Litany In Which Certain Things Are Crossed Out, a Damon/Elena picspam

[lackadaisicalnereid]

For those of you who may not be aware:
In the corner of TVD fandom where I mostly reside, there is this obsession (I am not kidding. It's an obsession.) with a poet, Richard Siken, and especially his one poem, titled Litany In Which Certain Things Are Crossed Out. The obsession manifests itself in many shapes and forms: people's journals have titles from the poems, the lines from the poems are prompted on all the ficathons, mentioned in metas and focuses of fics, maybe even icons. In this case it's a picspam. What I tried to do started as an impossible idea: combine every line from the poem (which is about 150 lines) with different screencaps of scenes from The Vampire Diaries, focusing on Damon and Elena. TAH-DA. It's here, behind the curtaincut.

ETERNAL thanks to my betas and moral supporters (in order of appearance, I think?): upupa_epops, who not only cheered this idea on and was FABULOUS moral support, but also provided advice and helped with the choices. If it wasn't for you, Marta, this probably would never have become more than an idea. You are to blame, just saying. ever_neutral, YOU WERE AMAZING, with your LOAD of constructive criticism which helped this picspam grow into its final form. youcallitwinter, who was awfully excited and cheered me on and read my ~1000 words of non picspam related stories, while I should have been working on the picspam. And finally, vergoldung, who cheered me on and SHAMELESSLY blackmailed me into finishing it quickly.




Bless you all.

Note: The picspam contains images from all of the series, season 1 to season 3. Beware of spoilers if you haven't seen it.

Comments

[ever-neutral.livejournal.com]

OK SHUT UP THE PORCH FOR "that doesn't look that much different from home"????? I REFUSE. I REFUUUUUUUSE.

"the shiny beautiful mechanical wind" = \o/. So glad that works.

I JUST COULDN'T SAY IT OUT LOUD. I JUST COULDN'T SAY IT OUT LOUD..

I JUST COULDN'T SAY IT OUT LOUD.

I CAN'T.

This is a terrible post. I see you laughing evilly in the corner.

[upupa-epops.livejournal.com]

This is an embarrassing comment.

YOU WILL BE ALONE ALWAYS AND THEN YOU WILL DIE.

OTHER THAN THE DESPERATION

I'M SORRY I COULDN'T COME TO YOUR PARTY

FLAMES EVERYWHERE

I'M JUST A WRITER

I SINK THE BOAT OF LOVE, BUT THAT COMES LATER. Of course you'd choose a scene right before she crushes his romantic delusions. OF COURSE!

I'M THE DRAGON. BIG DEAL. The imagery is just perfect. It's not a very powerful scene, but, GUH, you caught the essence of Damon in, like, five pictures. How are you even real???

LET ME DO IT RIGHT FOR ONCE! You understand me :((((((.

HELLO DARLING, SORRY ABOUT THAT

THE SCENE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRWELL

TO MAKE A CREATURE THAT WILL DO WHAT I SAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YOU ARE NOT FEEDING YOURSELF TO A BAD MAN I caaaaaaaan't. My girl and her stupid trainers and EVERYTHING in this scene :(

I TAKE IT BACK

CROSSED OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What you did with this section is so perfect I can't even. CLUMSY HANDS IN A DARK ROOM. CROSSED OUT. SO PERFECT

ALL THE ROOMS OF THE CASTLE EXCEPT THIS ONE :(((((((((((

LOVE, FOR YOU... Have I mentioned a broken heart?

GIVE ME ANOTHER VERSION :(((((((((((( This is what Elena does, right?

UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FORGET THE DRAGON! My girl, her hands bloody, why did you? :(

MOMENT OF EPIPHANY :((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Seriously, this is your moment of epiphany? I NEVER LIKED THAT ENDING EITHER?

THERE WERE SOME NICE PARTS, SURE

Guh, perfection. I love how you keep fluently jumping between POVs, because this is what they are. They're too alike, and it shows in their stories, POVs just fluently going from one to the other and back again. YOU SHOULD DO ALL THE PICSPAMS ALWAYS!

Here endeth the emo vomit.

[fluffyfrolicker.livejournal.com]

OK SHUT UP THE PORCH FOR "that doesn't look that much different from home"????? I REFUSE. I REFUUUUUUUSE.

