Now that I've gotten that giant monster out of my system, a more palatable analysis, since I love this shit:

( Writing trends! )

I feel like my Psalms professor is a character one of you has rped before. Please see this conversation for reference:

Student: *stretches*
Prof: Oh, I'm sorry, did you have a question?
Student: Uhhh, nope. Just scratching.
Prof: Oh, um, I'm sorry!
Student: ...It's cool.
Prof: Right! Okay! Sorry!

and

Student: Hey, you kind of dove right into class without introducing yourself! Like, where did you go to school?
Prof: Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't realize anyone cared! D:


I KIND OF LOVE HIM ALREADY.

Just fyi, tomorrow afternoon I move into an apartment with no internet and enter stage three of ApartmentGate '09, in which I weigh the benefits of having constant internet over the cost (and cry myself sleep on the regular, etc.). Which means best case scenario, I'll have access again in a few days/a week or so; worst case scenario, I will not be around for another month, at least. I just dk if fifty bucks a month is in the cards, you know? Especially with student loan repayments coming up and dire suspicions that, despite promising me financial aid, my school will pull out at the last minute and I'll have to manifest a few thousand dollars in a week or two. So. IDK IF ANYBODY CARES BUT THERE IS THE STATE OF THE INTERNET UNION?

One more quick thing -- or not so quick, I guess? Idkkkk. I'm moving into a new apartment (my first!) in a little over a week. The issue here is that I have no internet; it's not provided at the complex, and my wireless card has just...decided to stop working, so I can't even try to hijack someone else's connection. I'm looking at plans right now, and the cheapest are about 1.5 Mbps (ugh) for $30/mo. or so, but only if you already have phone/TV with that company. The one I want is $47/mo plus installation fees, blah blah blah -- which, to be honest, is $47 I don't have. If my math is right on what I'll be spending each month -- rent, utilities, gas, food, paying off credit cards, student loans, a cushion for emergency/random expenses -- I will have something like, oh, $27 to my name each month. And that's not including my $100+/mo. health care plan. Sooo yeah. I'm hoping I can get a connection with one of the cheaper companies, even if it's a shitty lower bandwith. But if I can't, after the 8th, I'll only be able to sneak on occasionally at work and maybe haul my laptop to wifi spots (which is actually irrelevant as the wireless card isn't working, but I am looking into a bblaptop to tote around). Idk how long that will last. I mean, this is a worst-case scenario; I might have more money than I thought, or after a couple months find out how to budget it out to get internet. But idk, right now it's not looking so likely. I'll keep you guys updated if it changes.

I think I need a hiatus! I've been kind of cutting back on activity all around lately and having trouble with a lot of my characters/plots, so I think I'm just going to take a break for a bit. Idk how long, but I'm not really in anything big right now anyway, so I don't think I'll be missing much! Let me know if you need me somewhere at some point; but for the moment, I'm not having fun like 80% of the time and I want to stick a finger in that dike before it gets worse. Be back once I've found my mojo, etc. ♥

1. I am finally starting to tinker forward with Zara's random-and-inexplicable-power-surges plot. Which basically means that Crossover will be getting a series of calls in the vein of, "Hi, I woke up in Lisbon, help?" and "I just turned half of Times Square into pigeons. ...Actually, I don't think anybody noticed."
2. Rose Krane (re_buttle) is adorable and I want to keep her.
3. Still hammering through apps! I usually get a paragraph-bullet-thing or two done a night before I pass out, so they're coming along steadily. Sorry it's taking so long. :/
4. Once those are done, may or may not hold Rose Walker, because I've been reading Sandman again and ughhh idc I love her.


In other news, I managed to twist my ankle walking today. Not even running or turning, just taking one step and then another. I'm awesome. Hopefully I just rolled it painfully, which happens more often than I'd like to say. Blah blah I have the same disease as Benjamin Button.

edit: HEY RAE AND ALICE YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT APPING ROGER AND KATE AGAIN AT XOVER, I AM JUST SAYING.

edit edit:
hello_from_dis: i think these things out, natch
hello_from_dis: you should shrink me down and put me on your shoulder so i can tell you what to say
chthonian: oh my god i would love that
chthonian: like a tiny little helpful demon whispering into my ear
hello_from_dis: ....why am i a demon
hello_from_dis: i'm not advising you to KILL him
chthonian: because you are so not a shoulder angel
hello_from_dis: ...diaf

