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Disney's new trend?
Jul. 19th, 2013 07:32 amSo I was reading about Disney's Lone Ranger movie the other day. It sounds basically quite interesting and good, but ... ( Some spoilers for those who don't want them )
Tough love characters
May. 5th, 2011 11:54 pmIn the morning I tinkered around with Baa Baa Black Sheep (a.k.a. Black Sheep Squadron), a WWII-era series. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it at first, although I absolutely adored a scene where General Moore talks with the main character Pappy and ends up yelling his name in frustration, just like Tony always does with Kolchak.
I watched straight through that episode until it decided to start buffering. It was all together in one chunk and the website didn't seem to know what to make of it, either. Once it started buffering I got impatient and skipped around to other parts. It continued to buffer.
By that point I didn't have enough time to watch a full episode, so I switched to one in several parts and skipped around a bit in it to see if it was one I'd like to watch in full later. And that episode, #4, made me decide I loved the show and that I'd definitely be giving it another chance.
Why? Because the plot involved the main character, Pappy, going missing in action. It flipped back and forth between his adventures and how the rest of the unit was dealing with him being missing. And they were not handling it well. They were neglecting their duties, refusing missions, and lying around getting drunk. This went on for a while.
And General Moore finally had enough. After he was informed of the problem by the colonel, he went to bawl them out. They were letting him down, they were letting Pappy down, and they were disgusting him. He had this whole big rant and I was eating it up. I loved it. It really helped them, too. After that they started getting their act together.
In real life General Moore would probably scare the heck out of me. But in fiction, when I can sit back and just watch, I highly admire his actions. I've always tended to do that. Sephiroth, whom I'm loved writing for in both Final Fantasy 7 and Kingdom Hearts, is much the same. He's stern, he's tough, and he will be as blunt and harsh as he has to be to get things done. I adore writing scenes where he chews someone out who really needs to be chewed out. I've also done that with Alister, definitely in RPs and I think in stories, too.
I think the reason for my admiration is that I wish I were more that way. It's the same reason (well, one of them) that I like Autor so much. But also, it's the same philosophy I fully believe in. When people are depending on you you can't just keep lying around as the unit was doing in the episode. You have to get up and keep going, even if you want to break down. I've had to put that into practice in real life before and I hope I'll always be able to do so. And I'm of course not saying you should never have a time to break down/cry/grieve/whatever, just that sometimes there truly isn't a time.
So, hats off to General Moore (played beautifully by Simon Oakland, if you haven't already figured that one out).
I watched straight through that episode until it decided to start buffering. It was all together in one chunk and the website didn't seem to know what to make of it, either. Once it started buffering I got impatient and skipped around to other parts. It continued to buffer.
By that point I didn't have enough time to watch a full episode, so I switched to one in several parts and skipped around a bit in it to see if it was one I'd like to watch in full later. And that episode, #4, made me decide I loved the show and that I'd definitely be giving it another chance.
Why? Because the plot involved the main character, Pappy, going missing in action. It flipped back and forth between his adventures and how the rest of the unit was dealing with him being missing. And they were not handling it well. They were neglecting their duties, refusing missions, and lying around getting drunk. This went on for a while.
And General Moore finally had enough. After he was informed of the problem by the colonel, he went to bawl them out. They were letting him down, they were letting Pappy down, and they were disgusting him. He had this whole big rant and I was eating it up. I loved it. It really helped them, too. After that they started getting their act together.
In real life General Moore would probably scare the heck out of me. But in fiction, when I can sit back and just watch, I highly admire his actions. I've always tended to do that. Sephiroth, whom I'm loved writing for in both Final Fantasy 7 and Kingdom Hearts, is much the same. He's stern, he's tough, and he will be as blunt and harsh as he has to be to get things done. I adore writing scenes where he chews someone out who really needs to be chewed out. I've also done that with Alister, definitely in RPs and I think in stories, too.
I think the reason for my admiration is that I wish I were more that way. It's the same reason (well, one of them) that I like Autor so much. But also, it's the same philosophy I fully believe in. When people are depending on you you can't just keep lying around as the unit was doing in the episode. You have to get up and keep going, even if you want to break down. I've had to put that into practice in real life before and I hope I'll always be able to do so. And I'm of course not saying you should never have a time to break down/cry/grieve/whatever, just that sometimes there truly isn't a time.
So, hats off to General Moore (played beautifully by Simon Oakland, if you haven't already figured that one out).
Tags:
... Or maybe this should be called the How Much Like Drosselmeyer Are You? quiz. And it may be added to later.
1. How long have you been a hurt/comfort fan? To the best of my knowledge, since I was about four or five. I *think* the kicker was this awesome Little Audrey cartoon where she thinks she killed a bird with a gun she's messing around with, and the birds are so heartbroken and having a funeral for it, and the bird was only knocked out and revives when it starts to rain. Plot sound familiar? I squeed so hard and thought it was wonderful that the bird was okay. That may have also been the start of my obsession with death, though I still wonder if my maternal grandfather's funeral could have had anything to do with that, since it was around the same time (and consciously, I don't remember it much).
2. What exactly is it that attracts you to the genre? Mainly the character interactions. The situations for each fandom may be similar (at least some of them), but with the characters' different personalities it will always feel fresh and new. And I have to admit, there is something that appeals to me about a favorite character being left helpless and forced to rely on another character. Also, I never get tired of recapturing the joy and squee I felt from that cartoon when the injured person is alright. That doesn't mean, however, that I never write deathfics. As in, no coming back. I have, though most of those end up getting continuations where the person comes back somehow....
3. Who is most likely to be the victim: males or females? Almost always males, and usually ones I am crushing on. If a female is hurt, it's generally to get the reactions of the males she's closest to.
4. Are there any injuries you are particularly fond of inflicting? It honestly depends on my mood. Sometimes I want blood, sometimes I don't. Characters have certainly been shot and stabbed frequently, or gone flying from explosions, or drowned or choked or suffocated. Or involved in car accidents or fallen down stairs. And then there's the good old knock on the head.
... Not to mention my fascinations with electrocution and being encased in ice. And let's not forget mind-control/possession. As well as the emotional trauma of those trying to deal with the injured person, and of the injured person if he/she has done something terrible/been through something terrible.
And when required, I love throwing in artificial respiration. The injured person getting hurt rescuing someone else certainly doesn't hurt, either.
5. Likewise, are there any injuries you are not fond of inflicting? I once made a list of everything I would not do. You know, about ten years ago, the old-fashioned knock-outs and the laser guns were about all I'd use. Everything else I refused to do. I'm still not fond of burns, but I will occasionally use that method if it's necessary (Sephiroth in Shine Until Tomorrow, Duke in Lead Me Through the Fire). I still refuse to break bones unless it's wings, and that's also only used sparingly (Alexander's deformed wing, KH Sephiroth in I Don't Feel Enough For You to Cry.) Ribs can be cracked; I'm not sure if any have ever been broken.
Severed body parts are still a no-no. (The one exception being Azazel Rakesh, though that wasn't done for any hurt/comfort; it was just part of the plot. At the time, I don't think I even realized how fond of those characters I would become.) Scarring used to be taboo, but I've dropped that; a couple of characters have them now, albeit faint ones. (Duke in Lead Me Through the Fire/its follow-ups, Autor in Fall From Grace.) And of course, I am still staunchly opposed to characters turning into anything they're not supposed to: animals, werewolves, vampires, the opposite gender.... The one exception I made was when wings were given to two detectives; I don't like that now. That whole angle was just *weird.* I must have been in some extremely sleep-deprived state when I came up with that one. LOL.
6. What is perhaps the strangest scenario you've done? One of the strangest things I've done has to be Autor's fate in the Phantom Hitchhiker trilogy/timeline: killed by a runaway carriage. Another really bizarre thing was Sephiroth being encased in stone in Sunrise and Midnight. That was intended to be a full-fledged story as opposed to a blurb/series of blurbs (even though it's still only a series of blurbs). As a general rule, blurbs sometimes have more off-the-wall scenarios than fics, since a lot of them never will get fully finished and are written on whims.
Oh, the screwiest one was that Rise From the Ashes/Phoenix blurb with Sephiroth. Yeah, I'm a little embarrassed to even talk about that one. And the afore-mentioned thing with the winged detectives.....
7. Do you anticipate staying with the genre or moving on? Honey, after being with it this long, do you really think I'd stop being interested?