OH I WAS SO HAPPY WITH THAT PART. I was very close to telling the whole picspam to go screw itself when I randomly stumbled across that first cap.

So glad that works.

You helped. You are amazing. You already know all of this.

I see you laughing evilly in the corner.

It's as if you know me.


src

[fluffyfrolicker.livejournal.com]

This is an embarrassing comment.

Hey, no embarrassment in this bar, please. JUST LOVE LOVE AND WHATEVER.

I'M SORRY I COULDN'T COME TO YOUR PARTY

I HATE THAT CONVERSATION with every fiber of my being. Especially Elena's face and the way her voice cracks when she asks him, Where were you, Damon?

I SINK THE BOAT OF LOVE, BUT THAT COMES LATER. Of course you'd choose a scene right before she crushes his romantic delusions. OF COURSE!

WELL SHE DID SINK THE BOAT OF LOVE. Guh, how she breaks his heart.

How are you even real???

Exactly what I ask myself when I read your meta :P

LET ME DO IT RIGHT FOR ONCE! You understand me :((((((.

/nods

THE SCENE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRWELL

I KNOW RIGHT? they are awful AWFUL I tell you.

TO MAKE A CREATURE THAT WILL DO WHAT I SAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am very egocentrically in love with the visuals of those caps.

YOU ARE NOT FEEDING YOURSELF TO A BAD MAN I caaaaaaaan't. My girl and her stupid trainers and EVERYTHING in this scene :(

WHILE I WAS WORKING ON THIS CAP I COULDN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT YOUR META AND THE ANALYSIS OF THE TRAINERS. YOU ARE RIGHT, NO ONE CAN BE HEROIC IN THOSE TRAINERS.

I TAKE IT BACK

In which he again, does the only thing he can, which is picking up the pieces after everything's already been screwed up beyond recognition.

CROSSED OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What you did with this section is so perfect I can't even. CLUMSY HANDS IN A DARK ROOM. CROSSED OUT. SO PERFECT

LOVE, FOR YOU... Have I mentioned a broken heart?

That, along with the entire history of human desire are one of the ABSOLUTE WORST moments of this. I HATE D/E WITH PASSION.

GIVE ME ANOTHER VERSION :(((((((((((( This is what Elena does, right?

When it gets so shitty you have NO IDEA WHATSOEVER how to continue, call it a day, repaint your room, hope it settles itself.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AWFUL SCENE. AWFUL.

FORGET THE DRAGON! My girl, her hands bloody, why did you? :(

When all there's left is the blood on her hands, there'll still be Damon.
OR SOME OTHER GOD AWFUL TRUE D/E SENTENCE I READ.

Guh, perfection. I love how you keep fluently jumping between POVs, because this is what they are. They're too alike, and it shows in their stories, POVs just fluently going from one to the other and back again. YOU SHOULD DO ALL THE PICSPAMS ALWAYS!

As long as you enable me, I should be fine :D HAVE TO THINK OF NEW IDEAS, THOUGH!

[plural-entity.livejournal.com]

God, this is beautiful.

The only part I didn't like was the fact there were so many awesome pictures with so much awesome poetry that my computer kept lagging behind me as I absorbed it all, and kept having to wait for the pictures to load. xD STUPID STUPID SLOW COMPUTER.

But you did serious work here girl. ♥ This is one of the most beautiful picspams I've seen in a while.

And using Siken just makes it all HURT SO GOOD.


ETA: Oh and I think it's time I added you now, K?

[fluffyfrolicker.livejournal.com]

THANK YOUUU :)

This is one of the most beautiful picspams I've seen in a while.

You're legit making me blush. I like it <3

SIKEN IS THE WORST, obviously.

Added you right back :)

[bellonablack.livejournal.com]

THIS WAS AN EXPERIENCE EXCUSE ME IT WAS EPIC <3

I love it, that is all, and perfect work.

[fluffyfrolicker.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU I AM VERY GLAD YOU LIKED IT <3

(the picspam took the most effort ever, but everyone liking it is very good pay off <3 people should enjoy D/E, they're great.)

[stainofmylove.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is so lovely ... and looks like SO MUCH WORK, so good on you for gettin' it done! I don't really ship Damon/Elena like I used to, but they're still one of the most interesting relationships in the series and this picspam really illustrates almost every facet of it. Really, really awesome.

