Fic: Baby-Sitters Club, The Ghost and the Darkness, Lost Boys

I did not write nearly as much as I wanted to for Yuletide this year, but I do like the stories I wrote quite a bit. I wrote four stories for three people in three fandoms, one of which was new for me.

Assignment: Draw Me Like You Do, BSC, Ashley/Claudia

Summary: Claudia Kishi does not expect to run into Ashley Wyeth at a yuppie artist retreat deep in the heart of the Ozarks, but Ashley's always known how to surprise her.

Treat: Five Secrets from an Art Portfolio, BSC, Ashley/Claudia

Summary: Claudia Kishi knew one thing for certain (well, many things, but this was an important one): there was a psychology to portfolios. If you knew how to look, you could uncover an artist’s secrets tucked into every page.

Treat: The Care and Handling of Maneaters, The Ghost and the Darkness, John Patterson/Helena Patterson

Summary: “I do not often repair bridges,” John said.

“True, but even old bridges under repair can become a hunting ground.”

“And what, pray tell, hunts the bridge at Langone?” he asked.

Helena waited until he looked up on her, eager not to miss a single breath of his response. “None other than the great Beast of Gévaudan.”

Treat: Burn, Lost Boys, Michael/Star

Summary: Max is dead and gone, body burnt and ashes spread into the sunlight, but still Star's thirst burns.

Life: Ask Me Anything - Favorite ritual

Yes, I am still answering questions from and taking questions at that Ask Me Anything from December 2018.

First, an update. Back in August, I wrote about my love for whatever vehicle I'm currently driving because the open road means freedom and adventure and etc. At the time, I mentioned the car I've loved most out of all my non-bike vehicles, the Charger. The Charger is now gone, replaced with the Charger. Silver Charger was more than 10 years old at this point and starting to need some work, and I made the terrible decision to test drive a much newer one and, well, now I have a black Charger. That I love even more than the silver one. I'm ridiculous.

karanguni asked: Favourite ritual that you do for yourself!

Whenever I get home from work, no matter what time it is (and that time is almost always a lot earlier now than when I worked at Wolfram & Hart, thank god), I do the following: stand in the entranceway petting the dog who is leaping for joy. Leave my rings in the ring dish and my keys in the key cup that I have by the door. Leave shoes and other outerwear in the corner of the entranceway (where our coat rack has been joined by several additional hooks due to my many many many many coats and scarves, along with a scarf organizer because many scarves, and dog's leashes and harness). Let dog into the backyard while I take down the gate that keeps her out of the kitchen and living room. Get fresh ice water. Take dog and ice water back to the bedroom where I will change out of my work clothes and then cuddle with the dog on the bed for a good ten to twenty minutes. Sometimes I read while I pet her. Sometimes I finish the podcast episode I listened to on the way home. Sometimes I just bask in dark and silence. It's a wonderful time.

The other daily ritual is my writing. I sit down and write every day, almost always between 8 and 10 p.m. Music, movie, ASMR videos of typing and no talking, nothing at all, that can change, but I always have my laptop, ice water, and the dog asleep somewhere between the other end of the couch and pressed right up against my thigh.

A third favorite ritual (I don't follow instructions well, clearly) is the Friday night drive home from work. I don't do it as often in the winter, because it's always dark when I leave and the right time of day for a lot of deer activity, but during the rest of the year, I almost always take the backroads home from work, twisty narrow two-lane roads that have sharp curves and lots of shadows and fields for miles and miles. Usually this involves the windows down and the music up. Hard, angry, loud music. I love it.