Countdown to Small Gifts 1/7: Introductions

[smallgiftsmods.livejournal.com]

Today's the day, small gifters! Gifts are due, and we'll begin chatting, while we wait for December to roll around.

Today's discussion topic: introductions. Tell us a bit about yourself as a R/S fan! Whether you're a first-time participant or veteran, we'd like to get to know you. How long have you been a fan of Remus/Sirius? What drew you to the pairing? How did you discover the pairing, or HP fandom in general?

Comments

[brighty18.livejournal.com]

Hi, y'all!

I'm Michelle (or brighty18 and I feel like I've been around since the dawn of time. Okay, it was really only like 2007, but it feels like forever. LOL. I've been doing this fest for at least four years, too. Don't tell my fellow rs_games mods this, but, in truth, this is my favorite fest of the year. I love everything about it, the holiday theme, the length of the stories, the quality of the art, the fabulous people, and, perhaps most of all, the format itself. I love the idea of creating something specifically for another person and seeing how other people accomplish that same goal. Oh, and the other reason I like it best? I don't have to do anything, but have a hell of a lot of fun. It's like going to someone else's house for Thanksgiving. Nice.

I came to R/S entirely by accident whilst poking around on LJ. I read my first story and I was hooked, for it felt as if the ship made perfect sense in my mind. Sirius had long been my favorite character, but I adored Remus from the moment I "met" him because I thought he was one of the few professors at Hogwarts who could really "teach" in the modern sense of the word. (I taught English, history, and drama for several years and his style was rather like mine.) But the two of them together? Not only was it hot, but it seemed very "right."

I just went back and counted and I've written far to many stories for me to be confidently considered sane, but most of them appear HERE (http://brightyfics.livejournal.com/2017/03/24/). Honestly, I used to be much more prolific. I haven't really written much lately, but in the past few years I've virtually ONLY written for fests, especially this one. My favorite genres to write are humor/crack, adventure, and hurt-comfort, but I love reading just about everything. I used to write more sex, but, because of my personal life, it feels really super awkward to do it now. I still like reading it, though.

[magnetic-pole.livejournal.com]

It's like going to someone else's house for Thanksgiving.

I can see that! :) Welcome! I'll put your coat in the bedroom and get you a cup of tea and some fic and art. :)

I've been in fandom for about the same time as you, and I've also shifted to mostly writing for fests. Why's that, do you think? M.

[pavlablack.livejournal.com]

Hi Michelle! We've "met" before in another fest when you wrote a really lovely comment on one of my fics, and I so appreciated it. I think people like you are what help make this fandom so great. I've had the pleasure of reading some of your work, and am looking forward to seeing what you come up with here.

[magnetic-pole.livejournal.com]

Hi! I'm Maggie, and this is my seventh year writing for and moderating this fest. That sounds like such a long time, doesn't it? busaikko and I organized rs_small_gifts in 2006, back when most of the major pairings seemed to have their own year-end exchanges, and we didn't want Remus/Sirius fans to miss out. (The previous Remus/Sirius exchange, shackinup_sesa, had ended the year before, I believe.) Later on mindabbles and sambethe came on board to help moderate.

I discovered fanfic accidentally at the end of the 2005--just by googling; I'd had no contact with fandom before and wasn't even that big a fan of the books--and almost immediately gravitated to Remus/Sirius. It just made so much sense to me, given what we know about these two characters in the books. Also, the mystery of Harry's parents' back story has always appealed to me. Why did they all suspect each other of working for Voldemort? Why did the first war end so badly that the Death Eaters rose again, less then a generation later? At first I hoped that JKR would address their story in the last books, but now I'm glad she didn't; it leaves a little room for us to play with the possibilities.

Unlike the rest of fandom, it seems, I adore short fic, so this format is a lot of fun for me, both writing and reading/viewing art. I'm all about the coffee-break sized gifts! M.

[mindabbles.livejournal.com]

It is a long time! Heh, I can't actually believe it's been that long that I've been around. I think I'm more like 2007.

Funny how many people discovered fandom by accident. I don't think I would have ever thought of it. I hand to be led by the hand!It made sense and I was right there, right away, but I was handed the fandom.

I adore short fic as well. I adore long, too, but it is so hard to write a really well done long one. I find I both enjoy reading and writing the individual words more in short fic.

