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amplificathon
Last year, I told you about my safety pods--the podfics I whip out when real life is being stupid, and I need to be comforted, for whatever reason. SO now I'm back, to give you my updated list of the podfics I listen to when life just SUCKS, still helpfully sorted into level-of-emotional-emergency!
Some of these have been recced before--by me last year, by other people this year, even by ME this year!--but that doesn't change the fact that...well, this is my safety pod list & order, and so I'm gonna be selfish and just RE-REC THEM :P
NOTE: 4 of the bolded scenarios have actually happened to me in the past year. I'll let you guess which ones.
The special features to that movie you loved are only available on the Bluray edition. You just have a DVD player.
we were once cinema gods in the night {MP3/M4B} (read by
aphelant, written by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
gyzym) [Inception, Arthur/Eames]I always enjoyed this fic, but listening to this podfic? Genuinely makes me want to become a producer. (And makes me miss my stage managing days.) It just...sucks me INto this world in a way that is sort of transcendant. Phela truly makes me FEEL Arthur's excitment and frustration and heartbreak in a way that doesn't let me out to think about my own real-world problems. Her use of phone SFX is also very effective.
Your favorite ice cream flavor was just discontinued.
Topspin {MP3/M4B} (read by
chemm80, written by lazy_daze) [Supernatural RPF, Jared/Jensen]This has long been one of my favorite J2 fics of all time, and
chemm80's reading of it is just INCREDIBLE. Her accent is flawless for this fandom, and her character voices are just so...I CANNOT EVEN. They're perfect. ALL OF THEM. This one is pretty long (nearly 5 hours), and it has highs and it has lows and it will take you on an emotional rollercoaster and you just have to hang on for the ride, there's no other room to keep thinking about whatever's plaguing you.You just got a scratch on your three-week-old car. (It was your own fault.)
Girl You're Like A Weird Vacation {MP3/M4B} (read by
paraka, written by moirariordan) [American Idol RPF, Kris/Allen]I....am not really ~in American Idol fandom. Like, I sort of am? I know who they are through fannish osmosis. But mostly I am in it for
paraka's AU podfics. Because if you have never listened to any of her AI AU podfics, you are missing out on joy. NO SERIOUSLY. I blanket rec all of her American Idol AU podfics. But this one especially has a special place in my heart. Her female!Kris voice is just THE MOST PERFECT THING, and this whole podfic is just the sweetest thing, and I just...it never fails to make me smile.Your work won't give you time off to go to that convention.
Academic Punk {MP3/M4B} (read by
luzula, written by thehoyden) [Due South, Fraser/RayK]This delightful podfic always reminds me why I love RayK.
luzula's reading is lovely and calming as Ray systematically and cheerfully defies every expectation Fraser has of academia. I dare you to listen to this and NOT feel a little empowered to take on whatever's bothering you, as Ray chainsmokes and forms an informal LGBT support group and graffitis the goddamn broken elevator, if that's what it takes to be heard.That person you have a crush on? Has a girlfriend.
Little Wooden Boy and the Belly of Love {MP3/M4B} (read by
sophinisba, written by Do you ever have those melancholy nights where you're just awake and you can't identify the source of the sadness but you can't fall asleep and feel restless and--this podfic is the podfic that I turn to on those nights. I don't know why, but this podfic evokes a feeling of being wrapped in a warm coccoon of blankets for me. It doesn't dull the sadness, but it fills it with a feeling of...the good sort of melancholy? Where everything is sort of achy in the best ways and it is going to get so much better and oh god every time I try to talk about this podfic in actual WORDS I just fail so miserably because what this podfic gives me is FEELINGS, it evokes a certain atmosphere that never comes out sounding the way it just IS in my head.
Which I realize is sort of unhelpful in that it gives you almost no details about the actual FIC, but, well. Sorry dudes, you're just gonna have to accept that I'M NOT INTELLIGIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PODFIC, but despite that you should really give it a try anyway.
Your childhood cat just got put to sleep.
Reconcilable Differences {MP3/M4B} (read by
pandarus, written by astolat) [Smallville/DCU, Clark/Lex]I think I recced this before on the strength of FayJay's Lex voice (because DEAR GOD HER LEX VOICE <3______<3) but this is really just an outstanding podfic aside from that. ALL of FayJay's character voices are pitch-perfect, actually, as per usual, and she hits both the emotional points and the humourous ones with an uncommon ease. The plot on this one clips right along, and it's perfect for when you really need a long, plotty podfic to get you out of your head.
