Fanart, Fanfiction and Fangirling

Happy Valentine's Day! I didn't have anything planned for today, but a few days ago I got inspired and went back to a ficlet I had started a while ago and never finished. It's silly rather than romantic, but it's better than nothing, right? I might even write a smutty sequel, stay tuned.



Title: Professor Stokes
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Greg likes Nick's new look.
A/N: Inspired by this gif.

...

"I like the new look, it gives off sexy professor vibes."

Nick looked up from the newspaper he was reading. Greg was standing in the doorway, looking at him with a little smile.

"Is that a new kink of yours?" he asked, amused.

"It can be," Greg answered, walking into the room. "Oh, professor Stokes, I really don't want to fail this class. I'm willing to do anything to improve my grades. Anything," he added, stopping next to him and leaning a hip against the table in what Nick was sure was supposed to be a seductive pose.

He shook his head.

"You're such a freak."

Read the rest on AO3.

Challenge #3

In your own space, talk about a fannish opinion you hold that has changed over time.

I didn't know what to write at first, then I remembered how I got into the CSI fandom a few years ago. I was going through a very stressful period at work and started watching CSI reruns as a way to relax. (Yeah, I found a TV show about people getting murdered relaxing. It was a stressful period.)

Anyway, at first I just enjoyed watching the show and wasn't interested in the fandom side of it. Then I started thinking Hodges and Wendy were cute together and looked for fics on AO3, but only found a handful. I read a couple of Grissom/Sara fics, but that wasn't really my thing. Then I saw there were A LOT of Nick/Greg fics. And I clearly remember thinking "What? No, they're just friends!" (Oh, sweet summer child...)

But after a while I got desperate for content and decided to give it a try. I mean, I usually love slash, so why not? And all of a sudden, everything just made perfect sense. I kept reading fic after fic, I just couldn't get enough. (Carolinecrane's account on AO3 in particular was a goldmine.)

Still, I was convinced I wouldn't create anything in the CSI fandom, I would simply limit myself to reading fics, and that would be it. Well, 41 fics, a few WIPs and some fanart pieces later, I can say without fear of contradiction I definitely changed my mind about the Nick/Greg ship and my involvement in the fandom.

I've finally gone back to working on a Nick/Greg fic I started a long time ago but never finished. It still needs work, but I like what I have so far. I want it to be a slow burn kinda fic, which is ridiculous, given my tendency to write almost exclusively ficlets and short stories, but I'm going to try anyway. As I was writing, I remembered there was another ficlet I started in response to a hurt/comfort prompt some time ago that I still need to finish. I think the fic has taken a slightly different direction from the original prompt, I might have to change a thing or two.

It feels good being back to writing Nick/Greg, it's become such a comfort pairing for me.

I also found some amazing Lupin/Jigen fanart on Twitter (or X, or whatever it's called these days, I never use it any more). The account hasn't been updated in a while, but there are a lot of great pics. A lot of them are NSFW, with some humour and angst thrown into the mix, so be careful when you click the link:

https://x.com/thegreatestmass

Yep, I did it again: I drew Greg Sanders wearing a questionable outfit for Lunar New Year. I couldn't decide between the two versions, so I'm posting them both.

( Year of the Dragon )

Challenge #6

In your own space, share a favourite piece of original canon (a show, a specific TV episode, a storyline, a book or series, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much. . Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.



This is just a small detail, something that was probably meant as a comic relief moment, but I think it explains a lot about the character. I'm referring to when we find out that Greg Sanders (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) had his first time when he was 22. In episode 05x05 "Swap Meet", he gives a bunch of used condoms to the new DNA tech, Mia, and tells her "It's like being back in college". Only for Mia to reply that Sara told her Greg had his first time when he was 22. Greg's face falls and he quickly changes the subject.

Especially in the first seasons, Greg was the loud, slightly crazy guy, who would flirt with anyone and know everything about sex and fetishes. But here we find out that maybe he wasn't always like that. If we put this piece of information together with the knowledge that he had to wear awful braces for 4 years when he was a teenager, and the fact his mother never let him play any sports in school for fear of him getting hurt (which is revealed later in the series) we get a good idea of how he must have spent his formative years.

