Spiegelkabinett

Wow, so behind with the scheduled posts! I'll make a point to catch up tomorrow!

In other news... I am so happy the holiday is nearly over and people are coming back, you have no idea! It was way too quiet online for the last few days. It felt like the zombie apocalypse was upon us or something. I was close to boarding up my windows and looking for my cricket bat.

Also, I never realized just how much I depend upon all of you folks to keep me motivated. I was completely lost and useless without the Usual Suspects around! And then I found a few people on Y!M this evening, and my fic magically became unstuck. ::snort::

Anyway... HI! Don't leave again any time soon, okay?! ::glomps and clings::

All of the IJ holiday sales have ended and prices are back to normal. We will be putting Permanently Insane accounts on sale for their regular price before Christmas.

I have turned on today's special Black Friday sale.

Until 4:00pm(EST) we will be holding a sale on Permanently Insane accounts, Permanent Extra Userpics, and Insane Userpics the prices are as follows.

Permanently Insane account - $30
Insane Userpics - $70
Permanent Extra Userpics - $5

At 4:00 today all prices on IJ will go back to their normal amounts.

For the moment, I think my mom's email to me says it all:

Happy Turkey Day! Though since I'm having pork roast and you might have ham, I could say Happy Pork Day. But that just sounds vaguely dirty.....lol.

You are, without a doubt, one of the best and smartest writers in this fandom. You can make my heart ache for characters and pairings I would normally not give a damn about, and write kinks that don't generally interest me in ways that leave me begging for more. Your smut is hot enough to burn my whole bloody apartment building down, but it's never a mere PWP. Your stories, no matter how short or porny, always say something -- about a character, a pairings, a situation, a possibility -- and the message is always interesting.

I don't want to just gush about your writing, though, because you're so much more than a collection of fics. I think what's most remarkable about you is that you're a genuinely nice person who loves fandom for all the right reasons. I've seen that you enjoy meeting other talented people around here, getting to know them, and interacting with them. Your enthusiasm for reading/viewing, reccing, and participating in fandom in general is wonderful to see. I love your posts full o' squee. Oh, you can get your snark on with the best of 'em at times. ::grin:: But you're also one of the most supportive, generous, and approachable people I've met. Don't ever leave, eh? It's people like you that make HP fandom the awesome place that it is.

Happy Birthday, Lee!!!

If you don't know what the heck this is all about, the explanation is here.

You're another one of those people who's just been around forever, and without whom this place would feel oddly empty. After all this time, you still have so much enthusiasm, and do such a tremendous amount for the fandom and your ship. It's likely that you often don't receive the appreciation that you deserve, but I want to thank you for all your hard work. Thank you, also, for reading and commenting on my fic, and for being supportive in general. And while I'm at it, thank you again for the completely rockin' Snack fic you wrote for me last year at this time (yeah, I remember)! LOL You're a super mod and organizer, a fantastic writer, and on top of all of that, you seem to be an incredibly interesting and nice person. I'd like to know you better, and I really should make an effort to comment on your journal posts more frequently.

If you don't know what the heck this is all about, the explanation is here.

hd_career_fair may be over but I've still got some excellent recs to make. These fics are so varied from one another that there's something to everyone's liking. My only wish is that Harry and Draco would continue having diverse and imaginative careers outside this fest. After all the fun and unusual scenarios I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to the compulsory, more than plentiful Auror!fics quite yet. :D

♥ Little Red Courgette (H/D, PG, WC: ~31,000) featuring Cartoonist!Harry and Assistant Junior Under-Secretary in the Office for the Volumetric Standardisation of Edible Wizarding Greengrocery Produce!Draco by blamebrampton, art by raitala
Summary: When this season’s purple courgettes are woefully thin, Draco Malfoy thinks it amounts to small beans. Next thing he knows, the Department of Standards is over-run with leeks, Brussels sprouts all sorts of legislative difficulties, and somebody appears to have put a roquette under Harry Potter. Can Draco seize a marrow victory? Or will his plans for peas be squashed?

Draco smiled slightly; he knew the feeling. Of course, he was partially responsible for the dark circles beneath the Minister's eyes these days. His last report, all four-hundred-and-twelve pages of it, had been a detailed summary of the desirable diameters of lettuce varieties, from hearting to non-hearting. Shacklebolt had read it, too, as the three red circles around mis-spelled words proved.

