Simple Babbling

robot_mule — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:27:42 GMT

Somewhere out there must be a game/story where Electra and Sir Gaheris make sweet 'complex' music together. And talk about how it felt to kill their moms.

Because it popped into my head at random and I'm not touching it.

robot_mule — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:50:45 GMT

I am:

Exhausted.

Writing an essay about how Helen and Andromache fit into the 'heroic code' of Homer's Iliad.

Mildly missing my greeks.

Thiiis close to writing a 7forhellas post.

Trying to have a social life.

Failing at all these things.

robot_mule — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:46:35 GMT

I think I am ready for college.

It is a disturbing thought.

XD

robot_mule — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 01:32:56 GMT

Pick a character and I will give and explain the top five ideas/concepts/etc I keep in mind while writing that character that I believe are essential to accurately depicting them.

Blah Blah Blah.

My Cousin doesn't get me. But she puts up with a lot...

robot_mule — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 01:15:52 GMT

My cousin and I drove around in the hopes of finding the one open store on Christmas morning. She wanted spinach. Everything was so creepy and empty; the Kroger parking lot that usually seemed to gorge itself on life was entirely desolate. We didn't pass any cars on the way there. As for the store itself the employees had barricaded the doors with booze. Nobody was getting in there.

I told my cousin, because sometimes I forget that the world is not the internet, that Kroger would be a good hiding place during a zombie apocalypse. Lock and barricade the doors and eat all the perishables first. The glass might be an issue but with proper planning you could compensate for that.

My cousin reacted to this the way any sorority girl might. She took me to what turned out to be a very busy Starbucks and we drank caramel lattes until the paranoia went away.

I'll call this holiday a success.

Late Memes are the New Black

robot_mule — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 01:05:38 GMT

Um, my life has been hectic and boring. I punched a clown. I was the lead in the school play. I saw the new Harry Potter movie.

...And billion years of not checking my personal journal means missing all the cool memes.

--

Give me a character and I will tell you:

(a) three facts about them from my personal canon/fanon
(b) a reason he/she sucks
(c) a reason he/she is amazing
(d) five things that I’d like to see happen to them
(e) five people that I ship that character with and why.

I'm like this irl too.

robot_mule — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:59 GMT

So it turns out my understanding of the Iliad isn't as amazing as I thought it was? I read it for fun on my own time but now that I'm doing it in class-

I rock the little details. It's just every so often the super special symbolism sneak attacks me. Like the shield.

My mythology teacher had us draw the ~*SHEILD OF ACHILLES*~. I was like 'whut' but I really got into it. There are so many cities and dancing people and lions all up in this shield. I only had one piece of paper and I was trying to draw tiny constellations and essentially I used up all my meager artistic abilities before I got to the ocean. This thing is hard core is what I'm saying.

Still I felt like I had completed the assignment to the best of my ability. My teacher asked me what exactly the big deal was. Clearly this giant hunk of bronze is a big freaking deal. So I told him what I thought.

Apparently the shield of Achilles is not meant to symbolize the evolution of man. Apparently this is the first time he's ever hear such a strange thing. Drat.

That's a lot of wasted time drawing sheep.

And When I Have Died

robot_mule — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 01:09:48 GMT

My Grandmother turns 80 on Tuesday. To celebrate she got an IPad.

The woman will outlive me.

... And now the thrilling conclusion.

robot_mule — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:19:43 GMT

Most favourite geeky pursuit?

Complaining. No really, I’m just so good at it. If there was a Whiner Olypics I wouldn’t get the gold, but I’d win the hearts and endorsement deals of the public.

One of the best things about being in fandom is that it taught me how to analyze things on a whole new level. The symbolism inherent in the way two characters look at each other, reading over the Harry Potter books over and over again in the desperate hope that Sirusisokayandhe’slivingonatropicalparadiselalala, or just pointing out why the death of Stephanie Brown was so many different flavors of sexist. You can’t get anything past fans.

It taught be to be proactive. That if there’s something wrong in the world you don’t have to sit down and take it, you can stand up and complain until someone listens. Write letters, hold signs, tell the people what you think. That there is power in opinion.

I’m always pretty fond of conspiracy theories, the sillier the better. ‘Every white haired pretty boy in anime is related’ style.

Oh, oh, talk about people marrying anime characters.

I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS. Ffff.

