What the Girl in the Box Read

Happy birthday to Anna Sewell, who was born on this day in 1820. Sewell wrote the book Black Beauty, which we see Daria reading during one of the flashbacks in "Boxing Daria."

I've often wondered why Black Beauty in particular was chosen for that scene. The message in the book about treating people with kindness seems like something Daria would have her doubts about, and she didn't seem to have any real affinity for horses. Then again, perhaps she was a horse enthusiast right up until she was thrown off one at Camp Grizzly. Whatever the reason, exploring Daria's interest in the book would be a cool fanfic.

And speaking of fanfic, here's the latest!

• Awakening, by Chris Tucker (part 7): "Dr. Slosberg returns to his desk and spends the next 30 minutes writing notes on a legal pad. He speaks with her former therapist in Maryland. Dr Phillips is not greatly surprised by the revelation of her former patient's intentions. They both decide that Daria is strong enough that this repressed memory should be repressed no longer. This will be a major event in her short life. One she needs to deal with."


• Cole Barksdale, by Cap (part 4): "We found Angier and Tom standing in the main parlor. With them was a very old but clearly still vital man with a thick stock of white hair and a massive flowing mustache that served to remind me of the great jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes, junior. He stood ramrod straight next to a woman near his age sitting on a wing armchair. The phrase 'Grand Dame' leapt to my mind despite that she wore only a simple dark blue dress and modest kitten heels."


• Esteemster Series, by TheExcellentS (part 1): "O'Neill: 'New LFC Men's World Champion Tom Sloane defends his title for the first time against the man who many say was robbed of the belt months ago, Michael "Mack" Mackenzie.' Barch: 'Mack was screwed by Upchuck's sneaky tactics in that battle royal, but tonight Tom has given him a fair shot at winning the championship for the second time. You know, because he's such a big, freakin' hero.'"


• Extra Supplies, by untra (part 2): "Tiffany shrugged away from Stacy and sighed with irritation. 'I caaan't be pregnant. I don't waaant to be faaat.' 'You won't get fat, Tiffany,' Quinn lied halfheartedly. 'You'll just get...' Quinn made a hemisphere motion around her abdomen. 'big, is all.'"


• The Girl In Question, by Silver (part 4): "Quinn pulled the trigger once more. The round grazed the thing approaching her, but didn't stop it. Her mind finally came to the understanding that she couldn't hit anything with the gun. Even so, she didn't drop it as she started to flee."


• God Save The Esteem ep25: Exam Nation, by Charles RB (parts 1 and 2): "'Hmmm... That may be the solution, not just the problem. Maybe... Maybe our academically minded students will be willing to assist their more physically-minded peers! Different temperaments and views united by a common goal of learning... and finding common ground.' Ayoade thought briefly about the academically-minded students and their general relationship with the jocks. 'I don't think they'll go for it,' he said. 'Oh, I know the stereotypes and stories, but surely they'll help their fellow teens in their time of need!'" (Part 2)


• Ice Cream Disaffecto (Iron Chef: Bro and QB), byJPAGC (COMPLETE!): "He come to Kevin Thompson's dressing room, knocked and listened. Assorted sounds from behind the closed door meant someone was inside. 'Kevin?' Another indistinct sound. He knocked louder. 'Kevin, the shot's ready!' More sounds, like someone was moaning. Throwing caution to the wind, he opened the door. "


• Its So Not Fair (Iron Chef: Quinn's Trashfreak out), by Vukodlak (COMPLETE!): "Quinn was in full panic mode, she had found when taking out the trash a pregnancy test, now Quinn wasn't sure if the result was positive or negative as evidently the results on that brand would fade over time.* Quinn figured the test couldn't be more than a few days old."


• John Lane 49: Acceptances, by RLobinske (parts 1 and 2): "Daria said, 'Congratulations, Jodie, but you seem reluctant about something.' 'I really want to go to Turner, but my parents have been pushing Crestmore so much, I don't know.' John said, 'But don't they know how much you want to go to Turner?' Mack, said, 'Jodie, have you gotten around to telling them about Turner?' 'No.' 'Ah,' Daria said. 'Now we see the conflict.'" (Part 2)


• Life After Highland (Iron Chef: Lawndale State), by LadieT (part 23): "Quinn was about to start to jump up and down until she saw the look on Daria's face. 'Come on, Daria - this is good news - we should be celebrating.' 'We've been promised the money before, Quinn. I'm not going to celebrate until I see the it in my hands,' Daria said as she walked off. 'It's not like the money can give me back everything I've lost,' she mumbled as she walked up the stairs."


• My Little Daria - Friendship is Arcane (Crossovers Still Crossing Over), by Wraith (COMPLETE!): "'Okay, this is getting even weirder than my usual hallucinations. The voice in my head appears to have voices in its head. I wonder what Dad used to make that berry juice last night?' 'Ahem. If anypony can hear me, please help us.' Daria furrowed her brow in confusion over the choice of terminology, but didn't have time to think about it before the voice continued. 'My name is Twilight Sparkle.'"


