Been a while since I've posted some recs. I'm happy to report there's still fantastic art and fic being posted in Inception fandom!

In case anyone missed it, motetus drew some outstanding art for There's got to be a morning after here. It's like she saw into my mind and created something even more beautiful than I could imagine.

motetus also posted a gorgeous piece wherein Arthur is an paramedic here. Why yes, I would like some mouth to mouth resuscitation, thank you.

Witling wrote a lovely long (19,000ish) story called Our Man in Africa here.

inceptiversary's been doing a last writer standing challenge these past few weeks, and one drabble I particularly enjoyed was lezzerlee's Mirage.

And of course, there is all the amazing art that was submitted for i_reversebang & all the amazing fic that will be written.

I'm still currently working on Chapter 9 of There's got to be a morning after, which is currently rounding on 27,000 words. I hope to finish the chapter soon and have it off to be the betas.

The theme for my third week of Rectober is older fic, separated into longer and shorter pieces. No AU's in this batch.

Longer:

Title:Breaking & Entering
Author/Artist: Resonant
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: NC-17
Why I loved it: It's a fandom classic, which makes me very happy, because it's one of the few classics that features the wild, rare unicorn of bottom!Eames. It's a piece with a lovely Eames POV, mature and thoughtful and funny--what I could imagine actually taking a jaunt in Eames' mind would be like. I also enjoy Arthur a great deal in this: sexual, confident, unafraid of being vulnerable. A great character piece.

Title:Towards Zero
Author/Artist: Mirabella
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: NC-17
Why I loved it: Another fandom classic, and a fic written fairly early in fandom. I consider this a nice counterpoint to Breaking & Entering (or vice versa, since B&E was written later) as this is set from Arthur's POV and features repeated encounters with a projection of Eames, who proves a seductive fantasy even as the reality of Eames proves a more frustrating, complicated matter.

One of the reasons I like it so much beyond the fantastic writing and the great structure of the story (pulling the reader and Arthur inexorably along) is the way it makes use of dreamsharing to explore a dilemma that's all too familiar in real life: how a real person stacks up to the idealized fantasy of a person one has concocted. A fantasy will never disagree with, or make one feel uncomfortable or unwanted or misunderstood. A fantasy is a blurry composite of our deeply held desires and a comforting mirror of our own beliefs.

A real person--well, a real person has nothing to do with our deeply held desires or our beliefs. They simply are. Which can be both frustrating and terrifying--something this story explores quite well. Someone real is also worlds away more satisfying and thrilling and surprising than cozying up to the same static fantasy everyday. But the choice between comfortable/secure versus enriching/risky isn't always so easy to make, and I like how that's highlighted in a compelling way in this story.

Title:The Third Time
Author/Artist: Witling
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: NC-17
Why I loved it: I enjoy a severe, unsentimental Arthur POV, which is what you get in this story. Once again, this story toys with the idea of characters engaging with the fantasy of a person rather than the actual person in a dream, and also points out the rather ridiculous results that ensue when people rely on grand romantic gestures to convey messages rather than actually sitting down to talk. The story is funny and strange and sad, depicting two rather dysfunctional men stumbling towards each other and apart.

Shorter:

Title:All the boys with their toys
Author/Artist: jibrailis
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: PG
Why I loved it: Sometimes a story is just pure fun and funny and sweet without being too syrupy. This isn't a story to go to if you're looking for a serious interpretation of the characters in Inception, but it does feature an endlessly exuberant Arthur that charms readers the same way he charms Eames.

Title:A Sultry Side
Author/Artist: Witling
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: PG
Why I loved it: This is such a quiet, subtle piece--almost a slice of life, with spectacular characters featured throughout. So much is implied but unstated, and Eames' besotted but unsentimental view of Arthur is refreshing.

Title:The Fabulist
Author/Artist: tequilideas
Pairing(s) Unrequited Arthur/Eames
Rating: PG
Why I loved it: Another take on Eames' character--this time the unrepetent liar and con man who even dupes himself. Arthur stands as a stark foil to Eames: no nonsense, straightforward, and utterly unimpressed by Eames' fanciful manipulations.

In the story, Eames twists himself into a pretzel trying to win Arthur's affections through antics as juvenile as manufacturing common interests and faking his own death. Arthur continues, undeterred and unmoved. This story explores the notion of lying in order to make someone like you--even if you're very good at it, as Eames is, the person you truly want isn't someone who'll be suckered in by it. In fact, that's part of why you want them, isn't it?

In a way, the great tragedy of the story isn't that Arthur ultimately rejects Eames--it's that Arthur never really gets the chance to. Eames never once truly reveals who he is, and so all Arthur is rejecting are the lies, the make-believe. This is a bit of a twist on the notion of fantasy v reality theme that's threaded through my recs, but in this case, it's Eames presenting himself as a fantasy rather than clinging to an extrenal one. Ultimately, there's a danger in fantasy no matter how you go about it.

