Amatara

Wishing you all the very best for the coming year! Far be it for me to know what the future should bring to make you happy, so let me offer no big, booming wishes but just a small something to warm your heart, like you've all warmed mine with your words and your stories and your art and your presence:



It also happens to be my New Year's resolution for this year to remember this. :) I do that far too rarely.


Meanwhile, Yuletide reveal has happened, so finally, away with the secrecy! I wrote four stories in three fandoms: my official assignment as well as three treats.


Putting Out Fire (With Gasoline) (9128 words) by Amatara
Fandom: Twin Peaks
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Category: Gen
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Dale Cooper, Harry Truman, Audrey Horne, Albert Rosenfield, Annie Blackburn, Lucy Moran, Dennis "Denise" Bryson
Summary: When you've pulled someone back from the brink, how do you put them back together again? A series of recordings and interviews, made at the Spokane Valley Hospital, where Dale Cooper was taken after being freed from BOB's control.

I've been frantic about this story from the moment I read my assignment, which was basically 'please write about Dale Cooper - apart from that, anything goes'. The lack of optional details had me flailing for a while to come up with a plot bunny that was both meaty enough for a longer story and something I hadn't done before. I ended up writing a series of post-canon character interviews recounting the story of Cooper's rescue and the inevitable messy picking-up-the-pieces afterwards. The first-person POV may have been a bigger gamble than I thought (I was about halfway into the story when there was this huge 'I loathe first-person POV' thread on FFA, so that was a little ouch) but in the end, with the help of my two lovely betas, I managed to put something together I think I can feel proud of. My one remaining fear now is my recipient, because they left a 'will come back later, when I have more time' comment and so far I haven't heard back from them. I do hope I wrote them something they enjoyed! *frets*


The Tender Boughs of Innocence (4398 words) by Amatara
Fandom: Twin Peaks
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Category: Gen
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Albert Rosenfield, Gordon Cole, Chet Desmond, Dennis "Denise" Bryson, Dale Cooper
Summary: Albert didn't reckon himself a coward, a crybaby or a cream puff. What he was was a tender twenty-nine, which at the Bureau still counted as green behind the ears, but he had skill and wit and a bloodhound's instinct for clues, and he didn't rattle easily. Which was what had earned him this case to begin with. Right now, calling him 'rattled' would be stating it mildly.

Written as a treat for firerose, who specifically requested Albert-centric fic in which he gets to interact with other FBI agents besides Cooper. I adore Albert, so this was a challenge I couldn't pass up! Pre-canon case fic this time, which is also something I never did before.


Sharing is Caring (3127 words) by Amatara
Fandom: Boston Legal
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Category: Gen
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Alan Shore, Denny Crane, Shirley Schmidt
Summary: Denny wants a threesome for his birthday. Alan isn't thrilled. Shirley is caught in the middle.

I discovered Boston Legal not too long ago and instantly devoured all five seasons, and I was just itching to write fic for it this Yuletide! alexcat's Yuleletter requested Alan & Denny interaction, and I had great time putting together a snark-filled little treat.


In Flagrante (2048 words) by Amatara
Fandom: Babylon 5
Rating: Mature
Category: M/M
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: G'Kar/Londo Mollari
Characters: G'Kar, Londo Mollari, Delenn, Vir Cotto
Summary: Three times Londo and G'Kar were caught in the act: one happy, one angry, one sad.

Honestly, I hadn't planned on writing any B5 this year. But as it happened, my trusted Twin Peaks beta Nemo_the_Everbeing had  just discovered the fandom, promptly offered it for Yuletide, and got matched on it. The result is the absolutely stunning The Subtle Arangement of Stones (which I absolutely recommend to anyone who loves the fandom!) of which I got a sneak preview because I helped beta it... and suddenly I was in love with B5 all over again! After which I just couldn't resist aria's heartfelt plea for more Londo/G'Kar fic. This will, of course, surprise no one. (Least of all selenak, who immediately guessed this story was mine.)


All in all, it's been a good Yuletide for me. I got lovely gift stories and some wonderful comments on my own stories and writing was fun and productive - but I did realize how much more stressed I get when I actually have an official assignment, as compared to when I'm just writing treats like I did last year. So now I'm mulling over my strategy for next year. Signing up, which means a gift story but also more stress, or going for the more relaxed treat-writing experience again. Mmhmm, dilemmas... 

I am so very psyched for Yuletide! Maybe it's because there was so much time to write this year, but I've been sitting on my hands for the past two weeks to stop myself from refreshing the fandoms list every two seconds or so. Also the Madness collection seems to have opened for posting ahead of time! Two of my requested fandoms have stories in the main collection, but I'm pretty sure I know which gift is mine because I requested a very specific character that no one else did, and couldn't resist the temptation to present-shake, haha. :)

I wrote 15000+ words this Yuletide (not all for my main assignment, I've been treat-writing as well) which for me is kind of an accomplishment! So, yes, proud and happy and looking forward to when the archive opens!


