blamebrampton

Christ on a bike this is late ... OK, while this will probably not make a lick of difference to the voting (and what a weird saying that is now I look at it), please still comment if you read any of these.

People thrashed themselves for this fest, and whether any team wins or loses, people reading their stories is the only reward most writers were after. A quick comment to say thanks if there was anything you like about a particular story will take you about 40 seconds and make the writer feel spectacular.

One little note, a lot of people have discussed the fact that there are a lot of spelling and grammar issues with some WC stories; the deadline for this fest was very tight, and utterly inflexible. Many of the best betas were overstretched, and a number of the participants had English as a second or third language. I am amazed at what people achieved under the circumstances.

Serendipity, Prompt: Wheel of Fortune, Wordcount: over 9500
Draco has run away from the world, but a part of it comes running after him. Yes, of course it's the bespectacled Potter part, did you not pay attention to the basic themes of this Festival?

Subconscious, Prompt: The Moon, Wordcount: 10,172
When Harry accepts an assignment to speak with a Seer being held at St Giles's mental hospital, he thinks he is escaping a directive to work with the Malfoys. So the discovery of Draco Malfoy as his guide to the hospital and patient is less than welcome. 

The Touch of Your Hand, Prompt: The most important H/D moment from the books, Art
One of the most spectacular pieces of fanart I have seen in a long time, the artist focusses on the moment when Harry finally does take DRaco's hand, but also everything that has come before and will come after that moment. A very clever use of animation without losing sight of the image's form; and take a look at the shapes of the last panel. Wholly brilliant stuff.

Sorry chaps, I meant to finish this today, but things started off chaotically and have ended in a pounding headache, and no amount of sofa napping is combatting that. I've missed five Team EWe fics and one art, please check them out, they are all worth the effort!

One more day to go until I can work on a sane publication again. And spend some time flitting around on aeroplanes. Yay! In the meantime, did you catch up with these magnificent Team EWE fics? Go on, there's still time!

To begin with, I am an idiot and forgot two, so I am giving up on my in order theory and concentrating on the ones I have finished first! Yay! Will have the others finished by Saturday morning US time, I hope!

Potter's Interference, Prompt: The Magician, Wordcount 8500
Draco Malfoy runs a tidy little business trading magical animals, often legal, sometimes not. Animal law activist Harry Potter has Malfoy in his sights. For lawbreaking, obviously.

The Most Important Thing, Prompt: coins, Art
A soft, dreamy style of art for a scene that is so gentle, loving and domestic that it represents the dream of reconciliation between our two lads. Full of beautiful details, especially the photographs. Ron and Hermione's wedding shot is a simple joy. And, of course, armchair sex.


The Arc of the Pendulum, Prompt: The Hanged man, Wordcount 30,262
Lucius Malfoy has his last revenge against Harry Potter. A curse turns him into a reverse werewolf, the body of a man with the mind of a beast, save for once a month ...

Oh cock! ... which is my word for the day ... Due to my commitment to doing these in order, only two today, since I have two unfinished reads coming up. Most of the way through both ... but it's getting late again.

Lamp in the Cooling Room, Prompt: The Lovers, Wordcount ~9000
Draco stumbles across some of the last of his father's magic, alas shortly after an innocent  Muggle girl has already tripped the trap. Auror Harry Potter is quick to respond to the stirring of deep Dark magic, and he, too, is confined within the small house, where any may enter, but only one may leave alive.

Beneath Boundless Skies, Prompt: Death, Wordcount, 29,800
Life is a series of funerals and media intrusions for Harry in the weeks after the War, so when Minerva suggests he act like a proper English teenager and sod off to Australia for a gap year, he takes her up on the offer. And he's not alone.

Buggeration! Meant to have these up last night and a new set done for today. Um, Sorry! More recs tomorrow (probably).

Best Interests -- Prompt: the Hierophant, wordcount ~10,000
Harry is horrified when, straight after the death of Andromeda Tonks, Draco and Narcissa insist on their rights as Teddy Lupin's closest blood relatives being recognised. At least, he's horrified at first ...


Black's Blood Curse -- Prompt: The Empress, Wordcount ~9100
If you ignore everything else I have to say, trot off and read this little charmer of a fic as it is shamefully under-reviewed. Harry turns up on the steps of Malfoy Manor in a panic, Teddy Lupin is gravely ill, and only the blood of a Black can save him.
The Affairs of Men -- Prompt: The Tower, Worldcount 17,000
Draco is determined to do the right thing in the aftermath of the war, but people are surprisingly unkeen to let him.