For the second week, I'll continue my art reccing theme with another artist I've had the great pleasure of working with in the past, dumbimps. Once again, I'm reccing only a select few out of all of her spectacular works--definitely check out the whole collection at her lj when you get the chance.

Title:Masquerade
Author/Artist: dumbimps
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Why I loved it: Let's start with the piece that I claimed to write for i_reversebang several rounds ago, and which I loved so much that I have a framed print of it. I love the concept of a masquerade, I love the sly visual trickery of Eames in a forge and Eames in the mirror, I love the clothing and the masks and the detailing. The color palette is quite beautiful, too--warm, rich tones with just a few touches of ice blue for contrast. Just beautiful.

Title:Art for Amuse-Bouche
Author/Artist: dumbimps
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Bare chests, compromising positions, sexual tension
Why I loved it: dumbimps was an absolutely fantastic collaborator for my inception_bang story, Amuse-Bouche. The bright colors and energy of her art was the perfect complement to the tone of the story, and she was so helpful in generating fantastic costumes for Eames (both onstage and off). All her work is beautiful and really adds a fun, vibrant element to the story. Every piece is gorgeous, but my favorites would have to be the first one (who else could give such ominous and hilarious life to a falling radish balloon) and the fourth piece, with Arthur and Eames in the pool. That piece conveys all the emotion and longing between those two in a single glance. Also. Eames' tattoos and his bottom are lovely.

Title:Chimera Tattoo
Author/Artist: dumbimps
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Why I loved it: dumbimps always does such spectacularly intricate and unique tattoos, one of which is prominently on display in this piece. I love the subtle sexiness of Eames' shirt slipping off his shoulder, and the tender way Arthur kisses his shoulder and touches him. Such a quietly sexy and evocative piece.

Title:Darling, here's the best part
Author/Artist: dumbimps
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: PG
Warnings: Boxing violence
Why I loved it: This may be cheating a bit since the post contains an incredible amount of incredible art, but I'm running with it anyway! Some of my favorites include the third piece (grey Arthur) which is quietly beautiful, and all of the boxing images. Love the low slung short shorts they're wearing, the action poses, the inventiveness. dumbimps always infuses her work with an energy and vitality that really brings the characters to life. Fabulous.

Title:Action Fairy Eames
Author/Artist: dumbimps
Pairing(s) Eames
Rating: H for Hilarious
Warnings: Crossdressing. Big guns.
Why I loved it: A fun, lively piece to end the recs with. Just love it!

I've decided to hop on this wagon since recs every Friday for a month seems pretty managable, and it's been a while since I've done some.

I'll start with some lovely art from my occasional partner in crime, motetus. If I had my way, I'd rec everything she's ever drawn but we'd be here all day. So here is a somewhat randomly curated selection, but certainly head over to her lj immediately to see everything else I couldn't cram into this post.

Title:Extracting from an archaeologist
Author/Artist: motetus
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: G
Warnings: Giant arachnids. Eames' cleavage.
Why I loved it: It has awesome action poses, motetus' usual incredible backgrounds, and Eames' aforementioned cleavage. A winning combination in my mind.

Title:On Top of Things
Author/Artist: motetus
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Sex, nudity, all that good stuff.
Why I loved it: Okay, I am biased because my favorite prompt ever is 'Eames riding Arthur' and that is precisely what this glorious art is depicting. It is beautiful. And did I mention that Eames is riding Arthur in it?

Title:Eamester 4 Life
Author/Artist: motetus
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: PG
Warnings: Arthur's enticing bottom is difficult to look away from
Why I loved it: Once again, I am biased because this piece was inspired by my wholy selfish desire to see Arthur in a set of 'Eamester 4 Life' underpants from the Amuse-Bouche universe. motetus kindly humored my natterings and this beautiful, evocative piece was born. Thank goodness.

Title:Art for Stay, Thou Art so Beautiful
Author/Artist: motetus
Pairing(s) Arthur/Eames
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Sexyness. More art than you can shake a stick at.
Why I loved it: Beyond the fact that motetus was an endlessly patient and amazing artist to work with on a Big Bang, the art is all so stunning and likely the best part of the story. The headers are beautiful (incredible backgrounds!), Arthur's such a lovely, wily demon, and that birch forest in autumn is something else. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd pick the Arthur monster study #1, but they're all just fabulous. Go, and be amazed.

Title:Centurion Vombatus
Author/Artist: motetus
Pairing(s) History/Baby animal
Rating: A for Adorable
Why I loved it: Just so it doesn't appear that I am purely motivated by nudity and bias, here's a war-hungry creature to end this post with.

motetus created some beautiful art featuring Arthur in all his luscious glory + Eamester 4 Life underwear over here. It is glorious and you should rush over to look at it.

