jedibuttercup

And the New Year's journal reset continues. :) Here are the non-anon gifts I received in 2021, leaving out only those archive-locked or where the authors chose to disable the share feature. I was very blessed in that respect this year!

( Links to 13 Stories Behind Cut: Angel, Firefly, Jurassic Park, Riddick, Love and Friendship, Fast and the Furious, King Arthur: LOTS, Person of Interest, Leverage, B:tVS/John Wick )

As promised, here are the non-archived locked gifts I received the first half of 2020. :)

Quite a variety here! Hope you find something to enjoy here as well:

Rebuild, Renew, Restore (3086 words, G) by tielan
Fandom: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Relationships: Mako Mori & Jake Pentecost, Raleigh Becket/Mako Mori, Raleigh Becket & Jake Pentecost
Additional Tags: Post-Movie: Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), Fix-It

Hey Little Sister (1150 words, NR) by Grundy
Fandom: Knives Out (2019), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Relationships: Alicia Cabrera & Marta Cabrera
Additional Tags: Post-Movie, Crossover
Summary: Marta and her sister are settling into their new house and changed circumstances.

friends in highly low places (5597 words, T) by xslytherclawx
Fandom: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars - All Media Types, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker/Buffy Summers
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Pre-Relationship, Getting Together
Summary: Anakin Skywalker has, all things considered, had a pretty shitty life. There was a time when he thought things might be better, but as it was, the best thing that had ever happened to him was when Watto sold him and his mother to Cliegg Lars, who then freed them. Which isn’t a high bar.

Hell's Bells or Heaven's Bells (100 words, G) by Corina
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Relationships: Xander Harris/Anya Jenkins
Additional Tags: Drabble, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It
Summary: Xander and Anya drabble for the episode Hell's Bells.

Family above all else (100 words, T) by Corina
Fandom: Fast & Furious (Movies)
Relationships: Elena Neves/Dominic Toretto
Additional Tags: Drabble, Fix-It
Summary: In which Dominic Toretto saves Elena Neves.

a brand new box of matches (200 words, G) by nowrunalong
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Relationships: Buffy Summers & Dawn Summers
Additional Tags: Sisters, Protectiveness, Episode: s02e14 Innocence, Drabble Pair, Extra Treat
Summary: Buffy sits alone in her room.

Perspective (100 words) by LittleRaven
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Relationships: Buffy Summers & Kendra Young
Additional Tags: Drabble, Episode Tag, Missing Scene, Episode: s02e09-10 What's My Line
Summary: Buffy and Kendra carve out a little time before Kendra leaves Sunnydale.

Touch (1182 words, M) by innie
Fandom: Salt (2010)
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Evelyn Salt & Ted Winter, Mike Krause/Evelyn Salt, Peabody/Evelyn Salt
Summary: It should be simple, being touched.

Apparently I've been forgetting to rec the gifts-for-me this year. But then, it's been that kind of year - multiple unexpected, exhausting RL events hitting one after another. Apologies, lovely authors! These stories were all very, very much enjoyed.

I haven't had time to write much outside these artificially imposed deadlines - don't think I'm going to make my getyourwordsout goal, but I am trying to keep at least some momentum going. So here we are: my prezzies from chocolateboxcomm, multifandomdrabble, nightonficmountain, fandom5k, and not_primetime.

(Minus one ficlet from an author who turned off their AO3 share button - respecting that choice.)

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The Bag (451 words) by Ashling
Fandom: Jack Reacher (Movies)
Rating: General Audiences; Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Samantha Dutton & Jack Reacher
Characters: Jack Reacher, Samantha Dutton
Additional Tags: Post-Canon
Summary: Nothing can ever be easy. Not with Reacher.

With All the Exits Sealed (200 words) by SegaBarrett
Fandom: Firefly
Rating: General Audiences; Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Malcolm Reynolds/Inara Serra
Characters: Inara Serra, Malcolm Reynolds
Additional Tags: Double Drabble
Summary: Mal and Inara and the dance they do.

Recoup Planning (100 words) by LittleRaven
Fandom: Firefly
Rating: Not Rated; Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Saffron (Firefly)
Additional Tags: Drabble, Episode Related, Episode Tag, post-episode: s01e11 Trash
Summary: Saffron has time to think.

Mornings Maketh (100 words) by heeroluva
Fandom: Firefly
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jayne Cobb/River Tam
Characters: Malcolm Reynolds, River Tam, Jayne Cobb
Additional Tags: Caught, Drabble
Summary: Mal wakes to screaming.

In Want Of (14520 words) by Damkianna
Fandom: Battle Creek (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Russ Agnew/Milt Chamberlain
Characters: Russ Agnew, Milt Chamberlain
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Background Case, Undercover as Married, Trust Issues, Confessions
Summary: "Why, hello there, Mr. and Mr—Baumgartner?" / "Yeah," Russ bites out. "That's us."

the sum of every yesterday (5188 words) by susiecarter
Fandom: The Great Wall (2017)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: William Garin/Pero Tovar
Characters: William Garin, Pero Tovar
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Time Loop, Reconciliation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Denial of Feelings, Kissing
Summary: "The morning as it had passed, the whole day, the day before it," Tovar tries to explain, "it was all—it was unmade. Time ran backward, all at once, instead of forward. When they attacked, with the mist—" / "I remember it," William says, and again Tovar wants to laugh, wild and useless, and bites his tongue hard to stop it. / "Ah, but that's just it, amigo," he says instead, when he's able. "You don't."

