Ramblings and Musings of the Insane, Philosophical Ladybug

So last week I was finally exasperated enough with canon Once Upon a Time that I actually started that vignette series I've talked about. Tonight I wrote another one. It's kind of fun, as long as I stick with characters I like to write about. I'm still not sure I really hear them as well as some other writers do, and I'm very shy about posting them off of LJ because of that, but I do kind of like how they're coming out. I've been posting them at 31_days, as the prompts have been really good and workable.

I may have tweaked the time of year a bit, as the first fic (the one from last year) is set sometime before Christmas. However, I don't recall mentioning Thanksgiving, so now I've decided that this is happening before Thanksgiving, too. After all, some radio stations start playing Christmas music right after Halloween, and most have started by now, so Belle could have very well heard the song Please Come Home for Christmas playing without Thanksgiving having to have passed. She would probably focus more on Christmas than Thanksgiving, since Christmas was celebrated in their original world too. (I assume.) And I decided I liked the idea of a Thanksgiving piece. I don't know if I'll actually get a second one written within the week, but maybe it would be some sort of cracky piece where the whole mismatched family is trying to celebrate Thanksgiving. I remembered David's cracky comment about how ridiculous it would be to try to have the whole family there and started to giggle.

I also actually had a brief moment of considering buying the DVDs, at least of the first two seasons. I don't know if I actually would, as I've always felt that I didn't like the show enough to actually buy it, but who knows what the future might bring.

I love my surveys. I really do. But I really hate it when I get one that asks me "How many times have you eaten thus and so in the last 4 weeks?" and expects me to give an amount.

WTH? It's not like I write down a chart of how many times I eat something! How the @*%$# am I supposed to remember how many times I've eaten something in the past month?

And looking over the prompt tables for the comms I run didn't really inspire me for any Once writing projects. The thought of taking out any table for Once, even if I own said table, sounds more like a chore than anything else, since I really don't think it likely that I'd fill it all.

Probably 31_days would make the most sense. No claims, no pressure.

I don't know why I'm so particularly shy about posting Once fics on FF.net, though. I'm more shy about that than any other category, excepting perhaps WWW. Yet the Once fic I did last year still got Favorites in the middle of summer. I know part of it is worrying about not getting them IC; it seems like other writers hear the characters so much better than I do. Since I've only seen the episodes once each, except for Skin Deep, there's lots of details I've probably forgotten. But maybe my shyness is also that I don't want to start a project and then abandon it soon in, since it's a popular series with lots of interested fans. But if it's a vignette series, then each should be fairly self-contained, so it wouldn't be as much of a problem.

I've always been the sort who doesn't like AU and feels like if it's canon, I have to accept it, even if it's awful and the writing is seriously going downhill. And I find it insulting to have any of my stuff billed as AU, since I write things like my Twilight and Dawn verse for FF7 as though everything in the games and movie happened and Twilight and Dawn is just what comes next. To me, AU replaces all or part of established canon. It doesn't continue after all canon happened.

However! I just continue to be so fed-up with Once Upon a Time's canon from season 3B on that I am teetering on the brink of "Canon Error; Apply Fanfic." Season 3A gave me something I'd wanted from the very beginning of the show: Rumpelstiltskin sacrificing himself for the others (even though it really wasn't explained why he needed to die for Pan to die). Seasons 3B and 4A seem to ruin the sacrifice by having Rumpel descend further into the darkness. Zelena tortured him and sexually assaulted him and manipulated him with the dagger for a year, not to mention she killed his son, so his new obsession with keeping his power is certainly understandable. But they never really bring out in the show how badly he suffered during that year and instead make him look quite terrible. The stuff with lying to Belle makes me want to mess up my hair. And it never fails to upset me how the other characters, for the most part, don't think about what Rumpel suffered either. Nor did it seem like they were really even grateful for what Rumpel did in season 3A.

During the winter hiatus after 3A, I wrote a fic where Belle saves Rumpel after the sacrifice, as that was the other thing I've longed so badly to see since the beginning (well, since Skin Deep). I've toyed with the idea of writing either a huge multi-chapter or else little vignettes that take place in the season 3B verse that I started to craft with that fic. Part of me wants to. The other part continues to be held back by my obsession with not trampling canon, no matter how much I can't stand the canon. I really feel like all the characters have been getting ruined for some time and that the show is largely insulting to them by now. That makes me feel like saying "Screw my insistence on canon; canon is screwing the characters!"

