epershand: Text: "Brendon, look at all of the ponies." (Look at the Ponies!)
IT IS TIME FOR A FLUFF DIVERSION.

This post started out as a comment in [personal profile] roga's past art class prompts. But then it got somewhat large, both in the sense that there are a bunch of things in it and in the sense that parts of it are layout-destroyingly large.

So here it is, as a post on its own, properly behind a cut tag and everything!

it's ok, bandom, midtones aren't really necessary )
epershand: Bicycle and the text "we have nothing to lose but our chains" (Bike communism)
Even if they hadn't been posted on the same day in my timezone, I would almost certainly be reccing both [personal profile] sassbandit's and [personal profile] littlemousling's bandom big bang stories. But they are a delightful and fascinating pair of stories to read together, an experience I recommend even more than I recommend reading them individually.

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First, [personal profile] sassbandit's Forget About the Dirty Looks (18k words). It's a bandom story set in the world of Helenish's Take Clothes Off As Directed, where D/s roles are as wide-sweeping and normative as gender roles. Helenish's story is about role-essentialism and prejudice in the military; [personal profile] sassbandit's is about how the same dynamics work out in the context of the music industry.

The worldbuilding is brilliant (the newspaper excerpts throughout the story were, without fail, EXACTLY what the publications in question would be writing in that universe). And OH the characterizations. Gerard Way's quixotic quest to help lonely kids find themselves is one of the first things I fell in love with in Bandom, and to see him ranting about how collars are outdated expressions of role essentialism and telling kids to be what they are no matter what role they're assigned? Grew my heart a couple of sizes. The story's take on transrole and rolequeer identities was also great, and I just want to read five million words of it forever and ever.

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Second, [personal profile] littlemousling's Follow My Lead (30k words). This AU, set in something much closer to this universe, where Spencer is a pro dom and Brendon is the dancing instructor who teaches him to follow as well as to lead, is basically going to be a classic of the genre. (Both of these stories are going to be classics. I can't believe that the quirks of BBB meant that they got posted on the same day).

It's a great take on role essentialism within the D/s community, and watching Spencer's earnest struggle between his identity and what he actually wants in bed was heart-rending and beautiful. I don't think I've ever read as realistic a story about how much *work* a satisfying sex life can be. Through failed sex scene after failed sex scene, the two characters are so obviously in love, which makes it all the more satisfying to see them work things out in the end. My *heart*!

(And watching Spencer's identity struggle in this story when your brain is still framing things in the DirectedVerse? FASCINATING.)

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A third rec: I've been listening to the Abhorsen Trilogy audiobooks, as read by Tim Curry. This series has been one of my favorites since I was a teenager, and TIM CURRY.

TIM CURRY PLAYING MOGGAT. Just picture that, will you? I... think? I've always had a minor crush on Moggat, but Tim Curry turns everything about him into walking, purring, growling sex.

Anyway, I'm now about halfway through Abhorsen, and yesterday's combo of fic-reading and audiobook listening has just done some... uh, things, to the way I think about Moggat's collar. (If you have not read the series: Moggat is an elemental creature bound by a magical collar into the form of a cat. With the collar, he's the world's most sarcastic animal sidekick; without it he's almost single-mindedly bent on the death of the Abhorsens, to whom he's normally bound.)

It got me thinking about the degree to which everything in the Abhorsen trilogy is basically about exerting power over the universe, whether it be the weather, the Dead, elemental creatures, etc. And yet about the power that, in turn, the universe exerts over human beings ("does the walker choose the path or the path the walker?") (Side note: some day I want to write a massive essay about how the Destiny stuff in Lirael makes me cry. In a good way.) And it's also, more particularly, about female characters exerting power over male ones--Sabriel over Touchstone and Moggat (and Kerrigor) and Lirael over Sameth, Nicolas, and Moggat, and never over the Disreputable Dog.

(Edited to add: on reflection, I'm not 100% sure that Sabriel alone passes the Bechdel test, since all of the scenes with more than just Sabriel, Touchstone, and Moggat in them involve Sabriel instructing other women on how to fight Kerrigor. Lirael, though, is from a world where you don't even have to remember that the Bechdel test exists, because women talking to women about things other than men is as normal as it is in the real world.)