What the North Wind Brings -- Prompt: Swords, Art
This artist's style captures so much in delicate pen and ink strokes. Using a genius interpretation of the prompt, the artist begins with two lonely men in their sparse homes, one not made personal yet, the other being stripped of everything that made it great. The conflict that is at the heart of the H/D relationship is splendidly realised, and its resolution is perfection.

I can't bear to put the next fic at the bottom of a post, so I'll start with it for my next list

I had such good intentions. I was going to read every fic as it was posted, review and comment, rec for my team and others.

I think I made it through four or five cards ...

SO, in the spirit of we are coming down to the end of the voting period and the other teams are all pimping like crazy, I am going to start with my team's fics and art, then hit my faves from the other teams.  I'd love to tell you when voting ends, but to be honest I have no idea. I had a vague theory that it was May 31, but others have said next weekend, and they are more likely to be right than I am!

I'll spread the load over several posts, and I'll be reviewing my own fic, too, but using a CUNNING plan, will be relying on one of my team mate's reviews to do that one, just as she used my review to comment on her own fic so no one would be able to spot the one she missed. Sneaky like Slytherins, we are!

And if wading through my verbose blather doesn't appeal, check out Raitala's genius artistic versions of the last four EWE fics, and lovely Romaine24's overall worldcup summary, but read her EWE picks first!

Catch me if I Fall -- Prompt: The Fool, Wordcount 15,800
Team Ewe's opening foray, this was a great start to the fest. Draco Malfoy has been told by his mother to restore the family name, which would be so much easier if people didn't start casting hexes the minute they spotted his face.

After Eden -- Prompt: Judgement, Wordcount ~15,000
This story takes a dramatic and fresh tack on the Harry and Ron super-Aurors motif, opening with Harry in St Mungo's after a serious accident at work.
London, 2:00 a.m. -- Prompt: Cups, Art
A simple scene that sets up a world of potential. Draco is falling asleep over a whisky and Guinness chaser, Harry walks in the door behind him. The simple line art and greyscale colouring of the figures is contrasted with a photorealistic poster in the background for a real slice of life.

Matchmaker -- Prompt: Justice, Wordcount 8690
Framed by the story of a narrator who may or may not be wholly reliable, this is the fairytale-like story of how Harry Potter was roped into finding a wife for Draco Malfoy by a conniving, if perfectly groomed, Narcissa.
Smile, You're on Camera -- Prompt: The Devil, Wordcount ~14,000
Harry is a tired and slightly emotional Auror, which may explain his series of strange choices when he begins to believe Draco Malfoy is stalking him.

More team EWE recs tomorrow!

I was never a big comic reader as a kid. V for Vendetta, a spot of Martin Millar, Neil Gaiman once he really kicked off (mostly Sandman, by which time I was relatively old) ... but not the Big Heroes.

I was too pretentious, too busy looking for heroes in politics and coming up with ways to save the world from impending nuclear holocaust to look for heroes and world-saving on brightly printed pages.

Which is why the whole comic hero film movement caught me by surprise. J, on the other hand, will nod sagely at a film poster and say "Ah yes, Tony Stark, weapons designer with a conscience. The first Iron Man. You know the title is passed on with the suit, though Stark remains involved as the series progresses, don't you?"


And I look at him blankly and say: "Robert Downey Junior is very handsome with an angular beard."


Today was J's birthday, and we took the day off from work and trotted off to the cinema to escape into fantasy for a few hours. And I was expecting an amusing diversion. What I wasn't expecting was a really, really good film.

In short, it's one of the few blockbusters that lives up to the hype, and I was happy to see that epilogue after the credits, which seems to promise a sequel.

It's been another week of great brain tiredness at work, and I have stupidly given away much of the time off I was going to take over the next few weeks in a bid to save other people from the consequences of their disorganisation, so I nowhere near caught up with Worldcup. I am wondering if the people who started off voting have kept it up? Comment counts seem to have dropped right away through the course of the fest, and I wonder whether this has been echoed in reading and voting.

Of course, I am very very very far behind myself, so I feel the pain of those who have given up hope of catching up! I am going to try and put a few rec posts together in the next fortnight before voting ends, but would gently suggest that team EWE's fics not only feature overwhelmingly positive endings (even the ones that look as though they might not), but also feature subtle sheep jokes. Though the other teams are good, too.

Quick cat news, both had their last kitten immunisations last week, Monster has doubled in weight since she came here, Cookie has gained 50%. They are both in excellent health, and the vet amused me no end by picking Monster up and cuddling her with a cry of "Oh look at your little tummy! I love a kitty with a tummy! And your long tail! And your tiny little head!" Then she looked at me and said: "Should I make a bold bid to recover professional detachment now?" I assured her there was no need.

It's after 2am again. I am starting to glean an inkling of where my perennial tiredness comes from ...

