elanya

Hello internets! I live!

I was going to just pop in to do an update about how Jukebox went (wonderfully), but I realized I probably have other things to day as well.

But I'll start with jukebox. I got THREE GIFTS :D And all were really excellent and well tailored to my likes and interests :3 Two written pieces and one art (by someone who I think must have done art for literally everyone who asked for it, not near enough o_O).

In no particular order (they really are all excellent):
Two Point Five Megabytes Across A Quarter Million Miles (617 words) by AlexSeanchai
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: 250000 Miles - Patty Griffin (Song)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Tags: Near Future, Science Fiction, Implied/Referenced Homophobia
Summary:

SEEKING ADVENTURE? ROMANCE? THE GREAT UNKNOWN?

The American Tau Ceti Company seeks venturers to Lán Hǎi!

The Kǎilíng sets sail from East Tsukishi Port on 30 June 2047—be aboard!

This has Complicated Family stuff that is both painful and liberating. I really enjoyed the perspectives offered in the two chapters, though my sympathy lies with the second.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (6 words) by AlTheAlchemist
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Culling of the Fold - The Decemberists (Song)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Additional Tags: Blood, Art
I just love this. Best title. Whelp, someone's got to do it :x

His White Hause-Bane (2369 words) by Edonohana
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Twa Corbies (Traditional Song)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Summary:

I rode to the castle, thinking to ask for directions to put me on my way and hoping for an invitation to dine with the lord and spend the night, for the day was very cold. Perhaps it was my hopeful thoughts of mead and hot meat that distracted me, or perhaps it was something else. But I had dismounted before I realized that there was something strange about the place, and was almost at the doors before I knew what it was.

There was nothing else in sight. No other homes, no fields, no orchards. Nothing but the castle, rising from the mud like a great white tooth.

This is just a really wonderful take on the song, and a nice creepy faery tale to boot.

As for things I wrote, one full length fic for my assignment, and then three drabbles as treats, both of which seem better received. Such is a writer's life!

Traps for Troubadours (3459 words) by Measured_Words
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones (Song)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Characters
Additional Tags: Music, Musicians, Band Break Up, Partying, Crossroads Deals & Demons
Summary:

We have a chance to make it big.

"What will you do to make it happen?" Kana asks me.

I don't think she's going to like the answer.

Crusade (100 words) by Precisely_Measured_Words
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Blood Under the Bridge - Frightened Rabbit (Song)
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Characters
Additional Tags: Trauma, Crusades, Drabble, Good versus Evil
Summary:

Empathy can be a fleeting thing, and comfort hard to find.

Undermine (100 words) by Precisely_Measured_Words
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Build That Wall (Zia's Theme) - Darren Korb (Song)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Characters
Additional Tags: Insurrection, Conspiracy, Construction, Drabble
Summary:

There's more than one way around a barrier.

Vows (100 words) by Precisely_Measured_Words
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Rusalka Rusalka / Wild Rushes - The Decemberists (Song)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Original Male Character/Rusalka
Characters: Original Male Character(s), Rusalka (Rusalka Rusalka)
Additional Tags: Marriage, Sea Monsters, Regret, Curses, Horror, Drabble, Canonical Character Death
Summary:

To have and to hold...

As for other things to natter about... I finished a couple of pairs of socks a few weeks ago, and now have only one real project on the go. I started some handwarmers at larp but I was doing them on the fly and don't really know if I want to finish them or not. I've been reading on the bus, too, so I haven't really started anything new, just working on the one shawl. I did start a new long-term weaving project, which someday will be a scrap blanket. I wove one strip basically in an afternoon after I got the loom warped, but what will take longer is amassing the scraps! Gotta knit more socks I guess, oh well :V

Speaking of things ending, Diablotin 3, which we started playing in October 2014, ended last Sunday. I'm gonna miss it for sure, though there has been some talk of another game to replace it, and the eventuality of Diablotin 4 in another year or so, or in a few years... we;ll see :3 Meanwhile I still have Fuck Squad and YOAW and Larp! SO basically I ca't really complain even though I haven't really quite accepted that its done ;_; My Character had a pretty good ending - she got married, she works for the emperor, and she got to take down the final boss with a ridiculous amount of damage. She's got a better relationship with her family, who are all themselves doing better, with the exception of her sister who got stuck as the guardian to a semi-sentient extra-dimensional gate. But it's only for a few years, and we can visit :3 It was at least a good and satisfying ending, if it had to end ;_;

I feel like I had other nattering to do but I can't remember what, and I wanted to start working on my fic for the Throk Zine (Scorpius!), so I think I might go grab a snack and do that.

