Fandom Snowflake Challenge 2015 - Day 7 - 11

[elrhiarhodan]

I've been sick. Not deathly, but annoyingly so and have had little energy and less headspace for fandom stuff (I think I've written 300 words in the past 5 days and most of those are garbage). But I do want to catch up with this challenge.

Day 7 - In your own space, share your love for a trope, cliché, kink, motif, or theme. (More than one is okay, too.) Tell us about it, tell us why you love it, give us some examples and recs.

There are many tropes the push my emotional buttons. Like many in the White Collar fandom, the overall Hurt/Comfort genre plays on my heartstrings almost non-stop. But not all hurt/comfort. These are a few of my favorites:

Death fic. I love death fic, but not the actual dying part. In fact, I rarely like to read or write actual death scenes (although that's not to say that I haven't). What I find satisfying is how the characters react to the death. The emotional toll, so to speak. So maybe I'm more of a grief fic junkie.

Break-up/Make-up stories. I think this is related to my love for grief fic. People mourn the end of relationships like they mourn the end of a life. But with break-up/make-up stories, there is a chance for a happy ending.

Permanent Injury. This one is odd for me, since I'm generally not as interested in physical H/C as I am in emotional hurt/comfort. I used to read Harlequin romances (okay, so who hasn't?) and what always annoyed the snot out of me was when the hero was terribly injured, and was told he'd need to spend his life in a wheelchair, or was blinded, or had contracted a fatal disease, but in the last three paragraphs, discovers a doctor who performs a high risk surgery that restores him to complete health. UGH. Life is messy, sickness happens. Sometimes you can be cured, but the cure is long and painful and sometimes doesn't work. What I want are stories where people learn to deal with their injuries and illnesses. They build support systems and have to make accommodations. Sometimes they fail. But they try.

Day 8 - In your own space, create a love meme for yourself. Let people tell you how amazing and awesome and loveable you really are.

Ugh. Just ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh

I would sooner eat shit that do this.

ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh

Day 9 - In your own space, talk about what surprises you about fandom. It could be a pairing or fandom you never thought you'd like. A fanwork type you never knew existed.

I know that this is supposed to be at some type of fanwork, but to be honest, the last time I was surprised by anything I read in fandom was the first week I was in fandom and read a Harry Potter/White Collar crossover (Draco's wife, Astoria, had gone missing and she turned out to be Kate). After that, nothing shocked me.

But what really, truly surprised me was how warm and welcoming fandom has been. How so many people I've met through fandom have become some of my closest friends.

And on the negative side of that, I am surprised at the people who were my friends and have moved on from White Collar fandom and simply left me behind. People who I thought I had a deeper and stronger connection with than just fandom. But I've learned to roll with the punches and let them go.

Day 10 - Stretch yourself a little and try something new. Go play in a new fandom or with a new pairing. Try working in a new medium. Or check out some fanworks that are new to you.

Finally watched X-Men - Days of Future Past. I had kind of shied away from it - it seemed to have serious Hot Mess potential, but it was surprisingly good. So I did what I usually do when I find a movie I like, I look for fanworks. And I was seriously disappointed. Most of the fic tagged for DoFP is NOT at all related to the movie. What I've found is almost entirely XM:FC. Very disappointing.

Day 11 - In your own space, post a rec for fannish and/or creative resources.

Wikipedia White Collar Episode List
White Collar Screen Caps - Sadly, the last four episodes have not been capped by Midnight Road, and I suspect they never will be.
White Collar Hurt/Comfort Master Post - The best resource for White Collar fic, especially since ninety percent of all fic in this fandom is of the H/C variety.

Comments

[riverotter1951.livejournal.com]

Thanks for doing this. I like seeing your replies especially about the tropes.

[elrhiarhodan]

Thank you. I like the challenges that make me think about what I like.

[nywcgirl]

Hope you feel better soon, and as long as they arent chickenpox,... LOL

[elrhiarhodan]

Had the chickenpox as an adult. Don't want a repeat of that experience.

