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aearwen2My name is Aeärwen, and I'm an Internet Addict. Hi, Aeärwen!
Evidently the BIG QWest Internet hub decided to have a melt-down yesterday, and took out 12 states' worth of internet traffic from a number of providers, including mine and Verizon, I understand. Of course, coming on the heels of having intermittent drop-offs due to old connectors and such here at the house, we (and by this, I mean all the gamers in the house) decided our provider was getting flakey again. So I called, and so a tech came out. Our personal equipment was OK, and so the only thing he could think of was that the line "drop" to the house had somehow flaked out; he'd call in a half-hour to schedule maintenance to come out and replace it.
Three hours later, I called again, only to be told the horror story of massive outages - complete with anecdote about how their phone system fell apart when they ended up with over two thousand people sitting on hold to complain about no Internet. I went to bed, not knowing if it truly was that, or if we did indeed need our "drop" replaced - and/or if I would have access in the morning.
I'm baaaaaaaaa-aaaack.... *smirks happily*
On to the fun...
Snagged from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
aranellaurelote, figuring it might be nice - or interesting, at least - to give my readers here hints as to what I've been spending my time writing lately.
Meme: Post a little bit of each WIP you have (or as many as you want to pick). No context, no explanations.
Along Came A Spider
It was a heretical thought, totally in contradiction to everything she had thought before. But now, after being shunned and denied the gratitude for all of her hard work to make room for the newer creations, she finally had cause to question. But perhaps you know more of it after all. Do you truly claim this?
She could hear the very soft echoes of satisfaction. Is such a thing so hard to believe? Is it any more difficult to understand than the need for Darkness and the powers of Destruction? To the both of us, Ilúvatar has given difficult tasks and choices: of both Creation and Destruction; but to the others has only been given such simplicity as smaller minds can understand - the powers of Creation alone.
Was she really that similar to Melkor? The very idea that she might have companionship, after the Ages she had spent alone in her Darkness, was intoxicating. You find the Darkness comforting, as I do?
I have learned not to fear it. It serves a function, as does every other element of Eä.
You do understand! Her joy at the very thought that she could speak of her Darkness, of the task appointed her by Ilúvatar, made her feel as if she were young again and just newly discovered of her voice in the Music.
Does it please you, to know that you need no longer be alone in the Darkness?
You… you would enter the Darkness willingly? None of the others had come anywhere near her Darkness - ever.
I am already here.
And the Elvish Word for Trouble Is...
His brows rose sharply as he hefted the heavy pouch, opened it and peered inside, and then dropped it suddenly on the table next to the drinking skins. Kira she flinched at the heavy sound of falling metal. “You seem to be wealthy enough,” he commented dryly. “Tell me the truth - did you steal it?”
Kira swallowed, Tupol’s “Possession is nine-tenths of the law,” echoing in her mind. “The money is mine,” she responded softly, daring him to challenge her claim. Certainly the money was as much hers now as it had ever been the bandit chief’s before her.
“Not very likely. Few maidens your age set out with a fortune of that size in their money pouches on a Festival day merely to purchase trinkets,” Elrohir told her in a suspicious tone. “This is enough to keep a whole village happy for many years. Where did you get it?”
“I earned it, and I took it with me when I left my previous lodging, and that’s the truth,” she replied insistently, lifting her chin. “You cannot prove that it ISN’T mine.”
“That doesn’t make me believe you any more than I did before,” he retorted and then pulled out the dagger and sheath that were the final items in the bundle. Slowly he pulled the dagger clear of the sheath, examined it with what looked to be a very experienced eye, and then raised his eyes to her face. “Can you use this?”
Kira’s smile was faint as she thought of the hours she’d spent secretly practicing her throwing ability with her brothers when her outdoor chores were done and before her mother would call her for help with the meals. “I wouldn’t have it if I couldn’t use it.”
I Dhaerlend Dadui
Legolas sighed and again released the curtain, this time to swing his long legs about and face his father, nodding as he did. "It is the first time I've heard anything remotely interesting since…" he began, and then his face fell. Thranduil knew why such a thought would make him falter, and so remained silent. Soon enough, once his emotions were mastered again, Legolas resumed, "When Elladan spoke, giving voice to everything I have thought for centuries now, I saw a light shining through the fog - the hint of a new purpose to my days - that has been missing in my life."