But I do kind of find it interesting to explore how Rumpel would react to such horrible torment as what Zelena put him through. I'd find it a lot more interesting, however, if the writers could write it better. Since they can't, and since I haven't been happy with anything since 3A, it does seem to make a strong case for at least trying my own version of 3B.

One draft I'd mused on would still have Zelena, but things would play out so much differently. Now I'm not sure I'd want her involved at all, or any Big Bad. I'm thinking instead I'd rather write character-driven vignettes and explore day-to-day life in Storybrooke. They haven't really had time to breathe since season 2, and even then, there were problems happening.

But with that pesky voice in the back of my mind going, "Nooo, don't erase part of the canon!" it makes it seriously difficult to do anything at all.

I guess part of me wants to keep waiting and see if there will ever be any justification for this madness. One person theorized that maybe Rumpel is trying to find a way to bring Bae back from the dead. But since I think Bae was killed pretty much only to get Emma and Hook together, I doubt the writers would let such a venture be successful, even if Rumpel tried it.

The other part of me says, there's no point waiting; every episode makes the problems worse. Character problems abound with so many of the cast by now and it's all such a trainwreck that it will never be fixable.

That part is most likely closer to the truth. Perhaps I can grab a theme set and just try writing a piece or two of my verse and see if it works. I could use a theme set from one of the comms I run, so I wouldn't have to worry about committing myself to something I might not continue or finish. I'd like to work with a theme set because they come with built-in plunnies and it can really help when independent ideas are scarce or need a push. I have a few assorted ideas; I definitely want to do some flashbacks to how Belle was treated after season 3A. And I'll have to devise a new way to get everyone back to Storybrooke. And if I'm not using Zelena, I'll have to think of a new reason why Hook says there's a new enemy or danger at the end of season 3A.

Or he could just be lying. I don't know what I'm going to do with Hook, really. I just can't get behind the idea that the character is so amazing, not when instead of really developing him, this supposed goodness largely contradicts his character from past episodes, since it's unexplained and is just suddenly there where it wasn't before. In particular I still find it so repulsive that he would use Belle, an innocent, to get back at Rumpel, especially after Belle saved Hook's life. And he was so smarmy and smirky and obviously insincere when he said "Sorry" to Belle for shooting her. UGH! And I don't really like the Hook/Emma pairing. And I really don't like if Bae was killed just to get them together.

Anyway ... yeah. Having to write for characters I don't like is another stumbling block in the idea of writing ensemble Once-fic. Or even Rumpel and Belle-centric fic. Hook pretty much has to play some part, what with how entwined his past is with Rumpel's and his present with Rumpel and Belle both.

I stole something from Tumblr again. This was on Gwen's Tumblr, but I'm not sure if she wrote it or was just posting it from someone else. (It wasn't a reblog.)


( 50 question meme )

I was also tagged to answer some questions that Kohaku and Trix wrote. I don't use my Tumblr for posting memes and such, so I decided to bring those over here too. Trix's first, then Kohaku's, which is the order I saw them.


( Two more quizzes )

I have weird dreams.

Today my mind decided to dream that the creators of Once Upon a Time decided to bring in the Final Fantasy VII characters. Specifically, I remember Cloud, Zack, and Sephiroth, my favorites.

When I woke up, I realized it actually might be possible, considering Disney and Kingdom Hearts.

I doubt such a thing would really happen, but if it did, I imagine there would be an immense divide between those who don't like FF7, those who do and would be excited, and those who do and would be horrified at their inclusion in what has become a really mixed-up show.

I would probably fall into the latter category, honestly. I don't even know that I want to watch the show when it comes off hiatus March 9th. I'm really upset by some of the things that might be going to happen, judging from the set pictures that have been cropping up.

... Although I can't help being curious about how the FF7 character designs would be done, if they were to make an appearance.

Also, in the dream Prince Philip was apparently Zack in disguise.

Yeah, I don't know either.

So, while I continue to wait for Wal-Mart to get in all the plushies they're supposed to get, I ponder over what to use my wonderful Build-a-Bear giftcard on.

Rarity is supposed to come out soon, but she hasn't been announced yet and I'm expecting perhaps an Easter date. She's also rumored to come with Scootaloo as a Smallfry, which I'll also want.

Meanwhile, when Rarity comes, I'm guessing one of the older Ponies will be retired, so I'll need to get at least one of those fairly soon. I had figured I'd get Pinkie instead of Rainbow, yet there was the problem of figuring Rainbow will be retired first.

