Recent Entries

Current Mood: creative

Entry tags:

Fanfic100 | Torchwood | Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones

thescarletwoman: Check your email. See new project!

rose_whispers: ...you're going to get me into this fandom no matter what, aren't you? And using fic writing and my subsequent betaing for you to start the muse, eh?

thescarletwoman: *paaaaaaaaaaause* Would I ever do a thing like that? *halo*
*insert laughter here*

So, yes. Switching gears and now presenting Torchwood!fic. And I swear, this time? I'm going to do the whole thing. Why, no, that's not an insanely loud Jack Harkness muse sitting on my shoulder, why do you ask?

*edits table to fit in LJ layout*

fanfic100's Big Damn Table
FANDOM: Torchwood
PAIRING: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones

001.	Beginnings.	002.	Middles.	003.	Ends.	004.	Insides.
005.	Outsides.	006.	Hours.	007.	Days.	008.	Weeks.
009.	Months.	010.	Years.	011.	Red.	012.	Orange.
013.	Yellow.	014.	Green.	015.	Blue.	016.	Purple.
017.	Brown.	018.	Black.	019.	White.	020.	Colourless.
021.	Friends.	022.	Enemies.	023.	Lovers.	024.	Family.
025.	Strangers.	026.	Teammates.	027.	Parents.	028.	Children.
029.	Birth.	030.	Death.	031.	Sunrise.	032.	Sunset.
033.	Too Much.	034.	Not Enough.	035.	Sixth Sense.	036.	Smell.
037.	Sound.	038.	Touch.	039.	Taste.	040.	Sight.
041.	Shapes.	042.	Triangle.	043.	Square.	044.	Circle.
045.	Moon.	046.	Star.	047.	Heart.	048.	Diamond.
049.	Club.	050.	Spade.	051.	Water.	052.	Fire.
053.	Earth.	054.	Air.	055.	Spirit.	056.	Breakfast.
057.	Lunch.	058.	Dinner.	059.	Food.	060.	Drink.
061.	Winter.	062.	Spring.	063.	Summer.	064.	Fall.
065.	Passing.	066.	Rain.	067.	Snow.	068.	Lightening.
069.	Thunder.	070.	Storm.	071.	Broken.	072.	Fixed.
073.	Light.	074.	Dark.	075.	Shade.	076.	Who?
077.	What?	078.	Where?	079.	When?	080.	Why?
081.	How?	082.	If.	083.	And.	084.	He.
085.	She.	086.	Choices.	087.	Life.	088.	School.
089.	Work.	090.	Home.	091.	Birthday.	092.	Christmas.
093.	Thanksgiving.	094.	Independence.	095.	New Year.	096.	Writer‘s Choice.
097.	Writer‘s Choice.	098.	Writer‘s Choice.	099.	Writer‘s Choice.	100.	Writer‘s Choice.

Current Mood: productive

Entry tags:

. Torchwood Fic Master-List .

I figured it was high time I actually did one of these. I'm not going back and doing the HP ones. Sorry. Find them in the tags if you want to.

I am moving away from HP and I'm very happy in my Whoniverse and plan on staying here for a goodly long while.

Of Calculations and Birthdays | Jack/Ianto; Owen/Snark; Ianto/Coffee | PG-13
So, how does one go about figuring out the birth date of the immortal man?
Of Future Pasts and Past Futures | Jack/Ianto | PG-13
Jack is used to his past coming back to haunt him. But when hemakes an appearance, Jack never expected it to affect him so much. -- ending to Trace Memory
Kiss Today Goodbye [wip] | Jack/Ianto | PG-13 to NC-17
Some things aren't always what they seem and a little faith goes a long way. -- CoE fix-it fic
Part One | Part Two
Holding to the Ground [complete] | Jack/Ianto | Hard R/Bordering on NC-17
Jack has never dealt with grief well and this is no exception. Running away from all of his responsibilities, he leaves Gwen alone to try to rebuild the crumbling Torchwood. Jack travells the world until something pulls him back to Cardiff -- to discover something he never thought possible. The only problem is he needs the Doctor's help, and who knows when he'll return again?
Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Current Mood: nostalgic

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Wow, I haven't actually logged into this thing in... I don't know how long. I don't know how many of you are still around these parts but... *wave?*

Basically, seeing so many people talking about Harry Potter's 20th Anniversary had me thinking about my beginnings and fandom. The friends I made, how I grew as a writer. I know there are a lot of you that I still speak to outside of the LJ community and I think it's a real testament to how pervasive fandom is and how it truly does connect all of us. That so many of us grew beyond the pseudonyms and let each other into our lives.

