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[tammaiya]

I aten't dead yet! I am, however, total fail as-- well, a writer, certainly. Probably as a human being, too, or at least a functional adult. Work on the christmas fics is going slowly because all my attention is being sapped away by Odin Sphere and FFIV DS. I am basically pretty useless when I get in an obsessive video game playing mood. *shifty* I may as well post the ones that are finished, though, so in the next few days you'll be seeing:

1. Counterpoint, Weiss Kreuz, Schuldig/everyone, for sylveraven;
2. 5 things Moist really WISHES hadn't happened (at least not to him), Discworld/Going Postal fic, for minkhollow; and
3. The not so quick or easy guide to parenting, CCS!X, set when Seishirou and Subaru first adopt Fuuma, Kamui and Kotori, for sakanagi.

The ones most likely to be finished following that are a humourous Doctor Who gen fic about Rose, Jack and Nine for crazylittleme, Torchwood/Doctor Who crossover with Jack/Tamaki and Kyouya/Tamaki for fahye, and a MoB "Kaizaki"/Takaya fic set during the Kyuushuu arc for corialis, but I make no guarantees.

As for failing as a human being... after two failed attempts, I still haven't submitted my passport application. On the first attempt, I was informed that my mother's CURRENT passport was insufficient; it had to be a passport from before I was born to prove that she was an Australian citizen at the time of my birth. (What the fuck? Isn't it enough that I'M an Australian citizen? I'M ENROLLED TO VOTE!) On the second attempt, it seemed I'd trimmed the passport photos too much. Jesus christ, I was trying to fit them inside the frame. If you don't want people to trim them like that, DON'T DRAW TINY BOXES WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STICK THEM. ><;

On the not so fail side, I successfully submitted all my application documents to my university in Japan. Also, I made yakisoba the other day and it was really nice.

Anyway, sorry for scarcity; between Odin Sphere and working extra shifts/tutoring/trying to get everything sorted out before I go to Japan at the end of March, I'm not really around much at the moment.

PS: I just realised, I forgot to post this when it happened, but just over a week ago Jen and Tasha and kurushi came to give me my birthday present from them + Victoire + amayanolune + kokusekiryuu. (Victoire being on an army camp thing at the moment, and Mari and sis being in Japan.) The reason for the belated-ness was that it is in fact really hard to organise a time where everyone can get together, especially when I was without internet for about 3 weeks-- as you see, that was still not total success. But anyway, it was more than worth the wait. I had mentioned a vague intention to get Tales of the Abyss at some point in the near future-- and I am now the proud owner not only of ToA, but of the Perfect Guide and Character Illustration books. Truly, my friends love me and want me to be happy. <3333333333

Oh yeah, also. I know this won't interest most people, but just for the record-- game blogging for the first three chapters of Odin Sphere (plus a general reaction to the Nodame Cantabile game for DS) is up on masterofpixels.

Now that that's all out of the way... OMFG, TORCHWOOD. <3

First off, that was certainly a very apt title, wasn't it. XD

Anyway. I would just like to say, before anything more specific, that that was freaking AWESOME. I think it's my favourite episode of TW so far and it's only the first episode of the second season, so here's hoping it'll set the tone for the whole season.

More specifically:

* BAHAHA WHAT, toked up fish alien! XD I just love how he's like, not even remotely human looking, but he's driving a car and listening to hip hop and STOPPING AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS.

* Man, the in-jokes in this were hilariously funny. "Bloody Torchwood" -- LEAST SECRET SECRET ORGANISATION EVER. *g*

* Awwww, look at them all being semi-functional without Jack! And Ianto's a proper member of the team now! Yaaaay.

* Jack really does have a superb sense of timing, doesn't he? I bet he did that on purpose. I mean, it was daytime when he came back with the Doctor-- I bet he's been following them around, just WAITING for the perfect opportunity to make his entrance. *snigger*

* I: Are you going to go back to [your Doctor]?
J: I came back for YOU.
I: ............... *stare*
J: Uh, ALL of you.

Seriously, this SLAYED me. Not just because of the subtext (is it really subtext when it's that blatant?), but because it's particularly hilarious in context of all the fics which are like, "I came back for YOU, Ianto!" "Pull the other one, sir, it's got bells on." Has RTD been lurking around fandom? XD

* Aaaaaw, Gwen's engaged! How lovely. But SERIOUSLY, stop with the Jack/Gwen, show. That's the only thing I didn't like about this episode. Not only is she engaged and he still running around having whacked out snog sessions/flirting/subtext with other men (which makes him a bit of a cad. I know he's Jack, but he could at least pay a passing nod to 21stC monogamous relationship values. I'll forgive him for now, though.), it's just... ONE of them needs to have a healthy, non-incestuous relationship with someone outside Torchwood. Also, I like Gwen well enough, but I don't want this to be the Gwen Show and I got grumpy everytime it was threatening to head that way in S1. All in all they work better in a mentor/student dynamic, if you ask me.

* James Marsters is kind of impossibly awesome as Captain John. "I worked my way through the ranks." "I'm sure the ranks were very pleased." Oh, I'm SURE THEY WERE. XD

* MURDER REHAB. HAH.