Um and now I want bell porn the end. >_<
epershand: T-Rex from Dinosaur comics says "Utahraptor when I stand like this it means HUGS PLEASE" (T-rex needs hugs)
In the meantime, today I keep reading/watching fanworks that bring me to the edge of tears.

First there was [insanejournal.com profile] stele3's Timshel, this gorgeous piece of worldbuilding and heart-tugging, all wrapped up in a fairie tale package. She always does the most amazing things with PatD fandom, and this was no different.

And then there was [personal profile] lalejandra's heart-wrenching post-divorce GSF fic "The past is gone but something might be found to take its place."

And finally, [livejournal.com profile] silver_sandals's vid This is Everything is one of the most gorgeous things I've seen recently. Didn't realize how much *I* needed that catharsis for "all the queer Star Trek romances that never were." (Thanks for the rec, [personal profile] kuwdora)

... Maybe if I go to bed early tonight I'll be less emotionally fragile tomorrow?

ETA: ALSO, [personal profile] fifteendozentimes wrote this very excellent post about policing Spencer fucking Smith's gender presentation by calling him a lesbian and every word of it is truth.

*dragging self away from work email before I close every thread with "arguments without data bore me" or "clearly this can't be decided right now, but I'll take the action item of contacting the appropriate person to escalate it to" or "for future reference, can you please follow an actual procedure when you have this sort of question?"*
epershand: The Master is FABULOUS (Dressed for the occasion)
Ok, so. Panic! At the Disco. Were in New York last night. As was I. [personal profile] oliviacirce wanted an introvert night, so I got a ticket off of a dude on Craigslist and went out to Terminal 5 by myself to see the show. In line I was the only person in my general area who *wasn't* a teenager, so I entertained myself by knitting and looking like an old person. And being the only pair of wingtips in a sea of chucks.

I'd only gotten there an hour before the doors opened, and while I could have been mid-floor-crowd, I decided instead to go up to the balcony and watch from there, where I got a really good standing position. Advantages turned out to be: (a) I was standing somewhere where I had a wall on my front and my right so I could store my bag safely instead of using coat check, and it had a flat surface, which meant that even though I had no cell service within the building I was able to whip out my notebook and TAKE NOTES (b) when Brendon suddenly appeared on the balcony for "Always" (on which, more later), that was 10 feet away from me \o/. Anyway, I have NOTES #geek

Because I was alone, I was idly playing spot-the-fangirl, which was rather easy up on the balcony. And when I realized that the woman on my left was rather aggressively engaging with twitter, I screwed up my courage and said "Excuse me, are you from the internet? I too am from the internet!" And lo! I had a concert buddy for the evening. Unfortunately, while we exchanged (user)names, I did not write hers down, but it was something like vanelle, or zanelle, or something along those lines? And she was from Boston? If anybody happens to know her, it would be excellent, because I promised her I'd sent her the photo I took of the "Production! At the Disco" wireless network as it appeared in her wireless settings, because her phone camera couldn't focus on my wireless settings... It also appears from twitter photo angle evidence that the group of fangirls standing in front of me were actually friends of Olivia's, but we were Ships Passing In the Night. Stage Buddy had been to the Boston show two days' earlier, and provided periodic color on how the two shows were had varied.

Anyway, the show! Cut for length. And by length, I mean like 2k words of concert talk under here, not for the faint of heart )
epershand: Text: "Brendon, look at all of the ponies." (Look at the Ponies!)
I have been meaning to do a rec for Razia’s Shadow for a while, but keep not getting to it. So lo: a rec!

Razia’s Shadow is a creation story musical released on Fueled By Ramen in 2008. It is officially from the band Forgive Durden, but the way it goes is actually this: Forgive Durden got together and released the album Wonderland. Then Forgive Durden split up reduced in size to one person and he and his brother wrote and produced Razia’s Shadow, casting it entirely with people from pop-punk bands (most notably from a bandom perspective, Greta Sapelter and Brendon Urie).

That one person is Thomas Dutton. Know him. Love him. Mock his manpain.

Razia’s Shadow is for you if:
  • You like poppy musicals in the style of Disney movies, but wish there they had a bit more punk-drum flavor

  • You are particularly fond of the great and ever giving-genre of things ripped-off from inspired by Paradise Lost.

