So I was talking with people on Tumblr about The Avengers the other day, as you do when you've found a new source to obsess over and a bunch of people who share that obsession, and one of the things that resulted was a long post on my thoughts on Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, aka my new not-so-secret character crush. Not entirely new, mind you -- this has been going on since his movie, last year -- but The Avengers served to made my love grow even more.

I have to admit, I side-eyed the idea of a Captain America movie at first. I didn’t know that much about the character — have never really read superhero comics, so most of what I know about the Marvelverse comes from movies, cartoons, and pop culture osmosis — but patriotism and jingoism never sit well with me, and the Captain America concept seemed laden with the potential for both. But good reviews and an interest in the Avengers franchise got me in the door, and once there, I was lost to the sweet earnestness of one Captain Steve Rogers.

( More thoughts, with spoilers for Captain America but none really for Avengers. )

In the end, for all these reasons, Steve Rogers is, against all expectations, my favorite Avenger. Instead of being too straightforward, too goody-goody, it turns out that he is just exactly the right amount of both. And I love him for it.

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So I might be a little bit into The Avengers. T and I went to see it on Saturday, and it was everything I could have hoped for and more. Look at all these awesome people. And their awesome arms (seriously, it is ridiculous). And, um, I might have a ship. Or a couple of ships. I'm seeing it again next Monday with SE so we'll see if they hold up in my mind.

Also, Korra! I am all caught up as of yesterday (with delay on episode 5 thanks to a Tivo incident). And I'm loving it, but I do have one gripe. ( spoilers )

But otherwise I am quite happy and looking forward to watching the rest.

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LJ added a spoiler tag that works in comments! Yay, LJ!

LJ is taking away the Scrapbook. Boo, LJ! -- Update: Apparently it is an "upgrade", so I will reserve judgement. But given LJ's track record with "upgrades"...

LJ is giving me whiplash.

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Why, Tumblr, did you pick this night of all nights to be down? When I'm working late, and covering the desk, and finished all the work I had to do that could be done on the desk, and I'm supposed to be writing fic for a silly meme? And why did you decide to go down at the exact instant I had finished one prompt and was in the process of posting it?

Internet problems. :P

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I'm sorry I've been so absent. I'll probably do a big post about why at some point (mostly to do with work stuff), but for now I can only beg your pardon and promise that I am still reading every entry on my Reading/Friends list, even if I'm not posting or commenting much. At the very least, I need to get better about crossposting my fic -- because there's still been plenty of that.

Anyway, onto April.

Days written: 24/30 (I think... I was very bad about tracking this month.)
Words written: 11,076
Words of fic written: 10,770
Stories worked on: A lot. Eight stories, four Alphabet meme chapters, and several ficbits.
Stories posted: Six, plus four Alphabet stories.
DA:O replays started: Two, which explains why the words written are down but the number of stories worked on is up.

( Here's the chart! )

Goals:

1. Write an average of six days per week. Nope. Gotta get back on that wagon in May, especially with the Doink! deadline.

2. Take advantage of the lull between events to finish up the Alphabet meme. No, although I made progress.

3. In the same vein, work on Wardens of Ivalice. Hah. At this rate, that will be my Mega Flare story this year as well.

4. Work on/finish story for ff_exchange! Prompts received, prompts being mulled over, but no words written.... yet.

I guess, given the work issues alluded to above, this isn't too bad, but it won't cut it for May. I need to cut back on the distractions, writing and otherwise. Better managing my Tumblr usage is, I fear, a key component of this.

So, goals for May:

1. Write at least six days per week. (Except for my Memorial Day Weekend trip.)

2. Finish at least one story for Final Fantasy Exchange. (Not optional, the deadline is in May.)

3. Finish up Tumblr milestone prompt fics. (One of the two remaining is in progress, the other is just an idea at this point.)

4. Work on the Alphabet meme. At this point, I'm targeting that one to finish in June.

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My Doink! assignment has just arrived and I have no idea how I am going to chose among these awesome prompts. So much KJ bait in here, I can't even tell you.

The last time this happened, I wrote two stories (although one was pretty late). Maybe someone will get lucky again. ;)

So excited. :D

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I took the OTW Community Survey!

The OTW is doing its semi-annual membership drive, and they're also taking a survey of the membership. It took me about 15 minutes to fill out, and I feel like I got to bring up some things that were important to me, as a fan and a member of the org. Check it out!

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Let's catch up on the last couple of weeks, shall we?

1. Work: Things have changed pretty drastically recently and I'm scrambling to keep up. The upshot of it is that I have fewer people to get more things done -- isn't that always the way? -- so I expect my life to be a bit more constrained for awhile. For one thing, I'm moving to a Tuesday - Saturday schedule for awhile, starting this week, probably at least through August. I'll probably also have longer hours in general, and my time while at work will be more constrained. Everything is balanced on a knife-edge, no slack whatsoever, and although I understand a desire to make things more efficient, if you pull too hard on a rope with no slack, it breaks.

So I guess we'll see.