"In mine too," Thranduil agreed, grateful to move away from things that drew forth Legolas' grief. "Never, ever, think that I did not thoroughly understand and sympathize with your dislike for having to sit attendance on my court or council meetings, my son. If anything, I indulged your wishes more than might have been wise because I remember how much I would have liked to have similarly distanced myself at your age."
"Daeradar is quite the diplomat and negotiator." Legolas' eyes glimmered with a hint of his old humor. "I can now see where you learned all the skills you had, although perhaps someone should tell him that patience never was a trait you developed…"
Thranduil snorted. "Trust me, I really would rather not be required to refresh my council skills at this latter stage of my life!" He gazed at his son, eagerly seeking the signs that some of the dark cloud under which Legolas had suffered was finally lifting. "It does me good to hear your jest - even if it is at my own expense," he commented quietly.
"It feels good to have something to occupy the mind other than more of the same, dreary perfection day in and day out," Legolas agreed with a sigh. "I was not joking when I said that I have been seriously thinking of building another ship. One can only shoot so many arrows at the same target, Ada; or walk beneath trees and among bushes convinced by the Powers or the Eldar to refrain from straggling or growing wild. Perhaps if I had been born here, I would see things differently. But…"
In The Hidden Valley
"You may be right," he relented, dropping back into his seat. "If the world beyond our fences has changed so much, such would be a natural occurrence." He dropped his chin into his hand to gaze at her. "Tell me then, Meg Litten; if you had your choice, would you be interested in spending some time here, perhaps learning a few words of our language and getting a chance to explore this place you and your brother found?"
"Yes," she answered softly. It was true: the idea that she could have the opportunity to come to know this odd refuge from time and everything she'd ever known was hard to resist. "I have two weeks left before I was supposed to be back at work. If I could, I'd like to spend part of that time here."
Wendell's face became pained. "Only two weeks? Such a little time…"
Meg's face fell as well. "Less, actually. I only rented Sadie for…"
"Sadie?"
"My mare. I only rented her for three days. I have to have her back to her owner tomorrow afternoon, at the latest."
Wendell brushed that aside with a wave of his hand. "I could deliver her back to the village myself, for that matter. You need not waste a day over and back for that."
"I should be the one to…"
He gave her a sharp look. "If you wish, then, we could go together; and you could ride back with me for the rest of your stay."
Meg still shook her head. "Even if I did, I could still only stay maybe ten days in all. I still have to travel back to my hotel in Edinburgh, and from there to London, and from there to Los Angeles, where I live, and then rest up so I could be at work bright and early."
In The House of Elrond
"How dare you!" Gilraen snapped, angrier than she'd been in a very long time. "How dare you judge my actions, or whether or not I'm aware of what is going on?" she demanded of Erestor, whose face blanched until only two spots of color remained on either cheek. She whirled on Glorfindel. "And how dare you! You know how much I hate to see people fighting - what it reminds me of." He too blanched, with a stricken look spreading across his features. "How…"
She didn't get a chance to finish, for very strong hands encircled her waist tightly and jerked her back against a very tall and hard body, and from there out from between the two previously battling Elves. She squeaked in alarm and turned, only to find that it was Elrond who held her, his face almost as stony and furious as Erestor's had been.
"I do not know how this came about, but you two will end this - now - and there will be peace between you." There would be no arguing with the tone of the Master's voice, which made both of the armed Elf-lords flinch even as their swords slowly lowered. "And you will come with me." Firmly tucked beneath a heavy and controlling arm, Gilraen was pulled up the steps and into the House before she realized she was moving, and then found herself having to trot to keep up with the pace those long, Elven legs set.
"Foolish child! Had you no thought for your own safety?" Gilraen was grateful that Elrond had waited until they were in a corridor with no one else about before he turned his temper on her. "Do you not know that only thousands of years of skill and practice and warfare for both Erestor and Glorfindel prevented you from being sliced to pieces where you stood just now? You never get between Elves doing battle! Surely you have been to the practice ring often enough by now to know better!"
Reunion
"Oh, do not be ridiculous! Kindness has nothing to do with it! I can recognize quality work when I see it without the need for another to point it out." He shifted her so that her head fit beneath his chin. "Has someone said something to make you doubt your worth to me?" He huffed again, this time she could tell there was a touch of anger there. "Tell me, and I shall set that Elf straight with the world once more - and that only just before I pitch him or her out on their pointed ear!"
"No one has said anything…"
"Then why do you tell yourself these things? I am the King, and I am the one who declares the worth of things; and I find you a most valuable asset to the realm. Now, I will tolerate no one expressing any opinion on your worth contrary to my assessment, not even and most especially not you - is that understood? No. More. I mean it!"