1. How long have you been a hurt/comfort fan? To the best of my knowledge, since I was about four or five. I *think* the kicker was this awesome Little Audrey cartoon where she thinks she killed a bird with a gun she's messing around with, and the birds are so heartbroken and having a funeral for it, and the bird was only knocked out and revives when it starts to rain. Plot sound familiar? I squeed so hard and thought it was wonderful that the bird was okay. That may have also been the start of my obsession with death, though I still wonder if my maternal grandfather's funeral could have had anything to do with that, since it was around the same time (and consciously, I don't remember it much).
2. What exactly is it that attracts you to the genre? Mainly the character interactions. The situations for each fandom may be similar (at least some of them), but with the characters' different personalities it will always feel fresh and new. And I have to admit, there is something that appeals to me about a favorite character being left helpless and forced to rely on another character. Also, I never get tired of recapturing the joy and squee I felt from that cartoon when the injured person is alright. That doesn't mean, however, that I never write deathfics. As in, no coming back. I have, though most of those end up getting continuations where the person comes back somehow....
3. Who is most likely to be the victim: males or females? Almost always males, and usually ones I am crushing on. If a female is hurt, it's generally to get the reactions of the males she's closest to.
4. Are there any injuries you are particularly fond of inflicting? It honestly depends on my mood. Sometimes I want blood, sometimes I don't. Characters have certainly been shot and stabbed frequently, or gone flying from explosions, or drowned or choked or suffocated. Or involved in car accidents or fallen down stairs. And then there's the good old knock on the head.
... Not to mention my fascinations with electrocution and being encased in ice. And let's not forget mind-control/possession. As well as the emotional trauma of those trying to deal with the injured person, and of the injured person if he/she has done something terrible/been through something terrible.
And when required, I love throwing in artificial respiration. The injured person getting hurt rescuing someone else certainly doesn't hurt, either.
5. Likewise, are there any injuries you are not fond of inflicting? I once made a list of everything I would not do. You know, about ten years ago, the old-fashioned knock-outs and the laser guns were about all I'd use. Everything else I refused to do. I'm still not fond of burns, but I will occasionally use that method if it's necessary (Sephiroth in Shine Until Tomorrow, Duke in Lead Me Through the Fire). I still refuse to break bones unless it's wings, and that's also only used sparingly (Alexander's deformed wing, KH Sephiroth in I Don't Feel Enough For You to Cry.) Ribs can be cracked; I'm not sure if any have ever been broken.
Severed body parts are still a no-no. (The one exception being Azazel Rakesh, though that wasn't done for any hurt/comfort; it was just part of the plot. At the time, I don't think I even realized how fond of those characters I would become.) Scarring used to be taboo, but I've dropped that; a couple of characters have them now, albeit faint ones. (Duke in Lead Me Through the Fire/its follow-ups, Autor in Fall From Grace.) And of course, I am still staunchly opposed to characters turning into anything they're not supposed to: animals, werewolves, vampires, the opposite gender.... The one exception I made was when wings were given to two detectives; I don't like that now. That whole angle was just *weird.* I must have been in some extremely sleep-deprived state when I came up with that one. LOL.
6. What is perhaps the strangest scenario you've done? One of the strangest things I've done has to be Autor's fate in the Phantom Hitchhiker trilogy/timeline: killed by a runaway carriage. Another really bizarre thing was Sephiroth being encased in stone in Sunrise and Midnight. That was intended to be a full-fledged story as opposed to a blurb/series of blurbs (even though it's still only a series of blurbs). As a general rule, blurbs sometimes have more off-the-wall scenarios than fics, since a lot of them never will get fully finished and are written on whims.
Oh, the screwiest one was that Rise From the Ashes/Phoenix blurb with Sephiroth. Yeah, I'm a little embarrassed to even talk about that one. And the afore-mentioned thing with the winged detectives.....
7. Do you anticipate staying with the genre or moving on? Honey, after being with it this long, do you really think I'd stop being interested?
Interview thing
May. 15th, 2010 10:50 pmI forgot to copy over more than the questions I was given, but you guys have done a million of these, right? If you want five questions, say so, I give them, and you post in your journals.
Interview by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rose_of_pollux:
1) KH Zack, Cloud, and Seph vs FFVII Zack, Cloud, and Seph-- which verse is your favorite to write for and why? You know, I've debated this question with myself a lot. As I recall from when I mused on it in past entries, KH is fun because less is known and you can make up more, but FF7 is fun because it's the original and so much *is* established already to work with. I think I tentatively concluded I preferred KH, but I think now I prefer FF7. Kaze's story could be an influence on that decision, as well as the role-plays I've done, but in any case I really love the darkness of FF7 and all the various established angles. With the Compilation, there's so much to work with. Of course, KH is pretty dark too, but there's not a lot of information on their versions of the characters.
2) How did you get into Princess Tutu? I saw the DVDs at Media Play (yes, it was still Media Play then) and was somewhat intrigued, but the concept of the Prince losing his heart scared me away. Later, Stacey and Elora both got into the show and showed me the infamous Hall Om Mig AMV. I watched, was immediately hooked, and ordered the first DVD from the library. I loved it so much, I couldn't wait for any more to arrive. I watched the entire rest of both seasons on YouTube over two evenings. I've been a fan since then and have been in the comm, but I never really felt confident in the fanworks part of the fandom until I could finally get the DVDs and watch and rewatch to my heart's content. I don't often connect with characters well enough to write for them, so discovering I actually could with the Tutu characters was a big thrill.
3) Your favorite characters in YGO have changed throughout the years-- but which one will forever hold the #1 spot and why? Honestly, I don't think anyone does. XD; My #1 spot changes with the favorite characters. For a long time I tried to insist Yugi was my #1, but I finally conceded that Seto had beaten him. But then Marik beat Seto, and there was Alister, and Siegfried. I dunno, I'm back and forth on Seto, but I really don't like him as much as I used to. He drives me crazy in Battle City. The coliseum thing really made me headdesk. But of course Seto has awesome moments all along too, mostly in the anime-only arcs and in R. He was really good in Duelist Kingdom too, though. At the moment, I'd tentatively say Duke is my favorite, but he doesn't hold the #1 spot overall. I dunno, I guess if it wasn't for Battle City, Seto really could be my #1, and heck, maybe deep down he really still is.
4) Which of your OCs is your favorite to write for? Alexander. He's positively adorable. A child in a man's body, he's both innocent and introspective. I really would like to get my novel done; there'd be so much about him that would get fleshed out.
5) What is your favorite episode(s)/moment(s) of WITWICS? The Boll Weevil Retrieval is my favorite episode. Kneemoi is AWESOME and then there's the crazy anvil nonsense. But my favorite moment is Zombie Jamboree in The Costume Caper.
Interview by
rose_of_pollux:1) KH Zack, Cloud, and Seph vs FFVII Zack, Cloud, and Seph-- which verse is your favorite to write for and why? You know, I've debated this question with myself a lot. As I recall from when I mused on it in past entries, KH is fun because less is known and you can make up more, but FF7 is fun because it's the original and so much *is* established already to work with. I think I tentatively concluded I preferred KH, but I think now I prefer FF7. Kaze's story could be an influence on that decision, as well as the role-plays I've done, but in any case I really love the darkness of FF7 and all the various established angles. With the Compilation, there's so much to work with. Of course, KH is pretty dark too, but there's not a lot of information on their versions of the characters.
2) How did you get into Princess Tutu? I saw the DVDs at Media Play (yes, it was still Media Play then) and was somewhat intrigued, but the concept of the Prince losing his heart scared me away. Later, Stacey and Elora both got into the show and showed me the infamous Hall Om Mig AMV. I watched, was immediately hooked, and ordered the first DVD from the library. I loved it so much, I couldn't wait for any more to arrive. I watched the entire rest of both seasons on YouTube over two evenings. I've been a fan since then and have been in the comm, but I never really felt confident in the fanworks part of the fandom until I could finally get the DVDs and watch and rewatch to my heart's content. I don't often connect with characters well enough to write for them, so discovering I actually could with the Tutu characters was a big thrill.
3) Your favorite characters in YGO have changed throughout the years-- but which one will forever hold the #1 spot and why? Honestly, I don't think anyone does. XD; My #1 spot changes with the favorite characters. For a long time I tried to insist Yugi was my #1, but I finally conceded that Seto had beaten him. But then Marik beat Seto, and there was Alister, and Siegfried. I dunno, I'm back and forth on Seto, but I really don't like him as much as I used to. He drives me crazy in Battle City. The coliseum thing really made me headdesk. But of course Seto has awesome moments all along too, mostly in the anime-only arcs and in R. He was really good in Duelist Kingdom too, though. At the moment, I'd tentatively say Duke is my favorite, but he doesn't hold the #1 spot overall. I dunno, I guess if it wasn't for Battle City, Seto really could be my #1, and heck, maybe deep down he really still is.
