Arrant Nonsense

Look at the pretty, shiny fic that bigsciencybrain wrote for me! Pre-Jayne/Zoe, with spot-on River characterization and Mal getting the better of Niska in a very *cough* creative *cough* way.

Go forth, read! Shower her with praise!

Title: Making Memories
Author: babies stole my dingo (agilebrit)
Fandom: Firefly/Angel crossover
Rating: PG-13 (default)
Length: Short story (a little over 7,000 words)
Disclaimer: Joss is the genius behind these characters; I am but a lowly follower. I make no money from any of this, so please don't sue me.
Feedback: Concrit adored! If you see something that can be improved upon, please let me know.
Written for: random_urges Rare Pairing Ficathon. Request was from bookishwench and was for either Angel/Inara or Spike/Kaylee, finding some comfort in each other, and chocolate cake (real food!), with no non-con.
Notes: Takes place post-OiS, pre-comics, and I used Spike/Kaylee, because, really. Who could resist that? Many thanks to the flist for putting up with my whining and moaning constantly about this fic, the Hubby for his excellent suggestions, and jerib_78 for making sure it didn't suck before I posted it.
( Read more... )

The random_urges fic-o-doom has a finis at the end of it. I just need a title and a last-minute edit, and to format it into chapters (because, dude...7000 words). Go, me!

Da Boy requested "The Incredibles" tonight, and I was only too happy to oblige. OMG I LOVE THIS MOVIE.

In writercon news, I went to the bank and got some usable money, so that's taken care of. And another fic came in for the Writer's Salon...so I have to go to Wally World and pick up another folder for it. I still haven't critted the other four. *wibbles* I also need to pack, but that shouldn't really take long, because I'm a very light packer.

And why did no one tell me that Alan Dean Foster had written a trilogy of books wherein a guy gets kidnaped by aliens so they can sell him as a pet because he's a "cute" alien himself? And there's a talking dog! DUDES!

Also, I just finished jimbutcher's first "Codex Alera" book, and it was made of awesome. OMG I love that man. As a writer, of course.

WriterCon in two days. *flails*

ETA: LICORICE ALTOIDS. *flails some more* Someone check my pulse; I think I just died and went to Heaven...

So, I started to write the "a vampire and a mechanic walk into a bar" story...and then I realized that most of the dialogue could be modified for the current piece. Alcohol is a wonderful lubricant, and I got them railing about their respective bosses and members of the opposite sex in their lives... and now we have kissage. Yay. And Mal walking in. *snerk*

In other news, Da Boy came running into the house this morning and said "Bridget bit a bird!" And at first I was all, oh, good, dog finally got some of her own back, because the magpies and starlings steal her food all the time. And then I go out to see what's the what...

And it was a mourning dove. :(

At first, I thought it was okay except for some missing tail feathers, so I put it in the front yard, and it walked away and seemed okay. But after awhile, it hadn't moved from where it stopped, so I called animal control, and they asked me to put it in a box for them, and they just came and got it. During the recapture, I noticed that it does have a wing injury. So, they're probably going to put it to sleep. :(

But I got to meet the new neighbor lady, and she has a four-year-old boy and a 20-month-old little girl, and is very nice, and Da Boy is playing over at their house right now. *does a little dance* Peace and quiet! Maybe I'll get to finish this thing!

Yeah, this fic? Is *not* going to end in any sort of shippy way. It's apparently not going to have any sort of shippy middle either. And I'm pretty much becoming resigned to that. So, now, I can't decide whether I suck because the story doesn't really get these two characters "together" as such...or because I've pretty much decided to stop trying. Or possibly a combination. Yay.

Between this thing and needing to read and critique the stories for the writercon Writers' Salon, I'm starting to feel panicky and a bit overwhelmed.

Also, I think I may have PMS. I hate my body.

Then there's the fact that we're out of lots of important food, including caffeinated goodness, so I need to go grocery shopping today. I've got a $5 coupon for CafePress that expires tomorrow, and I want the Plot Bunny with Fangs messenger bag, so I also need to go to the bank and make a deposit. I have a book and two DVDs due at the library tomorrow. I haven't finished the book yet, although I've only got 70 pages left (out of 500).

In good eBay news, I got my Fray TPB on Saturday, so I'll have it to read at the airport/on the plane. In not-so-good eBay news, I still haven't heard word one from my seller on the Angel comics that have yet to make an appearance. I'll give him until close of business today, and then file for my refund from Paypal. And again, I say, Yay.

So, I'm seriously considering writing that thing I mentioned yesterday. A vampire and a mechanic walk into a bar...

Argh.

The random_urges fic is due Wednesday. And the two characters I'm supposed to have get together?

Aren't.

I've even added booze, to no avail. They've got this whole friendshippy vibe going, which would be fine under normal circumstances...but I'm writing this for someone that I'm pretty sure wanted them as a couple, not just friends. And I'm nearly 5800 words into it, and it's not changing to any extent whatsoever.

I can do one of two things. I can say "Screw it, this is the story that came out of this, sorry they don't even KISS." Or, I can write something new, where the two characters meet in a bar, rail drunkenly against their respective nemeses, and rent a room together. Whether I could get fifteen hundred words out of that particular scenario, in three days, and not have it suck, is an open question.



Dear Antubis:

I'm beginning to hate you. Not only are you giving me this fic in dribs and drabs, you're not giving me what I need for the requirements of this ficathon.

Straighten up and fly right, dammit.

No love,
Me

PS: Yes, I realize that you're an anteater and don't "fly" as such. I don't care.

