Back in Berkeley, a few parting friends/family thoughs, and a meme

[lunasariel]

I'm typing this from my dorm in Berkeley for the first time since...*checks* wow, almost exactly a month! I left on Wednesday, Dec. 14, and now I'm back on Friday, Jan. 13! It certainly doesn't feel like a month; this has been one of my busiest winter breaks ever. But at least now I'm back and all set up in my home-away-from-home, which is both superior and inferior to my ancestral seat in the heart of deepest Sonoma County. It's superior in that not everything is covered with cat hair (I love my kitties, but it's nice to not constantly have to keep a lint roller handy), it doesn't smell like pee and I can walk around in my socks without fear of mishap (I also love my dog, but he is getting on in years, and in this case with age comes incontinence), and it's far away from some people I've been trying to avoid. On the other hand, I'm now far removed from my library (both personal and public), pets (both my dog and one of my cats are getting older, so I'm secretly mortally afraid of one or both of them dying while I'm away), friends, and family. Even so, my room is nice and quiet, my view of San Francisco, the Bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge is as spectacular as ever, and I'm looking forward to getting reacquainted with the Doe Library, various secondhand bookstores, and food that I don't have to prepare myself and isn't drastically unhealthy.

Classes kick off on Tuesday (Monday being MLK Day), which gives me a comfortable amount of time to get situated. I'm amazed that I got every class I needed this semester: History of the Novel, History of English Literature Part B (looks like we'll be going up through the Romantics), Celtic Romanticism, and Medieval Welsh Language & Literature. Oddly enough, only the book lists for the first two classes have been posted; I guess I'll have to wait for classes to actually begin to figure out what's going on with the Celtic ones. I'm also interested in taking a History of Middle-Earth DeCal (a student-run class), but my semester is filling up pretty quickly, so I'll have to see if I can squeeze it in or not. It seems to be pretty popular, though, and is one of the longest-running DeCals, so I might be able to take it next fall instead. I definitely do want to take it sometime before I graduate, though!

Wednesday's D&D game was H's first time in the DM's chair, and she did magnificently. She was a little unsure of herself at the beginning, which is understandable but unlike her usual self, but that cleared up once she realized that we weren't going to jump down her throat every time she made a pronunciation error or something. In fact, towards the end she started to fall into the most common of new DM's traps, which was to god-mod and force the story to follow her plan. No particularly egregious examples, thankfully, and I've seen much worse, but I hope she works it out of her system by the time our next game, which is scheduled for two weekends from now.

She had obviously been working on the story for a loooong time, and displayed her usual diabolical skill with deadly, Indiana Jones-like traps for the unwitting adventurer, so a good time was had by all. In addition, out of all the gamers I know, I was playing with (almost) my favorite group: C, an RPer par excellance and the glue that holds our group together; A, who has progressed magnificently from her earlier crippling shyness; JC, a 3.5 expert who was playing 4.0 for the first time and named his character in authentic Old Irish (which drove H crazy, but the rest of us loved)...and KC. H gave an official edict that the players who are known for derailing games/inappropriately screwing around were not to be invited, and that, combined with another edict that the only people who got to have laptops or phones out were C (our official look-stuff-up guy) ad me (in charge of chronicles, continuity, and other story-based stuff), made for a much faster, smoother, less frustrating game than some we've had in the past. Of the group I listed, KC is the only one who I wouldn't be entirely happy playing all night with. He's one of those guys where a little of him goes a looooong way. He's arrogant and self-centered, which he seems to think of as charmingly roguish character quirks, but I think are just annoying. He has his good points, of course, but after four or five hours, he started to wear on me a bit. J was supposed to make up our sixth member, but he's currently on a birthright trip to Israel, and is going back to his Oregon college, Willamette, after that, so he probably won't rejoin us until at least spring break. He's been wrestling with clinical depression and academic pressure for quite a while, so I think this trip is jut what he needs: by traveling halfway around the world, he can clear his head, and hopefully come back with a more grounded plan of what he wants to do with the rest of his life, which was a big part of the problem.