Strange Melodies
He saved his comments until after she had settled onto the cement bench near him and had torn her granola bar package open. "You were missed yesterday." It was a simple statement, so very much in keeping with what she knew of him, but Jeri felt it like a small electric shock through her whole body. He actually had missed her.
"Thank you." She handed him his apple for the afternoon. "It's good to be back."
"My thanks." The grey eyes watched her closely as the apple disappeared as quickly as usual, and then the dark head tipped slightly. "Something has changed."
Jeri nodded slowly and then, picking up her bottle of water, she slid to the sidewalk facing the harpist. She extended the bottle for the now-daily rinse. "Do you think I'm crazy for thinking that I could actually find something to do here…" She waved her hand around her, indicating the entire community. "…rather than going back to the well-paying job I had in the city?"
"What do you think?" Wet palms left a slightly dark set of streaks over his thighs. He returned the water and then reached for the harp again.
"Oh!" she chuckled with a wry shake of the head, "I already know I'm nuts."
Scarred hands stilled without having yet touched the strings, and grey eyes delved deeper into hers. "Why do you say that?"
"Because I don't know that I can make enough to live on here." Jeri gave him a sharp look of her own. "Tell me, are you a shrink when you're not slumming playing street musician?"
The harpist snorted and shook his head. "While I have been many things in life, a 'shrinker' has never been one of them." Finally he allowed a few, ruffling chords escape his instrument. "And I do not call this 'slumming.' It is what I do."
end of clips and hints
All I can promise is that I am working on them all, as my Muse allows. When they are finished and have been run through whatever beta/concrit process they need, they will be posted.
So read at your own risk....
Evidently the BIG QWest Internet hub decided to have a melt-down yesterday, and took out 12 states' worth of internet traffic from a number of providers, including mine and Verizon, I understand. Of course, coming on the heels of having intermittent drop-offs due to old connectors and such here at the house, we (and by this, I mean all the gamers in the house) decided our provider was getting flakey again. So I called, and so a tech came out. Our personal equipment was OK, and so the only thing he could think of was that the line "drop" to the house had somehow flaked out; he'd call in a half-hour to schedule maintenance to come out and replace it.
Three hours later, I called again, only to be told the horror story of massive outages - complete with anecdote about how their phone system fell apart when they ended up with over two thousand people sitting on hold to complain about no Internet. I went to bed, not knowing if it truly was that, or if we did indeed need our "drop" replaced - and/or if I would have access in the morning.
I'm baaaaaaaaa-aaaack.... *smirks happily*
On to the fun...
Snagged from
aranellaurelote, figuring it might be nice - or interesting, at least - to give my readers here hints as to what I've been spending my time writing lately.Meme: Post a little bit of each WIP you have (or as many as you want to pick). No context, no explanations.
Along Came A Spider
It was a heretical thought, totally in contradiction to everything she had thought before. But now, after being shunned and denied the gratitude for all of her hard work to make room for the newer creations, she finally had cause to question. But perhaps you know more of it after all. Do you truly claim this?
She could hear the very soft echoes of satisfaction. Is such a thing so hard to believe? Is it any more difficult to understand than the need for Darkness and the powers of Destruction? To the both of us, Ilúvatar has given difficult tasks and choices: of both Creation and Destruction; but to the others has only been given such simplicity as smaller minds can understand - the powers of Creation alone.
Was she really that similar to Melkor? The very idea that she might have companionship, after the Ages she had spent alone in her Darkness, was intoxicating. You find the Darkness comforting, as I do?
I have learned not to fear it. It serves a function, as does every other element of Eä.
You do understand! Her joy at the very thought that she could speak of her Darkness, of the task appointed her by Ilúvatar, made her feel as if she were young again and just newly discovered of her voice in the Music.
Does it please you, to know that you need no longer be alone in the Darkness?
You… you would enter the Darkness willingly? None of the others had come anywhere near her Darkness - ever.
I am already here.
And the Elvish Word for Trouble Is...
His brows rose sharply as he hefted the heavy pouch, opened it and peered inside, and then dropped it suddenly on the table next to the drinking skins. Kira she flinched at the heavy sound of falling metal. “You seem to be wealthy enough,” he commented dryly. “Tell me the truth - did you steal it?”
