don't fear the sun.

SOME UPDATES:

For the time being, I'm moving all my writing endeavour talk and other book-related stuff (my own and others') to prosepoetry. I just... needed a change of air. But you are all welcome to make the move with me, if you want. I friend back, no questions asked.



Lest They Leave has been posted, all 13 chapters, to madscenes. It can be found here. I would love if you'd read and/or comment. Might post it to AO3 at some point, but this is it for now.

As always around these parts, it's barely Friday yet, it's more like four hours from Thursday, still, but Google has informed me it's the 8th now, so that means it's Friday and International Women's Day, if you celebrate that. Some years I do. Some years I don't. I feel like it's gonna be a don't year this year.

Today will be a big cleaning day, lots of stuff to do around the apartment, as well as me doing final rounds of editing on chapter 6 + 7 of Lest They Leave (I'd call it proofreading, but there are still enough edits that I don't think that really covers what I'm doing), these are the two primary things. While K. vacuums the place, I'll be shopping groceries and making ready for dinner prep. That's in the afternoon.

It's also the day of fourth check-in for smallfandombang, so at some point today or over the weekend, I'll need to check-in and report on my progress. I did find a sort of beta which is good enough for me, honestly. I'm relatively happy about my writing in this piece that I think I can do without an actual beta. Still need to do a good chunk of work on formatting and posting this shit, though. Sigh.

Least favourite part of the challenge experience.

Today was also the day when it was officially announced that Our Flag Means Death won't be renewed for a third season which isn't that huge a surprise, but from the sideline (through my girlfriend), I've really seen the fandom give their all for this and I'm a bit sad on their behalf. Personally, I'd be very happy if we left Ed and Stede where season 2 leaves them. I didn't honestly need a third (or fourth) season of drama, tearing them apart and possibly putting them back together (or not, you never know with these things, we know how history went, or do we), so while I am sad for the fandom that really went all in on this and fought so valiantly, I'm mostly relieved. Season 2 is my favourite (for many reasons), mainly because it lands the main couple in a place I can live with and have craved to see in popular media, so.

Mixed feelings, I guess. Mixed blessing.

I should go back to bed, honestly, but not sure I could sleep. But maybe I should just try. I can always get up again, if not.

Is that a plan?

I can't believe the 22nd is almost over. The last couple of days have flown by. K. had a friend over who normally lives in Norway, so they only see each other a couple of times a year (aside from their weekly Skype dates), so when they meet up, they do literal 12 hour marathons, often with her friend staying the night. Yesterday, this was particularly relevant, seeing as a big storm passed over Denmark and it would have been dangerous for her to walk home any later than two in the afternoon. We had pizza for dinner from a goumet pizza place nearby and they watched The Haunting of Hill House (again, it's their go-to) while I went to bed early. K.'s friend is a sweetheart, but all that socialization for hours on end tires me out something awful. I did, however, sleep through the night until eight in the morning, which was nice. It happens rarely these days.



Today, we've filled up our fridge for the x-mas days, relying mostly on having things in the fridge we can take up to defrost and cook for the next four days straight. No shopping possibilities until the 27th again. The 24th is spoken for, since my parents-in-law will be in charge of food there, but tomorrow and the 25th + 26th, we're on our own. We are probably gonna realize we are missing something at some point, like toilet paper or something, haha. Ah well, I can buy stuff tomorrow select places.



K. also showed me the incredible honour of taking me with her to the local piano store where they have studios with grand pianos you can rent by the hour and practice. She went to practice the piece she's currently working on, Thème Varié by Cécile Chaminade and asked me to film it for her personal review. She played it three times in a row and I love that piece so much, I never tire of it. Especially the final time, she had such a beautiful contrast between the heavier and forceful parts opposite the very light, delicate parts and I was so happy to hear her really connect with the music. She tells me all sorts of interesting things about it, when she plays, so although I understand maybe a percentage of it, not being a musician myself, I feel how much she enjoys playing and how much joy it gives to her life.

I want her to keep having that. If we lived somewhere bigger, I'd even say yes to her buying a grand piano. As it is, us living in an apartment complex, it's too much of a hassle and we'd have to clear out the living room, hahaha.



We're nearing the end of my Christmas calendar from K., too. I've really enjoyed this calendar a lot and I can't wait to read what the final two days hide. The story is really reaching its climax now.



I also told K. today - probably inspired by the intimate piano concert I was given - that I was planning to write her something inspired by her love for music and outlined the idea for her. Her reaction tells me there are a few details in the set-up I'll need to fix, but otherwise she seemed to like the concept, so I'm sticking to it. We just need to get on the other side of Christmas Eve... She has some birthdays and Christmas dinner on the 25th, so I'll be home alone there most day. Hopefully that means I can get started on writing that thing. I have a very clear idea of the main characters now, at least. And I see the setting pretty clearly, too. Being another historical story, but from another period, I will need to research some stuff, but bring it on. It can't go any worse than last time, LOL.



K. has also been playing a lot of x-mas hymns the past days and I'm beginning to feel the atmosphere, if not exactly the cheer.

I have hope. Like my friend, who's coming tomorrow for tea, wrote me yesterday, the shortest day of the year is behind us, ahead lies the light.

That's beautiful.