Harry Potter did that for us. It was a common ground. It let those of us who were weirdos in our own little world find other weirdos and realize... we weren't that weird after all. That we had people. That we weren't alone in the world. For some of us who were unpopular in school, it was such a refuge.

As Harry Potter turned to Torchwood/Doctor Who (for me any way), it brought me to meet a whole new host of people. To meet creators that eight-year-old me could never have expected I would be friends with writers and actors and costume designers. To actually KNOW people who put shows on TV and write movies and comics. To count some of them among my closest friends. It's quite a feeling really.

I've spent most of my day re-watching Torchwood while working my day job. Missing my first ever cosplay and the people I met because of it. Missing RP because god knows I don't actually have time to write when the aforementioned day job runs me ragged.

So today turned into revisiting fandoms and nostalgia and all sorts of other good things. So if any of you felt that same wave of nostalgia and decided to come back to LJ today... please say hi. I know I've missed you all. ♥

Entry tags:

[FIC] What the Great Captain America Keeps in His Belt :: Steve/Tony (NC-17)

Title: What the Great Captain America Keeps in His Belt -- or Why Nick Fury Will Strangle One Tony Stark
Author:

thescarletwoman
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 2800
Summary: Once Tony discovers what Steve keeps in the pockets of his suit, he's determined to put one other thing in there. For emergencies only, of course.
Notes: written for the lovely

halfspell
Outside Link: read on AO3

( What the Great Captain America Keeps in His Belt -- or Why Nick Fury Will Strangle One Tony Stark )

Current Mood: chipper

Entry tags:

[FIC] Warmth (Avengers)

So, yeah. I haven't been around these parts in... well... I'm not really looking at my calendar for when the last time I posted. Life has been crazy but good.

I also may have found a new fandom. Though I'm primarily writing my own things right now, this one took hold and wouldn't let go. Thus... have a cute little drabble from me!

Title: Warmth
Author:

thescarletwoman
Pairing: Tony/Steve
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 550
Originally Posted: http://tehstarkman.tumblr.com/post/28958539816/warmth-drabble (AKA, feel free to reblog or like it there!)

The first time Tony sleeps with Steve, it’s completely by accident. There’s no sex and there’s no groping in the middle of the night. Instead they fall asleep on the sofa during a movie marathon, wrapped around each other as the DVD menu plays all night long. Tony only realises they fell asleep when he wakes the next morning with a crick in his neck and the arm of the sofa poking into his foot.

It isn’t until later that he realises he slept through the entire night without waking.

He thinks it’s a fluke. Besides, every now and again, he has nights where he sleeps… though usually it’s after a night of binge drinking or sheer exhaustion after a string of sleepless nights. He dismisses the rare night as a pleasant surprise and doesn’t think of it again. At least, he doesn’t until he and Steve fall asleep on the couch together a week later. Again, he sleeps through the night. Perhaps maybe there is something to Steve and Tony’s new-found ability to sleep comfortably through the night. He doesn’t tell Steve, though, of this miraculous discovery. Not when this relationship (or whatever it is they have) is just starting. He doesn’t want to fuck this up — doesn’t want to make it weird between them before they even have a chance to begin. He also doesn’t want Steve to sleep with him because of some sense of duty.

He wants Steve to sleep with him because Steve wants to. Because he wants to wrap his arms around Tony or use his reactor as a reading lamp. Or just because Steve wants to talk all night long, interspersing words with kisses and caresses.