In other news, I seem to have been honing my skills as a book dealer. My early efforts at recommending books to friends and family rarely succeeded (P loathed Nightrunner, and H never did finish LotR), but now that I have a bit more experience, things seem to be going better. Both P and H are enjoying the hell out of ASOIAF, although H, as always, is taking her sweet time about it. P has been reading way, way faster than I've seen him do in years, and although he does have his issues with GRRM's style, he seems to be enjoying the hell out of himself, as evidenced by last night, my stepsister's birthday dinner, where he and I spent almost the whole time geeking out. KC and JC (different Cs; they're not related) both recently started the Dresden Files on my recommendation, and JC seems to be enjoying them, but is usually too busy to read much. KC, on the other hand, is eating them up, but he already personifies some of Harry's less admirable traits *cough*attitude towards women*cough* *hack*ego*hack* *cough*hero complex*cough*, so I'm afraid that these traits might become even more exaggerated after finishing the series. Finally, I enjoyed Temeraire so much that I started shilling it to every fantasy and/or historical fiction fan I know, and my mom took me up on it. As a medical type, she's a sucker for books with a good disease, but she also loves Jane Austen, Patrick O'Brian, and fantasy of all stripes, so the instant I mentioned that an entire book is about discovering, reacting to, and curing a plague affecting dragons ridden by Aubreyad-inspired aviators in Regency-era England, with an extra helping of social commentary and globe-trotting adventure, she was there. She's up to Empire of Ivory, after getting hooked by His Majesty's Dragon, not being terribly impressed with the slow pace of Throne of Jade, and practically inhaling Black Powder War. She has her issues with the believability of even very limited, marginal acceptance of female captains, but I think she'll be pleased with the direction Jane Roland takes (proto-)suffrage once she becomes Admiral of the Air. (Speaking of Roland, I haz a snazzy new icon! Squee! I love how massively unimpressed she looks. Actually, a lot of my Temeraire favorites [both Rolands, Fellowes, Granby, Tharkay, Temeraire] are at their best when they're unimpressed with someone else's drama.)

In *other* other news, I have once again committed a meme. This one is from the same person who produced the aforementioned icon, tanyartblog. I know, this is just another random character meme, but at least the questions were different this time around! Also, this is more of a pairing meme than a general interactions meme, so it produced some...interesting results. Some broke my brain (Sam/Loras), some were hilariously awful (Loras/Iskierka), and some were actually kinda sweet (Magrat/Sam), but at least they were all interesting.

Pick 10 characters from as many fandoms as you wish.
Answer 16 questions. Drabble responses are very welcome, too.

1. Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings)
2. Iskierka (Temeraire)
3. Jack Harkness (Doctor Who/Torchwood)
4. Magrat Garlick (Discworld)
5. Ser Loras Tyrell (A Song of Ice and Fire)
6. Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter)
7. Fëanor (The Silmarillion)
8. Molly Carpenter (Dresden Files)
9. Numair Salmalín (The Immortals)
10. Molly Hooper (Sherlock)

1. Describe the children of #3 (Jack) and #7(Fëanor)? Are they good parents?
Um…no. Definitely not. Jack would at least try to be attentive, but they would end up foisting the kids off onto their various coworkers/relatives when they couldn’t be bothered were too busy changing the world to do any day-to-day parenting. Fëanor would start to take an interest once they got old enough to hold weapons, but Jack would always be skittish around them, thinking (quite rightly) that he’s not really responsible enough to be a good parent. He’d make an awesome uncle, though.

2. Describe #5 (Loras) and #1 (Sam)'s first kiss.
Wow, how’s that for a crackpairing? I think my brain just broke. XD Copious amounts of alcohol and/or some sort of illusion/mind-control spell would have to be in effect, and even then it would be over as soon as either of them opened their eyes.

3. How would #2 (Iskierka) react to #6 (Prof. McGonagall) being pregnant with #10 (Molly Hooper)'s baby?
“Will it have magic, like you? Or will it just be dreadfully boring, like her? Or both? And why do you not just lay an egg? It seems rather foolish to carry it around inside of you until it is ready to hatch.”

4. How does #8 (Molly Carpenter) convince #7 (Fëanor) to go with him/her on a date?
A more recent/manipulative/darkside!Molly would create an illusory Silmaril and tempt him with that. Otherwise, she’d just show off with her powers until he was suitably interested.