Entirely a Matter of Chance (10040 words) by blancwene
Fandom: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Rating: General Audiences; Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Elizabeth Bennet/Charles Bingley, Mary Bennet/William Collins, Jane Bennet/Original Male Character(s)
Characters: Elizabeth Bennet, Charles Bingley, Charlotte Lucas, Jane Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy, William Collins (Pride and Prejudice), Mary Bennet, Mrs. Bennet (Pride and Prejudice), Original Male Character(s)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship
Summary: It is an unfortunate truth that though a mother may bask in the triumph of her eldest daughter’s marriage for an interminable amount of time, she eventually regains her senses. And in Mrs. Bennet’s case, the joy of seeing Jane married to a gentleman met at her brother Gardiner’s in town was only too quickly followed by panic at the realisation that she had four daughters still to settle. (Upon his arrival in Meryton, Mr. Bingley is immediately smitten with a different Miss Bennet.)

So, I haven't been posting personal stuff much lately. Or much at all, really. There's lots of RL reasons for that, only the latest of which is that my mother broke the elbow of her dominant arm badly - twice; required surgery - twice; and has required, and will require, quite a bit of assistance for awhile.

I'd just been starting to get past the depressive phase I'd been struggling with ever since I abruptly ended up having to get my own solo apartment (and nearly doubled living costs that came with it) last spring, and the other family drama that occupied the fall and winter months - and, yeah. Double-shot motivation killer. Fandom's just getting the corners of my life at the moment.

Anyway, I decided to give multifandomdrabble a try this year to see if I could nudge myself forward again, and was blessed with no less than SEVEN awesome gifts:

We're a Happy Family by Ultra
Firefly, Mal & Crew: Mal appreciates the family around him.

Without Words by beedekka
John Wick, John/Winston: John may be 'excommunicado', but that doesn't mean he can't still communicate.

dead is dead by kiss_me_cassie
B:tVS, Buffy & Kendra: Mr. Pointy vs. A Sword.

Good Favor by lionessvalenti
Snow White and the Huntsman, Snow & Eric & William: Eric is teaching Snow White the art of swordsplay. It's not going well.

Wind Beneath Her Wings by klutzy_girl
B:tVS, Buffy/Spike: Spike and Buffy arrive home following their wedding.

Routine Upkeep by st_aurafina
Firefly, Kaylee-centric: Kaylee's learning what it takes to keep her crew going in hard times.

With Comments from the Peanut Gallery by misura
Fast and the Furious, Hobbs/Deckard: All talk, no action.

I only had time to write two myself (see previous posts!) but the whole experience definitely lifted my spirits. 10/10 would participate again. :)

So, I've been waiting, while I juggled RL (Happy Holidays, everyone!), doing research for what remains of my old Wishlist, and the run-up to Yuletide, for the new Wishlist to finish filling in. And ... no takers for the last three slots? Seriously? C'mon, people.

Call it a New Year's resolution - finish filling it in for me, would you? I can't guarantee when, but I can guarantee all requests will be filled ... eventually!

Anyway. I received two amazing fics this yuletide! One for a movieverse I've been a fan of for two decades; the other for a much newer inspiration. They definitely deserve an anonyrec, and I'll be checking back after reveals to see what else they've written. Read and enjoy:

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We Gather Together (6843 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Independence Day (Movies)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: David Levinson/Constance Spano
Characters: David Levinson, Constance Spano, Tom Whitmore, Jasmine Dubrow Hiller, Steven Hiller, Julius Levinson, Patricia Whitmore (Independence Day), Dylan Hiller
Additional Tags: Holidays, Thanksgiving, Family, Families of Choice
Summary: Connie and David host Thanksgiving 1996

Dreaming in Sunlight (3863 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Arthur/The Mage | Guinevere
Characters: The Mage | Guinevere, Arthur (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword), Bedivere (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword), Goosefat Bill
Additional Tags: Mage as Merlin, Minor Violence, Yuletide Treat, Post-Canon
Summary: When the crown is on Arthur’s head, the Mage closes her eyes and disappears. Her duty here is done. There is no reason for her to stay. If Arthur needs her, she will come. (This is the start of Arthur’s long and tiring quest to bring the Mage back to Camelot).

It occurred to me today that while I've been posting the exchange gifts I've written here this summer, I've entirely neglected to post the gifts I've received!

Here are my gifts from not_primetime and rarepairfest, and the remix written for one of my stories in circle_of_friends. All of them are well worth the read. :)

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Exit Strategy (5111 words) by DesireeArmfeldt
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Person of Interest (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Harold Finch/John Reese
Characters: Harold Finch, John Reese, The Machine (Person of Interest)
Additional Tags: Gift Fic, POV Third Person Limited, Canon-Typical Violence, Post-Canon, My First Work in This Fandom
Summary: Series finale fix-it fic.

