TB Live Journal

I usually do this in December, but I missed it in 2008 and I kept meaning to do it. So why not.

Year In Review
With the year now being January 2008 to December 2008.

Fics alpha by title.

Gundam Wing
Age Inappropriate: 13,141 words
Asylum: 22,849 words (WIP)
Brand New Day: 6,564 words (WIP)
Chiasma: 35,825 words (WIP)
Code of Conduct: 42,866 words (WIP)
History Play: 1,835 words
Properties of ZERO: 13,023 (WIP)
Six Seconds To Gone: 14,260 words (WIP)
Stay, Stupid: 12,794 words
The Year Without Trowa: 31,871
2.7 Kelvin: 13,768 (WIP)

9 drabbles: 11,013 words

Total for Gundam Wing: 219,809 words

At an average of 250 words a page, that's about 880 pages.


Harry Potter
1 drabble: 874 words

At 250 words a page, that's about 3 pages.


Lionness Rampant
We: 6,270 words (complete)


House
1 drabble: 1,284

At 250 words a page, that's about 4 pages.


Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
1 drabble: 1,289 words

At 250 words a page, that's about 5 pages.


Torchwood
1 drabble: 223 words

At 250 words a page, that is not a page.



Total words written for 2008: 229,749 or 918 pages


The Breakdown:

Fandoms: 6
Stories: 12
Drabbles: 13

Completed Stories: 5
Works In Progress: 7


From My Past Year Of Writing, My Favourite Was...

Favourite Story:: ????
...I absolutely cannot choose, because I worked on such wonderful stuff this year. I loved working on the final chapter of The Year Without Trowa because it really did take a year to write it, and living with something that long is so worth it. For the same reason I love Chiasma, and it's dark and intriguing and I am enjoying the challenge format. I loved We because Lionness Rampant was my childhood favourite series. I will always love Properties of Zero, because my attitude toward it has evolved and still evolves the longer it lingers, because it's a summertime fic, because it has Treize and that's always awesome for me.

Best Story: Chiasma
...because, challenge format aside, I think it's one of my most creative and possibly one of the most mature fics I've done. It's a narrative challenge and a character piece and I have some fun OCs as well, and it's my best attempt at delving into L2 culture and history.

Most Underappreciated By The Universe: the Torchwood drabble
...which is not an entirely fair thing to say, as it's from a show that is confined to BBC America for all but two or three of my lj readers. But you gotta give love to John Barrowman.

Most Fun: Age Inappropriate
...because despite the seriousness of the subject matter, it's really a comedy piece. It had wit and slapstick and silly-hot sex scenes, and Quatre married to Noin. And a gay bar on L4.

Most Disappointing: that Star Trek drabble
...I mean, read the thing. Well, don't, but if you had, you would understand.

Most Sexy: Brand New Day
...because it's about two young people who are experiencing first love together and it's vast and frightening and extremely immediate, but it's still ultimately tender.

Hardest to Write: 2.7 Kelvin
...because once we stopped working on it as frequently as in the beginning, it's always been the one that's hardest for me to get back into and to sustain long enough to write a chapter.

Most Unintentionally Telling: Chiasma

Best Written: Chiasma

Worst Written: I'm going to say Six Seconds to Gone, because I can never manage to replicate what I did stylistically in the prologue. I love the prologue. But I think it gets messier after that.


And finally, as before, you may choose any of my stories and ask me what happens after the end of it, and I shall be happy to answer.

Tally-ho, 2009!

Fandom: ST: DS9
Rating: M15ish?
Pairing: Julian/Dax(es)

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Fandom: DS9
Pairing: Julian/Dax(es)
Rating: M15

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Fandom: ST:DS9
Pairing: Julian/Dax(es)
Rating: M15ish.
Notes: Particular reference to Season 5 'In Purgatory's Shadow'/'By Inferno's Light' and Season 7 'Inter Arma Enim Silent Legis'

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Fandom: DS9
Pairing: Julian/Dax(es)
Rating: M15
Notes: Re-launch novels are canon through Unity and Worlds of Star Trek: Trill.

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Fandom: ST: DS9
Pairing: Julian/Dax(es)
Rating: M15
Notes: Have been re-reading the DS9 'relaunch' books. This takes place two years after the novels Unity and Worlds of Star Trek: Trill; everything is canon up to that point in the books. Here is a link to a summary of events in those novels for those who haven't read them.


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Found this questionably talented drip of writing. I would say 'enjoy' but I won't stretch it.

Fandom: Star Trek
Pairing: Bashir, Picard
Rating: none
Notes: follows the events of Nemesis. Also, I think at the time I was going somewhere with all the detail of doors opening and closing, but I clearly lost that thread, so pretend you didn't notice.


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Series: ST: DS9
Rating: none
Notes: Follows the episode 'Our Man Bashir.' Sometimes I think that episode has a very dark undertone for the B/G friendship, and other times I think it's very light and playful. This is an exploration of the darker tone.