I have discovered that I can write 15K words in a bit over 24 hours. I shouldn't, but if the fate of the world ever hangs on 15K of H/D being produced in a day, call me.

And if you ever want to shriek: "Oh fuck oh fuck my life has imploded in every direction and I have only half-written this fic with 24 hours to go on a rigid deadline!!!" call me, too.

I'll tell you that you can do it, and then bind you to the gang who swears never again for a rigid deadline.

The only reason I was able to get this story done was because I had a lot of help, so I would like to stand here in public and testify that the following people are bloody marvellous. Normally I have one lovely beta, but she and I see pretty much eye-to-eye on everything, and I needed a different view on parts of this tale, so in the end there were five people who helped me get over the line.

jadzialove is so calm, competent and supportive that I wish she was actually the US Secretary of State since there might be some hope for the Mid-East Peace Process if she were. Thank you so much for your many hours of fine-toothing and gentle poking.

pushdragon is like one of those paladins in a medieval tale who rides in at the crucial moment to say "Yes, no, are you aware that you actually forgot a word in this sentence without which it can mean three different things, and you made a joke about X, hurrah for jokes about X!" That supportiveness came on a really shitty day and I am grateful for it.

bryoneybrynn is a champion, not just for being the only one among us to spot one particular typo (out of many), but also for her sensible suggestions on when occasionally more is more. Not to mention the cheeriness of demands for more. On that topic, oh animagi fest girl ...

oceaxe was wonderful help on the first section, which I had overwritten because I wanted to show everything that happened, except that a lot of that belonged in another story. Not to mention her delicate hint that I can be culturally untranslateable on occasion. Guilty as charged! and, I hope, sorted.

and who_la_hoop was another wonderful pair of eyes to remind me that young people today are young, and also that they teach people to spell like Americans far too much these days. Jail was bad enough, but fetus? What is the world coming to?

Anyway, you all led to a tighter, and more cohesive story which was actually achievable, rather than the epic novel I seemed to be headed towards for a while there! Many many thanks to you all, and let me know when I can return the favour.

In sad news, Min is enjoying her last day as a garden ornament. Her breathing has started to grow laboured at night and she threw up her breakfast today. She is back out guarding the bags of compost from the compost thieves, and Carmen the lovely vet will come over this afternoon at five. I have given myself a mental health day and will spend it housecleaning and regularly popping out to take cat photos. She is blissfully unconcerned and has just nibbled a pelargonium. Typical.

The Min cat is still with us!

In fact, aside from one alarming night and an ongoing wheeze, she has been in robust good health. She has even reclaimed her kitty tower as 'the' place to be after disdaining it for most of the last year.

In some ways it is simply tragic to see how healthy she is, aside from the cancer. On the other hand, it is wonderful to see that she is in good spirits and clearly no or very minimal pain. The many good wishes she has been sent have definitely been helping! Well -- they've definitely helped us at any rate!

The salmon diet, apparently, is the kitty version of medical marijuana. I have had to go out and buy another stash of tins, hurrah! We're onto the good red salmon, sod the wussy pink.

The weather has been exceptionally cooperative, and after the first wet summer in a decade has continued fine and dry since she has been home, so she has sat in her pot of miscanthus each day, then trotted out to follow the late afternoon sun. Her old people have visited her daily and she is pleased to see that she is finally being worshipped appropriately. In further good news, the local vets will be able to come here to euthanise her when the time comes, and there is a pet crematorium who do local pick-ups. We plan to scatter her ashes in her garden beds (several) and favourite rat hunting ground.

For my part I have been a bit lj invisible for the last few days as I desperately struggle to get through my worldcup fic. No extensions under any circumstances is a bit ghastly, since no one can plan for RL disasters and there are a number of people in even worse situations than me who are left hanging between flogging themselves and letting down their teams. We are all choosing to flog ourselves, but I do feel that in a perfect world we'd have a little leeway to work some more sleep into the schedule.

Oh well, when you read the fic with more typos than any other (and you do not want to KNOW how bad my brain is at homonyms when I am this thinly spread), be kind, it will be mine, and it will not in any way be the fault of my lovely betas.

Back to the writing and the listening to breathing, out and in, with only a little whistle, she still has time ...

I have two fics to update, one new one to sketch, a novel to work on, a house to clean, five fics open in tabs to read, about 40 recs outstanding and still 2/3 of hd_hols to look at.

What am I doing?

I am obsessively renewing my email in case the hd_worldcup listings come out. Because I am now officially keen, and both the teams I put as first and second choice are filled with really really magnificent people including actual people I know. I think that age, nationality and natural stoicism aside, I may very well be squeeing.

Which means I will not make it through the ballot and will be reduced to tidying my house. Oh well, I find all the best stuff that way ...