Working on my Jukebox Noms... Morbane likes to provide resources for nommed songs, like accessible online versions and lyrics and such... But I can't find posted lyrics for this one song, bah! So clearly the solution is to post them myself :V So, here they are!



Evil Overshadows Joe - The Poppy Family

I look at you, Joe
I look you up and down
I shake my head
And then I turn around
'Cause you don't look to good to me now, Joe

Evil overshadows Joe
Evil overshadows Joe
Evil overshadows Joe
Evil overshadows Joe

When you were mine, Joe
You were alive, Joe
You knew of love, Joe
You were above the pack that now walks upon your back

Oh, remember the days, Joe
How it hurts to watch the time go
And the love that I gave you
Oh my God how I tried to save you

Evil overshadows Joe
Evil overshadows Joe
Evil overshadows Joe
Evil...

Your story's told, Joe
I should think by now you know
Though it's started small it*
Don't take long for it to grow
And you don't look too good to me now Joe

Evil overshadows Joe
Evil overshadows Joe
Evil overshadows Joe
Evil...

When you were mine, Joe
You were alive, Joe
You knew of love, Joe
You were above the pack that now walks upon your back

When you were mine, Joe
You were alive, Joe
You knew of love, Joe
You were above the pack that now walks upon your back

When you were mine, Joe
You were alive, Joe
You knew of love, Joe
You were above the pack that now walks upon your back
...

*the only line I'm not 100% confident of. Am willing to take corrections!

If you aren't familiar with Jukebox, it is a SUPER AWESOME fic exchanged based on writing stories from songs and music videos. It is probably my favourite exchanged, and some of my best writing has been for Jukebox. Nominations are open for another few days, and you can see the details here: https://jukebox-fest.dreamwidth.org/39380.html

Naughty naughty, I know...

I'm waiting for my anitvirus to tell me that a program is safe to install, even though I know it is :p

A Big Thing is happening at work after literally years of negotiation! It is exciting!

My hair is green! Well, part of it... ( (image below cut) )

Tonight is poutine and kitting!

Someone left me kudos on this story form Jukebox a few years ago and it reminded me how much I love it. I think this might be one of the best stories I've come up with, though probably the actual writing could be improved in some areas:

Embers Just Waiting for Breath (7306 words) by Measured_Words
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Fire in the Head - Sharon Knight (Song)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Characters
Additional Tags: Bards, Storytelling, Songs, Bechdel Test Pass, Fae & Fairies, Ordeals, Faustian Bargain, Madness, Megaliths, Rituals, Fire, Pilgrimage, Folklore
Summary:

Efa goes to the Giant's Chair
To make a Feyre pact...

I had been doing well on my posting streak... ahh well!

I even thought about posting yesterday, and then didn't -_- In my defense, I got distracted reading tons and tons of excellent jukebox fics! I always wind up writing more for this than I expected, and this year was no different, though I'll wait for reveals to be more specific. There are a lot of really excellent stories and art though - go read around!

All three (!) of the fics I received were excellent, and I'll try and elaborate on that some tomorrow. Today was mostly reading both Jukebox and also Kai Ashante Wilson's novella The Devil in America on the TOR site, which is excellent, but do heed the warning.

Also Dyeing! I got my second mordanting done on the linen and the cotton. The linned I'm going to dry and set aside for now, but the cotton is going into the cherry. I drained the liquid out of the container it has been sitting in, and simmered the park in fresh water. I'll strain that and the other liquid back into the container tomorrow, and then I'm going to leave the cotton yarn in that bucket for a few days to a week to sit out in the sun and bake :D Annnnnd since it is cotton and I can iron mordant it, I am going to make up some mordant to do that with so I can experiment with that later too :D I'm super excited!

But for now, sleep - night all!