♥ Blood and Brimstone (H/D, NC-17, WC: ~42,000) featuring Inquisitor!Harry and Prodigal!Draco by calanthe_fics (Set in Ginn Hale’s Wicked Gentlemen universe)
Summary: The Inquisition claims it reforms and cleanses Prodigals of their demonic heritage, but Captain Harry Potter learns that the Church has lost its way and is worse by far than the devils in Hells Below.

Harry thought that if more angels looked as compelling and dangerous as Draco he'd have worked a lot harder at praying over the years.

♥ Silhouettes in Sunsets (H/D, PG-13, WC: ~23,000) featuring Day-time Accountant/Night-time Luthier!Draco and Owner of Hedwig's Owl Emporium!Harry by potteresque_ire
Summary: Draco Malfoy is a Gringotts accountant by day and a luthier by night. Harry Potter is the owner of Hedwig’s Owl Emporium on Diagon Alley. Music and scheming owls will bring the two men back together.

It will be a long night. Draco has never worked on a harp before -- how can a heart so open, so candid need so many strings to speak?
Harry's reasoning is simple: because it's talking to you.

♥ Normal Does It (H/D, NC-17, WC: ~26,400) featuring Captain!Harry and Druidic Warrior!Draco by lotus_lizzy, art by cydienne
Summary: On his deathbed, Lucius gives Draco an almost impossible task that will hopefully salvage the reputation of the Malfoy family. Draco finds himself in need of a magical ship called the Wave-Sweeper, but finds one Harry Potter standing in his way. This "new" Harry Potter, with his strange obsession to be "normal", assigns himself the task of being Draco's watchdog. Together, with a motley crew of Hogwarts alumni, they fly both sea and air following an ancient map that leads them to an unknown island and strange creatures, but both Harry and Draco are harbouring secrets that threaten the tenuous relationship that grows between them.

'Ron's not lying. Voldemort's body is really gone. My father thinks the Unspeakables stole the body to run tests on his skin. His body secreted a natural sun block, keeping his body free from melanoma.'

♥ Wrong Side of Dead (H/D, R, WC: ~30,000) featuring Scout!Harry and Model Member of the Force!Draco by sirra_scribbles (A Zombie Apocalypse!)
Summary: "Zombies reached out their grey-green fingers stained purple and red at the tips, their mouths open in groans."

"Unscrew the fuel tank cap, here." Draco dropped one end of tubing into the green tank. "Now start siphoning."
"What?" Harry sceptically eyed the tube in Draco's hand and the petrol tank.
"Get down and start sucking."
His eyes widened and a faint flush came to his cheeks. "Beg pardon?"
That was queer, Draco thought as he felt his own face warm. "You poofter. Now you have the job of lifting the moped."

♥ Light as Iron, Singed as Pearl (H/D, NC-17, WC: ~13,800) featuring Commissioner!Harry and Club Owner!Draco by snegurochka_lee
Summary: The owner of the elite BDSM club M had not gained his reputation as the most coveted Dominant on the scene by taking on just any riff-raff submissive who asked. It would take an unexpected letter to convince him to accept a new client, but it might turn out to be the biggest mistake he ever made.

Quick as lightning, Draco's hand shot out and he curled his index finger under Potter's chin, his thumb digging into the side of his face. He squared his shoulders and shifted his voice, making his new persona plain. "What did you say to me?" he said quietly.
He held back a grin of triumph when Potter crumbled. Casting his eyes down, his shoulders curved and his arms fell limp. Draco stared. Remarkable. After a heated pause, Potter took a shuddering breath and murmured, "Not here."
"You don't decide that." Draco shifted his hand so that his thumb slid over Potter's lips. Despite himself, Potter parted them and swiped his tongue up the pad of Draco's thumb, a flash of heat creeping up his face. With his own blood rising, Draco threw caution to the wind and leaned in close to Potter's ear. "I decide what happens here. If I want to bend you over this desk right this second and fuck that grin off your face, that's my decision, not yours."
Potter whimpered.

♥ Scratching the Itch (H/D, NC-17, WC: ~10,000) featuring Model!Harry and Model Agency Owner!Draco by tray_la_la
Summary: Draco Malfoy is a homophobe who's allergic to gay men. He's also the owner of a male modeling agency. Go figure. Harry Potter is a model for hire who may just prove to be the cure to Draco's ails.

Draco rolled his eyes. Fucking Paris. He’d been to Paris: everyone wore black and nobody gave a damn.