By the time winter hits, they have moved into one room together. Their first time (and many other times) have happened and any sleepless nights are because Steve’s stamina is endless and Tony wants desperately to keep up with him. Even after all these months, however, Tony still hasn’t realized the secret to his restful nights. He wishes he knew so he could pass the secret on to Steve when he wakes in the middle of the night, covered in sweat and staring wide-eyed up at the ceiling. Tony hasn’t learned how to rid Steve of his nightmares the way Steve has slowly erased Afghanistan from his subconscious. When Steve thrashes, Tony holds him close and reminds him that it’s 2012 and not 1942. When he shivers, Tony warms him as best as he’s able to with his shit circulation (thanks to the arc reactor) and, with his body, reminds Steve that he isn’t encased in ice.

It’s sometime in January when Steve is called away for a few nights to run a SHIELD mission. With Steve gone, Tony doesn’t sleep. He winds up down in the garage, tinkering until the wee hours of the morning when he finally passes out, covered with a blanket by a thoughtful Dummy.

Only when Steve returns a week later and Tony is wrapped around him so tightly there isn’t a bit of space between them does Tony realize why Steve is the key to his restful nights.

With Steve around — Tony has finally found warmth.

An Update of Sorts...

Well, it's about time I updated over here. There's been a LOT going on in my life lately and finally now the dust seems to be settling and it's about time I filled you guys in. As such, I'm going to be cross-posting this a bit so if you see it a couple of times, I apologise for that.

So here's the update broken down. It's not too long, but if you feel like skipping most of the post, all I ask is that you read the section on 'my future'. ♥

LAW SCHOOL
Before you ask, yes, I'm still in school. There's a part of me that wants to turn tail and run, but in the end I decided to stick with it since I'm 2/3s of the way through. It hasn't been the easiest past few years in school, but if it was easy everyone would do it. I have decided, however, that I'm not taking the bar immediately after I graduate. The stress will kill me, not to mention I'd go so far into personal debt (on top of all my school debt) in order to take it. And no, I'm not exaggerating either. Between the prep course, the bar, and paying to stay around here for two months I'm looking at between 7,000-10,000 bucks. And once I made the choice not to take the bar, I was so much happier and so much less stressed.

WORK
I have, however, applied for a job. It's in the legal department at Random House working as a Legal Assistant (aka, paralegal). Honestly? I don't mind not being an attorney. The job is legal research and researching copyright claims. It'd be a DREAM job. It's posted up for another month or so, so keep your fingers crossed?

MY FUTURE
Here's... my big thing. After so many years of fanfic writing and RP, I've finally started to really step away from it. Eventually I'll finish fics? But right now my attention has turned completely to my own fiction. I'm sure there's a group of you who are thinking it's about time.

Well, needless to say, I realised that no matter what, I need to separate my professional life from my writing career. Not to mention, those of you who know my REAL name, know it's a, not easy to remember and b, not easy to spell correctly. Consequently, I have set up a pen name already. It's all about the author branding any more. This is going to be the only time I talk about it in my journal (though I may pimp things here from time to time), so if you would like to follow things as I get going, I have links for you.

* website: http://www.anyaharker.com
* blog: http://www.anyaharker.com/wordpress
* twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AnyaHarker
* Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anya-Harker/141173792626736

So yes, that is my big announcement. I'm currently about half-way through my SECRET PROJECT NOVEL (sitting around 33k) and have a bunch of ideas that I'm writing down for another day. I am very excited about this too so if you'd like to follow the journey, I'd love it. If not? There's no pressure whatsoever. ♥

Entry tags:

The End of an Era...

So tonight, I head with my folks to the Midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt 2.

There's a part of me that cannot get over that in a little over six hours, I'll be sitting in the theatre as the lights dim and the film begins. I've dedicated so much of my life to this fandom and the books... and soon the last one will be airing.

It's hard to believe.

So, for now, the folks and I will finish watching HP7.1 in our re-watch of the films. I'm sad I didn't get to do my re-read before tonight, but without having ebooks it was hard to do so. Alas.

To those of you going to showings tonight, enjoy them. It's been an amazing ride and we always will have our fandom even as the films usher in the final chapter.

But for now, I leave you with this:

7 books, 3407 pages, 1 million words. 8 movies, 1179 minutes. 14YearsHarryPotter

Entry tags:

real life

Er... Ooops?

