So sayeth the shepherd, so sayeth the flock!

[aruan]

J.K. Rowling is planning an eight book, and even if it's merely outtakes, I'm a happy, happy girl, as I continue to have no luck at all with the fic in that fandom. There have got to be people who can write Harry/Snape, but in the meantime there's the drivel I've been reading. Someone please tell me this pairing can be done in a way that doesn't make me want to stick a spork in my eye.

Had occasion to look at my schedule for next semester. Seventeen credits. The most I've ever taken is fifteen, and that was my first semester of Freshman year when I was still rather puppyish about my studies. *meep* However, there is one class in there that's not necessary, and doing the math, I figured out that if I keep on myself for the next two semesters, I can graduate on time. Which would be grand, as I can think of few worse fates than being alone in Gainesville. *shudder*

In some non-news, I continue to have one of the best friends in the world even half of one away, the strongest and most selfless mother ever, wonderfully generous footage enablers who made me laugh more in a couple of hours this morning than I have in days. I'm thinking the post-Paris/Challenge/hormone-induced depression has run its course and am planning to trek for a good dose of Starbucks coffee to kick it on its way out.

P.S. The current music has eaten my brain and seen to spontaneous booty-shaking in most every room of the house as it comes and goes from my head.

Comments

[eleanor-lavish.livejournal.com]

saturn92103 is a diehard Harry/Snape girla nd has tons on her recs page in her LJ (and tons onters in her head, I'm sure).

Not my cup of tea, but happy to enable!!

[kiffle.livejournal.com]

I was just gonna say that. There's a link to her rec page in, well, her links. ;) Good ones to start with are a Nick in Time (which is preslash) and its sequel, Growing Pains. I also really like Clipped Wings and Scratch. Scratch has a sequel coming.

If you don't like angst, stay far, far, FAR away from If You Are Prepared. It's not the great american novel or anything, but it hurt for days afterwards. Have fun!

[saturn92103.livejournal.com]

Oh, Scratch. How I love thee. :)

If you don't like angst, stay far, far, FAR away from If You Are Prepared. It's not the great american novel or anything, but it hurt for days afterwards.

Yes! What Kittenfishlambs said. It still hurts to think about it.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

And yet, I have a feeling it will be my favorite in the fandom. As these things inevitably go. Example: one of the ones I reread on a regular basis in popslash? Easy Come, Ease Go. One of my favorites in XF fandom? Iolokus. So, yes. *goes off to read*

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thank you lots for the specific starter recs. I think that's some of the problem, I'm either not starting with the right plot or approach to the pairing. The ease of my initiation into popslash had a lot to do with capable reccers - it's probably best not to start people off with, oh, Calico or kel., though both have their rightful places once one is accustomed to the eccentricities of the boys. Also, I am nothing if not the picture in the dictionary next to 'angstmonkey,' so bring it all on!

[saturn92103.livejournal.com]

We'll get you my pretty!

The link to my recs is here. I love me some Harry/Snape.

If you'll read a slightly underage Harry I suggest "Scratch." Actually, anything by Aucta Sinistra is pretty fantastic.

I like "Definition" very much but it's a shorter piece.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

What's funny is that I started out with Harry/Draco on friends' recs, which didn't really rub me any way at all (though I'll check out what you put up as that goes). The Harry/Snape I blame almost entirely on Book Five and the third movie, which is to say, recent development. As much as I love the pairing, I fear Remus/Sirius will mostly be domestic fic, which, no thanks. While it's a lot of pretty to look at and contemplate, I like my pairings with a bit more stife than that one promises.

I know you post story recs here and there, but ooh, didn't know you had a page! I'm cautiously dipping my toes, and saved Tissues of Silver from your post a couple of days ago, which I plan to curl up with tonight. Would you recommend that over Scratch or Definition? So long as there's no gratuitous violence against the characters, I'll read anything.

[saturn92103.livejournal.com]

Tissue of Silver was a nice long story but I'm not huge on H/D. I liked Scratch much more. (And Definition will take you less than 10 minutes to read.)

