Everybody Dance Now!!

What genre is to me...

2015-08-05T18:23:10Z

I write genre. Why do I say this: because I write urban fantasy and horror. Thus, I’ve accepted that label… but am I right?

See, technically I think all fiction creates an alternate universe, no matter if it’s ‘realistic’ literary fiction, or SciFi, or urban fantasy, or whatever. However, at university literary fiction is not considered to be a genre and weirdly magical realism and speculative fiction are not really considered genre either… so when Margret Atwood penned ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ it is not considered to be science fiction by the literary community but the more acceptable speculative fiction. This is despite the fact that ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ won Arthur C. Clark science fiction award as well as being nominated for two other prestigious ‘genre’ awards. I guess winning the Governor Generals Award (which is for literature) and being nominated for the Booker Prize means that it can’t be a lowly science fiction dystopia novel but something more special.

I do kind of get it… poorly written literary fiction gets ignored where as poorly written science fiction, fantasy, etc. can get a fan following of millions and spawn TV and movie franchises… not exactly fair.

The problem is, and I think where judgement starts to enter the argument, well-written literary fiction can be equally ignored. Why? Who truly knows. I mean Stephen King was unknown at one point in his life, what has made him so popular? But is it right to accuse me of having ‘lower standards’ because I prefer to read something that will scare the crap out of me or whisk me off to world with magic?

The answer is no. All books have value, whether I like them or not, and the only reason I think labels should be given is so I’m able find what I want to read easier. If that makes me a lowly genre writer/reader then I will wear that badge with pride.

For mercury973

2013-08-27T15:33:29Z

Here is the drabble (or is it a ficlet? I don't really know...) for mercury973 who made a request on this posting. mercury973 asked for "Snape as a kid with his kitten." I took some artistic licence and the kitten is a cat... I hope that's okay.

Title: Jinx
Author: xterm
Rating: G
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Snape and Lily
Word Count: 183
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.

~~Jinx~~

“It’s okay.”

“But your sister hates Jinx.” Severus lifts the tuxedo cat to his face. Jinx responds by rubbing his face against Severus’ cheek and purring.

Lily scratches Jinx behind his ear and the cat closes his eyes and twists his head into her touch. “It’s you she doesn’t like, she actually quite fond of the cat.”

Severus laughs. “At least we agree on something.”

“Who knows maybe Jinx will melt her heart and Petunia will see what a good person you are.” Lily takes Jinx from Severus’ arms. “Leaving him with Tobias is definitely not a choice.”

Severus looks down at the cat in Lily's arms. As usual she's right, Jinx would be homeless before the train left King’s Cross. And probably with a boot print on his bottom. If only he could take Jinx to Hogwarts but his mother can’t afford the extra fee for a non-exceptional cat. Maybe it was best to leave the muggle cat with a muggle girl.

Besides he can visit Jinx in next summer. After all he and Lily will always be friends.

Mini fanfic for alisanne.

2013-08-26T17:36:43Z

This is a double first for me.

1) it's the first time I've ever posted a Harry Potter fanfic. (well maybe not entirely true... years ago I did a Snupin comic story... but I would say this is the first time I've purposely written a stand alone fanfic... does that make any sense??)

2) this is my first Snarry. (okay I did draw one picture that I guess could be considered a Snarry but it was of Harry beating the crap out of Snape... I don't think that really counts...)

Back to the task at hand:
Yesterday from this post I made alisanne asked for "Snarry, prompt Sunday dinner" and here's 523 words to fulfil that request.

~~Sunday, May 2, 2004~~

The unusually cool spring made Severus annual trip to Le Vecchie Mura in San Gimignano a pleasant one.

It had been six years since the death of Voldemort and even though he would avoid the township on the weekends – especially Sundays – because of the tourists, he would not miss his reservation. As a precaution he did make it an hour later than normal to make sure all the tour buses would be long gone. Not that May was a particularly busy time, but there was no point in taking a chance.