Wow. So appears I haven't posted in this thing for... a while. Sorry, guess this is what happens when RL takes over, eh?

In bullet points:
* I'm back from the UK and missing it like crazy. I had the absolute time of my LIFE, mind, but I miss it and all my friends back there. Not that I'm upset being home, mind. I just wish England wasn't separated by a big-ass ocean
* Am working this summer! I'm working at a law firm here in Erie. HUZZAH. And it's also a PAID internship which is really rare to get. So that's been sucking my soul for the past month.

All in all, I'm doing good. Have a birthday coming up on monday (turning 27. ugh). But otherwise, doing good.

Before you ask, I have not watched Torchwood yet. I will eventually, but I'm not rushing out to watch it. I have a LOT of personal reasons on that front. So... maybe one day you guys will get my episode reviews.

How has life been for you guys? I feel horrible that I haven't been able to keep up lately. ;_;

Entry tags:

Whoverse LAS

Do You Like To Write?

Like to write? Love Classic Who, New Who, Sarah Jane Adventures and/or Torchwood? Great! There is a new challenge, called

whoverse_las, where you write a fanfic of at least 100 words every two weeks based on a different prompt and where all pairings, including slash, is allowed! Then they get voted on and the person with the least votes is out that week and the person with the most is safe the next week till you have one author standing who wins! What do you win? A snazzy graphic and a $10 GC to Amazon or Barnes & Noble. You don't even need to be a GREAT writer!

..who will come out on top?

This. This is how I am forcing myself to get back into writing. ♥ With my being rusty right now, I don't want to jump back into my WIP or a sequel to one fic I have planned. So... we will start with this and prompts and forcing myself to write. Thus, I'll let you know when stuff is posted! ♥

Entry tags:

Three Months Down

It's hard to believe I've already been here in London for three months. Damn. Where has the time gone?

Needless to say my semester is done for and, outside of a 3 week internship, I'm done with classes until the fall. It's a fantastic feeling... and means that, for the next while, I only have work to concentrate on. I really want to get back to things fandom-wise after all this time. I know I keep saying that (*shifty*) but there's always been something hanging over my head and made it impossible to actually have any creative juices.

But I feel re-charged at long last. Completely and totally recharged.

I can't say that the whole of this semester has been easy, though. I loved (most) of my classes, but my course-mates were a bit shit. Unfortunately. And we won't go into the place I was staying for the first three months. Let's just say the people were utterly and completely bat-shit. Started out great and about two weeks ago I was told I had to move out because they were going on holiday and had to be out ASAP.

This was told to me on the eve before my Corporations exam and three days after my purse was stolen while I was out with friends. And yes, I lost everything: keys, wallet, camera, passport... yeah. It sucked. So between finals, having to replace everything in my life (and dealing with not having any sort of ID in a foreign country), and having to find a new place to live that didn't cost me an arm and a leg... I had a stressful few weeks.

Now, however, I'm living in Notting Hill and absolutely LOVING it beyond belief. I live a block away from Portabello road and am determined to walk the market once a week. My internship is with a barrister and I've spent the past week in Croydon Crown Court sitting on the benches with the barristers and talking cases with them. And they LISTEN to me when I talk. Life is, at last, good.

And for the first time in about two years? I feel the desire to write. Things for ME. So I have some fics about to be uploaded to my iPad so I can work on them while I travel down to court.

♥

Current Mood: disappointed
Current Music: Doctor Who 3x12

Entry tags:

fandom,
torchwood

Thoughts on Torchwood

Right. So more tie-in books were just announced today and I find myself getting more and more pissed off about things as it comes down the pike. I'm also tired of having to explain to people that the fact that Ianto's dead and not coming back is not the reason why I'm not looking forward to Torchwood: Miracle Day.

Unpopular opinions ahead.

I have a LOT of reasons.

One of which is my own, and something I don't want to/am not really allowed to talk about. Sorry to be the douche who says that, but still. X)

One of the other reasons has to do with the shift in production staff. I'm sorry, but I like Ray's designs and of what I've seen of fan production shots? I'm really pissed off about the coat. Like, a lot. But that's the costumer/cosplayer in me.