[walkingshadow.livejournal.com]

As much as I love the pairing, I fear Remus/Sirius will mostly be domestic fic, which, no thanks.

Dude, R/S is, like, the Pairing That Angst Built. Or. Okay, there are a lot of MWPP romps (some fabulous, some dreadful), and some unbelievably bad and OOC puppy schmoop (and some really good, generally non-angsty stuff; are you just against that on principle?), but you're dealing with two people who were best friends--and possibly lovers--and then there was a WAR in which each of them thought the other had betrayed him and their best friends and gotten them KILLED, and (incidentally) was on the side of EVIL all along, and one of them went to AZKABAN for TWELVE YEARS because of it, and then DIED, his name still not cleared, after being shut up for a year in a house he hated; and the other one had to--and has to--live with all that, and is a WEREWOLF. Betrayal! Bitterness! Forgiveness! No forgiveness! Self-loathing! Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder! You Can't Go Home Again! Twelve years. And that's before you even get into their personalities and how they'd actually be, apart and together--and I don't know that either of them would be easy to love or live with. (Oh, and one time in sixth year one of them almost got someone else EATEN by the other one; I cannot even begin to tell you how many stories--some of them very, very good--have been written about The Trick.)

The story I keep thinking of, and the only one I can come up with right now (or at least come up with a link for) is Penknife's Ephemeris; it's not an all-out angst fest, but it takes place in Grimmauld Place right before OotP begins (so you know how it's going to end, even though they don't), and it's got all those issues (see above) in it; it's hard. And if that or any other fic in the pairing doesn't have enough strife for you, just remember that Lise and kel. (and Lise-and-kel.) have written these AMAZING R/S stories spanning the entire timeline (MWPP-era to post-OotP), some of which will break you into a thousand pieces. Chronological; read them in order.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Dude, R/S is, like, the Pairing That Angst Built.

You know, for all your liking of the happy/cute fic, you're drawn to the most issue-laden relationships with alarming frequency.

some unbelievably bad and OOC puppy schmoop (and some really good, generally non-angsty stuff; are you just against that on principle?)

What principle is that? I just had a flashback to FotR with myself as Galadriel decreeing that all shall despair or somesuch. Uh, hope you don't think of me that way. It's not that I like despair, it's just that skipping through a forest without wolves or darkness or forked roads or no roads or blizzards or whatever isn't interesting. I never go into woods hoping I won't come out changed on the other side. Not a good metaphor given how rare the occasion of forest romping presents itself, but my point is that it's not really worth commemorating otherwise.

you're dealing with two people who were best friends--and possibly lovers--and then there was a WAR in which each of them thought the other had betrayed him and their best friends and gotten them KILLED, and (incidentally) was on the side of EVIL all along, and one of them went to AZKABAN for TWELVE YEARS because of it, and then DIED, his name still not cleared, after being shut up for a year in a house he hated; and the other one had to--and has to--live with all that, and is a WEREWOLF. Betrayal! Bitterness! Forgiveness! No forgiveness! Self-loathing! Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder! You Can't Go Home Again! Twelve years.

Which isn't to say that most of the fic involves extended expositions about self-loathing and such, right? Because interpersonal (or at least interpersonally resolved intrapersonal) conflict is much, much more interesting, imnsho. Tell me Remus isn't an angstmonkey and Sirius isn't a deeply broken man, because the men I saw in Azkaban certainly weren't either.

(Oh, and one time in sixth year one of them almost got someone else EATEN by the other one; I cannot even begin to tell you how many stories--some of them very, very good--have been written about The Trick.)

And that is part of the reason why I adorebeyondallreason Snape/Lupin. Strange egg, table for one, thanksandkeepitcoming.

You neeed to come hooome so we can have extensive conversations over coffee and possibly bad diner food because no one's read this book recently enough for meee ('cause forget the Hokey Pokey - that's what it's all about).

Chronological; read them in order.