Once I'm done staring in wonder, I will return to writing the accompanying ficlet from the Amuse-Bouche universe. Spoiler: there will probably be sex along with Arthur & Eames being adorable. So stay tuned.

1. Happy new year, all! And thank you so much to aya_no_hako for the V-gift! It is lovely.

2. I wrote over 200,000 words this year & completed my pledge for getyourwordsout (yay!) and pledged to write 250,000 for next year. The rate of my writing has been uneven over the past year, as it always is, but overall I'm happy with how much I have produced. I will be posting a few new year wrap-up writing memes in the coming week or so.

3. I have recently discovered the campy yaoi fun that is Teahouse. Does anybody else know of any webcomics filled with m/m sex and debauchery? I am already also watching Oglaf.

4. I badgered jibrailis into allowing me to read The Eye and the Eye and tormented her with copious notes in the name of beta-ing, because my verbiage on any topic really knows no bounds. Needless to say, it's a magnificent story, a mix of magical realism and historical drama and gay sex that's always a winning combination in my book. You should certainly read it if you haven't already.

5. I was going to try to post a completed ficlet from the Amuse-Bouche universe in honor of New Year's, but unfortunately the ones I'm working on are not quite finished yet. But here is the first half of one, which is set about 2 years after the end of Amuse-Bouche:

When they arrive on the island, it's peaceful and absolutely stunning for all of an hour, most of which Eames spends kneeling by the toilet as the contents of his stomach flee his body. There is a window in the bathroom, however, and the view of the beach is lovely.

"Oh, baby," Arthur says as he hovers with a damp towel worriedly. "How are you feeling? Do you want to lie down?"

"I'm alright," Eames says, propping himself up along the marble counter as he downs a glass of water. "But I should probably stay upright for a little while lest my innards rebel further."

This is the auspicious beginning to their long-awaited, long-anticipated holiday to the Caribbean: Eames has just finished the last leg of an exhausting international tour promoting his latest album, Saving Me, Saving You, and apparently isn't quite over the stomach bug he picked up somewhere in Germany. Arthur's been running a bit ragged himself, guarding a CEO who's been making three trans-Atlantic flights per week for the past four months in preparation for a sizable corporate merger.

As wonderful as performing for fans is, Eames is growing ever more acutely aware each tour that finishes how distant he is from the twenty-something he was when he first started gallivanting across the globe. In those tender years, he could drink, smoke, and do all manner of regrettable things to his body with no noticeable ill-effects the next day. Now all he wants to do at night is stare adoringly at Arthur across Skype and read a good book. But even copious amounts of restful Arthur-watching and honey-spiced tea hadn't been enough to ward off this damnable illness.

The original plan had been to meet at Heathrow (Eames arriving on a flight from Munich, Arthur driving in from their flat with packed suitcases for both of them), fly to the Caribbean together, and begin a seven day vacation filled with sand, scuba diving, and fantastic sex. The sex & scuba diving had disappeared into the ether as soon as the plane touched down and Eames sprinted for the airport restroom, while even the sand portion seems in severe danger as ominous storm clouds move in across the horizon.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Arthur says as he watches hotel employees scurrying onto the beach to bring various equipment and furniture inside through the window. Rain's already coming down heavily, and the branches of the palm trees begin waving about with some force. In seconds, the beautiful beach vista that was transforms into a desolate shooting location for a film about the end of the world.

Eames starts to respond, but ends up vomiting instead.

1. yjudaes posted some beautiful art of Arthur over here that everyone should go check out. And take a look at the rest of the art she's posted in her journal while you're at it--everything is just stunning.

2. I've been writing away on the Sex Bucket List fic like a crazy person. mini_wrimo has been super helpful in getting me past the first hurdle of opening the document every day.

3. And lastly, a meme. Fair game canons at the moment: Inception & Star Trek.

1. Pick a pairing or a character
2. Ask me my particular head!canon regarding something about them
3. Post to your journal to share your own headcanon!

At long last, here are my i_reversebang recs. I didn't get a chance to read/look at everything yet, but here are some of my favorites so far:

Art: Designed for Crash Testing by lezzerlee

Art: All you wanted was a little disaster by yjudaes
-And the story for the art: Warm Water by chibi_lurrel

A Fake Handshake Don't Make No Man by recrudescence - I have to take a moment to gush about this story because it contains all the things I love: bottom!Eames, virgin!Eames, and a long, lovely relationship that develops over time.

Art: Eames/Arthur by aya_no_hako

Art: The Hitman, The Yakuza, the Son of a Mafia Boss and his Bodyguard by juliecrowbar

Art: I Luv U Lots by chibifukurou

Art: Untitled by motetus - I must admit to being somewhat biased here since I actually wrote for this art, but motetus created 3 pieces and they are all gorgeous.