To remind himself that he was live he always walked the ten kilometres from his remote villa in the Tuscany hills to the township. This year he was thankful for warmth that the scarf he wore around his neck to hide the scar from Nagini. No magic, no potion could remove. Not that he tried to hard to get rid of it. That scar made him feel closer to Harry. Now. he too had a permanent reminder of the day that he faced Voldemort and he to had lived. However, it had to be his secret that he’d survived.

Besides the death of the bastard Voldemort, only thing he treasured from that day was the moment he shared his memories with Harry. For one brief second he saw true love in those green eyes. The same love he remembered from his youth when Lily would take his hand; before Hogwarts; before the Sorting Hat; before he had failed her. The only reason he saved his life was to deny Voldemort yet another death because of his youthful mistake. He would live for Lily; for Dumbledore; and for that secret place in his heart – Harry.

He arrived at the restaurant five minutes before 8:00 but he knew the table would be ready, the reservation was more for him than the need to save a seat. Or rather two seats. He always asked for a table for two even though he ate alone each time. Somehow the empty seat help remind him of that perfect moment, that moment he didn’t deserve but had been graciously given to him. That sea of green love.

“Buona sera.”

“Buona sera, signore. Your party is waiting for you.”

A cold bead of sweat snaked its way down Severus’ neck. His one fear was about to come true; a bored or overly ambitious Auror has found him. His first impulse was to run, but he’d run for too long.

“Is something wrong, signore?”

Severus shakes his head and gives the waiter a weak smile. “No, just a little tired.”

The waiter lead the way to the back corner of the restaurant. Severus kept his eyes closed and simply followed the sound the man’s footsteps to his table. He wanted to cherish these last few second of anonymity, to steel himself for the enviable loss of his moment – through the needed trial, the countless interviews, the… He opened his eyes as they turned the corner and his mouth fell open.

“Snape, you’re right own time.”

The only word he could struggle out as he fell into his chair was, “Potter.”

EDIT: okay... wow I really haven't posted any fan stuff for a long time... totally forgot the protocol...

Title: Sunday, May 2, 2004
Author: xterm
Rating: G
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Snape and Harry
Word Count: 523
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.

angst bingo

2011-09-25T01:15:15Z

This is for angst_bingo and is my first fanfic... please be kind and rewind...

Title:Wheels of the Bus Go Round and Round

Prompt: Blood Loss, Physical Imperfections, Assault, Time Loops

Fandom/Pairing: Criminal Macabre/Cal MacDonald & Mo'lock

Medium: fic

Rating: R

Warnings: swearing

Summary:It wasn’t that Cal didn’t like a good fight; he just didn’t like to repeat himself.

AND THE WHEELS OF THE BUS GO ROUND AND ROUND

Cal didn’t know which was worse, being beat up by a bunch of fiends, the fact that he let himself get trapped or the gnawing somewhere in his cerebral cortex that screamed ‘not fucking again’. It wasn’t the first time he’d been in a fight with fiends, but something kept kicking at his bourbon-soaked brain this was an instant replay.

Where was Mo’lock? That fucking ghoul disappeared at the most inconvenient times and then reappeared when Cal just needed a rest to basically berate Cal on his latest ingestion of that day’s chosen mind altering substance. For a dead guy, who caused the death of his family, he had a real holy-than-thou attitude.

Fuck him and fuck those fiends.

Cal reached for a cigarette. They were covered in a warm sticky substance. That didn’t bother him, he’d rescued a smoke from worse, the problem was that stuff was his blood, lots of it. One of the fiends must have gotten a hit in that he didn’t see. He pulled back his coat and saw the dark red stain. It continued to grow. He pulled up his shirt and saw a gash that intersected one of his many scars. He smiled.

“X marks the fucking spot I guess.”

He let go of his shirt, pulled out a smoke and lit it. Yeah, ok, that wasn’t helping the situation, but Cal didn’t care. If he has to die he might as well enjoy his last few minutes. He took a drag, felt light headed and started to fall over. Before he hit the ground he felt the cold hands of his only friend catch him. Mo’lock carried Cal to the stairs by a dumpster and sat him down.

