Snowflake Challenge #8

[kat_lair]

***

The more observant among you may have noticed that I've skipped from Challenge #6 to #8. That's because Challenge #7 was about creating your own challenge, I couldn't think of anything and honestly, right now everything feels like a challenge already (it has not been the best week work and mental health wise) so I've bypassed that. I see people posting lovely 'do something nice for yourself and others' types of 'challenges' and that's lovely but doing much of anything beyond current activities, even if it's lovely, feels like a struggle.

Anyway. It's a weekend, I've tipped over to overtime for this week again (moth2fic I'm going to need that slap, oh, by Monday...) and am not feeling great about it. Currently waiting on some takeaway pizza, which I plan on eating whilst watching the most mind-numbing thing I can find on Netflix.

Time therefore for Challenge #8 of



which is to create a Wishlist of Things for Me Pls. I'm going to keep this fannish for obvious reasons, including the one that no one can stop time and just give me extra month between now and February. Anyway.

Things That Would Make Kat Happy:

• Any further creative works based on my fics. Mixes, art of any kind, podfics, vids, anything... Honestly, I can't get over how amazing that is and every single piece like that I've gotten is treasured. My policy basically is 'yes please, show me the shiny'

• Comments on any of my fics. I would say this is a no-brainer for any fic writer but then I was proven wrong! :D But I adore comments on my fics

• Any fic that caters to my specific tastes, beloved tropes/kinks, fave pairings. If I've written it, it's very likely that I want to read it, because significant proportion of my own fics have been written specifically to scratch an itch. Last year's Chocolate Box letter details both likes and hard limits in general but in summary: slow burn, friends to lovers, d/s vibe are my Top Three Tropes. Put them together and I'm almost guaranteed to love it

• Any type of bdsm!AU fic that isn't just pwp. This trope is essentially my favourite and I tend to give almost anything with that premise a go, regardless of whether I know the fandom or not. I have some pairings where I have Very Strong Preference on who's the d and who's the s but others where I can enjoy it either way.

• Recommendations for feelgood movies or series on Netflix. Or any really, but right now want something happy making.

• Recommendations for Spotify playlists, particularly any fanmixes. I like almost all types of music with the exception of techno/dance (unless I'm literally in a club, those were the nights eh) or death/black metal (if it's so screamy I can't make out the lyrics then it's not for me). Preference for pop-punk and singer-songwriter stuff.

Okay, going to finish there.

***

Comments

[pushkin666]

Well you know my thoughts on you doing overtime whilst you still have 90 hours of overtime outstanding. So moth2fic and i will both give you a slap.

Gonna write the Brexit drabble on Sunday but as I mentioned to you before I have an idea for a bdsm drabble involving Commander Tucker from Enterprise and riding crops. I think you will like it so gonna try and write that as well on Sunday.

[kat_lair]

Before you edited this entry, the promise was much more appealing (yes, would like some slash thanks) :D And I know, I knoooooooooooow but also if I don't prep these things I'm going to be standing in front of a class (metaphorically, sitting in front of a screen) with nothing to say so... But after looking at next two weeks I'm going to be ruthless and limit my email time to 1h per day and just let things slide.

I'm gonna ignore the first part of that sentence but am excited by the Enterprise drabble. But I thought it was about Reed not Tucker? Or both?

[dreamersdare]

no one can stop time and just give me extra month between now and February

On the extremely unlikely possibility that someone does, in fact, possess the ability to do this, can I get in on that action pls?

I would say this is a no-brainer for any fic writer but then I was proven wrong

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, :p

[kat_lair]

God, the older I get, the more appealing the 'stop time' super power becomes...

Lol yeah, you are seriously the only writer I know with this preference :D Feel special!

[corvidology]

*sings* If I could turn back time! Sorry...

Netflix. Hmmm... Warrior Nun involves quite a few fighty bits but overall is silly fun with a mostly female cast.

