chaos is what killed the dinosaurs, darling

So as I discovered yesterday, Eve 6 came out with a new album recently. I hadn't realized they'd gotten back together after splitting a few years back? So it was a pleasant thing to stumble upon! They're one of my favorite bands - I totally used to beg my sisters to drive around the block a couple extra times if Inside Out came on the radio while we were in the car. Anyway, I downloaded the new tracks last night, and mostly I like them a lot. I will say that the lyrics are not as good as I was expecting, unfortunately. I mean, the words are a huge part of why I like their music so much, and these aren't quite as...witty, I guess, as their other albums are. /shrug Some of the songs are pretty damn catchy, though, so it definitely wasn't a waste of money.

I uploaded one of my favorites to tumblr last night, which you can hear here. Also, they're playing a free show somewhere in Boston on May 19th with Spin Doctors, Switchfoot, and Third Eye Blind. No, we did not travel back in time to 1997, it is still 2012. I'm debating whether or not to go - on the one hand, it's free and I've been dying to see them live for a long time; on the other, there's possibly something fannish happening that day that I don't want to miss. Decisions! I hate making them!

Moving on.

The MoP beta continues to be pretty cool! I got all the way through the new start zone last night. I spent most of that 8 level stretch cursing loudly at the game (WHOSE BRIGHT IDEA WAS IT TO HAVE SWARMING MONKEYS THAT SPAWN ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY GAAAAAAHHHHH) (also WHOSE BRIGHT IDEA WAS IT TO HAVE A QUEST WHERE YOU'RE ATTACHED TO A FUCKING NPC THAT BLOCKS YOUR WAY WHEN YOU TRY TO PICK UP THE QUEST ITEMS ASKNA;KNVSLKNVSLKNSKN;ASMA;), but I'm happy to announce that I finally made it to Orgimmar! And then the beta client kicked me off 3 times in 30 minutes because of critical errors (all reported), so I gave up. I'm sure that game content from here until 85 is the same, so I think I might create a level 85 toon and see what's happening in the 85+ content. Yay more levels!

Also, man, I totally forgot that the new zone is on the back of a GIANT FUCKING TURTLE. Christ, I love this game. Even when it's frustrating the ever-loving shit out of me. Which is pretty often. :D:

I'm behind on all my comics, but I keep seeing little bits here and there on Twitter about American Vampire that make me desperate to catch up. Maybe that's what I'll do on Saturday? Unf. I came to the realization that while I ADORE the story, much of the appeal stems from the art. liveonthesun reblogged some covers Rafael Albuquerque did for Nomad: Girl Without a Home recently, and it hit me that I would pretty much read any comics he draws for, no questions asked. I just like his art a lot, okay? Shut up.

( Exhibit A: American Vampire #24 cover )

( Exhibit B: Catwoman o___o )

( Exhibit C: Nomad! )

So pretty. *____* I really only have incomprehensible flailing and keysmashing for you at this point, so I'll spare you. >.>

I started a new Steve/Tony fic the other day because I fail at staying focused on one project at a time. I got the idea for it from Incredible Hulk (which was SO BORING, how could a movie about the motherfucking HULK be SO BORING, guys?), and it's probably stupid to everyone else, but whatever, Imma write this thing. Weee! :D

That's all from me, friends. *SMOOCH*

30772 / 150000
(20.51%)

Current number of words written so far this year! I'm 2K and change behind where I technically should be this month, but since I managed to write ~2200 yesterday, I'd say I'm in a good place at the moment. Mostly I'm just trying to plug away at all the projects I have going at the moment. Since I'm sure you're super curious, have a list of them!

Filed under my In Progress tag on gdocs, the 10 most recently edited are:

-h50 - demisexual!steve
-angel/raven florist AU
-post-peason hardman fic
-Big Bang Mixup #2
-Big Bang Mixup #1
-the most self-indulgent genderfuck romance ever
-h50 undercover whaaaat
-bingo: bloodplay
-adventuring librarian
-in the night life - PP fusion

And there's, like, 20+ other docs in that folder, too.

Uh, yeah. The demi!Steve fic is what accounts for most of my words yesterday (2053 and not really near being finished right now D:), but I also started the Angel/Raven story over again, so. Yes, I know I should be working on the BBs, but apparently I really had to write about Steve and Catherine meeting and starting their relationship and Steve trying to explain how his feelings work to her, okay? Drunkenly. Yeah. #comeatmebro

At some point this week I am going to see if I can access the Mists of Pandaria beta. Saw the list of new features and got REALLY EXCITED about them this morning (11 character slots! new class! a bunch of other cool things that mean nothing to most of you!). I haven't actually played in a while, though - been kind of busy between family things and writing and reading and watching TV, but I'm a little itchy to start up again. Also I...decided to do a faction change on Alundi (once I have the extra cash to do so) so I can run more dungeons and raids with Heriotze. Probably going to make her into a draenei? There aren't that many races that can be paladins, and I'm not really keen on being a human or a dwarf, so my choice is limited. But whatever - purple goat people! Meeeeeh!

But mostly I'm excited to get to futz around with the pandaren. *____*

Anyway. No word on the baby yet. I am tired for a variety of reasons, and also work is driving me crazy today. But it's gorgeous out, so that counts for something, right? Right. \o/

I saw Chronicle and One for the Money today and enjoyed both, surprisingly. A fight nearly broke out right before the former started, which was exciting and annoying at the same time. Like, come on, guys. Save your rage for the football game tomorrow. Also, fuck off, it's fucking 10:45 in the morning.

