An Unexpected Soldier

Seven years ago, in the late (and much missed) Guy Payne's fanfic Kadhimiya, Private Quinn Morgendorffer was killed in action. A sad but excellent story.

Today is also International Earth Day, not to be confused with Earth Day in the U. S.

New Fanfic!

• The Alien Invasion of Lawndale! (Esteemsters, by Lee and Kirby), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "Daria: [thought balloon] 'Is this to be my fate? To always be overlooked? To live forever in the shadow of my popular sister? (Sigh.) How long can this last? Will it ever end? Is this to be my destiny?' AND ON THAT DAY, DARIA'S LONELY SHADOW MARCHED HELPLESSLY TOWARDS HER FATE - BUT LITTLE DID SHE KNOW THAT LIFE CAN GET BETTER...OR WORSE!! FOR DARIA AND QUINN FOR THE FIRST TIME WOULD COME FACE TO FACE WITH THE DEVIOUS MS. LI!!"


• Awakening, by Chris Tucker (parts 3 and 4): "'Hello, Dr. Slosberg? This is Daria Morgendorffer... what? Yes, I'm out of the hospital. I got the message from Dr. Phillips about you. Yes, this evening, if that's convenient for you. Thank you. Uh, in about two hours, maybe. I really need a shower and something to eat. That time's good for me. It's alright if I bring someone along? Of course, thanks! I'll see you then. Thank you!'" (Part 4)


• Bad Communication (Iron Chief: Helen's Trash Freakout), by Hyrin (COMPLETE!): "Helen sat at the table, staring into a cup of coffee. This can't be happening, she thought."


• Bound to Highland, by RLobinske (parts 10 and 11): "The early evening quiet disturbed Daria. She had to admit that she missed hearing her sister moving around the house, even if it was her talking on the telephone or watching the latest boy-band videos. She turned on the Forecast Channel for some background noise and retreated to her computer. After looking at the monitor for a minute, she started to type." (Part 11)


• Camp Feed (Pie, Pie, My Darling), by Smijey: "Daria waddled up to the grill, plate in hand, dodged the man wielding the metal spatula, and snatched up four hamburgers before he could blink. 'Hey! What are you doing?' he protested. 'Hunting for my dinner, and I only plgghkhwheet.' The last part of her sentence was muffled as she shoved one of the patties into her mouth. (She was watching her carbs, so no buns for her)."


• Daria/Dorian Ch. 14: Hair Dye On The Highway, by LadieT (parts 1 and 2): "Jane came bounding down the stairs, took Dorian's hand, and ran back up to her room. Dorian stared at the picture Jane had drawn of herself and felt his knees go weak. Turning to Jane, he pulled her into a warm embrace and kissed her. After breaking the embrace, Dorian looked back at the painting. I was thinking about trying this look out for when I leave for Ashfield,' Jane said as they stood there admiring her work." (Part 2)


• Daria is Raven's Apprentice, by project pegasus: "Kim Probable: Look, can you please bring reinstate me? Sensei John Kreese: You know I would in a heartbeat, but that decision is not for me to make. Kim Probable: Can't you speak to Marty in HR?"


• Don't Look Back (Long Story Challenge #2), by thatLONERchick (part 1): "Katie positively vibrated with excitement, her red curls practically shivering with tension as an ecstatic smile split her freckled face. 'It's about your sister!' All levity immediately vanished from Summer's countenance. Her eyes blue steel, she grabbed Katie's arm and started dragging her down the hall. 'Come on.'"


• Esteemster Series Teaser 1, by TheExcellentS: "DeMartino: 'Ladies AND gentlemen, the following CONTEST is scheduled for ONE fall. Introducing FIRST, fighting out of Hollywood, California... representing The Fashion Club, this is SANDI... GRIFFIN!!!'"


• Extra Supplies (Iron Chef: Helen's Trash Freakout), by untra (COMPLETE!): "'While I was taking out the trash... I found this.' Helen raised the pregnancy test before both girls and showed them the blurred result window. Their eyes widened in surprise, and Helen continued. 'Now, I won't be mad,' she lied, 'but I want to know who's this is.' Daria swallowed hard and opened her mouth to speak, but Quinn already had the first words in. 'Mo-om! You can't honestly believe me or one of the fashion club members could actually be pregnant! That is so-' 'It's mine,' Daria interrupted. Both mother and sister turned towards the blushing redhead, and she quickly continued. 'Well, its not mine, it's actually Jane's- it's... Umm... Oh damn.' Daria took a deep breath and stood up."


