ammaranth

Dark Times For The Rebellion - Toko I Miss You!!!

: ammaranth; June 7th, 2010

Current Location:: A nice, creepy vault

Current Mood:: pensive

Current Music:: I Think You're Crazy

Many of my friends are convinced I am a vampire. It probably has something to do with my extremely pale complexion, aversion to sunlight, penchant for dark colors, and the fact that when I sleep, I go into a comatose, corpse-like state. Most of these can be blamed on an elusive blood disorder, but one of my more subtle vampy traits is that I have a very weird, disconnected sense of time.

Some people would simply call this being hopelessly uninformed, but I find out and remember things strangely. I'll talk about something from YEARS ago as if it had happened yesterday. But while I usually get a dose of headlines and pop-news from the Internet, very often I won't find out about some new movie, band, or trend until long after its popularity has come and gone.

Case in point: I'd had an inkling that something was up in the manga world -- all the nice omnibus editions from Del Rey were a welcome addition -- they saved me a few bucks on the first 3 volumes of Negima and XXXHOLiC. And a friend of mine had mentioned something about Kodansha pulling their licenses from Tokyopop. I didn't think much of it at the time because said friend is a bit like Chicken Little; to him, the sky is always falling. The problem is that said friend is also more than a little bit like Gandalf, in the sense that when he shows up with bad news, he usually has a pretty good idea of what he is talking about. So far, he has yet to fall off a bridge while fighting a Balrog and re-emerge clad in white with new wizard powers, but I'm still waiting.

So I knew things were less than good, certainly not great, but it wasn't until I decided to muck around over at TP's site to look at their submissions page, which led on a trail through ANN, to Deb's Manga Blog (with a side trip to Wikipedia -- isn't the internet fun?) that I confirmed what a trip to a local bookstore had already told me. Many great, "classic" manga titles have relocated, but some, sadly, are out of print, including my beloved Love Hina.

I own all the books, so it shouldn't be that big of an issue, but LH was the first series I collected in its entirety, and it has kind of a special meaning for me. I suppose it's a weird form of moe -- not like my undead miko obsession, though that's probably pretty strange, too -- but moe in the sense of becoming attached to something in ways that are not easy to quantify or explain. Love Hina was the first manga I really collected. When I finished the anime, I was so taken with it, I went out at bought the books, joined a forum, and even wrote a fanfic for it -- all so I could spend more time with the Hina girls, especially Motoko. And it makes me just a little bit sad to think that right now, those books aren't out there on the shelves anymore.

If you'd like to see my Love Hina fanfic, it can be found on Fanfiction.net, Media Miner, or Deviant Art, under the title "Motoko's Secret" I'll put links below.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5761245/1/Motokos_Secret

http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_ch.php?cid=583462&submit=View+Chapter&id=165256

http://ammaranth.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2jvjy2

Tags: love hina motoko aoyama miko anime manga

Sabbath -- Not A Black Sabbath, More Red and White, With Some Silver Highlights . . .

: ammaranth; June 5th, 2010

Current Location:: 600 AD

Current Mood:: awake

Current Music:: The Day The World Revived

It's been a long haul, but the final chapter of Moon Behind Clouds is up! I'll go on at length about it and post links in a later post, but for right now, I'm off to drink beer, eat pizza, and play me some Chrono Trigger -- heck yeah!!! See you all soon :D

Singing To Bob Dylan is HARD!

: ammaranth; April 29th, 2010

Current Location:: In my car/sound booth

Current Mood:: thoughtful

Current Music:: The Times They Are A Changin'

I've come to the conclusion that sometimes in life, the things that we do that end up meaning the most to us are little things -- ones that we don't even realize that we're DOING at the time.

For the last several nights, I've been listening to Dylan on the way home in the car, basking in the fact that I FINALLY got around to burning a new cd -- it only took me four months to get to it :P -- and YES, I still listen to cds in the car, not caring for radio, and not quite ready for the "new-fangled" in dash mp3 player.

