Just let me lie here on the tile

So I wrote a very short story for mumblemumble for fandomtrees, about Chu Shuzhi at a slave auction, being put on display by his Lord Envoy for Reasons.

And then mumblemumble wrote a sequel that goes into more detail about the things Chu Shuzhi would do for his Lord and what his Lord Envoy would ask of him, and it is glorious and you should all read it:

Aftermath (2360 words) by A
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Chu Shuzhi/Shen Wei
Characters: Chu Shuzhi, Shen Wei (Guardian), Zhao Yunlan
Additional Tags: Slaves, Submission, Loyalty Kink, And About Fifteen Other Kinks, Aftercare
Summary:

"Quiet," his Lordship commands, and the room falls silent. His finger settles under Chu Shuzhi's chin to tilt his head up, his gaze heavy on Chu Shuzhi, his eyes dark as a storm underneath the mask. "This one isn't mine to discipline anymore," he says coldly, causing a victorious murmur among the crowd.

Chu Shuzhi doesn't flinch. He doesn't move at all. He has to remind himself to breathe.

A while ago, I wrote two stories that featured Shen Wei's very opinionated skilled tailor, the man responsible for all those tightly tailored suits (yum). And then mumblemumble came in and wrote a sequel! It was such a cool surprise, I've never had an original character appear in someone else's work before, and it's a fantastic story.

clean shirt, new shoes (1395 words) by A
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Characters: Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei (Guardian), Original Characters
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Fluff, Suit Kink, Lollipops, Academia
Series: Part 6 of Higher Education
Summary:

"You like it?" Yunlan grins, taking the lollipop out of his mouth to do a little twirl. "You have to like it, I'm not getting changed."

Thanks to lovely anon who gave me a DW subscription! 💖
I have been keeping my head down, trying to avoid checking the news more than five times a day. The one fannish thing I've been doing is work on the Guardian AU I started pre-pandemic. I really want to get it done so I can have some time off writing and read all the fic in my Marked for Later box.

Some links for cheer:
- a Zhu Yilong burger ad that shows no product whatsoever, just a classy art installation (ie: his face, especially at 0:07) telling us to imagine something "THICK and JUICY". 😹

- I've been watching people's video content for the new Star Wars hotel in Disney World, the one that's really more of a 48 hour roleplay experience with a bonkers pricetag, and the guy playing First Order Lt. Croy is killing it. Love him.

- this week I learned about the artist who made a shark crash into the roof of his house as an anti-war message. "Without the approval of local officials, because he didn’t think they should have the right to decide what art people see." 36 years later, the shark is still there, and the message still matters.

I had a day today, nothing terrible just busy, and it ended with a family Zoom across timezones and continents where everyone talked over each other. The best moment was getting our cats to wave at each other.

Today is also the solstice and the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, which means that all the gifts for guardian_wishlist just went live.

I want to comment on the fabulous fics I received, but I'm completely out of brain, so I will leave anything requiring...thought...? to tomorrow. Today, let me draw your attention to the pics and gifs, which all feel like they were chosen specifically for my tired synapses to appreciate:

- mumblemumble's Zhu Yilong murder barber gifs with bonus! picspam of Zhu Yilong with cute animals
- ober-affen-geil's gifspam of Shen Wei protecting and caring for Zhao Yunlan
- sakana17's curated collection of Zhu Yilong 🍑, that is to say, butt shots. Mmmmmm.

Please have a wonderful solstice/festival/full moon, and thanks so much to everyone. <3

So @glymr declared @Pornday, which I hadn't heard of before, but it's basically a fantastic way to give yourself a very, very tight deadline to write something rated Explicit.

I had about 600 words lying around based on this prompt, that I wanted to get back to, and then thanks to the deadline, I did - I wrote 3000 words in a day and it was a long day but I have to admit I really enjoyed it. Plus @torch cheered me on and helped me get over the hurdle of the ending. (Why are endings always so difficult?)

Long Distance Call (3612 words) by marycrawford
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Shěn Wēi/Zhào Yúnlán
Additional Tags: Phone Sex, Porn Video, Porn with Feelings
Summary:

Zhao Yunlan discovers Shen Wei’s other research. Shen Wei discovers phone sex.

