Fire Juggler

Podficcer Sign-ups are OPEN AT HP_PODFIC_FEST!!!!

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:32:31 GMT

Sign-ups for podficcers have opened at hp_podfic_fest!!! Feel like there isn't enough Sirius-centric podfic out there? Or femmeslash? Or AS/S? Or podfic about minor HP Characters? Then go forth and sign-up to make some!!!

To my Harry Potter Friends: If you've never recorded podfic before, this is very low stress and there are lots of people to help you if you want or need it! You won't know whether you like it unless you try!!!! ♥

To my Podficcer Friends: Even if you're not in HP Fandom, crossovers are more than welcome!!! Or drabbles! And you have until mid-August to finish!!!

hp_podfic_fest 2012

Banner by ariannagray
Sign-up Here!!!

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/86836.html.

[Teen Wolf Podfic] Hardhearted, Don't Worry (I'm Ready for A Fight) by MariaDeLuca

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:43:00 GMT

So…I blame Twitter for this podfic (and for all the Teen Wolf podfics to follow). Because, I happily lived in complete ignorance that there even was a Teen Wolf TV show until about 2 weeks ago. But ALL MY TWITTER PEEPS were going on and on and on, so I watched a couple episodes. It's…. not good. But it lures you in anyway, and Derek/Stiles is OMGYES!!!!! and Lydia is so awesomely badass that I just love her to death. So, naturally, I went off to start reading every fic I could find. It was in this process that I came across this little gem of a fic. I just loved how soft and lyrical it was. Such a lovely, quiet fic hidden among the knotting and the porn and the adventure fics. Not that I have anything against knotting, or porn, or adventure fics (yup, totally love them). This one was just… unexpected for me.

I used this fic for the "Read Quietly" square for my podfic_bingo card. The fic, itself, feels so intimate to me. Like telling someone a secret. It was recorded at 6:00 am on a Saturday morning, very quietly, so as not to wake the neighbors who sleep above and below me. It was also recorded pre-tea, which means this is my just-rolled-out-of-bed-am-I-even-awake voice.

Thanks to MariaDeLuca for permission to record this fic and for not being freaked out when quintenttsy Tumblr-stalked her to get me her email (Thanks quintenttsy!!!). quintenttsy also did the absolutely gorgeous cover art you see before you, pretty much on the spur of the moment, so she gets lots of ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥. Also, thanks to takola for the speedy beta and for being enthusiastic by the slightly different tone this podfic has from my other ones.

Title: Hardhearted, Don't Worry (I'm Ready for a Fight)
Author: MariaDeLuca
Reader: fire_juggler
Cover Art: quintenttsy
Beta: takola
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Characters: Derek/Stiles
Author's Rating: Unrated
Author's Warnings: none
Summary: Derek makes his home in Stiles.
File Size: 14.8 MB (mp3) | 7.7 MB (m4b)
Length: 00:15:05
Link to Text: here
Download links (right-click and "Save As"): mp3 | m4b

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/86725.html.

[Podfic] A Scent and a Sound 'Verse by mwestbelle

Sun, 06 May 2012 00:47:49 GMT

So, I read these fics a couple months ago and it was just instant love. One of those times where I was just quivering to podfic them, and, to top it off, mwestbelle has blanket permission to podfic!!! I was lost. But then life happened. Guests, more guests, a few more guests, then trying to finish up the podfic for podficbigbang, and I just didn't have time. Then things settled down and I re-read them and I still loved them. I love Frank and Mikey's instant connection. I love Geeway's earnest, puppy-like enthusiasm and his awesome ability to just cut to the chase. I love Frank's angst and Ray's calm, zen attitude. I just… love everything about these fics. So… even though I was sidetracked once, I got myself back on the proper course of things and podficced them. Because They. Are. Love. ♥

Thanks, to mwestbelle for her blanket permission statement, and for writing these two fics that make me SO HAPPY!!!! Also, thanks to takola for the beta, and quintenttsy, who not only made the TOTALLY AWESOME COVER ART YOU SEE BELOW, but also gave it a pre-listen and helped me through a major crisis of confidence.

Note: The sequel also fills my "Incorporate Sound Effects" square for podfic_bingo. Yay, wedding bells!!!!!!

Part 1

Part 2

Title: A Scent and A Sound
Author: mwestbelle
Reader: fire_juggler
Cover Art: quintenttsy
Beta: takola
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Frank Iero/Mikey Way
Author's Rating: Explicit
Author's Warnings: scent!kink, explicit descriptions of preparing/eating meat, werewolf politics
Summary: In an urban fantasy world where werewolves can't hold a decent job and no roommate wants them, werewolf Frank is looking for an apartment. He finds one with Mikey Way.
File Size: 103.8 MB (mp3) | 51.7 MB (m4b)
Length: 01:47:30
Link to Text: here
Download links (right-click and "Save As"): mp3 | m4b
Alternative Download links (Mediafire): mp3 | m4b

Title: lost and (i'm) found
Author:mwestbelle
Reader: fire_juggler
Cover Art: quintenttsy
Beta: takola
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Frank Iero/Mikey Way
Author's Rating: Explicit
Author's Warnings: scent!kink, werewolf politics
Summary: Sequel to A Scent and a Sound. The wedding night.
File Size: 14.2 MB (mp3) | 7.1 MB (m4b)
Length: 00:14:47
Link to Text: here
Download links (right-click and "Save As"): mp3 | m4b
Alternative Download links (Mediafire): mp3 | m4b

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/86314.html.

[Podfic Repost] Alpha and Omega by the_gubette

Sat, 05 May 2012 02:17:55 GMT

Recorded for the dracotops_harry fest. This has been one of my favorite fics for years, and I'm so thrilled that the_gubette gave me permission to record it. It's such a gorgeous story that breaks me and fills me with hope every time I read it. I love Astoria so much in this fic, and Harry as a hospice nurse just seemed so perfect to me. The song used in the podfic is Rain by Patty Griffin. Thank you, as always, to my trusty betas, teas_me and takola. You are all awesome!

Title: Alpha and Omega
Author: the_gubette (a.k.a. wtfmalfoy)
Reader: fire_juggler
Betas: takola & teas_me
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Draco Malfoy/Astoria Malfoy
Author's Rating: R
Author's Content Notes: Non-graphic sex, angst, character death (not Draco or Harry)
Summary: Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.
File Size: 58 MB (mp3) | 29 MB (m4b)
Length: 01:00:16
Link to Text: here
Download links (right-click and "Save As"): mp3 | m4b

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/86240.html.

[Podfic Repost] Once Upon a Fairy Tale by Writcraft

Sat, 05 May 2012 02:16:12 GMT

When I first signed-up for the dracotops_harry fest, I was struggling to find a fic that would work. I never really notice who tops, and reading all the sex scenes in all the fics I know to make sure that it's all toppy-top-top!Draco (while pleasurable) seemed like a lot of work. I decided the easiest thing to do was to contact writcraft, whose writing I love, and ask if she wanted to collaborate with me. She could write a fic for one of the prompts, and I could come along afterward and podfic it. I couldn't be more thrilled with the result. I have a special, soft spot in my heart for fairy tales and it was an absolute joy to work with writcraft and to see the story come together. HUGE GINORMOUS THANKS to her for not only writing such an awesome fic, but also saving me from myself and creating the cover art as well.

