The first lines from thirty songs from my MP3 player on random. Guess the song title and the artist. Mock my taste in music. It's all good. :)


( Click here for the list. )

Well, one picture. The sensible black lace-ups will not be worn to the ceili.

( Photo )

ETA: The dress is actually even nicer than it looks in the picture.

It's this pretty dress, in those colours but with ordinary straight sleeves that are less likely to cause injury to myself and others. It's my Christmas present from my mother and will be worn at the Order of Celestial's event. Only 60 days to go!

It's for Science.

Sample group consisted of one trainee Light Incantor (TLI.)

Discussion was between the TLI, a mage, two healers and the High Sheriff of the Palatinate.

Dinner consisted of chilli and rice, with ice-cream and profiteroles for dessert.

Social lubrication was provided by 1500 ml Mead (750 ml Moniack, 750 ml Drunken Monk) 500 ml Mickey Finn's Green Apple Sours and 700 ml Jameson whiskey.


( Discussion topics included: )

I wasn't going to bother posting this. It's gossip fic, but is neither entertainingly mean nor do many other characters get a mention. This one's for me! :)

( In the orphanage )

The girl beside me was on the phone to another department earlier today. here is her half of the conversation:

November eleventh? What day is that?

I dunno, what happened today?

A war ended? Did it?

I dunno. Vietnam?

World War One? Oh, alright. Oh, was that why everyone on Eastenders was wearing them red flowers?


The day goes largely unremarked here and it's never bothered me that it did before. There was no conscription here and far fewer people were affected; it's not part of as many family histories. (Anyway, we had our own struggle going on at the time.) But there shouldn't be that kind of ignorance.

Weekend was busy and awesome. Jo Co and Paul and Storm on Friday night were very good, though Paul and Storm seemed to have far more energy than Jonathan Coulton, who, to be fair, had been detained by immigration in Heathrow earlier and probably had less time to relax. (Alan, have words! Mind you, he said they were very nice and gave him coffee.) He seemed pleasantly surprised that the crowd sang along continually and well, and had to keep reminding himself that that happens in Ireland, apparently. He also did a real (i.e. unplanned) encore at the end, which he doesn't normally. I'm trying to work out if he liked us that much, or if someone pointed out that the crowd rabidly baying for "ONE MORE TUNE!" were separated from the greenroom by two unlocked doors. Either way, he came back, did A Conversation with George which was a lovely way to end the night, and was generally awesome. And then I got the nerve to open the first of the unlocked doors as he walked past and stick my head through to say thank you. He seemed vaguely appreciative in a very tired way. The other fun thing about the gig was seeing how many people I knew were in the audience.

Saturday was the LARP demo and stand at the Toys for Big Boys expo. It was fun and completely exhausting. Lots of interest, mostly from small boys, but that's hardly surprising. There was also the documentary maker who may well be showing up at St. Anne's park with his camera, since he was ostensibly doing a documentary about art (or possibly Art, maybe even Ort) but seemed to be mentally planning one about LARP as his intriguedness levels increased the more we told him about it. (Favourite phrase: "Oh, wow, so it's like Extreme method acting!") Anyway, I got my pretentious on with "There's no such thing as art" and my reasons for thinking so (made up on the spot.) Not for nothing, that arts degree! Then Saturday night we went to Fibbers for Rick's birthday drinks, There was a great crowd, fun was had, we found a spot that was quiet enough to have a conversation and had lots of seats, and I got far far too drunk for three bottles of Lech.

Sunday was hangover and speech and drama essay, and a complete failure to tidy up as I'd intended. I have just come back from a speech and drama class, and I am now going to have a shower and go to bed and try not to think about how many work days are left in this week.

And yet again, not meme fic. I'm just toying with everyone I have left, you see! :P

I had intended this to follow the progress of the integration of the children of Varn and the young Choma, but I do tend to run out of steam if I get overambitious, so here's the beginning, and there may be follow-ups.

One character shamelessly stolen from die_fleiderhat, but then the entire basis of the fic is his idea too! :)


( First Steps )

This is set at some stage this summer, probably not too long after the GEF, since apparently Arden had been receiving Sirene training later in the year. It was a long time in coming, and you'll see that some of the words are forced in, and I have a feeling I've been writing Dorian's voice more than Fionnuala's, but if I don't post it now I never will!

( blue, Sirene, broken, tomorrow, )

More fic!

This was written for d20yfx, who couldn't get her head round a gossip fic of her own. This is the expanded and tidied up version.

( Kerr's gossip fic, also featuring Alfhildr )

It's short, but there wasn't anything else left to write when I got to the end.

( spade, drink, sunrise, lesson )

Inspired by plucky_lass's nice long account of the weekend, so if you don't feel like reading it I won't blame you. It will hurt my feelings though, so read it anyway. :P (Not a dig at Marianne's post, BTW. It was long and this is a good thing, IMO.)

( excessive verbiage beneath )

I know everyone else only got one, but really there was very little Hadrian in die_fleiderhat's fic, so I continued it. This begins immediately after the last one.

( Hadrian fic, part two )

But this time, not the meme fic. Instead I woke up this morning (well, this afternoon) with this fic in my head. I'd love to read other people's versions about their won characters if anyone else feels like writing one!

( Two gossips discuss Arden )

Right. I'm not 100% sure about this one, since Arden's entire interaction with Hadrian was (probably) being introduced to him, and then him complimenting her on her dress and apologising a lot. So I may have over-emphasised the shyness and awkwardness. It's also very short and the first paragraphs don't even contain any Hadrian, so die_fleiderhat, if you feel cheated I can write another one once I get to know Hadrian!



( Red, Children, Albion )

Yet again, it just stops. I think if I wasn't writing these for people they'd all be sitting unfinished on my hard drive and would never see the light of internet. :)

( Comrades, Spring, Light, Home )

This is igotaplan's fic. Nazareth's voice is pure guesswork as Arden's never spoken to her, but hopefull it's not too far out.

( Green, Home, Rain, Lessons. )

I've come to the conclusion that I can't come to a conclusion, at least not when I'm writing fic. Instead it just stops. I'm sorry! Alan, I hope you enjoy your story!

( Avalon, colourless, lovers, lunch )

The words are: Family, Orange, Beginnings, Palatinate. I hope I have Kerr right!

( Here be Story )

Here it is. It's rather more of an Arden fic with a cameo from Iolanthe than an Iolanthe-and-Arden fic.

( Autumn, Ritual, Family, Choices )