I have read
all the stories
that pop up in
your comments

and which
you were probably
saving
for later

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

@xparrot started a Guardian hurt/comfort comment thread that is still ongoing, and it is delightful, full of good reading that just goes straight to the id (which is what Guardian was made for, to begin with; it is possibly the most idtastic show I've ever seen.) @xparrot wrote a story for @glymr and me that is so full of emotional resonance and foreshadowing that it gave me goosebumps. <3

If this is your fandom and you're into h/c, give it a try! You can drop a comment with a prompt, and different authors are coming by to magic it into a story. (I really want to try my hand at commentfic too, but man it's hard; I even think just coming up with prompts is hard, and I admire all of the writers and prompters.)

ETA: and then it was three hours later and I wrote a thing? O_O

I've been a bit absent from LJ lately, but that's because I was working on a Neat Fannish Project, and now I'm ready to open it officially, yay!

Delphi, the Hercules: the Legendary Journeys Fan Fiction Archive

What is it?
Delphi is an archive for stories about characters from Hercules: the Legendary Journeys and its spinoff series Young Hercules. And I do mean all characters: Hercules, Iolaus, Jason, Discord, Strife, Salmoneus, Nebula, the Sovereign, Ares...whoever you want to write about.

Gen, het, and slash are equally welcome. The archive does not accept anything involving underage sex or real people. Beyond that, everything else is fair game.

Why a new archive?
This archive isn't meant to replace any other archive, Zeus forbid; it's intended to be a base archive for the entire Hercules fandom, where all people's favorite stories can be found in one place, and a way for authors who don't have their own space on the web to reach more readers. And it's an automated archive, which means authors can upload their stories themselves.

Please upload your stories!
I'm hoping, requesting, and flat out begging everybody in the fandom to upload their stories. All you need is your stories, saved as plain text files; the upload form and the FAQ have the details, but it should be a pretty easy process, and you can preview your story to see if everything looks okay. You don't need to register or join or anything like that.

If you have any questions, please send email to delphi at squidge dot org, or comment below.

I'm crossposting this to herc_iolaus and hxyh_announce, and I'm going to look around for more communities which might be interested in this - I don't want to spam anybody, but I do want to let fans of various HtLJ characters and pairings know that the archive exists. Feel free to post this announcement elsewhere, or suggest lists/communities!

Huge galumphing great thanks to astolat for writing the Automated Archive software, to aka_arduinna for letting me steal all her own archive's nifty features and about 90% of her FAQ, and to Walter for his generosity in hosting the archive on Squidge. ♥

This was going to be a WIP Amnesty post, because this story has been on my harddrive for two years while I poked at it and pestered other people with it. (Clearly, this is why I shouldn't write short PWPs; they just take too long.) But it has an ending and everything, and I like this version well enough to post it without amnesty. *g*

Thanks to everyone who looked at it and said helpful things, and especially to elynross for the final beta and for convincing me to post it.

Title: Those Who Favor Fire
Fandom: Hercules: the Legendary Journeys.
Rating: NC-17, slash, Hercules/Iolaus.
Summary: Some rescues come a little too close to the bone.

( Those Who Favor Fire )

So, aka_arduinna gave out a deadline. "Post something every month!" she said.  "Deadlines help!" she said. "Get typing!" she said.

*glares*

Luckily falzalot gave me a great idea for something short while I was panicking, and so I wrote a tag to her wonderful Yuletide story Hercules Ex Machina, which you should definitely go read before reading this, if you haven't already.

Thanks to therienne, elynross and aka_arduinna for beta.

Title: Under the Sun
Fandom: Hercules: the Legendary Journeys.
Rating: PG, Hercules/Iolaus.
Summary: Dealing with demigods. Spoilers for Hercules ex Machina by falzalot.

( Under the Sun )

First set of Yuletide story recommendations is here, second set is here.

The Buried Treasure Racket (The Sting). PG-13. Slash.  Johnny and Henry find another mark to con, but there's more than money at stake. Pick a couple of empty hours, find yourself a good chair, and read this long, satisfying, utterly wonderful story. In the giant heap of amazing stories this year, this one stands out. WOW.