Thanks also to takola and teas_me for the beta, you ladies are the best!!!

Note: This also fills my "Fairy Tale" square for podfic_bingo.

Title: Once Upon a Fairy Tale
Author: writcraft
Reader: fire_juggler
Cover Art: writcraft
Betas: takola & teas_me
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy
Author's Rating: R
Author's Content Notes: Fairy tale, Romance, Humour, EWE
Summary: Ron Weasley has been missing for three months, vanishing during an investigation into the strange disappearance of a number of children. Draco and Harry take over the case and Draco is left to pick up the pieces when Harry goes missing. Finding an old book of fairy tales on Harry’s desk, Draco gets pulled into a fairy tale world where nothing is as it seems and he tries to discover what has become of Harry and Ron.
File Size: 54.8 MB (mp3) | 28 MB (m4b)
Length: 00:56:59
Link to Text: here
Download links (right-click and "Save As"): mp3 | m4b

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/86005.html.

[SPN/BtVS Podfic] Truth, Not Destiny by Emony

Sat, 05 May 2012 00:53:31 GMT

This fic is one of the many reasons I love fandom. I absolutely adore that minor characters get taken out for a spin, given a backstory. I love the way their characters grow in fandom. And Missouri Moseley!!!!! Don't you just want to know about her??!??! And this lovely, short fic does that in a way that makes absolute sense to my brain, because of course The Watchers' Council would want Missouri in their ranks. And of course she would see right through them. I absolutely love the way her independence and strength is represented here, and I love the way Dawn is incorporated into the story. So…. yeah. All the love for this fic ♥

Thanks, to Emony for permission to record this fic and for writing such a lovely story! Also, thanks to takola for the speedy beta.

Note: This also fills my "Character of Colour" square for podfic_bingo.

Title: Truth, Not Destiny
Author: Emony
Reader: fire_juggler
Beta: takola
Fandom: SPN/BtVS Crossover
Characters: Missouri Moseley & Dawn Summers Gen!fic
Author's Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Author's Warnings: none
Summary: Missouri Moseley knew hunters. Missouri Moseley knew hunting. Most of all Missouri Moseley knew being hunted.
File Size: 8.7 MB (mp3) | 4.8 MB (m4b)
Length: 00:09:01
Link to Text: here
Download links (right-click and "Save As"): mp3 | m4b

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/85602.html.

Author Offerings are up at HP Podfic Fest!

Fri, 04 May 2012 12:17:40 GMT

Hey all you HP authors out there!! Author offerings are up at hp_podfic_fest!!!! Go forth and sign-up and give our podficcers a chance at your fics!!!! ♥♥♥♥

Let your fics be HEARD!!!
hp_podfic_fest 2012

Banner by ariannagray
Sign-up Here!!!

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/85332.html.

Pimping Things? wibbles

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:22:19 GMT

OMG, you guys, I am so behind of fests it's not even FUNNY! I feel horribly guilty, because I haven't even had a chance to see a single thing posted for hp_harlequin which was created by awesome people at my request!!!! Yes, that is how much I suck. Also, I'm so behind I don't even know everything that's going on anymore /o\ But.... Let's give it a whirl anyway, yes?
Posting is ongoing or recently finished at....

femmefest
hp_harlequin
dracotops_harry
hds_beltane
hp_beholder
hp_april_fools
Posting is starting very soon at....

snape_potter's Snarry-a-thon
harrydracompreg
Prompting is open at....

wizsprogs
hd_tournament
minerva_fest
Prompt Claiming/Sign-ups are open at....

snape_draco
teddy_fest
hp_fanart_fest
hpchallengefest

And last, but not at all least, a new comm! Just in time for my complete collapse of collecting masterlists (I will update my list 'o fests eventually, but RL is dragging me down). But EVEN BETTER THAN THAT LIST IS THIS COMM!!!! GO CONTRIBUTE NOW!!!!! SEARCHABLE FEST MASTERLISTS!!!!

hp_masterlists
A searchable resource for finding Master Lists
to fests, challenges, exchanges, big bangs, etc. in the Harry Potter fandom.

Banner by wildflower4evr

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/85101.html.

Thank you for the birthday wishes!!!

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:15:35 GMT

Hi all! This is a long overdue thank you for the birthday wishes, and cards, and messages, and v-gifts that you gave me on my birthday. April was kind of a rough month for me, so it was doubly appreciated. So... thank you so so so very much. ♥

Also, I got two gifts that everyone can enjoy...

winterstorrm wrote me Here began all my dreams, which worked doubly as my birthday gift and my Help the South gift. You guys, it's so awesomely awesome!!!! It's a Merlin/Arthur fic that just completely fills me with joy!!!

quintenttsy podficced me the end of the rainbow by listedheart. Yes, she shamelessly took advantage of my mega-soft spot for Mikeyway and podficced this great little Pete/Mikey fic and it's just full of adorableness!!!!! Every time I listen it is ALL THE SMILES!

So, because I'm so benevolent, even though these gifts are ALL MINE *grabby hands* you should do yourselves a favor and check them out.

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/84941.html.

Meta: Confessions of a Podficcer with a (mostly) ex-speech impediment

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:57:11 GMT

This is a highly personal meta. I thought strongly about not posting it, for several reasons:

1) I don’t necessarily think that it will be helpful to anyone, since it is so personal to me. Additionally, as it says in the title, my speech-impediment problems are mostly “ex”. They rear their ugly heads when I’m tired or drunk.
2) There is this part of me that fears that if I put this all out there, people will start listening for it, and if you listen for it, you’ll find it.
3) It always seems like whenever someone metas about something, there is at least one person who takes huge offense and starts wank all over your journal. I have a fear of meta-ing.

But then I thought, what the hell. Because even though the physically audible problems are mostly “ex,” the mental anxiety is still very much attached to me, and the divorce will never be finalized. And I know for a fact, that there are other podficcers (or would-be podficcers) who might have similar things going on. And if nothing else, I’ve found that it sure helps to know that you’re not alone.

So here it is, a super-personal musing on what it is like for me to podfic with (mostly) ex-speech impediments. How it affects the way I read, how it affects the way I listen, how podficcing has changed the way I think about speech “impediments” and voices (my own, and other people’s).

I don't think this applies only to speech impediments. Anyone who has been teased or harassed for the way they sound probably has some deep scarring. Those childhood traumas run deep (don't get me started on having a deep Texas accent and moving to the Midwest).

Also, since it seemed appropriate, I also created a voice post of this:

A little background

According to Wikipedia (that knower of all things), “only 5% to 10% of the population has a completely normal manner of speaking (with respect to all parameters) and healthy voice; all others suffer from one disorder or another.” I am not one of the 5-10%.

So, a long time ago (getting longer every day), a little blonde baby was born to two proud parents, and they thought she was perfect (strangely, they still think she’s perfect, even now, 34 years later). However, as the little blonde baby grew up, it became clear that something was wrong. Talking was a problem. And for a while, this was mostly ignored, the assumption being that she would grow out of it. But by the time she hit kindergarten, it was becoming a non-ignorable problem. Small girl couldn’t communicate so well. It was becoming a problem with her peers. Small girl was getting teased. Small girl kept her mouth shut more and more often. So her parents did what parents do and got her into speech therapy. She graduated in the 2nd grade and was left to fly free in the knowledge that the problems were mostly solved.

