Consider this the carrot - you don't want the stick*

[hackthis_archive]

1. Hi! to my new people. Hi! to my old people, too.

2. Happy St. Patrick's Day. May your river look green if it's dyed and not just like somebody peed in it.

3. Iron Man trailer Version 2.0 -- Dear Tony - It is on. Yes, again. Love, X.

4. 'Telephone' - Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce - I'm not a Gaga fan, however, I appreciate her as an entertainer. This is entertaining as hell. It even gave me a moment of, "shall we write this?" And then I came back to earth.

5. People, please, for the love of whatever, can you stop drinking from the 'I Am a Speshul Snowflake Kool-Aid'?

6. OK Go 'This Too Shall Pass' - It's true, one day The Great Depression 2.0 will be over. Dunno when, but one day. In the meanwhile, this video will make your day better.

7. Is anybody watching Justified? What are your thoughts? I was gonna watch it, but it's on opposite Southland and I wouldn't stop watching Southland even if the house was on fire.

8. I am watching The Pacific. I need to see more of it before I formulate a proper opinion.

9. The word is 'homes' not holmes. Homes as in home skillet. Homeboy. HOMIE. This is not Sherlock and John Watson we are talking about here.

10a. Album for free #1: JET 'Shaka Rock' -- I am very, very particular about my rock music, but JET always manages to provide me with at least one song that makes me go "fuck yeah!" In this case see Track 1: K.I.A.

10b. Album for free #2: Crazy Heart OST -- Jeff Bridges earned the hell out of his Oscar and this is why. If you haven't seen the movie: SEE IT. I don't recommend things lightly.

11. Holy shit, LJ, man you change a few buttons and now I can't find anything!

12.

2.03 is the best episode of Southland ever. Hands down. I know I say that every week, but that's because it gets better every week. To quote maurheti:

When something loved is lost, and there's been grief and anger and feelings, and then suddenly that thing comes back, there's always -- for me anyway -- that moment of anxiety: Will this thing live up to the memories I have of it? Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes, rarely, wonderfully, my memories haven't done it justice. Oh, Southland. You are so still my boyfriend.

So, this week I'm not holding discussions, because frankly, Southland is at the point where, like The Wire, I don't feel the need to talk about it much. I don't feel the need to pimp it to non-believers. After this week I'm not even sure I need to write for it. Southland speaks for itself eloquently and at this point either you're in, and you appreciate what you've got, or you're out and this is moot.


I would like to address something from last week's post, however, where I protested vociferiously about this girl who I believed to be a new version of Olivia. A few of you have informed me that this is not a new Olivia, but some other sister altogether, although her name and her origins are a fucking mystery. I highly doubt she's Ben's full-blooded sister, half-sister at the most. But I don't know because they are not explaining this to me on the show and that is driving me fucking mental. However, in light of the amazingness of tonight's episode I'm gonna let this slide. For now. Even though other non-Olivia sister is an LA slick!chick -- it's not like you can choose family.

*I don't watch Damages, but I heard this line in a trailler and it cracked me up.

Comments

[irishdf]

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you as well. I am sad that, as I live in Canada, I don't get TNT, and so am unable to see the new Southland eps just yet. But I am thrilled that they're on the air in any capacity, and I hear that they're getting excellent reviews, so that's all good.

I snagged the Crazy Heart OST, and thank you very much for sharing. I do love a good soundtrack, and tend to invest good money in the best ones, so this is giving me the opportunity to give it a try. And I may just have to see this movie, since I keep hearing such good things about it.

And just as an aside, I was just re-reading your GK AU tale "The Road Not Taken" this morning before work. It still makes me very happy, so many thanks to you for that as well. :)

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

Ben can't help himself. This whole day has been a clusterfuck of too much-not enough, and John... John is real in a way nobody was today. It's like the world bends around John instead of streaming through him in overwhelming torrents, and there's that perfect, cool, quiet place right in front of him where the currents haven't joined together again yet.

And so Ben reaches out and folds himself up against John, and for the first time since that morning, the world stills. He presses his face against the bare skin in the V of John's polo shirt and feels John's breath hitch slightly, feels his arms tighten around him just a little bit, and suddenly this place doesn't feel quite so quiet anymore. This noise is different, though; all heartbeat and breath, solid muscle tensing and relaxing as John's hands drift gently up and down Ben's back. He doesn't want to let go but he knows he has to eventually. It feels like drowning when he steps back, John's hands sliding down his arms.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

::whimper::

This is stellar. I can haz more?

[sparky77.livejournal.com]

9. The word is 'homes' not holmes. Homes as in home skillet. Homeboy. HOMIE. This is not Sherlock and John Watson we are talking about here
Now that would be an AU!

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

"Get some sleep, kid."

Ben nods in the direction of John's shoes; he can't look at him directly or he won't be able to leave. He starts walking toward his car, trying to remember how to breathe normally, evenly. He finally finds a rhythm following the sentence that has been running through his head ever since he called John this evening: in converting an on-duty contact out to an off-duty relationship.

He falls asleep on his couch, back flush against the pillows, pretending it's John's solid length behind him.

(You might can haz pieces of more, since apparently writing more than two paragraphs at a time is completely beyond me...)

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Man, its a good thing I haven't really been thinking about writing this story we've been shaping or anything. Right. I mean if it had a title I'd be in bad shape.

