The Very Model of a Modern Major Slytherin

My wish was fulfilled in daily_deviant's Banging Birthday, and it is amazing!! *flail*

The Elite Programme by ???
Rufus Scrimgeour/Alastor Moody
NC-17; ~5,700 words
Abjfahipcaf, OMG, where has this fic been all my fandom life?! This is young Rufus and Alastor meeting for the first time as new recruits in the Elite Auror training program, and everything about it is brilliant.

The young versions of these characters here are just so perfectly them. Or rather, they're perfectly not them -- not yet. They haven't grown into the "them" that we know from canon, but the raw materials are so clearly there. The backstories the author has created for them are absolutely ingenious, and the dynamic that develops between them is electric.

This entire thing is gorgeously written, wonderfully developed, and topped with a seriously knuckle-biting consummation scene. I could pick apart all the subtleties and fantastic bits for days, but... just go read it! Go give it the love it deserves.

Stuff's been extra crazy this year, so I've been very tardy in commenting properly on some of my holiday gifties and pointing to them here. On the plus side, though, it does allow me to show them all off in one giant post o' squee. ;D

So! Without further ado or delay, my holiday fest season 2011 haul:

From snapelyholidays:

Cornerstone by ???
Snape/Godric; R/adult; ~6,200 words
Okay, right off the bat the author gets huge kudos from me for choosing this pairing. Then they get major applause for pulling it off so well. Snape's reason for entering Godric's time is one that I would never have come up with myself, and the author does a great job of bringing it full circle. The themes fit brilliantly with those found in canon; so much so that this story feels like it could easily slot right into the canon timeline. There's a ton of historical detail and nice descriptive writing to bring the setting to life. And the ending...! Wonderfully ambiguous. Definitely a nice read for a pairing that's entirely too rare.

From daily_deviant's Kinky Kristmas:

At Practice by ???
Severus/Sirius; NC-17; 1,992 words
Ahaha, the author has represented the entire Severus/Sirius relationship as exactly what it is: One big cock-measuring contest. XD This is Marauder's era Snack, and the boys here are just being such... boys. Ha. Their bitching is so perfect it's like they've rehearsed it. LOL Yet some things go in directions that I'm sure neither of them would have expected... ::smirk::

Complicated by ???
Severus/Remus; NC-17; 1,391 words
Ohhhh, maaaaaaaaan. Yeah, "complicated" is one way to put it! The entire relationship with all of its problems and complexities and need need need and things left unsaid is just perfect. The desperation oozes off the monitor. And did I mention hot? OMG, so effing hot! Oh, HELLO, my bullet-proof kinks! Nice to see you again! ::faints::

Love Thyself by ???
Moody; R NWS ART
I asked for Moody wanking and... bwaha! Boy, did I get it. :P What really grabs me about this piece, though, is the dark, dirty, gritty feel of it. Very, very neat stylistically. Also, the story behind this and the precise moment that's captured are interesting to me, and kind of make me want to fic it. ;)

Goodies not from fests:

Chains by sdk
Severus/Sirius; PG; 545 words
OMG! This ficlet...! I'm simply astounded at how brilliantly Shelly has captured the Severus/Sirius dynamic in so few words. Snape is perfect here -- bitter, self-loathing, and believing nothing good can happen to him... yet having a bit of hope nonetheless. The interaction between him and Sirius is just spot-on as well -- snarking because it's comfortable and familiar, because "normal" expressions of affection would be strange and frightening, especially in their current circumstances. Seriously, if you're even remotely inclined toward this pairing or want to know why I like it... go read this!

Out of Time by celandineb
Severus/Sirius; general; 379 words
Aaaand another one that does so much in so few words! An entire relationship (such as it is...) in under 400 words. Severus' initial reasons for getting involved with Sirius and his denial that it means anything are so perfectly him, as is what comes later. It's a truly tragic, doomed pair here, and it's represented amazingly well here.