“It appears you are bleeding again, Cal MacDonald.” Mo’lock said.

“Yeah, thanks for the update. Where were you?”

“Getting this.”

Mo’lock pulled a leather necklace that had a pendent made up of three bones, probably chicken, wrapped in blue, red and gold thread.

“I never knew you cared, but I don’t think it will go with my ensemble.” Cal said and then let loose an unhealthy cough.

“Time means nothing to the dead.”

“Ok,” Cal said and took another drag, “And I should care?”

“This is the third time I’ve found you here.”

Cal looked at his friend and then looked around. He knew that he’d never been here before. He’s brain gave him another kick; ‘yeah if you haven’t been here than why do you know Jennifer scratched her name off that graffiti over there’. Cal turned and saw the crudely spray-painted heart with Jon luvs Jennifer. He shook his head, which only made him dizzy. The answer was at the edge of his brain but he still couldn’t see it.

“Put this on,” Mo’lock said and held out the necklace.

Cal knew better than to argue with Mo’lock and Cal knew an amulet when he saw one. Something was going on and it pissed him off that he didn’t know what.

“Your client, was not who she seemed,” Mo’lock said.

“Never is.”

“You had got her husband arrested.”

“And she wants revenge,” Cal said.

“So it seems, and I might add in a most clever way,” Mo’lock said while rubbing his chin.

Cal leaned back on the step and tossed his smoke into a puddle. He turned back to Mo’lock. “What do you mean about time and the dead?”

“Only the living can be forced to relive a moment over again.”

The light went on in Cal’s brain. “I’ve been Groundhog Day-ed!”

“Pardon?”

“A movie, Bill Murray relives the same day over and over again.”

Mo’lock nods, “Yes but I do not think that Bill Murray had three fiends that are getting increasingly more dangerous with each visit.”

“Right, time doesn’t mean anything to the dead.”

Mo’lock nods again.

“So this woman has done some kind of mojo that makes me get beat up over and over again and I never know,” Cal said.

“It appears that way.”

Cal smiled, “Impressive. I’m guessing that this game will go on until she gets bored or I get dead.”

“I believe that is how it is played, Cal.”

Cal leaned forward. He felt the cut on his side. It wasn’t hurting anymore. That couldn’t be good. He lifted his shirt and he saw that it had started to disappear.

“Fuck it’s starting again isn’t.”

Cal looked up. He was standing by the alley entrance. He brushed his side, no blood and only his old single scar greeted his finger tips. He smiled and turned on his heels.

“Not this time motherfuckers.”

It wasn’t that Cal didn’t like a good fight; he just didn’t like to repeat himself. He walked back to his car. Mo’lock sat in the passenger seat. Cal got in started the car and drove off.

“It worked.”

“I never doubt it would not.”

“I need a drink.”

“For once, Cal MacDonald, I will agree with you.”

meme

2011-09-07T17:04:13Z

Yeah I know I should be doing work, but everyone needs a break :)

Your results:
You are Jean-Luc Picard

Jean-Luc Picard		70%
Geordi LaForge		65%
Will Riker		60%
Deanna Troi		55%
Mr. Scott		50%
Worf		50%
Chekov		45%
Mr. Sulu		45%
James T. Kirk (Captain)		40%
An Expendable Character (Redshirt)		40%
Leonard McCoy (Bones)		35%
Data		31%
Uhura		25%
Spock		24%
Beverly Crusher		15%

A lover of Shakespeare and other
fine literature. You have a decisive mind
and a firm hand in dealing with others.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Test

LOLOLOL, really?? Do I talk that much?? That also means I would die first in a Battle Royale with the other captains... C'est la vie...

The best is the person I'm least like is Crusher!! I so dislike that character. And no it's not because she's a female, I love Uhura and Troi, and those of you who know me know my rant about her so I will leave it with that :)

angst bingo

2011-09-03T21:12:57Z

Because I'm obviously insane, I've joined angst_bingo. So for the first time I'll be writing some fanfics!!! Maybe I'll do art... I don't know... but it's all going to have to take place between classes... hehehe

Yes, I can do it!!