4) Which of your OCs is your favorite to write for? Alexander. He's positively adorable. A child in a man's body, he's both innocent and introspective. I really would like to get my novel done; there'd be so much about him that would get fleshed out.
5) What is your favorite episode(s)/moment(s) of WITWICS? The Boll Weevil Retrieval is my favorite episode. Kneemoi is AWESOME and then there's the crazy anvil nonsense. But my favorite moment is Zombie Jamboree in The Costume Caper.
Mmm, nostaglia....
Jan. 14th, 2010 01:11 amNow this song is a blast from the past. When the computer was still on Windows 98, I had to give up most of the songs I had because it ran too slow with them. But I've hung on to this one all through the years. I'm not entirely sure what the attraction is, since I never really even got into Yu Yu Hakusho despite liking Kurama. Could be the awesome beat. But a lot of the songs I had were awesome that way, and I was forced to let them go. Why keep this one?
All I can figure out is the intense nostalgia it brings, moreso than any of the others. When I play it, there's a feeling there, something I long to recapture, but it's always just out of my reach. And I know that no matter how I try, I'll probably never again have that feeling in the here and now. It's bittersweet, but it also makes me happy thinking of times long past. I was a wide-eyed 15-year-old, enamored by my discovery of anime and YGO, and engaged in my first sweeping YGO RP. The song reminded my RP partner of something in connection with her character, which could also be part of the attraction, because I loved that character and those RPs. I still have the logs.
It's amusing---I've thought off and on about how much I've changed in just the last three-four years. I could *not* grasp what someone was telling me about how she believed Mr. Muggs of the East Side Kids would act if this kid who always imitated him got hurt sometime following him on some dangerous thing. I was trying to write a story on the idea and have him feel guilty over the kid being hurt. This person was trying to get me to see that he probably would not; he would probably be angry and frustrated that this kid, who had never been through what he had been through, was coming along trying to be a poser and act like him. I could not understand it; I even wondered if Muggs would be so mad he wouldn't help the kid. But I realized a while back that I perfectly understand now what that person was trying to explain. Yeah, Muggs probably would have felt exactly as that person said he would, and of course, he would have helped the kid in spite of it. But he would not have blamed himself. I could probably write that story now if I wanted. But I realized years ago that while I enjoy the films, writing for the characters is not my forte. I can do it, but it's a lifestyle and a time period quite alien to me. Of course, I'd probably update the time period to modern day, like I always do if it doesn't really damage the plot/background of the story I'm trying to write. But I'd rather just leave it be.
I think it was probably the fandoms I went through right after that which improved my writing the most. I dabbled with writing for assassins and romance in Detective Conan, and while there's still at least one sole oneshot I'm determined to write someday (inspired by a song, I think by Poets of the Fall), I also don't want to go back to writing for those characters frequently.
Final Fantasy and KH brought me Sephiroths, also someone very different from previous characters I'd written for. KH Sephiroth in particular, was an anti-hero through and through the way I wrote for him. I think I really improved a lot on writing for anti-heroes in general because of him.
Now I'm back to YGO, and I think my efforts now are far better than most of my previous ones (though I still love my later YGO works, like Life After the Tears and the few Siegfried fics I did). I love what I've done with Duke in all three of my new timelines (the updated main one, the Fallen one, and the Alone Again one). I love that I finally have given a name and a fleshed-out personality to his unnamed manager, a character that intrigued me from my first viewing of episode 46 (and whom I think I mentioned in the old fic In Memory ... one I still need to fix the formatting of on FF.net...). And I love my updated version of Yami Bakura. I also think I write for Yami Marik far better than I used to, and of course Atem and P. Seto.... The manga has helped a lot with that, as well as rewatching lots of anime episodes.
My one regret is that I'm really struggling with details. -.- Also starting with Detective Conan (and a bit with my Baby Face fics), I've tried to infer things more instead of spelling them out. It makes things more powerful. Downside is, I think a lot of times I need more details in something and I can't get them to come out. I feel so rusty. I don't know if I could ever write something again as detail-ridden as part 1 of Until You Find the Answers, one of the semi-recent YGO ventures. And yet sometimes I'm still able to churn out a scene with quite a few details, like the final scene of part 8 of Taming the Darkness, but it still doesn't feel like enough. I keep thinking there should be more. I'm driving myself mad because of this frustration over wanting more details and not being able to get any more to come out. I can't tell whether the scenes really don't need anything more and I'm just being picky, or if they do need more and I'm not giving it to them.
On a totally different subject ... I was in a store today, looking over the Valentine's Day stuff. I actually have always loved the holiday and feel a thrill of excitement for its arrival, but I roll my eyes at the emphasis on romance and being with a lover that day. I always loved it because when I was little, I'd get something awesome for it. X3 Like one year I got a 101 Dalmatians plush. That was probably my favorite Valentine's Day ever. (Well, actually, probably tied with the year we went to the mall and I found a Berlioz plushie at the Disney Store. My favorite Valentine's pretty much always involve plushies, except one year when I went on errands with Dad, went to a youth group activity delivering valentines to people, and then came home to a cat book. X3 Totally awesome day.) The thrill of the day has stuck with me all through the years, even though lately there hasn't been much exciting going on for it. This year, though, I'm pretty much squeeing for it to come. From my calculations, if the girls are able to be on schedule after the Christmas rush and are ready to ship in eight weeks (and they've always been on time in the past), I should get my plush sometime around the first couple of weeks of February. It could end up being right before or right after Valentine's Day. (And amusingly, this year it's on a Sunday, the same way it was the year I got my dalmatian.) So I say, bring it on! Come, you wonderful holiday that people ruin with their over-emphasis on romance. XD; People think that Valentine's Day can't be fun without a significant other, but it can be totally awesome without having anything to do with that!
To be honest, I get far more excited for Valentine's Day than I do for New Year's. XD;
All I can figure out is the intense nostalgia it brings, moreso than any of the others. When I play it, there's a feeling there, something I long to recapture, but it's always just out of my reach. And I know that no matter how I try, I'll probably never again have that feeling in the here and now. It's bittersweet, but it also makes me happy thinking of times long past. I was a wide-eyed 15-year-old, enamored by my discovery of anime and YGO, and engaged in my first sweeping YGO RP. The song reminded my RP partner of something in connection with her character, which could also be part of the attraction, because I loved that character and those RPs. I still have the logs.
It's amusing---I've thought off and on about how much I've changed in just the last three-four years. I could *not* grasp what someone was telling me about how she believed Mr. Muggs of the East Side Kids would act if this kid who always imitated him got hurt sometime following him on some dangerous thing. I was trying to write a story on the idea and have him feel guilty over the kid being hurt. This person was trying to get me to see that he probably would not; he would probably be angry and frustrated that this kid, who had never been through what he had been through, was coming along trying to be a poser and act like him. I could not understand it; I even wondered if Muggs would be so mad he wouldn't help the kid. But I realized a while back that I perfectly understand now what that person was trying to explain. Yeah, Muggs probably would have felt exactly as that person said he would, and of course, he would have helped the kid in spite of it. But he would not have blamed himself. I could probably write that story now if I wanted. But I realized years ago that while I enjoy the films, writing for the characters is not my forte. I can do it, but it's a lifestyle and a time period quite alien to me. Of course, I'd probably update the time period to modern day, like I always do if it doesn't really damage the plot/background of the story I'm trying to write. But I'd rather just leave it be.
I think it was probably the fandoms I went through right after that which improved my writing the most. I dabbled with writing for assassins and romance in Detective Conan, and while there's still at least one sole oneshot I'm determined to write someday (inspired by a song, I think by Poets of the Fall), I also don't want to go back to writing for those characters frequently.
Final Fantasy and KH brought me Sephiroths, also someone very different from previous characters I'd written for. KH Sephiroth in particular, was an anti-hero through and through the way I wrote for him. I think I really improved a lot on writing for anti-heroes in general because of him.
