Thoughts on the Journey

I don't want to get sick as there are a lot of chores I have to do for various job stuff, cover letters to write and a test to take for a part-time job.

The weather here is windy and cold but not snowing and I just helped my parents to clean the big freezer. They're getting ready for another trip and now it will be set for my use.

In a good accomplishment, I finished up a little fic that I've had in mind for a while with The Flash and I think I'm going to end up with a few fics for the Golden Oldies Porn Battle. I have a whole bunch of prompts that I didn't use in other years and I feel like I'm starting to get my writing groove back.

Always a cop (670 words) by FiKate
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Flash (TV 2014)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Barry Allen, Iris West, Joe West
Additional Tags: Families of Choice, Police, Adopted Sibling Relationship
Summary:

After Joe told Iris she couldn't apply for the police academy, Barry tried to help and mainly succeeded. A glimpse into an earlier time in the West household.

She bit her lip before going up to her room, she wouldn’t slam the door or cry, not where he could see her, she was an adult. There was a creak as Barry’s door opened a few inches while he peered out, “Iris?”

“Why are you even here? You have a dorm room.”

From umadoshi a meme I like as I'm starting to reach that moment of eek, a week from today I'll be in Chicago for Midwinter and I'm getting substitute calls. All of this is good but a lot at once so I'm going to do a writing meme.

When you see this, share 3 random lines from 3 WIPs. Now all of these WiPs are ones that I haven't touched in a while, maybe all the upcoming travel will help to get my writing game in gear again.

The first is a bit that was originally in my ineedmyfics story about Sam Wilson but didn't fit.

“What happened next, Miss James?” The lawyer’s voice was kind as Teresa, who had been a mechanic in Iraq clenched her hands and sought out his eyes. He gave her a nod, he believed in her and understood what had happened.

Then there's an AU about Charles and Erik where they're both captured and their memories are messed with.

She gave him a look and he managed a smile for her as she left, he didn’t want her to become annoyed with him, but he needed space and Erik. Why was it so important to have Erik there?

The last one is me going through the October Daye books with a slant on Quentin and Raj, this is a moment from Late Eclipses.

Quentin grumbled before Raj laid down on top of him and immediately fell to sleep with a rumbling in his chest that felt sort of nice. The way Raj was it was hard to move, so he ended up sagging and finally sleeping until the alarm on his phone went off and he felt Raj’s claws in his legs, “Ow, get up.”

I still have days open on this meme, leave me topics or fic prompts over here.

Before I start on the meme, I wanted to mention how amazing my yesterday was. I'd heard from my mentor that there was an opening at another local library, so my mom and I decided to drive out to get a look at it. The library was a little odd, because of a strange interaction but also a good one with the people at the desk. From that awkwardness, we decided to head to another nearby library and found out that they have an opening which I applied to today. It would be doing what I want to, not full time but enough hours that I could make it work with other options. I'm feeling rather hopeful.

For today, dodger_sister asked me favorite Christmas memory.

There are two memories that are tied for me on this and both happened when I was younger. The first one was when I got Kirsten, the American Girl doll for Christmas. I was younger than ten and I loved American Girl, I was slowly collecting all of the books for the original three. Every month, I think I would get the catalog and it was a dream catalog for me, I didn't expect to ever own one of the dolls since I knew how expensive they were. I remember in the kitchen and throughout those years, my parents explaining how much they cost and I came to accept I wouldn't get one. It wasn't always easy but I manaaged. I had friends who had them, but my focus at that point was on the books which felt possible. Kirsten was my favorite because we have the same birthday.

Then on Christmas Day, after we had opened most of the presents, my parents brought out another box for me. It was Kirsten, they hadn't put her under the tree, because the size of the box was too recognizable. That was one of the best Christmases and I still have her and many great memories connected to her.

The second one is from when I think I was a little younger, I don't remember how old but also elementary school. My brother's room was next to mine and he put a sign up telling me to stay out, he normally didn't do that, so I was confused. Then I found out the reason on Christmas Day when this tiny kitten, all white except for a black V on her head and the ends of her paws was brought down for me. She was named Mary and the first pet who was truly mine. Sadly she didn't live very long, but I loved her a lot.