Another of the reasons is that the American cast is beginning to outweigh the British cast. I don't like it being set in the US. The heart and soul of Torchwood is in the UK and is in Cardiff. That's where it will always exist for me.

But the main reason why I'm upset about this is the change in tone of the series. Series one and two were all about the camp. It was fun SciFi that didn't take itself too seriously. It was just fun. You watched it, there were some real nail-biter episodes, but at the end of the day, the team stood together as they beat the bad guys/aliens/bad things/whatever. They may have been bruised and beaten, but they were together.

Maybe that's just me, but I don't want realism in my SciFi. SciFi is meant to be my escape. I'm a law student who is specialising in criminal law/international law. I spend my days reading about rape, torture, war crimes, murder, etc. At the end of the day, I want to come home, put my feet up and escape somewhere else. I don't want to turn on Torchwood and see the same world I just left behind in my law books. I want the fantasy. I want the team that survives against the odds and are together at the end of the day even if they shouldn't.

I don't want to watch a show where I'm afraid to start liking any of the characters for fear they're going to die off as soon as I like them. This doesn't apply to Ianto. It applies to Tosh and Owen as well. It applies to Rhys (who I'm certain has a big-ole Bullseye painted on his forehead right now). I want to be able to root for the good guys and know they'll be there at the end of the day and I can celebrate their victory.

That's why I'm not looking forward to Miracle Day. I will watch it for John and for Jack -- because I need to know. But if I can't stand it after an episode, I will turn it off with the knowledge that the Torchwood I know and love died a valliant death after the second series. I'll have the audio books and the tie-in novels and the radio plays to keep me company. And know that whatever comes after this point is no longer Torchwood, but this show that masquerades as it by being this high drama with a bit of SciFi thrown in as an afterthought.

I'm not turning off comments on this so I'm hoping there will be civility in the comments. Feel free to agree or disagree with me but be civil about it.

Entry tags:

So... uh...

*dusts off LJ*

Er... hai? X)

Here's a wave from the other side of the pond. The first month of being here was absolutely hectic and jet-lagged filled and I'm just now starting to feel like I can put my head above the water. Really, it's taken this long.

I'm both loving it and absolutely miserable here. Loving being in the city as it's one of the few places in the world where I really feel like I'm HOME. I have a couple amazing opportunities coming up (just waiting on a few emails) and the SFX weekender is this weekend. YAY!

Also cool? I was at Tony Lee's wedding last week. He said I'm allowed to brag that I was there -- so here it is. Bragging. *g*

But as for miserable -- this wasn't the programme they told us about. THe Pace London Law programme is billed as "Study abroad at UCL for a semester". When, in actuality, it's "Pace rents out these five rooms from UCL for use during the semester and you get to study in the UK when really you're with all Pace students and, sorry, all your faculty is from Queen Mary not UCL but pay us insane amounts of money anyway!"

Yeah, it's not cool. I'm stuck with 15 other Pace students (and included in there are a few non-Pace students) all of whom seem to know each other and, consequently, leave me out in the cold. Thankfully I have my friends here of the Whoniverse variety.

I'm actually... writing again. Maybe I'll finish that one Fix-It fic that I haven't touched in... *cough* almost two years. *hides*

So yeah. I'll try to get pictures up, and whatnot soon. It's just been a rather depressing first month here. Don't get me wrong, I'm THRILLED to be back in London. Really, I am. It's just the people I'm with that really, really suck.

WELL. How is everyone else!? I MISS AND LOVE YOU! ♥♥♥

ETA: also. There are some of you on here who know me by my real name. If that's the case and you use twitter? Let me know what it is because I'm on that more often than naught. I'm sorry that I'm limiting it to those who know me IRL (or that know my real name) as it's a lot more personal information on there. And, given the whole law school thing, for the next couple of years I really need to keep fandom and RL separate. ♥

Current Mood: stressed
Current Music: Saved

Entry tags:

Finals

Well... that time is rolling around again. Finals. Joy and kill me now.

But the only good thing is that London is around the corner. Less than 30 days to go, homg. It seemed like it would never come here, but now suddenly, it's here. Hot damn.