[nywcgirl]

So I should have asked you for experience for my last story. I had it as a small child, so I cant remember...

[elrhiarhodan]

It was pretty awful, and it could have been worse.

[ladyrose42.livejournal.com]

14 years old, yea it sucks

[palombaggia.livejournal.com]

Hello sweetie. Just to say ILU.  Will never move out of WC fandom. How could I? Will never leave you behind. Paris was superb yesterday. So proud to be French. I'm pretty sure Neal was marching with us. Not Mozzie though because he is too paranoïd to hang around with 3 million human beings....lol

[elrhiarhodan]

HUGS YOU!

Mozzie would have added his support in other ways. But I was especially proud of my French friends today.

[sapphire2309]

I don't usually like death fic, or grief, but because of the S6 finale, I have ideas for the fallout after Neal left. Stupid show. *sigh* It just hurts more than I like sometimes. And I've been way down at the bottom for little to no reason, so it's not fun to put my favourite characters through that. (but then again, most of what I write is angst. Go figure.)

Re: Day 8 - As long as you know that we all do love you. :)

OMG, that crossover sounds amazing.

I keep hoping that the last 4 eps will show up on Midnight Road's journal. I should know better. :(((

[elrhiarhodan]

Re Day 8 - Thank you. I have a visceral loathing for self-initiated Love Memes.

I'm pretty certain that the author of that HP/WC fic was gyzym. You might find it on hir master list or AO3 account.

[reve-silencieux.livejournal.com]

RE: Permanent Injury - I think everyone pretty much knows my view on that and I love that you agree - it's life and it's messy. Deal with it. There are rarely 'cures' or a perfect fix. Now granted, I did just post one because I wanted to see the emotional reaction of everyone after the fact. I LOVE reactions, and watching people deal with things. I know for some people though, it's hard to comprehend and it might scare them, so I see why they wouldn't want to read about it, or strongly want to see it all end happily ever after. But it's all perspective, really.

[ladyrose42.livejournal.com]

I started in fandom before White Collar. The most surprising crossover was Rat Patrol/classic Star Trek and it worked. Don't believe it's on-line.

[maiac.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you've been sick. I hope the news that Matt Bomer won a Golden Globe award (http://www.ibtimes.com/matt-bomer-wins-best-supporting-actor-normal-heart-watch-his-golden-globes-acceptance-1780120) made you feel better. (There's a video of his acceptance speech at the link.)

[elrhiarhodan]

I did see that he'd won - and it seemed like such a long shot that he'd even get nominated.

GO MATT!!!!!

[tjs-whatnot.livejournal.com]

I hate when people leave their friends behind just because they're in different fandoms suddenly. Sure, the people that you only followed to read fic our whatnot. But friends? Ugh. I love watching my friends geek out about other things.

HAHA! I read that Neal/Draco story! It cracked me up! I'm a sucker for good crossovers though. Actually, I don't think there are many tropes in White Collar that I wouldn't read. Okay, MPREG in any fandom is on my DNW list. ;)

Also, ILU! Whether you want it or not. <33333

[elrhiarhodan]

That HP/WC story may have been the very first crossover I read. I was a fandom virgin when I started with WC. So even the idea of a crossover seemed ... bizarre. But the author made it work.

And I will consider it my mission in life to make you read an MPREG and like it.

[palombaggia.livejournal.com]

Hmmm I never read a MPREG either.  Never saw one in WC.

[doctor-fangeek.livejournal.com]

{{{{HUGS}}}}

Hugs you cautiously, as I'm sorry you're sick, but I also don't want to catch something. Hope you feel better soon!

Glad you enjoyed DoFP - although I like First class better, I really enjoyed Future Past as well.

I have been really erratic in terms of connecting with people lately, and the start of the new semester yesterday isn't helping, but I also hope to keep connected with the cool, smart, interesting people I've met in WC fandom now that the show is over.

Must run my old desktop to the shop & get to school. Feel better!