Something else I'm - rather unexpectedly, I have to say - looking forward to: the Merlin series finale on Christmas eve! I really wasn't too impressed with the first half of this season, but still pushed through and have found myself really enjoying the last few episodes. Also, Mordred (I still have to actively stop myself from calling him Morden out of pure habit, argh! That tells you a lot about my familiarity with Babylon 5 as opposed to with Arthurian mythology :) ) has been by far my favorite bit of this season and is continuing not to disappoint.

Please, makers of the show, let the final episode be something to remember fondly, at least! I don't even need a happy ending; just make sure we finally do get that emotional payoff we've been waiting for for all this time! PLEASE.


Also, Star Trek Into Darkness trailer, HELL YES! I'm firmly in the camp that doesn't want Benedict Cumberbatch to be playing Khan (in the philosophy "they did it right the first time; if it ain't broke, please don't try to fix it") and from the trailer at least that's starting to look increasingly unlikely, so I'm feeling a lot more relaxed about this movie now. (As for the infamous hands scene, it would not at all be out of characters for the creators to be messing with the fans' minds, so I'm just taking it as a lovely homage to a beloved scene and not much more.) I just hope I'll be able to love the upcoming movie as much as I loved the previous one - but as that will depend more on the characterizations (Bones! Spock! Uhura! Pike! Chekov!) than on the actual plot, I'm not too worried.

Dear Yuletide writer,

First of all, thanks a million – no, strike that: thanks a billion for signing up, and having offered to write in one of those fandoms I so adore. This is my third Yuletide (with a brief hiatus last year due to real-life shenanigans) and I've had such lovely experiences the prevous two times that I assure you, I am jumping with joy knowing I'll be finding a gift story from you under the tree! Mainly I'd like for you to enjoy writing this story as much as I'm sure I'll enjoy reading it - everything else is a bonus, including those Optional Details. If any of them inspire you, that would be great, but if you have a different idea for something you think I'd also enjoy, it would make me just as happy! Don't hesitate to follow your muses wherever they choose to take you!

My requests were already pretty (optionally! :) ) detailed, so I'll refrain from piling on a lot of extra detail here. The reason why I'm listing so many options is just that, for myself, I prefer specific prompts to work with rather than "anything goes!" but please don't feel restricted by anything I listed! As I said, any story you write involving my requested characters is guaranteed to make me happy. All I'd like to ask is that you work around my squicks/dislikes if you can - in particular, I'm pretty picky about gen versus het versus slash, depending on the fandom and characters. I love gen, so that's always a safe option, and I've tried to indicate my preferences in terms of pairings, if any, in my prompts. I'd also prefer if there'd be no non-con, underage, character bashing, mpreg, or hard kink. As for genre: I’m pretty much a canon girl, so I tend to prefer stories that are consistent with canon over AUs. Beyond that any genre would be lovely, except perhaps for pure fluff, which isn't really my thing. I do have a thing for stories with a hurt/comfort element, but once again, no obligation at all. Endings can be happy or sad, whatever you feel like writing at the moment; I love both.

Something that might be helpful as well: a few years ago I put together a pretty random list of things I love in fanfic, you'll find it right here. Random list is random and hopelessly incomplete, so whether or not you use any of it is entirely up to you!

My requests are Boston Legal, Crossing Jordan, and Babylon 5. In all three cases I've requested several characters, but with two of them (CJ and B5) my main interest goes to a single character, so you're free to consider the other ones (which I've put between brackets) as optional.

Crossing Jordan: Garret Macy, (Jordan Cavanaugh)

I'd love a fic showcasing Garret - his flaws, his strengths, his personal demons, what makes him tick. I requested Jordan as a second character because their friendship is one of my favorite aspects on this show, and I'd love a story where they support each other through a rough experience (where the "each other" is an important one - I'd prefer not to see either Jordan or Garret written off as the "weak" one, because imho they're both BAMFs if they need to be). I'd particularly like to see a story dealing with a Garret outside his comfort zone - be it digging it into a case that affects him more than it should, or coping with parenthood, or his alcoholism, or relationships... Should you prefer to explore other characters than Jordan, please go for it! I'd be equally thrilled to see interaction between Garret and Abby, or Lily, or Renée, or ensemble fic if that's your thing - as long as Garret is the main protagonist, anything goes! I should mention that I haven't seen the entire series yet - only the first season, and what other episodes I managed to get hold of from the second and third seasons. I do have a general idea of the events from the later seasons, though, so don't be afraid write me fic set during that timeline; it's just that if you refer to very specific events from the later seasons, I might get confused. Oh, and I'd prefer it if the Garret and Jordan relationship could be kept non-romantic, please; I adore them as buddies (he's her "bestest girlfriend", right?), not as lovers. Also, there's already a lot of Woody/Jordan fic out there, so I'd prefer it if Woody didn't feature too prominently in this story (as a minor character is fine, though).