So apparently my mother's side of the family - the only family I've been in contact with these past two years - is falling apart as we speak. I don't mind so much because of Things I will summarise behind the cut, but my mother minds very much, which is why I'm very very angry about this.

( tl;dr about Jules' family which you might or might not want to know - touches some sensitive stuff )

I'm thinking it's getting clear why I'm not so hot on the family stuff.

Now this feels a bit better. A tiny, tiny bit.

It's about that time, right? If you want a holiday card from me, comment with your mailing address (comments screened). I still have the mailing info of those who've given it to me in the past, but if your address has changed, make sure I have your new one! I sent out 40 cards last year; let's see if I can make it 50 this year. :D

Yesterday I saw New Moon at the cinema, and there really isn't much I can say about it other than RPattz is still very sparkly Taylor Lautner is surprisingly hawt. Me and my shallow reasons to see movies - let me show you them. :P

Ha. I remember you from a lot farther back than you probably realize. I was already reading your LJ before I ever shambled my way into HP fandom, and honestly, your fic is probably at least partially responsible for my being here. So damn you thank you for that!

You're a wonderful musician and artist, a positively brilliant writer, and you're 100% a performer in everything that you do. You have a large and captivating presence that draws people into your orbit. I love seeing your posts, whether they're fic or a rant or a story about your cats or just what you did that day. You have a way with words that makes it all fascinating. I envy that, as well as your willingness to put so many of your thoughts, opinions, and beliefs out there without reservation. One day I'd love to have the opportunity to sit down and chat with you over coffee, 'cause I think it would be a highly interesting and entertaining experience.

If you don't know what the heck this is all about, the explanation is here.

I had a blast meeting you for the first time and hanging out with you at Sectus -- and my god, was that really more than two years ago?? You're a hilarious and spirited person to be around. Your brain is a seriously crack-addled place, and I'd love to be able to see inside it, but I expect I might go insane from the experience. Rather like what happens when one looks upon Cthulu.

As one would expect, you create some of the most cracktastic art in the fandom. But you also do some seriously delicious pr0n, and some very poignant pieces as well. Your diversity is wonderful. Your art is incredibly complex and gorgeous, and your style so distinctive. Your work is uniquely your own; please keep doing what you're doing!

You already saw this, but for everyone else's benefit:

Jin was a fanartist expert,
Who drew crack and porn most overt.
"I'd come out of the gutter,"
She said, "but I'd rather
You all joined me down here in the dirt!"

If you don't know what the heck this is all about, the explanation is here.

I've wanted to do one of these about you from the beginning, but I think I've been putting it off because I'm not sure what I'm going to write. It's not that I don't have anything to say about you, or that I don't have plenty of thoughts and feelings about you. But those thoughts and feelings are complex and multi-layered, and you're complex and multi-layered, and I'm not sure where to start.

Perhaps it's easiest to begin with the music angle, because I knew you as a musician before I knew you as a friend. I've always thought you were a very talented musician with a amazing voice. Over time I came to see the genuine love you have for it -- for the music itself, and the creation of it. I think you're one of those people who makes music because you just can't not make music; it's just an intrinsic part of who and what you are.

I'm grateful that I've had the opportunity to get to know you beyond that, however, because you're one of the most singular and original individuals I've met -- and I've known a lot of unusual folks. There's just no one else out there remotely like you. You're intelligent, diverse, witty, fun, loyal, determined, and about a zillion other adjectives I could list. But listing them is fairly pointless, because a collection of words can't adequately describe the overall sense of you that exists in my head. So, er, I might as well just stop trying and tell you that you're seriously awesome and totally one of the cool kids. ;)

If you don't know what the heck this is all about, the explanation is here.

We are starting this years InsaneJournal holiday sale. From now until the end of the day Friday, November 27 we are going to be holding a sale on Self-Committed[paid] accounts and Extra Userpics.

The prices are be as follows

Self-Committed[paid]
1 Month -> $5
6 Month -> $15 $10
12 Month -> $25 $18

Extra Userpicx
6 Month -> $10 $5
12 Month -> $20 $15

Then on Friday November 27th from 8am until 4pm (Eastern US time) we will be running a very special sale on Permanently Insane accounts.

After months and months of not touching the keyboard, thanks to mini_nanowrimo, I'm back to writing daily. Each day in November (so far), I've managed to write at least 100 words. Go me!

But that's not the object of this post.