Clones	Delirium	Slavery	Headaches	Drowning
Nervous breakdown	Vulnerability	Violence	Virginity	Jealousy
Supernatural: Fresh bite/first transformation	Hypothermia	WILD CARD	Diaries and journals	Recovery
Hookers	Fever	Blood loss	Physical imperfections	Assumptions
Murder (attempted or successful)	Brainwashing	Assault	Time loops	Exile

30 days TV Meme... day 3

2011-08-05T16:23:16Z

~ 30 Days TV Meme ~

Day 03 – Your favorite new show (aired this season.)

The Walking Dead

It is a great comic series and I was pretty much blown away by Season One. Now I say this as not a terribly big Zombiephile. Yes, I've seen Shawn of the Dead, Zombieland, and a few others, but I do not watch the really hardcore stuff. Let's just say I'm a wader in the pool of Zombie-ness.

So that being said, why do I like it... to me The Walking Dead captured what I truly like about the genre; survival. I'm not into the blood and guts and how the FX department can blow off a head and make it look real, I'm into how the characters are dealing with the stress of an Apocalypse. It's the end of their lives as they know it and how are they dealing with it. I like the fact that some characters just gave up and died. But the show is also not all grim, in order to survive people need hope (whether real or manufactured) and the writers of the show play with that need well.

Finally the acting is quite good and Glen/Daryl are a natural slash pairing... need I say more. (though it bothers me the number of fanfic writers that refer to Glen as just being Asian... he says many times (often correcting Daryl) that he is Korean, come on people get with the program)

btw... I suck at coding but if you are interested in previous comments on the MEME I have tag them all TV meme :) Thanks!

Day 01 – A show that never should have been canceled.
Day 02 – A show that you wish more people were watching.
Day 03 – Your favorite new show (aired this season.)
Day 04 – Your favorite show ever.
Day 05 – A show you hate.
Day 06 – Favorite episode of your favorite TV show.
Day 07 – Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show.
Day 08 – A show everyone should watch.
Day 09 – Best scene ever.
Day 10 – A show you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving.
Day 11 – A show that disappointed you.
Day 12 – An episode you’ve watched more than 5 times.
Day 13 – Favorite childhood show.
Day 14 – Favorite male character.
Day 15 – Favorite female character.
Day 16 – Your guilty pleasure show.
Day 17 – Favorite mini series.
Day 18 – Favorite title sequence.
Day 19 – Best TV show cast.
Day 20 – Favorite kiss.
Day 21 – Favorite ship.
Day 22 – Favorite series finale.
Day 23 – Most annoying character.
Day 24 – Best quote.
Day 25 – A show you plan on watching (old or new).
Day 26 – OMG WTF? Season finale.
Day 27 – Best pilot episode
Day 28 – First TV show obsession.
Day 29 – Current TV show obsession.
Day 30 – Saddest character death.

30 days TV Meme... day 2

2011-08-04T15:32:23Z

~ 30 Days TV Meme ~

Woohoo!! I've made it to day two!! If I manage to keep this up for the month I'll be likely posting more in a this month than I have all year!

Day 02 – A show that you wish more people were watching.

Fringe.

I finally started to watch this show this summer. I downloaded all three seasons and watched them with my friend. I had been told that it was a low rent version of the X-Files. So not so. It's intelligent and for me the best part is they don't do stupid things or make stupid decisions to force drama i.e. Olivia has been captured, instead of waiting for the lead male to rescue her she intelligently and physically get herself out of harms way.

Now saying that I'm still not convinced by season three finale but I'm willing to let the writers prove me wrong. Yes season one and two are better than season three but season three was still good.

For me one of the main reasons I love this show are the female characters. My favourite being Nina. She is a fifty-something business woman and force to be reckoned with, but remains very feminine in the process.

The numbers were not good for this show last season and it was I think barely renewed.

btw... I suck at coding but if you are interested in previous comments on the MEME I have tag them all TV meme :) Thanks!

