Reading

The Angel Trap (Supernatural Fic)

Title: The Angel Trap
Author: Glory_Jean
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairing/Characters: Dean Winchester/Castiel
Rating: PG
Length: 1694
Summary: Not long after Cas returns from the empty, Dean and Cas get drawn into an undercover case by their favorite wayward young hunters. But they quickly realize it’s not what they expect. Meanwhile even though Dean knows he isn’t relationship material he’s having trouble keeping his feelings to himself. Cas and this case are not helping matters. Not to mention this pack of annoying kids. Claire and Alex have a plan. Patience and Kaia are along for the ride. Jack is just having a good time.

Notes: Season 13 if most of that *waves hands* Apocalypse World stuff didn’t happen. Don’t worry about it. It’s total crack.

Link: https://glory-jean.dreamwidth.org/226620.html

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clair obscur

Possible Candidate For My All-Time Favourite Soundtrack.

More of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33! I've beaten the two Axons and I've just entered the Monolith.

( Spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. )

In this game, I often find myself facing a powerful enemy, failing, going 'well, this is obviously impossible' and then beating them on the second try. It's pretty satisfying!

I've started prioritising Agility to a ludicrous extent. Pouring all of my points into it, neglecting all of my other stats. It's just so useful!

Bridesmaid with Benefits (Doctor Who (1963))

Title: Bridesmaid with Benefits
Author: natequarter
Fandom: Doctor Who (1963)
Pairing Sarah Jane Smith/Harry Sullivan
Rating: Teen and Up
Length: 22,614 words
Chapters: 10/10
Summary: Harry Sullivan’s one rule is: not to sleep with Sarah Jane Smith. Yes, she’s hot, but falling into bed with her after every wedding must stop! But when Harry sees a new side to her, he decides that some rules are made to be broken.
Notes: Based on In Room 732: Bridesmaid with Benefits by Amy Andrews.

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I'm Not Sure I'm Actually Capable Of Rendering That Many People Unconscious.

Time for a dream roundup!

( Dreams from April, May and June. )

I haven't really been remembering my dreams lately; I didn't note any dreams down at all for a period of over a month from early May. I wonder what makes my recollection fluctuate. Maybe I remember my dreams less if I'm sleeping at a comfortable temperature?

haven't been home lately (why keep a room?) (Justified; Raylan Givens/Tim Gutterson)

Title: haven't been home lately (why keep a room?)
Rating: Explicit
Fandom: Justified
Relationship: Raylan Givens/Tim Gutterson
Additional Tags: Masturbation, Getting Together, coworkers with benefits, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex

Summary:
Thoughts circling like the fan blades, Tim comes back to the same frustrating reality. He's been working with Raylan for months now, and each infuriating habit is growing increasingly endearing. The way Raylan carries himself doesn't help, and when Tim's eyes close, Raylan's swagger plays on repeat against Tim's eyelids.

"Stupid cowboy," Tim mutters, although there's no one around to overhear — he's not back in the barracks, isn't trying to keep quiet in a hostile household.

A/N: For Unconventional Courtship. The Harlequin Romance I picked was Never Tempt A Lawman by Lauri Robinson

Book Summary

Western Kansas, 1866

Steady, wealthy and oh-so-safe—that's the kind of husband Bess Trundale wants. Someone like the local banker's son. Someone unlike Sheriff Kirk Landers. The lawman's confident swagger gets right under her skin…and into her fantasies. And though she's tried to ignore the chemistry surging between them, one night is about to change everything.

Kirk isn't planning on being anyone's husband ever again. But months of living under the same boardinghouse roof as quick-witted, feisty Bess have stirred desires he can't ignore. Together they could put their pasts to rest and claim a bold, passionate future—if he can tempt her to break all the rules with him….

AO3 (Archive Locked) | Dreamwidth

Current Mood: annoyed

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Wednesday Reading Meme

What I Just Finished Reading

Nothing! Still trying to get fic written.

What I'm Reading Now

Comics Wednesday!

( Marvel United #1, New Avengers #1, One World Under Doom #5, Ultimate Black Panther #17, Ultimate X-Men #16 )

What I'm Reading Next

Who knows? I have a stupid migraine again. Great.

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astvanor

Astvanor Session 165 (6/6)

( In which the Hooligans spend some time shopping for magical weapons with the wizard’s assassin girlfriend, who gets them a useful connection )

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books

May Books

Trying to be better about posting at least short book recs, and also I was part of a Trans and Nonbinary Pride book talk panel for World Pride in May so I read so many queer books last month.

Linus and Etta Could Use a Win by Caroline Huntoon - A middle grade series about a trans boy moving to a new school and a girl he befriends. Very sweet, I especially loved Linus, who came out and it went fine, everyone was supportive, but then he just kept having to come out again and again and he wanted a fresh start with people who only know him as a guy when his family moves to be closer to his elderly grandmother.