Your boss's boss's boss's boss's BOSS'S Social Media Department found your unlocked Twitter account. (Good luck not getting fired.)*
Forever, Now {MP3/M4B} (read by
klb, written by passe_simple) [Bandom, technically gen but pre-Frank/Gerard]Okay first off? This will not even be the first time I have recced this story THIS WEEK. This podfic you guys, omg. What can I say other then that it's the most AMAZING, well-crafted and heart wrenching kidfic, as read by
klb, who I trust basically any story to implicitly podfic-wise, because she is so podficularly gifted, and I just.....alsk;jlfkajsd I CAN'T EVEN I CAN'T EVEN OH GOD I AM LIKE CRYING JUST ATTEMPTING TO DESCRIBE THIS PODFICAnd to get serious here for a minute, you can read my star note on this one at the bottom, and haha funny, but some shit happened late last year/early this year, and I was genuinely going through one of the most difficult periods of time in my life in YEARS, and I think I listened to this podfic like...twice in a month, or something like that. And it's over nine hours long. Just...I don't think I can really describe everything this podfic has gotten me through, or how much it means to me. Just... <333
Termites have destroyed all your worldly possessions.
Pairing Pendragon/Merlin {MP3/M4B} (read by
lunchee, written by anonymous) [Merlin, Arthur/Merlin + Gwen/Lancelot]So I am a TOTAL sucker for meta!AUs, they are like my catnip, and this story was an INSTANT favorite of mine as soon as I read it. And I'll admit: I didn't actually think it was POSSIBLE to podfic this story without a full cast/with only one person. But not only did Lunchee manage it, she pulled it off SO WELL that I can hardly imagine how you'd podfic this story WITHOUT all her sound effects, now. Her reading is so bright and bubbly and perfect and it just makes me grin and grin and grin and want to give fandom as a whole a big, whopping GLOMP.
One of my bosses actually has a story he tells people about this podfic that is called "The Time I Told Bess She Could Leave Her Audiobook On The Office Speakers After I Came Back From Lunch, And It Turned Out To Be Gay Porn" (to which I always reply, "GOD [Boss #2], it was still at the very beginning, no gay sex had actually happened yet! Merlin was only talking about how he'd like someone to come through the computer and suck his dick, get your facts straight.") TRUFAX.
Your partner left you the same week your favorite TV show was canceled.
Ready, Fire, Aim {MP3/M4B} / Situation Normal: All Fucked Up {MP3/M4B} (read by
reena_jenkins, written by gyzym) [Avengers, Tony/Steve + Natasha/Pepper + Rhodey/Bucky]So I already recced this one this Amplirecathon, so I'm just gonna direct you to my verbal squeeage over there ;) But I couldn't leave it off my safety pod list, because...well. THIS IS WHERE IT *GOES* XD
NUCLEAR APOCALYPSE IS IMMINENT!
I've Got Nothing To Do Today But Smile (The Only Living Boy In New York) {MP3/M4B} (read by
pennyplainknits, written by gyzym) [Inception, Arthur/Eames + Yusuf/Ariadne]So once upon a time there was a podfic. And that podfic was MAGICAL. It could bring me back from the edge of ANYTHING, be it almost getting fired, having three extended anxiety attacks/meltdowns in one week, missing a plane and having to pay nearly $600 extra to get to my destination on time, or finding out an old friend had been sexually assaulted. (I...may have had a rough winter.) This podfic is two hours of wonderful, glorious respite. It is like an island of calm when my world is crumbling.
You guys, I have literally gotten to the point where I actually have a Pavlovian response to Penny's voice, and as soon as I hear it, 10 seconds later my whole body just relaxes. (This made meeting her earlier this year only SLIGHTLY awkward *g*) This podfic was number two on my list last year, but there is absolutely no doubt that it has proudly claimed the number one spot on my safety pod list. And I don't anticipate it moving from there for quite a while. According to my iTunes, this podfic has 33 plays, but my iTunes is notoriously bad at accurately tracking plays from my iPod, so I suspect that number is quite low. Just...to give you an idea.
Seriously guys, if I haven't convinced you to at least TRY it yet...even if you don't LIKE Inception, it's an AU, I swear that this one requires zero canon knowledge to understand! IT'S JUST A GREAT STORY AND AN INCREDIBLE PODFIC, AND YOU NEED TO ALL LISTEN TO IT RIGHT NOW <333
So there you have it! My current safety pod list. Feel free to tell me what YOUR safety pods are in the comments!
* I'm going to cop to this one being true because I just want to say PIER 1 IMPORTS SOCIAL MEDIA DEPARTMENT, I HOPE YOU ARE STILL FOLLOWING ME AND ENJOY ALL THE TWEETS ABOUT GAY PORN, YOU FUCKERS.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-29 11:27 am (UTC)You're not the only person who has this reaction.
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Date: 2012-07-29 11:49 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2012-07-29 10:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-30 05:52 pm (UTC)Well, all right! You have convinced me. *downloads*
: )
Also, thanks for the rec! *relistens to a bit* Wow, I used to read so slowly--I've speeded up a bit since then. OTOH, it does sound very calming. *g*
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Date: 2012-07-30 05:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-02 11:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-19 04:42 am (UTC)