Boston Legal: Alan Shore, Denny Crane

I realize I'm not being very original when I say Alan and Denny's relationship is my favorite thing about Boston Legal - you'd probably have to look pretty far to find a fan of the show for whom that isn't the case. But fics that really do justice to the complexity of their relationship, both the deep and the light, and both the serious and the hilarious... those are rare and precious things. I'd love to see a fic where these two dance around each other's insecurities - can be something specific like a tough case that reopens old scars, or more general themes like loneliness, mortality, intimacy, love. I love Alan at his most dysfunctional and Denny at his most stubborn; but I also love it when in the eye of the storm they meet each other halfway. I have a weakness for vulnerable Alan (though not for Alan being "woobified" or whumped - I like him to be a protagonist in his own story) and for Denny coming up with unexpected bits of wisdom. I would love to see a story about them that makes me both crack up with laughter and weep for them both - which is what this show, at its best, does to me. And if you'd like to bring in other characters, please do; this doesn't need to be an exclusive Alan 'n Denny thing - I really love the whole ensemble! So a fic dealing with Alan's and Denny's mutual attraction to Shirley, or Denny's jealousy over Alan's friendship to Jerry, would also be great! I'm not looking for anything explitly sexual between these two; friendship, UST or mild pre-slash are all fine, but no all-out slash, please - I prefer their banter to remain platonic. And I should mention I haven't seen all of the seasons yet - I discovered the show a few months ago and am now working my way through season three. I'm already spoiled for the series' ending, though, so please don't hesitate to reference it if you want to. 

Babylon 5: Timov, (Londo Mollari, G'Kar, Vir)

I requested these four characters because I'd be thrilled to see any of them pop up in this story, but what I'm really looking for here is a Timov-centered fic. I've always regretted how we never got to see more of her on the show. In those 30 minutes or so of screentime, she's struck me as a fierce, independent woman, endowed with unshakable principles and a strong sense of fair play, not to say more than a match for Londo... but also as a woman capable of genuine love and a fierce kind of loyalty. I'd love post-canon fic about her interacting with any or all of the other characters I mentioned. For instance, showing her reaction to Londo's ascension to the throne and Centauri Prime seceding from the Alliance, or Londo's later death by G'Kar's hands and his succession by Vir. Or should you prefer to write something set during the timeline of the show itself, that'd be great too: maybe Timov visited Londo on the station sometime in the later seasons and got acquainted with G'Kar, or maybe there was some interaction between her and Londo while Londo was on Centauri Prime as Cartagia's advisor (and later accomplice to his assassination)? I'd be happy to get either Londo/Timov het or gen between Timov and any other characters, or a combination of those. I'm a Londo/G'Kar shipper too, so should that be your thing, feel free to throw it in as a pairing as well (though please, no dissing Timov in favor of Londo/G'Kar. Londo is hardly a monogamous person, so there's no reason why both pairings couldn't work simultaneously. :) ). One final thing: please don't kill Timov off - I'd like to think she got some measure of a happy ending (and I still haven't got over Peter David depriving us of that in his Legions of Fire Trilogy - which, in case you're wondering, I've read but don't consider canon, so there's no need to stick to it). Apart from that, anything goes!

Title: Fake Plastic Life
Fandom: Galaxy Quest
Characters: Alexander Dane, Gwen DeMarco, Jason Nesmith.
Summary: Sometimes all you need ends up being right in front of you. Alexander should know.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1600 words

( Fake Plastic Life )

Despite (or maybe because of?) not having signed up, I ended up writing three treats this year! Not sure if that means I should have signed up anyway, because there's still a huge difference between getting to pick your own prompt and getting one assigned, stress-level-wise. But it's a good sign! I did miss writing a Yuleletter and anxiously waiting for/squeeing over a gift, though, so I really hope I'll be able to sign up again next year.

As for the fics I wrote: two of them I'd actually planned for, in the sense that I scrolled through the Yuleletter list and picked up the two prompts that appealed to me most. The third one was, shall we say, an impulsive decision. *g* Here are all three:


Face of the Moon (Twin Peaks, 2596 words) ... or read it on DW or LJ.
Summary: Diane doesn't work in the spotlights. If Dale is the bright face of the moon, then let her be the other face, the one people don't see. That doesn't mean she's not part of the story.
Characters: Diane, Audrey Horne, Albert Rosenfield, Gordon Cole, Harry Truman, Denise Bryson, Dale Cooper.

