A Masterpiece within the Mess

Rules:
1. Reply to this post with "UNICORNS", and I will pick five of your icons.
2. Make a post (including the meme info) and talk about the icons I chose.
3. Other people can then comment to you and make their own posts.
4. This will create a never-ending cycle of icon glee.

Never-ending is right...I'm pretty sure I've done this a few times, lol. But it's all fun, so I'll probably keep doing them XD Anyway, these are the icons rose_of_pollux asked about:


This icon was made for me by netbug009, taken from the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time and Darkness special anime episode. In both the episode and the game, Grovyle is one of my top favorite characters, I really wanted an icon of him. This picture was of the best ones, taken from the saddest and my favorite scene in the episode. So Net was kind enough to make it an icon for me.


My icon of Chris Kratt from Wild Kratts, a show that I'm too old for but enjoy way too much anyway. I wanted to have an icon of Chris, my favorite brother, and I needed a face-palm icon for all those kind of moments. So I made this one because...well, why not? Heehee.


I have this weird little thing I do, where I try to have one icon from each of my fandoms - just one, unless the fandom itself has multiple versions of it (e.g., Sonic the Hedgehog, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). And generally (but not always), I try to get an icon from my favorite character in that fandom. So one day, when I was looking for a good Ryou icon to add to my collection, I found the image from the very beginning of Yu-Gi-Oh, when everyone's souls had been trapped in cards. And...I don't know why, but Ryou's expression as the Change of Heart card here just really gets to me. So here it is. I generally use it for those moments when I'm kind of down about something...not sad, just...down. If that makes any sense.


When it comes to Once Upon a Time, I'll admit that I'm kind of eh about it. I like the idea, and I want to watch it, but I just never work up enough interest to go watch it. Not even record it on the DVR. The only episodes I have seen from beginning to end is the second episode, and the one where they introduce the idea of RumBelle. Seeing as how Beauty and the Beast is my favorite movie of all time, the idea of RumBelle, with Rumpelstiltskin taking the role of the Beast, kind of fascinated me. So I like having this icon that kind of compares the Disney movie with RumBelle.


Haha, not much to be said about this one. Luigi is my favorite from the Mario franchise, and the V-for-victory sign was just too good to pass up. I use this icon when I feel like I've accomplished something...not even necessarily big things. Just if I feel a sense of personal accomplishment, like if I've actually written for a story I've been meaning to update, or if I feel proud about something.

So in a few hours, my siblings and I have to get up so we can make the five hour drive back home, thus ending our vacation. It was a lot of fun - before, during, and after Comic Con. I'll post another entry with highlights from the trip sometime later (because there were a lot of things that I want to mention, heehee).

In the meantime, I noticed that I only got one request for the Drabble Request Meme I put up a while back (which is...one more request than I expected, honestly). But I thought I'd give it another chance before posting up the result. So if anyone has any requests, feel free to let me know and I'll get working on it.

So that's about it for the moment. Now, I'm going to procrastinate packing my things away by watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire before heading to bed. Night all!

The iPod Shuffle Meme

No, not that one. Let's be honest, when we need inspiration, the first place we go is our music library. So let's try something a little bit different. My music library is no help to me, but maybe it can be for someone else. Here's how this thing works:

1) Comment to this post, and I'll give you a prompt in the form of whatever song shuffles up next on whatever music player I've got going at the time.

2) Turn on the music player of your choice to shuffle, post this to your own journal and dole out prompts. No, you can't hide your shameful music. If it shuffles up, that's the gig.

3) Write/draw/whatever way you create for the prompt you've been given: post it. Again, no hiding the shame. Even if you think it's awful, post it.

4) Link your finished product to the prompt comment, because it's always lovely to see the results.'

Step One

- Make a post (public, friendslocked, filtered...whatever you're comfortable with) to your LJ. The post should contain your list of 10 (or however many you like) holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fandom-related ("I'd love a Snape/Hermione icon that's just for me") to medium ("I wish for _____ on DVD") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.") The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.

- If you wish for real life things (not fics or icons), make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you.

- Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ, or link to this post (it'll be public) so that the holiday joy will spread.

Step Two

- Surf around your friendslist (or friendsfriends, or just random journals) to see who has posted their list. And now here's the important part:

- If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it.

You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not--it's your call.

There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.

Not that I'm expecting anything, to be honest, haha. And no one really has to get me anything. ^_^ But it's just in case people are maybe thinking of getting me anything, here's a list that might help narrow down the choices XD

( And now for a bit of self-indulgence... )

*whistles* Wow, that list turned out longer than I thought it would...um...like I said, you don't have to get me anything. ^^;;

Day 27 – Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?

Well, I like writing wherever I can, and as long as I'm comfortable I can write just about anywhere. But I guess if I had to pick a place, I'd say in my room. It's just my safe, familiar place where I can settle into my own little world.