Art: there is no time to let the blood dry by yjudaes & the two related stories:
-What Takes Hold by recrudescence
-Oneiromancy by chibi_lurrel

Valley by wldnst - full disclosure: I beta read this story, and it is fantastic. Definitely a wonderful, enjoyable read.

Art: Let me lead you by voeux

Art: Untitled by dark_suzaku

Pretend You've Got No Money by sneaqui

Art: Touch by piecrumbs & the related story:
-Make a Place in the Empty Space by cmonkatiekatie

Art: Midnight Train to Georgia by aredblush

Art: Untitled by juliecrowbar & the related story:
Ophelia by i_am_negotiable (note: story is dark)

Art: Saito/Robert by aya_no_hako

Art: Am I too late for the show? by pearljamz & the related story:
The Rebel French by green_postit

Written for insearchtion

This is a meta on the kink of AUs. It begins with a definition of the terms alternate universes and alternate realities, continues a discussion of the appeal of both, and concludes with a couple of recs.


I. Definitions
Alternate universes can be roughly defined for the purpose of this meta as a ‘what if’ scenario. What if characters were swashbuckling pirates. What if the characters lived on the moon. What if they worked as gas station attendants. Generally speaking, the characters are taken from their roles in canon and transplanted into new settings.

Alternate realities can be used as a term which refer to a specific subset of the ‘what if’ scenarios in which the universe and characters are largely the same except for one (or more) significant deviations from canon. Examples of this can include: Mal incepted Dom rather than the other way around. Arthur is the forger instead of the point man. Ariadne never joins the team. Ultimately, the canon world of Inception stays mostly the same except for the differences generated by the author's deviation from canon.

II. The Appeal
A large part of the appeal of AUs is getting to read about well-liked characters living under different circumstances and leading different lives. Seeing Robert & Saito get a happy ending in a space opera can be a different experience than reading about two random characters because the reader is invested in Fischer & Saito's well-being from the get go. Fans are generally like seeing what Yusuf and Ariadne and the rest of the gang get up to in moments that aren't covered by the film, so reading about them in different contexts can be enjoyable.

AUs can also be a way to explore different facets of the characters. Stories that make Eames a musician or an artist explore the creativity and imagination necessary to do his canon job as a forger. Stories that make Arthur a lawyer or an accountant can explore his attention to detail and his strong work ethic. Stories that make Cobb an architect can explore what sort of man he might be in happier circumstances.

There is also the appeal, of course, of bringing canonically dead or unavailable characters back to life and exploring what they might have been like outside of dreams. What was Mal like as a person and not simply a vengeful shade? What scenario could have ever made Fischer Senior and Junior reconcile with each other? Who was Fischer Senior when he was alive and healthy--as a business tycoon he was probably a vibrant and charismatic man, able to build energy empires within a lifetime. His wife died when Robert was quite young--what would their lives have been like if she’d lived beyond his boyhood?

With an AU, there’s a chance to drill down and really focus on a particular character, or set of characters and their interactions. It can be a way to explore character nuances in a setting that’s more familiar for an author, easier to flesh out, or just plain fun to write.

AUs can also be a way of avoiding some of the darkness of the Inception universe and its characters if an author wants to. For example, it’s difficult to come up with a way to bring the entire team back together without handwaving certain difficult truths: Yusuf and Cobb both betrayed the team, which made both Arthur and Eames angry--Eames enough to quit the job and sit out. Arthur might have enough personal loyalty to Cobb to continue working with him even after a betrayal like that, but it’s difficult to imagine Eames simply signing up again without any reservations--especially given that the stakes can turn out to be so unexpectedly high. With an AU setting, none of those canon wrinkles have to be sorted out before a plausible scenario of a team-fic can be created.

III. Recs
A story that really demonstrates what can be done with an interesting Alternate Reality is In Medias Res by starlingthefool, who inverts all the roles in the movies. Mal is the extractor tormented by a shade of Cobb, Arthur is the forger, Eames the Point Man, Yusuf the Architect, Ariadne the Chemist, Fischer the client, and Saito the mark. It's a fascinating exploration of the ideas and world fo the movie.

Of Monsters by jibrailis is a story that plays with the mythology of dreams and the world of Inception, emerging with a riveting portrayal of Yusuf as a dream-eater and Mal as the shade who manages to will herself into the waking world. It’s a really fascinating take on both these characters and who they might be.

The last set of recs, compiled originally for insearchtion:

Marriage
That's not how our song goes - Anonymous
A 5 times fic, where there are 5 moments in alternate universes in which Arthur & Eames could have lived (one of which includes a marriage, though not to each other) and one that they actually do.

Proposals - Allothi
Arthur & Eames discuss all the ways they could propose to each other.

