That's disappointing
Aug. 19th, 2023 10:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessToday I went back to my coffee shop and did some writing. The only other thing I did was go to the library to get 'graphic novels only' (I got none but I did get two YA novels and the number of a tai chi instructor for my wellness committee) and forgot my insulin (I have enough til I can get back up there on Thursday)
All I did was edit the novel otherwise and deal with a cat who wants cuddled at all times (dude no one has time for this)
The disappointing part was one of my friends called from the conference I couldn't go to (and have been sitting here weepy eyed about all weekend as they post pictures) She's the only one to be upset I wasn't there (not expressed in the group feed) I was on the old desk top which doesn't do video. By the time I got to the phone and/or laptop (figuring one of them would work) my friend was going back to the hotel. 'I'll call you from there.'
No, she didn't. Ah well. Not mad about it. Probably got there and got busy. I'm just disappointed the tech didn't work on my end. Disappointed that I waited the rest of the night hoping it would. sigh
Title: Term Paper Woes
Summary: All Malcolm wants is to finish his term paper. All Vijay wants is some sleep. All they do is distract each other.
Notes: Written for Spikesgirl58’s six words challenge. The six words were Surgeon, Breakfast, Paragraph, Unique, Message & Minority
here on AO3 (Prodigal Son)
“Will you turn that light out and go to bed!” Vijay groaned, winging a pillow at Malcolm sitting at his desk. “You’ve been at it since breakfast!”
Malcolm caught the pillow and tossed it back, hitting Vijay in the face. “Just one more paragraph and I’ll have the rough draft done.” The one annoying thing about boarding school – okay there were tons of annoying things about boarding school but the one pestering him now was they believed roommates built character. Obviously they had forgotten their own roommate days. It wasn’t that he hated Vijay, far from it. He was Malcolm’s only and best friend.
On the other hand, having his own space was something Malcolm held dear. He shouldn’t complain. Vijay put up with his nightmares without disparaging him or whining. That was more than he should be able hope for. Still, he’d rather not have an audience for nightly horror double feature his brain treated him too because the thick, well-guarded walls of Claremont couldn’t stop The Surgeon from visiting him in his dreams. It had been so bad lately that Gil had put all his weapons in the gun safe, half afraid Malcolm might try to erase all his father had done with a lead lobotomy while visiting him and Jackie. He scowled, wishing he’d get to see Gil during his break but that wasn’t to be. Gil had a big case and the planned trip allowed no wiggle room. Thanks, Mom.
“Ugh.” Vijay swung out of bed and sauntered over in his deep blue silk pajamas. The room was on the chilly side because the Nineteenth Century Victorian that functioned as their dorm had the most unreliable heater. It was either a sweltering swamp in the room or their water glasses ended up ice rimed. “We have until after spring break to get that done, Whitly.”
“Yes but if I get it done now, I won’t have to worry about it over break. Besides, yours and mine will have to be extra good or Mr. Long will fail us. I hate that the humanities is so subjective. If the teacher doesn’t like you, they can take it out on you way easier than math and science can. There it’s right or wrong not some weird scale of subjectiveness.”
Vijay snorted. “You’re paranoid but also not wrong.”
“This would have been so much more fun if he’d just have let me read The Lord of the Rings.” Malcolm slapped his desk top. “How is that not a classic?”
“Science fiction and fantasy has no place in classical literature. It is mere puffery for lesser minds,” Vijay quoted their teacher doing a fair imitation of him, making Malcolm snicker.
“He’s such a dick.” Malcolm savored the mild swear. Even that would have gotten him reprimanded at home. That was the less annoying thing about boarding school, all the swears and bad behaviors they could indulge in when the staff wasn’t looking. Too bad too much of the bad behavior was directed at him and Vijay. “And you made everything worse by asking what dead white guy we were being forced to read next and was there any reason you couldn’t read Nirmala because it was an Indian classic?”
“I didn’t even want to read it. I was just screwing with him.” Vijay sat on Malcolm’s desk. “Long’s such a classist, racist dick I wanted to see what would happen. How was I to know he’d rant for thirty minutes and then double the word count on our book report?”
“You wore bruises for a week from the whole class.”
“Totally worth it.”
“You’re in a minority opinion on that one. They kicked the crap out of me too as if I somehow encouraged you.”