  • You like your tropes served in trope sauce, with a side of trope.

  • You want to see more of the deliciously evil side of Brendon Urie that showed up in the “Mona Lisa” music video.

  • Two words: PRINCESS GRETA. Also Max Bemis! And Casey Crescenza! And Chris Conley! And Lizzie Huffman! The cast on this thing is to die for!


Razia’s Shadow is not for you if:
  • You have a tiresome need for originality and/or plot consistency in your musicals.


Plot synopsis ahoy! It is spoilery, but only if you have never encountered any of the western canon at all, in which case you are already spoiled. )

So, material:
You can stream the entire album on PureVolume
The largely defunct LJ community [livejournal.com profile] razias_oracle has some really awesome fanart and a surprising focus on Anhura/Pallis fic. I guess because of the evil!Bden/princess!Greta thing.
So far I have found a total of 0 Adakias/Pallis stories, and I want one, bad. So if you know of any, please help.
epershand: An ampersand (Default)
The best thing that happened to me this Purim was Gape Saporta dressing up as Jesus /o\. And hanging out with a scary bird-creature.

cut to spare your flist the egregious red-eye )

Other gifts from the universe in the last few days or so:
Hamantaschen as Sierpinski Triangle!

Mikey/Mikey/Mikey fanart on deviantart (thanks [personal profile] were_duck! Also thanks for introducing me to the word "döppelcest", which is going to get way more use out of me than it really should.)

I do not stop listening to Ryland Blackinton's music beats. I think I currently account for half a percent of all views of this on YouTube.

Amazing, amazing, amazing review of the current Batman arc. Sample:
David: Did you know that bats scramble on the sides of trains? It would help if Batman also thought some trivia about bats at us so that this could be an educational book too!

Laura: I appreciate this both because 1) He is telling us something that we can see with absolute clarity and 2) he is reminding us that Batman is a character who emulates bats, through the voice of Batman.

David: The issue you're alluding to will bring us to one of the primary challenges of this comic, I think. Which is the multiple plots and how they overlap. Like, shirtless Bruce is telling this story right now, but then it seems like he's actually telling a story about this time that he was telling Robin a story about the time that he was on the train. And that's when things start to get crazy.

Laura: You mean when we discover that there's a maniac there with him on top of the train? A Spanish maniac? Whose codename is MANIACO?

David: He is a maniac, Laura.


Also, I made up my entire sleep debt. But have apparently chosen to get it all back tonight or something /o\ SLEEPING NOW.
epershand: Text: "Brendon, look at all of the ponies." (Look at the Ponies!)
If you have no interest in my giddy bouncing re: Panic! at the Disco's new album, feel free to move along.

Notes from "first" listen-through (ha ha ha like I haven't been listen to the FB stream on repeat for the last week. Like I didn't create a sock puppet FB account JUST FOR THAT PURPOSE. Um. But I hadn't downloaded any of the leaks.)

So, notes )
epershand: A tied-up duck with a sign that says "beware of duck" (Beware of Duck)
It's confusing to talk about. Witness tonight's dinner conversation.

epershand: Sigh, nobody has written it for me, so I guess now I have to write that Brendon/Brendon fic.
sassbandit: Brendon/who?
epershand: Brendon.
sassbandit: But with who?
epershand: With Brendon
sassbandit: I got that part. Who with though?

LOOK MONA LISA HAS THREE BRENDONS OK? EVEN SPENCER COULD NOT HANDLE ALL OF THAT.
epershand: An ampersand (Default)
Anatomy of a Fall, guys. It had been recced to me and recced to me and recced to me and I just kept not reading it. And then it took over the last 48 hours of my life.

This story. It is, hands down, the best YA novel I've read in the last few years. I wish teenage!epershand had had this novel to read when she was desperate to escape high school. I wish this thing was professionally published with swapped names so queer teens today could have it to cling to. It gets the hopelessness and desperation and day-to-day putting-up-with-it-allness of being a bullied teen like nothing else I've read ever has.

And queer teens deserve love stories like this one, sweetly endearing romances that reach beyond the grave without turning into Truly Madly Deeply or something like that.