See I think this part of people that wants to marry fictional characters comes from a healthy place. We get to see into the minds of these people, we understand them in a way that we can’t understand each other, because we don’t read brains. That’s just rude.

And when you’re young having crushes on fictional characters is perfectly natural. Lets be honest here: when you compare Robin from Teen Titans to the boys in your homeroom he’s not the one that’s going to come up short. There’s a girl who goes to my school that is writing an epic crossover fanfic between Labyrinth and Harry Potter, where everyone is related to everyone else and she is clearly Sarah. And that’s healthy too. The boys grow up and so do we, we figure out that the things we love in fictional characters are not what we want in partners; we find our balance between the real world and the fantasies.

But we’re not here to talk about healthy are we? In theory I have no problem with the fans that want to be in love on the astral plane: It’s the same part of me that supports restraining orders against space aliens. It makes the person happy, so why not?

Except while the man with the space aliens might be fine framing his restraining order and going on with his life the average anime marriage needs to be shouted from the rooftops. Everyone in the whole Internet has to know that ‘Insert-Pretty-Boy-Here’ is theirs and that anyone who stands in his way is just a sissy jerk. Their interpretation is the right one- and that’s where I get miffed. The forcing your own interpretation on others, the stalking of the voice actors, all so many different kinds of not okay.

Gods. Just, do what you want sure fine, just don’t be a dick about it. You can love Snape and still be a functional member of Internet Society. Really.

42.

6. 8. 2. Um, have I mentioned I hate Math?

Strange things seem afoot. o.O

That is not a question. It’s also not wrong.

A time you would've loved to live in? :D.

I love this question, but I also really suck at it. I want to keep looking forward and I'm terrible at picking favorites.

Except Mad Men has me craving a crazier, squickier, and less equal time that is the 1960s. Really I just want to be Peggy Olsen. I would love to be able to fight for my place in a job I love. To have a job worth fighting for.

Pretty people.

SO MANY.

If I started posting pretty men folk we'd be here all day.

Stolen From Dorey. No attempt to return.

robot_mule — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:47:53 GMT

- Meme time! Ask me to blog about any topic and I'll include it in my next entry. Anything you want.

robot_mule — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:43:16 GMT

Dragon*Con was awesome. I have anecdotes.

1. When we got there on Friday the line for preregistration stretched out for several blocks. We went out for Chinese food instead, the kind where people dressed up as Captain Kirk pick their own food and pay extra for snooty service from bland twenty-somethings. The line was much better when we got back and my Father and I were done in only a couple of hours. This is still all kinds of ridiculous, I don’t care if you play the Star Trek theme while I wait, I’m still not going to forget how poorly the pre-reg system is being handled. I’m going to do what large groups of fans do best: complain. Then sqwee. Back and forth.

2. The Steam Punk movement is definitely living up to its name and picking up steam. Goggles as far as the eye can see! They had steam punk wheel chairs. We went to a few panels about it, and I will admit it bit my brain something awful. I hate story ideas that need more research than writing. It's like crack to me.

3. Zombie Prom was crashed by vampires, who spent most of the event doing their make up in the bathroom mirrors. There’s something wrong about that…

4. The panel on discontinuity and reboots was really thought provoking, very much about the philosophy and ownership of creativity. I got to talk about comic books in real life and most of the people knew what I was talking about, and the one who didn’t was willing to listen until she understood.

5. There were men dressed up like George Lucus. Meta, what meta?

6. I bought a corset, for some reason, and while I looked awesome I can still feel phantom something on my hipbones whenever I think about it. I have a newly found respect for steam punk ladies and Victorian ones as you have to do a lot of yoga breathing to properly function. Mine you I’m still going to wear it every chance I get.

7. Itty bitty Zuko Firebending with Uncle Iroh. Awww. And they made an Appa stroller! And an Appa bus! Awww. Keep being awesome Avater fans: don’t let M. bring you down.

8. AH AH AH AH AH. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO YOUR SPINE. AH AH AH AH.

9. Rock on, dude dressed as Hermes. Rock on.

10. Jim Butcher is crazy dreamy. I just love listening to him talk about writing. Someday I ought to read one of his books and justify my girl crush. He’s just so articulate.~~~

11. Bruce Timm, Tim Sale, and Neil Adams all in one room. /fangirl happy dance. Neil monopolized the conversation but he had so much to say it almost made it okay. Poor Mr Sale looked so lost, he's an artist who speaks through his art and this whole situation alarmed him. I wanted to squish all their faces.