Yes, the HP review is coming. And I'm actually glad I waited to write the review until after the third time I've seen it because HOMG there are so many things I missed the first couple of times. So yes, that is coming when I need a study break.

Finals begin on the 13th. Couple more days of classes and then study time. Please, as many good vibes as you can spare to come my way. I could really use it.

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Okay. So I just got home from seeing deathly hallows. I know a lot of you love my reviews I do, so that will get posted tomorrow.

Needless to.say? Nonspoilery version is that it was amazingly well done. I did, however, realize how much I forgot in the book. Gees I'm rereading DH on the plane ride home. Hey. Last time I read it was when it came out and I devoured it in 6 hours...

So yes, review tomorrow when I've had time to process everything.

Obligatory spoiler: SNAPE KILLED DUMBLEDORE!!!!!

*passes out*

Entry tags:

>.>

Law school. That's all I have to say.

I love you guys, I really do. And I miss you all more than I can possibly say. I just hate school right now.

To quote The West Wing?: "Is the water at your head CJ?"

The water... is just about over my head. But I survive. I just miss you all, so damned much. ♥

Current Mood: blah
Current Music: Ratatouille

Entry tags:

(no subject)

♥

Thanks for all the comments on the last post. I massively appreciate them. *snugs you guys* I'm thinking I will finish it. Just... to finish it. I just have to get my head screwed on straight.

In other news -- I'm doing a bit of a flist cut. I've realised that my list has become SO unweildy lately and with doing so much law reading? Yeaaaaah. Not so much with the time to read a flist and seeing how big it is? I tend to wince and run away. Most of the pruning is journals who haven't updated in over a year -- or if some of you had journals, moved to somewhere else, and still kept old ones here.

If I accidentally removed you (because they're ticky boxes... and it could be misticked because they're small), feel free to poke me. ♥ Or, if YOU have a new journal that I should be following? Also poke me about that.

Or if you want to just plain poke me? Go ahead. ♥

Current Mood: embarrassed

The monthly check in

I swear to god... when I get back to school I *will* check in on this thing more than once a month. Some things have to change this year... and I'm starting here.

And all of you get to give me a good swift kick in the ass if I DON"T do it.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

I also need a good swift kick in the ass to actually WRITE again. I have about four unfinished fics on my computer... just staring at me. But one I haven't touched in a year. It's that Bring-Back-Ianto fic I started. And, well, the SIJ folks soured a lot of the joy in that fic for me. X) But I don't know... part of me feels bad for not finishing it (as I did like where it was going). But the other part? Says it's been a year and anyone who would have wanted to read it has lost interest.

What to do... what to do...

Current Mood: content

Entry tags:

peeeeeeeek

*wave*

*sheepish*

RL. It's a killer. It really, really is. Between having some internetses problems and RL in general, well, you know the drill. Life does, however, finally seem like it's giving me a bit of a break. ♥

The Good
Finished my first year of law school. Barely survived, but I DID manage to finish it. Had a wonderful birthday today and ♥ to the well-wishes. *snugs* Am also going to England in a few months. Yes, I got accepted to the study abroad programme in the spring. OMGSOEXCITED!!

In other news? I've pretty much decided what I want to do with my law career. I want to work in the government in some capacity. I'm doing a federal clerkship right now and I've never been happier. It's a lot of work, but the work I'm doing is fascinating and I love it beyond words. I'm seriously considering going into the JAG Corps (USAF). So we'll see. the thought of OCS scares the shit out of me.

The Bad
Issues with school. I had... well, I had a good semester. But it, apparently, wasn't good enough for school. No, I'm not getting kicked out or anything -- but they are taking my scholarship. Which, well, sucks. No probation, no nothing. ;_; we're talking to school sometime this week to find out WTF is going on.

The Ugly
Suppose the stuff about school can go under the ugly category. But, instead, I'm putting the Rainbow People there. Seriously. Look them up and see what I've been dealing with for the past several weeks. X_x

***

I hope you all have been doing well. I'm sorry I haven't been the greatest LJ friend in the world lately. Really, I rather suck. *sigh* But know I love you all to itty bitty pieces -- even if I'm fairly silent over here right now.

