Honestly, sincerely

Uuuugh

2007-09-05T03:14:43Z

It's the night before school starts, it's already past 11, it's 7 hours until I have to wake up for school, I haven't done any of my Spanish homework and I've only taken notes on 4 out of 10 sections for Physics, and what am I doing right now? I'm watching k-dramas.*

I'm hopeless.

*It's Coffee Prince, which I've been hearing so much about. I'm almost done the first episode, and it's adorable.

I want to marry a Mountie

2007-09-03T03:20:48Z

After two days of driving, a total of about 10 hours in the car, I'm finally back in the US, in my home. It was such a great trip - this summer was probably the best Shaw festival EVER. I loved all of the plays we saw, only two of which I didn't see out of the entire festival, but my favorites were Saint Joan (G.B.Shaw) with Tara Rosling and Summer and Smoke (Tennessee Williams). Both involved strong female leads with utterly depressing ends, but the plays were so beautiful and intense that I loved them anyway. Without going into gorey detail about every aspect of my vacation (as I am wont to do) I'll just highlight my favorite moments:

- Sleeping through the info session/tour at Cornell Dad had scheduled before we came. (Exhaustion FTW)

- Finding Pocky in the grocery store in Niagara-on-the-Lake and buying a huge box, just for myself

- Saying hello to all the regulars - the lady from the one clothing shop, the waitress at the tea shop - who we've known for at least seven years now holy crap

- Getting inexplicably sick after the first ten minutes of The Cassillis Engagement, and having my mom shout at the cute usher boy for the nearest exit and him staring horrified at me bumping into walls for 15 seconds before trippiing up the stairs to show us out

- The best is when I came back that night for Tristan (feeling perfectly well, go figure) and having the cute usher boy looking overjoyed to see me there (and with some color) and fawning over me while I looked for my seat

- Watching Due South on TV every morning without fail

- Giggling with delight whenever I saw that one of the actors had appeared on Due South

- Buying the book So You Want to be Canadian? at one of the theatre shops and squeeing over the entire chapter devoted to Mounties and the page on Due South (noticing a pattern here?)

- Running into Peter Krantz right after seeing him in Saint Joan and chatting about the festival (we'd also seen him in The Philanderer earlier that day) and how we'd missed the dates when they performed the fourth act of The Philanderer and were dying to know what happens five years down the line for the characters and having Peter Krantz sum up the ending for us because hello this is Canada and everyone is freakishly nice, even the actors, and God I want to move to this country

Yay! Now I am off to bed to dream of maple syrup and Paul Gross' blue, blue eyes.

And I'm Off!

2007-08-26T15:59:45Z

So, last trip of the summer! I'm going to Canada for the week with my family for the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It's a family tradition - this'll be our ninth summer going. We'll be seeing eight plays in four days while we're up there, two of them by George Bernard Shaw (St. Joan and the Philanderer), who the festival is dedicated to. He's one of my favorite playwrights. :D

On a side note, I've noticed I haven't written a lot of fic lately. I have a bunch of fics I want to write, and I have a few snippets written already, but I've just been too crazed over homework to give myself time to write. Anyway, hopefully once school starts and all this mess is out of the way I can get back to writing.

Gotta finish packing, be back in a week!

malus_hybrid @ 2007-08-24T20:37:00

2007-08-25T00:51:35Z

Went to Pat's wake today with Erin - couldn't stay for the funeral. A lot of our classmates showed up, but I was surprised by how many teachers I saw, especially since it's the summer. The line was out the door and around the house when we arrived, so it was awhile before we got inside the funeral home, leaving us plenty of time to stare awkwardly at our shoes or at the groups of people crying on each other's shoulders. Even when we were inside, we had to weave through several rooms equipped with posters with family photos and TVs playing slide shows, which almost made me lose it. I really almost lost it when we made it to the main room and I saw his family for the first time and his graduation gown hanging up. I finally did lose it when we were by his coffin and I saw Pat's mom lean over and kiss him gently on the forehead. Erin and I booked it out of there as soon as we could because, as she kept saying, it was all too much, too soon.

I hope I never have to do this for another classmate ever again.

Rest in Peace, Pat

I HAS INTRNET

2007-08-22T17:32:40Z

That's right! As of 10:00 this morning, my high-speed internet has been up and running, and I have been surfing the net since then at the speed of light. I swear, I almost kissed the computer guy on his way out, I was so ecstatic. I've been downloading music like a fiend and visiting random sites just because I can now, without it taking an hour for the page to load. *happy sigh*

Also, this may be the prettiest sentence I've read all summer:

English 12 Summer Reading
Due: Parts I, II, and III are due as one portfolio on Monday, September 10th.

Seeing as school beings Wednesday, September 5th, you know what that means? I am completely ditching my English homework until further notice. Now I can concentrate on Physics and Spanish and get that out of the way without having to freak out about all the essays I'm not writing. And I can go to Canada on Sunday with my family worry-free because I have a whole extra week, HAHA! (And yes, I did wait until mid-August to read my assignment sheet, shut up.)

LIFE IS GOOD.

WTF???

