bluflamingo: half orange with segments in rainbow colours (Keller: pretty and glittery)
bluflamingo ([personal profile] bluflamingo) wrote2008-12-21 09:31 pm
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My weekend in a numbered list...

1. I am victorious over my packing (moving house on new year's eve, yay!), my laundry, my posting of christmas presents and my buying of furniture (including an amy moment* in which I acquired a chest of drawers that would have been £70 including delivery for only £30, because I went by a nice secondhand place). However, I have also packed all my tools away, despite knowing I'm going to need them the day before I move in order to take apart the furniture I already own. Thankfully, I labelled all the boxes this time, so I just have to find the right one.

*So named for my little sister, who has a tendency to pick out something she wants, take it to the till, and find that it's being sold for about half of what she was expecting to pay.

2. I've succumbed to the mass fandom diversion to Merlin (as if there was ever any doubt I would - it has wizards, sorcery, Anthony Head and a dragon). It's a lot funnier than I was expecting, and may explain why I haven't got anywhere with my [livejournal.com profile] sg_flyboys fic, having spent today reading Merlin fic instead.

3. Of the good: I have a long femslash plot for SGA. Of the bad: I also have a het plot. I don't write het! At all! And I suspect that it will bring the Rodney lovers to demand my head on a pike, and probably also make the Keller haters think I agree with them. It may also require me to actually watch more than the first minute of Brainstorm. Despite all this, I desperatly want to write it, if only to make up for all the fic that has Keller as some kind of evil witch who's wrecking Rodney's life when he should be with John (because Rodney isn't ever complicit in their relationship, it's all Keller's fault. If SGA were merged with Merlin, she'd be Nimueh).

Actually, both of the ideas require me to watch Brainstorm, and the first one requires the one about the runner, the name of which escapes me. Sigh.

4. Three days from now, I will be home for Christmas, and as badly as Christmas went last year (oh, so very badly, especially considering my faher didn't find out that I came out to my grandmother by letter a few months before. Which, hey, fate's probably saving that for *this* Christmas, so I can uphold my reputation as the bad daughter. Excellent), I don't care because I'm homesick and I miss my mum, and I actually cried at the end of this week's Criminal Minds, which is nothing if not a sign that I need to go home for a few days.

5. I'm off to write about John, Cam and Alex, and snow, and hot chocolate. And possibly make myself hot chocolate to go with it.

[identity profile] ionaonie.livejournal.com 2008-12-21 10:07 pm (UTC)(link)
YAY - You got caught by the Merlin bug *g*

It's a fun affliction to have, I can tell you.

I'm possibly slightly obsessed - probably more with Arthur than anything else *G*

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-21 10:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, Arthur's kind of interestingly messed up - I like the way he keeps doing the right thing almost against his will, like he really wants to be ruthless and like his father, but he's just too much of a good person to actually be.

[identity profile] athousanderrors.livejournal.com 2008-12-21 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
*delurks* Just curious - where did you find Merlin? I've been looking for it EVERYWHERE, having seen the last episode and getting curious as to where all my fandom faves have disappeared to...

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-21 11:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Merlin the show, or Merlin fic? The former at mininova.org, the latter via [livejournal.com profile] crack_van.

[identity profile] athousanderrors.livejournal.com 2008-12-21 11:05 pm (UTC)(link)
I meant the show, but thank you for both!

My computer hates torrents, so I'll have to keep looking...*kicks ancient PC*

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-21 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, then that doesn't help you much. If you know of somewhere I could upload it so you can just download it, though, I don't mind doing that. Everyone should be able to appreciate snarky Merlin and pretty Gwen and Morgana. Or handsome Arthur, if that's more your thing :)

[identity profile] athousanderrors.livejournal.com 2008-12-21 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I have absolutely no clue. I'm pants at uploady/downloady things.

I've become quite a fan of Arthur and Merlin through fic. And also because of Bradley/Arthur's stupid face. He's almost as good at ridiculous faces as John Sheppard.

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-21 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
I have absolutely no clue. I'm pants at uploady/downloady things.

That makes two of us :) I'll link if I figure it out - how complicated can it really be?!
skieswideopen: Sydney Bristow and Nadia Santos standing on a bridge (Default)

[personal profile] skieswideopen 2008-12-21 11:35 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm glad to hear you're moving! I know you weren't fond of where you were. And good luck with the visit home. Will your grandmother be present at Christmas?

I know you don't write het, but I kind of want to read your story after what you've said about it.

I guess I may eventually have to download Merlin, just to see what all the fuss is about.