[odetteisodile.livejournal.com]

Um, so, I love both you guys, you better only be saying you're not writing anything to keep me on edge, this is awesome.
Also, seriously, converting an on-duty contact to an off-duty relationship as it pertains to Ben and John? Perfect. So, so perfect.

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

Heh...! This might be it, though. I should really get back to the story about Ben in the bathroom stall at the precinct with one hand wrapped around his cock and two fingers up his ass. You know how it goes with me...

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

3. Tony is absolutely amazing, no lie. And he's *fun* it's so hard to find a superhero that's *fun* everybody else is so dour and self-important. Fie on that.

10. You are welcome

12. Yes to everything you said. The hands thing. And he called him DAD. And he had such a bad day that John got him a FIRE TRUCK! A real fucking fire truck! Who does that?

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Southland FTW! \O/

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

*raises eyebrow expectantly*

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

No new Southland yet? Oh noes! Well, this just means that when you finally see it, you'll get to see it you'll appreciate it all the more. It's just... it's so fucking awesome. Wow.

I knew 20 minutes into my Crazy Heart screening that I was going to have to get hold of the soundtrack and it does not disapppoint in the slightest.

Aw, The Road Not Taken! It's a year old this month. I'm glad you're still enjoying it.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Okay, well, that first, because it's already in line. And how much to do I love our new obsession with :converting an on-duty contact to an off-duty relationship?"

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

converting an on-duty contact to an off-duty relationship as it pertains to Ben and John? Perfect. So, so perfect.

That one's all hackthis. She's the one with the ideas; I just try to keep up...

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

It is such a fucking perfect thing! And like you said, you just know John repeated that over and over and over again after the whole Daisy fiasco... Poor Ben. He comes into work the day after he spent the evening drinking on his steps, he's hungover, he hasn't had any coffee yet, he's wearing yesterday's uniform because it was either swing by the dry cleaner to get the clean uniform or get to work on time -- and there's John. Giving him the spiel. In the locker room. In the squad car. During lunch. Because Ben saying that line this last episode? Dude, that shit was dripping with backstory...

[sparky77.livejournal.com]

Um... I'm not sure who Sherlock and Watson are in this situation. Though Ray as Sherlock and Walt as Watson has potential. And Brad could be Sherlock's super smart and awesome older brother. Oh and Nate could be the client.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

You are high. You are totally supportive and smart and inspired in your own right. (Even if you write slow enough to give me heart burn -- why you gotta do me like that?) Seriousy though, you help me formulate my plans; sometimes you even give me plans. I could not ask for more.

Also, if I wrote something that would have to be the title. It could be a three section coda: the phone call, after the fire trucks and the next morning when Ben's finally back in the car with John, and he feels safe. Wired and sleep-deprived and wrung out, but at least John's with him. And Ben brings coffee and when they're at lunch he pulls out this little present that he got for John at Target before work: a tiny kid's fire truck.

(Yeah, the toy fire truck thing came to me earlier today). And John would be all, you can't be giving me things and Ben's like, you got me a real fire truck. I think this is okay. And John's like, Boot, you know the rules. We've been over this. And Ben would sigh, dark circles under his eyes and a patch where he missed shaving and he'd say something about how if John won't have him, he has to take the truck. And John's like, I feel an inequality here. And Ben's like, it's a place holder. In five months I'm done training. I won't be your partner in the car anymore, maybe you'll let me be your partner somewhere else.

And then there's a call and Ben climbs off his stool and John's like, Jesus, but he makes sure not to leave the truck behind.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Of course it was we know this. The question is, did this conversation happen before Daisy as well. Like the first time Ben made a move and John waved it off b/c he was tired and his back hurt and he gave this answer by rote. And then the Daisy thing happened and this time John reiterated his point with severe annoyance. And now...it's like Ben doesn't listen when it comes to John's personal space.He listens everywhere else, but not when it comes to them.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Tell me more.

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

AH! I like where this is going. Of course I love that whole thing where Ben has double standards when it comes to John -- Ben lets John but nobody else into his personal space; it makes sense that he acts as though John's personal space doesn't exist. It's their space. Ben is tenacious, man. Love that.

[thatotherperv.livejournal.com]

yeah until I'm told otherwise, I think my canon is that Ben's mom was the other woman. just cuz it's more interesting that way. but I imagine I will be proven wrong. :)

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

The toy fire truck is fantastic! (I am still not over the whole fire truck thing. Jesusgod.)

and John's like, Jesus, but he makes sure not to leave the truck behind.

Ben is a force of nature, seriously, do not get in his way because he won't just run you down, he will convince you it was your idea in the first place. And that you thought it was the best idea ever. And also that there is no way in hell you can wait five more months.

Don't know if it'll work for you, but it worked for me...

[revelininsanity.livejournal.com]

Might have to jump around until you get there, but, http://www.casttv.com/shows/southland/phase-three/xhl0pk.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

EXACTLY!

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Ben is a force of nature, seriously, do not get in his way because he won't just run you down, he will convince you it was your idea in the first place. And that you thought it was the best idea ever. And also that there is no way in hell you can wait five more months.

Ben seems so reserved and shy (read Canadian - that will never not be funny) when people meet him. And he's always a perfect gentleman, always so well mannered, but with John... it's like John hit some switch and he doesn't even know where it is to turn it off, because with John, Ben's belligerant and nosy and passionate. It's kind of hard to fight that.