Fiddle-Dee-Dee, Said Scarlett

An update!

Going to get to meme tonight! Yesterday I ended up psyching myself out so badly over a contact snafu that I was a bit of a mess, and today I've been working my ass off. My ass, which by the way, is finally starting to tighten and firm. If you've ever considered those toning shoes, go for it. They work. I've got the Curves sandals, and in just three weeks of wearing them for walking I can see the difference it's making in my thighs and bottom.

I think my dad might finally be warming up to the little critters. I've caught him watching the girls, and telling my mother funny/cute stories about them. And today he was asking me how often they get out and handled, and said 'good' when I told him every night. And Sheila seems to adore them. She'll sit at the edge of their cage and put her paws or her nose through the bars, and the girls will sniff her and lick her and she'll lick them back. Pepper hates them, but considering she's a terrier, this is unsurprising. And she's gotten better about barking at them and bothering them.

Sheila is, somewhat surprisingly, the current darling of the household. To the point where my parents keep assuring me that I don't have to lock her in my bedroom at night. But if I didn't have her in the bedroom with me at night, she'd just sit outside the door and cry until I let her in. And anyway, they already have Pepper and Claudia in their suite at night.

Also, I've got me a housekeeping gig. Considering how absolutely miserable this week has been, today's been pretty damn good. And will keep on getting better, since in an hour we're going to Bonfire, Smoke'n'Stuff, and the farmer's market. And since my dad has decided that he really likes the way flavored cigars make the garage smell but won't smoke them himself, he has decided to just buy me a pack every couple of weeks. I am vastly amused.

Fandom wise, my two new biggest interests are Haven and Mystery, Incorporated. Talk about random. But Haven is made of awesome and win, even if I'm really sad about how last week's episode ended. And I love this theory I've read about Haven being on a Beam, which so completely works. I don't know why I love Mystery, Incorporated so damn much. Maybe just because it manages to hit all the things I loved about the classic series, but modernizes it and delves into the characters much more. And adds in adult humor! Plus, I'll confess, Velma's smoking hot. Seriously smoking hot.

I'm...actually really curious about this. :D

I remember when I used to be embarrassed upon being surprised in PJs and whatnot by random people working in the yard. Apparently I'm over it, as I spent a good five minutes companionably chatting with one of the yard crew in a sheet, face mask and shower cap this morning. It's hot, I haven't been bothering with PJs, and I don't have a summer robe. I'm sure my Seattle buds remember many a hot morning of me stumbling out in a shoddily tied together sheet toga. I've been pretty much doing that, since I get up much earlier than nijawial. This morning when I emerged for my cigarette, the yard was full of people! And to my credit, I did not freak and run away.

Apparently the fence is being fixed today!

My brain finally appears to be working. I've actually managed to get myself back into RP a bit this morning. Actual, structured RP at CU. I've been able to post fine with Myre, but my Maria and Bert muses have been giving me trouble. They seem to be active and talkative today, though, so I'm not going to complain! Really, the only other RP I've been able to do is the epic fusion with husband_brother. Man, it's been weeks since we had a session, and I am not even entirely sure what's going on. We wrapped up the gala, Nheva's in place (I think?) and G² did some Evil Plotting. Oh, yes, because they were using their epic series of Mirrors, Crystal Balls, Viewing Screens, Scrying Glasses and whatnot to spy on the gala. And be creepy and giant and evil. And occasionally burst into song... Mmm, evil plans. I've got to say, I've been enjoying revisiting two of my favorite character types. Evil Bastard and Competent Politician. Guh, I've missed RPing highly political stuff. I don't think I've had an actively political character since...man, Fudge. That was years and years and years ago.

I feel productive. I did dishes, colored my hair, got posting done. Maybe I can finish that fic I've been working on for weeks...

I have this feeling that I'm going to get a lot done today. You know how some days you just wake up with that drive? That's today.

Though I am somewhat bummed at myself. I saved a bunch of cards with contact info for fan artists I later wanted to commission. Most especially a particular artist who specializes in fairy tale versions of anime and video game characters. Now, I am obsessed with that kind of thing. Especially when it's terribly fitting. And her work is quite lovely. I decided that my housewarming gift to myself would be to finally commission art of Rapunzel!Ming, which I've wanted for...man, a really long time now. For goodness sakes, that's the whole theme of my entire LJ!

And of course...guess which is the one artist's card I've lost? Yup. The one I wanted to commission from. *headdesks* Ah well. I do have another artist I want to commission some LO work from - the one who did my gorgeous Ming sketch at Connichwa - but I really do want my Rapunzel!Ming art. I think tonight, when in bed with my computer, I shall scour Deviantart and attempt to track down this mystery artist! (I'd look up her name on the back of the Swan Princess!Kagome print I have from her, but it's packed somewhere.)