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-22 09:42 am (UTC)(link)
And good luck with the visit home. Will your grandmother be present at Christmas?

Thanks! She will be present, yes, and it'll be the first time she's seen me since last Christmas, when she accused me of being just like my father (not a compliment, as much as I love him). On the bright side, my mum will be there this year (last year she was in hospital) and my sister won't, which will probably help (mainly because my gran will be stuck with only me to talk to).

I know you don't write het, but I kind of want to read your story after what you've said about it.

I really want to write it, but it's just got so much potential for coming off completely wrong, and making everyone decide I hate Keller. I think I need to find a really good beta reader, who'll happily tell me if it all goes horribly wrong.

Which will be fun!

[identity profile] ninja007.livejournal.com 2008-12-22 12:21 am (UTC)(link)
YEA!!

You're going to write about John, Cam and Alex!!!

You made my day!!

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-22 09:48 am (UTC)(link)
3000 words in about 2 and a half hours - if only everything else got written that fast. Should be posting it sometime this afternoon.

[identity profile] 10pmpacifictime.livejournal.com 2008-12-22 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
2) I've stayed away from Merlin, because my geeky medievalist is going to flail worse than when SG-1 did king Arthur.

3) I've always liked Nimue and I've always found Mallory's portrayal of her more complex than later authors giver her credit for.

4) Last week's Criminal Minds was freaking tragic. And that was even with out the gut wrench of the guy being played by Mitch Pillegi.

5) JOHN! CAM! ALEX! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I know they are all your work, but I can't help but feel like it's my universe just a little, and it's a warm fuzzy feeling every time it grows.

Can you recommend a good beta? I'm on page twelve of my epic Granger/Lorne fic and I need someone to read over what I've gotten so far and maybe help me through the rest.

*trundles off to make herself hot chocolate*

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-22 09:53 am (UTC)(link)
I've stayed away from Merlin, because my geeky medievalist is going to flail worse than when SG-1 did king Arthur.

I think the best attitude for Merlin is to pretend it's set in some alternate medieval universe, rather than this one. I don't know a lot about medieval life, but even I know they don't go around saying 'ok'.

Last week's Criminal Minds was freaking tragic

It really was. I hate the ones where I end up feeling like it would have been better for someone if they had been killed :( The depressing thing is, it wasn't the plot that made me cry, it was the bit at the end with the team and JJ and the baby. There's no hope for me!

I know they are all your work, but I can't help but feel like it's my universe just a little, and it's a warm fuzzy feeling every time it grows.

It's definitely your universe a bit, you put the idea out there in the first place. I like that it's shared anyway, especially with [livejournal.com profile] dossier writing a bit for them as well.

Can you recommend a good beta?

For something with Numb3rs, sadly no. The people who've ever beta'd for me don't watch it. I'd offer, but I'm kind of crazy busy at the moment, and I just don't have time. You could try [livejournal.com profile] fandom_betas, someone there might be able to help.

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/_la_la_la/ 2008-12-22 06:19 am (UTC)(link)
Yes! Another one falls to the sparkly power of Merlin :D I love all the characters, even if I'm shipping Merlin/Arthur so hard. Morgana and Gwen have some lovely scenes together, though I'm hoping for more development of Gwen in the second series.

Yay - more John, Cam, & Alex! *smishes*

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-22 09:54 am (UTC)(link)
Yes! Another one falls to the sparkly power of Merlin

I was going to stay away from pseudo-medieval fandoms (my first fandom was the 2004 King Arthur movie), but I was seduced by [livejournal.com profile] franticsga's Air Force weather forecasters AU.
ariadne83: cropped from official schematics (Default)

[personal profile] ariadne83 2008-12-22 08:11 am (UTC)(link)
I hope you know, I'm really looking forward to #3, whichever idea you end up writing.

I sympathise - my brain has been taken over by a Rodney/Jennifer friendship-fic plotbunny.

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-22 09:59 am (UTC)(link)
I hope you know, I'm really looking forward to #3, whichever idea you end up writing.

Thanks. I really want to do both of them, but the prospect of the second one kind of terrifies me, because it's break up fic from Jennifer's point of view, where she's not the bad guy, but Rodney kind of is a little bit, because of the team and John, and I just - ugh, it has so much potential to go horribly wrong and be hated by everyone. And also get me accused of hating Jennifer, which I really don't want since I like her and I want her to be sympathetic in it. And also because I'm sick of stories where they break up and it's all her fault because she should just step aside and let Rodney be with John, and Rodney is totally innocent.

So, yeah, it has a lot of potential for disaster, I feel :)

my brain has been taken over by a Rodney/Jennifer friendship-fic plotbunny.