Just Happy to Be Here by Naomi Kanakia - A YA novel set in an alternate Virginia about a trans girl trying to get into an elite group at her private school. This was an interesting read-- it's very much the POV of a self-absorbed teenage girl who does not want to be face of the trans right movement, she just wants to date this other girl and talk about historical speeches. There's transphobia and racism, but Tara carves out a happy life for herself.

The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy - A post-apocalyptic punk horror fantasy story about a woman trying to figure out why her best friend killed himself after leaving a mysterious town. This was a little slight for me, but the horror elements were great and I enjoyed a lot of the characters and enjoyed it enough to seek out the sequel.

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by G. Parry - An adult fantasy novel set post-WWI in which a woman discovers faeries and magic are real and gets a scholarship to a magic university to try and save her older brother from a faerie curse. Probably my favorite of the books I read, the worldbuilding is cool, the friendships are fascinating and complicated, there's interesting classism involved, and I just really liked the main character a lot.

In the Form of a Question by Amy Schneider - A memoir of the longest-running female contestant on Jeopardy and her journey to that and figuring out she was trans. This was a great read, I really loved how Amy's love of learning came across and her anecdotes were funny and sad and complicated but all ultimately hopeful.

The City in Glass by Nghi Vo - A fantasy novel about a demon whose mortal city is destroyed by angels and her relationship with an angel she cursed that stays in the dead city with her. What a weird book, I say with great affection. The demon has such a completely alien mind which is a great POV, and her grief over her lost city and efforts to build a new one is a compelling read. Probably my other favorite of what I read but then I love all of Nghi Vo's works.

These Fragile Graces This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein - A post-apocalyptic scifi noir novella in which a trans woman is trying to solve the murder of her ex-girlfriend in the commune she self-exiled herself from a few years earlier. Also a wild ride! The main character makes some interesting decisions, the mystery is engaging and twisty, and I really enjoyed the ending.

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Fanfiction: Piercing the Heart (The Hundred Line, Yugamu/Takumi)

Here's a short Hundred Line fic in which Takumi asks Yugamu to stab him with the Infuser, because I feel Yugamu should be allowed to stab everyone with their Infusers when it's time to fight. I think he'd have a great time.

Title: Piercing the Heart
Fandom: The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy
Rating: 14
Pairing: Yugamu/Takumi
Wordcount: 2,300
Summary: Yugamu’s face cracks open in a slow, unsettling smile. Takumi already regrets this.

( Piercing the Heart )

A Difficult Decision (ST:TNG, Beverly Crusher/Will Riker)

Title: A Difficult Decision
Author: paranoidangel
Fandom: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Pairing/Characters: Beverly Crusher/Will Riker, Deanna Troi/Worf, Will Riker/Deanna Troi
Rating: General
Length: 1751 words
Summary: Doctor Beverly Crusher has always treasured her friendship with first officer Will Riker. Until an unexpected night of passion leaves her expecting his baby! Now she must acknowledge what she’s long denied: Beverly wants Will to be more than her best friend. But Beverly’s previous trauma still haunts her, and Will’s scared of losing what they already have. Can they find the courage to forge a life – as a family?
Notes: Set after Generations, and at the beginning and end of Triangle: Imdazi 2 by Peter David

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66299935

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Thank You Very Macho.

Back to The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy! I played as far as the game would let me on the Mystery route, and now... well, I'm not sure what route I'm on now, but I can tell you that it contains the line 'I'll just have to make some counterfeit panties!'

( Notes on The Hundred Line. )

I'd seen it said that this game's script was long enough to fill sixty novels, which seemed implausible, so I investigated.

Riona: Yeah, I think that's an exaggeration, or at least they'd have to be short novels. Six million Japanese characters is apparently... maybe two point five or three million English words? It's probably more like thirty novels, if we're looking at average novel length. Five or six times the length of The Lord of the Rings.
Tem: Oh, God, we'll be here forever. We're stuck in a time loop.
Riona: I always knew this would happen.
Tem, simultaneously: We were always going to end up here.

I can't believe The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy exists. The scale of it just does not feel like anything that would be created with commercial intent. It's a passion project; it's an Umineko, it's a Homestuck. Any sane studio would have stopped at the first route or two. But somehow here this game is, in all its sprawling, ridiculous glory.

As if the game weren't vast enough already, Kodaka has said he wants to add more routes, possibly consulting the fans on what they want to see.

I think we should all petition him to make my orgy fic canon. I think that would be right up his street.