Lupin, the French series is now available on Netflix (I suspect you don't need to but you can pick it subbed or dubbed if need be). I've only seen the first two episodes but it's distracting fun and Omar Sy. Yes.

Have you seen Grace & Frankie? Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

Enola Holmes is very, very silly but enjoyable and good if you only have a couple of functioning braincells.

Mr. Right is a Netflix movie that stars Sam Rockwell as an assassin who's assigned himself a different mission. I'd call it (mild) black comedy.

6 Underground. Ryan Reynolds. Lots of action-y stuff with incredible stunt work. Billionaire recruits team to take people down and they only know each other by a number.

You might have already seen all of that but just in case. :D

[kat_lair]

Stop ear-worming me! :D

Ooooh this is a good selection of recs! I definitely need subs for French, don't speak a word of it I'm afraid. But I'm good with subtitles having grown up with them. Out of the rest I've seen Enola Holmes (mmmm baby femdom! Still tempted to write that), Mr Right (enjoyed it a lot) and 6 Underground (needs more fic). Not ruling rewatches out though...

I watched 'Prom' last night and enjoyed the first half of it a lot; the second half got even more tropey and a bit too unrealistic but still fun.

[corvidology]

I hope you enjoy some of the others.

As we haven't had Netflix long I've been working through some stuff on there. I'll let you know if I find anything else that's fun.

[sjh2009]

That's a great wishlist, thank you for taking part in the challenge.

I've bookmarked your A03 page so I can take a look and have a read of your fic, and I'm going to have a look at your Chocolate Box letter, I love being able to grant wishes if I can. I could do with some extra time too, wouldn't it be wonderful!

I hope the wishlist fairy is able to grant you your wishes, thank you for sharing :)

[kat_lair]

Aww thank you! Both of those are super sweet of you, hopefully you find something to enjoy reading or creating, zero obligation obviously!

And yes, I would like to give everyone some extra time to use as they need!

[sea_changed]

This is not precisely what you asked for, so feel free to ignore, but: I can't resit reccing my primary fandom at the moment, A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles, which is an m/m romance novel that centers a BDSM relationship. It's set in the late 1810s, so the language for and navigation of the kink are not modern, but they're a central element of the book and the main characters' relationship. It includes plenty of porn, but also lots of plot and character development and relationship development out of bed as well as in.

My library has the ebook, so yours may as well; otherwise it's available through standard online bookstores. I believe sites like Barnes & Noble have a preview, if you want to dip a toe in without buying it--the first chapter is a pretty good indication of the rest of the book. (It is technically the second of a trilogy, but works perfectly well as a standalone; the other books are good as well, though not relevant, even tenuously, to your wishlist.) I also feel duty-bound to note here that the cover is terrible; please do ignore it.

[kat_lair]

Ooooh, thank you for the rec. That sounds very interesting. The name rings a bell, so I must have seen someone somewhere write/talk about it. I had a look at the preview and got sucked into reading the whole chapter available so that may very well go into my 'buy' list :D The cover is... Well. Bears little relevance to the book given the 1810 setting!

[kingstoken]

Left a comment on one of your fics over on AO3.

[kat_lair]

I saw! Thank you very much, very generous :) I shall go reply shortly.

[shadowhive]

Yeah it’s hard to think of challenges! But mmm pizzas

Yess it is amazing to get things like that🥰 And those fic wants are just Unf!

Hmm positive/fun series on Netflix that come to mind right now (and you may have seen some)

*Carmen Sandiego - every ep is set in a different location, with the title character thrashing evil and heists
*Disenchantment - Animation by the people that made the Simpsons, only set in a medieval style kingdom
*The Good Place - comedy set in the afterlife
*Nailed it! - it’s a baking show, only the bakers aren’t the best. It can be so funny and sometimes they do surprisingly well

My mind is blank now and I literally just closed Netflix before I read this post, oops

Here is a Spotify playlist for Kliego which is the only thing I can think of

[kat_lair]

Pizza really hit the spot and is going to feed me for at least two more meals.