“You started it with bringing up Tolkien who, at least, is a dead white guy.”
Malcolm snorted. “I’m thankful Dracula was on the list and explain to me how that isn’t fantasy?”
“Hey, I picked Frankenstein because it was by a woman and also science fiction.” Vijay spread his hands wide. “I wasn’t dumb enough to ask how those two counted as classics and Tolkien didn’t. I just wish Shelley’s book wasn’t so….boring.”
“Another thing not to say to Mr. Long and ditto with Dracula. All I know is we can’t watch the movies and pretend to read it because they aren’t anything like the book.”
“You sure we can’t do a side by side comparison of them?”
Malcolm wrinkled his nose. “I don’t know. All Long said was it had to be a unique look at the works. We’re fourteen years old and these books have been talked about for a century or more. How damn unique can we get?”
“I’m not wasting one second of worrying time on that. Put the thing to bed, Whitly so I can get some sleep. I know you don’t need any but I get cranky if I don’t get at least six hours.” Vijay yawned for emphasis.
“Almost done… if you’d quit distracting me.”
“Oh, me? Distracting?” Vijay leaned back on the desk striking a pose.
Malcolm pretended to ignore him.
Pouting, Vijay straightened back up. “Got a message from Mom. She wants to know if you’re sure you can’t come home.”
“Positive. Tell her thank you for the invitation. Mom is taking me and Ainsley for a week of fun and sun at Playa de Bolonia in Spain. She’s all about toes in the sand and me getting sunburned on every aspect of my body.” He pulled a long face.
“You are pretty milky white. You’ll be redder than Horton’s hair when you get back.”
“Not comforting Vijay.” Malcolm hit save on his Dracula article. It wasn’t getting done tonight. “I don’t even like lying around on beaches.”
“Because you’re broken.” Vijay nudged him with his knee. “Sucks to be you then.”
“I made her promise at least one day we could go to Baelo Claudia which is a Roman ruin right on the beach. They used to make garum there.”
“I have no idea what that is.”
Malcolm wagged his head. “Because you pay no attention in Holleran’s history class. It’s a fermented fish sauce which sounds disgusting.”
“You do know Worcestershire sauce is fermented fish.” Vijay cocked up his eyebrows.
“Thanks for ruining it.”
“Go to bed, Whitly or else.”
“Or else what?” Malcolm smirked.
Vijay hopped off the desk and leaned down to steal a kiss. “I’ll let your imagination fill in that blank.”
“You’re awful.” Malcolm pushed back from the desk.
“You love it that way.”
Yes Malcolm truly did. A few more of Vijay’s kisses might even let him have a good dream for once. He wasn’t counting on it but he looked forward to experimenting with his theory.
Golden Vines The Owl House wip
Deal With The Devil. Lucifer/Batman Under the Red Hood
With Or Without You Stargate Atlantis
Shifters Teen Wolf
End Racism in the OTW || Art: Duo'Erla The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty (art
Wakey, Wakey! Teen Wolf/Shadowhunters
Vengeance Denied. FAKE
Take Me Out To the Ballgame Stargate
Devil Dog Sapphire and Steel
Dinner At The Manor The Owl House
Aftermath 9-1-1
Fitting In Torchwood
Burning Again The Owl House wip
I'm Still Here The Owl House
Severus' Story Harry Potter
In Search For Harry Harry Potter
Days of Future Past Buffy the Vampire Slayer wip
A Mundane Slice Of Life The Owl House
Put It In Writing Stargate Atlantis
...Gizmo, The Newest Member Of The Graham Pack Hannibal/Gremlins
Sometimes Rain That's Needed Falls The Owl House
Fallen Kingdom Prodigal Son
Magical Book Shopping Harry Potter/9-1-1
Twisting The Night Away Torchwood
...Endless Pawsibilities 9-1-1
Harry's Story Harry Potter
Not What I Signed Up For 9-1-1
can only drift away Monster Prom /Re:CREATORS
Resorting To Friendship The Owl House wip
[Autumn] The Season Of Love Teen Wolf
& The Night Before Christmas Polar
Family Planning The Owl House
The Bard The Witcher
Someone is trying to animate a fan virtual series for the Owl House
Okay.. I don't collect a lot of figures. These are GORGEOUS and I rather want them
The Owl House amv Hunter centric with honestly perfect lyrics
This Owl House animation made me laugh
All I did was edit the novel otherwise and deal with a cat who wants cuddled at all times (dude no one has time for this)
The disappointing part was one of my friends called from the conference I couldn't go to (and have been sitting here weepy eyed about all weekend as they post pictures) She's the only one to be upset I wasn't there (not expressed in the group feed) I was on the old desk top which doesn't do video. By the time I got to the phone and/or laptop (figuring one of them would work) my friend was going back to the hotel. 'I'll call you from there.'