Cool :)
ariadne83: cropped from official schematics (Default)

[personal profile] ariadne83 2008-12-22 10:37 am (UTC)(link)
See, as much as I like Rodney I enjoy seeing him be the bad guy on occasion. Really, sometimes he's not very nice - he can be oblivious and forgetful, and he can have a one-track mind. I've even see him forget who he's talking to and just say whatever insult pops into his head, even when it makes no sense. It's one of the things that make him so compelling. I say bring it on, but I understand the wariness about fandom's reaction. It's a crazy place at the moment.

I've just about hit my limit with stories where he 'realises' he never cared about her at all, on any level. As much as I want to see Rodney and John get together, sometimes I *want* it to be hard, especially because choosing to be with John is arguably the more difficult option (and I know we don't *choose* who we love, but I think Rodney's practical-minded enough to at least try).

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-22 12:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Really, sometimes he's not very nice - he can be oblivious and forgetful, and he can have a one-track mind.

Exactly. They're not really suited to each other, in my opinion, but it's as much him as it is her, and her pointing out ways in which he could be different is not a sign that she's a terrible person, nor is it a sign that Rodney's helpless before her machinations. If he doesn't want to, he doesn't have to, and also, he could leave her. They're dating, not married with three kids, and even if the latter were true, if he hated it that much, he could still leave! She doesn't have magical mind-controlling powers over him!

I've just about hit my limit with stories where he 'realises' he never cared about her at all, on any level.

Definitely. And John always ends up admitting his feelings after the break-up and having Rodney fall into bed with him, declaring that if he'd only known, he never would have been with Keller, and there's never a moment when either one of them is bothered by this. If I was John, I think I'd be pretty bothered by the idea that I spent months wanting someone while he messed around with someone he didn't even care about, and usually only ended it because she did. It doesn't exactly seem like the most solid foundation for a relationship!

sometimes I *want* it to be hard, especially because choosing to be with John is arguably the more difficult option

Particularly since Rodney seems to want what a straight relationship would give him - someone to go to things with him, as his partner openly, someone he can get married to - and those things are never going to happen with John. It seems like it should be a bigger mental shift than, oh, ok, you do like me, let's have sex.
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[personal profile] ariadne83 2008-12-22 10:23 pm (UTC)(link)
If I was John, I think I'd be pretty bothered by the idea that I spent months wanting someone while he messed around with someone he didn't even care about

Excellent point. I wouldn't want to date someone who was OK with using people and lying to them (because Rodney did tell her he loved her).

It seems like it should be a bigger mental shift than, oh, ok, you do like me, let's have sex.

Exactly! And I'm not convinced (as some people seem to be) that Rodney wants to be in Pegasus forever. He wants his Nobel, and he wants to bask in the recognition. If they declassify the Stargate program, I don't think he'll ever get over going to conferences and saying "I told you so".

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-23 09:08 am (UTC)(link)
I wouldn't want to date someone who was OK with using people and lying to them

Exactly! How would you know he wasn't doing the same to you, because there was someone else he still wanted more than you? And how would you deal with the person he had been messing around with - it's not like John and Jennifer can avoid each other!

He wants his Nobel, and he wants to bask in the recognition.

Yeah. He's not going to hide out in Atlantis forever with John. I think if you'd give up being at the forefront of galactic discovery and helping to save a galaxy in return for recognition, you don't deserve to be there anyway, but that's just me :)

[identity profile] kyizi.livejournal.com 2008-12-22 02:56 pm (UTC)(link)
it has wizards, sorcery, Anthony Head and a dragon

...see, I'm at a loss as to why I haven't started watching that yet!

I'm off to write about John, Cam and Alex, and snow, and hot chocolate. And possibly make myself hot chocolate to go with it.

*flails* Really? *g* YEAY!

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-22 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
see, I'm at a loss as to why I haven't started watching that yet!

You really should :) Just don't think too hard about how it's supposed to be medieval times, and you'll be fine (and try to ignore them saying 'ok')!

[identity profile] kyizi.livejournal.com 2008-12-23 01:41 pm (UTC)(link)
lol, ignore the little things and enjoy the whole, then? ;)

[identity profile] bluflamingo.livejournal.com 2008-12-23 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Basically. Or at least pretend that everything they say is being translated from medieval to modern English, so they're using their equivalent of ok, rather than the actual word!

[identity profile] kyizi.livejournal.com 2008-12-28 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)
ah, I think I can handle that. Will need to look it out when I've got a mo. I'm sure I have the first few episodes somewhere.