GOALS FOR THIS WEEK:
1. Finish my fucking Crossover apps. I poked around at them (notably, Elinor, before I passed out) this past week, but they're nowhere near done. Well, Elinor is once I finish her history bullets, but other than that, lol no. I really need to do them, omfg.
2. Moar notes on Ivy for Breed!
3. Reiter/Hana pre-emptive lulz. A hired killer who will burn down a house but hesitate to ruin a Christmas tree? Yes please.
4. Not RP at work. No, seriously, I am so behind. I can poke around periodically, but I have got to stop spending hours idly refreshing pages because I do not want to cold call people.
5. Hit up Yes Week posts with appropriate requests/responses; you guys will be getting belated comments, as trying to write everything Emma says as a come-on is REALLY HARD.
6. Figure out which lie Emma is going to tell Val.
7. XOVER: Respond to old comments: Jacob/Margot, Anne/Tom. Hit up Georgia's post (Anne, Zara, Jacob, Carrie?). Post: ...idk who.


In other news, I started reading The Left Hand of Darkness to follow along with the NYT Book Club -- and because it's just One Of Those Books you're supposed to read at some point in your life -- and I'm having a really difficult time getting into it. To be fair, I'm only about 20 pages in, but usually by 20 pages I have a vague feel for authorial voice and tone and pacing, and I can figure if I'm going to stick with that book or not. But it's just kind of...trundling along, and I'm having difficulty keeping track of who's who, what's what, where the hell they even are. I looooved Le Guin's introduction to the novel, but the novel itself just seems lacking to me. Have any of you read it? Should I keep going or just chuck it and move onto the next?

Maybe I'm just not in the mood for science fiction. Or novels! I've been reading so many novellas and anthologies lately that getting back into a novel is like eating those crazy chips that are like blue and purple and green. I just don't know how to go about it. But I just dropped $150 on books at B&N and have a stack waiting from my library, so I should prooobably get over that hurdle quick.

Multiple posts in one day? You betcha! This one is slightly more srs business, I guess, but not really. What are your guys' thoughts on ~rpsterbation~? I hate calling it that, actually, but lol "playing with yourself" sounds just as bad. RPing with your own characters, I guess? I know loads of people avoid it like a thing you would really like to avoid, but idk -- I'm increasingly thinking it's not a big deal. I mean, as long as you're not only playing with your own characters, obviously; but if two of your characters need to interact to grease the wheels of a plot, or if they are in a setting where they are BOUND to run into each other, is it still something you should avoid at all costs, even to the point of making your characters act OOC or forcing them into weird situations? TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS, RPLANDIA.

Pick one or more of my characters and one or more of yours, and I'll tell you something they've always wanted to say to your character but could never bring themselves to say out loud.

Uh, hopefully it will be in the character's actual voice, BUT I MAY HAVE TO PARAPHRASE IDK.


Also, Nat, I am putting you in charge of kicking my ass into gear and finishing my apps on the long weekend. I'm not doing anything for the holiday besides lying around and dreaming of food, so I will have heaps of time. Hopefully I can put my writing bug into getting those done, and then go back to fics/drabbles. I wrote one last night (for Marie ♥), AND LOL MY COMPUTER SHUT DOWN AND ATE IT AWESOME. But I have most of it in my moleskine, so I will get that up for you tonight, bb.

Also also, playing Elaine again makes me realize how much I missed PBing NatPort. :( I HAVE SO MUCH BREED STUFF IN THE WORKS YOU GUYS, I AM SO EXCITED.

Iiiii feel like I need to apologize for the drabbles I seem to be flooding everyone with. Idk what's up lately; I can't actually make myself play but I have been churning out these motherfuckers like a sweatshop worker who just got a raise. I AM SO PUMPED TO WRITE PROSE, IT'S DISGUSTING. Hopefully I can channel some of this into apps, since lol I have three due tomorrow for xovermods and they are nowhere near done, but w/e w/e I am riding the fic train while I'm on it.

ANYWAY MY POINT IS: sorry for spamming you guys with drabble after drabble. On the plus side, those of you who requested them are getting them much quicker than you probably thought? :D?

This week I'm hoping to knock out a few more. I have this ridiculously epic (and by epic, I just mean stupidly long) Leah one I've been picking at from a few different angles, and I already know what I'm doing for about half of the requests -- I just have to actually sit down and write them. I also need to do the polaroid memes still, so I'm going to add those as a separate prompt post at my fic journal to keep it all in one place. So you will probably see some repeats as I transfer everything over.

