we can raise cities or raze them, it whispers

Obligatory Matter of Chicago update: OKAY I have temporary betas for MoC. But I have finals until Monday, so not much MoC focus is around to be had. The next chapter is currently around 6,500 words and not close to done, so it's going to be one of those mammoth chapters that take me a little longer to write anyway. Trust me, this is the way to do it. Otherwise you'd get half a chapter with a massive annoying cliffhanger. No one likes cliffhangers, amirite? This way, ya'll get the big final showdown in one chunk, then we'll deal with aftermath. Mmkay?


Other stuff: I have been gifted with a paid DW account now! Gosh! I mean, LJ's shenanigans have been annoying the shit out of me forever and DW is kind of superior in every way to LJ. So I may be for reals migrating over there. I just wish fandom at large would do the same. But DW has the Dresden Files kink meme and now a Dresden/Marcone comm with, omg, actual moderators, so yeah. DW > LJ.

But all that will have to wait until after finals anyway.

Oh, and I'm probably gonna give my DW and the MoC comm makeovers. Again, after finals. My last one opens on Monday, so. :bites nails:


In unrelated news, does anyone have a copy of Suzanne Vega's "Language"? I can't get mine off my Zune as Mum is hogging the only Windows-enabled computer.

Point One: LittleBigPlanet 2 owns my soul. I dressed my sackperson up as the Spirit of Wikipedia! 8D 8D 8D


Point Two: omg Matter of Chicago fanart I can't even handle this warblegarble

Okay, so I spent most of today working on homework and mainlining Extra Credits, which is a series of analytical mini-lectures on various aspects of the video game industry and where the industry as a whole needs to go. I am totally in love with their handling of diversity in games and their explanation of the Microsoft Kinect and the Playstation Move, and why both of these projects need to succeed. Very intelligent, I highly recommend them. ♥

In other gaming news, Valve's Gabe Newell said remaking Half-Life 1 could be "fun". HEY GABE. YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE WOULD BE FUN? STARTS WITH F AND ENDS WITH INISH EPISODE THREE, YOU COCKBITES.

:ahem: Also, Peter Molyneux apologized for over-hyping games. Aaaaw, honey, don't apologize! You're Peter Molyneux! It's what you do! Like how Newell trolls HL fans and Activision CEO Kotick being the human avatar of all evil in the world.

Fuck you, Kotick.


Marcone's interlude is now clocking in at 10,230 words. Yeeeeeah. Got a bit of writer's block on how to wrap it up, sadly, but that should hypothetically be finished soon. Yay?


And speaking of the Dresden Fandom! I'm one of those weird people who doesn't get notification when someone friends me, so the fact I have so many people following me is crazypants. Hullo, new people! Nice to meet you!

How about a little meme... If you want to ask me anything, be it about writing or my fannish opinions or meta or myself, go ahead and do so! Or, yanno, just say hi so I know who's lurking? Anything ya'll want.


I'll just be over here, trying to get Flower to install on my PS3. :grumblerumble:

Aaaaaanyway.


ETA: OH HEY I SHOULD MENTION THIS-- I'm seriously considering making a community just for posting the Matter of Chicago series. It's essentially just to get the fic off my LJ so my non-Dresden fen won't get spammed when I start updating multiple times a week again. Does anyone have any objections to this?

And no, I'm not sure how to handle it on the DW side of the journal. Hrm. Centralizing is hard when you are on two separate sites...

The Take Two and Call Me In the Morning series is getting another part. Take CAREFUL note of the prompt before you read though. Obviously it's going to be rather triggery to some. I'm deeply looking forward for it.


I also wrote a response to this prompt:

Harry gets hit with a spell compelling him to answer questions truthfully.

Anon could go so many places with that, but what would blow me away would be the spell making Harry tell John about his massive consent issues, and his history of assault, say things that he's like, "but I don't even think that, I don't feel that way, it wasn't like that," though clearly he does and it was like that. Might work best as established relationship? But I have faith in anon's creative powers.

But my fill was rife with typos, so I'm going to repost it here.


Title: the trick is not to mind that it hurts
Ratings/Warnings: R for triggery discussion of rape and abuse, and oblique reference to suicidal tenancies.
Summary: In which honesty may or may not be the best policy. (Spoilers for Changes.)

( The kinkmeme still owns my soul. )

Guys.

You guys.

It's done.

Title: other things the road to hell is paved with [24/24]
Rating/Warnings: NC-17. What, guys, you think after this long, I wouldn't deliver? :winks:
Summary: Another way the Baron rose to power. Another way the wizard became a Knight.
Word Count: This chapter: 6,305. Entire Fic: 136,682.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen | Chapter Fourteen | Chapter Fifteen | Chapter Sixteen | Chapter Seventeen | Chapter Eighteen | Chapter Nineteen | Chapter Twenty | Chapter Twenty-One | Chapter Twenty-Two | Chapter Twenty-Three

( no, I don't need to be reminded that a change is gonna come-- I can taste it on the tip of your tongue )


( Author's Notes )

Title: other things the road to hell is paved with [22/?]
Rating/Warnings: PG-13, potentially R or NC-17 later.
Summary: Another way the Baron rose to power. Another way the wizard became a Knight.
Word Count: This chapter: 5,268. So far: 124,711.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen | Chapter Fourteen | Chapter Fifteen | Chapter Sixteen | Chapter Seventeen | Chapter Eighteen | Chapter Nineteen | Chapter Twenty | Chapter Twenty-One

( I don't need no aggravation, I just got to make you... oh, listen, I just got to make you my occupation )

Okay, so I've been indulging heavily in the kink meme. I've now written the previously mentioned hot tub fic, chatroom fic, and now a ficlet in which Harry accidentally becomes king of the Wyldfae. Am wondering if some of these ideas may be recycled into the epicfic... Unsure.