2. Fandom: As planned, I've started a DA:O replay. I went for a Brosca game; her name is Kasia, and I love her to death. Right now we're back in Orzammar, and so far it's everything I could have hoped for. Very different from Aeducan's homecoming, and honestly I think better developed. But more on that when I've played it further. I've been blogging the game over on Tumblr, under the tags KJ Replays DAO and Kasia Brosca, if anyone is interested.

Also, don't forget Doink! signups close tomorrow!! Have a link. I have signed up and am really looking forward to it.

3. In other news: Chorus has started, we're doing Schumann's Mass in C Minor, which is a new piece for me. Very nice so far, although tough in some places. As of yesterday, I am going back to Rome in June, for a week with A and M, which should be extremely awesome, and there's also talk of spending Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas. Whatever can get me through this ridiculous quarter, I'll take it.

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I was waiting for T to finally finish Season 3 of Avatar: TLA, and he did. So we downloaded the free Korra episodes from iTunes and watched it tonight. Fortunately, it lived up to the very high expectations that had been set for me.

( Spoilers )

So happy this universe is back! I look forward to seeing the rest of the story unfold.

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I'm about to fall over from tiredness -- a combination of post-con collapse and lack of sleep from work stress (long story) caught up with me actually around lunchtime, so I left then rather than sticking around for the last panel session and the post-mortem -- but I want to make note of the last things I did so I don't forget it all.

I went to two sessions today. The first was a panel on loving problematic things, which was big and messy and complicated and sometimes frustrating and could have been at least an hour longer. It ran almost ten minutes long as it was and left a lot unresolved. I might have more to say about this one later. It was definitely worth going: I know I got some food for thought out of it.

The other was the Guest of Honor reading, which I attended mostly for Nalo Hopkinson, who is a wonderful reader -- her writing has a strong voice, and hearing it in her own voice gives it a stunning musicality. She read from her new YA novel, Chaos, which I immediately went to the vendor floor and purchased. I hadn't been familiar with Hopkinson's work at all before she was announced as one of the GoH (the other, Shelly Jackson, was unfortunately not able to attend at the last minute), so I made a point of going out and picking up a couple of her books -- I didn't do that before the last FogCon, and I regretted it -- and read one, Brown Girl in the Ring, which I totally recommend.

After that, as mentioned, I was pretty wiped out, so I grabbed lunch and headed home. Sorry, if anyone seeing this missed saying goodbye to me, or catching up with me at all! Next time, for sure.

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Time for Doink! (aka Final Fantasy Exchange)



Sign up, spread the word. :D

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Days written: 26/31
Words written: 14,804
Words of fic written: 19,903
Stories worked on: Either eight twelve, same caveat about the alphabet meme as usual, plus a few quick prompt fics.
Stories posted: Four full-length stories, four Alphabet stories, and ficbits as above.
New projects signed up for: None, for once. But Doink! is coming....

Chart:

( Tada )

Specific goals:

1. Write an average of five days per week. Did a little better than this. Very good, for March.

2. Finish dragonagewomen story, claim for areyougame, and remix assignment for newgameplus. All complete!

3. Work on, and ideally finish, the Dragon Age Alphabet. Good progress, but nowhere near done -- I'm just over halfway through the alphabet, posting up to 'N'. I wish I had gone faster on this; it feels like the moment for the meme is done, even though I know a lot of people aren't finished yet.

Still, pretty pleased with these results. Now, for April:

1. Write an average of six days per week. February and March are over, time to get back to the usual level of goals.

2. Take advantage of the lull between events to finish up the Alphabet meme.

3. In the same vein, work on Wardens of Ivalice.

4. Work on/finish story for ff_exchange! Although I don't know the closing dates yet, it seems likely that at least the first will be applicable. Yay, Doink!

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As expected, FogCon has been great so far. Interesting panels, some fun activities, chatting with people both known and new to me. A couple of fun "oh, you're KJ/owlmoose!" moments. I haven't really been taking close notes -- although, as always, I've been adding to the to-read list, even though I barely made a dent in my to-read list from the last FogCon -- but some thoughts and impressions...

( Friday )

( Saturday )

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I am here, just taking a few minutes in my hotel room between events. I arrived around 3:30 and have gone to one panel so far, on genre fragmentation, and I spent most of the time with my librarian hat on, listening to people talk about classification and tagging and recommendations, and I wanted to say something brilliant about it but never managed to come up with a thought coherent enough to share. Still, food for thought about how to make recommendations to people, and how to get your writings found online.

Next is the Social Media Meet-up in the con suite, at which I may meet some of you who will read this! *waves* I haven't exactly been active online in any FogCon related venues -- mostly I just follow the Twitter hashtag and friended a few people right after last year's con -- but I'm looking forward to the opportunity to connect with people IRL.

This year, I'm staying in the hotel, even though Walnut Creek is only about 45 minutes away from my home. I like the idea of being able to disappear into "con space" for a few days, hide out from the real world a little bit. As long as I hide out from the real world within con space, rather than my hotel room. This will be the challenge...

I hope to do a writeup at the end of each day like I did last year, and I'll probably also post tidbits to Tumblr (#kj at fogcon), if anyone is interested in following along. And if you're here, come say Hi!