[brighty18.livejournal.com]

I adore short-fic, too. In fact, I think that there is a real art to writing stories under 5,000 words and still giving the story shape and meaning.

At first I hoped that JKR would address their story in the last books, but now I'm glad she didn't; it leaves a little room for us to play with the possibilities. EXACTLY! I love our ship for many reasons. First off, they are (or can be) adults and that leaves room for more interesting character aspects. Also, as you said, but for the really fascinating back-story about James/Lily and their betrayal, little is known about them. Therefore we have so much more room to play and still remain in the confines of canon. (I define canon as what is in the books. Anything else that does not directly contradict the books can still be classified as canon. For example, no one in the books ever takes crap or even takes a shower - but I am very sure that they did.) It's nice that we can create distinct and original personalities for our boys and still be "canon."

[pavlablack.livejournal.com]

Hi Maggie! It sounds like we discovered fanfic at the same time and same way--accidentally. I share a lot of your thoughts on R/S, especially the initial hope that JKR would write more of the marauders backstory, but then being glad she didn't because I so loved the way it has been portrayed in fandom. Even though every story is different, I can imagine them as equally potentially true, and that's what so great about those open possibilities, as you mentioned.

[knowmefirst.livejournal.com]

Hello All *waves*

I'm Bernice, I have been part of the whole Livejournal life for two years and even more as a reader. With the piece I did for this fest has been my second piece for RS, I'm finding new pairs to love thanks to my f-list. As for HP fanfiction, I stumble on it by accident as I was looking for information of merchandise of Harry Potter and I found a story. I started reading it and like they say the rest is history. I really don't what else to say, I never do. If you have questions just ask, you'll probably get more out of me like that than me actually telling you :D Hope to meet you all!

[magnetic-pole.livejournal.com]

Hi, B! So funny that you found fanfiction on accident, as well. (I was googling for a news story on Harry Potter that I'd half-heard on the radio and wound up reading an epic Harry/Draco fic.) Thank goodness for the internet! What other pairs are you finding through your flist? M.

[dustmouth.livejournal.com]

I think it really is that simple with R/S though- you read one story and it just makes so much sense.
And phew! That's certainly quite a list of pairings :D

[brighty18.livejournal.com]

Hey, I think I missed your email. Do we to talk Mod-stuff?

[pavlablack.livejournal.com]

Hi Bernice--I'm relatively new to fests as well, and also discovered HP fanfiction by accident. Good to meet you!

[rewrites24.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone!

I'm Sarrah. This is my first time participating in small gifts and only my third fest so far. I'm still relatively new to participating in fandom (wrote and posted my first ever fanfic in April 2012) even if I've been around since probably 2004 or 2005 as a reader. (omg that was so long ago and I was still in high school XD)

I was Harry Potter obsessed and used to hang around message boards to discuss the movies and books. Occasionally a link to this fanfic or that fanfic would be given and I was bored/curious. I actually discovered Harry/Draco first. I was so intrigued by the idea of the pair and I was instantly hooked. A lot of H/D has background R/S and, being the curious person that I am, I decided to look some up. Naturally, I jumped ship. Best. Decision. Ever.

What's not to love about R/S? Even shippers who do not like slash will say "yeah, I get it" because they're just MEANT for each other. I don't need it to be given the canon stamp of approval, in my mind they ARE canon. It just makes so much sense. Plus, Sirius has always been one of my absolute favorite characters and even before I shipped them, I always liked the relationship he had with Remus on a purely "friends" basis. When I got turned onto the idea that they could have been in love my brain said "yep.." and that was that.

[dustmouth.livejournal.com]

Hi Sarrah- ;D
I went the opposite way to you- I started R/S and from there began to read a bit of H/D. Before I began reading H/D I just didn't get the dynamic at all, I didn't understand why people would want to read a story about two people who hated each other haha- how I have grown.
I agree wholeheartedly!

[mindabbles.livejournal.com]

Hi! Welcome to small_gifts! You have been around as a reader longer than me. It must be interesting to be involved for so long and then make that switch.

I'm so fascinated by the people who found fandom just searching around. This was not something I ever knew existed until a friend pointed me this way. How cool.