Day 01 – A show that never should have been canceled.
Day 02 – A show that you wish more people were watching.
Day 03 – Your favorite new show (aired this season.)
Day 04 – Your favorite show ever.
Day 05 – A show you hate.
Day 06 – Favorite episode of your favorite TV show.
Day 07 – Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show.
Day 08 – A show everyone should watch.
Day 09 – Best scene ever.
Day 10 – A show you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving.
Day 11 – A show that disappointed you.
Day 12 – An episode you’ve watched more than 5 times.
Day 13 – Favorite childhood show.
Day 14 – Favorite male character.
Day 15 – Favorite female character.
Day 16 – Your guilty pleasure show.
Day 17 – Favorite mini series.
Day 18 – Favorite title sequence.
Day 19 – Best TV show cast.
Day 20 – Favorite kiss.
Day 21 – Favorite ship.
Day 22 – Favorite series finale.
Day 23 – Most annoying character.
Day 24 – Best quote.
Day 25 – A show you plan on watching (old or new).
Day 26 – OMG WTF? Season finale.
Day 27 – Best pilot episode
Day 28 – First TV show obsession.
Day 29 – Current TV show obsession.
Day 30 – Saddest character death.

meme (but one I must commit to...)

2011-08-03T17:46:04Z

Seen and then copied from cassiopeia7

~ 30 Days TV Meme ~

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

I loved that show. It was also the first time I ever purchased a TV DVD set.

It had strong, intelligent and devious female characters, that didn't need to get their cues from male leads. The male leads were good looking, strong and ,oh my goodness, intelligent, plus were more than capable of saving and/or screwing up the day as the females.

Day 01 – A show that never should have been canceled.
Day 02 – A show that you wish more people were watching.
Day 03 – Your favorite new show (aired this season.)
Day 04 – Your favorite show ever.
Day 05 – A show you hate.
Day 06 – Favorite episode of your favorite TV show.
Day 07 – Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show.
Day 08 – A show everyone should watch.
Day 09 – Best scene ever.
Day 10 – A show you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving.
Day 11 – A show that disappointed you.
Day 12 – An episode you’ve watched more than 5 times.
Day 13 – Favorite childhood show.
Day 14 – Favorite male character.
Day 15 – Favorite female character.
Day 16 – Your guilty pleasure show.
Day 17 – Favorite mini series.
Day 18 – Favorite title sequence.
Day 19 – Best TV show cast.
Day 20 – Favorite kiss.
Day 21 – Favorite ship.
Day 22 – Favorite series finale.
Day 23 – Most annoying character.
Day 24 – Best quote.
Day 25 – A show you plan on watching (old or new).
Day 26 – OMG WTF? Season finale.
Day 27 – Best pilot episode
Day 28 – First TV show obsession.
Day 29 – Current TV show obsession.
Day 30 – Saddest character death.

xterm @ 2011-06-17T05:56:00

2011-06-17T12:56:32Z

WooHoo!! Off to lubricus!!!!

fyi

2011-06-06T19:36:45Z

I now have a art com... cleverly named xterm_art... yeah, my grasp of originality is special...

right now it's a f-only com because most of the stuff in it are copies etc., and I don't want to be hunted down by the art thief police... that said I do agree with what they do and support their efforts. However, I'm aware of what I'm doing and give credit to whomever I ~~stole~~ borrowed from...

I figure that from this point on post my art there...

more copy, copy, copy

2011-06-03T17:18:21Z

I have managed to continue working on my copying regiment!! (which is sad to say something I cannot usually brag about with my self-discipline... or rather lack of...) Not all have been successful... but sigh... that is why I'm doing this in the first place, lol!!

Anyway, I thought I would share another one of my more 'successful' drawings... It's Constantine copied from City of Demons, original's by Sean Murphy... I did change a few things in the drawing... I dislike Murphy's noses so I did my own instead... And it was Murphy that put him in a leather coat, not me...

anyhoo... onward, upward...

It's now official!!

2011-06-03T16:18:34Z

I just got the e-mail that lubricus has gotten my registration payment!! So with that said I'm off to lubricus!!