For me, it arrived at a perfect moment: I had just rewatched The Sting and I'd also just read The Big Con by David Maurer, which IIRC was the basis for the movie. This story takes up where the movie left off, but it's an entirely standalone story where Johnny and Henry pull off another brilliant 'long con'. The author did her research - on cons, on sleight-of-hand, on the right kind of slang - and folded it effortlessly into the story, and it's like the best kind of caper story AND the best kind of subtle, warm, delicious slash story all rolled into one, and seriously, what do I say to make you all read this RIGHT NOW?

The Mostly-Secret Diary of Rick (The Young Ones). PG. Adrian Mole's diary, as written by snotty Rick. Hee! I think the poetry was my favorite part. I love this aspect of Yuletide - I wouldn't go hunting for The Young Ones fanfic, because I was pretty much content with the show itself (ditto Blackadder, AbFab and other British comedies), but I came across this story on the archive and it's just hilarious.

Cleopatra's Needle (The Addams Family). PG. Morticia as a young woman, gardening in the suicides' graveyard and meeting Gomez for the first time. There was a bumper crop of excellent Addams Family fic this year, and this one is my favorite. I always loved Morticia and Gomez' relationship in the cartoons and the movie; this story could be from either, though it has some movie references, and it's beautifully written and just as twistedly romantic. I believe they met just like this.

Four Things Howl Never Told Sophie and One Thing He Did (Howl's Moving Castle). PG. Howl and Sophie are growing older. When therienne recs a Howl story I know it'll be good, and this was just adorable. Tender but not schmoopy, and Howl and Sophie's voices both felt very right.

Pimp and Pomposity (Blackadder). R. Blackadder procures some company for the Prince of Wales. Wow. Perfect Blackadder voice, lots of witty dialogue, references to other episodes and running gags, and even a dig at Austen. HEE.

Area 51 (Queer as Folk UK) NC-17, slash. Stuart and Vince make a road trip to Area 51 and have an alien encounter. People have been recommending this already, right? I just haven't seen it? I hope so, because it's a funny, sexy Vince/Stuart story, and then there's the bit near the ending where I died with glee. It turns into a crossover, and one that I have been wanting to read for the longest time. (Okay, a hint: Vince's last name is Tyler.)

Back Row Hecklers (Muppets). PG. Why do Statler and Waldorf keep coming back? Aw. Bittersweet and adorable. Small flaily frog!

Yes, Sir, Jeeves (PG Wodehouse -- Jeeves and Wooster). NC-17, slash. Wooster takes on the role of Jeeves' manservant. This is just wonderful - language and voice perfectly Wodehousean, which is a triumph in itself, and completely in character for both. Plus such a lovely plot that I wondered at Plum for not using it himself. I may have maiden-aunted my way through the explicit bit at the end, but that was very well written too, and I completely adored the whole thing. Just, YAY! I'll be rereading this, definitely.

I feel like Scrooge McDuck swimming in his gold coin warehouse when I'm browsing through the Yuletide archive. So many good stories - I haven't even read all the ones in my very favorite fandoms yet, but here are some of my favorites of what I've read so far.

Hercules ex Machina (Hercules: the Legendary Journeys). PG. A lovely, funny Hercules and Iolaus adventure, full of great lines and true to the show and their characters - and I'm going to be a little vague about this, but they meet a character from another mythology in a way that just works beautifully. This story just fills me with glee.

No Fish No Go (Hercules: the Legendary Journeys). G. A drabble: Hercules and Iolaus go fishing. You know that's not going to end well. Hee. I loved this, it's perfectly them.

In the Dark (Dead Boy Detectives). PG. Rowland and Paine talk in the dark. Quietly warm, adorable and in character; this hit just the right note for me, and I loved the conversation about the comics.

In The Tracks Of The Bear (Elfquest). R. After a bear hunt goes wrong, Strongbow and Bearclaw find that they're more alike than they thought. Not a pairing I'd ever thought about (though as the creators said, the elves have all visited each others' dens at one time or another), but the author makes it work, and I really liked the imagery at the end.

True North (Elfquest). PG. Skywise and Shenshen talk at Sorrow's End. Skywise was always my favorite. I love Shenshen's sensuality here, but also her seriousness, and the way Skywise is both tied to the world and detached.

Days Gone By (Elfquest). PG-13. Cutter and Skywise slash, not explicit; set during their stay with Nonna and Adar. (There should be more Cutter/Skywise, people, OMG. Or Cutter/Skywise/Leetah. Why is there not a gigantic archive somewhere? And if there is, why has nobody told me?)