Then comes the fact that I've been re-evaluating the three main character Ponies on the lower half of my favorites tier. At this current moment, I like Applejack and even Rainbow better than I did. And Pinkie successfully managed to creep me out after re-watching Party of One. Seriously, there really is something not quite right with her.

But then Pinkie was adorable and wonderful in today's episode, which I found myself enjoying. I was disappointed to only see Twilight for a brief moment, although I was happy to see her at all, and overall it's definitely one of the better episodes of the season, with some more morals I can really get behind. Regardless of whether or not Pinkie is distantly related to the Apples, she is like family because of everything she's been through with them. And families don't have to be perfect; they're going to argue. The key thing is that they'll pull through the rough times. Love, love, love the morals!

I also determined that out of all the Ponies, Rainbow and Twilight are the ones with the most positive development throughout the series. Applejack and Rarity are mostly the same, although Rarity unfortunately leans towards character unraveling sometimes rather than development, and Pinkie and Fluttershy have not had very good development in some of the recent episodes, Fluttershy especially. I cling to episodes like Dragonshy that show how wonderful Fluttershy really can be. Power Ponies ... ugh. Just UGH. Not getting upset when her friends are hurt and then losing it over a firefly instead.... The old Fluttershy would have been upset about all of it!

Rainbow has been so adorable this season, for the most part. I love that she's getting more comfortable with showing her good side to others and fangirling ... even if sometimes she still feels embarrassed and acts like she has to hide her immense enthusiasm over some things (like the musical). I can totally relate to that; some things I like or think I might like are things that I prefer to enjoy in private and would be embarrassed to display open enthusiasm for. I was so mortified when Dad caught me looking at Disney Princess dolls a couple of weeks ago. (Worse, I was fumbling so quick to hide what I was looking at that I knocked several things off the shelves.) I want a Belle doll because of Once Upon a Time, and then I'm thinking of having a Mr. Gold doll custom-made, since there's no figures for the show. Dad is unaware of my interest in the series, and I don't think I'd want to tell him about it because of the disgusting stuff like hearts. So that leaves the surface evidence of being caught on the Disney Princess aisle. EMBARRASSING.

(And in case anyone's wondering why that is embarrassing while colored Ponies are not, it's because I've loved Ponies all my life and have been very open about it. whereas I've generally scoffed and sneered at fairytales and Disney Princess stuff. I always liked Belle, though. But I don't want anyone to think I'm developing an interest in Disney Princess and romance stuff and the like. Although, I have to admit, I'm a little curious about the new series Sofia the First.... Which would totally be a guilty pleasure if I started watching it.)

Then there's still the problem of if I really want to get any Build-a-Bears that aren't my most favorite characters. I've been doting on Twilight and Fluttershy because I love them so much, and I worry wondering if a plushie of Rainbow or Pinkie would get the same level of attention from me. Perhaps I should save the giftcard for Rarity, whenever she comes, and forget about getting the other two.

Problem is, since they're limited editions, I could change my mind later and then not be able to get them, and I prefer not to buy plushies second-hand.

My guess is, I will get them both, with Rainbow first and then Pinkie. But at the moment, I'm still waffling about it.

So last week there were some very disturbing magical afflictions on My Little Pony and I was too upset by what I read to even watch the episode. I saw a one-minute preview earlier that week and it put me on guard immediately, but I still wasn't expecting the far worse stuff I learned after the episode aired. It really frustrated me that they did that, because it was Trixie's return and I wanted to see it. I like what they did with her character and the explanation behind why she was doing the stuff she was. I was able to watch the very last part of the episode, which I wanted to see most, and I was thankful I managed to avoid any sight of said magical afflictions.

I haven't been that upset since Once Upon a Time's Mad Hatter episode last season. It was nowhere as horrible as the Once episode's scene, of course, nor was it exactly the same problem, but it was still bad enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth for the entire Pony series for days. I approached today's episode with extreme caution. I still think this season is proving darker than either of the past ones, but finally, there was an episode I actually liked. It's the first one I've really liked all season (#6), and considering the season is only supposed to be 13 episodes this time, I'm not sure that's very encouraging overall. I like episodes in every season, but in general I think season 1 was much better than 2, and a thousand times better than 3.