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I love Deep Space Nine. I do. I think it is the most original of the Treks, the darkest, and the most daring. But sometimes, the writing was just crap. And at the moment, I'm experiencing great irritation that the writing seems to be crap when it comes to Bashir-centric episodes.


Spoilers!


The worst, hands down, is the episode in which Bashir's genetic enhancements were revealed. That episode survived purely on a really rockin' revelation about a character who had previously sparkled with good moral living and squeaky clean intentions. But the writing was crap. I mean, come on: this family has kept a potentially disastrous secret for twenty-five years, yet they walk into the Infirmary and, without so much as glancing about to see if this busy thoroughfare might be inhabited, they fully explain the entire deception. If all criminals were this savvy, we wouldn't need a justice system. Next we see Julian explaining the truth to Miles, his best friend. I felt it was well played, but good acting can only overcome so much. He didn't even speak like Bashir. And what was with the b-plot in that episode? It was overly comedic, drew attention away from the gravity of what was happening with Bashir. And it was the best part of the episode.

But I could live with that. Bashir got to do some very fun and very intriguing things. The Wire. Distant Voices. Our Man Bashir. Inquisition. But for every great episode, he had stand-out crap ones. Chrysalis-- which is a whole other compalint. But let's focus. Today's complaint: Extreme Measures.

The Plot (see if you can follow all of it): Bashir has determined that Odo was infected three years previous with the disease currently killing the Founder race. Never mind that Odo's had this thing for three years without any symptoms, then completely falls apart in two weeks because 'the frequency of shape-changing accelerates the disease.' If only he'd known, right? Anyway, Bashir further decides that only Section 31 could be responsible for this deliberate genocide. Here's where the first of several oddly unlogical leaps comes to play. Bashir thinks that Section 31, having invented the disease, must have a cure for it.

Em, I might be wrong, but isn't Bashir a doctor? Doesn't that come with some understanding of, what's that thing... medicine?

Well, desperation can do strange things to a man. Next, he and Miles hatch a dashing plan to lure a Section 31 operative to DS9, where they will capture him, interrogate him, and uncover the cure for Odo. This, I feel, comes from that same strange overconfidence that Sisko displayed time and again regarding Bashir's relationship to Section 31. Bashir's a smart, competent, and very nice man, but I'm thinking he's a little unprepared to bring down Section 31 from the inside even if he does have Miles's help. But oh, Sisko. Captain, my Captain. Sisko, a man who really ought to be more in touch with his moral centre-- or at least aware that letting the dynamic duo run amok is not going to end well-- agrees to the plan, and overlooks the niggling little fact that Bashir has acquired Romulan mind probes to use on the operative.

And pause. Bashir has Romulan mind probes? Aren't those the nasty little things the Romulans used on Bashir himself back in Inter Arma? The things that sure made it look like he was being tortured?



Yes. You can press play again.

Lo and behold, Sloan himself takes Bashir's bait and shows up as expected. Bashir pops him onto a med table with a cheerful smile, attaches the probes, and engages in witty banter with his victim, I mean-- well-- victim. It goes something like 'I underestimated you, Doctor. I thought you were just a man of overstated idealism. But you're dangerous after all.' To which Bashir replies, 'Smirk.' He seems unbothered by his massive breach of ethics and questionable tactics, the uncertain morality of violating the rights of one man to save another. It would have been an appropriate time to dwell on the irony of Bashir finally becoming like Sloan, not just manipulated by him. But the writers didn't do that. So Sloan tries to take his own life, and Bashir spends the next half-hour trying to keep Sloan alive long enough to engage in some kind of computerised mind-meld. He's ultimately successful in finding the cure, Sloan dies unmourned, and Bashir confesses for Miles that Miles likes Bashir better than he likes his wife. All ends in smiles.

Deep Space Nine has shown itself, as I stated above, to be a show not afraid of a little darkness in its characters. But this is Julian Bashir. He and Miles are, in many deliberately constructed ways, the moral centres of the show. Miles is loyalty and decency, and Julian is selflessness and honesty. These are the basic and best characteristics of the Federation and of humans in the Star Trek universe. We should feel violated when they forget or transgress these qualities. We should be able to see them grow from any confrontation with their own faults. Julian especially has had to struggle during the series, but he's come out the other side a better man for gaining depth and strength. 'Extreme Measures' feels as unnatural as 'Bashir luvs Ezri.'

If the series had continued, maybe we could have enjoyed the return of Sloan (again) and more interaction with Section 31. To me, Extreme Measures felt like a rushed attempt to wrap up Bashir's last arc and his relationship with O'Brien. But there was a river of dross to cross, and they sank with just a few weak sputters of protest. Oh, and just when did Julian suddenly develop the ability to control his vitals? That 'genetically enhanced' business is all well and good, but Bashir was just a little too magically gifted in this one for my tastes. Enough with the deus ex machina, writers. More with the Greek chorus. In other words, go back to what Star Trek does best-- give us characters fighting to improve their own humanity, not carelessly compromising it, and getting away with it unscorched.