Also, apparently our office is closed on Friday, so I will be harrassing people to pay attention to me. You've been warned.

HOLY CRAP BREED HAS BEEN OPEN LIKE A YEAR.

Uh clearly we should have an e-party.

Just a quick update -- following the crowd, made the writing journal I mentioned earlier today: coffeespoons. The giant prompt table is posted here so feel free to comment. I still need to post the list of ones in progress/requested last time, but I haven't forgotten about them.

Sadly, that is absolutely all I accomplished today of my to-do list. We had that work thing (which wasn't as horrible as I feared, as I was totally allowed to drink on the job yessss) and I basically passed out on my face on the floor twenty minutes after getting home. Awesome. Carpet marks all over my cheek. 8|

Crowning moments in playing Jubilee:

knockemdown: Anything else you guys want to know, just ask. I might even answer.
cracklepaf: what happened to the american dream
cracklepaf: am i looking at it

THAT IS REALLY FUNNY TO ME, IDC.


I have an absurd ~Western-themed~ work function to go to tonight, but hopefully I won't have to stay past the networking portion. I will lie and say I have a date or something if I have to. It ends around 7 and there should be free food (hopefully free food that I can eat), and I will probably -- hopefully -- require RP to decompress afterwards. Just so you guys know.

Haven't put these on my main to-do list, but today I must:
1) Make a fic/writing journal. Having all my writing in a separate place will help, I think.
2) Post the old prompt table with requests.
3) Post new prompt table. Badger people to tag it.
4) Feel like crap about not getting to old prompts...ever.
5) Maybe scribble notes for one or two of them down at this networking thing. 8| I have a vague idea of what every single prompt is/will be, but actually writing them has been a trial.
6) Get list of Madoc's ideas up on abundantideas.
7) Talk to Julie and Emily re: rules for above? I think "don't be a dick" p. much covers it.
8) Tag: Emma's entry; Emma/Luce thread; Zara/Eddie comments on Esther's entry; Asher/Anne comments. Have I missed anything?
9) WRITE THE FUCKING LORELAI NARRATIVE UGH. That is my goal for tonight, guys. >:|

Being a general list of general things:

1) My boss is going to put extra money in my paycheck every month to cover gas expenses while I'm ~out in the field~. YESSSSSSSSSS.
2) I got like zero app work done this weekend aside from some notes on Bigby -- although, to be fair, I had only decided to work on Bigby anyway, so. He's going through some conceptual changes (i.e. I was pretty sure he would go by Frank and still be like Frank, just with a lot of Bigby characteristics; now he's Bigby in a Frank-shaped body, with Frank slowly losing hold), but so far coming along nicely. :D
3) Leah and Caleb are so fucking adorable. I'M GLAD YOU'RE BACK CLEZ, BECAUSE I MISSED THEM. Also just glad you're back, ilu etc.
4) I'm considering succumbing to the trend of fic journals and making one. I've been pondering having an actual writing journal for a while, so that would fit in nicely. I will probably post the new prompt table in it (along with the old one and the old requests WHICH I STILL HAVEN'T DONE UGH), and firmly expect everyone to comment. Firmly. Expect.
5) I've been kind of a fail on activity lately, even on weekends, and I have to apologize for that. I feel so drained when I get home that I just want to collapse into bed with one of my 9000 library books and pass out. I'm keeping up with everything though, even if I'm not commenting!

Also, Emily posted in her LJ the other day about this article, which a few other people (myself included) had read in Neil Gaiman's blog, specifically the part about the Sandman stories. I don't how serious she/Julie were in the post about it, but I think it'd be a fun summer project and a way to write with everyone without it having to be RP-related, if that makes sense? I know sometimes I want to write with people, but I can't dredge up any of my characters, or logging isn't really something I can do at that moment. I don't know, is anyone interested? I'd be happy to set up a comm and get the list of stories from somewhere, figure out a way to get it organized, if I thought people would be down for the actual writing. Thoughts?