2007-08-21T20:29:17Z

I just had the most bizarre phone conversation. It went like this:

Me: Hello?
Unknown caller: Hey, Nora! It's Patty!
Me: Um...? I'm sorry, who?
Pat: Patty! You know, Patricia? Don't you remember me?
Me: Um...yeah, sure.
Pat: Hey, I was just calling to see how you were! How's school going?
Me: What? Uh...pretty good.
Pat: Great, so what grade are you in now?
Me: I'm going to be a senior.
Pat: Wow! Top of the food chain! Do you have a boyfriend?
Me: I...wha, no?
Pat: *laughs* Have you ever had a boyfriend?
Me: Yeah, awhile ago. Guy from camp.
Pat: So, how far did you get with him?
Me: I'm sorry, what?
Pat: *laughs* Well, I've gotta go! Bye!
Me: ...WTF?!?!

I DON'T KNOW ANY PATTYS. I can't even recall meeting a Patricia in my life. Well, the only Patty I know was the evil bitch who slept with everyone in Indiana and subsequently broke my Uncle's heart, but I only met her maybe twice and we certainly never chatted on the phone. Even if there was a girl at Brown named Patricia I might've met, I didn't give out my home phone number to anyone. SO WHO THE FUCK IS THIS PATTY, AND WHY IS SHE INTERSTED IN MY LOVE LIFE?!

malus_hybrid @ 2007-08-20T13:03:00

2007-08-20T17:11:55Z

It happened again.

Pat, a boy in my grade, has died. I'm not sure when, my friend Erin just told me, and she showed me the post on Maegan's facebook that talks about how he died. Maegan was the last person to see him alive. From her story it's clear he overdosed on drugs, and by the time they found him (he'd slept over her house) it was too late to do anything.

I say this happened again because on April 8 this year J.T., another boy in my grade, jumped off a bridge while being pursued by the police. His body wasn't found, however, until about a month later.

I didn't know either of them really well - I mean, I went to elementary school with J.T., but as we got older we had different friends, different classes, but I always knew him to be really friendly and he could always make me laugh. I had one or two classes with Pat - mostly health and gym - and I knew him pretty much as a pothead and a jackass. Even so, I can't seem to stop crying.

It's just so fucking unfair. One more picture I won't see in the yearbook this year.

Dinner

2007-08-19T01:02:37Z

Tess: *hic* Oh, shit, I've got the *hic* hiccoughs. Quick, someone *hic* scare me!
Mom: School is starting next week.
Me: OH HOLY GOD NO! *has heart attack*

Yeah, I'm not stressed about homework one bit.

I AM FINALLY DONE

2007-08-16T03:49:32Z

At least, I'm done reading Don Quixote. God, I have never wanted to throw a book out the window more in my life. It's not that the writing was too difficult to read - although trudging through pages of DQ's flowery speeches was no picnic - it's just it was so stupid! As I told emmybuns696, there's only so many hundred pages of DQ getting beaten senseless and completely mangling his absurd "adventures" a girl can take before it is too much. I would've been finished five days ago except I got to page 700 and just ran out of steam. Writing these essays and keeping a positive outlook on Mr. W's love child is going to be pretty difficult, and it certainly isn't going to be done by August 16 (sorry Dad).

While I was in my reading slump, though, I discovered the show Top Chef on Bravo and now I'm totally addicted. They had a marathon on today and I must've watched at least seven episodes. Does anyone else love cooking shows as much as me? I do not cook and my dad won't let me within five feet of the kitchen when he's cooking, so getting the chance to see a roomful of chefs up front, cooking up a storm is such an exciting experience. The one thing I don't like about these competitive shows is that there's always an asshole contestant with a superiority complex and the classic I-don't-need-to-be-liked-I'm-here-to-win attitude. And the worst part is they're never eliminated; instead they drag down the rest of the competitors and get them kicked off. Excuse me, I don't care how delicious your risotto is, just GO HOME, you're killing my happy time, kthnxbye.

Also, still no wireless. It's been over two weeks - I've had to resort to using dial-up, which is just cruel and unusual. And even though Dad bought a new router, apparently the set-up guy won't get back from vacation until NEXT WEEK. Excuse me while I go behead a teddy bear. *RAGE*

The time has finally come...

2007-08-05T20:43:00Z

...for me to do my homework. I've been avoiding it all summer, but sadly...no longer. I have to read Don Quixote in its entirety (~960 pages) and write five essays plus keep a journal chronicling each event in both books (Part I and Part II) by August 16th (deadline established by my dad). And this is only my English homework. *sob* I'll probably be pretty scarce until then and will probably only post to share my progess (I'm about 300 pages through as we speak!). Anyway, hope everyone else enjoys the rest of the summer!

Ewww

2007-08-02T15:00:09Z

There is a *huge* spider that's been crawling the outside of my window for the past twenty minutes. Somebody make it go away.

Short Mike/Rudy ficlet

2007-08-02T03:32:36Z

“Wait, wait. Rudy, stop.”

Mike heard Rudy sigh from somewhere under his jaw and instantly felt the loss of warmth as he pulled his body away. Mike really hated to do this, but his mind was starting to go fuzzy and he had to know. He had to be certain. “Rudy, are you – are you sure?”

Rudy lifted his head to stare Mike in the eyes and Mike immediately felt like the biggest twit ever. God, what was he thinking, stopping at a time like this? Was he really this girly and insecure?

“I’m sorry, just forget – “ Rudy held a finger to Mike’s lips, and then paused.

