It's midnight EST which means... SWEEPS WEEK BEGINS!!!

[kag523.livejournal.com]

 

 

I’m BAAAACK!!!

Hey there everyone!  It’s kag523 – returning to drive the No_Takebacks bus after a hiatus of six months.  (That’s right, peeps.  The No-Takebacks Oscars took place exactly six months ago!  I’ve been sadly negligent about volunteering since then, so I’m making up for it this week.)  Today I’m back in fine, sassy form to kick of a new and FABULOUS event in the K/L fandom. 

I’m officially declaring this week:

This means that every day you will get

1. A new topic to discuss / rant / argue / make merry with
2. A new (television-focused) vid to enjoy
3. A new challenge for you to participate in

And in return, I will with reward your participation with KAG523 MANIPS AND FABULOUS CRACKY OBJET’S D’ART!  (More about this later...)

Today we arrive at the quintessential 1990’s television show: Friends.  (Surprising how HAPPY BSG looks if you crank up the saturation and speed up the film.)  Given that our favourite Pilots live amongst a crew of hundreds, I’d assume that many of their secrets would be ANYTHING but!  And I figure it’s time to let out those not-so-secret goings-on hidden inside the storage locker on C-Level. 

Your task today is to:

1. EXPOSE A SECRET (for Lee or Kara or *cough* both)
2. Write this secret from the point of view of another character on BSG.  (ie: Cally would have the inside track on what goes on AFTER they climb out of their vipers whereas Hotdog knows EXACTLY whose boots were outside the pilots bunkroom last shift.) 
3. While simple facts are certainly fine, give a try with something creative.  These can be in ANY FORMAT you’d like.  Crack!fic encouraged!  Perhaps you could include messages relayed between the knuckledraggers on the hangar deck, a name and number that Baltar discovers scratched into the stall in the head, Dee’s overheard headset conversations, Adama’s discovery of a long-lost phone message on his personal comm link, Post Secrets postcards that keep appearing on the memorial wall, or (as I might be doing... depending on the participation today) damning photographic evidence.  Your imagination is the limit! 
4. When you’ve tossed in your two cents, come on back to comment / argue / extend / respond to other people’s comments.  This is our fandom, people.  LET’S ROCK THIS SHIP!

THE FANDOM CHALLENGE!

For EVERY 50 comments on the No_Takebacks comm in the next 24 hours, I will create a fabulously cracky manip of one of the not-really-so-randomly selected secrets.  (To a maxiumum of five... cause honestly?  I’ll have to eat or sleep at some point.)  That’s right peeps... you want manips from me?  I’M OFFERING!  And I get to choose which ones so make them GOOD!  But the deadline is midnight Monday, so get your commentary and discussion going. 

 

SWEEPS WEEK HAS BEGUN!

 

 

 

Comments

fic: what it takes to believe (2/2)

[themonkeytwin.livejournal.com]

A soft, wistful smile plays on his lips to the music of some old memory, a smile that was never yours, and you can smile back because this is your secret. For years, now, you have spent yourself here, tended this altar, singing its hymns with more-than-faith because you know. And now you were called on once more, for the last time. You, the only one who knew the sacraments for this rite, who for your devotion had been granted entrance to the inner sanctum in which to give them.

His eyes snap back to yours, and you are filled with gratitude, flying with it. You never want to come down. Your father would be incensed, probably, at this acknowledgment of inequality. If it had merely been a matter of man and woman, you’d agree. But now you see beyond that, see the truth of it, and know that the curse of inequality is also the blessing of the greater taking in the smaller. You know you were claimed. You were sheltered under the wing of his strength. You were cherished, in your way. Sometimes you were even needed. And, you understand now, you were protected.

The soft caress of his fingers across the back of your hand speaks this secret so plainly you’re surprised no one else can hear it. Such a small, easy gesture from him, and this connection of skin-to-skin is the world to you, far beyond the reach of rusting starships and ruined planets. You were never religious as most of Sagittaron was religious, but you have heard enough of the lives and quick deaths of the humans the gods took as consorts. You always imagined it would be worth it, to pay so much and yet receive more; so much it could not be contained and eventually destroyed. He drew you into his world but shielded you from all of him, and you resented him for that, resented the one who always had all of him and was so careless with it. But now you know that might be the only reason you lasted as long as you did.

He leads you home, swaying with you, teasing and humoring you, and you are at peace. Euphoric, utter peace, clinging to the secret wrapping you safely up in its inhuman truth. This is what it is to love a god. This is what it takes to believe in something, this no longer trying to stand in both worlds as they tear you apart, trying to possess something that swallows you whole. You made your choice a long time ago, and you didn’t realize that it would ask all you had until now, when you look back and see that you have given everything.

You kiss him, his lips passionate but somehow chaste. A precious tender of his respect and thanks, and you savor this reward of your faith, your sacrifice, a benediction at the end of your unending dedication. This is all you ever needed to believe in, and if you now know you’ll never have all that you want, in this moment you have all you can ever hope for. Not the military. Not the Old Man. Not the lies of the pantheon who led you to a ruined dream. Just this man, your god: Apollo.

Re: fic: what it takes to believe (2/2)

[nazkey.livejournal.com]

This is absolutely gorgeous. Thank you!

Re: fic: what it takes to believe (2/2)

[themonkeytwin.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :)

Re: fic: what it takes to believe (2/2)

[kdbleu.livejournal.com]

Very nice, sad, but in a lovely lyric way. :)

Re: fic: what it takes to believe (2/2)

[themonkeytwin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it kept getting steadily sadder and I had to cut it short for that reason. Thank you :)

Re: fic: what it takes to believe (2/2)

[kdbleu.livejournal.com]

it kept getting steadily sadder and I had to cut it short for that reason

I've had that problem. I try to stop before I'm crying. lol

Re: fic: what it takes to believe (2/2)

[ecstaticdance.livejournal.com]

Nice job with Dee's perspective. She's got a grace here that she lost somewhere along the way in Canon.

Re: fic: what it takes to believe (2/2)

[themonkeytwin.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I find it so hard to get into Dee's head, and I wanted to do her justice, so thank you :)

Re: fic: what it takes to believe (2/2)

[amaliak.livejournal.com]

wow. I'm drowning in the imagery of this right now.

WONDERFUL. I love it. Simply beautiful.

Thanks so much for sharing.
cheers.
--Lex

Re: fic: what it takes to believe (2/2)

[themonkeytwin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I love the heightened reality that metaphor gives you, but don't often get to indulge it as much as here. Sometimes I have to do very strict metaphor-patrol to keep my writing from falling into incomprehensibility! I'm so glad it had the impact I was going for :):)

Re: fic: what it takes to believe (2/2)

[anamarya.livejournal.com]

simply gorgeous. and Dee's perspective. waw. i usually like her so much but in a sad way there are moments like this when even if i still don't like her, i understand her. and the fact that you almost made me came to peace with the one thing that i could not forgive her for - giving up - its great.

i'll not say anything about your portrait of Lee because... any words would be unworthy.

Re: fic: what it takes to believe (2/2)

[themonkeytwin.livejournal.com]

Thank you! If you can usually understand her, I'm really glad this read well to you, because I was only very tentatively feeling my way. I agree with you, her giving up was just so hard to take, and I still find it hard to make sense of it sometimes. Writing this definitely helped, though, and I'm glad it helped you too.

And thank you for the compliment! :)