Both Feet on the Ground - andrealyn
Eames vanishes for five days and comes back married.

take the fall and throw it all away - la_victorienne
Arthur & Eames pretend to be married for a job

San-San-Kudo - Anonymous
Robert/Saito Shinto-style wedding ceremony

Against All Odds - Anonymous
Saito & Yusuf wake up married

It Starts with an Earthquake - beanarie
A series

Inception Colored - adm_james
Art: Mal and Cobb on their wedding day

Pets
Attached - Allothi
Eames becomes rather attached to Arthur's pet penguin.

Pet Pigs and Desperate Houseplants - paperflower86
Illustration of Arthur, Eames, and their pig Edith

Tea at Dawn - aredblush
Art: Arthur & Eames & a cat named Edie

Sunset Stroll - aredblush
Art: Arthur & Eames walking a dog

Untitled yjudaes
Art: Arthur & his pug

The Stray - johanirae
Art: Eames + dog

tu es la belle et moi la bête - tequilideas
Eames forges a dog and there are some... side effects.

Second set of recs, originally compiled for insearchtion:

Superhero
Never None the Wiser - pyrimidine
Pushing Daisies AU.

Fire-Favoured - andrealyn
Arthur/Eames - mutant/X-Men AU

Fanart for Fire-Favoured red_rahl
Art for the Mutant AU

The Adventures of Paisley Man and Suit Lad - chibifukurou (and there's a great story by jibrailis
Art featuring A & E as superheroes

Jump and Run - paperflower86
Art featuring the whole team in Mario world

Star Wars AU - aredblush
Art: Arthur & Eames & Ariadne as Jedi

Batman!Eames & Catwoman!Arthur - aredblush
Art: Eames as Batman, Arthur as Catwoman

You've got the touch - Anonymous
Another mutant AU

James Bond
It Took a Lot of Super Stuff to Get You Here - beanarie

Fandom Guide to Firearms - chn_breathmint
Meta rec: required reading for all prospective 00's!

Interview with Nolan on Bond influence
Meta rec: Nolan talks briefly on how the Bond franchise influenced Inception

Smoke & Fire - loobeeinthesky
Art: Eames as Bond and Arthur as Pussy Galore

Spy
Where Once Our Bodies Lay - starlingthefool
Cold War Spy fic

Into the Fray - red_rahl
Art: Arthur in a spy suit

1. Now that insearchtion is over and the winners have been announced, I've cleaned up and posted a ficlet that I wrote for the challenge here and will be posting the rest of the metas, recs, and ficlets I wrote for the challenge. These include:
-A meta on Mal
-A meta on Role-playing (the kink)
-A meta on AU's
-An A/E ficlet
-A Browning Love Letter
-Reclists

I hope everyone else posts their stuff in their lj too! I didn't get a chance to read everything during the voting period, and I'd love to see everything everyone made, and for everyone to take credit for their hard work!

2. Here's a post of my reclist for the theme 'Clothes'. It's links to some of the most fantastic fanart I saw around and a couple of picspams/metas. Really beautiful.

Saito as a Yakuza Boss by blue_phlox
A lovely piece of art with Saito in a kimono and tattoos

I... am... sorry? by nami86
Art of Arthur/Ariadne with some... clingy clothes.

Better Days by daikontime
Art of Arthur & Mal & Eames

Masquerade by dumbimps
Arthur & Eames & Dom & Mal all dressed up for a masquerade ball

The many outfits of Eames & Arthur picspam by quadratur
Image heavy picspam showing all of Arthur & Eames' outfits in the film.

Picspam: Costumes in Inception by bennet_7
Meta on all the various costumes in Inception.

Multiple pieces of Steampunk A/E art by innueneko
Beautiful pieces of art inspired by jibrailis' steampunk AU

On Tilt by neomeruru
Art for the story 'On Tilt'

Arthur & Ariadne as Ninjas by aredblush
Art containing what it says on the tin.

Feet in the Air, Head on the Ground by sickletongue
Art of Arthur & Eames kicking tentacle butt.

3. Tom Hardy image of the day:

1. I wrote a brief Arthur/Eames PWP (about 2000 words) that is mildly kinky. Anyone interested in beta-ing? It's a oneshot and I'd just like someone to take a quick look over it sometime tonight.

2. I'm still slowly but surely compiling a bottom!Eames rec list. Anyone with stories they like which fall into that category, please comment to this entry.

3. Tom Hardy image of the day:

1. I've been working on Gangstermoll pretty intensely this past week (about 10,000 words so far). The call for alpha readers has been a resounding success, with anutty1, chinesebeer, & perfectivity all stepping up to help. Their feedback has been excellent and very thought-provoking, and has also served to motivate me to keep pushing forward on this part of Gangstermoll. Many thanks, everyone!

2. inception_kink is open for new prompts! I prompted a few things, but I don't think any of my prompts have ever gotten a fill. Ah well...

3. Does anybody have any links to Bottom!Eames stories? I'm thinking about making up a rec list.

1. Happy Galentine's day to everyone on my flist! Hope it is grand. Thanks to laria_gwyn, ladderax, and dremiel for the lovely v-gifts. They are much appreciated.