The Art of Survival (3292 words) by OzQueen
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Mummy Series, The Mummy (1999)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ardeth Bay/Rick O'Connell
Characters: Ardeth Bay, Rick O'Connell
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Huddling For Warmth, Skinny Dipping, Hand Jobs, Making Out, Blow Jobs, Facial Shaving, Bathing/Washing
Summary: "What is your plan of escape?" Ardeth asked. He had pulled his robes back on and was lounging by the fire, leaning back against his saddle. // "Steal your horse," Rick said. // "He will not obey just any man," Ardeth said dismissively. // "I'm not just any man, Medjai."

Dreadful Duty (the Second Impressions remix) (2884 words) by deird1
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Lydia Bennet/George Wickham
Characters: George Wickham
Additional Tags: Remix, Crossover
Summary: A history of George Wickham, Watcher.

So far, this holiday season has been mostly thumbs-up. Way to whiplash, RL; but I'll take it!

I hope your holidays have also gone as well as possible! As for me, I gifted and was gifted mostly well-received things, and treated myself to a $125 pair of shoes, which I refuse to regret. (Retail therapy FTW.) Also spent a lot of time holding the two-month-old nephew, letting the four and five year old niece and nephew drag Auntie around as their plaything, eating things I shouldn't, and consuming media. (On TV: catching up on Designated Survivor; in theaters, Rogue One, Passengers, and Assassin's Creed, all of which I'd buy tickets for again, for differing reasons.)

In ficcish yuletide news, I actually managed to produce six stories this year, due to the expanded writing window. All are in the 1500 to 5000 word range; three are in fandoms I've written for before; two are from novels I picked up after being curious about the prompts; and one is for a movie I'd had sitting on my shelf unwatched awhile. All but one of the recipients has commented, all have kudo'ed, and I've picked up half a dozen extra comments so far overall, so I count it a win on that front...

...and I received two excellent prezzies of my own! Many praises and thanks to my pinch hitter and treat writer. ♥ Read and enjoy:

The Power to Sift (1239 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: William Cage, Rita Vrataski
Summary: She’d like to be at one with her new self, but memories sit in her like eyes. (Or, as jedibuttercup requested, “Rita remembers it, too.”)

even if you cannot hear my voice (1420 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Suicide Squad (2016)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Rick Flag/June Moone
Characters: Rick Flag, June Moone
Summary: June Moone is not an idiot. She shouldn’t have picked up that damn idol, all right? She knows. God, does she know. But one little lapse in the name of scientific curiosity does not make her a complete idiot. She knows that Colonel Waller has plans and those plans include the Enchantress. June knows this and sees it coming from a mile away. Rick Flag, however, she does not see coming.

For anyone who hasn't already seen it, my friend maevebran has started a blog telling the story of the Agents of MEOW, a sort of MI-6 staffed by actual cats. It's a lot of fun so far; there are eight posts up so far, one every week: agentsofmeow

I also received two lovely stories for Chocolate Box this month, both in Firefly fandom:

Girl's Night (1003 words) by SegaBarrett
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Firefly
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Inara Serra, Kaylee Frye
Additional Tags: Friendship, Bonding, Fluff
Summary: Kaylee and Inara try to shed the roles they've built for themselves.

Zoe's Other Husband (586 words) by RoseFrederick
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Firefly
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Wash Washburne/Zoe Washburne, Malcolm Reynolds & Zoe Washburne
Characters: Hoban "Wash" Washburne, Zoe Washburne, Malcolm Reynolds
Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Episode: s01e10 War Stories, Character Study, Gift Fic
Summary: There are some things you just never will see unless someone forces your eyes open. It's not always a bad thing.

Read and enjoy! (And now, back to my regularly scheduled writing and research...)

Happy weekend, folks! I spent a good chunk of today with a National Geographic map of the US spread across my mom's kitchen table, carefully coloring in the paths of all five of the long roadtrips I've taken over the years (long being defined as 1,000+ miles). Fun memories there.

I also received a pair of "related work" notifications in my AO3 box! If you've enjoyed my Fast and Furious works, two of them have now been podficced by the talented Opalsong:

Metaphysical Gravity (The Sunshine Epilogue) [Brian/Mia, Brian/Dom]
Fanfic | Podfic

There's Always Room for Family (aka That Time Eliot Helped Break Rio) [gen; crossover]
Fanfic | Podfic

\0/ If you listen and enjoy, let 'em know you appreciate it!

... So I didn't actually mean to duck and cover after my last post. Just ... not having a great year, emotionally. The last time I wrote so little was, hm, maybe 2008? Which upon reflection was also not a great year for me. Anyway, thank you to everyone who replied; I'm not going to reply to the comments, because I don't want to get back into that mindset, but I appreciated every one of them.

In happier news: I did manage to get my Yuletide story in, at least, and scraped a couple of treats together. You'll see those in a week, if you don't guess them in the archive before then. And I received a very lovely, fluffy story set post-movie for Now You See Me, with the Dylan/Alma pairing: Voila (2439 words).

Happy Holidays, everyone! Now, back to the wishlist_fic grindstone. :)