Also, I watched a bit of Chuck Connors' series Branded. I liked the episodes I got it for the best, which were two three-part epics. The regular, individual episodes seemed more like part of a cookie-cutter Western, with overused and rehashed plots about various people in the towns that I've seen everywhere from Gunsmoke to The Rifleman to The Andy Griffith Show (!). (Yes, yes, I know Andy is in the South. Same principle.) Kind of a soap opera or moral play of the West. I like when shows such as Wagon Train or The Virginian or the hour-long version of Gunsmoke handle that stuff and are anthology-like, but it rarely seems to feel that great when crammed into a thirty-minute slot. I generally only like those types of episodes if someone I adore is guesting. Or if the writing is utterly exceptional.

Well, maybe I'm being too harsh. I *liked* the individual episodes; they had good moral points and were intense. But they still felt like episodes I'd seen a million times on those other thirty-minute Westerns. I like things to be different than that, yet I'm not sure how to explain exactly what I do like, since I like the elements in those episodes. Maybe it's all in the presentation, as I kind of surmised, and it just comes across better/is more well-written in an hour format.

Another thing that specifically made me roll my eyes a bit about Branded, though, was something they actually made note of in the show. Someone said it seemed like everywhere Chuck's character went, he encountered someone whose family member or friend died in the Bitter Creek battle that's central to the show's backstory. And that really did seem to be the case. Formulaic, naturally, but kind of ridiculous and far-fetched. Not anymore so than Perry Mason's formulaic tendencies, I imagine, but still, it kind of exasperated me that everywhere the poor guy went, someone seemed to think he was a coward and he had to prove he wasn't.

That irritates me along the same lines that having someone I'm nuts about end up behind bars for something he didn't do irritates me. Strange hang-up for a Perry Mason fan, I know, but it's there. In my stories, I refuse to write any protagonist characters going to jail. They can be falsely accused to varying degrees, but never put behind legal bars. I just don't tolerate that very well.

(Note that I said "legal" bars in specific, as I have written mad scientist characters throwing characters behind their own bars now and then. That seems different to me, since they could escape easier and wouldn't then be pursued by the law since they're being held illegally.)

Well, I finally did buy The Racket. It's a good film and I still quite like it, although it pales in comparison to the other movie Robert Mitchum and William Talman made together, One Minute to Zero. In The Racket the characters feel like archetypes. In One Minute to Zero they're a lot more fleshed out and feel so real you could reach out and touch them. Also, William's character's death is far more powerful. The way Robert's character looks, oh my gosh. You can just see him shatter at the loss of his best friend. And that haunted look remains for the concluding moments of the film. In The Racket, Robert's character is upset, but he's always the stoic cop. And they're not anywhere as close as they were in One Minute to Zero.

I finally felt like watching One Minute to Zero again after seeing The Racket for the second time. I still cried, but it wasn't overwhelming and I came away feeling that in my private canon William's character John survives. I noted a curious thing about the film: the characters seem to either die or end up physically unhurt but badly shaken and hurting emotionally and mentally. (Well, aside from Robert's character's injuries fairly early on.) I think they should have had some characters who lived but were more seriously injured physically. And I have stubbornly determined that John is one of them. I don't know if I'll ever write any fanfiction to that effect, but I'll definitely be thinking it.

When the movie is pretty clear that John is supposed to be dead, however, it makes the final scene bittersweet and really somehow leaves me cold. Robert's character is briefly reunited with his love, but I keep thinking of the contrast between that happy reunion and John's wife Mary getting that horrible knock on the door and the news. Oh gosh.

Overall, One Minute to Zero is just an absolutely beautiful, moving film that really leaves you thinking. It deals with so many angles not usually seen in war pictures, and the close friendship between the two leading male characters never fails to thrill and delight me. (Plus, we hear William Talman sing! Yessss.)

I'm also caught up with My Little Pony. I prefer season 1 to season 2, I think. I like spotlighting other characters in season 2, but I miss the focus being on Twilight Sparkle. She's even absent from several season 2 episodes. And I also miss the lack of episodes with the main ensemble. In season 2 there are often two or three Ponies it focuses on for an episode, with the others being curiously absent. Showing the whole group and their close friendships through trials and adventures and adversity was one of the things I loved most in season 1. I'm really hoping season 3 will go closer to that format again and not continue to drift away from it.

I find it amusingly curious that I've become so immensely fond of Fluttershy. I thought she was just a goody-two-hooves at first, but oh, she's so much more than that. And aside from Twilight, I probably relate to her the most. When something goes wrong and someone is being unfairly assertive over her, she often shrinks back and wants to just drop the whole thing. When someone gets like that with me, I'll usually have an initial burst of anger and indignation and try (sometimes unsuccessfully) not to be rude in return. When that passes, I usually feel like crawling in a hole and dropping everything.