“Ever since the first time I heard you laugh,” Rudy whispered, “I’ve done everything in my power to hear that sound as often as possible,” To prove his point, Rudy trailed a finger lightly down Mike’s side, which trembled with his surprised giggles. Rudy gripped Mike’s hip. “For the past five years, however, it has been my secret mission to discover just how many different – more enticing – sounds you can make.”

“Rudy, what – nmmph!” Mike felt a sharp pain as Rudy stopped sucking the hollow of his throat and nipped at his chin instead.

“No. No biting your lip. I need to hear you, Mike.”

“But Ru – ah-ahhn!”

Rudy smiled. “That’s a start.”

Comment-fic

2007-08-02T02:30:36Z

Just posting this here to prove I was somewhat productive over the past week and also because it's my first B&B fic. Written for calathea's Third Fanniversary.
Pairing: Bruno/Boots
Prompt: The last day of school

MacDonald Hall had never looked so festive. Everything was decked out to impress: flower beds hugged the edges of the driveway (the shades of which made your eyes burn if you stared too long), the trees were full of bright and shining streamers, small fountains were placed randomly on the field, and there were even swans floating lazily in the water or waddling about in the sun. Rows of white and gold-rimmed chairs lead up to a large elevated podium that stood on the edge of the field, the school rising up behind it, and a large banner hung from hastily erected poles proclaiming “Congratulations Graduates!” The family and friends of the students had oohed and aahed at the majestic sight, and only Boots had noticed The Fish in the background, slack-jawed and pulling at his hair, presumably wondering just how Bruno Walton did it (there was no question that Bruno had been responsible for the lavish decorations – and of course Boots had helped).

The ceremony itself had been surprisingly uneventful – for the most part. The Fish had appeared jittery during his opening address and constantly flew his eyes about the grounds, waiting for anything to interrupt the flow of the graduation. When nothing did, however, he visibly relaxed and even smiled when “Walton, Bruno,” announced last at his request, rose from his chair to receive his diploma. After shaking his hand, Bruno turned to face the audience, raised his diploma in his fist, and shouted, “LONG LIVE MACDONALD HALL!” At this, a flood of balloons fell from a top floor window of the school and firecrackers flew out and exploded overhead. The audience erupted in applause while The Fish alternated glaring at Bruno and shouting up at the window where Chris and Wilbur had ducked out of sight. Bruno, still up at the podium, waited until the clapping had died down and then said, “And now – We Eat Cake!” Not even The Fish had objected.

Now, Boots was wandering around the field with a piece of half eaten cake in his hand, content to just watch the people around him. As he walked he saw Elmer Drimsdale and Sidney Rampulsky and raised a hand to wave, cringing when Elmer waved in return, dropping the ant farm (that he was finally taking home) on Sidney’s unsuspecting foot. He caught George Wexford-Smyth III’s eye in the crowd and they exchanged cordial nods. Over near the punch bowl Boots saw Cathy sobbing into an embroidered napkin while Diane rubbed her shoulder and rolled her eyes above her head. Finally Boots spotted him – Bruno was talking animatedly with Mrs. Sturgeon. Eventually Bruno noticed Boots, excused himself, and ran over to where Boots was standing.

“Hey there, buddy, old pal!” Bruno immediately wrapped his arm around Boots’ shoulder.

“Hey yourself,” Boots replied, “That was quite a stunt, you know. Even after all you’ve done over the years, The Fish still looked surprised.”

“After all we’ve done,” Bruno corrected, and then grinned, “I think he liked it, though. There’s nothing like going out with a bang! Literally!”

They walked in comfortable silence, away from the noise of the students and their relatives, stopping under a silver-streamered tree.

“So, what’re your plans for the summer?” Bruno asked, tugging at a streamer, while Boots sat Indian style against the tree’s trunk.

“My parents want to take me on one last family vacation before I go to college. I think we’re going to Niagara Falls, actually. Surprisingly we’ve never been.” Boots looked up at Bruno. “But I’ve already told you this. What about you? Got any plans?”

Bruno’s eyes seemed to twinkle, but it could have been the reflection of the sun-bright streamer in his hands. After a pause Boots finally said, frustrated, “Come on, Bruno, why the big secret? You can’t even tell your best friend what you’ll be doing or where you’ll be all summer?”

“All in good time, my dear friend,” Bruno said, and smiled his infuriating smile.

* * *

It was the seventh day of the O’Neal Family Vacation and Boots was miserable. It wasn’t that he minded spending time with his parents – he loved them and would miss them dearly when he left for college – but this was the first summer he and Bruno hadn’t stayed in contact. He’d tried calling Bruno’s house after they’d reached Niagara Falls, but instead of hearing Bruno’s cheerful voice, he heard the loud tone of the answering machine instead. He also hadn’t received any mail from Bruno, although he’d already sent out three letters. Boots had to assume that Bruno was on vacation somewhere, and as Bruno had chosen not to disclose where, Boots had no way of catching a hold of him. Boots still couldn’t understand why Bruno hadn’t told him – this was their last summer, the last one before everything changed. Didn’t Bruno realize that once college started, they wouldn’t be able to see each other everyday? That they were no longer Bruno and Boots of Dormitory 3, Room 306, no longer roommates? Didn’t he even care?