* Jack: *SIGH* We go back.
John: Oh, we more than go back. We were partners.
Ianto: *suspiciously* In what way?
John: *LEER* In EVERY way. And then some.
Jack: It was only for two weeks!
John: Two weeks in a TIME LOOP. It was five years. It was like having a WIFE.
Jack: YOU were the wife.
John: No, YOU were the wife!
Jack: No, YOU were!
John: And I was a damn good one. >D

THIS IS MY CANON. IT HAS ACTUAL JOKES ABOUT WHO IS WHOSE BITCH, IN A TOTALLY GAY WAY. <3

* No, I'm seriously not imagining this, Ianto is REALLY PISSY about John. That is some nice stinkeye action going on, especially when Jack takes John through the "tourist entrance" to the Hub and is divesting him of his weapons. *g*

* Jack is really sulky whenever John goes slipping out little details about him. His mystique! You're RUINING it! (heh, serves him right.)

* JACK HAS RULES! RULES FOR PEOPLE DEALING WITH HIS EX! That is so hilarious.

* Ooh, picking off the team one by one. That's evil. The paralysing lip-gloss was kind of awesome, though (Poison Ivy from Batman & Robin, anyone? clearly Jack should have equipped Gwen with fake lips!), and I was loving the protective Owen. Actually, also the loaded conversation they were having before that, too. I was a bit iffy on the idea of Owen/Tosh in S1, but I find I really like the idea here. Especially since Owen seems to have grown somewhat as a person, while still retaining his cynical snark.

* Oh my god, the office scene. First of all, Jack's OFFICE KINK. Secondly, the totally awkward "hi, what is our relationship status, do u still like me, tick y/n plz" small talk and then Jack ASKING HIM OUT ON A DATE, HEE. I was like, "You know, that sounds awfully like you're asking him out on a--" and then Ianto said, "Are you asking me out on a date?" and just. DEAD.

Also, when I was wafting around the Torchwood community, there was something about how RTD had said this scene was laden with subtext-- clearly not meaning Jack/Ianto itself, because, uh, total utter text, there. But someone on the community floated the idea that the office romance kink/don't get too excited SIR/how are you actually, please don't call me sir, let's go on a date exchange was about Ianto not being so much of a pushover and making it clear that he's not interested if it's just Jack's office romance fling, which Jack responds to by taking the tone away from work-- a date after all this is over, asking about how Ianto is aside from work, asking Ianto not to call him "sir". That was the vibe I was getting from the scene, but I didn't really think about it until I saw it articulated, and I thought it was interesting. (here if you're interested)

On that note, I'd love to see that date. Is Ianto forgiving enough for it to end up in bed, or is Jack going to have to work for it?

* Ahahaha "eyecandy". John really IS like Jack. Also, I love defiant!Ianto and sending him to save the rest of the team. Yay, united front.

* Okay, I saw it coming with John killing Jack and Jack coming back-- like, it clearly needed to happen at some point-- but it was still cool and the timing/execution was great. Plus I loved the unified team and the "we'll just come back stronger".

* BAHA, what's the point of a team if you don't get a last minute rescue? Loving the in-jokes, here.

* Aaaaaaaw. Jack loves his team. More than the universe, more than the Doctor, more than his former partner. Love! Meanwhile, however, his team are standing around awkwardly while he snogs his old flame goodbye. (Ianto: *STINKEYE*)

* ... Grey? Does Jack have a son or something? O.o;

* The coming up stuff all looks awesome. (Now I know where the clip of Jack snogging Ianto comes from, too. That'd been bugging me, that there was a preview I couldn't find.) Died laughing particularly at,

I: It's all over.
O: *nods solemnly* ... Let's all have sex.
I: And I thought the end of the world couldn't get any worse.

XD SERIOUSLY, RTD, HAVE YOU BEEN READING FANFICTION?

In conclusion, LOVE. It was funny and shippy and exciting and well-paced, and if the whole season is going to be like this, the awesome may kill me so dead that I will never be resurrected again.

Comments

[icefalcon.livejournal.com]

On the second attempt, it seemed I'd trimmed the passport photos too much. Jesus christ, I was trying to fit them inside the frame. If you don't want people to trim them like that, DON'T DRAW TINY BOXES WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STICK THEM. ><;

I SECOND THIS STATEMENT SO VERY MUCH. I did the exact same thing - but the passport guy was nice, he took another picture of me (it was a very bad picture though... I have Paris Hilton eye :/) and sent the TOTALLY FINE, I SWEAR signed picture in with the new picture rather than knocking me back.

Stupid forms. They should have a 'NOT ACTUALLY TO SIZE, PLZ IGNORE THESE STUPID BOXES' disclaimer.

[tammaiya.livejournal.com]

I had some spares because I needed a bunch to give to the Japanese university, too, but jesus CHRIST. My parents are all, blah blah, it says the size the photos are supposed to be, you should've checked... yeah, well, BULLSHIT. Those measurements weren't even on the same page as the boxes. If you have boxes, it is reasonable to assume the stuff that goes in them, you know, GOES in them. >O

And the post office wasn't that nice to me. I'm getting it all re-guaranteed and trying again on wednesday. Stupid passports.

(It's crazy. so many documents. documents for the passport, documents for the japanese university, documents for my visa, documents to let me take insulin into Japan... ;____;)