No, she didn't. Ah well. Not mad about it. Probably got there and got busy. I'm just disappointed the tech didn't work on my end. Disappointed that I waited the rest of the night hoping it would. sigh
Title: Term Paper Woes
Summary: All Malcolm wants is to finish his term paper. All Vijay wants is some sleep. All they do is distract each other.
Notes: Written for Spikesgirl58’s six words challenge. The six words were Surgeon, Breakfast, Paragraph, Unique, Message & Minority
here on AO3 (Prodigal Son)
“Will you turn that light out and go to bed!” Vijay groaned, winging a pillow at Malcolm sitting at his desk. “You’ve been at it since breakfast!”
Malcolm caught the pillow and tossed it back, hitting Vijay in the face. “Just one more paragraph and I’ll have the rough draft done.” The one annoying thing about boarding school – okay there were tons of annoying things about boarding school but the one pestering him now was they believed roommates built character. Obviously they had forgotten their own roommate days. It wasn’t that he hated Vijay, far from it. He was Malcolm’s only and best friend.
On the other hand, having his own space was something Malcolm held dear. He shouldn’t complain. Vijay put up with his nightmares without disparaging him or whining. That was more than he should be able hope for. Still, he’d rather not have an audience for nightly horror double feature his brain treated him too because the thick, well-guarded walls of Claremont couldn’t stop The Surgeon from visiting him in his dreams. It had been so bad lately that Gil had put all his weapons in the gun safe, half afraid Malcolm might try to erase all his father had done with a lead lobotomy while visiting him and Jackie. He scowled, wishing he’d get to see Gil during his break but that wasn’t to be. Gil had a big case and the planned trip allowed no wiggle room. Thanks, Mom.
“Ugh.” Vijay swung out of bed and sauntered over in his deep blue silk pajamas. The room was on the chilly side because the Nineteenth Century Victorian that functioned as their dorm had the most unreliable heater. It was either a sweltering swamp in the room or their water glasses ended up ice rimed. “We have until after spring break to get that done, Whitly.”
“Yes but if I get it done now, I won’t have to worry about it over break. Besides, yours and mine will have to be extra good or Mr. Long will fail us. I hate that the humanities is so subjective. If the teacher doesn’t like you, they can take it out on you way easier than math and science can. There it’s right or wrong not some weird scale of subjectiveness.”
Vijay snorted. “You’re paranoid but also not wrong.”
“This would have been so much more fun if he’d just have let me read The Lord of the Rings.” Malcolm slapped his desk top. “How is that not a classic?”
“Science fiction and fantasy has no place in classical literature. It is mere puffery for lesser minds,” Vijay quoted their teacher doing a fair imitation of him, making Malcolm snicker.
“He’s such a dick.” Malcolm savored the mild swear. Even that would have gotten him reprimanded at home. That was the less annoying thing about boarding school, all the swears and bad behaviors they could indulge in when the staff wasn’t looking. Too bad too much of the bad behavior was directed at him and Vijay. “And you made everything worse by asking what dead white guy we were being forced to read next and was there any reason you couldn’t read Nirmala because it was an Indian classic?”
“I didn’t even want to read it. I was just screwing with him.” Vijay sat on Malcolm’s desk. “Long’s such a classist, racist dick I wanted to see what would happen. How was I to know he’d rant for thirty minutes and then double the word count on our book report?”
“You wore bruises for a week from the whole class.”
“Totally worth it.”
“You’re in a minority opinion on that one. They kicked the crap out of me too as if I somehow encouraged you.”
“You started it with bringing up Tolkien who, at least, is a dead white guy.”