Technically, I do both. I first write a rough draft by hand, getting down the words and thoughts as they flow. If I write something and I don't like how it sounds, then I write how it first comes out in my head and then make a note to fix it later. Then I transfer the story from my notebook to my computer, rewriting it as I type it, polishing it up and fixing anything else I don't like about it. It takes a while to finishing writing something, but I think it's worth the effort.

( The List )

Is it really possible to be annoyed with your own brain? Because I really am. Not in an angry way (well...not really), but just more of a "wut is this, I don't even..." kind of way. I mean...honestly, Brain? Why are you doing this to me?

There are two reasons for the my personal WTF-ery today.

#1:

A few days ago I was getting ready for work, and as I was eating breakfast I was watching a little TV when I noticed that the old Wild Thornberrys movie was on one of the movie channels. Anyone remember that show? About a girl who talks to animals, her family travels the world for her dad's documentary show...? *ahem* Anyway, so I was watching a little of it, because I honestly haven't seen the movie since it first came out when I was a kid. And, curious idiot that I am, I decide to record it so I can catch the ending before I leave for work. When I got the time, I finished the movie...and quickly remembered why I didn't like it the first time I watched it.

To be honest, I was never a real big Wild Thornberrys fan. I mean, I did like the idea of it. It appealed to the kid in me who wished to talk to animals myself, and who imagined growing up traveling the world and studying animals too. I also did enjoy a few choice episodes (particularly, any of the ones where Eliza got to spend some quality time with her father, Nigel). But it wasn't my favorite show ever, and I only ever watched it when nothing else was on...and only occasionally. I can't even remember why I went to see the movie the first time, let alone deciding to watch it those few days ago.

But somehow, as I was watching the movie this time around, I was surprised to be drawn to Eliza and Darwin's friendship, particularly during the time when Eliza lost her ability to talk to animals. And...wouldn't ya know it? I somehow got a story idea about it! *facepalm*

( Cut because even I'm embarrassed by this... )

Thinking about the story in my head, it might be kind of cute. I took a glance at the Wild Thornberry section on FF.net, and friendship fics between Eliza and Darwin are rather lacking. But...seriously?! How the heck did this happen?!

#2

So...there's this guy. We're friends, and I love him a lot. But I also...kinda sorta like him too. I don't think anything will work out between us, though, so I've never wanted to attempt anything. Plus, it's one of those cliche moments where I love him too much to risk losing our friendship, yadda yadda yadda. But that doesn't stop me from imagining things were different, and wondering what it'd be like if the two of us ever really got together.

And he has this...this scent about him. Gah, that sounds really weird and I feel really embarrassed for saying it. But there's this scent I pick up whenever we're a little too close to each other, and it's...it's nice. I can't really describe it, but it's nice, and I like it a lot.

Well, at work today, I kept catching a similar scent. It wasn't exactly the same, but it was close enough that it got me thinking about him whenever I caught it, and I would sometimes drift off into my little imaginary world. And you know how sometimes when you're daydreaming, you get little images that you don't intend to think of, but they just pop up all of a sudden and you wonder where the hell they came from?

Such an image popped up today, as I caught the scent once again and suddenly found myself visualizing that the guy and me were married, and we had a daughter.

...What?!

Dear Brain, you are in danger of being shut down due to weirdness. Please stop before action must be taken. Thank you.

Anyway, I'm going to try distracting myself from disturbing thoughts with writing a new Phineas and Ferb fic. Wish me luck.

But first, the Fanfic Writing meme.

Day 23 – When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?

The most common place I post my stuff is on my FF.net profile. However, I am working on putting all the stories I've ever written (including ones not on FF.net) on this journal (backdated, of course). And I have a few selected stories that I plan on putting on my DA account. We'll see how that goes, though.

( The List )

Day 21 – Sequels – Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?

Yeah, I've written sequels to other fics before. Not a lot, mind you. But if I come up with an idea that I feel can relate to a previous story of mine, and I feel it's interesting enough or I want to continue with a previous idea, then I don't mind writing a sequel. I tend to notice that sequels never seem to do as well as the first one, but then again that's a general fact of things that have sequels...with a few exceptions, of course.

( The List )

Day 19 – When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?

I usually write down the idea for further use. Writing the idea down usually helps me develop it more, and I like taking the time to figure most of the story out before actually starting to write it. This can be a problem sometimes because I might never finish figure things out...but if I can get enough details to use, then it helps me plan a better story out.

I also like writing down the idea since my inspiration tends to frequently shift from one fandom to another. If I write the idea down, then I still have the idea somewhere in case I switch one fandom for another, but come back to the previous fandom at a later time...though usually with a lot more plot bunnies in tow...I hate how fast bunnies multiply, haha.

But yes, I actually have a document with all my story ideas written down. It's...long....teehee.

( The List )