And I swear I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing. I know I have some unfinished fics, one of which has been sitting a year. *cries* But really, it's coming.

Current Mood: blah
Current Music: Doctor Who | Vampires in Venice

Entry tags:

Crossplay and Cosplay in the Whoverse

So this is a post that's slightly late in coming, simply because I've had other things on my mind. Like, y'know, finals. But it's still something I want to talk about that's fairly timeless.

Cosplay and Crossplay.

About a week ago,

avengangle poked me about a post she had seen on one of the blogs she frequents. If you're curious, this is the link. As a warning, it's a couple weeks old and, well, they can be a little scary over there as well. So I don't really recommend commenting on anything. Just my bit of a fore-warning.

The gist of the post was talking about cosplaying and should people of different races/genders play certain characters. The main ones talked about? If a white girl should be able to cosplay roles like Martha, Toshiko or Inara. Well, needless to say I had a few things to say about it. The following is what I posted in response:

I'm actually the female Jack that avenging_angle referred to up a few comments back. I just wanted to pop in with a few things at least from my friends who all cosplay in the whofandom.

I can't speak on the issue of race as I, personally, haven't seen many Martha/Mickey cosplayers. I do know a Tosh cosplayer and she is of Asian descent.

I've cosplayed (and a term that's been coined in fandom is crossplay when dressing up as someone as the opposite gender) at several cons. I wish I had gone to the panel at last year's Gallifrey (con in LA) that actual dealt with the notion of crossplay as it's become more prevalent in the fandom.

I have a group of friends (all female) who cosplay. There are three Jacks, four Iantos, several Doctors and an Owen. For us? It's more about playing the character you're dressing up with, not choosing to identify with one gender or another. Some of us go very far in portraying authenticity in our costumes (to binding or wearing wigs), others just wear the clothes. I know, for me, when I put the costume on, I'm 'Jack'. It's a bit like an exercise in theatre improv. With us, and a lot of others, it's about the attributes other than race or gender--do you identify with the character? Go for it. But my group is all cis-women playing white men. It's not choosing based on race/gender (or being limited to choosing a character who matches your race/gender), but on who you identify with as a character and want to play. But like I said, we find it to be character driven as opposed to gender driven.

I also know of several people who have done femme versions of male characters. Mostly I've seen femme versions of the Third, Fifth, Tenth and Eleventh incarnations. But they take the base design of the costume and make it more stereotypically feminine. Use of corsets is generally found, I will say.

Also, you might like to know that the costume designers do love seeing people dressing up, no matter the gender. I've had a chance to meet both Ray Holman (who designed for Torchwood and the current season of Doctor Who) and Louise Paige (who designed for the Tenant years). Louise I met at Gallifrey as one of the guests and I know she loved seeing people dressed up in her designs. I personally got a glare because I wasn't wearing one of her designs but that's utterly beside the point. I met Ray a few weeks at the BBCamerica permiere of Eleventh Hour. He sought me out because I was dressed as Jack and wanted to get my picture. He later told me that he had wanted to get pictures of the group of us who had dressed (we had Ten, Amy, Femme!Eleven, Rose and me) but didn't have the chance to. The costume designers are all about seeing people in their designs.

So just a few thoughts from one who does cosplay someone of a different gender. :^)

I'm sad I never got any comments, but it did, however, feel good to get that off my chest.

Current Mood: stressed
Current Music: Deadliest Catch

Entry tags:

[Write-Up] Q&A and BBCa Premiere of 'Eleventh Hour'

Spent most of the night outlining, but I wanted to take a little break (and, y'know, go sleep) to talk about my utterly unbelievable experience couple weeks back. I actually had written this up a little bit ago, but this is my first time to post it here. That... and I finally could link to pictures the fabulous

mirnell took that day! ♥ [and a couple in here from LJinto]

For the first time, one of the 'cool things' happened in NYC and I was able to go to it.

I am, of course, talking about Doctor Who Premiere Screening hosted by BBCAmerica in the East Village on Wednesday, 14 April 2010.