I had three issues: the dreaded stuttering, and two articulation disorders with S and R. Not uncommon, really, but pronounced enough that communicating really was an issue. I say that these problems are mostly “ex”, and they are. But I know that they are still there, lurking under the surface. They mostly come out when I’m really tired, or stressed, or drunk. And I know that they are around enough that close listeners will hear them, since twice in my adult life, I’ve had someone comment on them. Statements along the lines of "Oh, I can understand why you have a fear of public speaking, since you have a speech disorder.” *headdesk*

The result of this is that I have a barely perceptible speech issue, which most people will never even notice, and a giant mental block, complete with huge amounts of anxiety, about how sounds exit my mouth.

On Recording Podfic

I love recording podfic. Reading aloud has been a huge part of my life since I was wee. Both my parents read to me, my sister read to me, and pretty much all of my meaningful adult relationships have involved a degree of sharing books aloud. So discovering podfic was a bit of a revelation for me. It was a way to be involved in fandom where before I was blocked by my complete inability to do anything creative.

But here we hit the snag.

You see, being hyper-conscious of my speech led to a nearly insurmountable fear of being recorded. I almost never leave messages on answering machines. In fact, I almost never call people. In fact, I almost never answer the phone. No-one was more grateful than I when texting arrived on the technological horizon. Face-to-face conversations are less of a problem for me. They are transient. There and then gone. Recording… well… that’s forever. Or even if it’s not forever, people can still play it over and over again if they want to. They can sit down and analyze every sound, every mispronunciation, every stutter.

Also, remember that “tired or drunk” thing? Well, the thing is, like most people, I’m not exactly swimming in copious amounts of free time. My podfics are, more often than not, recorded in those precious hours between work and falling comatose into bed. Often with a glass of wine at my elbow. So, I’m not exactly at my verbal best. I have to concentrate harder at those times.

But I was lured. I was lured by the wonderful podfics I had been listening to, by how much joy they brought to my commute. I was lured by a desire to participate in fandom, after lurking for years and years. I was lured because, in spite of everything, I love reading aloud.

What I discovered, is that podficcing is, for the most part, great for people with (ex-)speech disorders. Even though I have days when I listen to my own podfics and all I can hear are the irregularities in my speech (apologies to the Twitter peeps who get to listen to me whine about it). But, the incredible thing about podficcing is that you can edit!!! So, I could read and re-read. Listen and re-listen, until I had something that I was comfortable posting. In that way, podfic has opened a world to me that I didn't really know was available. Unlike the dreaded phone and answering machine, I could practice. I could erase. This has led me to an ease that I've never really felt before with my voice and my sounds. But really, what got me over the hump, was listening to podfic.

On Listening to Podfic

As you probably know, from my recs, from my Twitter feed, I listen to a lot of podfic. I have, in the last couple of years, listened closely to more voices than I ever have before. I listened to audiobooks prior to that, but they tend to be the same readers again and again. Podfic is different. Podfic is the voices of fandom. Voices from all over the world, most of them untrained and unmanipulated. And I discovered something. I have quirks, idiosyncrasies in the way I pronounce things. My lips and tongue and teeth don't always cooperate with me, and things sometimes go awry. When I concentrate hard, they go awry in the opposite direction. I over-enunciate. I'm overly precise. What I learned from listening to podfic, is that everybody has quirks. Remember that Wikipedia article? “Only 5% to 10% of the population has a completely normal manner of speaking (with respect to all parameters) and healthy voice; all others suffer from one disorder or another.” Hell, even the "normal" people are abnormal in their normality.

It's not always a "speech impediment," in the clinical sense of the word. Not necessarily a stutter or an articulation disorder. But EVERY. SINGLE. READER. has something unique about the way they read. Their cadence. The way they pronounce a certain word. Their pacing. Their accent.

The thing is, when I listen to all those voices, I don't think about the quirks at all. I register them. I might even file them away as a this-is-one-of-the-things-this-reader-does thing. They become the things that make me smile and know that I'm listening to a friend when I hear them. But it's not wrong in my mind. It's those quirks, those idiosyncrasies, that make me love podfic fandom. I love hearing the voices in our fandom, and I think it would be insanely boring if everyone had the same voice, read the same way. I would say that I have a "tolerance" for different styles, but that's not it. It's not "tolerating". I truly love it. And… slowly, but surely, that love is expanding to include my own voice.

I have absolutely no regrets about speech therapy. I'm deeply grateful to my parents for finding me a competent therapist and I don't think I would have gotten through elementary school without it. But the thing is, speech therapy left me with the indelible knowledge that there is something wrong with me. Something wrong with the way I naturally produce sounds. Something that had to be fixed. Through podfic, I've been realizing that my (ex-)speech impediment isn't actually an IMPEDIMENT. It's not impeding anyone from understanding. It just happens to be the unique way that the sounds happen to exit my mouth. The bad days still happen. The days when I can't hear anything except the problems. The same problems I was carefully trained to hear and do away with. But they are slowing becoming more rare, and I'm starting to appreciate my voice and my sounds as what they are: me. Just, the way I communicate. Maybe some people will like it better than others, but it's not wrong. And for that, I am incredibly grateful to podfic. It's been leading me to an acceptance of myself and my voice that has been a really long time coming.

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/84556.html.

I committed Not!Fic. IDEK. WTF.

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:12:24 GMT

So. I had this idea for a fic. But, the thing is, that I can’t write. I mean, not at all. Writing is not my thing. This is one of the reasons I podfic. But this story has been pounding away in my brain for nearly two weeks and I thought, WTF, I don’t have to write a fic. I can just frame the fic, in a not!ficcy kind of way and maybe if I do this, it will GET THE HELL OUT OF MY SKULL!!!!!!!

So, I sat down for two hours and spewed out 2500 words of not!fic. I don’t even fucking know, you guys. Harry Potter fandom doesn’t even do not!fic and this is barely even not!fic. But, what the hell. Here it is. Undeserving of a title or a header. It’s Harry/Draco pre-slash. It has a non-H/D character death. I have not even checked it for spelling.

I wash my hands of it.

So, it’s after the war. Many years after the war. Draco and Harry are in their early 30s and both are working and living at a Wizarding university. Harry is (predictably) still famous, and he works teaching the university equivalent of DADA. He’s not married, he has no children (because my entire world is EWE and I don’t care what anyone says about it. Besides, Ginny totally belongs with Katie Bell and that’s all I have to say about that). Draco is teaching Wizarding history and culture, and has become fairly famous in his own right and has written a lot of books and has made his way in the world. He’s married to Astoria and has a son.

Draco and Harry aren’t friends. They nod to each other in passing and have a non-relationship. They both live on the university grounds. Draco is in family housing, and Harry has a set of rooms that suits his simple wants and needs.

And generally, everybody’s happy. Draco’s happy. Astoria is happy. Scorpius is happy. Harry is happy. You know. Happy. But in that everything’s-fine-nothing’s-really-wrong sense of the word. Which is more than good enough. No-one is looking for anything more.

