Dee Laundry

I won't fully exhale until noon Eastern on January 20, but nonetheless, am glad to have seen the backside of 2020. There were some good things that happened, though, so I'll follow the example of kass and list some gratitudes.

( Good job hooray )


Goals for 2021

- Come up with a career goal, so there's something to look forward to / move toward professionally.

- Establish the habit of reading books in addition to fanfic. Aim for one per month.

- Be more prompt in replying to all forms of communication that call for a reply.


( Will/would like to do in 2021 )

Reached one of my two 2020 goals:

I got a good job!

I started this week at a small consulting company, working on a federal contract in my field. <3 <3 <3 The health insurance is mega-expensive (it's a small company in the US, so of course) but the pay is even a little more than I was aiming for and they contribute to 401K retirement.

I am also, for the first time in three decades, an hourly worker so no unpaid evening/weekend work!

It's been a looooong, sad-sack-y twenty months of unemployment, y'all. So glad to be back in the working world.

Title: My Own Sun
Author: Dee Laundry
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: Gen
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes & John Watson
Characters: John Watson, Sherlock Holmes, Mike Stamford
Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Meet-Cute, Sherlock Plays the Violin, Humor
Summary: In this AU, about 1% of the population have soulmates with whom they are connected mentally. They can’t hear each other’s thoughts; they only hear the music that passes through the other person’s mind. The connection is formed when the younger of the pair (or even more rarely, trio) is born.
Words: 398

Beginning Notes: Credit to Tumblr user Jupiterjames for sparking this idea in me.

( I play the violin when I'm thinking, the man says. )

Kid the Younger, aka The Littlest Laundry, who is now a high schooler and taller than both me and Mr. L, just came out of his room to tell me that he's creating a new kids' show. "It's about a five year-old girl who is an only child. She eats pancakes for breakfast and doesn't have many friends. In one episode, she learns how to climb ladders. The show is kind of like Caillou but less annoying."

I said that sounded great! That he should definitely write that down!

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm probably going to pitch it to PBS Kids."

<3 <3 <3

I had a House-related dream last night, which was a real treat. ❤

I was at the movies with friends (COVID was not a thing at all) and a preview came on for a movie that had the House cast in it as aliens. Their alien costumes were kind of like the Klingons on Star Trek, in that you could see the actor's real face but the rest of their head was made up to look alien.

After the preview, an announcement was made that the cast was there to say hi to us and would sign autographs. !! Omar Epps came out first and was sort of Hugh's hype-man; it was really cute. Omar, Hugh, and all these other cast members, wearing the alien makeup, signed autographs, and toward the end of the actors was RSL, not wearing makeup, just in regular clothes (and I think he wasn't in the preview?) but he was signing autographs too.

He signed one for me, then I asked him if he'd be back on Broadway any time soon. He gave this very technical, detailed answer as he was signing autographs for other people, and his answer was so long but directed straight at me, that I had to follow him around the entire theater and ended up giving him my email address so he could tell me the rest of it.

~fin~

❤❤❤

An animal: Badger Badger Badger (Jonti Picking)

A boy's name: Me and Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin) -- my go-to karaoke song

A color: Paint It Black (Rolling Stones)

A drink: Gin & Juice (Snoop Dogg)

A food: I Want Candy (Bow Wow Wow)

A girl's name: Come on Eileen (Dexy's Midnight Runners)

A number: 867-5309 / Jenny (Tommy Tutone)

A place: London Calling (The Clash)

A profession: Paperback Writer (The Beatles)

A vehicle: Little Red Corvette (Prince)

Title: What Heights We’ll Hit
Author: Dee Laundry
Fandom: House MD
Rating: Teen
Relationships: Greg House/James Wilson, Bonnie Wilson/James Wilson, Greg House/Stacy Warner, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Characters: Greg House, James Wilson, Original Character
Tags: Marriage Proposal, Humor, Compatible with Spontaneous Remission, Did you know Wilson’s eyes are brown?
Summary: When Wilson proposed during the whole Nora thing, House really shouldn’t have been surprised.
Words: 4,800

Beginning Notes: Spoilers for all seasons of House. Set during, before, and after episode 6-11, “The Down Low.” Written for firstlovelatespring for the Equality Auction. Also meets requirement for Banned Together Bingo 2020, prompt “Positive Take on Religious Minority,” as Wilson is Jewish and House has a very positive take on him. Thank you to pwcorgigirl and bironic for beta.

( Sitting at the table in the restaurant, watching Wilson smugly drink Nora’s wine )

Title: DVD Commentary: Foreman in Aftershocks 26.3 Victory
Author: Dee Laundry
Fandoms: House MD
Relationships: Gen
Characters: Eric Foreman, Robert Chase, James Wilson
Rating: PG / Teen
Summary: Some thoughts on writing Eric Foreman
Tags: Character of Color, POV Character of Color, Comfort, Recovery, Board Games, Cooking

Welcome to the DVD commentary for “Aftershocks 26.3: Victory.” This chapter of Aftershocks is peaceful and comforting; most other chapters are far more harrowing, rated Mature for graphic violence and in the very first chapter/story “Bad Company,” one scene of rape/non-con. This meta was prompted by Banned Together Bingo 2020, prompt “Black Character with Agency.”

Disclaimer: I am a white person. The meta/DVD commentary below, therefore, is a white person talking about how they tried to write a Black character’s ideas in an in-character way.

Here are links to blogs that contain real-life Black people’s ideas about fandom/content, which need to be read. You can’t read everything that exists on the internet, obviously, but purposefully ignoring all Black people’s ideas builds White supremacy in fandom. Which is (a) harmful and (b) contrary to the inclusive ideals most people enter fandom with.

nerdsagainstfandomracism.tumblr.com
fandomshatepeopleofcolor.tumblr.com
mcufandomhatespeopleofcolor.tumblr.com
writingwithcolor.tumblr.com
diversehighfantasy.tumblr.com
TED Talk - The Danger of a Single Story

( In March 2007 )

Banned Together Bingo is on hiatus, and I’m upset. BTB has helped me think about censorship and about my own taboos. Someone said in response to the hiatus message that an “Offensive Fic” fest should be done, but that wasn’t why I was participating. It was much more to examine myself, to write some fics I’ve been scared to write, and to celebrate that many of the banned prompts are commonly accepted and celebrated in fanfic. Just one example: The first prompt I completed was “Bisexual main character.”

The creation continues, however, since my card was safely downloaded before the hiatus. I’m going for a blackout, whether BTB continues or not.

My latest fic had more words than the last seven years' worth combined!

Thank you, Banned Together Bingo, for bringing me inspiration.