I've been thinking about what to do when Mini Nano is over. How to kick my butt and stay with the writing daily? And I've come up with an idea:

Is there anyone who'd like to open up a writer's group, so to speak (via email or whatever), where we can report our word counts, keep each other on track, and squee about our writing? I was thinking maybe we could give out prompts if someone fails their target or some such. What do you think, anybody for it? *puppy eyes*

Wow, that "Buffy vs. Edward" vid I stumbled upon a while ago has triggered a veritable avalanche of fannish obsessions...

First, it sucked me into all things "Buffy" (and subsequently, "Angel") to an almost unhealthy degree. Then I came across the rumour that David Boreanaz is actually capable of getting through a whole TV episode without whining if he's not in Wheydonverse, so I went to check out "Bones".

What can I say? I'm halfway through season 4 at this point, and I'm seriously hooked. Diehard vampire fan that I've always been, I still have to admit that some actors obviously work better without fangs.

In other news, I've got myself an "Archive of Our Own" account, but the uploading process is a right pain in the ass, so I'll probably wait until some of the bugs get sorted out.

And now back to that fest fic... *eyes deadline*

You've been a fixture around the fandom for ages, and the place would feel terribly empty without you here. You have so much enthusiasm for fandom and put so much into it, from writing to reading to reccing to running fests. It's really fantastic and inspiring to see.

Of course, I love seeing your posts whether they're fandom-centric or not. They're always interesting, and I'm impressed by what an intelligent, diverse, and involved person you are. In addition to all of that, you're nice, friendly, caring, and approachable. You're one of the people who helps to make fandom feel like a community to me, and I appreciate that more than you can imagine. Thanks for everything!

Happy Birthday!!!

If you don't know what the heck this is all about, the explanation is here.

Also, OMG, two-thirds of the way through the month! I can't believe I've lasted this long...

Christ in a crock pot, Cel, I wish I were half as together as you. It seems like you spend nearly every waking hour being productive in some way, and damn, I admire and envy that. You're one of the most motivated and down-to-earth people I know, and clearly a force to be reckoned with. You're also one of the most bold. You rarely hold back from stating your position on subjects in the most direct terms, and while I might not always agree with what you have to say (although I probably do at least 80% of the time), I appreciate your courage and honesty. You seem to have the same sort of confidence in your writing. You're probably the least likely person on my f-list to wibble about whether a fic is up to par. The confidence is entirely appropriate, though. You're a talented writer who write some of the most entertaining and captivating fics I've read.

Beyond all of those things, though -- or perhaps in spite of them -- you're genuinely nice, friendly, and a lovely person to be around. It's unfortunate that's I've been a little out-of-it and brainless on the occasions I've been able to see you. I hope I have another opportunity to prove I'm not always floating around in outer orbit. ;)

If you don't know what the heck this is all about, the explanation is here.

Once I finally had my snapelyholidays fic submitted, I turned to helping ragdoll sort out assignments for wizard_love. WOW, that was quite a task. Nearly everyone requested a range of pairings, so it wasn't really a matter of matching the Snermione people together or the Luna people together; we had to look for specific pairings in common and make sure the types and degree of kinkiness were a good fit and and and. Yeah, it took a while.

We got all 67 assignments sent out yesterday evening and on time, though. Of those, 43 have already reported back to let us know they've been received. So far everyone sounds happy (some of them very, very happy) with their assignments, which is awesome. One person felt that they didn't get a good match, but we did some juggling and fixed that problem right away. So all is well on that front.

In other news, we've started getting a few things in for daily_deviant's Kinky Kristmas, and OMG! December on the comm is going to be awesome. I know there will be tons of holiday fests happening, but you all really want to watch Kinky Kristmas. Trust me.

I'm so looking forward to the holiday fests this year!! …Is it too early to switch to my holiday default icon..?

You're a bit of an irregularity on my f-list in that you're one of the few fandom people I think I came to know personally before I was really very familiar with your writing and art. Our "usual" pairings don't have much overlap, so I don't think I'd seen a lot of your stuff before we met at Sectus. I've made a point to read quite a bit more of your work since then, though, and I'm glad I have. You're a great writer, your characters are complex and interesting, and you do dark and creepy just as well as light and warm-fuzzy. You have a lot of talent and a huge amount of motivation, and absolutely deserve to be ridiculously successful. On a more personal note, though, you're a lot of fun to spend time with, and I hope we'll get to see each other again eventually. I don't keep in touch like I should, but you come into my mind a lot. You are made of 100% pure awesome.

If you don't know what the heck this is all about, the explanation is here.