I am a happy fangirl. Now it’s back to school. I won the consulship and I might get to read for Electra in drama class, so even that looks pretty good.

I got a feeling...

robot_mule — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:25:38 GMT

This weekends to do list:

1. Get consul position in JCL by bribing fellow students with bread and circuses. (Friday)
2. Register for Dragon*Con (Friday)
3. Get my geek on (Friday- Forever)
4. Pull off last minute RP tech stuff (Saturday)
5. Turn Eighteen (Sunday)

My name is RM. I love my fandoms.

robot_mule — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:32:18 GMT

My friend Klose made a post that really got me thinking. (It's f-locked but she's very interesting and friendly. So you folks should get right on that.)

"The truth is, fandom activities do mean a lot to me..."

She then went on to make some pretty kick ass points about a wide variety of things, namely the collapse of our Greek RP, but that was what really got me.

Despite fandom gaining so much cultural attention since the early dawn of the Trekkies there is still a part of us, at least me, that feels shame whenever the topic comes up. That cannot articulate my sadness at the loss of my RP to the outside world.

"What do you do with your time, RM?"
I might as well tell them I collect belly button lint and knives. "I hang out on the internet."
"But what do you do?" says the clueless kid of the moment, be they a college interviewer or a fellow student.
"My best?"

I suspect this is partly because the cultural attention we are getting is TwiMoms. The guys who never baths and can quote the Lord of the Rings line for line, the skinny boys with no tact, these are my brothers. We are considered to be 'flawed personality types' and as such the things we do are frivolous and inconsequential, as compared to real life things like sports and, I don't know, scrapbooking.

But anyone who says fandom doesn't mean anything has clearly never been in one. My father loved his Star Trek as a child. When he got a little older he used to wait and wait for the Tolkien magazines, to connect to worlds far away and writers even farther. He is one of the most creative people I have ever met, and I don't think that part of him would be so strong without his universes to play in.

My existence is thanks to LARPING, as while my parents met in college they seduced each other in the SCA, dressed as a Lord and Lady.

When I was in kindergarden I said 'H' was for Hobbit.

I still have my baby garb in my closet.

The Harry Potter fandom gave me confidence to analyze literature and interpret what I read and The A:TLAB fandom taught be about improving the quality of my writing, the importance of other cultures in the Western World, and how lovely a painted back drop can truly be.

That RPG was what convinced me that my love of Greek Myth was something I could take with me for the rest of my life, convinced me that Classical Studies was something I already wanted.

When people say that fandom is not important, when such amazing rpers feel they live in a world where they have to justify themselves and say 'the truth is, fandom activities do mean a lot to me.' they are essentially trivializing my life. And it's a good life I think. I'm happy.

Though I think too many thoughts.

Hair today...

robot_mule — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:38:29 GMT

What is hair? A lovely fashion accessory. Proof of our mammalian nature. It's been stiff, curly, crazy. Even the lack of hair, to be bald, makes a statement about a person.

But, as per wikipedia "Hair growth begins under the skin in a hair follicle. The only "living" portion of the hair is found in the follicle. The hair that is visible is the hair shaft, which exhibits no biochemical activity and is considered dead."

Dead.

Every person with lovely long locks is carrying proof of their own mortality on their head. On their arms and legs. Sure said hair shaft, insert giggling here, protects us from the cold: but that almost makes it worse.

...

... Fuck it. I'm still too lazy to shave.

"Ernest, you're my forever girl."

robot_mule — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:44:38 GMT

I have a theory, a pretentious theory, but that is almost unavoidable at this point in my life as a young student. Pretentiousness is my drug and I can quit anytime I want.

I believe the quality of my writing is inversely proportional to just how much of a shit I give.

Crack written at two in the morning about Terra from Teen Titans as Telegonus from the Odyssey written entirely for my own private lulz? Gold. Essay about Ernest Hemingway I need to pass this class? Less so.

Solution? Hemingway crack.