2. In that vein, a rec: Concerto for Two Violins in G Minor - An AU set in Renaissance Italy wherein Arthur is a violin prodigy and Eames his brilliant concert master. This is a thoroughly charming story with a sweet romance and a mystery involving a duke's long lost heir.

3. I caved and bought more paid time for this lj, mostly because I couldn't bear to let custom pages and comments go. And welcome back, 45 icon slots! I have filled them with: David Beckham in his underwear, Jamie Bamber in a teeny towel, and new Inception icons. If anyone happens to have made icons of Tom Hardy and or JGL in teeny towels/underwear or less, please point me to them!

4. I'm almost finished editing my beast of an IBB. My betas have been fantastically hard-working and insightful, probably working harder on this story than I have. And I really can't say enough good things about my artist, who somehow manages to tolerate my ever-changing drafts and whims.

I've posted all the random extras I have on hand already, including: a concert setlist, merchandise, the story's soundtrack, a rider, and touring schedule. If everything is ready to go, I'll probably post my story a little after midnight and then go to bed.

I really hope people enjoy my own personal take on the romantic comedy genre; it won't be the lightest, fluffiest, or crackyiest rom-com around, but I hope it's an enjoyable read. I've certainly learned a great deal in writing it.

I had the pleasure of beta-ing for a story written by the marvelously talented starlingthefool which takes all the characters and roles of Inception and flips them upside down. Instead of Dom being the tormented extractor, Mal is the one that survived and is on the run. Eames is her trusty point man, Arthur is the forger, Ariadne the chemist, Yusuf the architect, Saito the mark, and Fischer the one that hires them. Needless to say, it's a fantastic ride from a plotty perspective, and it also includes some Arthur/Eames. Clocking in at 52,000 words, I am thrilled to finally get to recommend the completed In Medias Res. Go read it now!

1. insearchtion teams have been announced. I will be on Team 10 (cooler team name pending) with adelaide_rain, beanarie, yjudaes and minuit_lugubre.

2. Happy holidays to everyone who celebrates them! I have a pretty low-key holiday season this year (thankfully) so I'll just be working on my IBB.

3. I've been reading through the dream_holiday postings, which have been good, clean (or not so clean), fluffy fun. Here are my recs so far:

Fic:
Counting Down to Another Day - the evolution of Arthur & Eames' relationship

Home Safe - Arthur takes Eames to one of his safehouses

Polar Light - Arthur & Eames are trapped together in a Swiss chalet

Breakaway - Eames helps Arthur flee the country

The Boston Job - Arthur & Eames are working a job together but never quite see each other

Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) - AU where Eames is a MMA fighter, Arthur a physical therapist

Jonquil in December - Stories about how Arthur & Eames first met

It Took a Lot of Super Stuff to Get You Here

Art:
Arthur with a dildo - Not much more to say than that, really.

Triptych - Arthur/Eames/Ariadne with crossdressing and strap ons

1. I submitted a rough draft for inception_bang and things seem to be moving full steam ahead on this Popstar AU. Anybody interested in picking up beta duties for this story? It's a rom com and should be light and fun, with a happy ending. Here is what my online BFF had to say about the probable length of the story:

Me: I expect it to be fairly short--no more than 30,000 words, 35,000 at the most.
Her: When you say that, I add like at least 30k more to the total.
Me: lolololol.
Me: ...you know me too well.

2. A fic rec: Of Monsters - a fantastic, dark, fairy tale-esque story about Yusuf in response to this prompt: There are stories, whispered in the dark, of beings that eat the dreams of others. That, like incubi and succubi, suck out all the things that make a person who they are and leave empty, restless shells behind. Yusuf is a dream-eater. He hasn't eaten this well since Opium was popular. (His dream den is his version of a pantry.)

1. anamuan wrote me a snippet of sexy bathtime porn! It is delicious.

Another rec: Wunderkind by mirabella, which takes all the tropes about Arthur looking underage and drops them on their head in a delightful and porny way.

2. I wrote about 2,000 words of Gangstermoll, or roughly two scenes. That means there are only two scenes left for me to write before this part is done! I will be working on it tomorrow and hopefully I can get that all banged out in short order for my betas to review.

3. Checked in at inception_bang and appear to have successfully badgered cheerleaded wldnst into continuing forth with her BB. Victory is mine on all fronts.

1. I'm in the mood to read some new Inception fic. Or old classics, whichever. Rec me your favorite fics! Things I like: bottom!Eames (this is not a requirement, but I do love it), hot sex, good characterization. Things I am not so fond of: jailbait/underage, any sort of school AU. Bueller?

2. Another snippet from Gangstermoll today. Tomorrow will be a second snippet from Until January.


"Yusuf, you've spent the past five minutes using words I don't understand to explain concepts that mean nothing to me," Arthur says. "Do we have a problem or not?"