The world has been rainy and strange these past two days as I get ready to head off to an interview. Yesterday, I dreamed of the interview and last night I dreamed of Charles and Erik arranging an art auction to raise money for mutants. They were both nice but strange dreams. I'm taking care of all my bits and pieces before heading out for this trip and trying not to get sick. Tea is helping a good deal as does the fact that nothing is too far away.

In a sure sign of how I'm nervous, I've written fic thanks to a great ficathon that Ashie recommended.


A multi fandom women comment ficathon (#3)
(click on the picture)

A burst (183 words) by FiKate
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Iron Man (Movies)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Characters: Pepper Potts, Tony Stark, Aldrich Killian
Additional Tags: Domestic Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, Iron Man 3, Prompt Fic
Summary:

Written from the prompt: iron man, pepper potts(/iron man), i am an avenging goddess at Mortals shall bow; a multifandom comment ficathon.

Near the end of Iron Man 3, Pepper thinks on the violence in and around her, reference to past domestic violence and canon violence.

Promise you the Moon (588 words) by FiKate
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Gilmore Girls
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano
Characters: Rory Gilmore, Jess Mariano
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Past Relationship(s), Kissing, Prompt Fic, Journalism, Travel
Summary:

Written for the prompt: gg, jess/rory, she said i had a dirty mouth, but she kissed me like she meant it at the Mortals shall bow; a multifandom women comment ficathon.

As Rory travels with the Obama press, she thinks of past kisses and reconnects with Jess in Philadelphia.

Now for more tea as I try and get my thoughts in order.

Summer has arrived bringing with it all the tourists, drives that normally take me ten minutes, this weekend suddenly take twenty and no one knows how to cross a street. Fact-checking is keeping me busy but this one is going faster than the other and it will be done before my birthday. I've been reading such a variety of reviews of Days of Future Past, I think I just need to take a deep breath and see it. Though if anyone wants a visit to the shore and a chance to help me react, my place is open. Everyone lives too far away.

Apparently a weird side effect of fact checking while in the house on my own is I write fics that stand on their own and appear in my head. Last night, I wrote a crossover of Archie Goodwin from the Nero Wolfe books and pre-Captain America Steve and Bucky. This was fun to write as I adore Archie's narrative voice and if you want someone to visualize, Timothy Hutton played him in the TV version.

Another witness (1089 words) by FiKate
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Nero Wolfe - Rex Stout, Captain America (Movies)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Archie Goodwin, James "Bucky" Barnes, Steve Rogers, Fritz Brenner, Nero Wolfe
Additional Tags: POV Outsider, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Friendship, Brooklyn, 1930s
Summary:

Archie Goodwin's investigating a case and has to haul out to Brooklyn to get an art student named Steve Rogers for Nero Wolfe to interview. A brief glimpse into Steve and Bucky's lives before the War and Archie in the midst of an annoying case. Thank you to Ashie for betaing.

The next witness was out in Brooklyn and I wasn’t bringing the sedan out that way, I’d take a cab and the client could eat it. It took the cabbie a bit to find the address, but I did and went looking for number 5C and the Barnes’ residence where Steven Rogers was living.

I finished my fact-checking job! I found out that I really like fact-checking even though it kind of eats all my mental space. It reminds me of when I was working at the Seaport Museum and I got lost in logbooks to prepare them for archive precis, but this time I'm making sure the history given to kids is right. Also people pay me to go poke history and go, you know, that seems way too simple. What's really going on? I love it and they pay me. I don't know if I'll get another book since I'll be traveling to DC the rest of the week and then off to LA for a job interview the next week but this is a freelance job I could do.

Since I'm uploading and emailing it all away and tomorrow driving to DC for the job fair, I'm going to open myself up to prompts. I miss writing and road trips are the best for giving me time to think and hopefully words to come out. DC folks, I'll have my laptop and if you need my telephone number, DM or PM or whatever me, because want to see you guys. I recall a fantastic Mexican place that I went with college friends somewhere around Dupont Circle that I want to find again and its Winter Soldier time. Movie watching probably won't happen as that always requires major planning but coffee, dinner, whatever works for me. I'll be free after 4:30 on Friday and all day Saturday.