Malcolm snorted. “I’m thankful Dracula was on the list and explain to me how that isn’t fantasy?”
“Hey, I picked Frankenstein because it was by a woman and also science fiction.” Vijay spread his hands wide. “I wasn’t dumb enough to ask how those two counted as classics and Tolkien didn’t. I just wish Shelley’s book wasn’t so….boring.”
“Another thing not to say to Mr. Long and ditto with Dracula. All I know is we can’t watch the movies and pretend to read it because they aren’t anything like the book.”
“You sure we can’t do a side by side comparison of them?”
Malcolm wrinkled his nose. “I don’t know. All Long said was it had to be a unique look at the works. We’re fourteen years old and these books have been talked about for a century or more. How damn unique can we get?”
“I’m not wasting one second of worrying time on that. Put the thing to bed, Whitly so I can get some sleep. I know you don’t need any but I get cranky if I don’t get at least six hours.” Vijay yawned for emphasis.
“Almost done… if you’d quit distracting me.”
“Oh, me? Distracting?” Vijay leaned back on the desk striking a pose.
Malcolm pretended to ignore him.
Pouting, Vijay straightened back up. “Got a message from Mom. She wants to know if you’re sure you can’t come home.”
“Positive. Tell her thank you for the invitation. Mom is taking me and Ainsley for a week of fun and sun at Playa de Bolonia in Spain. She’s all about toes in the sand and me getting sunburned on every aspect of my body.” He pulled a long face.
“You are pretty milky white. You’ll be redder than Horton’s hair when you get back.”
“Not comforting Vijay.” Malcolm hit save on his Dracula article. It wasn’t getting done tonight. “I don’t even like lying around on beaches.”
“Because you’re broken.” Vijay nudged him with his knee. “Sucks to be you then.”
“I made her promise at least one day we could go to Baelo Claudia which is a Roman ruin right on the beach. They used to make garum there.”
“I have no idea what that is.”
Malcolm wagged his head. “Because you pay no attention in Holleran’s history class. It’s a fermented fish sauce which sounds disgusting.”
“You do know Worcestershire sauce is fermented fish.” Vijay cocked up his eyebrows.
“Thanks for ruining it.”
“Go to bed, Whitly or else.”
“Or else what?” Malcolm smirked.
Vijay hopped off the desk and leaned down to steal a kiss. “I’ll let your imagination fill in that blank.”
“You’re awful.” Malcolm pushed back from the desk.
“You love it that way.”
Yes Malcolm truly did. A few more of Vijay’s kisses might even let him have a good dream for once. He wasn’t counting on it but he looked forward to experimenting with his theory.
Golden Vines The Owl House wip
Deal With The Devil. Lucifer/Batman Under the Red Hood
With Or Without You Stargate Atlantis
Shifters Teen Wolf
End Racism in the OTW || Art: Duo'Erla The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty (art
Wakey, Wakey! Teen Wolf/Shadowhunters
Vengeance Denied. FAKE
Take Me Out To the Ballgame Stargate
Devil Dog Sapphire and Steel
Dinner At The Manor The Owl House
Aftermath 9-1-1
Fitting In Torchwood
Burning Again The Owl House wip
I'm Still Here The Owl House
Severus' Story Harry Potter
In Search For Harry Harry Potter
Days of Future Past Buffy the Vampire Slayer wip
A Mundane Slice Of Life The Owl House
Put It In Writing Stargate Atlantis
...Gizmo, The Newest Member Of The Graham Pack Hannibal/Gremlins
Sometimes Rain That's Needed Falls The Owl House
Fallen Kingdom Prodigal Son
Magical Book Shopping Harry Potter/9-1-1
Twisting The Night Away Torchwood
...Endless Pawsibilities 9-1-1
Harry's Story Harry Potter
Not What I Signed Up For 9-1-1
can only drift away Monster Prom /Re:CREATORS
Resorting To Friendship The Owl House wip
[Autumn] The Season Of Love Teen Wolf
& The Night Before Christmas Polar
Family Planning The Owl House
The Bard The Witcher
Someone is trying to animate a fan virtual series for the Owl House
Okay.. I don't collect a lot of figures. These are GORGEOUS and I rather want them
The Owl House amv Hunter centric with honestly perfect lyrics
This Owl House animation made me laugh
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