I went, of course, dressed as teh Captain. ;^) [for those of you who care about the cosplay stuff... I did a combination of things. Basically wore the 'Out of the Rain' Costume (blue shirt, pinstripe waistcoat) but I also took the Hat (tm) with me]. Thanks to the wonderful

mirnell, I was able to go to both my classes on Wednesday and then join everyone in line as soon as I got into the city around 4ish. When I got there? I got mobbed for photographs. X)

( Cosplay Pictures Ahoy! )

We had, at the front of the line where the cosplayers are concerned: Me as Jack, Blue-Suit!Ten, Journey's End!Rose, Police!Amy Pond, Femme!Eleven, and Lady Gaga dressed as the TARDIS. Yes, it's as awesome as it sounds. We did a ton of photographs and poses for people and it was generally awesome.

Then the BBCAmerica folks came down the line and they interviewed us cosplayers several times. Don't know how/when/where this footage will be used? But I'll let you know when it is. AND THEN came Doctor Who Confidential. I didn't get interviewed for that, but they got the group of us cosplayers shouting "Doctor Who in America!" There was so much Brit Press around that I lost track of where I was interviewed and who was taking pictures and whatnot.

At some point, a brown suit doctor arrived and there are a LOT of pictures around of the two of us locking lips. Hey, I'll do a fan service photograph!

( FanService Ahoy! )

Matt Smith and Co arrived... and pandemonium ensued. It was brilliant. Thanks to

mirnell getting there when she did, we were pretty close to the front of the line. Surprisingly, that wasn't the highlight of the night.

Massive Story Number One:
We were waiting to go in and I heard someone shout out "Captain Jack!" I turn and an gentleman came up to me, asking if I could take my picture. I said sure and struck a pose. Then... he approaches with his hand outstretched.

"Hi. I'm Ray. I'm the costume designer for Torchwood."

That would be the point when I damn near fell over. I had only a few minutes to talk to him because he had to get inside... but there was one very BRIEF and very IMPORTANT moment:

Me: this is absolutely amazing to meet you. I'm a costumer myself.
Ray: *pause* OH! You're the one Louise [the costume designer for Tennant's years who I met at Gallifrey] sent me a picture of.

I'm so glad he had to go inside at that point because I pretty much fell over and died of shock. I was able to meet up with him afterwards (congratulated him on his BAFTA nom for Children of Earth), and had several minutes to talk with him. We talked about my greatcoat and the hat, and just other costumey things in general. But he came and found me twice -- once before and once after to talk. I'm STILL on cloud nine.

Not only that, but he said he wanted this picture so that he could email it to Louise. XD

( Me & Ray! )

Massive Story Number Two:
So... the thing about the Hat. I have a modified US Air Force hat that I've modified to look like an RAF peaked cap for when I wear Jack's Empty Child/Doctor Dances uniform. I took it to Gallifrey with me and over the course of that conventian, Tony Lee attempted to steal it MULTIPLE times. And I do mean multiple. [he even has minions. I'm onto you, Barnaby!!] But since then, this hat has become my trademark. I've taken it to several events now.

Since Gallifrey, the hat has been worn by: Tony Lee, Russell Tovey (Alonso), Matt Ripey (Capt Jack Harkness).

As of now? It has also been worn by Matt Smith.

During the Q&A following the screening, Matt was asked about wearing a hat for the show and to start a petition to get him to wear a hat. At this point,

mirnell is elbowing me to hand him my hat. Since we were sitting in the front row, I jumped up and lunged forward. Matt saw the hat, grinned, and grabbed it from me, shoving it down on his head. So -- if there is video of Matt Smith in an RAF hat? It's mine. :^D He wore it for a few moments, then handed it back, and there's a second clip of me getting the hat back on the BBCAmerica website. :^D

( Matt in the Hat. All the funnier if you've seen 'Victory of the Daleks' )

***

Honestly? It's two weeks later and seeing these pictures are STILL surreal. And I'm still on cloud nine right now too. Still.

I have to say? It was SO worth it to skip out on doing work that night. This was a once in a life time experience and it will be pretty damn hard to top this. To be recognised by the costume designer and talk shop for ten minutes? And to get Matt Smith to wear my hat?

Priceless.