shatterpath

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How the HELL do I have such a painful blister of a massive continuity error in a story i wrote YEARS ago?!?!??? It's not FAIR! My timeline is off by an entire YEAR on a major plotpoint.

**cries in a pathetic little ball of woe**

Hey guys, I know not much goes on here, but I thought I'd beg anyway. I've written (almost completed) a massive sequel to the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic love story (don't judge me, the show is AWESOME. Even if it has a stupid name) and it needs some eyes on it. Some knowledge of character will help, but as long as your brain is fairly elastic, you can muddy through. The first part is at: http://archiveofourown.org/works/270170

Thanks!

It has been pointed out that I have been around little for a long time. So, my partner, Ariestess, recently put up a mess of questions from her friends that I will now happily gack!

[personal profile] ariestess
gacked from [livejournal.com profile] marilavado AAAAAGES ago!

Your eye colour: Color-changing hazel. They can look blue or grey of even faintly greenish, but mostly that odd neutral color that doesn't stand out. But they're clear and expressive and isn't that what matters? :)

Nevermind hair colour: What are some other words to describe your hair? Ah, my one vanity. I didn't get my mother's gorgeous red hair, which I've always been bummed about. That said, my dad's hair is mine too, soft and dark. And I'm the lucky one to have gone a natural wave that gives it a lovely texture and will get downright curly when damp.

Are you taller, shorter, or average height? While Ariestess might be short, I am quite opposite at over 6'1. It's been a bone of contention my whole life, being so unusually tall, coupled with somewhat androgynous looks, VERY androgynous style, a deep voice and a very low dose of femininity. But, it has provided me with some real entertainment over the years and kept me from being ever physically bullied.

No one really cares to hear how much you weigh. How often do you feel self-conscious about your body? I don't care for my weight, particularly since it's pretty solidly due to inherent laziness. But, I've never been easy to motivate. EVER. A influential grownup from my very early childhood described having to coax/nearly force me to go play with the other kids. That always struck me as unusual.

Your birthday: is the time of year it takes place a season you love or hate? Late autumn/winter is a winner to me!

Your actual zodiac sign isn't important. Do you really believe in horoscopes? The roomie has a cool view on that. The fluctuating energies (magnetic, solar, electric etc) at time of conception/birth are malleable and even proveable, so why wouldn't they exert a subtle effect on us?

The number of years you've been on this planet is interesting, but what's more interesting: are you happy at this age? I think the strength of my emotions grow in intensity. The highs and lows are bigger and better.

We all know your sex right now. But do you really follow gender roles? No. And never really have. Yet, I don't think I'm a truly 'masculine' personality either. Though I suspect that would have fit me a little better. Even my mother can't argue that point.

Your favourite musician has been mentioned in every survey before this, I bet. But why don't you explain your connection to music and why it's so important to you? Picking a favorite is a toughie, but an artist needs to speak to my soul as well as my ears. And I am an opinionated pain in the butt about that too!

Most survey makers ask what your favourite movie is. But what they don't ask: why is it your favourite? There's so many... And the reasons why, huh? They range across a wide variety of moods, though most of them are lighter/funnier. I like my entertainment on the lighter side, what can I say? Humor is a delicate balance in particular. Some faves are Clue and Death to Smootchy. And I have always had a fascination with animation and even wish I had gotten into that business. So, Disney/Pixar flicks are always a winner. And old-school musicals and a decent cross-section of sci fi. Okay, I think I'm wandering off subject now. Heh...

Explain the ways in which you are extroverted and the ways in which you are introverted. If you are only extroverted or only introverted, explain how. Ariestess said it pretty succinctly, about it being contextual. Generally, I don't feel extroverted at all until I'm quite comfortable.

Surveys always give you a chance to talk about what's stressing you out. But what about what's not stressing you out? What is making you happy right now? Oooo! Lately, I have been drawing! Insert happy squeal here. I inherited a significant talent from my father that comes and goes like rain in the desert. Lately, it has been raining pretty hard. And, for the first time in pretty much my whole life, I get to be the favorite human to a feline companion who I adore with an abandon that scares me sometimes.

The book that you call your favourite: who is your favourite character in it, and why? Anything Anne McCaffery ever wrote. She had a grasp on character and world that clearly influenced how I write myself. She was inspirational. Specifically, her character of Menolly, who I still feel a marvelous connection to. A girl from a repressive society determined to squelch a gift that could and did change her world. Rather than be broken by that, she rose up to become influential and successful in ways that she never dreamed. What's not to love?

You don't even need to name your hometown here. Why don't you just describe it? The suburbs of Los Angeles of the 70s/80s were a strange place. Couple a smallish-town feel with a population of 150 thousand only a hourish from the second largest city in America. The mountain ranges and distance provided a cushioning effect that kept the smallish-town feel. But we also had access to all the benefits of a big city, like amusement parks and museums. I liked it.

