Thanks A Million: Fanfiction Community

Welcome to Thanks A Million! Today we're gonna talk about what I'm grateful for this week, and that comes in the form of the fan fiction community. 

Yes, that is the dance I do.

You'll find this lovely bunch embedded within any given fandom. Let's break it down into little chunks for those who may not be as insane as myself. A fandom (think "fans" and "kingdom") is a fan base focused on a particular interest. This group is interested on a very detailed level and will invest tons of time into it. So take that and apply it to fan fiction  which is literally fiction written by fans of a book, TV Show, movie, game, etc that want to write a story that deviates from the source material. So, why am I grateful for the fan fiction community?

• Let's take a property like Harry Potter. There are no more books or movies, and yet I still have a need for more creative and wonderfully whimsical stories from that realm. With fan fiction I can get cool side stories, interesting new romances, and alternate reality scenarios. What's not to love?
• Let's take a property like Sherlock (BBC). You know secretly John is gay, and I need stories written about the steamy romance he should be having with Sherlock.
• Let's take a property like Thor or The Avengers. Do you have a favorite character you want to have a million stories to read about them? You can find as many Loki fan fiction stories as you could ever read, even gender swapped.
• The fan fiction community likes to write, share, and is pretty open minded. Have a super crazy couple you ship to the moon and back. They are on board.  Want to cross two unlikely properties together? They've done it at least once.
• Have an idea for a fan fiction. Write it and ask them what they think. They won't be as harsh on you as your college English professor was, I'm sure.
• They are just oodles of fun to geek out with. They like what you like for Kirk/Spock sake! ...Personally I want more Khan/Spock stories...

Oh yes you are, fan fiction community.

Are there good and bad people in the fan fiction community? Yes. Are there good and bad stories in the fan fiction community? You betcha. Is it worth getting into? Yes. Are you a fan fiction reader or writer? If not, why is that? Do you believe fan fiction helps or hurts the fandom? Comments are always welcome!

Motley Mondays: Elysium, Thor, and The Avengers

Welcome to Motley Mondays! Let's talk about my Sunday at to the movies, and some other stuff I watched when I got home. First up, I went with the family to go see Elysium. On the way there I saw an advertisement that made me do a double-take, and thankfully I was able to take a picture.

For the selective zombie.

I looked it up later on in the day and figured out it was a learning center (one would assume) but it's still a pretty funny name.

So Elysium. I didn't want to go see it, so let's put that on the table now. It was overall an alright movie, but not something I needed to go see in the movie theaters. What saved the movie for me? In a word? Kruger. Played by Sharlto Copley (District 9), he is just one happy go lucky homicidal maniac with a sailors mouth to boot. Oh, and has a sort of exoskeleton suit that makes him all the more dangerous. 

Cray cray guy? Check. Buff as hell. Check. Turned on by hunting people down. Check. Boyfriend. Material.

Kruger had the right dialogue, right tone, and right actor to execute a character that is now in my pantheon of favorite characters. Matt Damon's character you ask? Eh. Matt Damon.

Now let's talk about the Thor Movie and The Avengers Movie. I think most people will agree they were great movies. For me, more than anything, the star was Loki. However, I did love the entire ensemble in Avengers. So when I got home I watched a deleted scene from Thor, and then I watch The Avengers Bloopers. First video was funny, then terribly sad when put into context, and the second is just side splittingly funny. You be the judge.

"Now give us a kiss." **sobbing**

Coulsooooooooon!

And that was Sunday for me. Today has just been me at work. I have Wednesday off this week, so maybe I'll do something a little extra for the blog. So, did you have a chance to see Elysium yet? Verdict? Did you like the Marvel videos I posted above? Do we have Loki fans out there? Comments are always welcome!

Creative Writing: Loki Poem

Welcome to Creative Writing! Today I will attempt to write a poem about the God of Mischief, Loki. You've probably heard of Loki through mythology, the Marvel comics, and the Marvel movies. Loki has always been a cool character in my mind, but when the movie Thor came out, I fell in love with Loki as played by Tom Hiddleston. I'm no stranger to loving the bad boy, so he's another addition to my collection of fangirl worthy crushes.

No Lonely God

Written by: Adela M.

This God of Mischief in my sight,

His will to fight,

His passions true,

Yet no one knew.

He hides inside a forlorn face,

Feelings like lace,

I want to mend,

His pain I’ll end.

But what could a mere mortal do,

She’s hiding too,

He’s not alone,

His true self known.

Even Loki thinks my poem has all the feels.

Well there we have it. Nothing fancy or long, but it'll do the trick. All of us just want to give Loki a hug and tell him it's gonna be okay. Do you have any poetry about your fictional crush, real crush, or any other subject? Do you enjoy creative writing? Comments are always welcome!

When Did I Have To Wake Up Early?

Surprise! I have to wake up at the ass crack of dawn to go do laundry, so I'm setting this up to post at around 8:00 AM for me. I most likely woke up at 5:00 AM, gathered stray cloths into a bag to add to the 5 in the car, put on a pants/t-shirt/flip flop combo, and zombie my way to the car.

Feel the sarcasm in your bones.