I'm so excited!! Thanks itsjustgwen for convincing me!! Just two weeks away :)

really??

2011-05-26T18:09:43Z

Ok... what brain cells in my head had to die for me to think that it was a good idea to buy 'lite brie'??

Look and see :)

2011-05-24T16:11:08Z

I have two new comic artists I'm becoming obsessed with... Sean Gordon Murphy http://www.seangordonmurphy.com/ and Fiona Staples http://www.fionastaples.com (bonus too, she's Canadian.. I know that shouldn't mean anything but hey I can have some pride :)

Yeah I know that my icon has nothing to do with either but I still do like Ben and I'm too cheap to upgrade to get more icons... though I think I need to re-sort what I have... YAY!! another time killer so I can avoid work!!

query...

2011-05-21T15:20:41Z

Does anyone on my f-list watch the Mentalist?? I would love to hear what you thought about the freakin' amazing season finale!! (well at least I thought it was... :)

more drawbles :)

2011-05-13T19:24:31Z

I had this mini delusion that I would do and post a picture a day for the next thirty days... not so... but considering that this is more activity than I've done in like forever I guess I'm doing ok :) Hopefully more on Monday :)

Yeah, it's another drawable... (one day finished art) if I do plan on doing a pile of these promo photo 'let's get back into the saddle' art maybe I should open a new drawing journal so not to test the patience of my f-list :) (any comments??)

Anyway, another total Drawbable done in pencil.

and yes more pretty men... maybe I should think about doing a female or two... any suggestions??

awesome...

2011-05-12T22:52:03Z

Somehow my facebook has collected a virus that connects me to an alternate place my web browser is telling me... it's just sad that the only way some people are happy is when they piss off other people that have never done them any harm...

yet more drawbles...

2011-05-10T17:25:50Z

Second day in a row for me to post a drawble... maybe one day soon I'll actually finish a drawing... (possibly a sign of the Apocalypse, yeah, well not really... :)

I don't know how many on my f-list are into the Mentalist... but here is a drawble of Mr. Jane
(yeah, yeah it's another adaption of a promo shot... I really need to just some more of these until I get my drawing legs back... so f-list please have patience... thank you!! and hugs!!)

Total Drawbable done in pencil.

and yes I like pretty men...

another drawble...

2011-05-09T20:47:20Z

Yeah, yeah... like six months nothing and then two in one day... see what one conversation can do to me LOL!!

It's from a screen shot from "The Kidz Are Alright" season one, Dark Angel, of Logan...

Total Drawbable done in pencil.

To me Michael Weatherly has one of the most incredible smiles (N.C.I.S. or Dark Angel), closed mouth or with full teeth... I didn't get it but hey I did try at least :)

well... it's kind of about time drawble...

2011-05-09T18:06:00Z

No excuses it's from a screen shot from "The End" season five, SPN.
Total Drawbable done in pencil.

rl

2011-03-10T17:49:52Z

I want to break myself of the verb 'to be' habit... any suggestions?

Maybe it's just me...

2011-02-16T15:59:06Z

Is there anyone else on my f-list that finds Watson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watson_(artificial_intelligence_software) just a little too Skynet-y???

They are talking all about how an intelligent computer will help the world blah, blah, blah, and how all this techno talk translates into my brain is... T-1000

only in my mind...

2011-02-06T21:46:34Z

I wish I remember the rest of my dream from last night... all that I recall is I was married to John Constantine... that means it couldn't have ended well....

xterm @ 2011-02-04T09:52:00

2011-02-04T17:52:11Z

I have decided to stop reposting my daily drabbles here, but instead will once a week post the com if anyone is interested :) which is xterm_fics.

I think I might have miss named the com... so far I haven't really posted any fics... just drabble exercises from a prompt table... pretty much free write/association work... and very first draft... but I welcome any comments!! ( and I do plan in the future to post some real fics... but they will be original material... sorry no fanfics I can see in the future... unless someone can give me plot-bunny that I can run with LOL)