Thank you very much for the recs! I've watched all but the last season of The Good Place so may have to start from the beginning now, for reasons...

And oooh, cheers for the mix! I'm just listening to it right now and am enjoying!

[shadowhive]

Oh nice!

Ohh yay🥰Hope you enjoy

It’s such a great mix! I listened to it a lot when it first came out

[margaret_r]

Nice wishlist. If you find the stop time one, can you send it my way? I'd love some of that:)

[kat_lair]

Thanks! There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day!

Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>Any fic that caters to my specific tastes, beloved tropes/kinks, fave pairings. If I've written it, it's very likely that I want to read it, because significant proportion of my own fics have been written specifically to scratch an itch. Last year's Chocolate Box letter details both likes and hard limits in general but in summary: slow burn, friends to lovers, d/s vibe are my Top Three Tropes. Put them together and I'm almost guaranteed to love it<<

My most popular fanseries is Love Is For Children (The Avengers). The slow burn aspects are slooowww. The latest installment just revealed that Clint and JARVIS are getting queerplatonic feelings for each other. Bucky's flame (not with Steve) has only been hinted -- although a few people have guessed it -- because he's still kind of a wreck. There isn't D/s per se but is a lot of nonsexual power exchange.

Re: Well ...

[kat_lair]

Thank you for this. Age play in general is something that I'm either uninterested in (sexual age play) or pretty neutral (non-sexual age play) about, though I freely admit that I haven't tried the latter a lot. So I may give your stories a trial run despite not being my usual fare. Also, I'm super impressed with the sheer breadth and length of the 'verse you've created. And I really support the premise of Avengers as found family who will actually get to care for each other. The canon was a disappointment in that regard.

Re: Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Thank you for this. Age play in general is something that I'm either uninterested in (sexual age play) <<

Same here, actually.

>> or pretty neutral (non-sexual age play) about, though I freely admit that I haven't tried the latter a lot.<<

I had no interest in ageplay until Natasha said, "Love is for children," and it hit me that all the Avengers had serious childhood challenges for various reasons. They could all use a chance to go back and fix what's broke or make up what they missed. It is purely nonsexual. There isn't even a lot of sexual reference in the non-ageplay parts.

There is very little nonsexual ageplay, which I think is kind of sad, because it actually can be a great tool for people with crappy childhoods. Plus, nobody ever seems to get all the things even in a good one. I was an adult friend's first experience decorating Easter eggs once. We were going to do some for an event, he mentioned that he'd never decorated any as a kid, and I said, "Well, we're going to fix that right now." It wasn't exactly ageplay, but definitely had a whimsical mood.

>> So I may give your stories a trial run despite not being my usual fare.<<

If you look at the comments, you'll see a LOT of people who aren't usually ageplay fans but loved this series. YMMV, but statistics suggest it's worth a peek. Later on, there's a lot more content outside of the ageplay, too.

If LIFC doesn't grab you, Schrodinger's Hulk has no ageplay (LIFC is the only thing I've written that does).

>> Also, I'm super impressed with the sheer breadth and length of the 'verse you've created.<<

I am actually a professional wordsmith. I just do fanfic for fun. If you're into worldbuilding, check out my original superhero series Polychrome Heroics or the Shared Worlds.

>> And I really support the premise of Avengers as found family who will actually get to care for each other.<<

LIFC has truckloads of that.

>> The canon was a disappointment in that regard.<<

The canon was a complete clusterfuck, and the least-worst thing I have to say about Civil War is "This is what happens when you leave a bunch of traumatized superheroes on duty 24/7 with no mental care. They will snap and you will regret it."

Endgame was the last Marvel movie I will ever watch. They don't get to treat me like that.

Also, my fans keep saying they like my fanfic better than Marvel canon, so I am content with that.

Re: Well ...