Now I'm back to YGO, and I think my efforts now are far better than most of my previous ones (though I still love my later YGO works, like Life After the Tears and the few Siegfried fics I did). I love what I've done with Duke in all three of my new timelines (the updated main one, the Fallen one, and the Alone Again one). I love that I finally have given a name and a fleshed-out personality to his unnamed manager, a character that intrigued me from my first viewing of episode 46 (and whom I think I mentioned in the old fic In Memory ... one I still need to fix the formatting of on FF.net...). And I love my updated version of Yami Bakura. I also think I write for Yami Marik far better than I used to, and of course Atem and P. Seto.... The manga has helped a lot with that, as well as rewatching lots of anime episodes.
My one regret is that I'm really struggling with details. -.- Also starting with Detective Conan (and a bit with my Baby Face fics), I've tried to infer things more instead of spelling them out. It makes things more powerful. Downside is, I think a lot of times I need more details in something and I can't get them to come out. I feel so rusty. I don't know if I could ever write something again as detail-ridden as part 1 of Until You Find the Answers, one of the semi-recent YGO ventures. And yet sometimes I'm still able to churn out a scene with quite a few details, like the final scene of part 8 of Taming the Darkness, but it still doesn't feel like enough. I keep thinking there should be more. I'm driving myself mad because of this frustration over wanting more details and not being able to get any more to come out. I can't tell whether the scenes really don't need anything more and I'm just being picky, or if they do need more and I'm not giving it to them.
On a totally different subject ... I was in a store today, looking over the Valentine's Day stuff. I actually have always loved the holiday and feel a thrill of excitement for its arrival, but I roll my eyes at the emphasis on romance and being with a lover that day. I always loved it because when I was little, I'd get something awesome for it. X3 Like one year I got a 101 Dalmatians plush. That was probably my favorite Valentine's Day ever. (Well, actually, probably tied with the year we went to the mall and I found a Berlioz plushie at the Disney Store. My favorite Valentine's pretty much always involve plushies, except one year when I went on errands with Dad, went to a youth group activity delivering valentines to people, and then came home to a cat book. X3 Totally awesome day.) The thrill of the day has stuck with me all through the years, even though lately there hasn't been much exciting going on for it. This year, though, I'm pretty much squeeing for it to come. From my calculations, if the girls are able to be on schedule after the Christmas rush and are ready to ship in eight weeks (and they've always been on time in the past), I should get my plush sometime around the first couple of weeks of February. It could end up being right before or right after Valentine's Day. (And amusingly, this year it's on a Sunday, the same way it was the year I got my dalmatian.) So I say, bring it on! Come, you wonderful holiday that people ruin with their over-emphasis on romance. XD; People think that Valentine's Day can't be fun without a significant other, but it can be totally awesome without having anything to do with that!
To be honest, I get far more excited for Valentine's Day than I do for New Year's. XD;
Character thingie
Aug. 16th, 2009 12:08 amI'll probably regret this, but it looks fun, so what the heck.
The Rules:
1. Comment to this post with the name of a character that I have written in fics. Or geeked out about. Or RPed. You should probably make sure it's one I've written more than once or twice.
2. I will comment telling you the following:
A. What initially prompted me to like the character enough to write about him/her.
B. One of his/her best traits.
C. One of his/her worst traits.
D. How easy/difficult I find it to write the character.
E. The story/chapter/paragraph/phrase where I feel that I truly captured the character (if I've written them).
F. My plans (if any) to write the character in the near future.
The Rules:
1. Comment to this post with the name of a character that I have written in fics. Or geeked out about. Or RPed. You should probably make sure it's one I've written more than once or twice.
2. I will comment telling you the following:
A. What initially prompted me to like the character enough to write about him/her.
B. One of his/her best traits.
C. One of his/her worst traits.
D. How easy/difficult I find it to write the character.
E. The story/chapter/paragraph/phrase where I feel that I truly captured the character (if I've written them).
F. My plans (if any) to write the character in the near future.
Money Matters.
May. 17th, 2009 03:34 amThings to have money for in the next few months (in order of priority):
1. Top secret project (may be revealed once it's finalized)
2. Scottish festival
3. Out Cold (I vowed to have a hard copy of this album---preferably new---before the next holiday season, and I shall! **wants the liner notes with all the squeeable pictures!**)
4. KH figures of Seph and Cloud
5. Lucky Seven (Japanese version)
6. Other Rockapella albums (Don't Tell Me You Do; Live in Japan)
The #1 item was an idea that just came to me a week ago today and I've been working out the details over the past week. Tuesday evening was spent making preparations for phase 1. I just need one more communication (I hope) before I can go ahead with said phase 1 of the plan. Phase 2 I hope to finish on Monday morning. (No, they don't have to be done in order, despite the 1 and 2 titles. The rest do have to be done in order.) Phases 1 and 2 can be completed at home; for phase 3 I must make a short visit to a business. Phase 4 requires another short trip, and phase 5 is the most difficult.
Items #1 and #2 on my list must be settled by July when the festival is. Well, Item #1 should be settled by the end of this month. (It has nothing to do with the festival.) After the festival, everything is ambiguous. In other words, I'm not sure when I'll be buying any of the other items. XD
1. Top secret project (may be revealed once it's finalized)
2. Scottish festival
3. Out Cold (I vowed to have a hard copy of this album---preferably new---before the next holiday season, and I shall! **wants the liner notes with all the squeeable pictures!**)
4. KH figures of Seph and Cloud
5. Lucky Seven (Japanese version)
6. Other Rockapella albums (Don't Tell Me You Do; Live in Japan)
The #1 item was an idea that just came to me a week ago today and I've been working out the details over the past week. Tuesday evening was spent making preparations for phase 1. I just need one more communication (I hope) before I can go ahead with said phase 1 of the plan. Phase 2 I hope to finish on Monday morning. (No, they don't have to be done in order, despite the 1 and 2 titles. The rest do have to be done in order.) Phases 1 and 2 can be completed at home; for phase 3 I must make a short visit to a business. Phase 4 requires another short trip, and phase 5 is the most difficult.
Items #1 and #2 on my list must be settled by July when the festival is. Well, Item #1 should be settled by the end of this month. (It has nothing to do with the festival.) After the festival, everything is ambiguous. In other words, I'm not sure when I'll be buying any of the other items. XD
Is it wrong that I am terribly amused by this? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29017293/?GT1=43001 If I saw one of those screwy signs, I would totally crack up. XD;
I started a KH ficlit yesterday, inspired by one ofmoonlitxmelody's prompts. There's nothing much to the plot, but it was fun revisiting those versions of Cloud and Seph again. X3 I write KH Cloud as being the most high-strung/short-tempered of the Clouds, so he's always amusing to write for. FF7 Cloud is thankfully over his bursts of anger and has started to settle down.
Dissidia Cloud is a new and interesting experiment. From the cutscenes, I get the feeling that he's really mature (perhaps the most so of all the Clouds), so I try to portray that. But he's also angry at D Seph, and I try to get his feelings across without having him totally lose it like KH Cloud usually does in my fics. And of course, all Clouds must have sarcasm. XD D Cloud is no exception.
D Seph, meanwhile, is easily the coldest sane Seph I've ever written for. The next Dissidia-related fic I write will be from his POV and include a flashback to his fight with Genesis in my backstory. I'm really hoping to write it for the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
31_days theme on the 8th, but I'm not sure I'll make it.
I started a KH ficlit yesterday, inspired by one of
moonlitxmelody's prompts. There's nothing much to the plot, but it was fun revisiting those versions of Cloud and Seph again. X3 I write KH Cloud as being the most high-strung/short-tempered of the Clouds, so he's always amusing to write for. FF7 Cloud is thankfully over his bursts of anger and has started to settle down.Dissidia Cloud is a new and interesting experiment. From the cutscenes, I get the feeling that he's really mature (perhaps the most so of all the Clouds), so I try to portray that. But he's also angry at D Seph, and I try to get his feelings across without having him totally lose it like KH Cloud usually does in my fics. And of course, all Clouds must have sarcasm. XD D Cloud is no exception.
D Seph, meanwhile, is easily the coldest sane Seph I've ever written for. The next Dissidia-related fic I write will be from his POV and include a flashback to his fight with Genesis in my backstory. I'm really hoping to write it for the
31_days theme on the 8th, but I'm not sure I'll make it.Oh lovely.
Nov. 14th, 2008 09:25 amDad said there's a new virus that can wipe out the entire C drive and that it's disguised as an email saying "Postcard from Hallmark." And it can list someone you know as the sender. --.-- **isn't sure whether it really says "postcard" or if it says "e-card."** If it really says "postcard", that should be a dead giveaway that something isn't right. So I don't know ... maybe it says "e-card." I'd say watch out for anything that says either thing, or anything remotely resembling it. People who make computer viruses are truly sick.