What are you proud to say makes you the person you are? This can be accomplishments, likes and dislikes, the people in your life who have influenced you, etc. With my poor memory, questions like this are always hard on me. When I was a kid, my parents joined a terrific church that had a twofold effect on me. It taught me that organized religion is not my path and that there are some truly wonderful people out there. Various authors and artists have inspired my brain and soul and I had a teacher in high school that taught me what it was to be a decent, adult human being. And my beloved mother too. Heck, even my little sister has turned out to be a heck of a woman, just a late bloomer. I hope to catch up to her someday.

Are these always so emotionally draining? Whew...

I was going through my backlog of LWM stories and decided to see what I could finish. This one has a very abrupt ending I'm not thrilled with, but considering how old this piece is, I'll take what I can get.

Oh, and I don't remember how to do cuts, so my apologies for the length of the post...

DESERT HEAT

++ Catherine ++

(7-22-02)

She is, as always, a magnificent figure. Lean and mean, she eyes the heavy bag, lashing out with heavily gloved fists to pound expertly at the giant sand bag. Being able to return to this primitive and fluid sport she loves has been good for Dace. That she's finally putting weight and muscle back on is a significant bonus.

Watching this lover and soulmate has not grown rote in our nearly seven months. I met her strong and whole, witnessed her broken and near-dead and I have watched her come back from her injuries. Nine days ago was the six month mark from Snake-Eyes attack. The white gold piercing Dace put in beneath both scar and eyebrow to mark the occasion is still raw.

"Hey, sexy," I purr as best I can, turning the hot blue eyes my way. Silently, Dace watches me strut over, her expression unreadable. She's been anxious and jumpy lately, but I understand the reasons why. In a month, we will go meet Jim Ellison and let nature take its course. Today, she'll be ovulating for a last time before getting pregnant and I'm sure that thought is weighing heavily on her mind.

Not to mention that Dace is one of those women that gets horny as hell when she's ovulating.

With that firsthand knowledge, I can reroute some of that jumpy energy to both of our benefits. A teasing finger drawn over the drum-tight skin over her sternum gets my lover's attention. "I kinda like you all sweaty like this," I drawl suggestively and the faint smirk warms both Dace's serious expression and her blue-flame eyes. They never leave me, tracking like a starved predator intent on a meal.

So I play her up, walking around her body, trailing that lone finger over her flesh and the damp sports bra. We have the entire house to ourselves, with Lindsey off in New York with her new Guide and Sara working overtime. No one will be moving around much in the ranch compound outside, not with the mid-summer Mohave heat beating down like an oven. Even through the air conditioning, it bleeds through, an entity in and of itself. It clings to Dace's sweat-slick skin, wicking away the moisture with its endless dry.

The tattoos on Dace's back are half-exposed, parts of her history written in the most permanent of inks. Still sensitive after all of these years, my touch on the marks makes Dace's breath stutter faintly.

My feral grin is not feigned.

I love being Dace's equal, but I cannot resist being a bossy lover sometimes. As impossibly well matched as we are, she compliments my style in everything. Standing passively, her heavily gloved hands resting on the heavy punching bag, Dace merely watches me silently. Often, there are no words between us, simply because they are unnecessary.

She smells warm and sweaty, having not exerted herself long enough to revert to her natural smell. It's a turn-on for me and I don't resist the urge to lean in and press a kiss between her shoulder blades. "Feels good to get so physical again, hmm?" I hum against her heated skin and earning a quiet grumble of affirmation. It's cute how quiet she is today, introspective and tense.

My hands sliding over Dace's waist and belly derail that introspection nicely, making her body respond. Since the cast came off in March and we could become true lovers in all senses of the word, we've gotten quite good at this sensual game.

The rip of Velcro pulls my attention from Dace's skin and I quickly order, "No, leave them on. I like you a little helpless."

Her amused snort makes me smile as I continue to seduce her primed body. Kisses over the planes and hollows of the narrow back brings the heat up from a simmer and towards a boil.

Soon, my lover will be changed fundamentally, this slender body ripe with child and all those attendant changes. In the meantime, she is still mine and I intend to take great advantage of that!

So, I've done my first public tarot draws! Whoo hoo! It was fun and very interesting. There was a variety of draws, half inverted and half not. Mostly cups and pentacles (only one each of wands and swords) and half and half major and minor arcana. No duplicates, though I did get The Fool, followed by the Magician which amused me. And one recipient got The Hermit and the Nine of Pentacles, which the book says are interrelated! Some strong juju there. Some four-ish of the draws were really tough and I found it hard to stay on track, like I was fighting the magics. Another half dozen were super easy, strong and clear. When I first started, I'd say the first four or so drawings, I wasn't letting the experience happen. It's easy to fight a new experience. So I leaned back in my chair and took a few deep breaths and centered myself. It was much better after that. There's no doubt that I will do this again on the next Friday the thirteenth at the latest!