I listen to a hodge podge of stuff -- trippy electronica like Robot High School (there's an awesome Chachamaru AMV set to it, if you're into that kind of thing), the Shiny Toy Guns cover of "Major Tom Comes Home", which itself was a sequel/tribute to the old David Bowie song, which is pretty darn cool in its own right, and "Shake It", the song that got me hooked on K-ON!, in spite of the fact that I've never actually SEEN the show; I just drool over Mio while watching the AMV, but then again, from what I've heard about K-ON!'s level of plot development, this is somehow entirely appropriate. Mio, I still love you.

I almost never buy or listen to complete cd's anymore, preferring instead to mix my own. The top of the playlist is front loaded with dance techno -- really fast stuff to listen to while I'm rushing off to work in the morning -- but towards the end, I put in some more relaxing tracks that help me unwind on the way home: some nice game music, a few folk rock pieces (Dylan's in here) and even one Celtic ballad.

I love STORY artists, like Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, David Bowie, and Elvis Costello. And there's usually a story behind every track I burn onto a cd. In the case of Dylan, the song is "The Times They Are A Changin' ", and I got hooked on it after seeing it used in the opening for Watchmen. I didn't like the movie at first. It leaves a very nasty taste in your mouth. But it grows on you -- it's one of those movies you don't necessarily enjoy, but it's very powerful. It makes you think, and while I initially hated the film, I found myself thinking more and more about it over time. The opening in particular is amazing, for the way it tells a mini-story in itself, that whole death of Camelot in America, as retold with super heroes.

As mentioned in the title, singing along to Dylan is HARD. He has such an unusual voice, and the way he uses broken timing and off beat rhythms is so tricky, that even if you know the words, you find yourself saying them a moment BEFORE or AFTER he sings them. I'm no great vocalist -- sang in the school choir back in elementary, but that's about it. And I don't usually sing in the car. Or the shower. Or anywhere else, for that matter, but out of sheer joy at having some new music to listen to, and slap-happiness from being way too tired, these past few nights, I've been belting 'em out, and having a good laugh at myself at the same time. I must say I'm pleased to report that for this evening's commute/studio session, I was for the most part able to stay with him.

But getting back to the point, very often in life, its the silly little things, like singing (even badly) in the car, while driving home at night, that we later look back on and remember fondly. And tonight, I realized, as I was turning off of the main drag, onto a side street, that at some point in the future, I would be looking back on nights like this and times like this, and remembering them with that sepia toned fondness which time imparts to things, making them more than they were, or, perhaps more accurately, revealing what they really were all along -- we just didn't know it at the time.

"And the present now will later be past . . ." The times ARE changing. But we must not forget to enjoy things for the way they are now.

"Moon Behind Clouds"

: ammaranth; April 19th, 2010

Current Location:: The Feudal Era

Current Mood:: thoughtful

Current Music:: "Beautiful Love"

Well, the updates haven't been as forthcoming as I would like, but I *have* been keeping regular updates with my stories. I just haven't been posting notices for them here! But hoping to change that, and turn over a new leaf, lets start things off fresh with the first chapter of my new Inuyasha fic, "Moon Behind Clouds." This one is a departure from the style I used for "Motoko's Secret." Whereas the former was a romantic comedy, with lots of humor about boobs and fanservice (which one would expect from a fic based on Love HIna), "Moon Behind Clouds" relies instead on romantic tension, and while there is some humor, it is much more of a romance than a comedy.

The premise is that Sesshomaru and Kikyo find themselves on the same road, and in pursuit of the same mysterious demon. They're faced with a choice: they COULD work together -- but neither the proud lord nor the headstrong miko is known for being willing to compromise. Will they join forces to slay the demon? Or will they kill each other first?

I've posted it below, and will be updating it regularly on my FanFiction account:

http://www.fanfiction.net/~ammaranthe

and on MediaMiner:

http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_ch.php/165821/585960#fic_c

As usual, the standard legalese applies: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters, I'm not making any money off of this, be sure to read/watch/buy the original, etc. etc.