Boots stared moodily out over the Falls, leaning against the stone railing that separated him and the falling, crashing water. The sound of the water and the wind filled his ears, so at first he couldn’t hear someone shouting from down the sidewalk. Eventually he recognized his name as the shouts grew louder and nearer, and Boots whipped his head around to see Bruno running toward him, body hidden beneath an over-large, bright orange rain poncho and waving wildly above his head. When Bruno finally reached him, doubled over and panting, Boots just stared at him.

“You…wha…how – ”

Bruno smiled mischievously up at him, “Oh, didn’t I tell you? My family and I are vacationing at Niagara Falls. You see, we’ve never been, even though we live in Canada. Pretty funny, eh?” When Boots still didn’t respond, Bruno continued, “Turns out we’re staying in the same hotel as this really cool family, the O’Neals. Would’ve run into their son this morning, too, but you know how I feel about breakfast.”

Bruno was still smiling up at Boots and Boots kept thinking He came, he’s here! It was all too much, too sudden, and then Boots was grabbing Bruno and kissing him with all the frustration he’d felt over the last seven days and all the desire he didn’t even know he had. Bruno’s mouth was chilly and wet from the mist floating up from the rocks, but when Boots’ tongue probed inside after Bruno’s lips parted against his he felt only warmth.

After a few moments, Bruno pulled away and winked at Boots. “Come on, I still haven’t gone on the boat tour yet. We’re gonna miss it!”

And when Bruno’s hand filled his and tugged him down the sidewalk, Boots followed without a word, content, as always, to let Bruno take the lead.

Home at Last

2007-08-01T01:16:24Z

So, after another five hours in the car, I'm finally home. Unfortunately, now my internet isn't working. My dad says it's something with the router and the wireless internet, and the only computer in the house with working internet is my sister's, which I am using right now. Luckily she's at Brinmar till Saturday and hopefully by then whatever the problem is will be resolved, so she'll never have to know I was even in her room. :D

Anyway, visited Wesleyan today! It's a beautiful campus, but not nearly as stunning as Middlebury. Like every other campus I've visited, they're doing a ton of construction, so our tour guide had to keep skirting around bulldozers and pointing vaguely at buildings in the distance since we couldn't get close.  A lot of the buildings were pretty, but I found some of them really unattractive - the theatre and arts buildings looked like big piles of cinderblocks (stupid 1970s architecture). Afterwards I was feeling kind meh about the school, but then I had my interview and my interviewer was a student at Wesleyan. The way he talked about the school, especially the people, got me really excited about it and now I'm thinking of coming back in the fall for a sleepover to determine whether I can really see myself there.

And in regards to Middlebury...I dunno, suddenly I'm feeling way less apprehensive about it. Yes, it's still in the middle of nowhere, but from the stories I've heard the student body makes up for it by organizing really interesting and kooky activities. I mean, they have broomball, hiking excursions, a running a cappella group. Their library is huge with a variety of study carells, big comfy chairs, and an incredible view. They have a blackbox theatre. Plus, you have to see their refectories - they are unbelievable. I feel like you wouldn't even realize how isolated you were during the school year, there's so much going on. And have I mentioned it's gorgeous?

So, as of now, my top-5 college possibilities are:
             1. Middlebury
             2. Wesleyan
             3. Brown
             4. Vassar
             5. Cornell
Whether I get in to any of these is another matter entirely.

More College!

2007-07-29T23:59:41Z

Now that my week at Brown is over, my family's taking me on a college tour of New England. We've just arrived at Middlebury, VT, and tomorrow I have a tour and interview at Middlebury College scheduled. After getting settled in the hotel we decided to go visit the campus. We drove past the gym, the indoor tennis courts, the golf course, and then all of a sudden we were in the middle of farmland and both my mom and I went "Where the hell did the college go?!" Turns out we'd missed the Admissions office, which is what we'd been looking for, and the actual dorms and school buildings were off a side street. The campus itself, though, is in the middle of NOWHERE. Granted the view is unbelievable but still - middle of nowhere. It's completely isolated, and even the town nearby is less of a town and more of a 200 year old hamlet. I may live in my own teeny tiny town, but it's 15 minutes away form a major city, and I'm so used to living near real civilization that I don't know how I'd acclimatize. And when we were walking around I just got this weird vibe and the sinking feeling that I don't belong here. But who knows - maybe after I take the tour and find out more about the school and what it has to offer my first impression will change.

College!

2007-07-22T17:02:05Z

I have arrived at Brown! It's really pretty, and my roommate is really nice. Will say more later.

Over all, I had a great time. The campus is beautiful, despite the horrendous amounts of construction they were doing, and the dorms were friendly and comfortable. The rooms themselves were surprisingly spacious and there was lots of storage space - both my roommate and I had our own dressers, desks, and closets. The cafeteria food was kind of meh, so I mostly ate my meals off campus, not that I minded of course.

I really enjoyed my class. I'll admit, originally I chose the course because it was the only one I could fit in my schedule, but it turned out to be the perfect thing for me. It was a one-week course on Contemporary Short Fiction, and the stories we were reading were from the Norton Anthology. Each night for homework we were assigned three stories to read, one of which we had to discuss with our assigned groups and analyze. Then we had to pick another story at random and write a personal response to that. It was a great collection, and I loved almost all of the stories I read.