LOL! Boy does THAT sound suggestive! Today, I am participating in tarot draws with AJ and a new pal. From 1230 and 2 pm, my favorite deck and I will be at your service. Come play!

AHHHHHH! But that felt DAMN good! I wrote a story! In honor of the Wild Hunt, I was inspired by some of my favorite wild characters. Hope you enjoy!


"No, no, Katie, baby. You're overreaching. Without lining up your spine to the target, you'll never make fifteen feet. Especially not at that upward angle."

Things like this are commonplace in my life. Combinations of words and action that would be foreign to most parents only make me pause to ensure my physical safety. then again, most parents wouldn't watch their four year old perform acrobatics that would make a circus artist blanch.

Wiggling with anticipation and not a small amount of frustration, Katie eyeballs the thick branch that lies several body-lengths away from where she crouches like a cat. Like the amazing woman who bore them, the girls are dexterous and seem possessed of too few bones to be merely human. Sandy is perched on the branch above her twin, characteristically waiting for the more overt sister to take the first plunge.

With a terrific effort, Katie zeros in on her target and uncoils like a spring. In the moments before impact, we all know she's blown it, flailing wildly as Sandy tenses in need to help. Cursing even as she blurs into action, Dace leaps to intercept as Katie scrapes against the tree truck and begins to plunge. Like a professional NFL receiver, Dace scoops a hand under the wiry little body and uses Katie's own momentum to swing her around and cancel out the pull of gravity. The whirlwind of movement morphs into a full body hug that accompanies Katie's wail of frustration and some small pain.

"Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamaaaaaa! I'm never gonna get it!"

"Pfft!" Dace scoffs and squeezes the girl until she squeaks breathlessly and the wail is cut off. "You get closer and closer every time you make the jump. And you can do stuff that even I can't. So take a deep breath and enjoy your hug for a minute before we try again." Like a giant snowball, Sandy plummets from the tree in carefully controlled freefall. Honestly, I have no idea how any of them stays so remarkably intact, as physical as they all are. Anticipating the falling body, Dace catches Sandy and squeezes her too.

"Can I try, Mama?"

Both of us grownups are surprised by Sandy's quiet request and Katie sighs gustily. She does love to be first, but never begrudges her sister anything. I join the cuddle and echo Dace's adoring expression to the two minxes. "My darlings," I croon and kiss both of their dirty, scratched cheeks. "You can do anything you set your minds to. Even if it takes time and many tries."

My kisses are returned, along with quick, hard hugs from their solid, wiry bodies. First Sandy, then Katie, accept their mother's careful toss into the branches and they crouch side by side on the same branch they have been launching from for weeks. I wrap my arm around my love as we look upward, putting out hearts behind the efforts of these amazing children. With a shared glance, the twins share a new determination, their blue gazes intent on the rough wood that is their goal.

And, together, they fly.

gacked from [personal profile] ariestess

Give me a fandom and I'll reply with:

1. My favorite character.
2. ANOTHER favorite character!!
3. My favorite character relationship, and by "relationship" I don't necessarily mean pairing and certainly not OTP, but on the other hand, depending on the fandom MAYBE I DO!
4. The moment/character/THING/WHATEVER that first hooked me on the fandom.
5. One of my favorite moments.
6. A song or track that reminds me of this fandom.
7. One miscellaneous awesome thing about the fandom.
8. One completely random thought I have regarding this fandom.
9. One fic/essay rec, fanart, or fanvid that depending on the fandom I either had lovingly bookmarked or saved onto my hard drive, or only just now found during a two-minute Google search.


By now, you should know my fandoms, but I reserve the right to refuse a fandom if it’s one I have nothing to say about, or one I don’t know at all.

In a change of pace, AJ and I agreed to do a weekly gratitude to force ourselves to look back and find the positive. This week everyone's healthy and seems happy. AJ and I are preparing for our respective trips, me to California to hang out with my mom and my sibs and AJ back to Oregon. A friend of ours (waves to Lil) has new kittens and she caught me up on how they are doing. I hope to give them both kisses one day! Amy and I did a silly cake decorating job on Spotty's birthday cupcake cake and found her a Fluttershy toy, which she's wanted. We both got fun stuff in our Inner Child Secret Santa gifts and I had great fun today with the florescent orange Silly Putty. The weather is clear and cold (we're in stagnation) and there is no rain on the horizon, so a few errands can be done outside. All in all, things are pretty decent!

Today I took the time to play with my baby, which I too rarely do. She no longer plays with her kittenish ferocity and I fear some of that is my fault, She's getting pudgy too! The old man is getting to skinny, so I gave him some wet food in AJ's room where the others couldn't bother him. I'll make this a habit.

So, today I am grateful for my beloved furkids.