I should already be asleep, but I came home to find that fandom_stocking had opened up the stockings tonight, and I just had to check out all the lovely gifts I received.

I love them all, and now I must share the squee so you can enjoy them as well. Thanks again to all who dropped in various gifts and greetings, and especially to medie and the various helper elves who made it all happen.

Title: Nine to Five (What a Way to Make a Living)
Author: jenna_thorn
Fandom: Avengers (2012)
Characters: Barton, Romanov, OCs
Rating: T
Summary: Faking busy only went so far when the person walked right up and waited. Rita ctrl-S’d and looked up, pasting what she hoped passed for a professional smile of greeting on her face. Oh god, the Black Widow was standing in front of her. “Agent Hernandez.” It wasn’t a question.

Shit. “Yes, ma’am,” Rita said as she tried to put an elbow over the pink post-it by her keyboard with the most used keycodes scrawled over it. At least she didn’t write down her passwords. Anymore.

“My understanding is that you dance.”

Only if six months of classes at the Y and a year at Hafla for Homebodies counted, Rita thought.
Why you should read it: If the combination of Romanov and bellydance isn't enough, Barton's a sweetie, and the randomly recruited "baby agent" has a really cool epiphany.

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Title: Sweetness
Author: thinlizzy2
Fandom: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Pairing: May/Simmons
Rating: Teen
Why you should read it: The author has some cool insights into Melinda May, how she takes in and processes every detail around her, and how that applies when she is involved with Jemma Simmons. As the title implies, very sweet.

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Title: Bones/Booth wallpaper
Artist: tarlanx
Fandom: Bones
Pairing: Bones/Booth
Rating: G
Why you should check it out: It's a very sweet image of them dancing with what I can only call the perfect backdrop.

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Title: To Hold Hands and Run Again
Author: sahiya
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing: Eleven/River
Rating: G
Summary: The Doctor and River, after New York.
Why you should read it: One of the things that felt "unresolved" after "The Angels Take Manhattan" was the Doctor and River actually dealing with what had just happened. This fic tackles that, as well as highlighting River's unique perspective on it.

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Title: Get Loved, Make More, Try to Stay Alive
Author: dira_sudis
Reccer: fuzzyboo
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Why you should read it: This is an absolute classic that I haven't revisited in far too long, so it was a treat to be reminded of it. As fuzzyboo put it, it is 19% mpreg by volume, with a lovely plot and some unexpected twists.

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Title: Winterfair Interlude
Author: philomytha
Fandom: Vorkosigan saga
Characters: Alys Vorpatril, Simon Illyan
Rating: T
Summary: The story of the time Alys took a weapon from Simon's holster.
Why you should read it: Lady Alys is awesome. Lady Alys in combination with Simon Illyan is extra awesome. Actually, this fic is part of a series exploring the two characters, and one of the earlier fics in the series, Steel, was a stocking gift to me last year that was a joy to revisit as well.

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Title: Bones/Booth icons
Artist: chamilet
Fandom: Bones
Pairing: Bones/Booth
Why you should check them out: Just some lovely icons showcasing this adorable, quirky couple.

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There were also various lovely graphics and holiday greetings, and one very clever "gift card" for future fic. It really made my night to receive these. Perfect timing, as I'm going to be offline for the bulk of the weekend, so I'm glad I had the chance to read/view/enjoy them all now.

Eventually, I'll post a roundup of the fics I wrote, but for now, I'm going to get some sleep. Long day ahead tomorrow!
Rating: G

It took me long enough to get my hpcon_envy fics done, but done and posted they are. Probably just about in time for the next round for Dragon Con. *rolls eyes @ self* Also, these were meant to be drabbles. Only one came close, and one got completely away from me and threatened to keep going. Oops?

Title: First Steps
Recipient: bambu345
Fandom(s): Vorkosigan
Rating: G
Word Count: 121
Prompt: Perhaps the moment before Cordelia sees Aral after having escaped her own planet? She's left everything for him, but hasn't seen him yet after having made such an enormous, bridge-burning choice.
A/N: Once I revisited this bit of canon, I realized I had to go a tad earlier, as we actually do get Cordelia's interior monologue as she goes from meeting Count Piotr to finding Aral. Hope this suits.