This Season 3 episode of Deep Sapce Nine, frighteningly reminiscent of the early days of TNG 'hijinks ensue' style, still remains fascinating to me for reasons I'm struggling to identify. You get to suffer along with me.

Synopsis: The annual Bajoran Gratitude Festival (which we never see before or again) is being celebrated on the station. As if that weren't enough, Miles O'Brien is nervously awaiting the return of his errant wife and child from a two-month sojourn on Bajor, Kira Nerys is nervously awaiting the return of her errant monkish man-toy, Vedek Bareil, and Odo gets nervous when he's unexpectedly visited with the return of the errant Lwaxana Troi, the woman who apparently thinks Tinsel Town is a clothing boutique, judging by her wardrobe. Can anyone guess where this is going?

(Sadly, you can. And yet, I still enjoy this episode.)

The Gratitude Festival gets underway that evening. Several things go freakishly wrong in short order. Kira (looking absolutely smashing) has to fend off spontaneous admissions of loooooove from Jake 'Who says sixteen isn't manly?' Sisko. Odo spends the evening being toted about by Lwaxana like an extra handbag. Bareil puts the moves on Jadzia Dax (who, incidentally, looks great in purple). Dax escapes Mr Grabby, and demonstrates some smooth moves of her own on Commander Sisko, who protesteth a bit too much, if you ask me. Miles attempts unsuccessfully to prod Keiko out of her series-long bad mood, raising some rather legitimate points when he accuses Keiko of putting her career ahead of their relationship.*


[*Even when you grant that Miles hauled wife and child to Deep Space Nine in furtherance of HIS career, Keiko's clearly hoarding her resentment. Taking your child away from his father for nine months at a time is not good conflict resolution, nor does it a healthy marriage make.]


A dinner for the senior staff turns into a big old sex-fest later that night. Bashir, looking edile in a nice blue shirt-- why is everyone so gorgeous in this episode?-- starts to get an inkling that something strange is going on when Kira complains that everyone is acting very strangely. He and the Major head for the infirmary, but get sidetracked by a make-out session that, frankly, I'm a little envious of. (I seem to recall that when the episode first aired, their steamy little interlude was highly popular with Bashir's fanclub, and absolutely rejected by Kira's. Funnily enough, the actors married around this time.) Somehow in all of this, Sisko, miraculously unaffected by the crazy fumes, realises that Lwaxana is the source of all the amorous feelings floating about. I've watched this episode three times, and I still haven't caught how he figured that out. All is solved when Bashir drags himself bodily from Kira and applies himself to a little medicine instead.

Things I like in this episode: It looked fun to film. The characters got to be a little silly, wear pretty clothes, and act on some of the subtextual tensions. Quark was terrific in this episode, playing the quintessential bartender (until the very end, when he all of the sudden leaps on Keiko in what I think of as the straw that broke the gimmick's back.) Jake and Commander Sisko have a cute father-son moment in the beginning, where Jake a la teenager declares that while he'll attend the Gratitude Festival, he won't have any fun. We see more of Keiko and Molly O'Brien, which is nice, cause, yeah, Miles is married, and they're a big part of that estate. Odo is very funny as the long-suffering victim of Lwaxana's over-the-top affections, but at the end of the episode we get a very fine and lovely moment between them that develops their deeper friendship. Kira smolders so much she's setting off fire alarms in this episode, and I am genuinely amused by the evidence of suppressed sexual attraction between her and Bashir, two characters who couldn't be more different. Lastly, Jake, though a subtle addition to an episode which is hardly character-building, is in fact very subtle and engaging in this episode. He's funny and quirky, clearly a teenager, but one who's just about to hit manhood.

Things I didn't like in this episode: Can be largely summed up with 'Bareil.' I suppose most of it comes down to me not liking the actor, Philip Anglim. I don't think he's very good. I found the focus on him in this episode to be very annoying. He spends most of it chasing Dax, which is largely ineffective because he's not a main character and his 'betrayal' of his relationship with Kira is clearly not going to matter in the long run. Also, he and Kira have no real physical chemistry, despite the fact that she is, as I have observed, smokin'.

Obviously, this episode is one of the cookie-cutter plots pulled out by the producers to keep viewers gently amused, without pushing any boundaries or risking any challening social issues cropping up. No harm, no foul. I'm not saying I wouldn't have liked it more if Bashir hadn't paused for a little tete-a-tete with Garak instead of Kira, but we can't have everything we want, and no-one ever accused Star Trek of being adventurous. Still, it filled my lunch hour, and I declare myself mostly satisfied.