Bzzing aBout

I have a bingo card from the Cotton Candy Bingo folks - it sounded about my speed, really.

Here goes nuttin' :

Sardonicsmiley is an author of skill, depth, and terror, like unto Holly Lisle, and needing to be taken with the same kind of caution.

If she tells you a thing "squicked her out," you may be certain to need to keep your squeeze ball, your trash can, your tissues handy. You may also be certain that she has handled it with skill in the plot, the characters, the wordcraft, and the pacing. It will be worth your reading.

Such a story is her Praying Won't Do You No Good, written for Kink Bingo #14, Bondage (immobility). Set in Stargate: Atlantis, it examines the question of what it would be like if a Chief Medical Officer had the moral capacity and the self-delusion of Lois McMaster Bujold's Sergeant Bothari. It is written in the tight Point of View, with an internal monologue that chills the spine.

In fact, I avoided it for some time, because I feared nightmares. But I finally took it up, because - well, it's Sardonicsmiley! And I read the comments.

And then I did a little bit of self-therapy, examining what would happen if the Chief Military Officer found out about the situation, as comment-fic. If you have the strength to read Praying Won't ..., then go ahead and read The Conversation, a comment-fic by yours truly. ETA Alas: when the lady took down her journal, that and other commentfics went with it. I apologize for the loss.

Parhelion's site entitled Germination Records contains an extended bounty of perfectly-executed narrative voice, whether that of Archie Goodwin, Nero Wolfe, or even on occasion Saul Panzer or Lily Rowan. She weaves everything from a brief wait on an encounter with mortality to a long, involved undercover war story. The quiet desperation and longing with which she infuses everything is a moist, rich dessert, but the language! ( The language is incredible. )

You must go read several of these stories. Pay attention to the warnings: in most cases, but not all, the sex is off-screen, or can be ignored by the uninterested. In all cases, though, the sex is ... warming, moving, rather than arousing, to my eyes. The relationships themselves are far more interesting.

On this day, as we cannot help but remember what was, for our generation, what December 7, 1941 was for our parents', it is proper and appropriate to consider the work Cesperanza has put into a so-called "fanfiction" for the television science-fiction show "Stargate: Atlantis."

Rather like Shakespeare's "fanfiction" of "Julius Caesar," this takes the bones and flesh of the original and does something incredible and searing with them. It makes a new story and forces us into the understanding that no history, however thorough, well-researched, and unbiased its writers consider it to be, can be anything but a pale shadow of the truth.

What we have been told about 9/11 is not the truth. What we have been shown about it is not the truth. What we have discovered about it is not the truth.

We can do no more than to accept that we will always believe lies about what happened on that day, even as we seek more and more knowledge. It will never be enough to be True; but it will be worth the seeking anyway.

Please read cesperanza's Written By The Victors if you have not already done so. Irretrievably straight guys: you can safely skip over the few non-safe scenes without it ruining the story for you.

Art has been made for the various volumes of this work by zulu.

An archive of related material has been collected.

As often happens with particularly deep works, an associated story has been written: Exile.

ETA: KBusse has written an analysis at http://kbusse.wordpress.com.

She refers to Lim's "Sheppard-focussed vid" at YouTube, which I have now seen, and which is incredible. Using only video taken from SG:A, she creates the entire WWbV story in images and text. It is to make one stop, silent, weep a bit, and then remember how to breathe.

And underneath the cut-tag I've attempted to embed a video made with consummate skill, again by zulu, who has actually created the story! From available shots!

( The Video by Zulu )

About the battlemother Guo, and her newly-acquired fiances:

She heard faint whispers among the males huddled within her mantle cavity, but paid no attention. Until, moments later, she felt the stroking of a multitude of small arms along the great muscles of her rearhead.

The strokes brought sudden relaxation. And then, almost simultaneously, embarrassment and anxiety.

No male had ever entered her cavity before, much less stroked her. True, their arms were far away from the—organs—at the very rear of her cavity, but still—

"Stop that!"

The strokes ceased. Instantly, the eumale spoke sharply and the stroking resumed. A moment later, the small figure of the eumale and the truemale who had assisted him in carrying Abka's body appeared alongside her huge right eye. (Julius had noted, and been amazed by, the capacity of owoc and gukuy to focus their eyes at incredibly short ranges. Guo was staring at her preconsorts at a distance which a human would have measured in centimeters.)

"You are now the Great Mother of the tribe," said the eumale firmly. "And you are obviously confused and distraught. Over the state of the tribe, of course, but also over what to do about Kopporu. The tribe cannot afford your thoughts to be a mess. It will be part of our duty as your consorts to relieve your tension, so that you can think clearly. Don't be a silly spawn."

Guo couldn't prevent a hoot of surprise. At the impudence of the eumale, to some degree. But more at his uncanny perception of her thoughts.

"How did—"

The eumale whistled. "What else would you be confused about?"

Guo fell silent. The stroking continued, and, after a while, she admitted that it was quite relaxing. Very pleasureable, in fact. But from that train of thought her mind fled quickly.

The eumale and the other male did not leave their perch on her mantlerim. Guo kept her eyes on the path ahead, for the most part. But, now and then, her great right eye would swivel and examine her two new companions. They ignored these peeks, in the excessively dignified manner of youth. They were, Guo realized, no older than she. Still some time away from reaching sexual maturity.

(The thought was, simultaneously, the source of relief, anxiety, regret and vast curiosity.)

You know, I checked further, and the only other mention was Kopporu having heard Guo and her malecluster practicing in the night! All very off-screen and proper ...

In honor of International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Wretch Day, here is Apple Island, supposedly complete in itself. I'd shown it originally only to friends; now I set it free to the masses.
( Apple Island )

Go read this story now. Told from the point of view of a young girl trying to justify the building of a tree-house, it is a ... I keep erasing words. I like it too much to tell you anything more. Go read Iphigenia at Atlantis.

Late as usual, nevertheless I have completed this story in honor of her birth and work.

Title: Hawksview
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Hootch/McGonagall
Rating: FRAO
Summary: It's time a little excitement was brought back into the game.
( 'I wanted to thank you, Minerva, for introducing Potter to Wood.' )

How Four Idjiots Got Baptized by Pat

1. Do not drink, neither eat nor consume elsewise while reading this fic.
2. Completely gen and safe for anyone not afflicted with asthma.
3. Magnificent Seven, and a fine introduction to the boys.