• Flynn at 1111 Glen Oak (Crossovers Still Crossing Over), by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 4): "'You want to know my plan, don't you?' Doofenshmirtz asked. He pressed a button on a different remote and a section of wall rolled up, revealing Sandi confined in a large cage. 'Like, let me out you monster!' she said. 'No, Ms Griffin, your teenage popularity is part of my scheme to take over the TRI-STATE-AREA!' Doofenshmirtz said."


• The Food Worrier (Pie, Pie, My Darling), by Smijey: "'What am I sitting on?' Daria asked, a little too enthusiastically. She stood up and turned so that Jane could see what she had sat on. Jane took a moment to reply, because she was struck silent upon seeing Daria's ass, and marvelled at how she had somehow found jeans large enough to fit her. Then, she peeled the offending article off her derriere."


• The Girl In Question, by Silver (part 2): "Her eyes drifted over the scene around her. The girl was gone, vanished. Aside from the wail of distant sirens, the world around her was oppressively silent. Quinn kicked at a turned-over desk and sighed. A slight glint of something caught her eyes, and she knelt down, brushing aside dust and debris. 'A locket?'"


• God Save The Esteem ep24: Write in the Nads, by Charles RB (parts 2 and 3): "'Aha! Found a writing blog! And yep, it's the book blurb! There's excerpts here...' The girls read one of the excerpts. 'We just found the smoking gun, as well as the smoking bazooka, the smoking crater, and a wonderful new way for bulimics to purge themselves.'" (Part 3)


• How to Train Your Daria, by Hyrin (part 3): "'Daria?' 'Yes, Jane?' 'How exactly did this become a good idea?' 'It really isn't. We're trying to use a piece of rope to lasso a firebreathing creature that is only marginally less threatening than that substitute Ms. Li found last year.'"


• The James Lane Chronicles Chapter 5, by InvisibleDan (COMPLETE!): "He remembered the feeling of regret that he couldn't protect Daria. Daria, he thought. That's what this is about. All he knew was that somehow she had been part of what had been bringing him down, but he had no idea how. Once he caught his breath, he started back down the street going back the way he came."


• Life After Highland, by LadieT (part 22): "Brittany and Jane watched as the anger washed over Daria. Closing her eyes, Daria leaned against her car. Balling her hand into a fist, she began to repetitively hit her driver's side door. Each blow hit harder than the previous one. Daria caught the edge of the door handle, causing the side of her hand to rip open."


• LLH Alternate Future - 07 - The Future We Choose/Anticipate This, by psychotol (COMPLETE!): "He then noticed a crater with some scraps of grey plastic, there were even strands of black plastic connecting the grey plastic, possibly PVC electrical tape wrapped around a grey plastic container. Looking back under the tractor, he also noticed a pair of twisted wires, blown back by the explosion, probably leading back to whoever initiated the blast. This was all looking very consistent with a certain EOD device Alford Industries had developed for disrupting car bombs. He barely raised his radio to his mouth before he was knocked out."


• Mad Dog's Legacy Chapter 5: Shop Til You Drop, by Hyrin (COMPLETE!): "'Thanks, Monique. Bye.' Jane hung up the phone and turned to see Helen setting the over to cook that night's lasagna. 'Monique? Did they hear from your parents?' 'Technically, no. They heard from the federal marshals who are looking for them.'" (Part 4) (Part 5)


• Mad Dog's Legacy Chapter 6: Model Misbehavior, by Hyrin (parts 1 and 2): "The Morgendorffer family sat in the living room waiting for Jane. She had a painting set up on an easel in the living room, but it was covered by a blanket. 'How long do we have to wait?' asked Quinn impatiently. 'Until Jane comes down,' Helen said. 'She's been working on this painting for quite a while, and wanted to unveil it for us.'" (Part 2)


• A Matter of Principal (Scenes no Daria fanfic should have: Damn The Torpedoes!), by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): "Daria and Jane were walking home from school. So, who would you marry?' Jane held up a hand, all but two fingers folded down. 'Sir Topham Hat or King Friday?'"


• New Faces, New Adventures, by Shiori Sohma (part 1): "The two head downstairs then open the fornt door once they got to it. Standing outside was a boy around Jane's age and a girl around Trent's age. The girl had short, bit spikey like red red hair and blue eyes where the boy had black hair with white bangs and both were dressed in a kinda gothic, rocker, punk like style."


• Promises, by LadieT (part 10): "'Aunt Daria, why doesn't Grandma love you anymore?' 'Because she didn't want me to marry Aunt Jane.' Cleo was quiet for a moment. 'Mommy says you are a lot happier when Aunt Jane is around. Why doesn't Grandma want you to be happy?' 'I don't know. Good night Cleo,' Daria said as she turned off the bedroom light."