It's terribly icky and cloudy and cold today. Which is bizarre, since it's June. And also bizarre that I'm feeling full of energy and whatnot on such a nasty day.

Alright, I finished my breakfast and the ratty girls are looking for theirs. Spoiled little things...

So, is anybody else excited about Haven? I haven't seen much buzz about it at all on the intertubes, and this makes me a bit sad. I know we've got at least another month before it premieres, but...

It's Stephen King! Even though he's not involved in the day-to-day stuff, he's a part of the team and he's excited with what they're doing. It looks like they'll be pairing it with Eureka, which makes sense. It's kind of the darker side of the coin, so to speak.

Man, I am feeling productive this morning. I cleaned out the rat cages, colored my hair - the red had faded - took out trash and scrubbed some counters. And it's only nine o'clock! I've discovered that as long as I blast my music and just pay attention to that, I can ignore the fact that I'm exhausted and hurting all over. And once more, Squire Ipod proved he is self-aware with this morning's shuffle choices. (Note: I do not actually think my Ipod is self aware.)

And a small rant on fic, I guess, that is far too small to bother posting to fanficrants but bugs the hell out of me all the same. When Epic Romantic Scene is taking place, it is dawn! Am I seriously the only one who actually realizes this? It was just night beforehand, the sun is coming up in the background, that means it's dawn. Sun starts at the horizon in the beginning, and gets higher as the scene progresses. That is not sunset. I am so sick of every single fic that either references that scene or is a written version of it setting it at sunset.

*mops up after self*

SyFy is marathoning the X-Files today, but they appear to be all episodes I will not watch. This saddens me. :/ (I love X-Files, except for the episodes with aliens. Yes, I realize this is madness.)

One of these days, I need to make myself a new custom mood theme.

Well, looks like I ended up choosing a good time to wander back to internet fandom....

For those of you who may not have seen it: Fannish spaces, girls, and the culture of silence, an extremely well written post by bookshop that really dissects and brings up the tough truths about how female characters - and by extension women - are handled by fandom.

Fandom is not woman-positive. Fandom needs all the urging it can get just to talk about female characters, let alone talk about them nicely. Fandom prioritizes men above everything. Fandom prioritizes male-based fantasies, and fandom prioritizes the status of the people who write those fantasies.

Fandom perpetuates rape culture by silencing women, and we silence women when we remove women from our own narratives, when we refuse to write or read about women, when we talk about how female characters are stupid, slutty, saucy, too strong or too weak to enjoy, not written well enough, not worthy of as much attention as the boys are. We perpetuate victim-shaming when we degrade "women's issues" as inferior, icky, and gross. We perpetuate misogyny when we venerate canons that have high numbers of male characters and only one or two girls. We perpetuate the idea that boys' stories are better than our own, the idea that boys are better than us.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but...every single discussion on these very issues that I've ever encountered before has fizzled out and nothing changes. This has been a problem in fandom for a very long time, but hardly anyone wants to have to talk about it. And I can understand that, it can be difficult to realize just the sort of culture fandom perpetuates.

Anyway, this has inspired me to go for 100_women again. A few years ago I completed it for Fullmetal Alchemist. This time I'm doing it for Lost Odyssey, another fandom with absolutely amazing female characters. Though a lot less than FMA, so we'll see how that works out...

Point is: fictional ladies are awesome. :D

Yes, you read that right!

I've been out of the game for a bit, but recently dabbling. And I'm lost and confused. :(

1) When did Fanfiction.net institute this waiting period before uploading thing?

2) Are there any good, reputable archives for NC-17 and the like fic? I only really know AFF.net and...eh. I stopped being happy with that site while I was still in the Harry Potter fandom.

And before anyone asks why I don't just use livejournal...I have a couple of reasons.

The first is just that...I really don't like the weird social stuff involved in being a fic author on LJ. You post to comms, and people read your stuff, and then there's the whole friending thing. Which is awesome, and I have definitely made some amazing friends through LJ comms! But...I also ended up with an Flist I couldn't manage, and some really messed up self worth and value issues.

I know I posted a lot at the other journal about how I had weird issues about what people thought of me, and why they friended me, and my worries that I was only liked due to the things I wrote and did in fandom. LJ is the only place I've ever felt this way, and I've been active in fandom for about fifteen years now. Especially after dozens of those people who swore up and down that it had nothing to do with fandom...jumped ship after I left fandom. Which wasn't surprising, but soured me a bit. And it's not the people - it's just the way that LJ is set up.

I'm leery of posting in my own journal mainly because once I start posting fic, I'm honestly terribly worried I then just won't shut the fiddlesticks up about my epic fandom obsession. And I'd annoy the crap out of people. And I do not want to be That Person.