Sometimes I feel like that being the rebel, too. Being the rebel seems to mean that in general I won't get as much interest and attention as conformists, and that even why I try to do something that I think might appeal to the main body, it doesn't. Sometimes I feel like everything I'm trying to do I turn into poison. Both Once Upon a Time and Bonanza are popular fanfic categories on FF.net. And okay, maybe I didn't write about a popular Once character, but I did for Bonanza. And even though reviews seem to be pretty prominent on the other stories, they're not for mine. I do get hits; people are looking and I'm grateful for that. But I can't help being puzzled over why no one can take the time to review. I get more reviews from my Perry stories than I do for those other categories! And Heaven knows I've been discouraged over a recent lack of Perry reviews too.

There's times I feel like just throwing my hands in the air and giving up and forgetting FF.net. It's my main story drop, but since I expect comments there I'm often disappointed. Sometimes I think I have more fun when I'm writing something for a place where I don't expect comments, like a theme comm here or years ago, on my Gomer Pyle and Monkees websites. And I feel like oh gosh, what's the point on FF.net; people aren't that interested in what I can produce anyway. They mainly just want romance, and in most cases, I just can't deliver. I don't feel it and I'm not comfortable writing it. Usually even if I like a couple I can't write for them. (Although platonic sibling squee is, for once, much loved about Bonanza fics. Making it even more confusing and disappointing about mine.)

But in the end I always break down and decide that since people are reading, even if they keep silent, I don't want to disappoint them. So I keep posting on FF.net anyway.

I just got a couple of comments on my blog last night that sound like they came from a book purist. They seemed to insinuate that I'm not really a big Perry fan because I haven't read the books. I knew I'd probably take some flack from that, but I was in a particularly bad mood last night and that wasn't what I wanted to see then at all. Maybe I'm wrong about their intentions, but that's what I took from the message. I was also informed that I might change my opinion on Perry/Della romance if I read the books. I'm not entirely sure what was meant by that.

As I told the person (and I doubt it will be seen, since theirs was an anonymous comment), I'm a fan of the TV show and I'm not particularly interested in the books due to their treatment of Hamilton. I find this quite logical. However, in spite of that, I want to give them a chance if I can find them. The person said in the original comment that libraries usually have them. Maybe most libraries do, but I'd be surprised if mine did. It's a small place. And I rarely get out to it. I can't check the catalog from home, either, unless they've finally fixed their website (which is doubtful). I haven't ever felt a particular urge to seek the books out there due to my disappointment over the unfair treatment of Hamilton (and probably all prosecutors), but I suppose the next time I do get to the library I can give it a shot and see if there's any.

I also replied that I was not particularly interested in the Perry/Della romance. What I really like (I didn't mention this), is the unresolved sexual tension between them on the TV show. And when there is such an element in any show, I usually feel that to resolve it and make the characters a couple ruins everything. That's why I prefer keeping my stories as per the TV series as far as their interaction goes. Also because their dialogue can be seen as both friendshippy and romantic all at once. Everyone can see it the way they want to see it!

Concerning them in the books, I know that Perry has proposed twice and Della has turned him down. I don't understand why she would, especially since it's implied in the TV series that she wants a proposal and Perry wants to remain a bachelor. So if book-Perry was sincere in his proposals (and it's hard for me to imagine he wouldn't be), I'm just puzzled by book-Della's refusal. I haven't heard about the explanation for that, either (if there was one). I also know that in spite of all that, it seems more like they might have an established relationship going on, at least in the early books and according to shipper fans. I'm not particularly sure why any of that would supposedly change my mind on my stance.

Anyway, so after I replied to this anonymous person, my annoyance over their choice of phrasing died down and I wanted to crawl in a hole. I wondered for hours whether they would reply again and dreaded it if they persisted sounding like a purist. (If they're not, I would be alright with talking to them. I enjoy comments and I don't mind if people disagree with me; I just don't like it when they sound rude or purist when they do.) I even briefly wondered if I should just give up the blog, because I already know a great majority of fandom people are Perry/Della shippers and I just can't give them what they want. But those feelings were fleeting; in the end I'm just all the more stubborn about persisting in what I want to do. Actually, most of my commenters like what I'm doing. Some of them even agree with me. Us Hamilton fans have to stick together. So no way will I give it up.

But that doesn't mean I won't continue to feel intimidated and discouraged now and then, just like Fluttershy. She and I both need to learn how to be more assertive without being rude. (Although I hope I wasn't rude to that person; I tried so hard not to be.)