Yusuf spins around in his office chair once, sucks in a deep breath, and says, "Yes."

"Thank you," Arthur says curtly. "Now who is behind it, and what can we do about it?"

"Given the level of sophistication in what I've seen—" Yusuf glances at the computer screen where lines and lines of accounting data is displayed, "I'd say this isn't the government but probably a private entity. Either a lone hacker or a hacker on someone's payroll. As to what you can do about it—I can take a look through your systems, beef up your security, but it's not going to be an overnight process."

"You know we have enemies," Arthur says. "Who should we be looking into?"

"Could be a lot of people, organizations—plenty of interest in cybercrime these days." Yusuf shrugs. "My best guess? Russian mob. They're big into the online financial hacking and they have the kids on their payroll with the skills. Maybe Triad, but it seems like these days they're mostly keeping a low profile, staying on their own territory. Or it could be some other black horse—I haven't done enough with these kinds of malware to recognize programming fingerprints."

"Probably the Russians. Dom's had some run-ins with them in the past." Arthur rubs his forehead and takes a deep breath. "This is not what we need. Not now."

"Every day's a good day to have your internal networks hacked," Yusuf says brightly. Then, "I don't know why I said that. Ignore me."

"I intend to," Arthur says, glancing at his watch. "So you'll handle this?"

"I will get straight on it." When Arthur turns to go, Yusuf says, "Hey, Arthur?"

Arthur blinks, then looks back. "Yes?"

"About Ariadne." Yusuf fidgets. "I know you think I've probably done something to hurt her or—well, I don't know. But I promise you it's not like that."

"Right," Arthur says slowly. "Then what is it like, then?"

"She's a complicated woman and I am—" Yusuf takes a deep breath. "I have to admit that I didn't know quite what I was getting into when I first met her."

Arthur studies Yusuf. Dom's always liked him, and Eames—well, Eames likes him as much as he's capable of liking anyone. But there's something about him—

"Isn't that the way it always goes with women?" Arthur forces a smile and a casual, sympathetic tone. "Never know what you'll end up with when you first start."

Yusuf smiles, visibly relieves, and nods. "Sometimes I really think they're more trouble than they're worth."

"Can't live with 'em," Arthur says. "Can't live without 'em."

1. I posted the third chapter of my 4-part dreamhooker AU, and this part finally has sex in it! I know, I know--a hooker AU that only has one sex scene. And it's not even kinky! For shame. There is also stunning art by enoughglitter wherein Eames & Arthur are naked, so. You know. I'll be posting the last chapter of the story tomorrow, and then it'll all be done!

2. I also posted a master post of all the fantastic art enoughglitter made here. It is all amazing, and you should all check it out.

3. Am almost done watching all three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender. OMG, I love this show and will be so sad when there is no more to watch!

1. I feel like a proud meta matchmaker for helping to inspire as charming a fic as Life Among Islands by wldnst, an AU based on the movie The Holiday, as suggested by laria_gwyn. It's lovely and sweet, and brings back fond memories of hanging out on a beautiful beach in Hawaii, so if you haven't read it yet, you really should. Inception AU, Ariadne/Yusuf & Arthur/Eames.

2. dream_holiday, which is an Inception holiday fic/art exchange, is now open for signups. I won't be participating myself, but it might be fun if you enjoy exchanges.

3. I've embedded below a Youtube video of a pretty decent seminar/talk on story structure. There's a pretty basic outline that the speaker discusses, and he uses movie/story examples in various genres to illustrate his points (The Matrix, Pride & Prejudice, The Tell-tale Heart, Lord of the Rings). It's a decent watch if you are interested in writing something longer or plottier, and want a jumping off point for understanding the bare bones of structuring a story. It's nothing new or revolutionary, but it is a good basic jump point. His structure outline is as follows:

-Hook (what sets the story in motion and gets the audience interested)
-Plot Turn 1
-Pinch 1 (he defines this as 'pinching' the protagonist, which is basically piling on more conflict to force the characters into action)
-Midpoint
-Pinch 2 (more conflict to again force the characters to action)
-Plot Turn 2 (he defines this as the final key to unlocking the resolution, or basically the last element needed to make the resolution possible)
-Resolution

I have finally finished catching up on my back-reading for ae_match and have compiled a recs list of my favorite stories and art produced.

Fic Recs:

All the boys with their toys - Arthur as the world's most charming mad inventor. Funny and touching and sweet.

Series of one night stands - wonderful sex, but it's the marvelous characterization that makes this series worth reading.

Quito - Deliciously hot sex featuring fingering (yay!)

Tripwire - A story where it takes Arthur and Eames a couple of tries to get the sex right.

Proposals - funny and poignant, with a touch of unspoken longing.