[kat_lair]

It's funny, isn't it, how sometimes a throwaway line can inspire a whole sprawling story :)

There's something about adults forgetting how to play and the relatively recent trend of colouring and puzzle books (love me some dot-to-dot) I think is a great one and encourages people to do something just because it's fun. Your story of your friend and Easter eggs definitely resonated.

Thanks for all the extra info and links to your original stories, got distracted for about an hour touring :D May have to come back with better time. This wishlist turned out to be a good idea because now it's full of lovely recs for wellbeind :D

I honestly refuse to even watch Civil War or End Game because I'm not here for pointless fighting and dying, much prefer the everyone lives/no one dies (at least not pointlessly) fanon version.

[moth2fic]

Gearing up to slap you on Monday - or before.

I suspect my current WIP will be to your taste in that it's very slow butn friends to lovers as the central pairing. You might get a mention in the dedication plus a free copy. Original fic btw.

I ought to put my December music recs into a list - it's just a matter of getting round to it. I chose YouTube versions so that everybody could enjoy the films but I have most of the stuff on Spotify and will try to gather everything together. However, don't hold your breath, just know it's coming, definitely before next December.

[kat_lair]

Yep. I deserve it. I can't decide if it's the case of there just simply being too much work to complete in allocate hours or that I'm not as effective/focused as usual or just not prioritising ruthlessly enough... Probably some kind of evil combination of both :(

Oooh, that sounds delicious! Look forward to it!

Definitely let me know the link when you make the Spotify list, perfect mix for next December :)

[moth2fic]

In my experience 'to much work to complete in allocated hours' sums up teaching at any level. I never envied part timers - they always appeared to be even more exhausted than full time staff. And even when I was doing 'supply' there was always too much research to do and the pay was only for class time.

However, consider yourself slapped - and do try to make a stand. Somebody somewhere needs to.

[wenchpixie]

I am stealing your reasoning for also skipping #7, because actually that's where I'm at with it too but couldn't articulate. Thank you.

Netflix (recommended without a lot of critical thought tbh, so worth a read at the summaries prior to diving in and there's a lot of heteronormativity up in here) : Scorpion, Emily in Paris, Marie Kondo, Dash & Lily, Virgin River,Enola Holmes, Love Guaranteed, Skyscraper (which is ridiculous), the half of it, rumor has it.

[kat_lair]

I was racking my brain for two days for something but every time I thought of a thing I ran into a wall of 'oh but I'm too tired to do that myself right now, I can't ask others' and that's really what it was.

Oooh, thanks for the rec list. Yes, sadly most 'feel good rom coms' also come with a helping of heteronormativity. Depends on the mood how much of it I can stomach. I've seen some of what you listed but not all so this is very helpful! Happy to be able to come back to this post when I next need to just pick something quick.

[spikedluv]

*hugs* Bookmarking this post for later, in case I get inspired to create. Also, I know there are fic of yours I've been meaning to read and haven't, so for that also.

[kat_lair]

*squishes you gently* That's so sweet of you, on both counts. Thank you! I still need to do a fic round up post for next year but I think that will have to wait until after the Snowflake challenge ends, can't keep up with things otherwise!

[osidiano]

Do you need/want Drarry recs? I'm fairly certain I've read a few forced-to-work-together post-series fics that sounded up your alley

[kat_lair]

I am very open to Drarry recs, absolutely, please do share!

[osidiano]

Okay, have you read:

• All Our Secrets Laid Bare by firethesound? Because it has this truly phenomenal work set up where Draco is also an Auror but all his partners keep turning up dead and so Harry is assigned as his latest partner to investigate what's really going on while they take care of magically booby-trapped Deatheater safehouses. AND THEN THEY CATCH FEELINGS AND FALL FOR EACH OTHER AND HAVE A SECRET RELATIONSHIP and it's glorious.