********

So, Draco is going about his life (happily). But the thing is. It feels like there is ALWAYS SOMEONE AFTER HIS TIME! He can’t get even a second of quiet to himself. As he walks down the halls, students are pestering him asking about exams, and the dean is pestering him asking about lesson plans, and then he gets into class and there are waving hands and chattering and chattering and chattering. And then he goes home and there’s Astoria. Who is awesome and asking about his day and telling him about her day and chattering and chattering and chattering. And there’s Scorpius asking for help with his flying and his lessons and just has to tell Draco about EVERY SECOND OF HIS DAY!!!!

So, Draco just feels…. crowded. Tired and out of sorts and like he doesn’t have anything left to give anyone.

And one day, he’s looking across the courtyard and he sees Harry. And Harry is surrounded by people who are all chattering and chattering at him and waving papers in his face and generally bombarding him with attention and Draco is all “!” and Harry kind of glances across the courtyard and sees Draco looking and gives him this kind of tired, wry half-smirk and then attends to his business.

And Draco mostly forgets about it.

Except that he doesn’t.

He feels like maybe he finally understands something about Harry, who he’s never really gotten, if you know what I mean.

********

So things go on this way and Draco is still happy but he just feels like all the voices are pounding into his skull every second of every day and it’s winding tighter and tighter, and he’s getting kind of snippy with his students and his co-workers and the dean and Astoria and Scorpius and he HATES IT, but he can’t stop himself because it’s JUST TOO MUCH and he’s all ARRRRRRRRG!!!!!!!!

And then one night, Draco wakes up. It’s about 4am and he’s in that weird place where he knows that if he goes back to sleep, he won’t be able to wake up properly in 2 hours. So he lies there, in the dark, listening to Astoria breathe and he realizes that… it’s QUIET. It’s dark and blissfully silent. And so he slips out of bed and wanders outside and realizes that it’s about an hour to sunrise and it’s so QUIET. And he suddenly has this recollection of a small sitting room tucked into a corner of one of the buildings and he thinks “I could just go there and have a cup of tea, and listen to the fire and be calm”.

So he trudges across the courtyard and heads into the building and up the stairs and opens the door to the this little sitting room.

But.

It’s not empty.

There’s a fire going in the hearth and Harry is sitting in the window seat. He’s not reading or doing anything, really. He’s just sipping a cup of tea and staring out the window.

And he turns his head and sees Draco and Draco can just see him stealing himself for words, for conflict, for requests, for time. And his eyes look so tired and kind of desperate.

Draco almost turns around and walks out. But for some reason, he doesn’t.

He just nods to Harry, heads over to the sideboard, pours himself a cup of tea, and sits in the easy chair facing the fire, head turned away from Harry. He picks up the midnight edition of the Daily Prophet, which Harry has obviously already read. And he sits there. Reads the paper. Sips his tea. And just breathes.

And Harry turns back to the window and sips his tea and watches the sunrise. And at 6 am, they both get up, and head out to meet their day.

And neither of them has said a single word.

That day is the best day Draco has had in a long time. He has more patience for the people around him. He feels less crowded, less anxious, less snippy. He enjoys his evening conversation with Astoria and plays with Scorpius, and he thinks, maybe, he just needed a little break.

And so he goes back to his life for about a week. And by the end of the week he realizes that IT IS NOT OKAY!!!!! He’s all /o\ and OMG JUST STOP TALKING TO ME!!!!!!!! But this time, when it feels like the walls of voices are going to crush him, he remembers the sitting room. And how calm he felt when he was there, so he sets a wake-up spell for 4am, and the next morning, he slides out of bed and heads across the courtyard and slips into the side door, up the stairs and opens the door to the sitting room.

And there’s Harry.

Again.

This time, sitting at the small table, sipping tea and reading the paper. And Harry looks up and doesn’t look quite as desperate as before. He just gives Draco a half-smile and turns his attention back to the paper. So Draco pours himself a cup of tea, and sits down in the chair in front of the fire and watches the flames.

Shortly later, Harry gets up and goes to the window, and watches the sunrise. Then, at 6am, they both leave the room. And when Draco gets to the bottom of the stairs, he realizes that once again, they haven’t said a single word.

********

Well, Draco’s not an idiot. He knows that he’s not coping well with the demands on his time. He knows that twice now, he’s found a way to carve out a little time for himself and that the result is that not only is he calmer and happier, but that he’s better to the people around him. So he starts making it part of his daily routine. He gets up at 4, heads over to the sitting room, and for two hours, he shares the space, in silence, with Harry.

Harry now knows to expect him, so when he enters the room, Harry waves a hot cup of tea over to him, and passes him the sections of the paper that he’s already read. And every morning, Harry heads to the window and watches the sunrise, and at 6am, they leave to go about their business, having had a precious moment of quiet to start their day.

********

They are still not friends.

They have still never exchanged a single word.

They do not seek each other out outside of the room.

But, when Draco looks across the courtyard and sees Harry surrounded by people and Harry looks up, this time, Harry just shrugs and grins this what-can-you-do? grin, and Draco grins back.

********

Astoria notices that Draco is happier and asks what’s up. Draco tells her. Tells her that he’s been overwhelmed by the demands on his time. Tells her that he’s found a way to find some quiet. Tells her about Harry. And she smiles and says that she’s so pleased he’s found a way to be truly content again, that she’s been worrying about him. And he hugs her close and breathes in the smell of her hair, and knows how lucky he is.

********

At Christmas, before he leaves for Malfoy Manor, he leaves a present for Harry in the sitting room for him to find. It’s a pocket watch that shows him what time the sun will rise each day.

********

When he returns from Christmas, Harry passes him a gift along with the midnight edition of the paper. It’s a mirror. Draco snorts and grins. And that day, he watches the sunrise with Harry.

********

And for a year, this goes on. And Draco is purely happy. His relationships with his family and his colleagues have improved and he feels like life is exactly where it should be.

Harry looks better, too. Calmer and happier and not so worn around the seams.

They have their literally unspoken code of silence in the sitting room, but each day, they share tea, and the paper, and the sunrise, and then they go about their day.

********

And then Astoria dies. It’s sudden. It’s an attack-illness-accident-something that is completely unexpected and her loss jerks the carpet out from under Draco’s feet. He’s lost. He’s been married to Astoria for over 10 years and she’s been the complete love of his life. She stuck with him through his snippy times and helped him learn to be a better person. At first, it’s almost ok. Or, as okay as it can be. Because he has things to DO. He has to arrange the funeral, he has to deal with the legalities. He has to help Scorpius with the loss of his mother. There is SO MUCH TO DO that he doesn’t really have time to think about anything else. He just trudges through each day thinking about what he needs to accomplish and checking each thing off this list, one by one.

He stops going to the sitting room.

He doesn’t have the time. He doesn’t have the energy. All he can do is just get through each thing. But all the voices are still there. Well-meant condolences. So many people who want to be helpful but just crowd in trying to make it better and all he wants to do is yell at them “DON’T YOU KNOW THAT IT CANNOT BE BETTER?!?! IT CANNOT BE BETTER EVER AGAIN! LEAVE ME ALONE! I CANNOT HANDLE YOU!”