Dad and I will do laundry for about 2 hours at a laundromat, and return around 8:30 AM, Loki willing. I will proceed to sleep until 11:00 AM, then begrudgingly drag myself to the shower. I'll get dressed pack an overnight bag, and get picked up around 2:00 PM by my friend Kelly and her uncle Dom. Where am I going? Giant turkey leg land, bitches! Jealous?

Stop hurting my feelings. Anyway, I'll be staying the night at Kelly's then waking up on Sunday to enjoy the merriment that is The Bristol Renaissance Faire. More than likely I will return roasted by the sun, but it will be worth it. I'll try to take some not crappy pictures. Wish me luck!

When Did I Come Up With This?

What makes certain characters so irresistible? More specifically, irresistible to me. Let's call it the "Spike Factor". I'll break it down:

1. This character is either evil, antisocial, or cray cray.
2. This character has more power that your average person.
3. This character is well spoken (awesome word choice) and/or intelligent.
4. This character has the "bad boy" air to him, maybe even prone to violence (physical or verbal).
5. This character is not know for his triumphs, but rather failures or things not going his way.
6. This character is attractive in an almost unconventional way.
7. This character has glimmers of sensitive humanity. 

Billy Idol took my look, mate.

Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer follows this list. We first meet him in Season 2 as this evil Brit bad boy vampire, known for his sharp tongue, Billy Idol looks, and his less than stellar attempt to kill Buffy. His lines are so quotable it's insane. He isn't one note, though. He has these little moments where he seems fragile and sensitive. He's met every number on the list. So we can use him as a benchmark for my "type" of guy character.

Who else falls into this "Spike Factor" list?

• Sherlock (BBC)
• Loki (Marvel)
• Will Graham (NBC)

Do you have a favorite character who has the "Spike Factor". Do you detest characters who fall under that description? I'm interested in comments.

When Did I Become A Fangirl?

If you haven't figured out yet that I'm an incurable Sherlock (BBC), Hannibal (NBC), Harry Potter, Star Trek, or Avengers fangirl, don't worry, there is still time. I've been busy with my sister visiting from Mexico, but wanted to post a video with some thoughts.



This is a smart and funny video that illustrates an event that happens in fandom circles I don't understand and that peeves me.

I am a married almost 21 year old woman. I plan on having kids (not that soon). I don't get home some fans use those things as an excuse to leave the fandom. You can leave the fandom because your priorities changed: Your family is number one and you have no time for other things. For someone who is truly immersed in the fandom, being married and having children isn't a hindrance, but a chance to express your fangirl nature in other ways, for example:

1. Tardis PJ's for your toddler.
2. Harry Potter themed marriage.
3. Attending conventions as the Loki Family.
4. Having a movie/tv marathon with your kids (if it's appropriate for them).
5. Making meals based on your favorite source material.
6. Fanfiction can be written by anyone of any age, marital status, or amount of kids.

If you REALLY consider yourself a fangirl, it is a way of life. That will never change. If you abandon it after getting married and having children, then you were never really a fangirl to begin with.

CUMBERBITCH FOR LIFE!!!

When Did I Start Packing?

So this weekend, with the help of my parents, I was able to pack 8 boxes in 4 hours time. Not bad in my opinion. How about labeling boxes? I didn't want to have some boring system so I made this:

Will Graham (NBC): Fragile Paper Related

But seriously, little Graham Cracker is fragile...

Tony Stark (Avengers): Fragile Tech Related

I know I fear my tech breaking...

Khan (Star Trek Into Darkness): Fragile Collectibles/Glass Related

But you sure can break these boxes...

Hannibal (NBC): Kitchen Items

Mmmm, spleen! 

Spike (Buffy): Bedroom Items

It's called pillow talk, honey.

Watson (BBC): Bathroom Items

That's bullshit, and bullshit belongs in the bathroom.

Damon (The Vampire Diaries): Living Room Items

I'm sorry...Spike already called the bedroom.

Loki (Marvel): Mixed Box of Items

Happy to be throwing a wrench in the organization, I see...

I think it's more fun this way, plus I get to doodle on boxes, and confuse the living hell out of people. 

"Adela, where does this box go?" 

"Hannibal needs to go to the kitchen or he'll get cranky."

"What about this one?"

"We have to open Loki, he's a cluster-fuck."

"Where should I take Will Graham?"

"Careful with him...he's sensitive."

When Did I Start With Gateway Drugs?

I stayed up until about 4:30 am today. Originally I had intended to sleep around midnight. This is basically what happened:

1. Tumblr is a gateway drug: Started innocent enough. I was just looking for pictures of "Loki". Then it turned into "Tony Stark and Loki". 

   

   Glorious hotness....

2. Then I remembered "Sherlock and Watson". I need season 3 of Sherlock (BBC).

   

   That's me when I watch the show.

3. Benedict reminded me of one of my new favorite searches: Khan and Kirk.
   

   

   Now when you say everything....

4. To which I realized I hadn't looked up "Hannibal and Will Graham" in a while. Come to think of it I need to finish the season...

   

   HIS BODY IS READY!!!

5. On that note I also hadn't looked up "Spike and Buffy" for a long time either. I should start watching their episodes together. 

   

   The chemistry is so evident.

It was a blur of pictures, gifs, fanfiction, and Netflix. 

God Bless America!