I also love the friendship, the closeness that is there whether you ship them or not. It just makes sense, right? :)

[damascened.livejournal.com]

Hello!
My name's been Dama ever since I stopped lurking and actually started making accounts. So I've been around for a year as a 'person', but I've been lurking since early 2010 in Remus/Sirius fandom. I've only recently started participating in things. I'm still quite terrible at writing, but I like to think that I'm getting better. I'm working on actually getting my Parvati/Lavender scribblings up to a postable standard, in particular.
I stumbled across my first fanfic completely by accident when I was about ten or eleven: I was googling something, and somehow I got linked to a horrible Fred Weasley/Mary Sue fic over on quizilla. But I didn't discover the good side of fandom til years later. When I was 14 I found out about Remus/Sirius and didn't get it at all: until, of course, I was searching around for good fanfiction and I kept being linked to this thing called The Shoebox Project. Three days later I was absolutely convinced of it, for better or worse. And that was the end of that.

[rewrites24.livejournal.com]

Shoebox = ♥

I don't know why you'd say you're terrible at writing, your rs_games fic was amazing! One of my favorites :D

[dustmouth.livejournal.com]

Well hello there.

I'm N, and this is my second year making gifts for this fest- and indeed second year participating in any of the R/S fests.
I must say that this is one of my favourites. The idea of it is lovely, but there is also a really nice relaxed kind of a feel to it that really stops the stress for me. I'm all up for no stress!
I've really only been shipping R/S since 2010, so I'm just a baby yet, and I've only been on Lj for a year now, so as a participating member in fests, I've only been on the radar for a year.

I never really understood the appeal of fanfiction, I must admit, I never looked it up, and honestly had no urge to.
This changed when I graduated from highschool however. I had neglected to sign up with my local library and was spending an absolute fortune buying books just to sustain my reading- it was around then that someone I was following linked to an R/S fic, and I'm not sure which one now (Dating Disasters of Sirius Black?) but I read it and just kind of got hooked. There are so many brilliant writers in this fandom, and the characters themselves just inspire such witty, funny banter. At around the same time I came upon epithalamium's art. I started drawing them at the same time I was going through a huge shift in my art- so it's nice now, because it feels as though they've been with me since I began. They're both such comfortable, familiar faces for me.
I'm not the biggest fan of the books, only in the sense that HP is just completely pervasive in the lives of people my age, but fanfic gives such life to the characters. And I love that idea, that there can be such depth and love and dedication to two people who don't even exist. That people can just take these two strangers and give them life. It's a beautiful thing.

[mindabbles.livejournal.com]

Hiya! We love to hear that this is one of people's favorites. I hope that's partly because it's low-stress and relaxed, as you say. It sure makes it easier for us.

It is wonderful how many creative, lovely, brilliant people there are around here, isn't it? I love the way you describe it there--those were sentences of someone who loves to create.

[mindabbles.livejournal.com]

R/S was my entre into fandom. A friend of mine had been reading and she knew I loved the books. I'm old, so people in my peer group weren't reading it and she and I talked about the characters. She started sending me little bits of fics and art in emails in about 2006, and like a true dealer, got me hooked, until I was seeking it out myself. The first thing I wrote was a multi-chaptered fic that was a gift for her and, believe me, no one else will EVER see it.

The friendship is what draws me. The friendship and the depth of the back story. The way they read each other in the shack always got me. The differences and the similarities between them, as well as how completely fallible they are in so many ways at the same time as they are smart, strong, honorable character.

[dustmouth.livejournal.com]

I'm quite interested in the different ways that people approach fanart in contrast to the way they do fanfic. I mean, it is essentially the same kind of process- both are simply a new portrayal of the characters.
I do like that your friend took on the role as your R/S pimp though hah :D

I agree on the friendship thing- they are such interesting and different characters, you know? I think one of the best things about them is the freedom there is in interpreting their characters and history. And you're right, fandom especially has made them both such well rounded, deep characters.

[adistantsun]

Greetings all!

I'm Lauren - nice to meet you ^_^ - and while I've been kicking 'round fandom and fanfic spaces for a good while, I only stumbled into R/S last year. I uh, rather avoided HP fandom in the years that it was really big. I found the books a bit tedious, but I did enjoy the films and kept up with seeing each one as they came out. 'Prisoner of Azkaban' was always my favourite (the visuals ♥), but I never really gave it much thought beyond that.