EDIT: The virus is real, but Dad may have gotten one of the infamous hoax messages about it. **shrugs.** I need to look at the email myself to see. In any case, all real viruses are still sick.
I finally have part 4 of my ghost bride fic almost done! It will go up later today. And ... I'm also getting KH plunnies at50lyricsfanfic. XD; Which I'm glad of, because I've been wanting to write KH stuff. #34 sounds like Kala-Ansa. The last thing I need is another theme comm, but the prompts...! **hugs them.**
I'm also going to be writing more KH fairy tale nonsense. ♥
EDIT: The virus is real, but Dad may have gotten one of the infamous hoax messages about it. **shrugs.** I need to look at the email myself to see. In any case, all real viruses are still sick.
I finally have part 4 of my ghost bride fic almost done! It will go up later today. And ... I'm also getting KH plunnies at
50lyricsfanfic. XD; Which I'm glad of, because I've been wanting to write KH stuff. I'm also going to be writing more KH fairy tale nonsense. ♥
URGENT UPDATE! This in from angelflare!
EEEE! **sails over the moon.** Look at that gorgeous wing! And it's BLUE! YES!
Well ... This has been an interesting month. On my birthday I got season 4 of The Batman on DVD, another Clair Poulson novel, and a nice hardback of Ernest Hemingway novels, among other things. I really agree with his "iceberg" theory of writing. That's how I've tried to write for the last couple of years or so, letting dialogue tell a lot of the story and not telling every little thing going through the characters' minds. I try to trust that the readers are intelligent enough to pick up on what's suggested but not said. XD
And Kaze sent me a burned CD of FF7 voice actor songs, as well as the two most recent Rockapella Christmas albums! **squees.** They're so awesome. X3 They make me feel really Christmassy. Both of them are after Sean left, sadly, but I love them. ^^ I really like Kevin a lot; I think he was the perfect choice since they had to get another tenor. And it's great to hear Elliott on both CDs and Barry on one of them! They all have beautiful harmonies and sing a mixture of lots of different kinds of Christmas songs. And sometimes they do such silly things, like a monologue Scott does on Please Come Home for Christmas.
Crystal Rose has been sending me Carmen blurbs and pics, which are awesome! We both enjoy writing h/c, so the blurbs have a lot of that. X3 And the pics are mainly illustrations from Walk Like an Egyptian. Much fun and squee!
I've been having lots of crazy dreams of late, one of course being that cemetery one. I had another cemetery one, but it just involved me taking a headstone to use as a visual aid for something and then having to put it back. XD; And finding a bunch of people at a pavilion having a cookout in the cemetery! .__.;
I also had an awesome dream where Rockapella (the current lineup) was going to be giving a concert right here in the neighborhood, and I had gone to help set things up and hoped to meet the guys. X3
Then today I had a weird dream of tape-searching. I found a tape that had a totally different version of Zombie Jamboree on it, where the guys (Carmen era) were singing as they ran and leaped through a jungley/beachy area. LOL. And of course I woke up wanting to hear the song, so now it's been on Repeat for a while.
On the same tape I found a weird, WEIRD thing that said it was Little House on the Prairie but it was more like the Love Comes Softly series ... and it involved Aerith's and Seph's ancestors in a frontier town. And being a couple. And Seph dying. ;___; I despise the Seph/Aerith pairing, but the dream was kind of cute. And then it was so saaad!
In real-life, I heard Harry Belefonte's version of Zombie Jamboree, and it was one of the dumbest things ever. XD; The third verse switches gears completely and randomly talked about Brigette Bardot, and then the fourth verse was mostly the guy complaining about nuclear war. He tried to tie it into the song by saying if it happened, we'd all join the Zombie Jamboree. **rolls eyes.** Please to be keeping your political views out of a cheerful song about zombies, thank you very much!
The Kingston Trio's version, by comparison, is so amusing! The female zombie wants to marry the narrator and keeps bothering him. I was thinking how funny it would have been if Rockapella had sung that version sometime. I have this picture of how it would play out, with the female zombie chasing Sean and him mischievously singing the "I have to run away!" part. **snickers.**
angelflare! EEEE! **sails over the moon.** Look at that gorgeous wing! And it's BLUE! YES!Well ... This has been an interesting month. On my birthday I got season 4 of The Batman on DVD, another Clair Poulson novel, and a nice hardback of Ernest Hemingway novels, among other things. I really agree with his "iceberg" theory of writing. That's how I've tried to write for the last couple of years or so, letting dialogue tell a lot of the story and not telling every little thing going through the characters' minds. I try to trust that the readers are intelligent enough to pick up on what's suggested but not said. XD
And Kaze sent me a burned CD of FF7 voice actor songs, as well as the two most recent Rockapella Christmas albums! **squees.** They're so awesome. X3 They make me feel really Christmassy. Both of them are after Sean left, sadly, but I love them. ^^ I really like Kevin a lot; I think he was the perfect choice since they had to get another tenor. And it's great to hear Elliott on both CDs and Barry on one of them! They all have beautiful harmonies and sing a mixture of lots of different kinds of Christmas songs. And sometimes they do such silly things, like a monologue Scott does on Please Come Home for Christmas.
Crystal Rose has been sending me Carmen blurbs and pics, which are awesome! We both enjoy writing h/c, so the blurbs have a lot of that. X3 And the pics are mainly illustrations from Walk Like an Egyptian. Much fun and squee!
I've been having lots of crazy dreams of late, one of course being that cemetery one. I had another cemetery one, but it just involved me taking a headstone to use as a visual aid for something and then having to put it back. XD; And finding a bunch of people at a pavilion having a cookout in the cemetery! .__.;
I also had an awesome dream where Rockapella (the current lineup) was going to be giving a concert right here in the neighborhood, and I had gone to help set things up and hoped to meet the guys. X3
Then today I had a weird dream of tape-searching. I found a tape that had a totally different version of Zombie Jamboree on it, where the guys (Carmen era) were singing as they ran and leaped through a jungley/beachy area. LOL. And of course I woke up wanting to hear the song, so now it's been on Repeat for a while.
On the same tape I found a weird, WEIRD thing that said it was Little House on the Prairie but it was more like the Love Comes Softly series ... and it involved Aerith's and Seph's ancestors in a frontier town. And being a couple. And Seph dying. ;___; I despise the Seph/Aerith pairing, but the dream was kind of cute. And then it was so saaad!
In real-life, I heard Harry Belefonte's version of Zombie Jamboree, and it was one of the dumbest things ever. XD; The third verse switches gears completely and randomly talked about Brigette Bardot, and then the fourth verse was mostly the guy complaining about nuclear war. He tried to tie it into the song by saying if it happened, we'd all join the Zombie Jamboree. **rolls eyes.** Please to be keeping your political views out of a cheerful song about zombies, thank you very much!
The Kingston Trio's version, by comparison, is so amusing! The female zombie wants to marry the narrator and keeps bothering him. I was thinking how funny it would have been if Rockapella had sung that version sometime. I have this picture of how it would play out, with the female zombie chasing Sean and him mischievously singing the "I have to run away!" part. **snickers.**
This is probably old news now for most, but we are getting Play Arts figures of KH Cloud and Seph! X3 **has known for several days, after Lisa found pics, but hasn't had time to blog.**
And according to Angelflare, the release date for the CC Play Arts has been set to February. X3 CDJapan has them on pre-order, but for $37. **anime fall.** I'm hoping to find them elsewhere at a price comparable to the other Play Arts figures.
I had a weird dream involving Rockapella wandering through a cemetery. And Double Trouble was there as well. LOL. So ... a blurb happened. I plan to make this a full fic, but if I don't get to that, this blurb is nice and creepy for Halloween. X3 The cemetery is entirely inspired by a real one, save for the nasty thing floating around, of course.
(And I actually have advanced some on Diamond Rose Glass. I know basically where the rest of the chapter is going, too. Nancy Drew will be a large inspiration.)
Fictional Rockapella, loves. ♥
( Lost in the Cemetery )
And according to Angelflare, the release date for the CC Play Arts has been set to February. X3 CDJapan has them on pre-order, but for $37. **anime fall.** I'm hoping to find them elsewhere at a price comparable to the other Play Arts figures.
