Let the sunshine in....

[tabaqui]

On this really very wet, rainy, and grey day! I hope all this rain puts the kibosh on 5th of July fireworks, as one night was enough, thank you!

Here's the second Sunshine Challenge: What's In A Name?, or - Fannish Identity.



What does your username mean? How is it pronounced? What's your origin story? Is it fannish?

What is your default icon about? Does it have personal meaning? Why did you choose it? What is it from? Tell us anything else you want to share publicly that would help people know how to interact with you. Preferred pronouns? Do you have a first language other than English? What does "fannish identity" mean to you?


My name is the character of the Jackal from Rudyard Kipling's 'The Jungle Book'. I have always loved those stories, and read them many times as a kid, and still re-read them. It's actually pronounced 'TAH-bar-kee' - I actually wrote to the Kipling Society to ask, and they were kind enough to tell me. :D I don't know why, but since I first read Tabaqui's introduction in the book, I was enamored.

It was the jackal—Tabaqui, the Dish-licker—and the wolves of India despise Tabaqui because he runs about making mischief, and telling tales, and eating rags and pieces of leather from the village rubbish-heaps. But they are afraid of him too, because Tabaqui, more than anyone else in the jungle, is apt to go mad, and then he forgets that he was ever afraid of anyone, and runs through the forest biting everything in his way. Even the tiger runs and hides when little Tabaqui goes mad, for madness is the most disgraceful thing that can overtake a wild creature. - The Jungle Books, Rudyard Kipling.


Now. My default icon, as you can see, is Spike. It's pretty much *been* Spike, one way or another, since I joined LJ waaaaaaaaay back in April of 2004. This one says 'Gonna live forever'. Spike is...well. I just really like him. He's the kind of ideal of what I like in a character. Tough as nails, can cold-cock you in one blow, snarky, snotty, a bit irrational, definitely got some trauma going on. BUT...also.... He sees the beauty in the world, he loves (and loves intensely, and to distraction), he's a poet at heart, and a lover, and a tender soul. But don't mistake him; fuck up too much, get him on the wrong day, and he's gonna rip your throat out. I just love him. :D

Spike wasn't my first fannish 'love' (nor my last); i don't see myself in Spike too much, other than having a lot of emotions going on under a fairly placid exterior (that's growing up, too, though; good, solid German calm, that you don't *allow* emotions to ruffle). Sadly, I'm not now and probably will never be as fit as Spike, heh, though I wish I could fight like he does. :D

Um...as for the rest - i'm a hard-core, far-left, utterly liberal hippy-dippy type. Bisexual woman who is divorced and happy to be (i rather like being alone), with one daughter, the Monstrous Bebe. And three cats.

I don't hide my fannish, fangrrl light, but most of the people i know in 'real life' are simply not interested. I've been a writer and a shipper all my life, and the internet, fandom, Livejournal/Dreamwidth and AO3 are a really huge part of my life. The first place *ever* that I found people who felt and thought like me; were excited for the things I'm excited about, wanted to *talk* about, and write about, and talk about writing about, the things I was interested in.

YAY, and thank gods, and i have so many lovely, wonderful, creative friends from these sites and pages.

And most especially thank gods for my beloved platonic soulmate 4evah, sweptawaybayou. She's just...my rock. Anchor. Everything. :D

My goodness, so that was a lot. :D Happy weekend, everyone!

ALSO - if you have any fannish questions for me? Feel free to ask! :D

Comments

[shadowscast]

TAH-bar-kee

Oh my gosh, I joined LJ fannishly in April of 2004 as well, I think I encountered you fairly soon after ... and I've been pronouncing your name as 'tah-BAH-kee' the whole time! Nice to have that finally cleared up, after fifteen years. :-D

[tabaqui]

Neat! It's been a while.

Well, it's not a word/name that's obvious in its pronunciation. :D

[lunabee34]

Yay! I knew this stuff! I always love getting that confirmation. LOL

[tabaqui]

Heeeeee!

[chase_acow]

The Jungle Book has been on my to read list forever, but this might bump it up. That's an awesome user name origin!

I admit, I've been curious about your Spike icon, and that is a wonderful characterization for him.

[tabaqui]

Thank you! And yes - you should read it! Them. There's several Mowglie stories, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, How the Elephant Got It's Nose...all so fun!

I'm glad you think so! :D

[wanted_a_pony]

Heeeee! I love reading about you & your online representations & what they mean to you! If I may... who/what are some of your other fannish loves, past & present?

[tabaqui]

Aw, thank you! :D

Well, I started my fannish online life in Harry Potter, with Older Harry/Snape (but have since graduated to Draco/Harry). Then, of course - Spike/Angel and Spike/Xander, with a smattering of Spike/Lindsey, Wesley, Gunn, and Oz. Mix & match some threesomes in there, too. And a bit of Spike/Mal when the xover called. :D

And then - Supernatural happened, and I fell down the rabbit hole of Sam/Dean (and sometimes Dean/Castiel), and that occupied me for quite some time.

Currently, I am hip-deep and going deeper in Steve/Bucky (after a brief flirtation with Steve/Tony). The Marvel boys are *so* distracting. I've also dabbled in Clint/Coulson and Clint/Natasha and Tony/Pepper and Sam/Natasha and Steve/Bucky/Sam.

Along the way? Eagle of the Ninth, Ancient Greek & Roman History, C J Cherry's Foreigner and Hellburner 'verses, Sherlock, The Secret Garden, Brideshead Revisited, The Losers, The Expanse, Star Trek, Star Wars, The Sentinel, Sharpe, Stranger Things, Inception, Jeeves and Wooster.... I'll dip my toe into almost anything if I trust the author. :D

Sunshine Challenge ☼ 2019

[oldtoadwoman]

I love that we asked about pronunciation. Sometimes it's obvious and sometimes it's not and sometimes I think it's obvious without realizing I've got it all wrong.

Re: Sunshine Challenge ☼ 2019

[tabaqui]

Exactly - it's hard to know, particularly with names, as they very often break all the rules.

[enemytosleep]

I'm seconding (thirding?) the pronunciation explanation. I especially love that you wrote in to ask about it!

I never got into Buffy or Angel, but I absolutely love your description of Spike's character. I can see why he is such a fan favorite by the description. Thanks for sharing!

[tabaqui]

Yay! I was too curious to let it lie, and it was so neat that they wrote back, and took my inquiry seriously. :D

Thanks for reading!

[yourlibrarian]

You know, I don't think I ever realized what your icon said (combination of needing stronger reading glasses and the font not being all that readable).

I remember you posted once in the past about how your username is pronounced but I totally forget its origin.

[tabaqui]

Heee. It's *very* small and yes, not a very readable font.
I've had the same sentiment on other Spike icons in a more readable form, but this has been my default for a *long* time.

[kass]

Hi! Here via sunshine_challenge. From one far-left utterly liberal divorced bi fangirl to another, it's nice to meet you! :-)

[tabaqui]

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!!

How awesome! It's nice to meet you, too. :D

[mekare]

I wholeheartedly support your Spike characterization. <3

[tabaqui]

Yay!
Thank you. :D

[scripsi]

We share a couple of comms and friends so I have seen you around, and I've always thought I recognized your nick. Now I know why. I loved The Jungle Book as a kid, but I haven't re-read it in years. :)

[tabaqui]

Yay! :D
I reread them fairly often, as least once a year.
*waves*
Hiya!

[scripsi]

I really should. Thinking about it it's so long ago I hadn't started reading books in English yet, only translation. Which means it must be at least 30 years... *shifts eye*