Beth Winter

I wasn't terribly productive (especially next to fyrie with her 11 stories *swats*), but then rather than snowed in for a week, I was doing semi-regular 12-hour days at work while overseeing the ongoing renovations of my future flat. (All Christmas cards I got this year mention the renovations. Am I babbling about them that much?)

Oh, and my main stories were written by Herself *swats again* I guessed from Raindrops, because that's our Amidio and Thanatos in the flesh, but Gazing into the Abyss fooled me. No fair changing style on me :P

I also got a lovely treat from Skazka - a Sandman snippet from the ending.

Yuletide was fun as usual. And I love the Kudos feature - the "Like" button that's so easy to click!

With my assigned recipient, I had to stretch myself to write an Alfred story. I have no idea where I got that Alfred from!

I also promised one to windstar127, and writing a young Rosalie was fascinating - I'd like to do more either with her or characters like her, young and innocent. I write too many omnipotent dark warriors ;)

And speaking of which, the response to this fic - written because the recipient's Yuletide letter just resonated with me - kind of floored me. 88 comments and kudos, on a story that's all about women (five to three men, and all main characters) and all about the powers and the different kinds of queens.

Snow, melting (1952 words) by Beth Winter
Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis, Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Alice/Hatter
Characters: Susan Pevensie, Mirana of Marmoreal, Mad Hatter, Mallyumkun, White Rabbit, Bandersnatch (Alice in Wonderland 2010), Alice Kingsleigh
Summary:

Alice isn't sure that she did the right thing by taking Susan Pevensie to Underland.

I like the fact I wrote this one :)

Recs later, because I'm still hyperventilating over my two gifts :D

Gazing into the Abyss - Archduchess Sophie and Death, and oh, a perfect arc for her, showing her strength and mind and emotion. (Also, I believe I spy a Japanese Death ♥)

Raindrops - Yes. That would be MY Oscar and Alain ♥ Fwee doesn't begin to describe it.

Toho Elisabeth cast is up for the August-October 2010 run.

I saw it and kind of fell over.

First of all, I hereby crow about the Asako!Elisabeth rumour being confirmed. She must be working hard on recovering her soprano, but this is a glorious normal-theatre debut, a great role to start with, and she's going to own the stage.

Komu got Elisabeth again ♥ I just hope that this time, enterprising fans with cameras will do better ;)

Yuichiro Yamaguchi is Death again, because you'll have to hit him over the head with a shovel to get him off the stage. Since his voice is pure honeyed velvet, that is a YAY in my book.

We get two new Deaths, too. Shirota Yuu (since he has TeniMyu and SeraMyu history... *eyes TeniMyu and SeraMyu fans* any comments on how he'll handle a forceful rockstar demon?) and Ishimaru Kanji, an ex-Raoul I haven't seen.

And the real Omigod-You-Guys is for Sophie. Mori Keaki. Who's had like one role since her retirement as Yukigumi topstar (and Andre to Maki's Oscar) in 1993. Kotobuki Hizuru's the other Sophie, as usual, but Mori!

FYI, the Rudolf-of-the-month for October is Urai Kenji, Lucheni is Takashima Masahiro (aka Mr Sylvia Grab), and Franz Joseph is... Ishikawa Zen. Dear heavens, this is going to be good.

Now, where was my airplane ticket search engine?

Originally posted at Dreamwidth - comments

Sliding in under the wire on the yuletide rec train, just before the reveal :) Like before, Yuletide was a trip and a half this year. I was in a worse emotional state, but I managed, and I'll post about my stories after the reveal.

This year, I was exceedingly lucky - I got so many stories and treats!

Takarazuka RPF, Yami ga Hirogaru - Kacha and Asako during Elisabeth rehearsals, with Kacha catching a glimpse of the loneliness that Asako forged into her role. This is 100% my take on them, from which I conclude that my Santa is psychic. My Nanowrimo (which fell by the wayside because of the aforementioned events) had these two as main characters, and I could paste this scene into it with just changing character names ♥ Thank you for the telepathy, m'dear!

Takarazuka RPF, Father's Day with the Hapsburgs: A bonus story from my Santa - backstage hijinks and Kiriyan! Kiriyan being her wonderful self.

Babylon 5, The works of creation: Susan Ivanova in her youth, a series of snapshots of her growing up, and growing tougher and more beautiful.

Elisabeth, Do Not Be Afraid: I remain in love with this story. It's Death taking Little Sophie, who's such a Character in this one. And Death is kind, for a moment. ♥

Cinderella, PSA: And to finish it off, tiny Daily Mail article about the dangers of fairytales :D

Other recommendations:

Night Watch, Never be lost: This is exactly the story I asked for last year, Kay after the events of the book, and Kay being happy.

Tanz der Vampire, First Step: How Alfred falls into his story. Be sure to read the ending!

Elisabeth, Guiding Light: Rudolf and Death throughout Rudolf's life. The best parental take on it.

Arthurian Legend, The other way: Mordred and Galahad and making far too much sense ♥ I started writing a story for the same prompt, but couldn't finish in time - it might be a New Year's story....

Vorkosigan saga: The Rules of Barrayaran Sex: Perfectly in-character and exceedingly amusing. Cordelia is always love, and so is Aral and his socks.

Vorkosigan saga: Sworn in Silence: Aral's view of the moments just after his mother's and brother's deaths, a breathless chase and plot and a very poignant view of Piotr Vorkosigan.