Death in the Tuileries (Dorothy Sayers -- Lord Peter Wimsey). G. Lord Peter Wimsey and Bunter meet in Paris during the War and deal with their first case. Love the setting, and the first glimpse of their working relationship.

At First Sight (Diane Duane -- Young Wizards). G. Awww. Tom and Carl acquire a pet. This is just the story equivalent of a Cute Overload post.

Day of rest and gladness (Avatar: the Last Airbender). G. Speaking of cute, this story just melts me into a puddle. Warm and happy and just so right. Oh, Momo. Oh, Appa. Myfavouritethingmyfavouritething!

A Thousand Miles (Avatar: the Last Airbender). G. Avatar isn't just about the cute, though, and I really have to do a post about this amazing show sometime soon. This story broke my heart into little pieces and then glued them together again, with the help of a certain conniving and altogether admirable uncle. This is Zuko at his lowest ebb, right after the Agni Kai, and this is Iroh at his finest, and this is just how it happened. I treasure this story.

Home for the Holidays (Terry Pratchett -- Discworld) G. Worth it for Vimes' reading of 'Twas the night before Hogswatch' alone, and an excellent Pratchett voice. Lady Sybil negotiates, and Angua meets the in-laws.

Please, if you read these and like them, comment to let the authors know!

I've updated my website with two recent Hercules snippets/short stories:

Long Day
Both of them had been up since yesterday morning.
6 Kb, rated G, written for the International Nap Day Challenge.

Legendary
Five things the legends got wrong about Hercules and Iolaus.
9 Kb, rated PG, Hercules/Iolaus, written for a Five Things challenge.

plus the twelve HtLJ Livejournal icons I posted earlier this week.

Very quickly, as I really really have to go sleep:

muccamukk has a great post about one of my all-time favorite Hercules stories: Home Is Where the Heart Is by ltlj and Kimberly Rector.

In my mind, this story supersedes most of the actual onscreen fifth season of Hercules: the Legendary Journeys, and I know I'm not the only one.

mickeymvt posted a slashy coda to the Hercules episodes Armageddon I and II:

Gratitude, Hercules/Iolaus, rated NC-17.

It wasn't all that long ago that she was saying "But I don't write fanfic." Heh. Yay, go encourage her!

(Disclaimer: I beta'ed this. :-)

Okay, yeah. therienne and cesperanza have convinced me: sgastoryfinders is the best LJ community ever.

(The comm is for finding stories in the SGA fandom. All these stories exist, and someone somewhere is looking for them.)

( rodeny can't sleep because his brian won't shut down )

These are taking me a while, but I promise I'll get to all of them. So much fun!

For halimede:

( Five things Hercules and Iolaus agree about )

For marinarusalka:

( Five things Iphicles can do better than Hercules )

More Five Things, coming up! Man, this is fun. Many thanks to falzalot and aka_arduinna for helping me out with these.

For halimede:

( Five things abandoned under a chair or in a corner in Jareth's throne room. )

For roo2:

( Five things Hercules never told Iolaus. And vice versa. )

flambeau is writing what she calls SGA snippets. I think of snippets as something incomplete, or incomplete-feeling, but these are finished stories, and they're gems. (Disclaimer: I beta'ed both of them, but it was more the sort of beta'ing where you tell the writer the bits you liked best. There were lots. *g*)

Over the hills and far away is disturbingly funny, and she has just posted another: Suburban consumption rituals, which is just hilarious. And, um. Horrific. And hilarious! Really, not many people could pull that off. It could also work as a straight SF story, with a little tinkering, since the worldbuilding is detailed and delicious. This just made me grin like a shark.

Sometimes I haunt the old Hercules sites, just to see if maybe someone has happened to write a fantastic new story, full of action and h/c and sexy bickering, and posted it there. Hey. It could happen!

And then, for my sins, I get this:

"Iolaus coated both hands with the slick stuff and began messaging the god's ass."

flambeau: BWA
flambeau: wouldn't he drop the phone?

*dies*

A Hercules: the Legendary Journeys story snippet to cheer up marinarusalka, who has the world's worst cold. Hope she's feeling better by now.

Thanks to elynross for beta'ing, and to one of my favorite movies for providing me with a last line. *g*

Rated G, gen.

( In Sickness )