Kira swallowed, Tupol’s “Possession is nine-tenths of the law,” echoing in her mind. “The money is mine,” she responded softly, daring him to challenge her claim. Certainly the money was as much hers now as it had ever been the bandit chief’s before her.
“Not very likely. Few maidens your age set out with a fortune of that size in their money pouches on a Festival day merely to purchase trinkets,” Elrohir told her in a suspicious tone. “This is enough to keep a whole village happy for many years. Where did you get it?”
“I earned it, and I took it with me when I left my previous lodging, and that’s the truth,” she replied insistently, lifting her chin. “You cannot prove that it ISN’T mine.”
“That doesn’t make me believe you any more than I did before,” he retorted and then pulled out the dagger and sheath that were the final items in the bundle. Slowly he pulled the dagger clear of the sheath, examined it with what looked to be a very experienced eye, and then raised his eyes to her face. “Can you use this?”
Kira’s smile was faint as she thought of the hours she’d spent secretly practicing her throwing ability with her brothers when her outdoor chores were done and before her mother would call her for help with the meals. “I wouldn’t have it if I couldn’t use it.”
I Dhaerlend Dadui
Legolas sighed and again released the curtain, this time to swing his long legs about and face his father, nodding as he did. "It is the first time I've heard anything remotely interesting since…" he began, and then his face fell. Thranduil knew why such a thought would make him falter, and so remained silent. Soon enough, once his emotions were mastered again, Legolas resumed, "When Elladan spoke, giving voice to everything I have thought for centuries now, I saw a light shining through the fog - the hint of a new purpose to my days - that has been missing in my life."
"In mine too," Thranduil agreed, grateful to move away from things that drew forth Legolas' grief. "Never, ever, think that I did not thoroughly understand and sympathize with your dislike for having to sit attendance on my court or council meetings, my son. If anything, I indulged your wishes more than might have been wise because I remember how much I would have liked to have similarly distanced myself at your age."
"Daeradar is quite the diplomat and negotiator." Legolas' eyes glimmered with a hint of his old humor. "I can now see where you learned all the skills you had, although perhaps someone should tell him that patience never was a trait you developed…"
Thranduil snorted. "Trust me, I really would rather not be required to refresh my council skills at this latter stage of my life!" He gazed at his son, eagerly seeking the signs that some of the dark cloud under which Legolas had suffered was finally lifting. "It does me good to hear your jest - even if it is at my own expense," he commented quietly.
"It feels good to have something to occupy the mind other than more of the same, dreary perfection day in and day out," Legolas agreed with a sigh. "I was not joking when I said that I have been seriously thinking of building another ship. One can only shoot so many arrows at the same target, Ada; or walk beneath trees and among bushes convinced by the Powers or the Eldar to refrain from straggling or growing wild. Perhaps if I had been born here, I would see things differently. But…"
In The Hidden Valley
"You may be right," he relented, dropping back into his seat. "If the world beyond our fences has changed so much, such would be a natural occurrence." He dropped his chin into his hand to gaze at her. "Tell me then, Meg Litten; if you had your choice, would you be interested in spending some time here, perhaps learning a few words of our language and getting a chance to explore this place you and your brother found?"
"Yes," she answered softly. It was true: the idea that she could have the opportunity to come to know this odd refuge from time and everything she'd ever known was hard to resist. "I have two weeks left before I was supposed to be back at work. If I could, I'd like to spend part of that time here."
Wendell's face became pained. "Only two weeks? Such a little time…"
Meg's face fell as well. "Less, actually. I only rented Sadie for…"
"Sadie?"
"My mare. I only rented her for three days. I have to have her back to her owner tomorrow afternoon, at the latest."
Wendell brushed that aside with a wave of his hand. "I could deliver her back to the village myself, for that matter. You need not waste a day over and back for that."
"I should be the one to…"
He gave her a sharp look. "If you wish, then, we could go together; and you could ride back with me for the rest of your stay."
Meg still shook her head. "Even if I did, I could still only stay maybe ten days in all. I still have to travel back to my hotel in Edinburgh, and from there to London, and from there to Los Angeles, where I live, and then rest up so I could be at work bright and early."
In The House of Elrond
"How dare you!" Gilraen snapped, angrier than she'd been in a very long time. "How dare you judge my actions, or whether or not I'm aware of what is going on?" she demanded of Erestor, whose face blanched until only two spots of color remained on either cheek. She whirled on Glorfindel. "And how dare you! You know how much I hate to see people fighting - what it reminds me of." He too blanched, with a stricken look spreading across his features. "How…"
She didn't get a chance to finish, for very strong hands encircled her waist tightly and jerked her back against a very tall and hard body, and from there out from between the two previously battling Elves. She squeaked in alarm and turned, only to find that it was Elrond who held her, his face almost as stony and furious as Erestor's had been.