An Escalator to the Moon - a lovely piece where Eames helps Arthur build an escalator to the moon

Legerdemain - a story where Eames has a few tricks up his sleeves.

The Physiological Response to Absurdity - a story based vaguely on Eames being Calvin from 'Calvin & Hobbes' where Arthur & Eames are in an established relationship together.

The Thing Around Your Neck - a story about the toll dying in dreams over and over takes.

Late to Settle - A charming His Dark Materials fusion fic.

If We Turned Our Reactors to the Sun - post-apocalyptic love.

Eames on Food - an ultra-fluffy AU rom-com where Eames is a Food Network star and Arthur is a fan, with truly adorable art.

Art Recs: I don't have much to say about these other than that you should go check them out. They're all beautiful in their respective styles.

dumbimps:
let your love grow tall
Dinner

Untitled by essouffle

loobeeinthesky:
Exit Wounds
Lost at Sea

The Waltz by theholysea

Let me in by enoughglitter

Red Rahl's Chibi Mer Arthur & Avian Eames

1. LJ seems to be hobbling its way back to functionality for me. Thank goodness!

2. From Comic Con, it's official: Eames' Totem (and pictures of Fischer's pinwheel and Arthur's totem and etc in the photostream). Relatedly, an Arthur/Eames rec: Breaking & Entering. I really enjoyed the characterizations in this one.

3. Some of these photos made me tear up: 60 Awesome Portraits of Gay Couples Just Married in New York

4. An essay on where to begin your story: Beginnings: Action and Change

Excerpt: Start with a change. I almost always know where to start the story. All I have to do is figure out which event knocks the entire story into motion. Before I heard this piece of advice, I often heard "start with action." Which seems reasonable. It's better than starting with boring, right? But I think there's a difference between action and change. Action can be change, and change can be action -- but they aren't necessarily the same thing. If you want to start with action, it's important to make sure your action is also a change.

There are a couple of film critics who I absolutely adore for their viewpoints and critiques because they discuss not only what doesn't work for them as a viewer, but also why it doesn't work. Two of the critics I listen to regularly discuss how most movies would benefit with cutting out the first 10 or so minutes and just dropping the viewer into the midst of the action. The above meta actually distills a key element of that advice that often gets lost in novel or story writing (less often with films, simply because films usually have a necessarily rigid structure due to time constraints), which is that any old action isn't enough: it has to be the action, the event, the change that kicks the rest of the story into motion. It has to be the push that drives the protagonist--who had, prior to the story, been existing in a relatively dull state of inertia--into forward motion and a fascinating plot.

A lot of beginning writers stumble on this point because they want the reader to have all this information at once (the dreaded info-dump) so they can skip the boring explaining and exposition and get to the good stuff. But what they don't realize (and I counted myself among them, once upon a time) is that the reveal of the world, the characters, their backgrounds, and how they got to be where they are, going where they're going--that's all part of the unwinding of the story too. That's part of the Good Stuff.

Another meta related to beginning a story: Creating Memorable Characters

Excerpt: I stepped back and I looked at my story, looked at the new direction of the plot. And I asked myself– What kind of character would be most interesting in this story? I was throwing a modern girl into 1815. What kind of modern girl would struggle the most in that situation?

This moment, to me, is the most important in creating a memorable character– it’s the moment before you truly start writing. You have your idea—your hook. Maybe you have most of the plot worked out in your head. What you need is the right character to throw in there. A character who will struggle with the conflicts you throw at her.

In other words—your character and your conflict work together to form the perfect, memorable book. By choosing the right character type, you’ll maximize your ability to exploit all the other parts of the book—conflict, tension, plot, heck, even setting.

The actual essay itself isn't that helpful beyond what I've excerpted above, though it does provide a longer illustration of the key point. The advice is sound if you're deciding on who your POV character should be, or what sort of OC you should create. Pick the one that's going to have the hardest time within the parameters of the story and the world you create.

1. It's been an eventful past few weeks in this normally quiet life of mine with an unprecedented amount of work and houseguests. Generally the busy has been good, but it has taken away from my time to write and read online.

2. I've been watching as many Broadway shows as I can in the past few months as well, and got a chance to watch the Tony's. All I can say is: marry me, Neil Patrick Harris.


3. From pyrimidine, a surprisingly fun video which inspired an excellent Arthur/Eames story titled: Signed, Sealed, Delivered.


4. Kink Bingo is underway, and I liked a few of the essays discussing various kinks:
Ramp-up Essay: Discipline, and the Line Between Guilt and Shame
Ramp-up Essay: Writing Dirty Talk
Ramp-Up Essay: A Day in the Life of a Dungeon

5. Related to kink, a really interesting post about the RL community of disability fetishists. I haven't watched X-Men First Class nor read any of the fic yet, but in light of the difficulties surrounding Xavier, this might be a worthwhile read. Disabled Sexuality and Disempowerment Through Fetishization