• Promises, by LadieT (part 12): "Kevin nodded. 'Do you happen to know if any of the houses around here are for sale? I want to be around more for her. If it hadn't been for Jeff my second senior year, I would have never graduated. I know that I could never replace him as her dad, but I think it might help Cleo if Uncle Kevvy was around more.' 'I think that if you did decide to move around here, she will be driving us crazy to come see you - but we didn't have that far of a trip to begin with. So, after dinner, we can help you check around,' Jane said."


• Questions Asked Questions Answered & Pizza w/ Jane Ch 3, by Lord Yellowtail (part 2): "Bubbles Utonium, refugee from another dimension stranded courtesy of Stargate Command screwing around with the Quantum Mirror one too many times, grinned widely at her, revealing perfect ivory teeth and sickeningly adorable dimples. 'Heya, Daria.' Bubbles' smile faltered. 'Your body sounds like -- oh, Daria, you look like a Smurf right now, don't ya?' she trilled worriedly. Daria hated when she made Bubbles do that."


• Raft College: The First Year, by rglovejoy (part 44): "The cupboards and countertops were grubby and the stove looked like it had seen better days. A guy was sitting at one of the butcher-block style tables reading a book. From where Daria stood, it looked like it was about typography. He looked up. The man's ice-blue eyes and curly light-brown hair fascinated Daria. She looked over at her friend: Jane was positively swooning."


• Remembrance, by HolyGrail2007 (prologue): "'What is it?' Jamie asked, but he didn't really have to. For, once he got up to the clearing, and the mist seemed to fade away, he could see that there was someone here. The clearing held one tree, in contrast to the others trees all around it. Lying underneath the tree, propped up very delicately leaning up against it, was a woman. Her eyes were shut completely and she didn't move one bit."


• Rude Awakening: Episode 2, by DIsaac (parts 5 and 6): "JANE: Don't you writers love wondering about 'what if' scenarios? DARIA: Sorta, but people can't live in 'what if?' land. They got to think 'what's next?' Do I have regrets? Hell Yes, but all people do. Though those experiences made me the person I am." (Part 6)


• Screams of Silence, by Jim North: "A light cough makes my heart skip a beat when I reach the end of the aisle. A very distinctly human noise, and suddenly I wonder if David might have gotten here ahead of me and is now lying in wait to ambush me. I still don't want to kill him, of course, but I can't just let him attack me, so I pull out my bat and shove the shotgun into its vacated spot in my pack. I've got no qualms at all with knocking him the hell out at this point." (New part)


• Searching For a New Hope, by thatLONERchick: "'That's it.' Daria stood, and Jane followed her. 'I won't say a damn thing about your changing the poster—if.' She turned and pinned Ms. Li with a hard brown eye. 'If you can honestly tell me no student has ever committed suicide in the history of Lawndale High, and back it up with facts. Then, you can do whatever you want with it.' Daria and Li stared at one another across the room for what seemed like centuries. After only about thirty seconds of objective time Li looked away, and Daria nodded."


• Stand or Fall (Iron Chef: Quinn's Trashfreak out), by LadieT (COMPLETE!): "As she was jostling the bags around, Quinn heard something falling out of one of the bags. She looked down to see not only a used pregnancy test, but a used POSITIVE pregnancy test. Her eyes began to rapidly blink as she processed the information her brain had just received. Someone who either lived in her house or stayed over at her house this weekend was pregnant."


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Bro and QB), by DIsaac (COMPLETE!): "MACK: Hello, Mike Mackenzie one half of the founders of QB and Bro Ice Cream. You may be wonder why I am in an open field with Kevin, the Other founder of this company, dressed in football pads? KEVIN: Yeah, why I am doing this again?"


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Bro and QB), by Hyrin (COMPLETE!): "'Hi, I'm Bro!' 'I'm the QB!' 'We've just released 4 new flavors of Ice Cream, including Touchdown Fudge Round and Running Back Snack!'"


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Bro and QB), by TheExcellentS (COMPLETE!): "'Hi, I'm Michael Mackenzie, but you can call me Bro. Here at Bro and QB Ice Cream, we put our product through rigourous taste testing procedures to ensure that only the best ice cream makes it to your local freezers. Let's go see it now.'"


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Quinn's Trashfreak out), by Hyrin (COMPLETE!): "Quinn left the room, and Jane looked at Daria seriously. 'Are you sure she doesn't know?' 'I don't see how she can,' Daria said softly. 'I mean, there's just no way.' 'I hope not, because this is going to be hard enough as it is. Have you thought of what you're going to tell Tom?'"


• Unnamed story (Scenes That Should Be: Breakfast of Zombie Champions), by Greystar (COMPLETE!): "Helen looked at the three girls that were seated around the kitchen table and sighed. 'Daria, Jane, Monique, this constant angst between the three of you has got to stop,' Helen said as she consulted her notes. 'The only resonable solution is that you share the objects of your affections.'"


• Whispers in the Night: D&J, by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): "Daria blinked; she knew that voice, and it was not one she associated with poetry. But then, Quinn accumulated admirers form every sector. She leaned forward a bit farther, eyes straining to focus on the blurry figure below. No specific features came to light, but he recited as one would Shakespeare: hand to the chest, one arm extended to the side as though the verse were an aria lovingly sung to an object of adoration."