And then, all the things are done. Crossed off the list. And Draco flails. Untethered.

And stops.

He stops going to work. He stops getting Scorpius off to his tutors. He mostly stops eating. He can’t sleep, and he can’t be awake. He’s just in this in-between place. Paused indefinitely. It’s like he just wound down and the only person who could ever wind him up again is Astoria, and she’s gone.

His parents come and try to help. They take over the daily care of Scorpius. They are worried. It’s been weeks. They try to talk to Draco. They console him. They remind him of his responsibilities. They tell him that Astoria wouldn’t want this. And all he can think is “I KNOW ALL THAT! BUT DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND? I AM FROZEN! I AM LOST”. But he can’t even make his vocal cords work.

And so his parents just keep on keeping on, doing their best to just hold the ship on a somewhat steady course.

********

Harry, of course, has heard the rumors. Heard that Draco has stopped coming to work. He’s worried too.

So one morning, at 4am he treks across the courtyard to the family housing area, and knocks on the Malfoys' door. He knocks again and again and again and finally, Lucius opens a door and is all WTF?! And Harry just walks in without an explanation. He brings tea and the paper. He walks into Draco’s room, and sees him, sitting in the chair, staring into space. And Draco looks up at him.

And Harry kneels beside the chair and presses the tea into his hands.

Draco doesn’t drink it. He just looks at Harry, and Harry looks back at Draco. And then he squeezes Draco’s shoulder, takes the paper and sits in the window seat of Draco’s room and watches the sunrise. And at 6am, he leaves.

********

Harry comes every day.

Lucius ends up keying the wards to him.

Every day he gives Draco tea, and squeezes his shoulder, and watches the sunrise.

And one day, about a week later, when he places his hand on Draco’s shoulder, Draco grabs his hand, and squeezes back. That day, Draco gets up and watches the sunrise with Harry. And drinks the tea. And glances at the headlines.

The next day, he cries. Great wrenching sobs of loss. And Harry holds him and doesn’t tell him it will all be ok. And doesn’t try to fix it. He’s just there, petting his head and rocking him. And at 6am, Harry doesn’t leave. He curls up with Draco on the bed and Draco falls asleep—really truly asleep—for the first time since Astoria died.

He wakes up groggy and disoriented. Harry is gone. Draco showers. He goes downstairs. He eats breakfast. He hugs his son.

********

So Harry keeps coming every day. And Draco slowly starts mending. He goes back to work and keeps moving forward. His parents go home. And life goes on, as it is wont to do.

He and Harry still don’t speak.

It’s habit.

It’s comfortable.

It’s a place of quiet in both of their minds and days and at this point, they don’t need words anyway. Harry knows Draco’s opinion of the news by the quirk of his eyebrow. Draco can read Harry’s amusement in the twitch of his lips.

********

And then, one day, Draco decides that it’s time. So he meets Harry at his door at 4am. Harry is confused. He’s been coming to Draco’s for so long, it is as much his routine as the sitting room had been before. But Draco just smiles and takes his hand. He leads Harry out across the courtyard, in the side door, up the stairs to their little sitting room. It’s dark. The fire hasn’t been lit. So Harry gets a house elf to bring tea and Draco lights the fire. And then he takes Harry’s hand again and leads him back to the window seat. He sits down and settles Harry between his legs. He rubs his chin on Harry’s shoulder and he put his lips close to Harry’s ear and whispers

thank you

And Harry jerks. And then he turns his head to look at Draco, and presses his face against Draco’s neck, and whispers

you’re welcome

against his skin.

And then they turn back to the window and watch the sun rise.

The End

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/84407.html.

A Slightly Different from Usual Rec List

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:41:20 GMT

Usually, when I post rec lists, they are themed in some convoluted way. This one is a little different. It's not too long, but it highlights a couple of the things I love about podfic so much.

I consume podfic very differently than I consume fic. I listen much more broadly, exploring fandoms and stories that I might ordinarily pass over due to a lack of familiarity or just a resistance to moving out of my comfortable, small corner of fandom. I'm not sure why podfic is so effective for me this way. I have theories, so many theories, but ultimately, they don't really matter. What matters is that podfic allows me to explore outside my self-imposed boundaries.

Also, I love the fact that there are so many "right ways" to read podfic. I know that some people prefer to stick to a certain cadence, or accent, or voice type, but for me, part of the beauty of podfic is listening to the way a reader chooses to convey a story. The way the story is colored by the approach and voice and technique of the reader.

So, here are five podfics recs. There is nothing particular that binds them together. They are different fandoms, different accents, different cadences, different moods. Some have relationships, a couple are gen. They are in no way similar, except for the fact that A) they are incredible stories I would have otherwise missed if not for the podfic, and B) they are purely wonderful to listen to.

Dark Horse written by hardboiledbaby, read by cantarina1
Fandom: Nero Wolfe
Pairing: Gen
Link to Text: here
Summary: Saul's reaction/thoughts when Wolfe hired Archie on full time.
Brief Rec: Told from the perspective of Saul Panzer (who I adore), this is the story of how Archie came to be hired by Wolfe. It's brilliant. The fic itself plays to all the strengths of Stout's characters with a true affection and the language is spot on. And cantarina1's reading is perfect. Every time I listen to this fic, I'm amazed by how well she captures Wolfe's tone and Archie's borderline insolence. It's just this wonderful little glimpse into the world of Nero Wolfe, and the ending is just... Guh! It makes me want to re-read all of Rex Stout's books all over again.

Surfacing written by crazyparakiss, read by teas_me
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Gen
Link to Text: here
Summary: Written for the 2012 Dysfuncentine fest. She feels more alive when almost drowning.
Brief Rec: This is a painfully intimate look at a woman who is hanging on by her fingernails. Though brief, crazyparakiss expresses that frozen desperation so beautifully. Not in a big, fireworks way, but in that quiet, creeping, every day-ness that weighs down your soul. teas_me just completely nails the mood. She does such a gorgeous job of channeling Ginny's quiet crumbling. It takes a lot for me to read true angst, but for some reason, I reach for this one again and again.

You Call it Madness written by grim_lupine, read by bessyboo
Fandom: Newsies
Pairing: Jack/David
Link to Text: here
Summary: You meet Jack Kelly when you are twelve years old. Modern-day.
Brief Rec: To set the record straight, I saw Newsies when it came out…. um…. 20 years ago. My recollection is dim. Very dim. It doesn't matter. This story could be about any two boys, so if you're like me, don't let that stop you. The prose in this fic is lyrical and absolutely lovely. The friendship and uncertainty and resolution shines in this beautiful, quiet way and bessyboo's voice and smooth way of reading just winds the words around you. It's a gorgeous, dreamy little piece, both calming and uplifting and worth every second of the not quite 8 minutes it runs.

All the Trappings of Love written by rageprufrock, read by dodificus (note, there is also a podbook version here)
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Link to Text: here
Summary: It was bound to happen eventually. Clark just never anticipated it would be so loud.
Brief Rec: I love this story. I think it's because there is this underlying seriousness that is covered by this very light, nearly translucent humor. It's one of those fics that doesn't rush you through to the conclusion, but you are still pulled relentlessly in. dodificus's voice and cadence is perfect for this push-pull of the humor and the seriousness. It's never "overdone" and the ending is so beautifully satisfactory that you are left with the feeling of absolute contentedness.