I had a weird dream involving Rockapella wandering through a cemetery. And Double Trouble was there as well. LOL. So ... a blurb happened. I plan to make this a full fic, but if I don't get to that, this blurb is nice and creepy for Halloween. X3 The cemetery is entirely inspired by a real one, save for the nasty thing floating around, of course.
(And I actually have advanced some on Diamond Rose Glass. I know basically where the rest of the chapter is going, too. Nancy Drew will be a large inspiration.)
Fictional Rockapella, loves. ♥
( Lost in the Cemetery )
Looked through a couple of old tapes with Carmen episodes. X3 I found the one with the Zombie Jamboree! I thought I'd lost that, so there was much squeeing involved. I love Rockapella's performance of that! ♥ I think everyone who's ever sung it sings different verses after the first one. LOL. Rockapella's version is my favorite. **has also checked out the Kingston Trio and Harry Belafonte versions.**
So many good memories.... Everyone looks so young and cheerful and like they're having such a good time. That's how I like to remember them, all four of them together like that. I think the main reason I watched that over and over was because I just loved how much fun they were having and what good friends they seemed to be. (It didn't hurt that the song is very catchy, either.... I'm always getting it in my head now.)
And then, when I thought I couldn't get any more ecstatic, I found the part of an episode where they sing a song about the local university. Yes, right here! They chased a crook here and sang the song as a clue. X3 I'd forgotten all about that until I found it. I just love their song parodies. I wish I knew what that one was a parody of. I seem to recognize it, but I could just be remembering watching the episode years before. XD;
One hilarious Office skit Crystal Rose found proves that Rockapella was playing fictionalized versions of themselves on the show, too. LOL, Greg says that he and they were in a punk rock band and the Chief hired them all. XD So I really don't need to feel uneasy about writing for them. I can't stand writing for real people unless they're playing fictionalized versions of themselves or unless I have the person's permission.
And LOL. My T&D FF7 mystery fic is now eleven chapters and 61,121 words. Compare that to God Help the Outcasts, at eleven chapters and 60,320 words. The difference being, the T&D mystery is not done. I'm not sure if it will actually climb to 20 chapters like my YGO mysteries, but if it does, it will be HUGE. It's already surpassed the word counts for the YGO mysteries. (Though it's not quite as big yet as Life After the Tears, which I think is my best YGO fic.)
It's been pulling some surprises on me lately, even though I've tried to have things planned out. I know the basic plotline running through everything, and I think I'm doing a good job at making sure everything is connected (even though to the readers it might not always look that way yet). I'm still surprised by some things, however, such as Vincent playing a bigger role than I'd intended.
So many good memories.... Everyone looks so young and cheerful and like they're having such a good time. That's how I like to remember them, all four of them together like that. I think the main reason I watched that over and over was because I just loved how much fun they were having and what good friends they seemed to be. (It didn't hurt that the song is very catchy, either.... I'm always getting it in my head now.)
And then, when I thought I couldn't get any more ecstatic, I found the part of an episode where they sing a song about the local university. Yes, right here! They chased a crook here and sang the song as a clue. X3 I'd forgotten all about that until I found it. I just love their song parodies. I wish I knew what that one was a parody of. I seem to recognize it, but I could just be remembering watching the episode years before. XD;
One hilarious Office skit Crystal Rose found proves that Rockapella was playing fictionalized versions of themselves on the show, too. LOL, Greg says that he and they were in a punk rock band and the Chief hired them all. XD So I really don't need to feel uneasy about writing for them. I can't stand writing for real people unless they're playing fictionalized versions of themselves or unless I have the person's permission.
And LOL. My T&D FF7 mystery fic is now eleven chapters and 61,121 words. Compare that to God Help the Outcasts, at eleven chapters and 60,320 words. The difference being, the T&D mystery is not done. I'm not sure if it will actually climb to 20 chapters like my YGO mysteries, but if it does, it will be HUGE. It's already surpassed the word counts for the YGO mysteries. (Though it's not quite as big yet as Life After the Tears, which I think is my best YGO fic.)
It's been pulling some surprises on me lately, even though I've tried to have things planned out. I know the basic plotline running through everything, and I think I'm doing a good job at making sure everything is connected (even though to the readers it might not always look that way yet). I'm still surprised by some things, however, such as Vincent playing a bigger role than I'd intended.
platonicism table
Sep. 20th, 2008 08:53 pmI shouldn't have done this, but upon discovering a new platonic/gen comm, I just had to support the cause. X3 The themes are awesome! I had a rough time picking out what table to use, and I even ended up changing my mind after requesting one. XD;
Claim: Kingdom Hearts
( 25 Prompts )
Claim: Kingdom Hearts
( 25 Prompts )
Color version of chapter 5's pic.
It has also finally been posted to Side7, along with the other pics done so far. I just have the epilogue left and the first set of pics will be complete!
Side7 link: http://www.side7.com/cgi-bin/S7SDB/Display.pl?act=gallery&aid=3749
Chapter 7 of The Diamond Rose Glass is finally done! W00t! And a oneshot of Seph and Zack cuteness almost is done. **needs a title and will probably look it over again later in case there's anything else to add.**
EDIT: And now I'm getting more odd ideas for the proposed zombie fic, based more or less on RPs. Including a Gunju from another dimension popping up who's furious at his Azazel and taking it out on every Azazel. He even fights the main Gunju and defeats him, then poses as the real one to get close to Azazel in order to hurt him. I'm still not sure what his beef is, but his Azazel is working with Koseki and has a beef against Dalton, which is part of the reason why Alter Gunju is mad.
Yeah, what a confusing RP world. LOL.
I also need to draw Koseki. X3 I swear his basic appearance was originally based on The Reader from Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat. XD;;; (Yeah, real guilty pleasure show there. I should have remembered it on the cartoon quiz.)
Koseki is a main villain in the RP with Lisa right now. X3 He just got banged up falling down a tunnel that he was trying to pull Seph and Cloud into, and now he's talking to Hojo, who found him mostly blind and bleeding in the grass. I'm thinking Koseki will end up blind in one eye. What happened was that he was clinging to Seph's leg when he was trying to pull him and Cloud into the tunnel, and Seph kicked him desperately when he was pulling. Seph accidentally shattered Koseki's glasses and they cut him. OW. There's a possibility that Koseki will be scarred from the glass shards, too. I haven't quite decided on that yet.
Quick post.
Sep. 7th, 2008 07:24 amLOOOOOL. http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc67/faythscar/FFVII/the%20guys/?action=view¤t=yu-ff.jpg
It's been nostalgic the last couple of days; the 6th was the first anniversary of getting Seph plushie. X3 **hugs him.** I wanted to write something KH to celebrate, but that didn't happen. XD;
Instead I finally got enough drive to write the AC fic where Zack tries to get Seph to stop the geostigma. It's very angsty, with some squee moments, but it's very draining writing a fic with insane Seph. I still don't know if it's done, either. I wanna write something very cute in T&D verse now, after all this hurt.
It's been nostalgic the last couple of days; the 6th was the first anniversary of getting Seph plushie. X3 **hugs him.** I wanted to write something KH to celebrate, but that didn't happen. XD;
Instead I finally got enough drive to write the AC fic where Zack tries to get Seph to stop the geostigma. It's very angsty, with some squee moments, but it's very draining writing a fic with insane Seph. I still don't know if it's done, either. I wanna write something very cute in T&D verse now, after all this hurt.
Chapter 5 sketch
Aug. 18th, 2008 05:58 am
Click to make bigger.
I quite love how this piece turned out, with the symbolism and all. The fire looks better than my past attempts, though it still needs work. And Seph's hair.... **strokes.**
Pic and stuff.
Aug. 5th, 2008 10:41 pm
Chapter 6's pic. Click to make bigger. My Side7 gallery is working again, so I've been posting there at last. But I wanted to post these pics in order, so until 5's pic is done, I probably won't post beyond chapter 4 there.
Fics are coming along. My mystery dream is producing a T&D fic that is churning out very quickly. X3 It feels so good to write an all-out mystery again. I've been reading Nancy Drew for further inspiration.
I have had enough of the evil MacAfee update downloader. It ruined everything tonight so I couldn't talk to Lisa when she was only able to be on for a few minutes. I think that's the worst trouble I've ever had with it (even topping when it was downloading for an hour when I wanted to go to bed). So I finally found how to adjust the settings and put it back to Notify Me Before Downloading. I think that's what it was on before it switched itself to Automatic. It had better work. And I'd better remember to download the stuff when I'm not talking to anyone. XD; The reason why I'd left it on Automatic when it switched itself was because I'd kept forgetting to download since no time was convenient for me. But this automatic downloading as soon as the computer boots up is just the worst time possible. If I could stop it once it starts, it wouldn't be so bad. But I've tried and I can't. XD; Once it starts, I'm just forced to wait it out.