The professor was fantastic. Everyday we'd spend the first hour (or more) discussing the history of literature and how the structure of the short story evolved over the centuries, and you'd think I'd be bored out of my mind since I'm used to 42 minute classes, but it was so interesting. I think I learned more about literature in general over those five days than all my years of high school combined. He was also a great discussion facilitator. He knew when to step back and let people talk and when to step in when he saw them floundering or how to tie what they said into the next topic. Sometimes it kind of seemed like he was treating us like little kids, like someone would make a really clever observation and he'd make a comment that sounded like "Aw, great job, you deserve a gold star" but I think by the end he was treating us more like college students.

I think my favorite part was the day we were discussing Writing as Social and everyone was listing e-mail and AIM, etc, and then a girl in the class mentioned fanfiction. Oh my god. Turns out there were two other girls besides me who write/read fanfiction and the three of us just took over the discussion for the next 20 minutes and the professor kept blinking and going "Wait, what's a beta?" and it was the best thing ever. EVER.

Aside from the class, though, there wasn't much to do. I spent most of my time eating, doing homework, and trying to read Harry Potter - when my roommate wasn't stealing my book and having reading parties with a girl from across the hall, that is. It was a good experience, but I'm glad it only lasted a week.

malus_hybrid @ 2007-07-21T09:48:00

2007-07-21T13:50:45Z

I AM GETTING MY HARRY POTTER BOOK IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS. GAAAH.

7/26/07: Harry Potter - it is finished. Still pretty much incoherent. There were tears.

CRACK

2007-07-21T06:34:11Z

Wrote a little Mike/Rudy fic because I can't fall asleep. Contains Scheming!Mike and Not-so-oblivious!Rudy. Warning: Contents may be unbetaed, poorly written, and extremely silly. I will probably regret writing this in the morning. *facepalm*

* * *

Mike Webster, like many typical young men, had what could be termed as a “dirty little secret.” Unlike most young men, however, he was in love with his best friend Rudy Miller, but that wasn’t his secret. His secret was that he was particularly in love with Rudy with facial hair. Not a lot, mind you, but just enough that it made his face look temptingly unkempt and scraggly, like he’d just rolled out of bed and hadn’t bothered to look in a mirror yet.

And that was exactly the problem: Rudy only had facial hair when he’d just rolled out of bed and hadn’t yet reached the bathroom that was fully stocked with razors and shaving gel. As a result, Mike only witnessed a bearded Rudy in the fleeting moments of the morning; when Rudy was still sleeping (because Mike always woke up first and Rudy never opened his eyes until the snooze button had been hit at least five times) and as Mike followed Rudy to the bathroom where he watched gloomily as each short hair disappeared down the sink.

It wasn’t that clean-shaven Rudy was bad looking – far from it! To Mike, Rudy was and always had been the most attractive and alluring man he had ever known. There was just something undeniably manly about Rudy with facial hair, something that made Mike’s face heat and his toes curl every time Rudy brushed his lips against Mike’s temple or nuzzled his chin into Mike’s shoulder before rolling over to shut off the alarm. And so, one Tuesday morning, Mike resolved to put an end to the morning sink sacrifices and enact Operation Save the Stubble, or OSS for short.

He started out small, so as not to garner suspicion. The next morning, while Mike was brushing his teeth, he heard the alarm go off for the sixth time as usual, followed by a muffled groan and then lazy shuffles as Rudy stumbled into the bathroom. Slowly Rudy opened the cabinet mirror above the sink and took out his razor and gel, placing the razor on the edge of the sink before beginning his lather. Eyeing Rudy carefully to make sure he was satisfactorily distracted, Mike leaned down to spit out his tooth paste and swung out his left elbow as he did so, knocking Rudy’s razor off the sink and into the toilet with a loud plop.

Rudy’s head snapped to the left at the sound, and Mike smiled at him sheepishly. “Ah, geez, sorry Rudy. I didn’t realize your razor was there – I guess I’m a little clumsy this morning.”

Rudy stared at him a moment, and then shrugged. “It happens. I’ll just use yours.”

“Oh, yeah, sure, go ahead,” Mike said and then thought, Way to go, Webster. You forgot that as a man, you also need to shave. Attempt #1: Failed. Snatching a paper towel, he picked the razor out of the toilet, wrapped it in the towel, and dropped it in the bin.

Mike waited a few days before executing Attempt #2. Making sure that Rudy was still fast asleep, Mike snuck into the bathroom, took the shaving gel from the cabinet, and tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen. There he retrieved the empty pizza box he’d stowed on top of the trash bin and started emptying the gel into the box. When he heard the hissing crackle that indicated the can was almost empty he quickly capped it, stuffed the box into the trash bin and snuck back upstairs where he returned the can before shimmying under the covers. When they were finally both at the sink, Mike had to stifle a chuckle as Rudy attempted to fill his hand with shaving gel and only received random bursts of foam instead.

After a moment, Rudy turned to Mike with a raised eyebrow. “Mike, were you aware that our container of shaving gel was empty?”

“Oh, yeah, I knew we were running low. I meant to buy another one last night after work, but it slipped my mind. Sorry!”

“…I see,” Rudy said and tossed the empty can and reached for his toothbrush. Mentally Mike gave himself a pat on the back and thought Attempt #2: Success!