It's just so smart, this story. It's smart about pop culture, it's smart about dealing with death, it's smart about romance and sadness and all the things that suck about high school. Also about the fact that the band room is totally where it's at when you want to escape from bullies, even if you're not in band.

I want to press a copy of this book into the hands of everyone I know and make them read it. I have been raving about it at length to multiple people who don't read fic in the hopes that they will read it and fall in love too.

(My Chemical Romance RPF, Supernatural High School AU, Gerard/Frank. NC-17, but as the author says, NO NECROPHILIA)
epershand: BLI logo and "we can fix you" (BLI can fix you)
Hi guys,

I have been mostly in hiding from the internet for several days, but during that time I accidentally a fanfiction?

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"With Blood They Wash In the Money" (Gen, Korse/Gerard Way)
Crossover: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Album), Anathem - Neal Stephenson
~2k words. General audiences.
When the Daban Urnud made contact, BLI was waiting for them.

Written as a New Years Resolution for [personal profile] tei, combining two of her requests into one story. She asked for backstory on the Second Advent, and she also asked for Korse/Party Poison backstory; I decided that those were two great tastes that would probably go together quite well.

A word on the crossover: Neither of my fabulous betas, [personal profile] oliviacirce or [personal profile] were_duck, had actually read Anathem, so I guess the story works out pretty well without detailed knowledge of that canon (in large part because it exists in a space Stephenson left intentionally blank). Please be warned, however, that the material it covers is hugely spoilery for plot-relevant worldbuilding that happens very late in Anathem.

Link to the story on the AO3
epershand: An ampersand (Default)
There's this band, and a few years ago I didn't want to be in love with them but now I'm TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH THEM AND THAT'S JUST HOW THE WORLD WORKS. And Friday night [personal profile] starlady and [personal profile] damned_colonial and I all trekked down to the cultural wasteland that is San Jose to see them in a soulless stadium show, but they were MY BAND and I LOVE THEM. [starlady's post] [damned_colonial's post]

[personal profile] damned_colonial and I met up at work, and took a few forms of public transportation while attached by her iPhone and headphone splitter and rocking out to some band you might have heard of. We met up with [personal profile] starlady and went into the doom-sized venue of doom after being metal detected, etc. The last time I was at the venue it was for a hockey game, and also once I think I saw Disney on ice there as a small child? Anyway, HUGENESS OF VENUETUDE. Which we knew about in advance, so ::shrug::

So, there were some bands, and they played: Broken Bells was really good music, but they had all the stage presence of a damp rag, so I think I might go in pursuit of their album, but will probably never plan on seeing them live again. The Black Keys were pretty good, but I was oddly fixated on what the red lights did to the lead singer's red facial hair and don't really have any other strong memories. Pheonix was also really good, but they had MEGA OVERBOARD lighting design and I felt like I was watching a light show with musical accompaniment instead of a band being lit.

AND THEN THERE WAS THIS ONE BAND. This band that I might be A LITTLE BIT IN LOVE WITH. Ray, with his yoga poses and MASSIVE HEADBANGING (omg his hair is getting sooo long). And Mikey, with his lesbian hair and his glitter bass and his FACE. And Frank and the way he rocks the fuck out like he doesn't know there's an audience. And GERARD. Um, hi Gerard.

As I told [personal profile] oliviacirce the performance was generally pretty quality and workmanlike, if lacking a bit of heart, but I'm guessing that's just a matter of giant but unfilled stadium with an audience some of whose souls Gerard doesn't already own, and the relatively short set, etc. I really need to get tickets for the spring tour so I can see them in actual action.

Probably the best part of the evening was between numbers, tagging around after [personal profile] damned_colonial while she played button fairy and bestowed killjoys buttons on all the killjoys she could find. TEENAGE KILLJOYS MAKE ME SO HAPPY, all dressed up in their junkpunk costumes for a night out. I never would have been brave enough to do that as a teenager, so I just contented myself with making hearthands at them while they jumped up and down and squealed and hugged Skud.

We didn't stick around for Smashing Pumpkins, which, well, I was willing to be sold on them but if I managed to miss out through the entire 90s it probably wasn't going to happen for me this weekend either. Instead we headed back north, taking a brief stop to get eaten by suburbs and to eat In'N'Out in return.

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