 Sandman: Ink Space Lucien's view of the new Dream. It's just a little heartwrenching, and full of a quiet love.

Sandman, Recoil and Grace - an AU ending for Lucifer and Morpheus that makes far more sense than it should.

Discworld, A place called home - The rarest thing, a Discworld fic that does justice to the world and the characters, and a perfect Drumknott (and Vetinari) study.

Discworld, Wizard Muddle:  What happens in UU when Ponder goes on a vacation.

The Cable and Deadpool Yuletide Special: Epic. Just Epic. Read. Even if you have no idea who Cable and Deadpool are, because Deadpool is King of Backstory, thankyouverymuch

Just because I continue to squee on Saryan, have some fanart from the talented Yumeya Ohagi:

Damduk and Kiha finding out that having a BFF and a bodyguard can be a barrier against romance

The Saryan is much more stylish than an Igor

Damduk the dreamy

Aforementioned BFFs

And extra Elisabeth:

Hungarian rebel inna box!

Chibi!Death!

No idea what they're saying here, but I think Death has a fangirl

(And ♥ to erukun for the link to that site!)

Note: this is an epilogue/bonus to The End of Summer, written for lgbtfest 2009.

( The end of the final summer )

After the last few weeks, I really welcomed an off weekend. Due to several packages and events, it was better than I expected :)

First, the Elisabeth programme from the Toho production is absolutely gorgeous. While Maki remains my firm favourite, both the new Elisabeths look more than up to the task. Alas, my DVD of the first act with Komu and Yamaguchi is just half a full stage shot (no zoom and lots of obscuring heads), but the one of Kaname and Takeda is a good full-stage shot and features both acts - she handles herself very well, though her voice will always be Kenshin to me.

(And I have the Mizu-Tonami chirashi for Zorro! Three of them :D)

I also watched Rose of Versailles: Oscar (the 2006 Snow Troupe version, Mizu!Andre digest), which I think may warrant its own post, just because of how strong Komu's Oscar is, and how well they get through the madness that is the poisoning scene. With a crystal pegasus and assorted pink and glitter, this was a good antidote to the movie I watched just before that - The Nightmare Before Christmas. Which got bonus points for a Jack Skellington being voiced by a guy who did both Phantom of the Opera and Abronsius. (Yes, I watched the English version first. Then just the songs for the Japanese dub, because I adore Masachika Ichimura.)

And then, of course, this morning. Oscars. Hugh Jackman. If you haven't seen the clips of his opening number, or the medley with Beyoncé (who would make a stunning Velma Kelly), please do. They're all over Youtube, anyway :)

I've just noticed I haven't posted in two weeks. As usual, this means work's eating me alive. And amusingly enough, of my New Year's Resolutions I'm doing the best with exercise, which means less weight already, but also 45 to 60 minutes less in the day. Studying isn't going badly, but writing, thus far, is mostly of the Morning Pages kind, letting out steam and stress.

And I'm watching the news about the newest Elisabeth production with... bemusement. Not only will Sisi be taller than Death (which has happened before), but it looks like it'll be equivalent of Sandor Nagy playing Sisi to Szilveszter Szabo's Death. It'll be - interesting.

But hey, she's cute. And I need to look for this concert while I'm over there: 【ニコニコ動画】I have a dreamコンサート「オスカーワイルド」０１

I'm getting back home tomorrow, and I'll do a full recs post then - just the Vorkosigan fandom has me in so much squee. For now, just the ones I got, in their order from my Yuletide mail. Each of these is a marvel, especially since my original Santa defaulted - all of these are Yuletide Treats!

Shadows and Blood - Tanz der Vampire. I know who wrote this one, but that doesn't stop me from adoring it to itty bitty pieces :D Von Krolock and Herbert, as played by Jan Ammann and Jakub W., and being so them that I almost fell of my chair in giggles.

Taking the Waters - Lord John Grey, a story in which Stephan and John are delightfully them, and a mood that could be written by Diana Gabaldon herself.

Eschewing Protocol - another Lord John story, and this one had me in stitches at how well it gets into John's head. It's the kind of slashy gem I adore so much ♥

Der Untergang - Elisabeth and Death, and the author's grasp on Death is amazing. It's a missing scene from the musical, and makes me want to send this to Michael Kunze for inclusion in the next staging of the show.

And then there is Close as Brothers, which is Lord John again, and lovely and touching, and written by someone who's not even a Yuletider O.o I've no idea who it is, and the very sentiment was jaw-dropping, never mind the fact it's so well-written!

Here's hoping everyone had a happy and joyful winter festival of whatever flavour they prefer!

Where to start? I saw four excellent shows, two each of Tanz der Vampire (Vámpirok Báljá) and Elisabeth. I saw them with roughly the same casts. In the case of Tanz, it was the first cast, which I've seen many times and have reviewed extensively. In the case of Elisabeth, while comments from the last time still apply, there was one notable exception. One muscular, blond, Hungarian exception with a rockstar voice and a charisma bigger than the stage.

After two years of fangirling the man, I have finally seen Máté Kamarás in person. And now I really understand the Japanese fangirls who travelled all the way to Budapest to see him. The man is that good.

( Elisabeth, or the Death who stole the show )
And on top of all that, I've finally figured out how to get photos of actors in costume. Curtain calls!
( Death (times 4), Elisabeth, Lucheni, plus Krolock and Herbert for good measure )