Written for allchildren, who specifically asked for Diane fic - a challenge I just couldn't pass up! Of the stories I wrote this year, this is still my personal favorite. No small thanks to my ever-gorgeous beta nemo_everbeing, who was so kind as to critically review this story while still working on her own Yuletide fic! I wasn't sure whether having Diane as a POV character would work for everyone, but the feedback I received on this was heartwarming and awesome. *beams*


Fake Plastic Life (Galaxy Quest (1999), 1651 words) ... or read it on DW or LJ.
Summary: Sometimes all you need ends up being right in front of you. Alexander should know.
Characters: Alexander Dane, Gwen DeMarco, Jason Nesmith.

A short character vignette written for celandineb, who wanted to read about Alexander Dane and how he went from playing Richard III to being Dr. Lazarus on a cheesy sci-fi television show. The overall quality of GQ fic this year was just stunning, and compared to all the other stories this little piece feels really lightweight, but people seemed to like it as well, so yay! Many thanks to everywherestars for the beta.


Be My Homeward Dove (Twin Peaks, 2115 words) ... or read it on DW or LJ.
Summary: Five goodbyes in Twin Peaks which really aren't goodbyes at all.
Characters: Sarah Palmer, Albert Rosenfield, Harry Truman, Audrey Horne, Dale Cooper.

On Dec 23rd, st_aurafina posted a note on her journal mentioning she was on the pinch hit list. I knew she'd asked for Twin Peaks fic, among other things, and my flaily little Twin Peaks heart couldn't bear the thought that she might not receive any, so... I dived in.

I didn't stress out over the other two fics, but boy, did I stress out over this one! I wrote most of it at night, struggling to stay focused and keep my fingers going on the keyboard. I finished the last part the next morning, re-read the whole fic... and promptly panicked. Was I really going to gift a story that I'd written in a few hours' time, knowing how rough and unpolished it still felt to me? And gift it to someone who's not just a casual TP fan but has produced some great work of her own? And then I owe a massive thanks to selenak, for agreeing to do an extremely last-minute beta and providing not only reassurance but some life-saving suggestions for edits as well! At which point I worked in the edits, re-read the whole thing again, and finally felt courageous enough to post it. I don't think I've ever been more relieved about a fic than when st_aurafina commented to say she enjoyed her gift!


In short: I had a lovely Yuletide, and I hope the same goes for all of you who participated, in whichever way, big or small! Thanks so much to everyone who read and/or left comments or kudos on my stories; that means a lot to me. *hugs*

Once again, wishing y'all a very happy New Year! 

The Yuletide 2011 collection has opened! I wasn't an official participant this year, but my recipients liked their respective Yuletide treats, which made me happy. I do intend to sign up again next year, if I can - I missed the squeeing over assignments and the obsessively checking the 'gifts' tag at AO3 and the joy of opening one's present - but I had a good time!

Off to eat leftover Christmas turkey now, and little pears filled with dried cranberries. :)

And a number of quick Yuletide recs, in random order:

From the Dirt - Carnivale
Rating: General Audiences
Characters: Clayton Jones, Ben Hawkins, Sofie Bojakshiya
Summary: 'The lights glittered in their eyes, reflecting the new and strange visions their minds hadn’t dared to imagine.' A glimpse of the world as seen from the base of the Ferris Wheel.

By Narrow Domestic Walls - Twin Peaks
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Characters: Dale Cooper, Albert Rosenfield, Gordon Cole
Summary: Albert doesn’t believe in ‘meant to be’. They don’t naturally mesh: Cooper wanted to do over the guest room with reed matting and make a meditation room; Albert wanted to make an office. So they built an office with a Zen garden. Albert appreciates sleek, modern furniture; Cooper likes Eastern antiques. So now their apartment is decked out in sleekly modern furniture imported from Tibet. Albert prefers quiet when he sleeps; Cooper drifts off listening to Tuvan throat singing. Albert has gotten used to earplugs. At each turn, one or both of them have seen their way through to a solution. The result is not so much a ‘normal life’ as it is a life that’s right for them, and insane for everyone else.

Better With Tentacles - Galaxy Quest (1999)
Rating: General Audiences
Relationships: Fred Kwan/Laliari
Characters: Guy Fleegman, Jason Nesmith, Alexander Dane, Gwen DeMarco, Fred Kwan, Laliari (Galaxy Quest)
Summary: Guy has found religion, Gwen has found shippers and Fred will, eventually, find his pants.

Persuasion in the City - Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Rating: General Audiences
Characters: Samuel Vimes, Angua von Uberwald, Jane Gordon
Summary: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a text in possession of more than a passing reference to a certain literary work that shall not be named, must begin with the phrase 'It is a truth universally acknowledged'.