Untitled Moody/Snape ficlet by sabethea
Moody/Snape (gen, or possibly pre-slash); PG; 189 words
Scroll down a bit for this one. This is Moody and Snape coming to terms with each other (and themselve) after the war; Moody asking forgiveness (in his own way...) for doubting Snape's loyalties, and Snape giving it (also in his own way) in completely true-to-characters fashion. There's lots said in what's not quite said, and the possibilities for more are lovely!

Eeeeeeehehehe, Snack and Snupin and Snape/Moody and Snape/Godric, YAY!!! Lucky Rowan is lucky!

This squee is belated, but I'm behind on everything right now. Do not take the belatedness of the squee to mean the squee is half-hearted, though, because the art is awesome and the squee is colossal!

I am lucky like a mad, lucky thing, because ships_harry did TWO absolutely brilliant pieces for me!

Neck (Severus/Remus)
Holy good god, this is absurdly hot! Not because of what we can see so much as what we can't see. The image itself is fairly PG-13ish, but they're teenage boys, and things are implied, and you just know there are things happening and that the scene is going to end in stickiness, yes. Also, this totally hits my take charge!Remus kink... along with at least four or five others that I can think of right off the top of my head. ::salivates::

Threat or Promise (Severus/Sirius)
Guuuuuh. ::dies:: Okay, this one is freakin' hot for what's seen, what's unseen, what's implied, and the complete ambiguity of it. What exactly is going on here between them? Oh, man, the possibilities are endless! I have a pretty good idea of what Sirius is doing with his hands, though. ::smirk:: Gah, I can't even count the number of bullet-proof kinks she hit with this one. I want to fic this really, really badly, oh yes I do...

Anyway, go look at them and tell ships_harry how awesome they are! (The first one might be a touch NWS.)

Lucky r_grayjoy is lucky!! ::flaaaaiiiil::

First, I want to quickly squee and point everyone to the teenage Snape drawing that infiniteviking did for me. I love this because it perfectly captures a couple of things that I've always imagined about Snape. His lips here are just as I always picture them -- thin, pale, and broad. He's a homely dude, no doubt about it. And yet, I get this feeling that if he would ever smile -- really smile -- it would look brilliant on him. Well, anyway... Great, smug Snape, great pose, lovely greens. Yay! ♥


Second, I'm really overdue in squeeing and flailing madly over the fact that not one, but two artists chose to create art based on one of my fics last month at daily_deviant! Strangely enough, they both picked the same fic -- Thin Excuses (Severus/Remus), which was a piece of gratuitous smut that I wrote largely to entertain myself. Apparently some other people are entertained by the same things as I am. Who knew? ;D

osmalic created Thin Lines (R/NWS)
ghot created No Excuses (R/NWS)

Both artists did an amazing job of capturing the atmosphere and dynamics I tried to convey in the fic, each in their own ways. I could go on and on about the precise moments each of them detailed out and what's perfect in the poses and body language and so on. But, eh, since it's about my own fic, I imagine it's only of interest to me. So I'll happily just squee and flail some more, because, wow, out of all the totally brilliant stuff on the comm, they picked my fic to illustrate!! Just, abfljahpfa, so much yay!! ♥


Third, I'm really, really overdue in reccing a few things:

Not a Bloody Romance Novel by vanseedee
Ron/Draco; 6,500 words; PG-13
Somehow a tiny, drabble prompt I gave turned into a 6K+ fic. And I'm so glad that it did, because the result is just phenomenal! Oh, dear lord. You all. I laughed so hard my dog thought there was something wrong with me. More wrong than usual, I mean. ;) But on top of the fact that it's hysterical from beginning to end, the story idea is incredibly clever and original, the characterizations are fab, the way Ron and Draco play off each other is fantastic, and the tongue-in-cheek tone is to fie for. If you missed this one... well, you don't know what you're missing!

