Panels yay! I am slotted for the following:

( Big Damn Anti-Heroes )

( Dracula )

( How Did You Make That? )

( Lighty or Nighty? )

( Revamping Vampire Powers )

( Whedon's Witty Wordplay )

Probably more than one, having read so many stories in such a blitz yesterday. But I can't believe I forgot this one in my rec list:

"Black for your funeral, green for grassy ground" (Firefly & Serenity) by liviapenn. Lyrical, heartbreaking, and oh-so-rightly hopeful look at the end of Serenity. Centered on Zoe beginning to find her way forward, with each member of the crew giving his or her own brand of strength.

And has been since last night, actually, but I am chipmunky and low-energy and slow with the posting. Go here for the master list of multi-fandom female-character-focussed goodness.

I had fun writing "Homecoming" (Heroes) for karrenia_rune, who set me the challenge of following Caitlin's adventures in the future timeline.

And was delighted to receive "Rubber Ducky, You're the One!" (Blood Ties) from deire, who gave me my favorite P.I. and goth-girl-Friday and both their moms, all in the same place at the same time. And as if that weren't already worth the price of admission, there's an extra giggle courtesy of His Royal Smugness. (He really does need to be smacked. Often. With great affection, of course.)

Among the sixty-plus offerings, a few of my favorites:

"Three Months Out. Six To Go. (Perfect Time For a Big Sister Freak Out.)" (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) by havocthecat. You might think that being nearly thirty and married would let Dawn out of Buffy coming unglued at the news that she's going to be an aunt. You would, of course, be mistaken. Funny and a bit poignant, with fantastic family stuff (counting both Summerses and Scoobies as "family," of course).

"Starwort" (Forever Knight) by brightknightie, who went well above and beyond the ficathon's 1,000-word call with an older and wiser Fleur encountering LaCroix again, seven years after the "Be My Valentine" flashbacks. Fleur often gets a bad rap in fandom, as a victim of that ep's clumsy use of romance tropes, but this story takes the best of that girl we met and grows her into a worthy woman indeed.

"Silkscreen" (Firefly) by llyfrgell is a lovely look, through Zoe's eyes, at Inara's arrival and the beginnings of her becoming part of the family of Serenity's crew.

"All Witches Go to Limbo (The Unbaptized Innocents Refrain)" (BtVS/Charmed crossover) by wisdomeagle. Tara and Prue cross paths in the afterlife. Delicate, poignant, and respectful of both universes' magic systems and relationships.

"Electric Vengeance" (Heroes) by larah33. A creepy and weirdly exhilarating ride into Elle's broken psyche. Gives her credit for more complexity than canon left room for (which most assuredly does not translate as reform or apologia).

"The Verse That Was" (Firefly) by spiletta42 is a nicely crafted caper with a believable key role for Inara, and great glimpses into everyone's character.

'Cause, y'know, there just wasn't enough Inara. :-)

Irresistibly loverly base by azuredflame. The Italian literally translates to "honest courtesan," also the title of the biography of Veronica Franco on which the movie Dangerous Beauty was (somewhat loosely) based. It was the term for the highest class of prostitute in Renaissance Venice, modeled on the classical Greek hetaira, which translates literally as... Companion. :-)

:: scans current icon collection :: Hmmmm. Okay, Veronica, Inara and Satine all present and accounted for. I seem to have become the Keeper of Fannish Whoredom at some point. Then again, I guess you could say I sell my body to the theatre and my brain to the collection industry. ;-)

Maybe we'll add Cassiopeia next...

( Dedication: )

My TV is downstairs. I am upstairs. I am going to finish this #*$&( story tonight, dammit.

And okay, Jack is taping, but still! Dedication, I tell you!