I finished my Jukebox! I'm pretty happy with it, anyway, so hopefully my recip (who gave me a blank signup) will like it to! I did have some older letter to look at, but you never know what kinds of things may have changed.

Other than that, work was fine. My meeting was fine. I didn't really need to be there but apparently I can take minutes. Wheee. More importantly, it means I know what's going on with things. And stuff I think actually needs more discussion will have to...keeeeep waiting until the director has time (which he legitimately does not atm). I have a training course next week to learn how to do billing, but honestly I think I've mostly figured it out already :p

Now that I have finished Jukebox, I need to get plotting on my Raksura exchange fic! I have some cool prompts to work with, at least.

I also got some edits back on the wiki entry I wrote for my LARP, which shouldn't take too long to deal with, except I need to name things (Ugh!). I also found out that I *can* go to just part of the next event! Which is to say I am able to get a ride home on Saturday night, so I am happy. Yay having cake and eating it too!

I have not forgotten that I still owe three February talk meme chats >.> I will got to them! Maybe even tonight! Maybe...

Meanwhile, one of my favourite fan exchanges is closing sign-ups tomorrow.... but if you want to hop in and do a last-minute signup, you totally should! That's Jukebox fest... on LJ| on DW and then the main page on AO3. As the title probably indicates, this is an exchanged (for fic, art, and podfic) inspired by songs, and it produces so much really great stuff each year.

And then a friend of mine is putting out a book with Inkshares: Murder At The Veteran's Club. I promise he is an excellent writer, and here's the synopsis:

It’s November 1924, and Patrick Benson is the newest member of the Veterans’ Club, a gentlemen’s club in London. He seems like a fairly stupid fellow, but Eric Peterkin suspects he might be putting on an act. The day after they meet, Benson is found in the vault of the club, stabbed to death with the club president’s letter opener. Eric soon determines that the police have no intention of pursuing the matter as thoroughly as they ought, and, being of a rather Quixotic bent, takes it on himself to uncover the truth.

Even if it means putting off the work he’s actually being paid to do. No, scratch that: especially if it means putting off the work he’s actually being paid to do.

I admit - the time period is one I'm something of a sucker for, and I love golden-age detective fic (probably not a huge surprise), so I am looking forward to it coming out! Inkshares seems to be a sort of mashup between kickistarter and a more traditional publisher, so he needs to get a certain number of pre-orders, and there are various levels you can support at for different rewards. So hey! Support a cool new author and such, y'all!

The other awesome thing in life currently is that it is Jukebox time of year!



The nomination period ends in about, uh, 13 hours. But there is still time! There is a list of nominated songs on the community.

In addition to writing for the exchange, this year it is accepting podfic! So if you have fic that is based on songs and would like to let participants know a: if they can use it and b: where to find it, where is also a post collecting that information. You don't need to be signed up to participate to link stuff!

But you should sign up if you can, because Jukebox is awesome.

I made a sorta half-assed reveals post over in my Writing Journal(s):

On LJ | On DW

I wonder if at this point there is much point keeping them separate, but it is habit now! I like my stories, but the collection is full of other great stuff that is worth reading too!

So, Tuesday I start my house sitting gig for the Crismans, which technically makes this the last Saturday i will be at home all day for a while. So probably there is some shit I should do this weekend, hmm?

Here is a short list:
Clean out the fridge
Vaccuum
Laundry
Pack

I am also working on my Jukebox fic, which is coming along very nicely. I'm quite happy with it so fa, anyway, and I don't think it is going to balloon ridiculously - it should probably be around 5000 words, which seems about right. I have been trying to be careful about section lengths, and that seems to be working out well. A lot of times I'll start with short sections, and then my middle bits will get all super long and structurally it just winds up a bit messy. I think I have a better handle on that so far here though! I have some scened that I expect will be longer (climax scene!), but that's okay too. After I'm done with it, there is a treat I want to do, maybe, if I can keep it short. And maybe some drabbles again, because that was super fun last year!

Anyway - I should go do *something* rather than just reading random crap on the internet all day. Tomorrow I am going over to the Crismans with Jola and a friend who will hopefully be taking over the house-sitting for me while I'm away in August. I'm very much looking forward to getting away form here for a bit, and to actually visiting my dad when it is nice enough to go outside!