Then I discovered this marvellous thing called podfic.

There was almost nothing recorded in the fandom I was in at the time, so I branched out. One day, I happened upon revolutionaryjo's 9.5hr reading of 'Stealing Harry'. It was love at first listen, and I went through and acquired every R/S podfic I could find. Which sadly wasn't many. Having something of a soft spot for small/under-represented fandoms, I decided well hell, if I wanted more R/S podfic, I'd just have to record it myself. A friend who'd been reading R/S from the beginning sent me a spectacular set of fic recs and down the rabbit hole I went, with a mic in hand and a great big grin on my face. I wrote my first fic for them this spring, and had so much fun with it I haven't looked back since. Did not expect my second fic for them to hit almost 50K, but when there's such a wealth of character depth and backstory to explore, who could possibly resist? :Db

I guess what I love most about them is, as others have said, the friendship and the long history between them, and how that impacts on their relationship at different points in their lives. I adore character and character development, and something else that gets me more on the meta side of things is the level to which fandom has fleshed out and rounded their characters, so much more so than JK did (or had space to do) in the books. They're fascinating both to write and record, and I'm much looking forward to developing my own burgeoning headcanon for them. Yay new fandom! \:D/

[dustmouth.livejournal.com]

I agree with you on the books, and it's a funny thing to find myself saying when, here we are investing time and feels in HP fandom :D
I think HP for me is a matter of familiatity, you know it's such a part of my growing up. I literally watched the first two movies at afterschool care every day for the first month after they came out on video- and I think maybe that's a part of it. The story just becomes so firmly a part of your life, there's no escaping it.

Well can I just say then, that I discovered the joys of podfic through you~
I'm looking forwards to more R/S podfic and stories from you then :D (tiny Remus' in flowerpots- just saying...)

[themessrs.livejournal.com]

Hi all. I'm Mich! Relatively new to actually writing R/S, but I've read a fair bit. I'm surprised that I haven't actually gotten seriously into the fanfic until last year, because there's just so much of it.

I'm not sure what got me started on the lads, but I think it had to do with a roleplay friend. Or maybe it was rewatching PoA and realising how close Remus and Sirius seemed; it was like they could read each other's minds, and while I'll admit that's something I've shared with a good friend, their deeper interactions in the books were a little too 'friendly'. And that joint gift to Harry? Come on.

HP itself is like an old friend. I've been into it since 2001, even though I refused to read it at first because it was 'trendy'. Yeah, I was one of those kids. Soon as I read the first few pages though, I was hooked, thankfully. :] And goodness, Remus and Sirius are just the gift that keep on giving, even a decade or so later.

[dustmouth.livejournal.com]

Hello!

It's really interesting hearing how everyone caught on to R/S because it all seems to be surprisingly different.
And can I just say ( I refused to read it at first because it was 'trendy') I am relieved that I'm not the only one who does that ;D

[abbyvonnormal]

I'm a bit late to the party, but I'm here...

What a loaded question(s) this is. I've been a shipper for just over eight years, I can pinpoint the exact day: June 4, 2004 (PoA opening day).

I'd heard of the pairing a few years beforehand. My cousin talked and talked about ships and how Remus was supposed to be with Sirius and no one else. Of course, I thought she needed to be locked away, because why (WHY?!) hadn't J.K. said so. She, my cousin, told me to re-read the books thus far and open my mind. Well, I did just that and... viola! Puppy-shipping happened. Of course, she was more of a Harry/Draco shipper, but she said I needed a pairing of my own.

And that's pretty much how I got into HP in general, too. My cousin told me that I had to read these books, that they would change my life. Who knew that'd I'd be 32 years old wearing a lightening bolt pendant around my neck like it's a crucifix, have a tattoo dedicated to puppy-shipping, and many painfully long and wonderful hours reading and writing fanfiction? Seriously.

Also, I met one of the best people, IRL, in the whole entire world because of this fandom, I wouldn't replace that for anything else, ever.

[magnetic-pole.livejournal.com]

Hi, there!

Also, I met one of the best people, IRL, in the whole entire world because of this fandom, I wouldn't replace that for anything else, ever.