"Oh alcohol you're so dreeeaaamy.~"

The List

robot_mule — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:46:38 GMT

troyed/themythroom
Echo unloved_nymph Emily Browning	Atalanta 3shinyobjects Emanuela de Paula	Ata growlybabybear Madison Pettis	Atalanta warriorwaiting Chrishell Stubbs	Medusa badsnakeday Amelia Arsenic	Medusa happyhairday Go Ara
Cronus all_devouring Clint Eastwood	Penia liveswithyou Carmen Solomon	Danae meltedhisheart Teresa Palmer	Erato pornpoet Amanda Seyfried	Phaethon sonofthesolar Jackson Brundage	Phrike thehorrorx2 Raffiella Brooks
Asphodel theblandone Tessa Allen	Gorgyra painplz Sammy Jo Wilkinson	Telemachus willnotwait Thomas Dekker	Yuki-Onna cloudofsnow Mylène Jampanoï	Echo loved_nymph Emily Browning	Ananke nothingstronger January Jones
Nike trim_ankled Keiko Lynn Groves	Pasithea lunatic_looking Lee Da Hae	Demophon princeofathens N/a	Coalemus thesmartestone Heather Morris	Ker ghastly_visaged Crystal Liu	Hermione goldendissaray Ashley Benson
Athena helmetheart Minka Kelly	Aphrodite ofalovelymien Amy Adams	Pyrrha earthbehindher Cintia Dicker

Avatar: The Last Airbender
Azula/ Azure burning_in_blue Crystal Liu	Mai mai_doldrums	Avatar Kyoshi firstfangirl

DC Animated/ DC Comics
Charlie // Misfit misfittastic Molly Quinn	Alfred Pennyworth worth_a_penny Michael Caine	Terra rockbeatstitans	Cassandra Cain daylight_girl Liu Wen	Death knows_everybody Daisy Lowe

Writer's Block: AKA

robot_mule — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:52:34 GMT

I pick my user name from the amounts of crap usually accumulating on my desk. One of the images I had picked out was of a Robot Mule... boring I know. But the name has served me well.

Sukka 100

robot_mule — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:30:52 GMT


1 Kiss	2 AC	3 AC	4 AC	5 AC

6 AC	7 Dancing	8 Abandoned	9 AC	10 AC

11 AC	12 AC	13 AC	14 AC	15 AC

16 AC	17 AC	18 AC	19 AC	20 AC

21 In the Moon Light	22 AC	23 AC	24 Blue	25 AC

26 AC	27 AC	28 AC	29 AC	30 AC

31 AC	32 AC	33 AC	34 Beginners Luck	35 AC

36 AC	37 AC	38 AC	39 AC	40 AC

41 AC	42 AC	43 AC	44 AC	45 Follower

46 AC	47 AC	48 AC	49 AC	50 AC

A little warning?

robot_mule — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 02:26:48 GMT

Dear Avatared,

I was reading your Action/Adventure Avatar fanfiction, just minding my own business. It was Sokka, Toph, and Zuko working together to save Katara from her deep Fire Nation cell. Your fic has poor grammar but fun dialogue and what not. Never mind how you had Katara easily captured and helpless. What I want to know is why you suddenly had SURPRISE BUTTSEX!1!

Seriously…what was that? I don’t really care for Sokka/Zuko but you’re perfectly welcome to write it. I can’t exactly stop you. But a little warning would be nice. Did you not understand that K+ is PG?

Don’t you know that kind of surprise only works in icons?

Not even worth getting annoyed,
RM

Well, I'll just go with it. One-Shot A:TLAB

robot_mule — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 15:16:28 GMT

I've never been one for introductions.

Brotherly Love

Iroh stared at his maps, more out of spite then interest. The maps were called antiques, in truth they were crusty pieces of paper at best; there was absolutely no value in examining them. What Iroh really wanted was a nice cup of tea and to play some relaxing music until his fifteen year old body collapsed into sleep. But the Fire Lord had commanded him to study, so here he was. This loyalty would be the death of him.

A small dirty face made it's way towards him. Ozai smiled, Iroh suspected an unfortunate accident was the cause of his joy. A teacher's meal exploding, an unwilling squirrel fire bent into oblivion, that sort of thing always put a giddy expression on the ten year olds face. Were all little brothers like this, or just his?

"Hey Iiii-roh. Look at this!" Ozai giggled waving a flame in the air like a torch. Iroh guarded his scrolls warily. The firebug should not be in a ten-foot radius of such an important library.

"Quite," stated Iroh, not taking his eyes of the faded sheets. Ozai sulked in annoyance, glaring at the maps. "I'm working."

"What's this?" asked Ozai innocently. It was almost annoying how cute he was. His sparkling eyes were huge and ladies of the court were often commenting on them. He'll break alot of hearts one day. No pest should look that adorable.

