freeradical9

Three posts in quick succession--have been meaning to add these to my journal for ages.

Originally posted to saiyuki_time for the first 'bonus' challenge. (I love this comm., but have despaired of ever writing anything for it ever again since the rules were clarified to emphasize that one isn't supposed to think about the plot beforehand. I ruminated on this idea for *two days* before sitting down to write it, and even knowing exactly what was gonna happen, I still barely finished in time. I am not a fast *or* a spontaneous writer. *sigh*)

Title: Reborn
Author: freeradical9
Word Count: 435
Rating: R, for disturbing themes
Warnings: Worksafe, AU, dark. Spoilers for the end of Saiyuki Reload manga volume 7

Summary: Not everyone wants for their own eyes to be opened.

A/N: For the prompt Rebirth. Written just under the 30 minute time limit in three interrupted sections--10 min, 14 min, and 5 min.


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( It was exactly as the youkai from the desert village had said. )

So, in my quest to track down a copy of the English version of Saiyuki Reload 8, I went to not one, not two, but *three* bookstores before I found it in stock (Borders rules, Barnes & Noble drools).

Barnes & Noble did redeem itself a bit in my eyes, as they had volume 2 of Petshop of Horrors: Tokyo. I like the series anyway, but was absolutely delighted to find some Saiyuki-esque tidbits in one of the chapters.

( D is for Dealer, Spoilers for Petshop: Tokyo )

As seen on chomiji's blog. Go to this random quotes page, check out the quotes that come up, and keep refreshing until you've collected five quotes that really resonate with you, then post 'em to your journal.

( Obviously it's not the deep, meaning-filled quotes that resonate with me.... )

So, the month of April was in like a lion, out like a...steamroller.

Things are slowly calming down at work, but I'm very very veeeerrry far behind on everyone's posts and fannish works. Apologies for that. Much needed vacation will be manifesting itself soon. Hopefully I can peel myself up off the pavement in time to enjoy it. :(

*insert brain-dead zombie noises here*

The formal presentation that has eaten all my spare time for the past week+ is finally over.

*waves vaguely to f-list* I'm gonna go sleep now....

Most folks on the f-list are already tuned in to springkink so have probably already seen this. It's good, and different, so I'm adding the link to my lj mostly for personal reference.

Westward by dogmatix_san. (Rating, PG)

(Crossover: Saiyuki x LOTR. Definitely Gojyo/Hakkai, probably Sanzo/Goku. This fic is a bit difficult to describe, save that the key elements of both sources remain largely intact. Really nicely done.)

"The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas, and throw the bad ones away"
-Linus Pauling

Hmm. Or perhaps if one is too much of a pack rat to simply toss random ideas away, perhaps dysfunctional WIPs could be placed in glass bottles and tucked away in the basement until sufficiently aged. They certainly don't seem to be doing much good on the computer hard drive at the moment.

In the meantime, I am delighted that new things to read keep popping up on the kink meme. (Still going after nearly four months! How cool is that!) One might think that the meme host would get tired of such an overcrowded inbox and turn off commenting--but I'm rather glad that it hasn't happened yet.

Also, two more fic recs (both of which already appeared on saiyukiyaoi, but which I enjoyed very much so am linking to them here):

Xianlang by Mosh, aka moshesque (Rating, NC-17)

(Hakkai/Sanzo, post-journey fic. Not my OTP, but this is too well-written *not* to enjoy, and IMHO the Hakkai point-of-view is beautifully done.)

Zang Fu Theory, Part 1: Herutsu (Heart) by Lotus (Rating, R)

(Hakkai/Sanzo and also Gojyo/Jeep, although neither pairing gets terribly far into the action in this first chapter. Written for the Minus Wave Challenge round 2. This fic has a complex, well-developed plot and excellent characterization, though there are some small canon inconsistencies here and there. Overall it's quite a worthwhile read, and I can't wait to see where things go from here.) ^^

Hmmm. Was looking at the springkink prompts that are now up in that community, and oddly feeling not-instantly-motivated by any one in particular. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of creative prompts posted there--just most are for fandoms I'm not familiar with (although there are two there for older fandoms of mine that have been filed under "for further consideration".)

I may just wait until after the claiming rush on Dec. 28th, and pick up something then (which is what happened last round). ...Or maybe I'll just continue to work on the three *cough* current Saiyuki WIPs until they're off my plate first. The latter would definitely be the more sensible option.

Followed chomiji's talk of yuletide and have been happily poking around the archive at yuletidetreasure.org. Read several memorable ones, and decided to rec some of the stand-out ones here:

( Recs behind the cut )

Not new, but definitely worth a read. ^_^

Saiyuki: Through the Looking Glass by Mitsima. (Rating, PG-13, although it includes references to sex)

(Saiyuki x Gaiden crossover, centering on Tenpou/Kenren, Kenren/Hakkai, and Tenpou/Gojyo. A fascinating multi-chapter story with a dynamic plot and beautiful characterization. Highly recommended.)

Four Shall Ride by Treneka (PG-13)

(Sanzo-ikkou and Kougaiji-ikkou, gen. The Sanzo-ikkou find an alternate mode of transportation. I'm in awe every time I read this fic. What a scary and flawlessly executed idea.)

An Unfamiliar Taste by Ditch Gospel (Rating, PG)

(Gaiden. Konzen and Tenpou, but not in a romantic sense. A quiet moment of reflection--with subtle hints of darkness woven in. A lovely piece.)


5 Steps in The Art of War by Devikun (Rated, NC-17)

(Hakkai/Gojyo, and brain-meltingly hot. In which Gojyo has a plan.)