So...yes, this is why I'm looking into archives. :D

Hello LJ land!

I've been sick, which is nothing new. Not entirely sure what it was. Monday I started getting bad migraines, and by Wednesday my stomach was upset and I was feverish and achey. I feel better today, so....

Uh, I really haven't been doing much since I last posted. I'm level grinding in LO, so not much more has happened there - and I'll be honest, I've been hesitating playing further for fear of crushing disappointment - and I've been sick so I haven't been doing much. I did go to hang with some friends, but a migraine interrupted so I cut plans short.

Oh! LJ did finally email me all my notifications crap, INCLUDING CHRISTMAS CRAP! THANK YOU, FLIST! *hugs*

Speaking of...I'm still seriously considering changing my LJ name. It was a silly little thing I picked out like a decade ago, and it's just not me anymore. Plus, um, I'm kind of getting sick of people I don't know who read some fic I wrote like ten years ago under this name and come here and PM me and ask for more or whatever.

Plus, at this point, 'cool' spellings of common names just strike me as silly. I'm tired of Feylene. I am just plain Faye.

The only problem is, I shouldn't be picking an LJ name right now. (At least acrossthesky is already taken, because if not....) Of course, crossthesky isn't taken....

I have a problem. And now I have this image of nijawial and Sasuke staging some sort of intervention. Or just backing me into a corner and spraying me in the face with water and yelling 'No! Bad Faye!'.

OH! That reminds me! I've also been playing The Sims. Now that I've transferred the important things from Walter to Tolten, Walter was cleared off and defragged and now he's very happy running my games and my graphic programs.

I'll have to post some Sims pics later, since I'm on Tolten, but holy crap. Each time I make a new household, I comment that these are/this is the funniest Sim/s I've had. And once more, we've been beaten. How?

Naked. Guitar.

Today is a day for Getting On Top of Things.

Everything, really. I'm well aware I've recently been slacking on everything, everywhere. My health and RL things just drained me, even though I swore I wasn't going to let that happen. But now I'm back in control, and already well on my way to getting back into the groove everywhere.

I did dishes. I ate. I posted all my RP characters at both my games. I have an original story halfway written. Hell, I even applied to a new RP. I just need a little more variety, and I've been dying to play Eddie. But he's not a right fit for damned, and with Phantom Limb I'm at my cap in CU. So when orenda33 posted about rapturereborn, I checked it out. And am now awaiting to hear back, so fingers crossed!

I'm going to get out the trash, clean the critter cages, clean the bathroom, hopefully finish the rough of Girl Underground, RP, maybe even play a little Okami later....

Whatever. I'm kicking my own ass into gear, and it's high time I did it. I might even be back on AIM before much longer....

Whoot! I'm nearly back to my usual self!

I was up at 8:30, I had breakfast, I did some dishes, I took a bath, I watered the plants, I did some more dishes, I got through all of my emails and now I'm updating LJ! :D And all of that was done in just two hours!

Between the new Harry Potter movie and the new FMA series, my old fan fiction is getting a lot of recent hits and reviews. It's always a little jarring to get new comments on something that was posted six or seven years ago.

I finished The Regulators last Saturday, but wasn't quite up to the task of writing about it. I really, really enjoyed it. I honestly enjoyed it more than I did Desperation. Maybe it was just that the premise was something so near and dear to my heart, or that it showcased what a big kid Stephen King really is, I don't know. It just resonated with me. And it had such a sweet ending.

It is pure and utter crack, though. That's half of what I love about it. :D

Once I've finished my housekeeping chores, I'm going to get to all my RP stuff.

So, I'm being very avoidant of LJ and stuffs today. Why? I went out for pizza with summoneddestiny and enigmablade last night, and taped the Criminal Minds finale. Yes, as in on a VHS. I'm always terribly behind the technology thing. Hell, until moving in with Nija I neve even had a DVD player. Just used the PS2. Anyway, I plan on watching it today but I want to avoid spoilers.

Yesterday I mostly just vegged and RPed. My hip's still bugging me, but I just can't get to a chiropractor to ease some things out yet. Luckily once I can, we have some amazing chiropractors in the area.

Nija brought me home a copy of Lisey's Story last night! Hardcover that was on clearance. I'm reading 'A Familiar Dragon' by Daniel Hood right now, but I'm so tempted to say 'mm, get back to it later!' and devour Lisey's Story again. It's simply one of the most beautiful, haunting, moving pieces of fiction I've ever read.

I got that Mercedes Lackey CD today. Not that good one, where the music is 'inspired by' her stuff. No, the one with lyrics she wrote herself.

I made it about 16 seconds into one song before I had to turn it off. Further investigation will be carried out at a later date.

My strawberries are turning red!

I'm in the mood for a good horror movie today.