Day in the Life of an Idiot

 Random things happening in my life include....

• Mason coming home today. He had a flight that came in around 8:00 am, which was good, since a storm was predicted today. The morning started out weird because I was at the coffeeshop picking up a coffee for the both of us and I realized that I'd FORGOTTEN my phone. I didn't want Mason to be panicked, so asked to borrow the phone (I know, how 1973 of me!) at Claddaugh to call our landline (it's the only number I have memorized) and leave a message telling Shawn to let Mason know that I'd just head to the airport and circle until he could meet me. It all worked out fine? But, this was one of the many weird things that happened today.
• The other EXTREMELY weird thing that happened today was that I was planning on Monte Cristo's for dinner and so I made a special trip to the grocery store to pick up ham. My store has a little quick deli where things are pre-packaged so you don't have to wait at the deli counter. Anyway, I grabbed the last of the packages labeled ham. Now, I have had a problem in the past where things aren't in the right slots, like the little label on the refrigerated shelf will say "ham" and it will actually be bologna, and so I have gotten in the habit of actually also reading the label. Label very clearly read ham, so I threw it in my cart and didn't think about it again... until I opened it to put in the Monte Cristos...and I thought, "Mmm, is this right?". But, like, I kept thinking, "Huh, well, it says it's fancy ham, so... " and I actually made them... and then my family was like, this is roast beef. It was totally roast beef. WTF, Kowalskis. WTF.I can't say dinner was ruined, but it was very UNEXPECTED.
• The whole day was filled with this sort of thing--nothing truly disastrous, but, like, I ended up having to go back to the grocery store because I forgot to buy maple syrup. HAD I BUT KNOWN ABOUT THE BEEF... but, yeah, for a day that started with really strong, delicious coffee, it sure went off the rails pretty quickly.
• A check from the Loft seems to be lost in the mail. I ask the post office to do its "informed delivery" where the sorter takes a picture of things that are being sent to my address. So, I always know what's SUPPOSED to be in the mail. This check is now two days late. I'm going to take the image to the post office tomorrow and see if they know where it went. If they've lost it, I'll have to call the Loft and ask them to void that one and recut me a check. SIGH. I could use the money, now actually, but that's always how it goes, isn't it?

Much more random things, many of them fannish...

• I finished up both my Yuletide assignment and a treat. I rarely sign-up for Yuletide officially, but I really enjoy pinch-hitting. I've lucked out both this year and in previous ones and got fandoms I really love. I had actually started my treat some time ago because I noticed a fandom on the list that I also adore and have always wanted to write about. When I turned in my assignment, I decided to quick finish up the treat. So, that's done and dusted. 
• I got invited to a CY-Borg one-shot on Thursday night so I am currently working on a character for that. I'm pretty sure the point of the game is that we all die, but... well, I'm in these things for the character, so I might as well go all in.

I should probably pull together some thoughts for those of you interested in cat integration. Rhubarb is really settling in, but there are still some random banshee screams (claws don't seem to come out as much?) between the ladies, but generally things are quieter. There's a bit more to it, but I don't feel like I have a huge amount of spoons right now to detail it all.

rachelmanija and naomikritzer both noticed the reappearance of a certain novel in the Yuletide list of nominated fandoms:


Picture: a screenshot of the AO3 nominations page showing Archangel Protocol Series (my novels) on the list. Whoo~

As I'm signed up to be a pinch-hitter again this year, I'm in the dubious position of hoping that someone defaults on their assignment to write something in my universe.  Regardless, I'm going to be keeping an eye out for whoever requests this and potentially write them a treat.

I have already slashed my own universe and I should maybe consider posting what I wrote to AO3. What's weird? I've never read what's out there. I should take a look, honestly. It's far enough in the past that I don't think it's going to effect the way I feel about these books. But, maybe not today, as I need to be writing on Unjust Cause.

Yuletide is wrapping up.  My assignments are in and I spent some of the day trying to decide if I wanted to write any "treats."  I can't talk about any of that yet, except to say that in the course of researching some possibilities, I came across this wonderful Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) fic:  "Good for Goodness Sake."

I've often stayed away from reading Marvel comics fan fic because I kind of feel like Marvel is it's own fan fic, you know? (Hell it has it's own AUs, What if canon divergences, curtain fic, everything!)   But the author of the above really, REALLY captures the tone and the spirit of the new Ms. Marvel.  It could totally BE an issue, honestly.  In fact, this same author published a fic about Kamala Khan squeeing over the first fic featuring her superhero secret identity (because Marvel is even meta like that, it's CANON that Kamala writes and reads fan fic) and, after I read it, I accused the fic writer of being G. Willow Wilson (the author of Ms. Marvel) because, seriously: nailed it.

Also, it seems like the kind of stunt Marvel would actually pull.

But, they assured me they were NOT the official author of Ms. Marvel.  (Heh, like I believe THAT.)

So... obviously, I'v been working hard on the School for Wayward Demons.  Yeah, no so much.  I did, at least,hack out how the book needs to be structured in terms of chapters. Now, I just have to see if I can make it all work.  I have a feeling Rachel is barely going to recognize this thing when I give it back to her.  I'm planning over the next several days to try to add close to 40,000 or 50,000 words.