And so, here is:

Moon Behind Clouds

Chapter 1

    “Demon! Tell me your name…”

    The priestess held an arrow in her bow, bent to full draw.

    “Who I am, and what my name is, are none of your concern.”

    “Suppose that I MAKE them my concern? I would know the name of the one I am about to kill!”

    The ghostly figure in white sighed, as if this sort of thing were an ordinary, everyday sort of inconvenience.
    “You must be the priestess Kikyo…”

( Read more... )

Tags: week 36 alternate pairings

If This Is How Victoria Keeps A Secret . . .

: ammaranth; March 29th, 2010

Current Location:: The Hinata Apartments

Current Mood:: happy

Current Music:: I'm A Dreamer

It has been a LONG time since I've updated my Live Journal. AGES in net terms. It's not for lack of activity -- more an over-abundance of it. I've been busy with work, studying, and trying to have a social life, but in the mean time, I have FINALLY posted my fanfic, Motoko's Secret!

The story revolves around what happens when Motoko's amazing sword skills prove a little too powerful for her own good. It's up to Keitaro Urashima, her love interest/punching bag to try to find some way to help her, but when poor Keitaro tries to be of service, fanservice is usually the result!

I had done something of a beta test over at AnimeB, a great stomping ground for fans of both Love Hina and Negima. Since then, I've been posting new installments weekly on FanFiction.net, Media Miner, and Deviant Art. I'll include links to these below, along with an LJ cut of the first chapter, for anyone who's interested.

I had originally intended to post notices here weekly as new chapters went up, but time got away from me, and as of now, the final chapter actually went up this past weekend. The bright side is that if you do like the story, you can read it in its entirety, all at once, without having to wait for updates, or wonder if the story will even be finished. If you have the time, I'd greatly appreciate it if you checked it out, and told me what you think:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5761245/1/Motokos_Secret

http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_ch.php?cid=583462&submit=View+Chapter&id=165256

http://ammaranth.deviantart.com/

And here's the first chapter, neatly tucked away in an LJ Cut:

Motoko's Secret

Chapter 1

    Mist hung on the Blue Mountains. But the eyes of Motoko Aoyama were clear.
    Overhead, a white banner flapped in the wind. It read: “Raika High Annual Kendo Championship”.
    Motoko sat in seiza. Her legs were folded neatly underneath her, with her feet tucked behind her. Her knees were modestly pressed together. She was wearing the blue hakama pants and white kimono top that were the uniform for her fencing school. Rain was falling, making a slow, steady drizzle as it scoured her kendo armor. So far, the rain had struck the only blows to land on her that day. No opponent’s sword had gotten through.
( Read more... )

If you like this first chapter, you can read the rest of the story by going to any one of the links above. My apologies for not updating sooner. In the future, I intend to be posting more regularly. I have an Inuyasha fanfiction I'm going to be posting, along with some poetry, and a Strike Witches story that I just started. More on these, and more often, will be coming soon!

A/N: Oh, I had better include some of this:

The Legalese [you can skip this if you're not Perry Mason] :[/I] I don't own Love Hina, or any of the characters portrayed in this work (though I'd REALLY like to own Aoyama-hime ;) I'm not making any money off of this. I'm doing this for the sheer joy of writing, and of indulging my ongoing miko and tsundere obsession. Thank you for reading. No ronin were harmed during the making of this fic.

Cleaning Up 'Toko

: ammaranth; February 12th, 2010

Current Location:: The Hinata Dorms

'Cause she's dirty. Not too much going on here. Just working a little bit on a sig banner to promote my new fanfic, "Motoko's Secret". I should be posting it this weekend. That, and hoping my pants get done in the drier before I have to leave for work. REALLY hoping . . .

Soul Eater Review !!!

: ammaranth; February 9th, 2010

Current Location:: The halls of the DWMA

Current Mood:: ZZzzZZzz

Current Music:: "resonance" by TMR

Hmm, a lot going on, including posting a Love Hina fanfic, writing a new Kikyo one, researching for an original story I'd been stalled on, but just got my inspiration back, and of course, work, and nowhere near as much studying or exercise as SHOULD be transpiring.