But I have fic! And I have to tell you guys, this was a hard chapter. The Wonder Beta and lightgetsin have to be thanked for helping me here. LGI totally saved my skin a few times with her observations and suggestions.

So, this is another character arc-heavy chapter. Plot up next.


Title: other things the road to hell is paved with [20/?]
Rating/Warnings: PG-13, potentially R or NC-17 later.
Summary: Another way the Baron rose to power. Another way the wizard became a Knight.
Word Count: This chapter: 4,703. So far: 112,439.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen | Chapter Fourteen | Chapter Fifteen | Chapter Sixteen | Chapter Seventeen | Chapter Eighteen | Chapter Nineteen

Author's Note: Special thanks to lightgetsin for talking me off the metaphorical ledge about the fic this week. Twice. MANY MANY MANY TIMES.


( the words of love in whispers and the acts of love in screams )

Further proof I should not be allowed on Twitter because I ramble...

Why hasn't someone written a Dresden Files AU with Harry as a baker? Because it would so work.

See, Harry owns a coffeeshop/bakery combo. It is the best food in town. People are convinced Harry is a wizard of some sort, his food is so good. Bob is his sous chef, and Harry does his best to keep him in the back because otherwise he hits on everyone in the store.

Murphy and Michael are his most regular customers. Murphy teaches at the martial arts studio down the block and needs the carbs after her long day of kicking ass. Michael buys in bulk for his family and his church, so his purchases and commissions alone cover Harry's expenses. 8D Maybe Molly cashiers a few days a week as her first job.

And Marcone is obviously a sleek, ruthless corporate lawyer (probably the head of the firm) who becomes more than a little enamored by Harry's phenomenal cooking. So he tries to hire Harry as his personal cook, but Harry turns him down. So he keeps coming in, trying to convince Harry, having expensive ingredients delivered, hitting on him all the time.

AND HIS DAUGHTER IS IVY. Come on, we all want father!Marcone in fic. She is his prodigy daughter who enjoys Harry's cupcakes very much and sits with her bodyguard Kincaid in the shop after school until her father shows up to take her home.

And Susan still a reporter and keeps showing up, claiming to be writing a column on Harry's shop but seems to be just flirting with him. OR MAYBE SHE IS JUST AFTER HIS SCONES. SCANDAL!


Someone please write this, I don't have the time to. BUT COME ON! Harry as a tall awkward baker who turns everything he touches into yummy awesomeness and everyone wants a piece of him, but he just wants to run his little shop, thanks.

HARRY. IN AN APRON. BEING ADORABLE. AND HIT ON BY EVERYONE WHO WANTS HIS FINE ASSBAKED GOODS.

Being sick = lots of time to write. Ugh. :sips more tea:

Oh look, I've broken 100,000 words.

Title: other things the road to hell is paved with [18/?]
Rating/Warnings: PG-13, potentially R or NC-17 later.
Summary: Another way the Baron rose to power. Another way the wizard became a Knight.
Word Count: This chapter: 4,996. So far: 102,011.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen | Chapter Fourteen | Chapter Fifteen | Chapter Sixteen | Chapter Seventeen
jfc, I should just make a table of contents, shouldn't I?


( maybe I can do it if I put my back into it, I could leave you if I wanted but there's nowhere else that I can go )

Lucy, one week ago: No, I am not getting Changes until it's in paperback. I only got Small Favor in hardcover because it was on sale for dirt cheap. I don't need hardbacks. They don't fit in my satchel anyway!

Lucy, today: Whoops, I seem to have bought Changes. Erk. :looks shifty:

Relatedly, GOOOOOOD I wanna skip Proven Guilty. I'm 170 pages in and it has yet to grab me. Damn it for having so much info that I need. And FFS Michael, why did you show up early, then LEAVE ME? I LOVE YOU COME BACK TO ME BABY PLZ. :pouts:


Okay, I've been asked by four people in the last week: How long is other things the road to hell is paved with going to be? Apparently a lot of people are like me and tend to avoid WIPs, and they want an ETA on this fic's completion.

I'm gonna answer here just so I don't sound like a broken record of myself. Copying and pasting the same reply to people makes me feel like a dick.

ANSWER: It's going to be long. Really long. The fic is going to have multiple plot arcs as it trundles along the one big myth arc I have in mind for it. The current conflict in the story with Bianca is one such plot arc. Once it's resolved, more will come. I have at least one more large plot arc planned out already and it is very likely there will be another after that prior to the endgame of the fic.

So, if the fic is currently just under 100,000 words, it might be about 175,000 or 200,000 by the time it's done. Possibly more. I would say it'll be done in a few months' time. I hope to keep up my fairly speedyquick output with it, but school is starting up in two weeks or so, and that will take precedence. Shouldn't be too big of a deal though.

I hope that helps?