I finally saw The Dark Knight. X3 I'd gone into it expecting to not like it and to find it ungodly depressing. Instead, I loved it. It's definitely a lot more than just a superhero story. The Joker was insanely creepy. Some scenes with him I could have done without, yet they were important because they really showed how horrible he is. Heath Ledger's performance was amazing. I think the hype about it was well-deserved. And of course, all the other cast members were spectacular too. X3 It was very dark, as everyone says, and some parts were disturbing. (I admittedly did not look the very first time Two-Face was shown, under the bright lights. It was easier to watch him in the other scenes.) But I really liked a lot of the ideas brought out, like self-sacrifice and what constitutes the greater good, and I want to see what happens next. It would be awful to just leave it and not continue the story!
I wonder if part of the problem I had with Spiderman was that I'd gone into it expecting much different than I got in a different kind of way. I was told it was one way, and it was another, and I was really depressed by it. I already knew The Dark Knight would be dark, and possibly depressing, before I saw it. I was led to believe Spiderman was not that way. Hmm. In any case, I still do plan to watch Spiderman again and see if I feel the same about it.
We went out a bit the past day. It was like old times, especially at Dollar Tree. X3 We poked around in there and looked over the Halloween stuff they've started to put out. It made me feel very nostalgic. I wish I could write a Halloween mystery or something this year. I need to write the creepy clown thing for KH, if I could just get enough motivation. XD;
I also rattled off the plot as it stands so far in Dragons at Dawn. I randomly got it out this past morning and was able to write the majority of the fifth chapter. I touched it up this evening and just posted it. I surprised myself with the ending, though I remember I'd been considering something similar when I was doing chapter 4.
Tuesday I wrestled with the KH fic about Cloud's dad. The ending did not want to come out for the longest time, but at last it shaped into place. Then posting it was the next hurdle. The browser was having one of its days. Between spellchecking in the LJ window and the browser freezing every two minutes, it took an hour to post it both to FF.net and LJ. .___.
And it somehow grew to be 10,880 words, when I'd thought it was probably 7,000 or so. XD; Buwahaha.
I'm not sure if it'll lead into a duology or a trilogy, but I know one of the other parts will be called Little Boy Blue. I ended up naming the just-posted part The Cat's in the Cradle, so any other titles will also be from that song. The people his dad owes money to will come after Cloud, but beyond that I'm not sure what happens.
I managed to get a little bit written in Forever Shine. I hope inspiration for it picks up fully before long. I used to worry that writing pre-Nibelheim fics would make me sad because I'd be thinking of Nibelheim happening. And that's kinda happening with this fic. XD; **has been mostly playing in the KH and T&D verses lately, and only doing pre-Nibelheim in oneshots.**
I also went back to the X-2 fic I started writing and tinkered with it. I read the script for the little follow-up that was included with X-2 International, and I was pleased to see that it made what I wanted to do in my fic very plausible. X3 I have no idea if I'll really get that fic written, even though I wanted to do it. It's a verse that I'm not as cozy in, but I do love the characters. X3And hey, there is the connection with it and VII! I could see it as a semi-prequel or something. XD
Haha, I'd left the main plot as Nooj being dead after an attack on the Bevelle palace by rebels upset about some stuff that happens at the end of X-2 and in the follow-up. So mainly it concerns the other characters and their reactions. Coming back to it the past morning, I didn't know if I could bear to keep it as that and I switched it to Nooj dying but having been reported as dead, which causes much chaos among the bewildered factions and other people. Leblanc shows up with an overdramatic mourning act, for one thing---or at least Baralai thinks it's an act.
**still wondering why SetsunaKou paired Leblanc and Baralai on her site.** That's gotta be one of the most nightmarish pairings ever. Poor Baralai. XD;
One thing that intrigues me is how the main guys in X-2 can be compared to my three favorite characters from VII, in some ways. And yet in other ways they're so different.
Nooj = Sephiroth
Gippal = Zack
Baralai = Cloud
Nooj is very serious and aloof, with a hidden sense of humor, but he differs from Seph majorly in that he was so often actively seeking a warrior's death (to the point that he was called the Deathseeker!). Sephiroth really seemed like he wanted to live.They do share a VA in English, though. Puuurrrr. And I absolutely squee over and adore his interaction with Gippal. X3 It sounds so much like Seph and Zack banter. (Doesn't hurt that it really is Seph's and Zack's VAs bantering, in the English version.)
Gippal can be really obnoxious, instead of adorable like Zack (I don't recall Zack ever being obnoxious, actually), but he still does have some of the same easy-going nature and cheerfulness.And they share VAs in both languages! And of course, his interaction with Nooj is absolute SQUEE!
Baralai seems to be a very quiet sort, different from Cloud's kind of quiet, and he really doesn't make me think of Cloud in any way except this: he idolized Nooj very much and later felt betrayed by him, and that led to intense bitter and hateful feelings towards Nooj. It actually wasn't Nooj's fault, but that's only something Baralai and the others learn later.
Sometimes I worry that writing for them will feel too much like writing for Seph-tachi, but since they really are quite different characters, things would probably turn out quite differently for them in at least some ways. I keep contemplating claiming them and Paine as a friendship atpyre_flies, but I keep hesitating both because of the concern of making sure they come off as different from the FF7 crew and because I know there would be other plunnies that would take precedence. XD;
I saw the first two episodes of Taken the other night. Steve Burton is in them, and in the third episode. X3 **squees!** He does an amazing acting job. He has such beautiful blue eyes, too, and he really sounds like Cloud when he's talking. I haven't seen him too much in stuff, but I picked him out immediately when he started to speak. Dakota Fanning is narrating the show, but hasn't appeared yet, and I'm hoping to see the rest of it to see her character. She sounds somewhat like Sun again. X3
I also rattled off the plot as it stands so far in Dragons at Dawn. I randomly got it out this past morning and was able to write the majority of the fifth chapter. I touched it up this evening and just posted it. I surprised myself with the ending, though I remember I'd been considering something similar when I was doing chapter 4.
Tuesday I wrestled with the KH fic about Cloud's dad. The ending did not want to come out for the longest time, but at last it shaped into place. Then posting it was the next hurdle. The browser was having one of its days. Between spellchecking in the LJ window and the browser freezing every two minutes, it took an hour to post it both to FF.net and LJ. .___.
I'm not sure if it'll lead into a duology or a trilogy, but I know one of the other parts will be called Little Boy Blue. I ended up naming the just-posted part The Cat's in the Cradle, so any other titles will also be from that song. The people his dad owes money to will come after Cloud, but beyond that I'm not sure what happens.
I managed to get a little bit written in Forever Shine. I hope inspiration for it picks up fully before long. I used to worry that writing pre-Nibelheim fics would make me sad because I'd be thinking of Nibelheim happening. And that's kinda happening with this fic. XD; **has been mostly playing in the KH and T&D verses lately, and only doing pre-Nibelheim in oneshots.**
I also went back to the X-2 fic I started writing and tinkered with it. I read the script for the little follow-up that was included with X-2 International, and I was pleased to see that it made what I wanted to do in my fic very plausible. X3 I have no idea if I'll really get that fic written, even though I wanted to do it. It's a verse that I'm not as cozy in, but I do love the characters. X3
Haha, I'd left the main plot as Nooj being dead after an attack on the Bevelle palace by rebels upset about some stuff that happens at the end of X-2 and in the follow-up. So mainly it concerns the other characters and their reactions. Coming back to it the past morning, I didn't know if I could bear to keep it as that and I switched it to Nooj dying but having been reported as dead, which causes much chaos among the bewildered factions and other people. Leblanc shows up with an overdramatic mourning act, for one thing---or at least Baralai thinks it's an act.
**still wondering why SetsunaKou paired Leblanc and Baralai on her site.** That's gotta be one of the most nightmarish pairings ever. Poor Baralai. XD;
One thing that intrigues me is how the main guys in X-2 can be compared to my three favorite characters from VII, in some ways. And yet in other ways they're so different.
Nooj = Sephiroth
Gippal = Zack
Baralai = Cloud
Nooj is very serious and aloof, with a hidden sense of humor, but he differs from Seph majorly in that he was so often actively seeking a warrior's death (to the point that he was called the Deathseeker!). Sephiroth really seemed like he wanted to live.
