chaos is what killed the dinosaurs, darling

So it's an established fact that the best thing we've ever done around here is hire Kyleigh, but in case you'd forgotten how awesome she is, this happened this morning:

( Cut for pic size )

In related news, Kait and I are going to see Iron Man 3 tonight! Catch you on the flip side.

So...I'm not going to write this story because my interest in baseball is minimal at best and basically limited to what Steve Rogers thinks about the Dodgers not being in Brooklyn anymore (and also A League of Their Own). Which I think is fair, really. This doesn't stop me from thinking it's a good idea for a fic, of course, but I am probably not the right person to follow through on it.

Background: a couple drinks into our company party on Wednesday, Kait mentioned something about Steve and Tony and baseball and...I don't even remember what else, but it turned into me thinking up an AU where Steve plays for the Dodgers in the years right before the team moves out to LA. Uh, @hubcomics then asked me about them checking for steroids, which. I say let's handwave the whole thing and make Steve's physique a product of a late growth spurt and good living. But also it's, like, 1952 and I don't even know when they would have started checking for drugs and performance enhancers? So whatever, I think we're safe on that point.

( I can just imagine Steve falling to his knees on the field after losing the 1956 World Series to the Yankees and shouting DAMN YOU, LARSEN at the sky while shaking his fists. )

In conclusion, you should all just read harmonyangel's story, Wait Till Next Year. I guarantee you it is more coherent and wonderful than this mess of an entry.

And now I will...do work. I guess. :\

Apparently we live in a world where I have David Mitchell/WILTY dreams and mcwonthelottery does not. I don't really understand it, but that is a thing that happened last night. I mean, I like David Mitchell and all, I just didn't think my admiration had reached dream level already.

Anyway. The weekend was good! I got to hang out with friends on Saturday, and then yesterday afternoon I watched the EE of Return of the King and ended up drowning in feelings in re: Eowyn, Eowyn/Faramir, and the 4 hobbits, as you do. I'm actually surprised at how little I remembered of the extended scenes - it was sort of like watching the whole thing for the very first time again, which pleased me. I'm also (finally) starting to get excited for the first Hobbit movie to be out. I like to think I can trust Peter Jackson not to fuck it up, but fingers crossed, just in case.

In other news, I like it when I'm able to cross things off my lists.

-write the first Queer Fest fic (posting date: 5/28)
-finish the Suits BBMU story and have it beta read (posting date: 6/5)
-figure out where I'm going to host the BBMU mix (posting date: 6/6)
-write second Queer Fest fic (posting date: 6/10)
-finish the Marvel ladies BBMU story and have it beta read (posting date: 6/11)
-write third Queer Fest fic (posting date: 6/16) / I'm about a third of the way through this one.
-write both ZombiFICation fics and submit to mods before 6/23 / One of these has been submitted already.

The Suits story drove me up a wall towards the end, but it's DONE and mostly ready for posting tomorrow. So now I just have to write the rest of the Marvel ladies AU, figure out what I'm doing for the QF fic due on the 10th, and then I'm...in a good spot for a change. :D

*flop*

I've had the first part of this story in my In Progress folder for months, and I decided yesterday that my reward for finishing the first BBMU would be to work on it. The prompt came off a bingo card, so if you're wondering why the hell I even started writing it in the first place, that would be your answer.

( one-sided Steve/Tony, non-explicit bloodplay, sort of. 621 words. )

...yeah.

Back to work! Fuck Monday!

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*

O h m y g o d AVENGERS TRAILER.

I'd really like to go frame by frame with this one, because that is the level of invested I am in this thing, but my brain doesn't want to function beyond a lot of keysmashing and squeeing. Congratulations! You've been spared. BUT FEEL FREE TO COMMENT WITH YOUR OWN FLAILING, OKAY? I AM ALL FOR THAT.

Uh. I have a lot of feels about things I wasn't expecting to have feels about, you know? Like fucking Stark Tower, of all things, what even. More expected are my feelings WRT to Tony Stark in general, as well as that bit where it's Thor, Tony, and Cap standing together in the woods. And NATASHA, can I please have a goddamn Black Widow movie already? I even have thoughts about Loki and the snake-like machine thing at the end (we can has myth shout-out? :D?), which is super weird for me and I'm going to blame tumblr for that one.

*FLAIL* *FLAIL* *FLAIL*

Can't believe it's not May 4th yet. >:(

GUYS THREE TRAILERS AND CLINT HAS YET TO SAY A WORD.

GUYS. Basically all my feelings are about THIS FANART (sfw) today. I just. I can't. I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO EXPRESS MY ADORATION FOR IT WITHOUT BREAKING DOWN INTO KEYSMASHES AND INCOMPREHENSIBLE NOISES. I was THISCLOSE to curling up underneath my desk and rocking back and forth when pocky_slash came into work this morning, I kid you not. Just. AWKWARD TURTLE FLAILING.

Sorry for, y'know, spewing that all over you.

( OR AM I? )

In conclusion, a;lkndm;lmdlskefnlasmnd. GO TELL THAT ARTIST HOW AMAZING IT IS, OKAY?

EDIT: In case you want to tell the artist how awesome it is on LJ, it was linked here earlier as well.