Several more Attempts to Save the Stubble followed over the next couple weeks, most of which yielded aesthetically pleasing results. Mike did everything from faking a Charlie horse before Rudy had raised the razor to his chin to stealing the razor from Rudy’s suitcase before he left on a 3-day trip to visit his grandmother in the nursing home. Every time Rudy managed to shave, Mike began plotting a new way to prevent it. So engrossed was Mike in the success of his Operation that he was completely surprised and unprepared when Rudy appeared in the doorway of the bathroom in the middle of Attempt #11.

Rudy appraised Mike silently for a few moments and then said, “I hope there is a reason you are trying to sabotage my morning routine, Mike, because if this is merely the motivation of some childish prank, I may have to find myself a new life partner.”

Mike, stunned into silence, responded by turning beet red. “Nothing to say for yourself?” Rudy tutted, “Pity.” With that he turned around and started to walk back to the bedroom.

“Wait, stop!” Mike yelled and waited for Rudy to turn around, “I, um, there is a reason.” Rudy motioned for Mike to go on when Mike stopped talking out of embarrassment. “Okay, here’s the thing. You – I just, I really love your stubble. I mean, you…and your stubble. It’s really sexy.”

Mike thought that didn’t nearly explain it enough, but somehow Rudy must’ve understood because suddenly he had the most devious, conniving grin on his face.

“Okay.”

After that morning, Rudy stopped shaving, only trimming his stubble when it threatened to grow into a full beard, which made Mike extremely pleased – except that now Rudy was taking every opportunity to exploit his newfound weapon. Even before the alarm went off, Mike would wake to the feeling of Rudy dragging his mouth across Mike’s collarbones, or kissing a trail up his neck, or whispering nonsense in his ear, the tiny hairs on his lips and jaw tickling Mike’s ear until he was shivering in delight and goosebumps freckled his arms. All in all, though, Operation Save the Stubble, or OSS for short, was deemed a complete success.

* * *

malus_hybrid @ 2007-07-20T16:27:00

2007-07-20T20:55:19Z

Well, I'm back from Chicago! (I actually got home a couple days ago, but I've been lazy.) Anyway, it was a great trip. I got to sleep in late EVERY DAY, and when I say late, I mean 11, 12-in-the-afternoon late, which is a big deal for me. I also did a lot of the tourist things: ate a lot of deep-dish, shopped on the Miracle Mile, went to a Cubs game, which was amazing fun (Cubs - 3, SF Giants - 2!!). I also got to spend a lot of time with Jan and Richard, friends of my dad. They took us to the Museum of Science and Industry where we visited the CSI exhibit. It was really cool - they divided us into three groups, and each group was assigned a murder they had to investigate - you really felt like you were a CSI. We also saw the movie Transformers, which my family found kind of meh but I loved, and went to a magic show. Not bad for a couple days.

Now I'm packing for my trip to Rhode Island. I'm taking a course at Brown University for a week on "Contemporary Short Fiction." This is my first time taking a course at a college, and I'm kind of nervous - I don't really know what to expect. I'm excited about the course (although, to tell the truth, it was the only one I could take that would fit in my schedule), it's just the whole people thing I'm worried about. I'm a shy person, and it usually takes me a couple days for me to open up when around new people, and I'm afraid the week'll be over before I work up the guts to talk to anyone. I will have a roommate, but what if we don't get along? Ugh, I'm getting myself all worked up - I'm sure it'll be fine.

Anyway, I'll be able to take my laptop this time, which means I'll be able to update and maybe post stories (I've got a couple I want to write, but it depends how busy they keep us and how much homework I have). Now back to packing. Wish me luck!

Off to the Windy City

2007-07-13T03:12:17Z

Saw Harry Potter again today with Erin, Kat, and Emily (emmybuns696)! I still liked it, but both Erin and I were kind of like, "Yeah, ok, we've seen this already, move on." We were even reciting lines with the movie, although we caught a lot more of the dialogue a second time. We learned, though, that when the next Harry Potter movie comes out, wait more than 24 hours before seeing it again.

Anyway, I'm going to Chicago tomorrow! Dad's got some convention thing there, and he's dragging the family along with. Luckily we don't have to attend the convention - we get to shop and sight-see! Also, I think his friend is gonna take us to some museums, one of which has a CSI-type exhibit, which should be really cool. Unfortunately, I won't be taking my computer, so I won't be able to update or post fic till I get back (unless I manage to steal my dad's laptop). Now I have to finish picking out my clothes, pack my bags, and go to sleep, cuz I'm waking up early.

In a week, then!

Donde esta el otro flip flop?

2007-07-12T01:22:25Z

Sometimes I really love my family, simply because we have conversations like this:

Tess: Nora, I need to ask you something.
Me: Sure, shoot.
Tess: Ok, it says on this card that I get a free flip flop the next time I go to Victoria's Secret. But, does it mean that I only get one shoe?
Me: .... *blank stare*
Tess: Because it says flip flop instead of flip flops, and in the picture there's only one shoe. That means I only get one, right? But who only needs one flip flop?!
Me: *bursts out laughing*
Mom: Hey, what's going on?
Tess: Moooom, here, look! Does this mean I only get the one shoe?
Mom: .... *blank stare* *Nora continues to giggle uncontrollably*
Tess: Look, I'm serious! I want to know! I need to know!
Mom: I know honey, I'll call them first thing tomorrow morning and ask, ok?
Tess: Don't tell them it's me asking, though!
Me: No, yeah, tell them your daughter Tess, she's very concerned about the notice she received in the mail.
Mom: Yes, she wants to know whether she'll be receiving the flip or the flop in her free gift.