Bitter on the tongue by woldy
Severus/Remus; 1,300 words; NC-17
This? Is brilliant. Such an insightful look into Snape's head, and so much said about both characters in such a short fic. Snape does something just utterly Snape-like here; something brutal and desperate and completely self-sabotaging. And Remus is sharp, and he plays the situation well. Just... this is an amazing piece, so plausible for the characters involved. A little dark, a little harsh, yet still hopeful. Gah.

And Sometimes Darkness by undunoops
Snape/Lupin; adult
First, I will tell you that this is a WiP, so those of you who flee in terror from WiPs, well, there you go. Personally, I like the anticipation of following a good WiP, and it's been ages since I last did, so I've really been enjoying this one. It's a post-war AU in which a very damaged Snape is forced by necessity to go live with Lupin. But then it doesn't quite go where you'd expect. As a matter of fact, the plot twists and turns have been all over the place, and it has definitely kept me guessing. Also, the author's writing has been getting sharper with each update, so it's been neat to watch the writing progress. Each segment tends to be around 2K, give or take, and it's not so far along that you'd be helplessly behind. The link above takes you to the first part; use the fic's tag to get them all.

My birthday was quiet, which is a good thing. I've had quite the birthday curse in the past, so having the day pass quietly and uneventfully is a relief. Heh.

Epic amounts of thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday in various places: acatnamedeaster, adawnrae, albalark, alisanne, angela_snape, anna_unfolding, ariadneelda, ceria, chazpure, countesszero, daiseechain, dementordelta, eeyore9990, entrenous88, fireflavored, isisanubis, joan_waterhouse, kabal42, kelly_chambliss, leela_cat, lionille, lokifan, magnetic_pole, melusinahp, mindabbles, nehalenia, psyfic, ragdoll, sabethea, sdk, the_winterwitch, themostepotente, therealsnape, tjs_whatnot, verdenia, veridari, and youngraven. (If I've missed anyone, I'm so sorry! Poke me and point out my idiocy.)

Special thanks to adawnrae, albalark, ariadneelda, daiseechain, and melusinahp for the virtual packages and balloons and puppies that are now adorning my userinfo page. ::huge grin::

To psyfic and chazpure for the sweet and oh-so-approprite ecard. Hee!

To kellychambliss for making me laugh with some Snape/Moody antics. ::giggle snort::

To mindabbles and magnetic_pole for saying lovely things about me and totally stroking my ego. ;)

And! And! AND!

leela_cat and veridari put together a little birthday Snack for me! ::squeeeeeeeee!::

The Veil
Severus/Sirius; PG-13
Fic by leela_cat (~900 words)
Art by veridari (2 pieces)
A short fic with accompanying art that tells how a certain post-canon reunion comes to pass. This is a beautiful collab; the writing and the art complement each other so well. The writing is flowing and dark and surreal, and the art echoes this tone perfectly. There's so much feeling in both fic and art.

Abjkvuwlps, I have the best friends/f-list/fandom is the world! ♥ ♥ ♥ ::hugs EVERYONE::

Once again, daily_deviant's Kinky Kristmas has been phenomenal, if I may be permitted to say so myself! And now I absolutely must take a few moments to flail madly over a few particular pieces. This probably goes without saying, but all of these are NC-17/NWS!

First, I have to squee at you all about the amazing things that have been written/drawn for me. Seriously, I am the luckiest participant of all!!

ART: Right Where I Want You by ???
(Severus/Sirius)
Ohhhhh, Marauder's era Snack at its artistic best! I'd asked for awkward sex of the "partially clothed, frantic, coming-in-pants" variety, and WOW, did I ever get it! Cocky, in charge Sirius with Severus coming completely undone is just... GUH. OH HAI THAR bullet-proof kink!!! Did I mention GUH?

FIC: Polly's Juices by ???
(Ron/Draco; ~3,000 words)
I'd asked for some sort of anonymous sex/in disguise/mistaken identity fic with a twist, and I love where this author went with it! First of all, it's completely hilarious. All of the characters -- Ron and Draco as well as Harry and George as supporting cast are spot-on in character and a total riot. Then the sex is just hot, hot, hot. Frantic, fast, up-against-a-wall sex? Oh, hey, another bullet-proof kink nailed! There are some seriously great lines in here, and the ending is to die for.