5. Where would #9 (Numair) and #6 (Prof. McGonagall) go for their honeymoon? How is #4 (Magrat) going to sabotage their honeymoon?
I can’t really see Magrat the romantic working to sabotage a honeymoon, but if she really wanted to, she would probably faux-innocently, but very loudly, mention a few of Numair’s more spectacularly ill-advised uses of magic or scandalous affairs, including the one with his teenage student.

6. #6 (Prof. McGonagall) is in love with #1 (Sam). #3 (Jack) confesses his/her love to #6. Whom would #6 pick? Does #8 (Molly Carpenter) think s/he made the right choice?
McGonagall would probably stay with Sam, since she wouldn’t quite believe Jack’s profession of undying love, which would almost certainly just be a ploy to get her into bed anyway. Molly would agree that McGonagall and Sam would make the better couple, but since she probably wouldn’t be looking for a long-term Twu Wuv thing anyway, she’d happily snap Jack up for herself.

7. #5 (Loras) and #2 (Iskierka) must pretend to be a married couple. Why?
People are getting suspicious about Loras spending too much time with Renly, and marrying a literal Dragon would be a huge power boost for House Tyrell. However, they’re both too wrapped up in their own awesomeness for it to work for any length of time. They would bitch at each other nonstop and eventually either despise each other or be BFFs from afar.

8. #10 (Molly Hooper) is moving in with #9 (Numair). What do they fight about the most?
Molly’s cat would knock over all of Numair’s delicate experiments, and he would remind her of Sherlock so much that she would take out all her repressed Sherlock-related rage on him, leaving him confused and angry as to why she was shrieking at him.

9. How will #4 (Magrat) prove his/her love to #1 (Sam)?
Nothing big, just spending the day gardening with him, letting him go through her collection of books (especially the ones about rare plants and/or far-off places), and packing sandwiches for lunch. Actually Magrat/Sam would be a really sweet couple.

10. #7 (Fëanor) and #4 (Magrat). Love at first sight?
On her part, but not on his. She would be dazzled by his appearance and charisma, but the attraction would wear off when she realized that he’s kind of nuts. He wouldn’t even notice her existence, unless she pulls a Ynci on him. And even then, he'd be only distantly and intellectually interested.

11. What would #2 (Iskierka) give #9 (Numair) for Valentine's Day?
Oh, something shiny and hideously gaudy, certainly. Robes made entirely out of gold thread and edged with alternating opals and black diamonds, maybe?

12. Under what circumstances could #3 (Jack) and #5 (Loras) have a happy ending?
After Ianto has been dead for a century or so, or before Jack is even marooned on Earth, he could accidentally end up in Westeros, and meet up with a pre-Renly Loras and introduce him to the concepts of pansexuality and space piracy. If possible, he would take Loras back to our universe and they would run around having adventures. Of course, if Jack were stuck in Westeros, he could use his futuristic tech to set himself up as a landed knight, and would become Loras’ knight-master. After Loras was knighted, the pansexuality thing would come up, and they would basically live in King’s Landing and scheme with and/or against Varys and/or Littlefinger.

13. What would #8 (Molly Carpenter) like to change about #10 (Molly Hooper)? Does number #10 approve?
Molly Carpenter: “We can’t both be Molly, so one of us will have to change our names.”
Molly Hooper: “I can go by my middle name.”
Molly Carpenter: “Stop being such a mouse! You’re making me feel bad.”
Molly Hooper: “Sorry.”
Molly Carpenter: “I’m sorry, honey! I was just having fun. Let’s be BFFs!”
Molly Hooper: “OK!” :D

14. #2 (Iskierka) and #7 (Fëanor) are together. Who is more protective of the other?
Ooh, tough one! I would have to say that, if Fëanor were Iskierka’s captain, she would be insanely protective of him, at least as much as she is with Granby, if not more (Fëanor would have absolutely zero problems with letting her go off and steal as much treasure as she wanted, especially if she happened to turn up a Silmaril or two).

15. Who is first going to say "I love you", #1 (Sam) or #9 (Numair)?
Sam, I think. He’s the more open and emotionally demonstrative of the two; Numair would be afraid of sounding silly or needy or something.