All these little bits of canon convinced me that Greg desperately wanted to belong when he was younger, he wanted to be one of the popular kids, to have sex and relationships, but he had to wait until he was already a young adult to finally experience that. So, to compensate, he did the only thing he could: he researched. He seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge about sex, the kind one gathers from books rather than direct experience. Maybe he read a lot about sex or watched porn so he would be ready for his first time and his partner wouldn't think he was a loser for still being a virgin. And even after years, he still wants people to think he's cool, so he flirts and acts cocky and sure of himself, but, deep down, he's still an insecure teenager who just wants to belong.

I know I'm probably reading waaay too much into such a small and unimportant scene (projecting? Who? Me?), but I like when authors give us such tiny, seemingly insignificant details, that make a lot of sense as part of the bigger picture.

(Can I also mention this particular scene inspired one of my fics? Yes, I can and I will: Twenty-Two, Nick/Greg, rated Explicit/NC-17).

It's December, which means it's time for the Nick/Greg Advent Calendar! These two are still giving me plenty of inspiration, at least for ficlets.

Nick/Greg Advent Calendar 2023 on AO3

I have three WIPs I should be working on, but what do I do? I write a totally unrelated double drabble. *facepalm* I was watching an episode on TV the other day and a certain scene just gave me this idea. I have no word, really, this pairing took over my life. But I'm glad it did, because the summer is just around the corner, and it's going to be just as crazy and stressful as the last two, so at least I have something to distract me and keep me sane.

Title: Little green-eyed monster
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Nick's not jealous. He just wants to make one thing perfectly clear.
A/N: Coda to episode 09x05 "Leave out all the rest". I was rewatching the episode and noticed Greg's amused little glance in Nick's direction when Nick tells Greg and Riley to "Knock it off" at the crime scene, after Riley teases Greg about BDSM and hair-pulling. And, well, I get inspired very easily...

"You're cute when you're jealous," Greg whispered in Nick's ear as the Texan was pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Nick put the pot down with a little more force than strictly necessary and turned towards him. Greg was standing very close, an amused expression on his face.

"I'm not jealous, what are you talking about?"

Greg gave him a pointed look. Nick crossed his arms defensively.

Read the rest on AO3.

Another ficlet I wrote for George Eads Appreciation Week/Month. This is angstier than the last few ones.

Title: Green
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Summary: He can't move
A/N: Written for George Eads Appreciation Week/Month. Week 4 (March 19-25) - It’s Not Easy Being Green / Movin’ Right Along: Hardships or road trips!

He can't move. His legs feel heavy, stuck to the ground, and his knees won't bend. He wants to reach out, but his arms are glued to his sides, fingers grabbing uselessly at the rough denim of his jeans. He tries to sit up, but there's a weight on his chest, an invisible hand pushing him down and keeping him in place.

He's itching. He can feel hundreds of tiny legs marching on his skin, crawling along his arms, up his neck, roaming all over his face and trying to make their way into every orifice.

He can't breathe. The air is stifling, suffocating, sweat drops running down his forehead as he opens his mouth, tries to gulp down some oxygen, but nothing gets past his pharynx.

And then there's the green glow.

Read the rest on AO3.

I'm still a little sore after yesterday's dentist appointment, but one thing drastically improved my day: Eric Szmanda shared my "Year of the Tiger" fanart on Instagram and liked my "Year of the Rabbit" one! I almost had a heart attack when I got the notifications. He's sharing some fanart today, so it's not just me, and I'm perfectly aware that all his recent Instagram activity is linked to his comeback in CSI: Vegas, so I know I'm not "special", but damn, it was such a nice surprise. Which brought along the eternal question: "What would he think if he saw the slashy fanart?" Cue panic. I mean, he probably wouldn't care, I only drew two very tame Nick/Greg pics and I'm sure he has seen worse (I mean, he's friends with Dita von Teese and recently hosted one of her shows), but I decided to archive those two pics just in case.

So, that was today's highlight. And a few days ago I found out he's going to appear on the CSI: Vegas episode that airs on the 30th of March, which is just a few days after my birthday. Perfect timing!

I've wanted to draw this for about a year, but I kept putting it off because I thought I couldn't "do it right". But when last Saturday I saw a post about George Eads Appreciation Week on Tumblr, I decided to give it a try. I drew just a sketch at first, and I liked it so much, I thought I'd leave it like that. But in the end I decided to colour it, and I must admit I'm quite happy with the result! It's far from perfect, and I should really look up some painting tutorials, but damn, I can finally see some improvement.

( Images behind the cut )