Well, it seemed funnier at the time.

HOMG HARRY POTTER!!

2007-07-12T01:00:11Z

Went to see Harry Potter with Erin today and OH MY GOD IT WAS AMAZING. Really, oh my god, just so good. We went for an 11:15 showing, and we got there around 10:30 thinking we'd have to beat the lines to get a good seat, but the building was practically deserted! We were one of the first people in our theatre, which was only about half full by the time the movie was supposed to start. WHICH IT DIDN'T. Something screwy happened with our projector or the film, and one of the staff came in saying that we all either had to move to Theatre 23 to see the 12:00 showing or we could get our tickets refunded. Clearly the only choice was Theatre 23, but when we got outside there was a huge line! Apparently 11:15 was just too early in the morning, even for the most hardcore Harry Potter fan (although I suppose they had already seen the midnight showing - I did not because I enjoy my sleep). It was a nice turn of fate, though, cuz our friend Trip was in the line, so we all got to see it together. And now I squee.

There were just so many things I loved about this movie - between seeing Sirius and Lupin again and Tonks (who did not get nearly enough screen time, if you ask me) and Moody and Luna! Oh my god, Luna was perfect! She was exactly how I imagined her in the book.

And I love how everyone's just grown up and their acting has really grown and improved as well. Harry was appropriately moody and very CAPS LOCK in his anger while Ron and Hermione's dynamic was just adorable. And Hermione! With the "It's fun breaking the rules" and the uncontrolled laughter! I couldn't stop smiling. And Neville and Ginny finally came into their own at the DADA meetings and at the Department of Mysteries!

And, god, Umbrdige was the most vicious, despicable villain EVER. I started cringing and curled up in my seat before Harry even arrived at Umbridge's office - that pen is just too horrible. Although I loved the scene where the little boy was crying and cradling his hand and the twins were sitting there comforting him, saying things like, "Don't worry, the pain doesn't last very long, you get used to it." Adorable.

Eeee, and Snape! The Occlumency lessons in the book were probably my favorite part, and I thought the scenes were done really well with the flashbacks and memories. And Snape seeing the memory of Sirius and Harry hugging and him saying in his disgusted Snape-voice, "I may vomit" just about killed me. I also liked seeing Snape's memories, with the toilet paper on the shoe and young James bullying him. Just, yes.

I think what I liked most about this movie was how it actually covered a lot of the book (at least to my recollection, although it did leave a lot out, but that can't be helped). I really disliked the fourth movie because all it covered was the tournament, when the book had so much else going on. After all, the challenges happened over the course of an entire school year. In this movie, it covered a lot of material because each scene didn't last half an hour - it showed instead of told, using newspaper headlines and posters and montages to tell the story. I also loved the special effects - there's just something so exciting and gratifying of actually seeing the spells. I was especially pleased with the Patronus charm. Harry's Patronus in the third movie mostly manifested itself as just a gray misty shield, and even when the stag showed up, it wasn't well explained - if you hadn't read the books and known what it was I feel like you wouldn't really understand its significance or what it was supposed to be. But in this movie, you got to see everyone's individual Patronus prancing around - seeing Luna's rabbit bouncing around the room made me unpredictably happy.

Ok, I'll stop here cuz if I don't, I never will. This whole movie was just fantastic, and the best part? I'm seeing it again tomorrow!

Dust, you have been vanquished!

2007-07-11T02:51:23Z

Success! The room is clean and I am seeing Harry Potter in a little over 12 hours!! Now, to reward my hard work, a Mike/Rudy ficlet. It's how the scene when Mike and Rudy are in their beds after their failed escape attempt at Cedar Ridge might have gone. Sadly, it is gen, but could be read as pre-slash. Also contains a few lines from the book, though, clearly, I changed most of the dialogue.

Mike was just starting to drift off to sleep when he felt a sharp kick under his mattress. Rolling over, he stuck his head over the side of his bed and whispered, “Hey! What was that for?”

A black blur leaned out from the bed below him, and it was a few seconds before Mike’s eyes adjusted to the darkness and he recognized Rudy’s face glaring up at him. “That was for coming back when you were home free.”

“But I wasn’t home free! I – I didn’t – I had to come back.”

“The counselors didn’t know where you were – we picked that spot specifically because it was Clone-proof. So why did you come back?”

“Because you weren’t there!” Mike yelled, trying to keep his voice quiet. Rudy opened his mouth to retort, but Mike plunged on, “I waited and waited but you didn’t come. I could hear the counselors running around in the woods, and I knew that if they hadn’t caught you already, there was no way you were gonna get by them now that they were so close, star athlete or no. I came back because I didn’t want to leave you behind, to suffer through more days of work detail and stupid Chip and Harold the Twit by yourself! I came back because I didn’t want to be ‘home free' if I didn’t have you!”

Breathing harshly, Mike waited for Rudy to say something, say anything. When Rudy continued to stare at him, his mouth still slightly open, Mike gave an aggravated sigh and turned back over in his bed, clutching his pillow and closing his eyes tight.

