH HALBERSTAM! *flaps and flails* I kind of really love her work a LOT. I don't know that I agree with all of it all the time, but I always respect what she has to say and she always makes me re-examine many of the easy assumptions that I hold in my life. I have only read the first two chapters of this so far, but if the rest of the book is even half as interesting as those two, then it is well worth the effort.

Fiction

(Sadly, I am only just now starting my Transgender Lit class tomorrow, so while I know and in fact own many other books on the subject, which I am certain will be wonderful, I have not yet read them and so can not offer them up for recommendation. Next year though, I am certain I shall have a completely kick-ass recs list for this day! For this year however, if anyone is really interested, I am more than happy to e-mail you a copy of our book and movie list. Consider this the abbreviated, more tangentially related list. :o)

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

The main character Cal is in fact intersexed, which is not always considered as falling under the umbrella of transgender for various reasons. However, this is such a BEAUTIFUL work of fiction I just had to make an exception for it. Historically grounded and humanly compelling and gah. If I could have picked one book in the entire world that I could claim as having written, this would be that book.

Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich

Cross-dressing priests FTW! This book also somewhat sketchily straddles this line between trans-related and not, but I would contend that Fr. Damien's experience of living as a man, while it might not have started out as an identity at the beginning of the book, honestly had transformed into one by the end. Also, it is just an awesomely compelling and well-written book in its own right, even if the majority of the book focuses more on issues of faith than Damien's gender.

Also, have some fanfic! stepps's bandom crossdressing and transgender master list includes some stories that I might personally quibble with (because they are VERY tangentially related) but it is very comprehensive and most of them are well worth a glance. kyuuketsukirui's transgender masterlist is much more narrowly defined, but it encompasses as many fandoms as people have found fic for.

6 Fic Recs on the subject of Greta Salpeter, my favorite member of The Hush Sound. Posted for 14valentines. Not really related today's subject of Body Image, but y'all should go and check out the other things that have been posted so far, because the talent that is displayed every year is made of AWESOME. \0/

Like In Songs by savvygambols (gen, G)

"What's up, Bobby," she says.

He had found a youtube video of a dog knocking a baby over.

Greta giggles for about five minutes and then she says, "oh hey, so, I told Cashmoney that we're not speaking."

lead me to callin' you by belle_bing (Greta/Brendon, NC-17)

Brendon turns his head to look at her out of the corner of his eye. “So what was the tv show about?”

Greta has to keep from grinning, or giggling, mostly at the irony of this whole situation. Instead, she wiggles her toes and tucks her hands underneath her thighs. “It was about the history of sex,” she says.

5 Times Greta Salpeter Questions her Straightness by quarterturn (Greta/VickyT, R)

She tries not to pay attention when someone mentions that Melissa Gold is going with Andy Whiteside, and definitely doesn't pay attention to the little disappointed flop her stomach does. If she does pay attention, it's only to tell her stomach that being jealous that Melissa has time to go to prom is not healthy, and stop flopping at me, that can't be healthy either.

In the Mood for a Melody by tigs (Greta/Alex Marshall, AU, PG-13)

He says 'Hi' when he passes her on campus, can recognize her laugh from halfway down the hallway, and one night she came into the room he was sharing with Tom to ask him something (he never did figure out what), saw 'SLC Punk' on the TV, and in the process of not-leaving, helped him kill the last third of the fifth of vodka Ian thought he'd hidden in his closet. Because that was such a fucking awesome hiding place, you know?

Basically, she's a girl who hangs out at their house and yeah.

That's about it.

The History of the World by olivia_circe (gen, G)

“Ah yes,” Gabe says, “that.” He gets to his feet and leans languorously against the door. “I’m afraid I broke into your hotel room.”

Greta crosses her arms and stares him down—stares him up, really, but it’s the spirit of the thing—“Then I’m afraid there will be repercussions.”

Gabe spreads his hands, “Well, that’s the thing.” He smiles, the picture of innocent insouciance, “I was hoping that perhaps we could—negotiate.”

Mostly Products Created By Nature by skoosiepants (Greta/Bob Bryar, AU, PG-13)

Bob turns to stare at her. “Crazy’s a good look on you,” he says finally.

Bob Bryar is not dreamy. Bob Bryar looks like the kind of guy who could fuck you up in a back alley, but doesn’t care enough about you to actually do it. Greta has had the most inconvenient crush on Bob Bryar since freshman year.

fill in the blanket (bed scenes) by sobrellevar (gen, G)

It’s late afternoon, the house is empty; Greta falls asleep in the upstairs hallway. Underneath her, the mottled-green carpet secretly likes to pretend it’s a forest floor, mossy and soft.

Happy More Joy Day you guys! *beams and twirls you all around* I treasure this day every time it comes around, because spreading happiness is AWESOME. This time, I decided to rec some art from some of the various winter challenges. I had half a notion to do a set of recs of the fics from the recent challenges, but a.) I haven't had a chance to scratch the surface of most of the archives and b.) artists always get the short end of the stick when it comes to recognition. So without further adieu, some really amazing art!

( From YuleTart )

( From Bandom Solstice )

( From Due South Seekrit Santa )

Also, THANK YOU anon polar bear giver! You always seem to show up at More Joy Day and that polar bear never ceases to put a smile on my face. For that, I ♥ you. Also, thank all of you for being such an important part of my life. It wouldn't be half as joyous without you guys. ♥ ♥ ♥