[fluffyfrolicker.livejournal.com]

THAT is a lovely icon. IT WAS LOADS OF WORK. I thought I'd lose my mind around a 2487 times during it. Guh, very glad you think this illustrates D/E well, that was(obviously) what I wanted <3 THANKYOUTHANKYOU <3333

[bellonablack.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna friend you because...we have similar interesttsss <3 Hope that is cooll

[fluffyfrolicker.livejournal.com]

OF COURSE :))) Friended you right back, now going to stalk your journal :D

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

That is such a gorgeous, such a clever picspam! I love it!!! It must've taken you ages to make but it was definitely worth the effort. This is soooo amazing, and the way in which you matched the caps with the poem lines is UNCANNY. Brilliant work. Thank you so much for making & sharing this! ♥

[fluffyfrolicker.livejournal.com]

OH MY Thankyou ♥ ♥ ♥ Glad you liked it and glad it felt well matched to you. And it was a lot of work and a lot of mental support was required, so it's good that I'm still alive and kicking :D

Thank you again ♥

[petitebelette.livejournal.com]

SHAKING A LITTLE, NOT EVEN BEING DRAMATIC, OKAY

this was beautiful and needed to be done and you did it so brilliantly and i love it so thank you

goodbye curling into a ball of hopeful despair now

[fluffyfrolicker.livejournal.com]

NO NO NO, NO despair. Despair isn't good. This is more of a "sure our ship is awful and dysfunctional but in an enjoyable way that we enjoy and make picspams of and then everyone will be happy"

[petitebelette.livejournal.com]

But it's hopeful despair and both parts of that description is so horribly wonderful to me a.k.a basically YES WHAT YOU JUST SAID.

[fluffyfrolicker.livejournal.com]

Ok, I can live with causing hopeful despair, I think. I love the colors on your icon btw <3

D/E=DEspair, sometimes, basically :D

[petitebelette.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Sadly, I didn't make it, so I can only take credit for taste. <3

Basically. :D But in a good way.

[fluffyfrolicker.livejournal.com]

RIGHT? Good despair is the best.

And D/E is goood despair sometimes :D And sometimes fun and sometimes everything.

I'm actually feeling weird, being done with this picspam. I mean, I don't remember how much it took, but for the last week or so (probably?) almost all of the thoughts when I wasn't doing anything went into "pick pictures for the picspam" mode. And now there's this huge empty space where those thoughts used to be. WHAT DO I DO NOW.

[petitebelette.livejournal.com]

ONLY DESPAIR I CARE TO KNOW.

It is everything. That's why this ship punches me in the heart. Too many feels. All the feels. screeeeeeaaaammmmm.

It must have took a lot! It's really impressive. I have a few suggestions to clear your head, though:
1. Go on tumblr.
2. Scroll.

[fluffyfrolicker.livejournal.com]

D/E is way too good at causing emotions. Hate them.

LOL. I try not to go to tumblr too much, haven't heard many good things about it. Not that I've seen much of it, mind you. I mostly go there when I'm looking for a gif. Or I give up and make it myself.

I'm actually trying to decide what to do write/make/destroy next.

[fluffyfrolicker.livejournal.com]

THIS POST IS BRINGING ME A LOT OF FRIENDS. I FEEL LIKE THE POPULAR GIRL IN SCHOOL NOW.

Of course you can, I've seen you around tons of times :) OH I KNOW, you read that great D/E ficlet, Pages upon pages, and the other one that I flailed about. HOW ARE WE NOT FRIENDS, I do not know.

THANKYOU, OH MY, being added to memories, that's always a special kind of compliment.

upupa_epops darn Marta, she's the worst best with of all her quoting.

The scene at the bottom of the stairwell, I SO ADORE THAT SCENE <3

SO THANKYOUTHANKYOU and of course you can add me, and you are non creepy, definitely :)

[upupa-epops.livejournal.com]

You know you love me.

[petitebelette.livejournal.com]

Haha you're probably right. It's got its bad spots but there's so much pretty... and some smart stuff! There are a few safe-ish corners.

Ohhhhhhh I await this next thing excitedly /chinhands