Long, silent moments later, Mike heard Rudy say quietly, “I’m sorry I didn’t come.”

Mike released the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, and smiled into the dark. “Don’t let it happen again.”

Why do I have so much junk?

2007-07-10T20:04:31Z

Uuuugh, I hate cleaning my room! I haven't cleaned it since before school ended - probably around April. I'm up to my elbows in dust, biology worksheets, empty water bootles, case-less CDs, and more junk. Oh, and more dust. I haven't stopped sneezing for the past half hour! And I left all these necklaces sitting out on my dresser, so now they're all tarnished. God, and I don't even want to think about what's in my closet. Despite the mess, the only reason I'm even bothering is mom stipulated that if the room is not clean, no seeing Harry Potter 5 with Erin tomorrow. Hence, cleaning.

I'm SO EXCITED for Harry Potter. I started re-reading the fifth book earlier in the year, but had to stop, so I don't actually remember much. It's probably better this way though - I re-read the fourth book before the movie last time, and so much of the book was left out (S.P.E.W.!) that I couldn't help but be kinda disappointed. But oh my god, Daniel Radcliffe GREW UP! Erin sent me pictures of him and an article talking about all the new projects he's involved in, and we had a rather amusing conversation full of flailing and caps locks and shouts of HAIR! On his FACE! And his CHEST! AND HIS STOMACH!! Wittle Harry turned into a man right under my nose! *sigh*

ETA: I just found $25.36 hidden under a pile of books! Maybe cleaning isn't so bad after all.

Kissing Meme!

2007-07-09T21:30:28Z

bleedingfilth is having a Korman kissing meme over on her livejournal, and it's probably the best thing EVER. There's already so many stories posted, and they're all wonderful and full of gratuitous boy-kissing and really, what more could a girl ask for? I urge everyone to go to her site and read!

Also, I actually contributed two little drabbles to the post, and you can read them there: http://bleedingfilth.livejournal.com/50718.html?view=175390#t175390. Or you can read them by themselves here :

1. Mike/Rudy

Rudy let his mouth linger over Mike’s for another moment, and then slowly released him, leaning back away from the wall he had unceremoniously trapped Mike against. He waited patiently, watching as red worked its way up Mike’s neck and his mouth moved silently, resembling that of a fish out of water.

“Well,” Mike finally managed, clearing his throat, “that's new.”

“No, it isn’t,” Rudy replied slowly. He made to move out of the shade of the building when he heard a small oh and a hand grabbed his wrist, stalling his movement and turning him around.

“Um…I – me too,” Mike stammered, raising his eyes to meet Rudy’s shyly. Rudy’s expression remained the same, but his eyes lit up, making Mike smile in relief. Before he realized that he was still holding onto Rudy’s wrist, Rudy’s arm twisted and then they were holding hands and Mike started blushing again. Satisfied, Rudy resumed his quick pace down the street, Mike helpless but to follow.

2. Sean/Raymond

It was another typical day in the life of Sean Delancey – unfortunately. He and Raymond were walking side by side down the hallway on their way to lunch (they’d given up trying to beat Ashley there – her new schedule placed her in the cafeteria for study hall the period before, so now it was impossible to avoid her vegetation and protein shakes), and Raymond was alternating between recounting the injustices he’d suffered during the morning and cursing up at the ceiling. Used to Raymond’s rants by now, Sean knew when to tune him out and when to nod sympathetically when Raymond paused to breathe.

“…honestly, Jardine enjoys being pummeled on the head by his math textbook and graphing calculator. Who needs a locker that actually holds Jardine’s belongings? It’s more efficient this way…Oh, crap!”

“What?” Sean hissed indignantly, turning his head to glare at Raymond who was now crouching behind him and clutching his backpack.

“It’s Miss Ritchie!” Raymond whispered, peeking around Sean and pointing down the hallway. “She’s been after me for days – I may have forgotten to finish that last job she assigned me for the Pefkakia debacle.”

“What were you supposed to do?”

“Oh, just staple and file some hand-outs, mop her classroom floor, clean her windows, and water her plants,” Raymond counted off on his fingers.

“Raymond!”

“It was slave labor! Jardine couldn’t let her get away with it anymore; Jardine does have some dignity left. Ah, quick, in here! Before she sees us!” Raymond grabbed Sean’s shirt sleeve and quickly dragged him into the nearest empty classroom, slamming the door behind them. Surprised, Sean overbalanced, knocking into Raymond and toppling them to the floor.

It was a few seconds before Sean realized that he was currently lying flat on top of Raymond’s prone body, and their mouths were smashed together. Sean froze, staring into Raymond’s similarly wide open eyes, and then watched as Raymond rolled his eyes to the ceiling, and smiled against Sean’s lips. When Sean felt a hesitant pressure against his mouth, he finally drew back, panting lightly. He saw the immediate change this caused, as Raymond’s smile fell from his lips, and his eyes returned to the ceiling. Sean could almost hear his next words – “Sure, give Jardine a homophobic best friend. Jardine’s unluckiness wasn’t nearly personal enough already.” So, before Raymond could speak, Sean leaned in again and kissed him properly. This time, Raymond’s eyes closed without once glancing up.

Enjoy! :D