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I've written three fics for challenges this month, and received one stunning piece of fanart, and I've just realized how remiss I've been in crossposting them all.

First, the fanart, because it deserves all the attention:

The Gryphon and the Dragon by sqbr

This is an illustration of Alistair meeting his son, imagined as a gryphon and a dragon respectively, as suggested by my short Bedtime Stories, and it. is. gorgeous. I cannot stop marveling at how well it captures Alistair's character, and the imagery of Dragon Age as translated into a fairy tale. So, so awesome. Go look, really.

And now, for the fics:

Title: Let the Punishment Fit the Crime
Fandom: Dragon Age 2
Rating: G
Characters: Aveline, Isabela, Meredith, Donnic. Aveline/Donnic
Spoilers: Through DA2, Act 2
Notes: Written for the dragonagewomen/dragonagewomen challenge.

After a major upheaval in Kirkwall, Aveline is looking for someone to blame, and Isabela makes a convenient target. Major spoilers for Dragon Age 2, the end of Act Two.

On LJ / On AO3

---

Title: Depend on Me
Fandom: FFXIII
Rating: PG (drug use)
Characters: Lightning, Snow, Hope, Fang
Spoilers: Through Chapter 11
Notes: Written for the 2012 EX Mode round of newgameplus, based on two different fics by mako_lies. Both fics had interesting things to say about Lightning, as seen through other people's eyes; I turned this around and told it from Lightning's point of view.

On AO3

---

Title: Prisoners
Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins
Rating: PG (demonic possession)
Characters: Templar Drass/Desire Demon
Spoilers: For the Broken Circle quest in DA:O.
Notes: Written for the March 2012 round of areyougame. Prompt was "Dragon Age: Origins, any applicable/any applicable: seclusion - Being shut away in the Tower does things to a person’s head." I claimed this with the theory that I would write about Anders, but I couldn't come up with anything that grabbed me and that wasn't fairly DA2-centric. Then a very different idea came to me....

Ser Drass is unhappy with his life in Kinloch Hold, but he has everything under control. He's certain of it.

On DW / On AO3

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Saw it on Friday. It was good. Improved on some of the things I didn't love about the books, kept others about the same. ( Cut for spoilers. ) I'll be very interested to see how they carry it forward.

Lenny Kravitz as Cinna was absolutely perfect. I love that character so much, and they did him justice. I know not everyone was sold on Woody Harrelson as Haymitch beforehand, but I thought he was pitch perfect. I am also now more in love with Thresh and Rue than ever before. Finally, Stanley Tucci rules all.

There is a lot of shakycam and quick-cuts editing. I found it effective, but tiring. Be warned, if that kind of thing gives you headaches and/or motion sickness.

I feel as though I should have more to say about this, but maybe I talked myself out over dinner afterwards. I'll probably see it again with other folks in a couple of weeks, maybe I'll have more coherent thoughts then.

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I am so happy this show is back. Reaction thoughts and spoilers behind the cut.

( So... )

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I haven't been silent, really, just more active on Tumblr because it's more my speed right now -- I can dash off my quick thoughts on a reblog, or write a tidbit rather than an essay, and it all feels much less serious. To actually sit down and compose a journal entry takes more mental space, more energy, and so I've been less likely to do it.

For one, work has really been getting me down these last few months; there's a part of me that wants to talk about it, lay out all my unhappinesses and frustrations, and there's another part that finds the whole idea depressing and oppressive. And if I got into it here, I'd want to tell the whole story, whereas on Tumblr I feel like I can get away with a couple of sentences, or even just a paragraph, ranting vaguely about how I'm having to work another long shift or why the students are being annoying or what exciting new shenanigans my corporate overlords are up to this week.

So I'm sorry I haven't been a very good journal-reading or -writing friend lately. Maybe someday soon I'll tell the whole sordid story of the Winter quarter (which ends this week THANK GOD) and then I'll be able to take a breath and move on.

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Apologies for the crosspost spam to those of you who follow me on Tumblr (and apologies for Dragon Age spam to those of you who couldn't care less), but I'm looking for advice regarding which Warden I should play next. I've narrowed it down to Brosca (dwarf commoner) or Mahariel (Dalish elf), but from there, I'm stuck.

( Pros, cons, etc., with bonus thoughts on my Surana. )

Thoughts, opinions, advice? Thanks!

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Somehow, it completely got by me that there was a new book coming out in the Temeraire series until the day it was released. I wasn't able to pick up a copy until Thursday, and I finished it today.

Short thoughts: loved it. Best in the series for awhile, possibly since Black Powder War. If you gave up on the series after Empire of Ivory or later, this might be a good time to come back. It hits a good balance of adventure, action, diplomacy, and character arcs, and the plot moves along at a good clip. Things happen in this book; I feel the larger story moving forward at a better pace than it has in awhile. Not that I haven't enjoyed all the books, and I'm looking forward to sitting down and reading them as a whole when the series is finished, but Crucible of Gold is a high point so far.

( The following contains spoilers. )

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