"Maps." said Iroh dryly, clearly showing his feeling for the evil things.

"Can I see?" Ozai reached out for one eagerly before Irohhit his sticky hand back.

Ozai had a way of showing when you hurt his feelings. When he was little his eyes would water and his lip would stick out like a kicked puppy dog. Now he just looked at you until the brotherly instincts kicked in. Iroh couldn't decide which was worse.

"Don't touch." sighed Iroh.

"Jeez, can I at least look?" asked Ozai angrily. Iroh carefully considered his options. He could tell him no, but then he'd have to deal with Ozai's whining. He could say yes, but then he'd have to deal with Ozai.

Anywayyou looked at it, Iroh lost.

"Fine, you can look." groaned Iroh. Ozai brightened up right away. Pulling up his own chair, Ozai plopped down happily. He stared at the maps with keen interest.

"What's that?" asked Ozai, pointing to the blue upper section of the map.

"That's part of the Water Tribe..." began Iroh.

"Is not! That's part of the Earth Kingdom." shouted Ozai. The others in the dark library looked at them as Iroh turned red in embarrassment.

"Please be quite you little..." whispered Iroh. Ozai would have none of it.

"But it's part of the Earth Kingdom!" he screeched, stomping his foot. Someday the boy was going to keel over from rat poison in his food.

"Its part of the old Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom agreement. It's really old. " sighed Iroh. Ozai looked at the parchment doubtfully.

"What's that?" asked Ozai suspiciously. It would not be the first time Iroh had lied to him. Iroh recalled the 'Turtle Duck accident' with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. Afterwards Ozai grew a deep fear of all things aquatic and Iroh was forbidden from desserts, music, and any sort of new cloths or excitement for a whole year. Some how it had been worth it.

"Well a really long time ago a part of what is now the Earth Kingdom was ruled by the Water Tribe." began Iroh.

"Was not." whispered Ozai, ever annoying. But he continued listening.

"One day the Earth Kingdom leader decided he wanted to extended his land outside of his own domain." said Iroh. He was beginning to like the story telling. Maybe if this whole Fire Lord thing didn't work out he could do it professionally.

"Like Dad."

"Like the Fire Lord. Anyway the leader of the Earth Kingdom realized that he couldn't possibly defeat the Water Tribe. The leader of the Water Tribe felt the same about him. So they made a deal."

"Could the Earth Kingdom defeat the Water Tribe?" asked Ozai. Iroh thought for a moment. It was a very good question. Ozai was always asking interesting questions.

"Yes but it would have killed many men on both sides." explained Iroh. Ozai thought for a moment.

"So?"

"Anyway, the leaders agreed to share the land. The Earth Kingdom people farmed it and the Water Tribe irrigated it." said Iroh dreamily. It must have been a lovely way to live. Two of the elements living in the same place at the same time working together. When he was Fire Lord he'd try to get that to happen more often. Maybe the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom could work something out. King Bumi seemed like a pretty cool guy, if a tad insane. Maybe it was all the hats... They didn't need the Avatar; he could reunite the elements himself.

"What happened?" asked Ozai. Iroh doubted he knew what 'irrigate' or 'domain' meant.

"Drought. It was no ones fault, just the will of the Spirits. But the Earth Kingdom blamed the Water Tribe's water and the Water Tribe blamed the Earth Kingdom's farming. The Water Tribe people simply moved away to the north or the south. The Earth Kingdom refused to leave and seized the land." Iroh shuddered slightly at the history.Ozai ignored his older brothers discomfort.

"That's why we're taking over. The others nations don't know how to rule!" shouted Ozai. The other people in the library were staring again.

"Yes, you little loser, that's one of the reasons." sighed Iroh, getting back to his maps.

"What are the other reasons?" questioned Ozai. Iroh ignored his questioned until Ozai poked him in the shoulder.

"I honestly don't care," snapped Iroh. Ozai lifted his eyebrows inquisitively.

"You don't care about anything! How are you going to be Fire Lord?" giggled Ozai.

"Right now I care about memorizing these maps. So If you don't mind, I'd like to get back to work." smiled Iroh. Ozai smiled right back.

"Oh, I don't mind." Ozai ducked, as his brother's hand narrowly missed his head. He quickly made his way towards the door.

Finally peace.

It would be three seconds before Iroh realized his ponytail had caught fire.
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