Falling for His Rival

Falling for His Rival (21,217 words) by ArtemisDart
Chapters: 4/4
Fandom: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Armitage Hux
Characters: Poe Dameron, Armitage Hux
Additional Tags: Unconventional Courtship 2025, Modern Era, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Reality TV, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Food, Recipes, POV Alternating, Armitage Hux Has Issues, Armitage Hux Has No Chill, Armitage Hux Has a Bad Childhood, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Gay Poe Dameron, Poe Dameron is a Menace, Flirty Poe Dameron, Rivals With Benefits, Enemies to Lovers
Summary:
Blurb taken from Falling for Her Rival, by Jackie Braun

For chef Poe Dameron, it's time to turn up the heat. Three years ago he hit rock bottom. Now he's ready for a comeback, starting with winning a TV competition to secure a spot running New York's trendiest kitchen! He just didn't count on his attraction to rival Armitage Hux burning a hole in his plans…

Hux has worked his apron off for this opportunity, and total focus on the competition was the plan — which is difficult when all he can think about is wanting his opponent out of the kitchen and in his bed! But there can only be one winner, and sometimes, to win, a guy has to play dirty!

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We Continue.

My gaming partner Tem has been away for a few days, so I've been taking an enforced break from ludicrous child soldier simulator The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy.

I was itching for something else to play in the meantime, so I've picked up Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I'm having a really good time with it!

The central concept of Clair Obscur is so interesting. This is the main reason I took an interest in this game; I looked up the central premise and went, 'Huh, that's really unusual and fascinating.' The fact that a lot of people I follow on Dreamwidth are playing and enjoying it definitely helped to recommend it! But just learning the premise was the first thing that tempted me to play this game.

I'll pop the premise behind a short cut, just in case anyone wants to go into this game knowing nothing at all. This cut only contains the basic concept of the game; there's a more spoilery cut further down the post.

( The premise of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. )

I was a little nervous about the battle system, but I'm enjoying it! It's challenging - more than once I've had my party wiped out during a regular enemy encounter - but I'm having fun. I tend not to like games that really expect you to be able to parry with precise timing, but it turns out that's a demand I'm a lot more comfortable with in a turn-based battle system; I only have to focus on parrying during the enemy's turn, rather than having to worry about it all the time.

The scenery is gorgeous. I love how weird and dreamlike the landscapes are. Incredible soundtrack, too.

Major spoilers below the cut! I've just reached the Forgotten Battlefield.

( Spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. )

As a final note: Clair Obscur is perhaps the Frenchest game I've ever played, which is saying something, given that I've played Assassin's Creed: Unity.

Current Mood: creative

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Wednesday Reading Meme

What I Just Finished Reading

Marie Javins, Iron Man: Extremis Prose Novel: Extremis is an Iron Man arc I have read a lot, and I read this prose adaptation because I was interested in comparing the two; novelizations often flesh out the stories with additional details and I wanted to see what additional material was in here and what it was like.

(Also I promised myself I'd read one book a month and I finished this on the 31st in, like, an hour. I had a lot of migraines last month.)

The answer is that it's... weird. There is a lot of MCUification -- Tony has an arc reactor, a public superhero identity, and an AI named JARVIS, as well as a massive crush on Pepper -- but then it's also very comics -- Tony is sober, is clearly a working superhero and has been one for many many years, has a human butler named Jarvis who still works for the Avengers (who are clearly Tony's longtime friends), and has undergone at least a few of his bigger comics storylines, like being drunk and losing his company to Stane and being broke and living on the streets. You know. That one.

So I'm not really sure who this is for, because it's gonna annoy die-hard comics fans. I guess it's for fans who want to read some Iron Man and don't care much about continuity. Also, if you want a whole bunch of body-horror details about how Extremis works that are even more body-horrific than canon (like, Tony is conscious, mostly lucid, and blind and paralyzed and in pain the entire time he's in the cocoon and he is aware that Maya is talking to him) then I guess this is for you?

Also, weirdly, one of the ongoing themes is basically that it's Sexual Humiliation Hour for Tony? The first page of this book wants to tell us that there are tabloid stories about how Tony can't get it up, and the big Extremis reveal features Maya making fun of Tony because his dick's not bigger. I, uh. Okay? Yeah? Wasn't expecting any of that.

What I'm Reading Now

Comics Wednesday!

( Doctor Strange of Asgard #4, Imperial #1, Ultimate Spider-Man Incursion #1, Ultimate Wolverine #1 )

What I'm Reading Next

IDK. All my Not Having Migraines time is going to finishing this exchange fic and not reading.

(no subject)

Those Golden Olden Times (1390 words) by aflaminghalo
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne
Characters: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson
Additional Tags: Golden Age AU, Unconventional Courtship 2025
Summary:

Bruce Wayne puts away his playboy facade and drowns his painful past in whiskey--like he does every year on this night. Except this time Dick Grayson is determined to make him face his demons.