Gippal can be really obnoxious, instead of adorable like Zack (I don't recall Zack ever being obnoxious, actually), but he still does have some of the same easy-going nature and cheerfulness.
Baralai seems to be a very quiet sort, different from Cloud's kind of quiet, and he really doesn't make me think of Cloud in any way except this: he idolized Nooj very much and later felt betrayed by him, and that led to intense bitter and hateful feelings towards Nooj. It actually wasn't Nooj's fault, but that's only something Baralai and the others learn later.
Sometimes I worry that writing for them will feel too much like writing for Seph-tachi, but since they really are quite different characters, things would probably turn out quite differently for them in at least some ways. I keep contemplating claiming them and Paine as a friendship at
pyre_flies, but I keep hesitating both because of the concern of making sure they come off as different from the FF7 crew and because I know there would be other plunnies that would take precedence. XD;I saw the first two episodes of Taken the other night. Steve Burton is in them, and in the third episode. X3 **squees!** He does an amazing acting job. He has such beautiful blue eyes, too, and he really sounds like Cloud when he's talking. I haven't seen him too much in stuff, but I picked him out immediately when he started to speak. Dakota Fanning is narrating the show, but hasn't appeared yet, and I'm hoping to see the rest of it to see her character. She sounds somewhat like Sun again. X3
Scottish Festival. X3
Jul. 12th, 2008 01:30 amDay 1 of the Scottish Festival. More stuff happens on Saturday, but it's still fun to go on Friday evening, too. A lot of the booths are open, and there's food and entertainment. I always like watching the Irish dancers. X3 It's a Scottish festival, but it really sometimes seems like there's stuff from all the Celtic-type countries.
I had some chips with cheese dip. Goood stuff. I might want more tomorrow, in addition to the Scottish food I'll be trying. X3
Couldn't find much in the way of souvenirs yet....Though I did see a beautiful blue scarf/shawl that was the color of KH Seph's wings. X3 And a fleece throw that was so soft and had purple irises on it. I'd love to buy them both, but altogether that would be way too much. XD; Even one of them's probably way too much. I'm hoping to find a cheaper blue scarf/bandanna thing tomorrow. I did buy a cute clover keychain and a postcard with the Mackenzie tartan. I wanted some kind of thingie with the Mackenzie clan. Those who know me in the YGO fandom likely know why. For all others, it's because that's the last name I gave long ago to Alister.
And I remembered a plunnie I haven't thought of for a while: Alister and the other bikers at a Scottish festival. This time I fleshed it out more, thinking of Alister running a booth for the Mackenzie clan and even possibly a mystery taking place.And Valon probably being horrified if Alister matter-of-factly informs him that a kilt is traditionally worn with nothing underneath. XD;
Also, the last couple of days, a KH plunnie bit hard. It's an older one, with Cloud's no-good father popping up alive, and it has the flashbacks I was originally going to include. But the rest of the plot has changed. Originally, in the unwritten first plan, Cloud's father was a deadbeat who turned up on Cloud's doorstep asking for help. (Or at Zack's doorstep, if it was taking place after Cloud moves in with him and Seph.) Cloud was the central character, except for Zack appearing in a supporting role, and Seph appearing at some point. This new version has all three of them being quite important. And Cloud's father is a bit more vicious, at least in the first draft of the flashback.
I started writing the new one the other day as a regular h/c fic, with Seph finding Cloud laying in the road after being hit by a car.Actually, it was slated to be a deathfic, a reversal of the basic scenario in You're Gone, with Cloud being the one to die. But then I changed my mind on that.
Then the plot changed again. Cloud was talking about the driver and it randomly came to me to write that it looked like his father. BOOM. Plunnie attack! Right now I'm not sure where it's going. I'm thinking the father is caught and arrested for drunk driving (and causing an accident), and Cloud goes to see him in jail a bit later. They have a confrontation, and maybe the father tries to bribe Cloud or something to twist the story of what really happened. o.o Not sure on that. (He doesn't know at first that he hit his own son, BTW. He only finds that out when he gets to the jail. And he'll probably make some rude cracks about Cloud's wing.) I'm using the prompt Family fromkingdom100, and I do know the end result is basically Cloud knowing all the more that his father will never change, washing his hands of the matter, and being grateful even more for his surrogate family of Sephiroth and Zack.
I had some chips with cheese dip. Goood stuff. I might want more tomorrow, in addition to the Scottish food I'll be trying. X3
Couldn't find much in the way of souvenirs yet....
And I remembered a plunnie I haven't thought of for a while: Alister and the other bikers at a Scottish festival. This time I fleshed it out more, thinking of Alister running a booth for the Mackenzie clan and even possibly a mystery taking place.
Also, the last couple of days, a KH plunnie bit hard. It's an older one, with Cloud's no-good father popping up alive, and it has the flashbacks I was originally going to include. But the rest of the plot has changed. Originally, in the unwritten first plan, Cloud's father was a deadbeat who turned up on Cloud's doorstep asking for help. (Or at Zack's doorstep, if it was taking place after Cloud moves in with him and Seph.) Cloud was the central character, except for Zack appearing in a supporting role, and Seph appearing at some point. This new version has all three of them being quite important. And Cloud's father is a bit more vicious, at least in the first draft of the flashback.
I started writing the new one the other day as a regular h/c fic, with Seph finding Cloud laying in the road after being hit by a car.
Then the plot changed again. Cloud was talking about the driver and it randomly came to me to write that it looked like his father. BOOM. Plunnie attack! Right now I'm not sure where it's going. I'm thinking the father is caught and arrested for drunk driving (and causing an accident), and Cloud goes to see him in jail a bit later. They have a confrontation, and maybe the father tries to bribe Cloud or something to twist the story of what really happened. o.o Not sure on that. (He doesn't know at first that he hit his own son, BTW. He only finds that out when he gets to the jail. And he'll probably make some rude cracks about Cloud's wing.) I'm using the prompt Family from
kingdom100, and I do know the end result is basically Cloud knowing all the more that his father will never change, washing his hands of the matter, and being grateful even more for his surrogate family of Sephiroth and Zack.I thought the prompt for today's 31_days theme would fit the Bend and Break chapter best, but I didn't think I'd ever be able to get it done on such short notice, and I figured I'd have to see if Wednesday's prompt could provide inspiration. It didn't, and the chapter kept coming, and I ended up being able to get it up today after all. X3
And I was thinking about how I'd wanted the Wutaian fics to be a trilogy (Shine Until Tomorrow/When the Stars Shine Brightest), but I was having trouble thinking of more rebel activity to carry through a third part. With the exception of Simple Missions, and some old sets of YGO mysteries, I have a terrible time writing the third parts of trilogies. XD; But now I was thinking, what if the third Wutaian fic had more of an emphasis on natural disasters instead of man-made disasters? Seph and Zack were snowed in when I left off. Maybe the third part is about a blizzard that hits Wutai, and Seph and Zack having to go out in it to find people lost in the snow. X3
And EWWW. I have a canker sore in my mouth, so I went to Wikipedia to find out what I could do to reduce the pain. And they have PICTURES of canker sores. I think they should have the pictures linked, so that if someone wants to look in order to see if they have that kind of sore in their mouth, they can. But people who'd rather not see wouldn't have to. The way it is, you really can't help but see. XD;
31_days theme would fit the Bend and Break chapter best, but I didn't think I'd ever be able to get it done on such short notice, and I figured I'd have to see if Wednesday's prompt could provide inspiration. It didn't, and the chapter kept coming, and I ended up being able to get it up today after all. X3And I was thinking about how I'd wanted the Wutaian fics to be a trilogy (Shine Until Tomorrow/When the Stars Shine Brightest), but I was having trouble thinking of more rebel activity to carry through a third part. With the exception of Simple Missions, and some old sets of YGO mysteries, I have a terrible time writing the third parts of trilogies. XD; But now I was thinking, what if the third Wutaian fic had more of an emphasis on natural disasters instead of man-made disasters? Seph and Zack were snowed in when I left off. Maybe the third part is about a blizzard that hits Wutai, and Seph and Zack having to go out in it to find people lost in the snow. X3
And EWWW. I have a canker sore in my mouth, so I went to Wikipedia to find out what I could do to reduce the pain. And they have PICTURES of canker sores. I think they should have the pictures linked, so that if someone wants to look in order to see if they have that kind of sore in their mouth, they can. But people who'd rather not see wouldn't have to. The way it is, you really can't help but see. XD;