Title: Anything but Routine
Recipient: morethansirius
Fandom(s): In order of appearance: Torchwood, Harry Potter, Doctor Who
Rating: G
Word Count: 1452
Prompt: I would love to see what happens when Doctor Ten, Captain Jack and Unspeakable Snape all arrive to investigate the same crime scene/alien phenomenon/magical occurrence.
A/N: Set just before “Reset” for Torchwood, between the “Voyage of the Damned” & “Partners in Crime” for Doctor Who, and way after Deathly Hallows for the Potterverse.

Title: Everything Hasn't Changed Yet
Recipient: orlando_switch
Fandom(s): Harry Potter, Torchwood
Rating: G
Word Count: 200
Prompt: The post Voldemort era leaves Lucius disillusioned and (according to Jason Isaac) emasculated - and therefore in dire need to regain his self-confidence/masculinity/virility and a new perspective at the world. Unfortunately, everyone in his own world is too busy building up their life to offer him a helping hand. I'd like to see an encounter between him and captain Jack, a man who has seen it all, done it all but never lost his touch to celebrate life.
A/N: Sometime in 1999, well after Deathly Hallows and before Jack assumes control of Torchwood 3.

So, I finally got my queer_fest fic done. W00t! I'm kind of unsure still as to whether it did what I set out for it to do, but I guess I'll find out from any feedback it gets.

Title: Settling a Question
Author: firefly124
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairing/characters: Jack/Ianto, Gwen
Rating: Teen
Prompt: Ianto Jones, (novels, but the quote is on Wikipedia if you haven't read them) Ianto explains to anyone what he means when he says bisexuals have to question everyone's motives in The Twilight Streets.
Summary: He knew Gwen wouldn't let it rest, though he had dared to hope.
Author's Notes: Thanks to the_silver_sun for the beta and Brit-pick. I tinkered more after, so any errors or horrid Americanisms are all my fault.

On AO3 or on Teaspoon.

Note: The primary action/dialogue should--I hope--make sense even if you haven't read The Twilight Streets, but there is a ton of background stuff going on that will probably not make a lick of sense without having read it. I hope the fic as a whole works either way.

Title: The Past is Like the Weather (it will come and it will go)
Author: lionessvalenti
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairing/Rating: Jack/Ianto, PG-13
Summary: Jack and Ianto couldn't imagine a different life.
Why you should read this: So, I was in the mood for comfort fic last night, and as I went through my tabs, found this one that had been sitting open for a bit. It starts off as curtainfic, which is one of the things I will turn to for comfort fic. Yeah, it's unrealistic, but it's some of my favorite characters getting a happy life that canon would never let them have, and sometimes that's what I'm in the mood for. Then, and here's why you should read it even if you loathe curtainfic, it takes a sharp left turn, ties up a loose end from canon and in the process exposes a bit of logic-fail in canon, and resolves a bit angstily but yet still hopefully. Seriously, I do think you'll enjoy it even (perhaps especially) if you spend some of the first bit rolling your eyes at the unlikeliness of it all.

It's not what I'm meant to be writing, but in hopes of getting things moving in the writing department, I played a bit over at tw100 and ended up with a three-drabble series.

Titles: Dressed for the Occasion. Not., Life Is a ..., and Heard It All
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto/Jack
Challenge: Unloved Prompts, All Hallows, Cabaret, Cookbooks
Rating: G (How is it that I keep writing G-rated TW fic? Must up the innuendo.)
Notes: While not a crossover, there is a Buffy reference in the first one.

I may yet try to do more with the "unloved prompts" that continues this tale. It's kind of fun trying to stitch them together like this.

I am going to be posting a week of shame on 5_for_five tomorrow. I more or less managed to get some stuff done on my queer_fest prompt, but it's more what I have to say on the subject than what the character does or would. Character is, instead, jabbering away on, to be fair, the same subject (ish), but in the context of The Fic That Wouldn't Stay Dead.

(Yeah, it's still not dead. Can it please turn into a giant head and save New New York soon? Except no. Total ambivalence there.)

Admittedly, said character probably does have a fair amount to say on the subject in that context. I sincerely hope that whatever it is, it's capable of translating into a standalone. I should probably, then, start transcribing some of the jabbering, despite the fact that (for MONTHS now) I have flatly refused to actually write any much of the stuff the characters decide they need to tell me about TFTWSD. Clearly, that policy has failed miserably. It is still neither killed nor contained. It is still more like therapy than actual fic. Anyway, if I actually write what he's got to say in that wordvomitfictherapything, maybe then I can make some progress on the fic I'm actually trying to write.