So true! My better half teases me all the time about the invisible "e-friends" who live in my computer, but the folks I've met here are some of the best. M.

[labelleetlabete.livejournal.com]

Also way late to the party, but hey. At least everyone's already drunk.

I've had a long and complicated (haha this is so dramatic) relationship with R/S and HP fandom. In short: I've been a fan of Remus/Sirius since I first read PoA and before I knew what shipping was. Really, before I knew that buttsex existed. But they gave me warm fuzzies at an early age. Luckily, a few years later, I got the internet, and discovered the wide world of fanfiction. I was so daunted by the size of the HP fandom that I never really got involved, except for secretly printing out reams and reams (heh) of fic and squeeing in my room. After a few years I dropped off, left for a long while, but in the past couple of years have come back. So, though I've been a huge fan for a long time, and have obsessively read fic, and written and drawn for myself, I have never been a part of the fandom. So here we are! I'm excited to share with y'all :D

[magnetic-pole.livejournal.com]

So, though I've been a huge fan for a long time, and have obsessively read fic, and written and drawn for myself, I have never been a part of the fandom.

Welcome, L!

So you both write and draw? *impressed* Do you think about the two media differently? M.

[shutupeccles.livejournal.com]

Hi, I'm Chele (or Eccles) and was a secret R/S shipper for years. The first read of PoA made me titter to myself then hearing Snape's quip about an old married couple solidified it. My Flist is so D/H heavy that I despaired until one D/H obsessed friend decided to branch into R/S and ta-da. I only joined remusxsirius last year and this is the first time I've participated in R/S fests as more than a reader.

This pairing seems natural to me where so many others in HP fandom feel forced. Whether Moony and Padfoot first hooked up as Marauders in Hogwarts, when Sirius lied low at Lupin's, or just before Bellatrix Lestrange completely destroyed my head canon - I believe it!

[themessrs.livejournal.com]

This pairing seems natural to me where so many others in HP fandom feel forced.

I'm so glad you said that. I love a lot of canon relationships that JKR set up for us, but I feel that Remus/Sirius have so much more chemistry than, say, Harry/Ginny.

[mutuisanimis.livejournal.com]

Oh boy, I'm late to this party =P I'm Sarah :)

My best friend introduced me to FictionAlley and Wolfstar around the same time... probably...2005? Maybe late 2004. I can't even remember what particularly drew me to the pairing then, but since then I have really come to love the deep explorations of both of them that fans have done, and how well the two of them really fit together.

I have not written much in the past, though I read quite a bit, but this year I decided to challenge myself with the rs_games, and when I heard about this fest, I joined in as well!

[sambethe.livejournal.com]

Happy to have you come out and join us this year!

[pavlablack.livejournal.com]

Hi all! Sorry I'm late.

I have been a R/S fan since the Prizoner of Azkaban came out—they are absolutely my favorite characters in the books. But I, too, discovered fandom by accident in 2005. I was desperately waiting for Half-Blood Prince to come out, and that led me to search for fanfiction to tide me over. The first slash piece I read was Harry/Snape, and I really only read it because I thought it seemed such an odd pairing, but I really liked the piece and found I loved slash, and that led me to seek out R/S stories because to me they were an obvious couple, not to mention the most sexy characters in the books!

I lurked for a while and then fell out of fandom (no reason, really, except regular life getting in the way), but found myself really wanting to read more R/S in the summer of 2011. I discovered how to load fanfiction on my Kindle and that led me to look for the best Remus/Sirius stories I could find.

And the stuff I read was so amazing, and the community so supportive of each other, I decided to do more than lurk. I signed up for my first fest last fall, and even though you can count the ones I've participated in on one hand, I've really enjoyed becoming part of the fandom. It's wonderful discovering new stories and artwork, and contributing to the community I've watched for so long. This is my first time participating in Small Gifts (and I was drawn, as Brighty said, to the holiday theme and the idea of creating something specifically for another person)—I wish I'd not lost that time between 2005 and 2011, but happy to be here now!

[shutupeccles.livejournal.com]

Wow, you seem so comfortable that I thought you'd been here from the start! Thank goodness you stopped lurking! It's generous personalities like you that led me to join and participate. Some may say that's a bad thing... ^_~