Anyway. I'm apparently incapable of actually working on the stories I have deadlines for and started something new tonight. I have a thing for Rachel and Mike being BFFs, okay? And it's not finished, I just need to get it out before I write this angry scene in one of the BBMUs. Which I think is okay? So whatever, that's all that matters.

( Blah blah blah, have the beginning of the story. )

I've been really bad about writing daily (the number of zeroes I see on the GYWO spreadsheet is kind of ridiculous), but I managed to write a little over 400 words last night, so. That was something, at least. I forgot to make a list and prioritize, but I will do that today or tomorrow, depending on how busy work is.

BBMU1 count - 364 (Uggghhhhhh. But I have ideas for it, and it's mostly plotted out? So hope is not lost! I just need to get my ass in gear.)
BBMU2 count - 4092 (OOPS, at least one of these is moving along.)
PF LC count - D:

In related news, work has destroyed my ability to use project descriptors and abbreviations that are useful to anyone besides me. Which may or may not be a problem, I suppose.

How are all of you, friends? Hanging in there, I hope? <333

Jesus. You spend a DAY out of the office, and you come back to 5 voicemails from the same person about the same goddamn thing. I appreciate this person finally getting back to me and all, but LADY. COOL IT. OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT AROUND TO ANSWER YOUR PHONE CALLS. (This in addition to an email from a consumer - not in my inbox but in one that I'm responsible for - that makes very little sense to me and will have to wait until Doug gets in, despite the fact that it came in on Wednesday night. Sorry, person.)

Uggghhhh. Empathy levels are low. I have to finish a story and have it beta read by midnight on Sunday (I started it last weekend, but then I got distracted by Suits and my own inadequacies, so. Oops). paper_tzipporah is coming over tonight with wine and a terrible movie. I need to clean the apartment and do my laundry and pack for next week. I have lots of work-work to get done today so I'm not running around like a crazy person on Monday and Tuesday.

On the bright side, I am feeling a bit more positive today, despite being tired and more than a little grouchy about Other People's Opinions. Anyway.

Here is a little excerpt from the Suits fic I most certainly should NOT be writing right now because there is too much going on. And yet I am only halfway through what was supposed to be a quick thing. >:(

( But their faaaaaaaaces are really gooooooooood. )

OKAY. GETTING BACK TO WORK IN 5...4...3...2...

So, announcement: I'm not writing Daycare 'Verse anymore. The Big Bang is mostly finished at this point (my parts are done, anyway), posting is next week, and there's an end to it. But pocky_slash has tons of exciting and adorable things planned, so I hope you're all excited for that, and don't forget to check the BB out when it's up!

Aaaand that's all I have for you. :D?

I am kind of antsy, in that the prospect of sitting at my desk for the next 2.5 hours is absolutely awful and why can't I just run around the building screaming at the top of my lungs right now? So I need to focus. Am stealing pocky_slash's commentfic meme from yesterday:

Comment with a character or pairing and a brief prompt. I'll give you a few sentences in response.

GO GO GO.

( In which this fandom is a little bit like quicksand. )

I am going to make an effort to be less of a fuck-up over the next few days. These are the things I must accomplish:

-finish beta reading this Inception fic (halfway done, I can totally do this)
-finish my scenes in the XMBB
-decide which prompt I'm going to use for the Charles/Erik holiday exchange
-figure out how to make my Cap/Iron Man Secret Santa fic work (oh maaaaaaan all the excites)
-finish plotting my BBMU story and maybe write the first section (?)

In addition to this, I need to do something to keep me sane during the holiday season so I don't accidentally strangle any of the overbearingly cheerful baristas bopping around to fucking Christmas music (I came so close yesterday). I'm thinking of either making a themed mix a week, or posting a random song a day to tumblr. Maybe both. Thoughts on this, friends?

Somewhat embarrassingly, I find myself having to look up word definitions more and more these days. And I don't mean for fun, or because I came across a really awesome-looking new word somewhere - I mean I have to check to make sure I'm using everyday, run-of-the-mill words and phrases correctly.

For example - as I'm trying to finish a particular scene this afternoon (spoiler: I'm not going to finish it, I'm slow as a snail at writing, la la la~), I type the following sentence:

Steve looks askance at both Pepper and Tony.

But I had to stop there, because is "askance" actually the word I'm looking for here? Does that word properly convey Steve's body language at this particular moment? Do I even fucking know what "askance" MEANS? The answer to all three questions, apparently, is/was no. And yet I've been reading big girl books since I was 8 - "askance" is definitely something I've come across before, possibly on thousands of occasions. If I saw it in a book, I'd know instinctually what it meant because it makes sense. But could I provide someone with an explanation of what "looking at someone askance" means?

Nope. I had NO IDEA that it's an adverb meaning with an attitude or look of suspicion or disapproval. And, in context, Steve was definitely not looking at Pepper and Tony like that - my brain just thought it sounded pretty. (Which it totally does. Sound pretty, I mean. I keep repeating it under my breath because I like it so much.)

Not gonna lie, I feel stupider than I usually do when this happens. Also a little bit like a failure (I threw 4 years and how much money into getting my degree????), but mostly I just facepalm at myself and try not to dwell.

In conclusion, the sky is blue, the grass is green, and words are still hard(er than they should be).

So ladies_fest - WHICH YOU SHOULD ALL PARTICIPATE IN, KNOCK KNOCK - is accepting prompts through Sunday (with claiming starting Monday), and Kait is hosting a little commentfic fest this weekend!



Spread a little warmth and happiness this weekend!

\O/ I am going to write ALL of the daycare 'verse for this. And maybe other things. Who knows!