This is a Gift (it comes with a price) written by furyme, read by oohshinyfangirl
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Kurt/Blaine
Link to Text: here
Summary: Everyone is born with the name of their soulmate on their hand. Everyone except Kurt Hummel. So when Kurt is forced to pair up in class with Blaine Anderson, why does the boy look at him like...?
Brief Rec: I have a true affection for magical realism, so when I saw the summary, I jumped at it. This is a lovely, angsty fic, that pushes all the right buttons for me and left me feeling so happy and hopeful that it brightened my whole day. oohshinyfangirl reads with a measured pacing that really allows the words to sink in fully and she does such a beautiful job with Kurt's fears and insecurities, and Blaine's calm in the face of a confusing situation. She also uses the echo effect perfectly. Not intrusive, just enough to be there and to do what it needs to do.

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/84166.html.

Go Thee Forth and PROMPT!!!!!!

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:21:29 GMT

This week, there is much prompting to be had, so you should definitely go forth and leave ~~fertile bunnies~~ prompts to inspire all those fanworks that keep us all going!!!! There is mPreg, Teddy-centric, fanart, zombies, time-travel, and het & gen!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

wizsprogs (here)
teddy_fest (here)
hp_fanart_fest (here)
hp_zombiefest (here)
hptimetravel (here)
hp_hetgen (here)

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/83759.html.

[Podfic] Dust to Dust, Dinosaurs to Dinosaurs

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:10:16 GMT

A while back I posted the Not Valentine's Itty-Bitty Podficlet Anthology and the most wonderful uniquepov said "You should make more Firefly podfic!" And, you know, she's right! There can never be too much Firefly podfic out there. I ran across this little ficlet when I was poking around the Firefly fandom tag in AO3, and it's a perfect little gem. I feel like Inara is just pitch perfect in it, and Zoe is so shattered, and yet still…. Zoe. It's a beautiful fic about healing and caring and love and grief. So, uniquepov, this is for you. I hope you like it!

Thank you so much to Lauren, for permission to record. It's such a lovely fic and it was such a pleasure to read. Thanks (as always) to teas_me and takola, who listen to whatever I fling at them, even if they aren't familiar with the fandom. Also, that pretty, pretty cover art down there is by the wonderful reena_jenkins, who saves me (and you) from the horrors of my own cover art. ♥

This also fills my Less than 10 minutes square on my podfic_bingo sheet. \o/

Title: Dust to Dust, Dinosaurs to Dinosaurs
Author: Lauren
Reader: fire_juggler
Cover Art: reena_jenkins
Betas: takola & teas_me
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Pairing: Inara/Zoe
Author's Rating: Teen and up Audiences
Author's Warnings: none
Summary: Wash is dead, and what was a soothing ritual between Inara and Zoe takes on a new dimension.
Length: 00:08:30
Link to Text: here
Download links (right-click and "Save As"): mp3 | m4b

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/83460.html.

2 AI8 Podfics for paraka

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:12:21 GMT

So, a while back, (months ago) paraka donated to Scarleteen in exchange for a podfic by me. She has been ever so patient since then. When I asked her what fic she would like to be podficced, she gave me a list, ostensibly so that I wouldn't be forced into podficcing something I wasn't comfortable with or a fic that I didn't like. At the time, I thought oh, how sweet of her!!! But now I know the truth!!! Sneaky paraka is sneaky, dangling all these sparkly, fabulous fics, many of which have authors who have given blanket permission to record!!! She knew I wouldn't be able to resist doing more than one. So… yeah… ummm….. paraka, you are getting two for the price of one :) *hugs*

The first is call me home by moirariordan. It's the most delicious collar!kink fic EVER and Kris is so delightfully open with himself about his own desires. moirariordan somehow manages to write a fic that is simultaneously smoking hot and full of ALL THE FEELINGS, and yet has very little actual…um… sex. In the words of teas_me, "I never knew that collar!kink could be so sweet!" What can I say, moirariordan is amazing, and now that I've been introduced to her, I'm going to find myself coming back again and again.

The second is you're dumbstruck baby (by my lovin') by jeyhawk, whose fics I just can't stay away from. It features a very different Kris from the first. One who is sexually inexperienced to the extreme, and delightfully shy, with an Adam who is ever so patient. It also hits one of my biggest kinks ever, mutual masturbation. It's sweet and hot and fun and full of those misunderstandings that are so easily resolved for a brilliant happy ending.

Thanks to both authors for their BP statements and for the fabulous stories. Thanks to teas_me and takola, for, as always being my trusty betas. And a special shout-out to reena_jenkins, who answered my wailing cry on Twitter for someone to please just make cover art for me PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE, and giving me the prettiness you see below.

To paraka, I really hope you enjoy these, BB!!! It was so fun to make them!!!

Title: call me home
Author: moirariordan
Reader: fire_juggler
Cover Art: reena_jenkins
Betas: takola & teas_me
Fandom: American Idol (Season 8)
Pairing: Kris/Adam
Author's Rating: R
Author's Warnings: none
Summary: "I saw this and thought of you," Brad tells him, voice shaking with the effort not to laugh.
Length: 00:50:51
Link to Text: here
Download links (right-click and "Save As"): mp3 | m4b
Alternative (Mediafire) Download links: mp3 | m4b

Title: you're dumbstruck baby (by my lovin')
Author: jeyhawk
Reader: fire_juggler
Cover Art: reena_jenkins
Betas: takola & teas_me
Fandom: American Idol (Season 8)
Pairing: Kris/Adam
Author's Rating: NC-17
Author's Warnings: None
Summary: Musical Tour AU. The one where Kris is almost painfully clueless but Adam wants to date him anyway.
Length: 00:53:43
Link to Text: here
Download links (right-click and "Save As"): mp3 | m4b
Alternative (Mediafire) Download links: mp3 | m4b

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/83327.html.

I'm back from hiatus riding the pimpmobile!!!

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:49:10 GMT

It kind of feels like forever, so I'll just say "hi", flail at you all, tell you that if I missed anything exciting, you should PM me, and PIMP!!!!!

Podfic Stuffs!!!!

hp_podfic_fest 2012 is having another round!!!!!!!!

Banner by ariannagray
Rules & Timeline

There's a new SPN Podfic Challenge Comm!!! cakehole_club

You’re invited to join the cakehole_club, a new community for
SPN & SPN RPF themed podfic challenges!

Close Quarters is the first challenge, and it’s going on now!

HP Stuffs!!!!

femmefest has started posting!!!

hp_harlequin has started posting!!!

Banner by wildflower4evr

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/83149.html.

HIATUS!!!!!

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:06:49 GMT

Well, I have family coming into town. So that means the dildos get put away, the microphone stuck behind a file cabinet, the browser cache and history cleared, and that I'll be going on HIATUS!!!!!!!

Have a wonderful couple of weeks! ♥

In the meantime, you should totally check out Hyperbole and a Half, because it's just that awesome :D

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/82889.html.