The Ren Faire was very neat, although a lot smaller than I figured it would be. Cedar City is the home of the Tony-Award-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival, so we thought it would be this huge thing. And it had the requisite people in costume and all that fun stuff...but I'm not sure the 7-hour round trip was worth it, you know?

That being said, I went against all common sense and went ahead and bought a slave bracelet. And it's purty, and it was only $8, and I'm wearing it now, and it's not at all annoying. I had to take out a couple of links in the chain that goes from the ring to the first jewel, because it was sort of flopping around on my hand, and once I swapped it from my ring finger to my middle finger, it quit flopping around even more and is staying put where it belongs. So, yes. Wearing it to the cocktail party. And possibly my brother's wedding.

Also, I did the art for AAAA, got it printed out, and got the fic itself hole-punched and put in the binder. Go, me.
( cut to spare the flist because it's big )

So, that's done. The final pins still need names on the backs, but they're glued and stuff. Once I do laundry tomorrow, I'll get my final packing done. So, yes, progress is being made...

Including on the fic front. I think I may be on my final scene for the random_urges fic. And I hope that my recipient isn't too disappointed, because, dude. Not even any smoochies in this thing. I may have to gin up a PWP, or a fade-to-black, or something, as a separate fic, and you all know that characters having sex is totally not my thing at all, but...argh. This is what happens when you write fic for someone whose stories you absolutely love. You get scared of disappointing them. *sigh* But I'm knocking on 5800 words for this thing, and it has to end sometime.

In other news, I'm beginning to develop a deep and abiding hate on for my back. The herniated disk is picking one hell of a time to start pitching a fit, yo. *growls*

So, I'm participating in the writercon Writer's Salon, which is basically a concrit workshop. Which means I need to submit a fic for it. Something under 2500 words.

Therein lies my dilemma. Most of my stuff (especially my recent stuff) is either over that...or way under it. I don't really feel like getting crit for a flashfic. Some of the stuff that would be suitable (such as "Hair Fetish") is part of a series and doesn't really make sense as a standalone.

So. Here are the ones that work:
A Whisper to the Living - Wash/Zoe angst, post-BDM.
Nature's Special Effects - Africander, wherein he meets a living, breathing dinosaur. This one has no dialogue whatsoever, which is unusual for me.
RiverDance - post-BDM, Jayne's worried about Mal firing him, so he takes matters into his own hands.
Virtuoso - pre-Firefly. Zoe starts thawing towards Wash.
Noble Souls, Rising from Disaster - Spike, Angel, Illyria, and Connor have a post-NFA sort-of-celebration.
Confusing Conclusions - Wes and Spike have a drunken conversation about Illyria and Spike offers to take her for the night. Then Spike and Illyria have a talk. Good Lord, that sounds boring... I suck at summaries.
Perplexing Sentiments - Spike and Illyria. He's ambushed and badly injured; she helps him the only way she can. Features my cast-iron kink. Yay?

Anyone got any strong opinions? I have to turn the thing in by Thursday night.

In other news, we now have two end tables and a coffee table in the front living room. I pulled out the red-rock stuff we bought in Moab, and it looks shiny. Still need a window treatment, a lamp or two, and to put the wall things up. I should take pix. Need a pic of my new echidna too. Maybe tomorrow.

I also want a couple of little clay figurines to put on the mini-tables. I know what they look like, but not what that style of clay-work is called. I thought it was "Pima Clay," but googling reveals nothing. And I thought it was Indian art, but now I'm not so sure. Anyway, it's this intricate stuff where the different colors are actually individual colors of clay, not painted, and they're just beautiful. I've seen cats, coyotes, lizards, snakes, owls, rams, and bison done in this manner. I just wish I could find them online so I could show you guys.

My comics still have not arrived. I've emailed the seller twice now, with no reply. I will give him until Monday, and then take it up with eBay. He's already left me positive feedback. *sigh* It's always something.

Writing? Well. I've catalogued Jayne's injuries in the Jayne/Zoe H/C ... thing I've been writing in fits and starts. *eyeshift* What's that they say about us hurting the characters we love? Um, yeah. *is guilty of that in spades* I have no idea where that one is going, or the random_urges fic either.

So, again, I say, blargh.

Well, that gave me an interesting mental picture.

I wandered over to my local radio station's website, and they're flashing news headlines along with the first few lines of the story there. But they're going FAST. And so what I thought I read was this:

Britney Spears Poses Nude
The heavily pregnant star appears on the cover of the August edition of Harper's Bazaar magazine ordering military tribunals for Guantanamo Bay detainees.

After a brief WTF moment, I realized what had happened.

Yes. I need more caffeine.

I scribbled about 200 words yesterday. Go, me? More snark. Spike getting a WTF moment with River. Plot? There's no plot. Just snark. But my couple will actually meet in the next scene! Yay.

*uses Jayne/Zoe icon because I haven't for awhile*

Neither of the candidates I voted for won yesterday. One of them lost by 24 votes...and beat the incumbent. @#$%& teachers' union; I just know they got their people out to vote. And there was nothing on the homeschool list I'm on about the race--and I'm just as remiss as everyone else, because I didn't post about it either.

Your vote counts, people. Never forget this. Especially in local races, and especially in primaries.

I didn't expect Chris Cannon to lose, but I didn't expect him to win by as much as he did, so I guess the wake-up call I was hoping he'd get--well, it wasn't much of one.

*sigh*

I actually wrote nearly 400 words yesterday on the random_urges fic. Thing is due July 19. *drums fingers at characters* There's lots of snark in this, which is a good. Jokes about eating the sheep abound. In fact, I'm probably spending far too much time talking about the sheep.

However, the two characters who are supposed to get together still haven't as much as spoken. Thing is sitting around 2700 words. Yay?

unanon? You are evil, and that is all.