I have some thoughts on the recent My Little Pony series, but I'll post that later. Today it's this.

First off! What is your pen name?
Lucky_Ladybug

Any previous pen names?
I don't think a pen name should be changed. Once it/you are established, you're known by that. Why change it and suddenly make it hard for people to find you/know it's you?

Of course, when it comes to various social networks and the like, I sometimes will use various names. But to post stories, I always prefer Lucky_Ladybug. And I include that as my LJ name too, so that people will hopefully know the insane one is me.

And what does your pen name mean?
It's the name of an old and silly but cute song covered by many people, but specifically Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons. It's pretty straightforward, isn't it? It's a ladybug who is lucky.

Any alternate nicknames or pen names?
insaneladybug, of course. Usually used on journals. And always with the "Lucky_Ladybug" attached where it gives the name of the poster.

What fandom(s) do you write for currently?
Perry Mason, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Monkees, West Side Story.

And what pairings do you write for it?
None, unless they're canon, such as Tony/Maria for West Side Story.

Why?
Why not? Not everything has to be about romance, after all. Try branching out more. Platonic/gen stuff is great, too. And there's a serious lack of it in many fandoms.

What are some current projects of yours?
The Case of the Spectral Stalker, my current Perry Mason mystery. (The one I'm still quibbling about. Now I'm concerned I may lose some of my audience if I do the happier, albeit crazier, ending. And yes, I know the author should be happy first and foremost, but I won't be happy if I lose my audience, either.)

Lullaby of Silence, my three-way crossover with Perry, The Monkees, and Kolchak.

And a Kolchak oneshot concerning a mysterious, healing cloth.

EDIT: And of course, To Blossom As the Rose, the FF7 crossover with the two Westerns. I haven't forgotten about it. I know what should happen next chapter; the problem is fitting it in amid all my other projects.

Do you ever think your OTP will reach a happy ending?
My current OTP ... Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold and Belle from Once Upon a Time ... yes, I certainly hope they will. The whole point is to bring back the happy endings, and they deserve one, too.

If you ever had to kill one of them off, who would you choose and why?
Why would I want to do that? Gah, they've been going through enough already.

... Although, I can't deny that I really hope that in the climax, Mr. Gold will be seriously injured stopping Regina/saving Belle, and then Belle will have to make like her animated counterpart and save his life with her true love.

Will your OTP ever have kids?
... That would be interesting, wouldn't it.

What do you see them doing post-canon?
I want them to stay in Storybrooke, as I've seen some post-canon stories portray. I think they have a better chance for happiness there than in fairytale land. Actually, it seems like that's the case for quite a few characters.

(Plus, I really really love Mr. Gold's character design and personality.)

If a character has multiple 'appearances', which one(s) do you use in fic?
The one I like best, baby. The question should really be, what if I like elements of multiple versions?

For Perry, I will always write about the classic TV series. No ifs, ands, or buts. The characterization is incredible and develops in ways it never did in other versions.

Sailor Moon is what I have a problem with. I think the good guys are better in the manga and the bad guys are better in the anime. The girls spend way too much time cooing over guys in the anime. And Rei is so mean, oh gosh. I've really come to love Sailor Jupiter and appreciate her awesomeness, but it's so annoying when she suddenly goes squeeing after yet another guy who reminds her of her old flame.

I just don't think I can bring my conflicting feelings on the different versions of Sailor Moon together, since it requires either abandoning one element or the other, or else smooshing everything together. I do the latter for YGO, but it's different since I really only like a couple of things better in the manga and can easily insert them into anime canon. For Sailor Moon, the problem is much broader and I just don't know how to deal with it. I don't think I will ever really be able to write for Sailor Moon because of it. I just can't decide how to unite what I like about the different verses. And since the fanfic category is pretty much dead anyway, I'd rather concentrate on current projects.

How do characters sound in your head?
Like they should. Perry is Raymond Burr's voice, Hamilton is William Talman's, etc. etc. (Unless I've been watching too much of something else and when I try to concentrate, someone else's voice is in my head, i.e., hearing Robert Carlyle's voice for Hamilton when I'm trying to channel William. Gah.)

Have you ever written/wanted to write crack fic (e.g. singing in a karaoke bar) for your fandoms?
No. Not unless everyone is in character. What's funny about it if it could be absolutely anyone? It's only funny if you can recognize the voices and personalities of the characters and you're watching them react to silly situations.