Meanwhile, I got solicited for one of SF Novelist's year round up Mind Melds.  I sent my entry in right away, but I haven't heard anything back yet.  I assume it went through and was acceptable.  I guess I'll see if it shows up in the next few days or so.  If/when it appears, I'll be sure to link to it here (and probably all over social media, because I'm that girl.)  

The visit with my folks went well.  We spent a lot of the visit talking about the impending protest at the MOA.  We managed to time things perfectly.  We were leaving the Mall just as the police decided to barricade the East Parking lot.  Presumably their plan was to inconvenience the protestors who were very upfront that they planned to meet up on the east side to move together to the atrium by the Barnes & Noble.  Frankly, I think the police did the work of the protestors for them by doing that.  None of the shoppers could get in or out easily.  If i'd have seen that and had been coming with the intention of shopping, I'd have turned around and gone elsewhere.  Meanwhile, if I were coming to join the protest, I'd have gone to the extra effort to park in any of the overflow parking lots and walked in.  Or taken the train.  Or the bus.  I really feel like the cops screwed things up for the casual Mall shopper, not the focused protester.

So, for all intents and purposes, I'd say it went well for #BlackLivesMatter.  They got good attention.  The MOA and the riot gear cops looked like Big Brother and thugs, respectively, and only 25 people were arrested (out of 3,000, plus god knows how many spectators.)  I also thought that, although for all I know the MOA has no record of racism, the protest focused nicely on the idea that as Americans, we need to stop shopping and pay attention to the sh*t that really matters.

I must have subconsciously wished I was part of them because the morning after I woke up singing "We Shall Overcome" to myself.  I must have been dreaming of joining in.



  

 Fandom: no. 6 (anime & manga)

Characters: any

Prompt/Notes: I haven't seen the anime, but don't let that stop you.  I'd read anything that explores this world more and the characters in it.  Honestly, I hadn't considered asking for this until someone put it on the list of fandoms, so if you're the person who put it out there and you have an idea you've been burring to write about--this is your request!  Because, really, I have no specific needs, just MOAR.  You can go dark, you can go silly, you can write a prequel about Nezumi's stage career or Inukashi's dog mom or whatever the heck trips your trigger.

Speaking of triggers, the only warning trigger I have is stillbirths and infant deaths.  I can actually read stories like those these days, but I'd need warning and it would not be a fun "fill" for this request for me.  

Otherwise, go.  

I will say that I'm surprised and pleased by the canon pairing of Nezumi and Shion, but if you want to break them up or add Safu (and/or Inukashi), that's fine with me.  I will read m/m, m/f, m/m/m, m/f/m, and gen.  I will also read plotless porn, or plotless slice-of-life, or plot heavy action.  I love political mechanizations, dark dystopia, and the struggle of the underdog against "The Man."  But, I will also read a story about Nezumi and Shion reading Shakespeare together or putting on a play for the folks outside the wall or just going out to try to scrounge up food and clothes.  Seriously, have fun, write something that excites you and I'd be sure to enjoy it.

Just be aware that I've seen none of the anime, though I'm completely up-to-date on the manga that I could find.  I've never read the novel.

Thanks for thinking of this manga!  I wouldn't have, if someone else hadn't!

Yowapeda/Yowamushi Pedal "Dear Author Letter" is here.

Ao no Exorcist "Dear Author Letter" is here.

Fandom:  Ao no Exorcist

Character: Suguro “Bon” Ryuuji

Prompt: Slice-of-life, gen fic (or slash! or sexy times!) featuring Bon doing pretty much anything.  Any other nominated character can make an appearance, so long as Bon is the center of the story.  I’d really enjoy a story that took place in the classroom or during ‘off time’ at the True Cross Academy in-between moments of manga canon.

You could write me dorm room antics, shopping trips, noodle shop runs, disastrous training exercises, exam cramming, or any other part of collegiate life you’d like to explore with this character.  

Notes about Likes/Dislikes: Despite recent developments, I like Shima Renzou, so you can write about the three pals before the betrayal, just hanging out doing all the things. Or, not, if you’d rather explore what Bon is like with other people (for instance I like the dynamic/chemistry between Bon and Izumo.)  Speaking of that, if you want to have a romance in this story that’d be fine with me.  I’m open to m/m or m/f or m/m/m, explicit or sweet.  I only ask for gen, so that the pressure is off.  Feel free to write humor.  Feel free to write angst.  Just give me my Bon.

Stuff about the character really trips my trigger: Bon’s prickly sensitivity, his ability to memorize nearly anything, and his issues his  upbringing/his dad/pseudo-class issues.

For this request, I’d really love the fill to stay inside the world of Ao no Exorcist, rather than AU.  However, the author should feel free to explore/make-up/expand any part of the world around the True Cross Academy.  If you want to make up a class or a professor we’ve never seen in canon, go for it.  

If you have a burning desire for mpreg and can make it happen in a believable way with the magic/magical science of this world, I'm down with that.  I'm not usually a fan, but when they work, I don't hate them.  To make mpreg work for me, though, you'd have to hit some of the humor/ridiculous notes for me.  

So, really, the world of the True Cross Academy is your oyster for this fic.  Write what makes you happy.  I will be happy so long as Bon is the main character.

Yowapeda/Yowamushi Pedal "Dear Author" letter is here.

No. 6 fandom "Dear Author Letter" is here.