Some HP Fest-y things.....

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 23:06:35 GMT

There are fest-y happenings in HP World!!!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

hp_harlequin
is looking for
Pinch Hitters!!!

Banner by wildflower4evr

sirius_black Fest has started posting!!!!

dracotops_harry has started posting!

Art and banner by harrysde.

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/82500.html.

Speaking of sophinisba and awesome meta-y things....

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 02:44:19 GMT

As a podficcer, I have long wanted to be able to say something like this to the authors whose stories I podfic, but whenever I attempt it, it comes out in this garbled, weird way. Luckily, we have wonderful people in fandom who are eloquent, so if you're an author who doesn't really do podfic (for whatever reason), I encourage you to read this post by sophinisba, who so very gracefully and eloquently speaks to the fact that it's okay!!!!

A note to authors who are not podfic fans, from me, sophinisba

And, as a highlight: "It's true that you have a unique perspective on your story, but that doesn't mean you're under any obligation to listen, to pretend that you listened, or pretend that you liked it. I can't speak for all podficcers, but for myself I can say the idea of someone trying to force themselves to listen to my voice out of a sense of obligation makes me pretty uncomfortable."

There is so much goodness in this post! So, take a moment and check it out :D

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/82250.html.

[Harry Potter Podfic] Accept the Extraordinary by RoozetteR

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 01:29:17 GMT

A little more than one year ago, I posted my very first podfic. It was 6 Lessons from a Dead Man by roozetter. Roo's fics are like catnip to me. I keep coming back to them, again and again. This one is so lovely-sad-hopeful-beautiful-happy. Luna…she just shines so brightly here. This is a fic about healing and love and finding ways to go on after the war.

So, warning: There is singing in this fic. And if I'm going to sing (and put you through the agony of listening to me sing), then I better get something out of it. Therefore, my wildcard square on my podfic_bingo card has just turned into "Sing". Many thanks to takola and teas_me for betaing. Music is Fallen by Audiafauna. Totally amazing song.

Title: Accept the Extraordinary
Author: roozetter
Reader: fire_juggler
Betas: takola & teas_me
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Luna/Tonks
Author's Rating: R
Author's Warnings: mentions of past non-con
Summary: No one reallly knows how Luna ended up living at Lupin cottage after the war. But Tonks keeps the Wrakspurts away and gives Luna hope that the world will sparkle for her again.
Length: 00:18:44
Link to Text: here (f-locked)
Download links (right-click and "Save As"): mp3 | m4b
Alternative (Mediafire) Download links: mp3 | m4b

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/81918.html.

A Community and some Metas!!!!

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:24:23 GMT

First of all, for those of you looking to increase your engagement with podfic, a new community!!! They will be running small challenges for leaving feedback for Podfic throughout the month of April! Go check it out!!!

Secondly, I've been reading a lot of metas recently (mostly courtesy of sophinisba who always links to the most amazing metas ever). I love it when people meta about fandom. I love the way metas remind me simultaneously of how similar I am to so many fans, and how diverse we are as a fandom. I don't always agree 100% with what I read, but they always make me think, and often make me change my mind about stuff. So... for your reading pleasure:

1) A gorgeous little paragraph about the small mistakes in podfic production.

2) An incredible response to the posts about fandom on the Dear Author website: Fannish Inquisitions: Countering Assumptions About Fandom

3) A wonderful post about AO3 kudos, which made me alter my thinking about them in a huge way: What's the collective noun for kudos?

4) A post about feedback, which made me realize that I am not alone in my complicated and somewhat difficult relationship with feedback. Always a good thing: in the fandom afternoon

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/81653.html.

Hiatus!!! (is over)

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:42:52 GMT

I kind of think that Fandom Days are like Dog Years. One Fandom Day is like 15 RL Days, so when I'm away for...say... a week, it's really like several months. Fests have started and ended; communities have risen and fallen; drama has happened and been resolved. And my flist backreading is so overwhelming that I just...um... yeah. Not backreading. So Hi! *waves* Sorry if I missed big things, PM me if you think I need to know anything :D

There are and have been lots of Things Going On™!!!

First of all, I had a visit from the lovely and wonderful teas_me!!!! (Hence the week-long hiatus). She was here for five wonderful days!! Well, actually three cold, crappy, rainy days and two beautiful days, but weather aside, it was AMAZING to have so much quality time with her!!!!! There was tea and fandom-y chats and movie/TV watching, and sightseeing, and eating, and cooking, and more tea!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Second, if you haven't been following it, The amplificathon Challenge is running now!!!! I, sadly, won't really be able to participate at all this year (in spite of my New Year's Resolution to do better than last year). The timing is just not good for me. But that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy ALL THE AMAZING PODFIC!!! I've already seen a couple HP podfics posted, so head over there and have a look-see!!! And it's not too late to create some awesome podfics for it!!!

There are also lots of HP Fests going on!!!!

hpvalensmut
bill_ficathon
hd_remix
hp_nextgen_fest
hp_getlucky

Something for everyone, so go forth and enjoy all the wonderful fannishness and leave lots and lots of love!!!!!!

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/81361.html.

Podfic: (You're the) Frosting on my Cupcake by sunsetmog

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:42:36 GMT

So, for some reason, I've been reading all the depressing fic ever, recently. They're beautiful and wonderful, but I needed a pick-me-up. When I ran across this (not!)fic, I ended up with this giant smile on my face. Spencer and Ryan are bitchy and sarcastic with hearts of gold. Jon and Brendon are made of complete adorableness. There are kisses on the cheek, and hand-holding, and heart eyes, and cupcakes, and coffee, and cupcake coffee shops, and tinsel. The whole thing is wrapped up with this sparkly prose and extreme happiness. Ginormous thanks to sunsetmog for giving blanket permission to record her fics (and her not!fics). You're writing made me grin like a loon after reading a series of grief!sex fics that just destroyed me. All the ♥!!

This was recorded for the "Read Quickly (for you)" square on my podfic_bingo card. Many thanks to takola and teas_me for betaing and informing me that, yes, I did read more quickly and yes, it is still understandable. *glomps you both*

Title: (You're the) Frosting on my Cupcake
Author: sunsetmog
Reader: fire_juggler
Betas: takola, teas_me
Fandom: Bandom (Panic!)
Pairing: Brendon/Spencer, (Jon/Ryan)
Author's Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Author's Warnings: None
Summary: Based loosely on this romance novel blurb: Brendon Urie would call himself an ordinary guy. Spencer Smith would call him stupidly hot, if he weren't about to destroy Brendon's career. A rich, successful journalist and food critic, Spencer aims to write a scathing review of Brendon's little muffin and cupcake shop. He never mixes business with pleasure. But the secrets Brendon's keeping intrigue Spencer, and his naivety has caught Spencer off guard. He's entranced with the little muffin cupcake shop and his neighbour Jon's coffee shop.

What's happened to him? He's being ridiculous! The Christmas-coated town has gone to his head. Spencer's best friend, literary critic Ryan Ross, thinks that the small-town boy has unlocked the city slicker's heart.

...Yeah, this is kind of but not quite that story.