More on all of that in the future, but for right now, I just had a review of the new anime, Soul Eater, go up over at WAMG. At the moment, you can find it on the front page by going to

www.wearemoviegeeks.com

but if you are reading this at a later date, the direct link is:

http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2010/02/animania-soul-eater/

It's a great series, very much a shounen, with lots of action and yelling, and a bit of fanservice, but lots of fun, too.

A Time Between Times

: ammaranth; January 28th, 2010

Current Location:: The Chateau d'If

Current Mood:: thoughtful

Current Music:: Sleeping Sun

There's something about the sound of steel drums late at night, when you should be sleeping. Lately it feels like a time between times -- or a place between places. I have this notebook of all these things I want to do, sites I want to visit -- like actually READ K-ON!, instead of just drooling over Mio -- or watch more Asura Cryin -- or finally make one of those Negi/Nagi/Ginko/Gene/Alex Row cosplays I've been talking about. I'd really like to get into doing cosplay photoshoots, but lately, there's just so little time.

I used to be better about keeping up with all of this stuff. Every couple of weeks, I'd sit down and just go through the odds and ends of my To Do List. It was rare to never that I'd get to everything, but at least I'd get SOME of it done. Nowadays, it all seems crazy. I'd been hoping things would settle down a bit after Christmas, but so far, no such luck. These days, its hard to find time for little things, even like posting here. As it is, I should have been in bed, sleeping, fifteen minutes ago. Consider this my own private rebellion of staying up way too late, and listening to music.

It's not that nothing's been happening. I've just been too busy to write about it. Hopefully that will change soon. I've got a short story -- a fanfic, based on Love Hina, that should be going up in the next few weeks. For now, all I can do is put my head down, and make my way through this tunnel of life, and hope I can find some underground clearing, where the light from the surface filters down to us her beneath.

A Riceball Alien In A Sailor Suit!

: ammaranth; December 29th, 2009

I am totally addicted to this new site called Tinier Me. It's like Gaia, only cool :P , because the avy's are animated and you can walk around and do stuff. So far I've blown several hours mucking around, buying outfits, and shopping for all kinds of stuff I want to put in my virtual room, but can't afford yet.

And best of all, your first friend, Selfy, wears a blue SAILOR SUIT!!! That's way cooler than that Tom guy you get as your first friend on My Space! Woot woot! -- Sorry Tom, no offense, but sailor suits rule, and Selfy is way cuter.

Speaking of sailor suits . . .

(goes off to find Kagome)

If you want to hang out with me on Tinier Me, just go to www.tinierme.com, and you too can blow untold amounts of time and virtual cash.

Economics With Holo 101

: ammaranth; December 23rd, 2009

Current Location:: An apple cart, heading to the Far North

Current Mood:: drained

Current Music:: "I Still Remember You" by Blackmore's Night

Today's lesson:

I write a column called AniMania for We Are Movie Geeks, a website dedicated to both mainstream and genre cinema. I'm the resident Anime Geek, and this week's feature is Spice and Wolf, a new series from Funimation. The bombshell in the picture is Holo. Don't let her cute looks fool you -- she's actually a wolf in fanservice clothing! She'll steal your heart, spend your money, and drink your booze -- but hey, that's just the good parts!

Fanservice aside, it really is an excellent show -- very intellectual, with a lot of philosophy, and a nice love story to boot. Funimation has some episodes you can watch on their site at http://www.funimation.com/spiceandwolf/

You can read my review at http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2009/12/animania-spice-wolf/

I've got quite a few columns up, with some of the recent ones including Evangelion 1.01 and the long awaited conclusion to Inuyasya, dubbed "The Final Act", so look around, explore the site, have fun, just remember, if you give someone a fish, he'll eat for a day, but if you give Holo an apple, she'll follow you for a lifetime!

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A noble game you played with me, you bound my heart and set me free . . .