Now for a great prompt meme from walksbyherself. Below the cut are One Hundred Prompts. Pick one or two or however many, give me characters and get a drabble or more. Open to AUs, RPs, everything. I want to write again.

( 100 Prompts! )

And I really need to do a road trip or something up New England way as this fact-checking reminded me that I last was a tourist in Boston when I was in high school. It was a marching band trip and a lot of fun but a few decades away.

I don't think I'm going to do the year end meme this year as the majority of my year was spent reacting to what happened in the early part of last year. Instead I'm going to focus on what's ahead and on creating some new roads for myself.

Yesterday I was part of one of the best New Year's Eve celebrations that I've ever been a part of. I helped the children's librarian set up something called Noon Year's Eve, a party for the kids with crafts, food and a balloon drop. We opened the doors at 11 am and I left at around 1 pm and it was fantastic. This is the first time that the library has done this kind of party though they happen at other museums so we didn't know how many people would we get. At the max, we had about fifty kids plus attached family members, it was wonderful and chaotic. People swirled in and out, and entire families stopped by. I did a lot of corralling of kids and families, smiled so much that my mouth hurt and was reminded of how I love being a children's librarian. One of the people there even asked me if I'd organized it all, which was a huge compliment. Then I came home and didn't do a lot until some family friends arrived at 7:30 for some drinks and my parents and I had a quiet night in.

Today I slept in late and I've been slowly spending the various gift cards I got and I'm pushing through The Book Thief. I don't like it at all, it feels very contrived and like the author was going hm, what sort of book will get me the most accolades without requiring much work to write? I'm reading it because the children's librarian had a copy and lent it to me, also at some point its going to be a book for my parent's book club. Normally I would have given up on it, but it was lent to me and I want to write a really scathing review and I'll feel more comfortable doing that if I finish it. I feel like some of you on my flist have read it, but can't recall who. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

In terms of plans for the next few days, I'm going to be writing up the app for vorpatril, finally sending off some holiday stuff and getting back into the world of job finding.

For Yuletide, I had a great year and received two wonderful stories and wrote one in a new fandom for me. NightsMistress wrote me by blood and breath, the post canon Sameth story that I always wanted with the complicated and painful dynamics of the family and Sameth's view on the world. Astolat wrote me Twice Removed, a brilliant Nero Wolfe story that feels like Rex Stout could have written it.

My own shield (1818 words) by FiKate
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Eight Days of Luke - Diana Wynne Jones
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Luke/Sigyn (Eight Days of Luke)
Characters: Astrid Price, David Allard, Luke (Eight Days of Luke), Þórr | Thor, Sif (Norse Religion & Lore), Sigyn (Norse Religion & Lore)
Additional Tags: Families of Choice, Past Relationship(s), Divorce, past imprisonment, Adulthood, References to Norse Religion & Lore
Summary:

The request for this fic was for Astrid after canon with some Loki tossed in and I went with that. I got to wondering about how would she find her way and if perhaps some of those other Norse gods might come and help. This fic ended up being Astrid, Sif and Sigyn have conversations about being your own woman while David, Thor and Loki are off doing other things. I hope you enjoy it as I found it a pleasure to write.

Small warning for references to an unhappy marriage and a home life of neglect.

It truly was armor somehow, captured in the knitting to reflect her true self like how if you looked just right, Thor’s hammer was always on his belt. Astrid had read of her, a warrior who had to prove her worth but respected by all the gods and warriors. And now she was standing in this small kitchen, with the stove that spat fire if it wasn’t lit correctly, having tea.

GloriaMundi wanted a fic about Astrid, who I enjoyed when reading Eight Days of Luke, so I had a beginning right away. Then I got stuck until I started thinking about Norse goddesses and that helped the story to come together for me. Ashie was my wonderful beta. I love being part of Yuletide and I've read a lot of fantastic stories.

My words have gotten loose finally, I've missed them. In November, I got stuck in my own head and my own worries and everything slowed and didn't work. In the last week, they've started flowing again and oh I've missed them a lot. My Yuletide is over 1000 words, it has no real structure to speak of but there are words there. I'm in the process of applying to be a substitute teacher, my resume is looking better and I'm making plans to go to ALA Midwinter. Also the few holiday cards and presents I'm sending out will be going out soon. I'm sorry I won't able to be send something to everyone but my wallet isn't up for it, but do know I want everyone to have a wonderful new year.