Length: 00:50:41
Link to Text: AO3 | LJ
Download links (right-click and "Save As"): mp3 | m4b
Alternative (Mediafire) Download links: mp3 | m4b

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/81090.html.

Podfic Recs: A Handful of Comfort Podfics

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 02:24:29 GMT

This morning, the plan was to come home and record fun podfic. But then Wednesday happened: I inadvertently deleted (never to be seen again) half-a-day's work, I had a long meeting in which nothing was accomplished, a piece of my back tooth broke off (I kid you not), my train home was late, meaning that I then missed my connecting bus, and my refrigerator is empty. Suffice it to say, it's not to be. On days like today, I am saved by comfort podfic, and since I'm not up to recording, I thought I would rec a handful of my comfort pods to you.

I require very specific things from comfort podfic. They are the podfics that I dig out when I desperately need a smile and a hug. Therefore, they tend to fall into the following categories:

1) They are not epic. I love epic!podfic, but when I'm stressed or down, my attention span dwindles to that of a gnat. Generally, my comfort pods are 10 minutes to 1 hour (very rarely there may be one that is a couple of hours, but never a long, long, long one).
2) They have a degree of lightness to them. The angst, if there is any, is short-lived and easily remedied, and they always, always have a happy ending. NO TEARS HERE.
3) No slow build-ups. See above about attention span. These are quick to capture me and don't lag. No meandering tales here (much as I love them).

So...if you're in need of a bit of a pick-me-up...

Bespoke written by perspi, read by painted_pain
Fandom: Hawaii Five-O
Pairing: Steve/Danny
Link to Text: here
Summary: "It's just, you don't strike me as somebody who sews, that's all."
"Yeah, how do I strike you?"
Brief Rec: This is a delightful story with Tailor!Steve and Cop!Danny and hijinks and hurt/comfort and sewing and mobsters, and it's all read by the lovely painted_pain, who has an equally delightful voice and accent. She has a wonderful way of reading the words so that they just kind of flow over you, and you find yourself smiling right where you're supposed to, and she excels in reading Danny.

Indoor Fireworks written by fictionalaspect, read by quintenttsy
Fandom: Bandom (Panic!)
Pairing: Brendon/Spencer
Link to Text: here
Summary: The first thing that comes out of Spencer's mouth is, "Um, do you have any rates set up for not having sex with people?"
"I think you have the wrong number," the voice on the other end of the line says, and hangs up.
Brief Rec: Oh, this story! Escort!Brendon with Needs-A-Date-For-A-Wedding!Spencer. quintenttsy has a very light voice with a lighthearted way of reading that fits this fic perfectly. She totally captures the unnerved awkwardness of Spencer and the laid-back (not literally) Brendon. The line delivery is perfect and I've listened so many times that I just wait for these perfect little gems, like "Oh," the operator says, and all of a sudden, in that one dropped syllable, Spencer realizes that he's speaking to a guy his own age, and not like, the high and mighty gatekeeper of all male escort services.

Far Along This Road written by jerakeen, read by podklb
Fandom: American Idol
Pairing: Kris/Adam
Link to Text: here
Summary: One-night stands are not for everyone.
Brief Rec: This is one of the longer comfort!podfics for me, clocking in at close to 3 hours. For some reason, it doesn't matter. It never fails to hold my attention. The story is made of complete adorableness, featuring bartender!Kris and actor!Adam and the one-night-stand that becomes more. I find podklb's way of reading to be incredibly soothing while still being amazingly expressive. I love the way she captures the characters without over-doing them. They are completely distinct and natural and this particular story always just grabs me from the first utterance, all the way through the the end.

Breath written by amaresu, read by paraka
Fandom: Fairy Tales (Rapunzel)
Pairing: Rapunzel/Prince
Link to Text: here
Summary: I'll have to find another tower somewhere / And keep away from the windows.
Brief Rec: This is a brand new comfort podfic for me. It was recorded for the Awesome Ladies Podfic Anthology and when I heard it, my heart just kind of lightened. The fic itself is just a lovely brief look at understanding and care and comfort and love. I always enjoy paraka's podfics because she has such an easy way of reading and does such a wonderful job of letting the prose speak through her. This one is no different. It's brief (about 5 minutes long), so for me, on a bad day, it's like a quick shot of hope, over so quickly I have no choice but to listen to it again.

Carte Blanche written by ivyblossom, read by crinklysolution
Fandom: Sherlock
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Link to Text: here
Summary: John, fearing for his life, writes a longhand blog post he can never put online.
Brief Rec: I always laugh a little that this is one of my comfort pods, since the entire first part is pretty much John angsting about his situation. But the angst is low-key in this fic. John is factual about things, and the resolution of the fic (part 2) is so understatedly humorous, as Sherlock seeks, in his own way, to fix things, that I can't help but smile. crinklysolution's reading style is so perfect for this fic. Her voice brings out the subtle humor and the true affection between the two men, and I always finish this podfic with a smile on my lips.

Gerard Way, For Skeleton Crew Fashions written by desert_neon, read by croissantkatie
Fandom: Bandom (MCR)
Pairing: Frank/Gerard
Link to Text: here
Summary: Fashion designer Gerard gets his big break when he's hired to create a new collection for Frank Iero's Skeleton Crew Fashions, just in time for fashion week.
Brief Rec: I knew the first time I listened to this that it would become a comfort podfic for me. The story is fabulously AU and fun and light-hearted and croissantkatie expresses that light-heartedness with a lightness of reading that fills me with joy. I love the way she imbues the name "Iero" with the full weight of its importance. I don't know if it's true, but listening to the reading, it just sounds like she is having so much fun with it, which makes me smile all the more.

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/80742.html.

Podfic: The Motions I've Been Going Through by Gemmi999

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 01:51:55 GMT

I was poking around AO3 looking for a fic that would be good for the Trans Character square on my podfic_bingo card. The original plan was to find a happy fic. I feel strongly about the LGBTQ community having positive, happy stories. And then I read this fic and I was catapulted back to college, to a late-night conversation with my trans friend where there were many tears and during which I have never felt so helpless, completely unable to help my friend whose body was betraying him every month. I could pretty much only listen. So…yeah. This fic, though short, hit me in the gut and captured something that I couldn't ignore, and it reminded me that sometimes, even when we feel like we can't help, a compassionate ear can make all the difference. Sometimes, just being there is enough.

Many thanks so much to gemmi999 for giving me permission to record and for writing a fic that hit me very close to home. You expressed so much in so few words and were wonderfully enthusiastic about the process. And as always, thanks as well to takola and teas_me for the beta jobs.

Note that this podfic is potentially triggery and deals with abortion. Please listen with care.

Title: The Motions I've Been Going Through
Author: gemmi999
Reader: fire_juggler
Betas: takola, teas_me
Fandom: Bandom (FOB)
Pairing: Gen (Pete, Patrick)
Author's Rating: Unrated
Author's Warnings: Potential Trigger: Abortion
Summary: “You’re stealth.” Pete whispers. “You totally bind, and I wish that shit didn’t hurt as much as I know it must.”
Length: 00:05:54
Link to Text: here
Download links (right-click and "Save As"): mp3 | m4b

This entry was originally posted at http://fire-juggler.dreamwidth.org/80581.html.