• Tea and No Sympathy by who_la_hoop? Draco gets trapped in a time loop, repeating the same day over and over again, a year after The Battle Of Hogwarts. I can't even do this one justice in a summary, but the way that Draco gets redeemed and falls in love with Harry while still being an unbearably pompous twat is sheer genius.

These are my two faves, but both these authors have written a lot of Drarry, including one where they literally have to hold hands for almost 20k.

[kat_lair]

Oooh, thank you! I think I've read the first one as the summary sounds familiar, but happy comfort re-reads are the best.

Really appreciate your recs, there's so much nice stuff in this post I'll know I'll be back to it when the need arises :)

[silveradept]

I haven't much to offer, but one series on Netflix thta I think hits the feelgood spot - Hilda. It's animated, it's about a girl and her town, but it also contains lonely giants, rock trolls, paperwork-obsessed elves, dogs that can warp through unused space, and a town that's basically aware of all of those things and still holds the Great Raven festival every year. It's really sweet.

[kat_lair]

Oh, that sounds both sweet and interesting! Thank you very much for the rec!

[turps]

Sadly I'm made of little brain today so am unable to provide recs.

However, you write fantastic words and I have your AO3 tabbed so I can jump in and indulge later.

[kat_lair]

'of little brain' is a common condition at the moment so entirely understandable.

N'aww, thanks! Flattery will get you everywhere :D Hope you find something to indulge in.

[hannah]

There's a couple established relationship BDSM Buffy post-canon fics I can recommend, if that's a fandom you're into.

[kat_lair]

Hmmm, I'm more of a first-time fic reader really but it depends on the pairing I think. Any het would have to be femdom as that's how I roll...

[reeby10]

I don't know if any of these will be your fandoms, but some BDSM fics from my bookmarks:
- Resuscitate by sailaway (Star Wars, Kylux)
- the other half is me by focusfixated (IT, Reddie)
- The Underground by raiining (MCU, Phlint)
- Dangerous If Unbound by astolat (Person of Interest, Rinch)
- Blackbird by emungere (Hannibal, Hannigram)
- In the Prison of His Days by Xela (Psych, Shanssie)
- Sub Rosa (Behind Closed Doors) by Jo (jmathieson) (Person of Interest, Rinch)
- The Firm Hand of the Law by plainapple (Psych, Shassie)
- Reconditioning by JinxedAmbitions (Star Wars, Kylux)

And a couple feelgood Netflix recs:
- We Bare Bears
- The Repair Shop
- Schitt's Creek

[kat_lair]

Oh hey, thank you for the recs! Some of those are pairings that aren't my faves but others look intriguing. And 'Dangerous if Unbound' is one of my favourite d/s stories, love it so much.

Woo, thanks for the Netflix recs too. Schitt's Creeks is already a fave but don't know the other ones.

[sadiane]

I keep meaning to circle around to suggesting that you watch the Magnum PI reboot. It's technically a Hawaii 5-O spinoff, but they don't really run into each other. It's pretty and dumb and Jay Hernandez is gorgeous in a very rentboy sort of way. Also, some strong elements of kept boy, femdom, and findom, "you can live rent free at my estate in exchange for unspecified services as long as you please me" stuff.

Far less police brutality, too.

[kat_lair]

Oh that does sound intriguing... Haven't seen any trailers or anything to it though so wonder if I can get it on any of the streaming I have access to. But definitely sounds like a thing. H50 fandom is much more appealing than the canon, the police powers misuse was really getting to me

[sadiane]

It's CBS in the US, and maybe Sky One for UK? It's not GOOD, but it is old school fandom-y fun, with some more modern nods to diversity and representation.

There's a trailer for season 1 here . I'm still hoping they canon confirm that the blond dude is bi, if only because no straight dude wears pink skinny jeans on the beach.

[pushkin666]

Have gifted you a BDSM Enterprise drabble with Malcolm Reed and his riding crop.

It can be found here - https://archiveofourown.org/works/28963107