*g* I don't read series in non-chronological order, but the fact that I have reading habits which bother you so to make a note of this amuses me. *mwah!* My scroll-to-the-middle-and-sample technique only goes to things I'm mildly curious about. It's the sort of investigative poking one does to a foreign bit of food.

Oooh, recs! And Lise-and-kel. no less! *saves html* So much for going anywhere tonight. It'll just be me and all these recs. Mmm. *goes to make tea and find a blanket*


Uh, reading back over that, not much of it came out the way I wanted. But I really liked your exposition. And will check out the recs. And miss you. Come home and brainwash me already.

[walkingshadow.livejournal.com]

You know, for all your liking of the happy/cute fic, you're drawn to the most issue-laden relationships with alarming frequency.

Hrm. Of course, I ask you, how many of the pairings you know aren't issue-laden? And man, I hope I'm not getting a fluffy reputation here, because I'd like the record to show that I like good stories, period. I like things to end well, because that's often the most satisfying thing for me; but that's not always, and it doesn't mean I only want sunshine and roses, because omg BORING. As for needing storm and strife in a story to make it interesting—I don't think you (i.e. I) always do. Something needs to happen, or you don't have anything to write about, but a good author can make anything interesting, including plot, mood, and outcome. I think I can explain better, but I can't do it in writing right now.

Which isn't to say that most of the fic involves extended expositions about self-loathing and such, right? . . . Tell me Remus isn't an angstmonkey and Sirius isn't a deeply broken man

*clears throat* Remus isn't an angstmonkey and Sirius isn't a deeply broken man. And if fic involved extended expositions about anything, would I read it further than the first paragraph?

why I adorebeyondallreason Snape/Lupin

And you're not the only one who does; if you can do it without making me think of Snape having sex, you should tell me more about it. I think I already told you the reason I had for it, on the train.

But I really liked your exposition. And will check out the recs. And miss you. Come home and brainwash me already.

A veritable exposition fairy. Or something. Brainwashing will resume shortly; long-distance will have to suffice for just a couple more weeks.

[saturn92103.livejournal.com]

Found last night that the link for Definition changed: http://lamardeuse.dreamhost.com/hp/definition.html

Enjoy!

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Heh, she is indeed. I never remember where my story recs come from as I tend to click and save it as an HTML file rather than bookmark the original post. Because lord knows diving headlong is not prudent in that fandom. Almost as hazardous as LoTRips. Almost.

And thank you!

[eleanor-lavish.livejournal.com]

lotrips can be... lord I hate to think how many people have been scared away by the 80869273659237 BAAAAAAAAAD fics out there...

Though I feel all superior knowing where to look for the good stuff. *wink*

[beatpropx.livejournal.com]

Dude, help a boy out! I keep trying to get in the pool on that one but I go in to my ankles and I'm all good, then wade out to knees, still doing good and then I seem to hit the wall with freezing cold water to my nether bits. It's frightening! The sheer volume of WIPs boggles. (I have an extreme, extreme, need for Viggo to be one half of the pairing. Not up to branching out pairing-wise yet.)

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

*blinks* Good LoTRips? *boggles* Unlike dear Cooper, I'll read anything at all that's not more than two people at any given time (yes, I've read the big GSF party fic, and no thanks) with a slight bent toward pairings involving Dom. Let's just say I spent Challenge being swayed in more ways than *NSYNC.

[eleanor-lavish.livejournal.com]

*sly grin* you need recs?

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

For good fic? For good fic in a fandom that had so, so much potential for me before any interest was quashed in an untimely way because all my friends who went There came back traumatized? Yes please.

[eleanor-lavish.livejournal.com]

Reccing fics is always iffy (you never know what other people like!) but I can rec authors.

lux__aeterna is amazing. kiltsandlollies has one of the best dom/Billy AUs out there. loose_your_dogs wrote some stuff that made me all happy. And shanalle not only writes GREAT stuff herself, but has a great recs page as well-- by pairing! (http://www.burning-memories.net/littlethings/lotrips.htm)

enjoy!