FIC: Touch My Skin to Keep Me Whole by ???
(Snape/Moody; ~3,000 words)
Oh. My. God. This fic. I asked for touch, first time, mild sensation play, and semen kink as themes, and for two touch-starved people coming together. And this fic. This. Is everything I wanted from this prompt and more. Both characters are just spot-on perfect, as is the way they interact with and respond to each other. Read this. If you don't think Moody is sexy, this will change your mind. This is one of those fics that will make you lament the fact that you can't write like this. Absolutely amazing.

Huge, huge thank yous to all three of these wonderful, talented people. ♥ ♥ ♥


Okay, and now. I know I said I wasn't going to make specific recs from KK. As a mod, I feel like it's a little weird since I know who the anonymous authors and artist are. But I simply can't help but squee over two recent pieces that weren't created for me but totally could have been.

ART: Break by ???
(Remus/Severus)
Oh, man, this is simply gorgeous. Incredible. Both Severus and Remus are absolutely perfect here, and the erotic tension of the moment is palpable. Partially clothed sex with a Snape who's clearly trying and failing to maintain his rigid control? Yes, please, may I have another?? Everything about this scene is fantastically done. GUH.

FIC: Notch by ???
(Severus/Sirius; 2,200 words)
Holy hell. This... abjoluakd, I have no coherent words. I was in love with it from the opening lines, and it only got better from there. This is everything I could ever want from this pairing; the dynamics are perfect in every way, there's so much said about them in so few words, and it's HOT AS SIN. Oh, lookit that! MOAR bullet-proof kinks hit dead-on! Just a whole universe of guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh on this one. ::is dead::


God, it's a good thing I didn't see/read all of these in one day, 'cause I'm positive I wouldn't have survived it. O_O

There will be a second recs post coming very soon -- the Snarry edition, woo!

Received my first holiday card in the mail yesterday! Thank you, aigoos! ♥

Also yesterday, thilia posted a ficlet for me -- Time (Severus/Remus, 662 words, PG). It's Marauders era Snupin with awkward, insecure Severus and patient, determined, Remus, and exactly what we wish would have happened in canon. ;) It got a big "awwwww" out of me. ♥

My hoggywartyxmas piece is moving along slowly but surely. I like it, but I really wish my mojo would return!

Oh, and speaking of holiday cards -- for those who might have missed it the other day, my holiday card post is back here!

Now to get caught up on fest reading so that I can actually work on holiday cards...

It's extremely hard for me to type anything other than "squee!" and "flail!" right now, but I'll do my best... !


Squee-Making Thing #1:

A while back, I commissioned tripperfunster to do some art for me. I asked for young Severus/Sirius, romantic rather than hate sex-y, and pretty much told her to go wild. The end result is HERE!

I already received the original piece in the mail and squeed loudly at Tripper, but now that she's posted the pic to her LJ, I can tell everyone else to go look and squee as well. :D This piece is just abjoluyarf AMAZING. Both Sirius and Snape are wonderful, and their expressions just say so much about the dynamic between these two as I see it. So much characterization there. I won't say any more to spoil it. Just...

Severus/Sirius by tripperfunster! WS! GO LOOK!


Squee-Making Thing #2:

I've been waiting for a package from acatnamedeaster for ages, and I FINALLY GOT IT! \o/

OMG, so much awesome art! Do you all remember Love Potion #9, the incredibly tasty (very NWS!) Sirius/Severus/Remus piece upon which I based one of my daily_deviant fics last month? She sent it to me!! ::runs around in little circles clutching art::

She sent a few other things along with it as well, and it's all just fantastic. As fab as her art is online, it's simply AMAZING up close and personal. And I has it!! :D :D


Am buying frames ASAP...