Now for the December Meme, this is my last prompt through I do have two fics I plan to write. Please ask me more and ask me into January or an unspecified date. I love what I'm getting asked and want more reasons to write.

aberration asked: Favorite movies! At least three, but as many as you want.

Movies are like books for me, there are so many I love but a lot of it shifts depending on what I've watched recently. These are the three that come to mind first and are my current favorite movies and not favorite movies of all time, that's trickier.

Russian Ark: This movie feels like a companion to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell to me, because its on the edges of time and yet looking at things of certain times. There are stories within it that we never truly know; the narrator and the European, yet we don't need to know their stories to appreciate the movie. Also Russia, I want to go there someday, not at the moment but this year I also read Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking which is about time and Russia. So going back to this movie made sense to me and its one of those movies that I always see something more in it.

Dead Poet's Society: In my mind because I recently went to the private school in Delaware where it was filmed. I was there for an amazing networking thing so only had a moment to snap three photos with my phone of the courtyard and view onto the river from the movie. But augh, this movie, that I rented from our local video place who's name I don't remember and fell in love. I remember sitting in front of the TV that used to be higher up and crying at, then it was one of the first videos I bought for myself along with Newsies. Its why I adore Walt Whitman and why being a teacher counts to me so much, because I've seen how powerful it is to say to a child, I see you and know you can do more.

Pacific Rim: When I saw this movie in the theaters, I needed it a lot. My past year had been awful but seeing people coming together and caring and fighting, it made me happy. I still have two works in progress that are fusions of Pacific Rim and other canons because it just woke up my imagination. I love how hopeful it is and global, not easy things to manage in a movie. I love it.

Now to end the same way I did with the book posts, ask me tomorrow and the answers might change.

I spent most of today in a grump without knowing exactly why and then cried about fixing my resume though I ended up making progress on it. I think that saying 'got up on the wrong side of the bed' really fit me today, because it felt like all the stress and awful of the past few months just hit me. Thankfully my parents were patient and we talked and I feel better, also we put up and decorated the tree. That helped me to feel hopeful about looking forward but this time of year is being tough this year. I have a few gifts to send out but I'm not doing my cards as normal because I don't feel up to it, so I'm doing what I can. Life is tricky but there is hope.

Now for the December meme which is still open. Today's prompt comes from in_the_blue who requested: You're stranded on a desert island and can only bring thirteen pieces of media (assume you have something to watch/play them on, because I'm nice and it's a luxury desert island). What books/movies/CDs/whatever do you bring?

To begin with, I'm thankful that its thirteen though it will still be very hard to choose and I might cheat with DVD sets.

1-Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold, because it always gets me right in the feels and helps me feel like maybe I can handle what the world is tossing at me. I miss my full collection of Bujold but its currently in storage. So if I have to choose one, its this one for how often I reread it.

2-Poirot Mysteries with David Suchet, it doesn't matter which particular set of episodes, they always make me smile.

3-Newsies and I'm going to cheat here and say movie and soundtrack, because both bring back my faith in the human race.

4-The Narnia books-I can revisit them multiple times and they make me happy, also boxed set, it counts as one.

5-TaleSpin DVD set, they always make me laugh.

6-Paul Creswick's Robin Hood with the proper illustrations.

7-40 Years by the Dubliners, because it has everything I need in a CD.

8-Women and Country by Jakob Dylan because it lifts me up.

9-Black Books, complete set because again I keep going back to them and sometimes its fun to laugh at how messed up the world is.

10-Clutch of Constables by Ngaio Marsh-if possible I'd just take all her novels as I never tire of rereading them but this is my favorite.

Now its getting hard to pick and it really is coming down to books.

11-Mark Twain, as much of him as I can carry but must include; The Prince and the Pauper and Huck Finn.

12-Diana Wynne Jones and again so hard to pick but one of those sets of books that includes Conrad's Fate.

13-Last, oh last is so hard but Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Ask me tomorrow and it might be a different list and this is really hard to pick.