16. Describe #10 (Molly Hooper) and #4 (Magrat Garlick)'s perfect romantic outing.
Girl’s night in! They could cook something together, watch scmoopy romances, and talk about how completely done with (emotionally stunted) men they are.

17. Who suffers from pre-wedding jitters, #3 (Jack) or #8 (Molly Carpenter)? How does bridesmaid/best man #10 (Molly Hooper) soothe them?
Jack, probably. If Molly were to get married, she would have to be damn sure that she would be happy spending the rest of her life with her future spouse before popping the question/saying yes, so the matter would be settled in her mind. Jack, on the other hand, would be full of doubts: will he be a good husband? Will he be able to remain monogamous? Will he get her killed somehow? What happens when she dies, which, as a human, she inevitably will? Molly Hooper would give Jack a hug and tell him that he’s going to be a fantastic husband. She would remind Jack of Tosh, whose opinion he trusted, so the connection would make him feel better.

18. #6 (Prof. McGonagall) is a secret admirer. What presents will they make the wo/man of their dreams?
A book of some sort, probably. I don’t remember whether she had any relationships in the books, but I can’t see her falling for anyone who isn’t at least a bit of a nerd.

EDIT: Dammit, since I'm showing off my new icon, why didn't I include Jane instead of, or at least in addition to, Iskierka?! Ah, well, missed opportunities and all that. XP

Hmm...that's all to report, for now. I plan on A) being pleasantly busy and B) taking advantage of the solitude before The Roomie gets back for the next few days, so I don't know whether I'll have time to post again before classes kick off on Tuesday.

Comments

[brit-columbia.livejournal.com]

I have a very cat-hair covered life. To top it all off, most of my pants are black and my cat is a long haired white fluffy fellow. Enjoy your cat-hair free dorm because it could well be the only domicile of your life (past, present and future) that isn't covered in cat hair. You're an animal lover, so you'll probably always have animal companions.

[lunasariel.livejournal.com]

I think that cats, especially long-haired ones, are magnetically attracted to opposite-colored garments, especially nice/important ones. And we love them anyway! XD

[brit-columbia.livejournal.com]

You're right! They also like to hook their claws into those nice/important garments.

[lunasariel.livejournal.com]

"Wow, that new black silk dress looks great on you! Oh, you're wearing it to a formal event tonight?" *shed* *shred* XD

[hamsterwoman]

I never got to take any fun DeCal classes because my schedule was always full with real classes I had to take (and also I was living at home, so it was hard to make the ones meeting at night), but I would've loved to have taken that one, and also a Simpsons class that my friend and his girlfriend-now-wife took.

Yay for successful book-dealing! Glad your mother is enjoying Temeraire as well :)

You know, I could kind of see Molly and Feanor as a couple. She's been hanging out with Faeries lately, but even before that her veils and such tended towards Elven-like magic, and it's canon (I guess, blech) that she likes her men fiery ;)

LOL at Iskeirka's reaction in #3 and her sham marriage to Loras XD And Feanor as Iskierka's captain would be kind of awesome, if not a little scary. Basically, Iskierka is the best person ever to include on these random memes, apparently, and I shall have to keep this fact in mind.

And you're right, Magrat/Sam is actually really cute! And I was tickled that a Ynci reference showed up in your answer to the Feanor/Magrat question (lol), as naturally it should.

Totally stealing this meme, btw, and I ended up with Loras and Molly Carpenter on my list (which I made before reading yours, for purity of randomness) as well.

[lunasariel.livejournal.com]

my schedule was always full with real classes I had to take
Ugh, that's my problem too. I'm already kinda overloaded on units this semester, so if something has to go, it'll probably be the DeCal, as awesome as it is. *tear*

Basically, Iskierka is the best person ever to include on these random memes, apparently, and I shall have to keep this fact in mind.
It is known! I'm learning that anything can be made more awesome by adding Iskierka to it.
Fëanor being Iskierka's captain would be both terrifying and strangely perfect!

And you're right, Magrat/Sam is actually really cute!
This is one of those pairings that I never in a million years would have thought of on my own, but now makes me d'aww.

Totally stealing this meme, btw, and I ended up with Loras and Molly Carpenter on my list (which I made before reading yours, for purity of randomness) as well.
Squeee!!!