UPDATE: abundantideas
For those of you who are interested -- go join! I've invited everyone who's replied to this post. That'll be the main comm, where the sticky of ideas/prompts is posted, and also where you will post your stories/art/comics/poems/photographs/whatever. Once we've got all the kinks hammered out, we'll post up a general rule page, but mostly it'll be pretty low-key. We want to keep this just to the people we know and write with regularly (i.e. you guys), so we'd rather not advertise. YAY COMM

Status update: looks like I'll be semi-scarce on the internets during the week, outside of harrassing people on gchat during the day. Now that I've gotten into my new schedule at work, it's sort of -- busy and draining, and only going to get worse when we have (as is our goal) 12 agents in here working and needing marketing shit done, as opposed to the current 2. Then I only have a few hours at home before I have to go to bed, which are taken up by eating and working out and showering. There's still a couple hours in there to dick around online, but usually by the time I get there, my brain is just refusing to do anything but vaguely skim over flists.

That being said -- I will totally be around ALL THE GODDAMN TIME on weekends, so be prepared for obsessive harrassment. And please let me know if there's an entry/comment/thread/log whatever that needs tagging (especially if it needs attention ASAP), and I will get right on it. I can get there with a kick in the pants on weeknights, just not on my own.

Also, my life needs moar Xover, you guys, as exciting as super student councils are. I'm tagging back comments tonight (I HATE BEING TIRED EVERY NIGHT UGH ADULTHOOD) and I expect some commentbombing okay.

Hey guys, just so I don't drop the bomb on a bunch of you, I'm going to be leaving Neo. I'll be making the official post later today after work, so this is just to lessen the blow, I guess? Anyway, I've been struggling with it for a while; some of you have even had to listen to me debate (ad nauseum) the pros/cons of staying or going -- and trust, it wasn't an easy decision, since I will totally miss playing with like, all of you, and some of you aren't in any of my other games at all. But Olivia was sort of my plot anchor, and when I was told to drop her, most of that fell away, and I'm kind of floundering. I don't really want help getting back in, because I think -- between working full time and trying to get back into non-RP writing -- Neopolis is really too much of a committment for a pretendy funtime game. It moves too quickly, and for someone already struggling, not being constantly up to date on all game happenings is more of a death sentence than anything. And really, it just becomes no fun at all when I'm so focused on trying to stay afloat I can't enjoy the writing itself. So I'll be plucking myself out, no big hassle. Feel free to use and abuse John, Alma, and Hildr as NPCs as much as you like; you guys pretty much get how they operate by now.

Things I have realized about my RPing today:

1) It isn't a Rian character without a Tragic Past/Severe Accident/Grandiose Drama of some kind. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and let me dust off may shouldah a little in saying I think I usually handle it pretty well. That is, yes, my characters tend to have Darque Secrets or what have you, but (unless it's the characterization that they've centered their entire life around this one thing; please see: John Collins) it doesn't become the focal point of their existence. They don't bring it up in every conversation; not everyone knows about it; not everyone will know about it. Like any other history, it just shapes them in play rather than serving as a point of attention or constant pity parties. Olivia, for instance -- I mean, she really is in constant pain, but it just doesn't come up until she's at the end of her rope? I don't know. Playing characters without something Serious and Traumatic just doesn't interest me, SORRY.

2) I am incapable of playing men without some kernel of goodness. Most women, too, though I've toed the line a few times (Marie, Therese). I think that's a personal bias more than anything: evil is fun, but a character who is completely and utterly wicked/stupid/cruel becomes as boring and flat to me as a character who is utterly kind/smart/peaceful. I need layers, even if that layer is the size of a sliver of fingernail.

3) I have to have a nice character. I can't deal with it. Bitchiness is exhausting. My brain hurts playing smart people. Taciturn characters leave me as emotionally constipated as they are. I know nice characters are overrated, but sometimes it is just such a relief to play someone who's willing to overlook flaws/stupidity/failed logic/rudeness/etc.

4) God idek, I am so tired from work. Other stuff was supposed to go here, but I can't remember what it is now. 8|

Anyway re: 3, I am making a ~nice girl~ for Neo and you should all plot with me, the end.

I AM ALSO STILL WORKING ON DRABBLES, in between reading 18th c. lit. and that paper I completely forgot was due Thursday. WHOOPS. At least it's only 4 pages and using the source material we use in class, so that's, uh. A relief. Anyway.

The Rated-R Meme. Comment with a character of mine, and I'll give you three random bits of trivia about their sexual practices, preferences, experiences, fantasies, kinks, or something along those lines. Feel free to mention multiple characters or a character multiple times.

PICK WHOEVER YOU WANT, though too far back and I may not be able to answer.