Maybe.

/babble

ETA: As I have been reminded by sshg316, it was not a week of shame. I may not have met the goal, but I did write and still get a sticker:

No, this isn't a hiccup. This is me reposting the rec now that the fic is available on the author's journal, unflocked.

Title: Moments; Singular
Author: inkvoices
Summary: It starts with the moment that Torchwood Twelve hires the crew of Serenity for a job.
Word Count: 3,400 words
Pairings/Characters: Jack/Kaylee, Rex, crew of Firefly
Crossover With: Firefly, After Miracle Day for Torchwood and after Serenity (the film) for Firefly
Rating/Warnings: R for sexing, swearing, and, um, non-fatal character death
Why you should go read it: There are so many character insights, for all the characters, written into this that it's hard to know what to say without giving it all away. I will say that I don't think I knew precisely why Jack/Kaylee was one of the possible pairings I suggested, but inkvoices sussed it right out, played the two of them off each other beautifully, and brought tears to my eyes more than once in the process. There are also funny moments, balancing it all out wonderfully.

Nothing like being all last-minute! I think I've just about found the ending for my tw_classic_bb fic. The good news is, I've managed this before my posting day, which is next Tues. The bad news is, I've not managed this before the beta I had lined up had other RL stuff come up.

Anybody up for beta-reading about 12k of Exit-Wounds-fix-it with added DW-crossoveriness? Pretty please with cinnamon sugar on top? (I'm working on coming up with better bribes.)

Now that my fic for torchwood_fest is off to the betas, I am finally reading what has already been posted, and I'm absolutely ecstatic over the fic written to fill the prompt I wrote.

ETA: Damn, I'd forgotten that anything rated above PG13 was flocked to community members only. Sorry! Will re-link when it's posted elsewhere after the fest.

Title: Moments; Singular
Author: inkvoices
Summary: It starts with the moment that Torchwood Twelve hires the crew of Serenity for a job.
Word Count: 3,400 words
Pairings/Characters: Jack/Kaylee, Rex, crew of Firefly
Crossover With: Firefly, After Miracle Day for Torchwood and after Serenity (the film) for Firefly
Rating/Warnings: R for sexing, swearing, and, um, non-fatal character death
Why you should go read it: There are so many character insights, for all the characters, written into this that it's hard to know what to say without giving it all away. I will say that I don't think I knew precisely why Jack/Kaylee was one of the possible pairings I suggested, but inkvoices sussed it right out, played the two of them off each other beautifully, and brought tears to my eyes more than once in the process. There are also funny moments, balancing it all out wonderfully.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to not only go read the rest of the fest, but also everything inkvoices ever wrote.

The fandom_stocking stockings have gone live, and I received lots of lovely stocking-stuffers. There are cheery holiday wish macros, an SS/HG icon by kerravonsen, and four lovely fics:

A Glimpse of the Future by wendymr (DW, 9/Rose/Jack, rated T)

Steel by philomytha (Vorkosigan, Simon Illyan and Alys Vorpatril, rated G)

Patient, Kind, and Varied by sahiya (DW, Eleven/River/Rose/Jack and various combinations thereof, rated M)

Untitled TW/SJA crossover by fififolle (TW/SJA, Owen and Clyde, rated G)

I've already said it there, but thanks to all the lovely gifters, and also thanks to medie and all the volunteers that make the fun that is fandom_stocking happen! Last night was hell on wheels at work, so coming home to all these awesome gifts was just so perfect. Please go check out the cool icon and/or the great fics and leave them some love too.

I also had fun writing a few stocking-stuffers, though not as many as I'd set out to do. There's at least one that may yet happen if I can dig myself out of the clueless-Yank hole I dug myself into. *crosses fingers*

Try, Try Again for ariestess (Leverage, Sophie/Parker, rated G)

Switch for wendymr (DW, 9/Rose/Jack, rated G)

Foreign Influence for philomytha (Vorkosigan, Gregor/Laisa, rated G)

Ulterior Motive for yamx (DW, pre-9/Rose/Jack, rated G)

Living Well for joking (DW, Jenny/Vastra, G)

A Night to Forget for sahiya (DW, Eleventy and Jack and Rose, rated G)

Yes, I never got out of G territory, even with Jack. Go figure. LOL