"I do not know how this came about, but you two will end this - now - and there will be peace between you." There would be no arguing with the tone of the Master's voice, which made both of the armed Elf-lords flinch even as their swords slowly lowered. "And you will come with me." Firmly tucked beneath a heavy and controlling arm, Gilraen was pulled up the steps and into the House before she realized she was moving, and then found herself having to trot to keep up with the pace those long, Elven legs set.
"Foolish child! Had you no thought for your own safety?" Gilraen was grateful that Elrond had waited until they were in a corridor with no one else about before he turned his temper on her. "Do you not know that only thousands of years of skill and practice and warfare for both Erestor and Glorfindel prevented you from being sliced to pieces where you stood just now? You never get between Elves doing battle! Surely you have been to the practice ring often enough by now to know better!"
Reunion
"Oh, do not be ridiculous! Kindness has nothing to do with it! I can recognize quality work when I see it without the need for another to point it out." He shifted her so that her head fit beneath his chin. "Has someone said something to make you doubt your worth to me?" He huffed again, this time she could tell there was a touch of anger there. "Tell me, and I shall set that Elf straight with the world once more - and that only just before I pitch him or her out on their pointed ear!"
"No one has said anything…"
"Then why do you tell yourself these things? I am the King, and I am the one who declares the worth of things; and I find you a most valuable asset to the realm. Now, I will tolerate no one expressing any opinion on your worth contrary to my assessment, not even and most especially not you - is that understood? No. More. I mean it!"
Strange Melodies
He saved his comments until after she had settled onto the cement bench near him and had torn her granola bar package open. "You were missed yesterday." It was a simple statement, so very much in keeping with what she knew of him, but Jeri felt it like a small electric shock through her whole body. He actually had missed her.
"Thank you." She handed him his apple for the afternoon. "It's good to be back."
"My thanks." The grey eyes watched her closely as the apple disappeared as quickly as usual, and then the dark head tipped slightly. "Something has changed."
Jeri nodded slowly and then, picking up her bottle of water, she slid to the sidewalk facing the harpist. She extended the bottle for the now-daily rinse. "Do you think I'm crazy for thinking that I could actually find something to do here…" She waved her hand around her, indicating the entire community. "…rather than going back to the well-paying job I had in the city?"
"What do you think?" Wet palms left a slightly dark set of streaks over his thighs. He returned the water and then reached for the harp again.
"Oh!" she chuckled with a wry shake of the head, "I already know I'm nuts."
Scarred hands stilled without having yet touched the strings, and grey eyes delved deeper into hers. "Why do you say that?"
"Because I don't know that I can make enough to live on here." Jeri gave him a sharp look of her own. "Tell me, are you a shrink when you're not slumming playing street musician?"
The harpist snorted and shook his head. "While I have been many things in life, a 'shrinker' has never been one of them." Finally he allowed a few, ruffling chords escape his instrument. "And I do not call this 'slumming.' It is what I do."
end of clips and hints
All I can promise is that I am working on them all, as my Muse allows. When they are finished and have been run through whatever beta/concrit process they need, they will be posted.
So read at your own risk....
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no subject
Date: 2009-08-18 08:36 pm (UTC)Along Came A Spider : Wonderful idea! You're very brave to take on this unpopular character; it should be impossible to find any redeeming traits to her, but - judging by what you're tempting us with here - the result promises to be amazing! I'd love to read more.
I Dhaerlend Dadui : Oh yes, definitely! *g*
no subject
Date: 2009-08-19 06:07 pm (UTC)And yea. I Dhaerlend Dadui has been brewing for quite a while. I have it outlined a few chapters beyond where it stands written, but just recently had another plot bunny join the mix over there, and haven't quite figured out how to add it in. So...
WIP Meme
Date: 2009-08-19 12:08 am (UTC)Hannon le for the treat!
Hugs,
Vanime
Re: WIP Meme
Date: 2009-08-19 06:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-19 12:50 pm (UTC)The excerpts are very good. I know I've read at least half of them before. They leave me very much wanting more.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-19 06:10 pm (UTC)This meme is certainly naughty of us writers to indulge in, isn't it - teasing our readers unmercifully...
Glad you enjoyed.