Eventually I will be able to do stuff from off my actual to-do list. The following snippet comes from my future to-do list, which is apparently much more ~*attractive*~. Which is probably fair, but not very helpful at the mo. *shrug*

What I'm trying to say is, I'm going to be writing a Steve/Pepper/Tony fic eventually, and here is part of the beginning. Movie 'verse, for those of you who care.

( If I couldn't have you, I'd rather be alone )

Today at work I had a lot of feelings about Actual Things That Happen(ed) in Comics (like Steve and Tony arguing over Tony still keeping ~secrets from Steve while the other Avengers giggle behind their backs about Mommy and Daddy fighting, and Tony and Charles being jerks to each other, etc. etc.), and also even MORE feelings about the way Steve has been portrayed in fandom recently. I am just very confused by the people who are just getting into Avengers fandom from the movies, okay? And being confused makes me very defensive. But whatever, I guess it's not that important.

Anyway. Where was I? Oh, right, feelings. Apparently I have more feelings than usual, so here, have some more.

I'm fucking around on tumblr tonight, and I come across this fanart, and suddenly I'm, like, weeping over my laptop because it is SO FUCKING SAD. ( Let me drown you in my Tony Stark head canon for this fanart. Which differs a bit from my regular head canon for him, jsyk. )

And now I'm going to bed.

I'm back on the comics wagon - which, honestly, is the best wagon to be on, and you can't tell me otherwise, shut up - so guess what? Yes, you get to read my reactions to new issues, etc. I'm sure you're all very psyched about my super in depth analysis. And by "super in depth analysis," I mean "I'll either be flailing about like an idiot or pouting over how dumb a story is." How I roll, yo.

So these are the titles I'm currently reading:
-The Avengers
-American Vampire
-Scarlet
-Wonder Woman
-Batgirl
-Batwoman
-Suicide Squad
-Birds of Prey
-I, Vampire
-Justice League Dark

And I'm contemplating adding the two main post-Schism X-Men comics to my pull list, but. :\ When I have some spare cash, I'm going to pick up whatever trades are going to get me caught up on the last 10-15 years and go from there. I feel like that'll give me an idea of whether or not it's worth my time and money to stay current with that universe.

(On pocky_slash's recommendation, I did buy the "God Loves, Man Kills" trade on Friday. I have yet to finish it, but jesus christ, that is some fucking awesome storytelling.)

And in case any of you are going, "But Margaret, those are DC TITLES on your pull list!" Yes. Yes, they are. I've been wanting to get into DC for a while now, and while I've been sort of silently side-eyeing a lot of the things happening with the new 52, I saw them as my way in? And as with the X-Men comics, I intend on going back and picking up trades eventually. For now, though, I'm just gonna fly with these.

Okay. That established. None of the following has spoilers, as far as I know.

BATGIRL

This is one of the titles I've been side-eyeing, despite having very little familiarity with Barbara Gordon other than what pop culture and friends who are DC fanatics have provided me with. I don't understand a couple of things, mostly having to do with why they decided to take Babs out of the wheelchair and make her Batgirl again. This isn't to say it won't end up being a good story, I'm just confused, I guess. But whatever.

I wasn't actually thrilled with the first issue - thought it was pretty weak from a writing perspective. I'm going to stay with it for a little while longer to see if it picks up, but, uh. Yeah. Slightly disappointed. Oh well.

BATWOMAN

Also pretty bored by the first issue, despite my love for Kate. The art is pretty amazing, though, so that helped keep my attention. Again, I'll give this one another couple issues and reevaluate then.

SUICIDE SQUAD

Of the #1s I've read so far, this one has the most intriguing start as far as I'm concerned. And, okay, I love Harley and the way she's drawn. THERE, I SAID IT. I know I should probably be pissed about her costume and the male gaze and all that, but I'm not because she's lovely, and I want to read ALL the comics about her blowing shit up while wearing skimpy clothing.

THE END

BIRDS OF PREY

I...really need to read all of the trades. Like, yesterday. And I'm excited to see where the story is going, and the art is pretty, and and and. Yeah. <3

WONDER WOMAN

Good heavens, there was some BLOOD and GUTS going on in this issue. I am totally okay with this, and, guys, I really love me some Diana. She's just so badass, you know? I'm not even sure I care about the story, I just want to see her being awesome all the time.

I, Vampire and Justice League Dark aren't out yet, but I'm sure I'll write about them in the future. And now -

AMERICAN VAMPIRE

My feelings about this series, you guys. It's just so good, and I can't understand why you all aren't out there reading it right NOW. Well, I mean, I guess if you don't like vampires? But that's a dumb reason to be missing out on a really well-written story and some seriously fantastic art. Just. *FLAIL* Pearl continues to be awesome, I'm still smitten with Skinner Sweet (lovable psychotic bastard vampire that he is), and the universe is so WONDERFUL.

Plus, I read the first 3 issues of AV: Survival of the Fittest last night, and Felicia Book is my FUCKING FAVORITE, okay? Not to mention the Nazi vampires! And Cashel and his son! IT'S REALLY GOOD. REALLY, REALLY GOOD, AND I NEED #4 AND #5 IMMEDIATELY. :DDD

Erm, yeah.

Need to catch up on Avengers still (11 issues behiiiiiind, what is wrong with me?!), so that's all I have for you right now.

In conclusion: Comics! I love them!