I had a good day, I woke up and went to the local library for the volunteer appreciation meal. The food was delicious and there's such a wonderful community there, also my mentor recommended someone else to look over my resume. Then as a gift, I was given a small poinsettia, which made me smile.

Sadly there was a low point when I went to Starbucks before heading to see Frozen. I was sitting and reading and the couple sitting next to me was awful, everything they said was a variation on things used to be better and 'these people' covering migrants, young people, women and even soldiers didn't appreciate what they have. The bit that made me truly consider speaking up was how the man was going on about how in the 1950s suddenly housewives lives were so much easier they had nothing to do but spend their time lazing around all day. After all that was what it seemed like his mother was doing and that women might say they wanted equality but if offered a pedestal, they would hop right up. Somehow the woman he was with kept nodding and not disagreeing, I didn't get it but it did end. It made it hard for me to concentrate on my reading and those of you on Twitter saw my grumbling, because honestly wanting to be respected and paid well isn't being entitled. This shouldn't be that hard.

After I went off to see Frozen which was wonderful. I loved how the heart of the movie was the sisters and trying to fix a broken family along with helping a kingdom. Also the chant/singing at the start and end of the movie gave me chills and seemed almost Polynesian. I don't know if I want the entire soundtrack but I get parts of it.

lady_bols: Favourite TV shows, at least three, and why you like them. <3

Now for the question for the December meme, this is going to be hard one as I love a lot of shows. And the last few nights I've been dipping into Netflix Streaming which always reminds me of shows that I love but have forgotten so as with these others, these are the first few that I think of. If asked on a another day, the answer would be different.

Firefly: Created families and ensembles are some of my favorite things to see in a show and Firefly does them right. I also love cowboys and space cowboys are just better. I didn't see Firefly when it was on TV, but instead was introduced to it in New Zealand. Some of my friends there lent me their set and I marathoned all of them in I think two or three nights and fell in love. I adore all the relationships and thanks to Milliways have been able to see some of what else might happen. This is one of those cases where Milliways made me appreciate the show even more since the incredible players in Milliways expanded the world and added even more depth to what was there to begin with.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: I started watching Buffy when it first aired but then stopped before getting reintroduced to it in college. I have a lot of good memories of watching Buffy life with friends and talking about how strange and wonderful it is. The friendships and loves feel real and while sometimes the plots are a bit silly, the heart is always there. Joss knows how to do ensembles. I've been reminded of Buffy mainly due to Tumblr where gifs of it keep appearing.

Elementary: I'm currently rather far behind on this show but I grew up watching Jeremy Brett's Holmes and I feel like this show captures the feel of the Holmses' stories. I love the push and pull of Joan and Sherlock as well as the sense that its actually happening in a New York City that I could visit. The mysteries aren't anything special but to me that's never been the point of the Holmes' stories, they're more about the back and forth of Holmes and Watson.

Teen Wolf: I marathoned this show because I was curious about where alexiscartwheel's Stiles came from. Then discovered it was on Netflix Streaming and lost a few nights sleep to it. I have a soft spot for shows about young people trying to grow up and find their way which Teen Wolf hits in a way I like. I appreciate the variety of families, how nothing is easily solved. It would be nice if the plots made more actual sense but Stiles and Scott, Scott and Allison, Mama McCall, Danny, Isaac, Derek and the rest of them make me happy. This is one of those shows that I would love to actually write some fanfic for as its all about friendship and love and family. I have a fanfic started crossing it over with Sleepy Hollow that I need to write more of.

TaleSpin: This is the show of my childhood from Disney Afternoon and I've bought some of the DVDs and would like to in time get the rest. Its a show about a created family set in a vaguely steampunk world and I love it. If I could ever figure out how to RP or properly write some of the fanfic in my head of it I would, but cartoon worlds are tricky to write.

There, that's the five that immediately come to mind and I feel like they give a good sense of the variety of what I watch. I do love reality TV shows but I don't come back to them as often as I do these.

I forgot to mention that I finally wrote an entry on my librarian blog that I've been meaning to since the start of November; Connecting through Art about the Film Festival I went to and a sculpture garden I went to after Thanksgiving.