• Psychopomp and Circumstance, by Jim North (parts 1 and 2): "Jane's hand, weak and shaking like a broken bird, lifted up almost of its own accord and placed itself on Daria's cheek. 'I-' she said, and then nothing. The hand dropped to the ground and a soft rattle sounded deep in her throat. Jane Lane was dead." (Part 2)


• Quinn's Code - 02: Invite of the Geek, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 3): "'Cool! Lets go see what you have to wear,' Quinn said. 'I hope you're not going to go overboard?' Cindy asked, with slight concern as she lead Quinn upstairs towards her bedroom. 'Depends on what you call "overboard",' Quinn said. Cindy held back a sigh."


• Rude Awakenings Chapter 1, by DIsaac (parts 1 and 2): "Now, stop and think for a sec? How did Daria Morgendoffer and Jane Lane end up on the radio and hosting a Hit Morning show? Well, I can answer that. You see I'm the producer of the show. My name is Jenny Burns or Burnout as you hear a lot around here. you may of remember my previous show, Bing and the Spatula Man or "Mental in the Morning" Last I heard They over at a classic hits station, Sky 98.7. I didn't move to the show for a good reason. A Very good reason." (Part 2)


• Save the Last Trance for Me, by jtranser: "'O.K., Jane, how long does one keep doing this God business?' 'Well, theoretically, amiga, there are no term limits, but, after a while, everybody gets bored. Admittedly, once in a while somebody does it for a few eternities, but, basically, you stay at it too long, you get hung up on details, burn out and go seriously eccentric. Then you wind up aimlessly pushing a shopping cart in a heavenly WalMart, mumbling to yourself, asking what it all really means and wondering if you left the garage door open.'"


• Screams of Silence, by Jim North: "Okay, so I've learned something valuable here. It isn't just that new things have been placed in my way. Old things have also been taken away. Or perhaps it's something more than that. Mordecai clued me in on the fact that the real world hadn't changed, but instead I had been taken to a sort of separate reality, the Fog World. Logically, I think I can assume that it's happened again and I have been taken to some other world that is as removed from the fog as the fog is from the regular world."


• Unnamed story (Crossovers Still Crossing Over), by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): "BUT IN A SCHOOL WHERE NOTHING BAD HAPPENS Van Driessen: '(bored) ...and that's what actualising your potential means.' O'Neill: 'Ohhhhhhh...' THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET VERY BAD" (Continued here)


• Unnamed story (Crossovers Still Crossing Over), by gwrtheyrn (COMPLETE!): "In a forested area, far from town, three sombre men had gathered at a tragic scene. Tim, the eldest one present, took a few photos, crying more and more openly the while. Dr Mackenzie sighed. 'Oh, Tim.'"


• Unnamed story (Crossovers Still Crossing Over), by HeirOfNorton (COMPLETE!): "Jaques wrote a number down on a slip of paper, and I keyed in a number in Switzerland from memory. 'Time to do some business,' I said to the man on the line as soon as he picked up. 'We can't help you anymore,' came the very unwelcome response. 'Excuse me?' 'We got a burn notice on you. You've been blacklisted. You're on your own.' Click."


• Will Ye Go Lassie, Go? (Write-off challenge 9 round 2), by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): "'Top o' the day, my bonnie lassies!' St. Patrick's Day greeted with a bow and smile. He wore an ironed linen shirt, white with short sleeves, the tails hanging out in a casual manner over his kilt. A clover blossom peeked out of the breast pocket. 'I was wonderin', if it not be too bold, if either of you fine ladies would do me the honor o—' 'NO!' Daria yelled, pointing a finger at Pat and backpedaling frantically."

Spring Has Sprung! Fall Has Fell!

Lots of interesting tidbits for this day, so get ready. "The Story of D" premiered nine years ago today, midway through the fifth season of Daria. The episode's title was based upon the title of a famous pornographic novel, The Story of O, about which no more will be said here. Look it up on your own. "The Story of D" was embarrassing enough for Daria, who is at a low point when she goes over to Tom's house to blame him for her story being turned down by a magazine. The shame of it. The image at left is Daria's face when she realizes that she has been... (duh DUNNN)...

REJECTED!!!

Today is also the spring equinox, at 1:32 PM EST (adjust for your time zone). You may dance around the Maypole and throw flowers or whatever. It's *Spring*! (This holiday is applicable to the Northern Hemisphere only; it's the autumnal equinox below the equator, where everything is backwards.)

Because this is springtime, this day is also the Persian/Iranian new year's day, celebrated as such for the last 3,000 years; Ostara, a pagan holiday (Mabon in the Southern Hemisphere); Equinox Earth Day (some say it is the real Earth Day); a holiday I cannot pronounce in Japan, there for admiring nature; Chunfen in China; International Astrology Day; the International Day of the Francophonie (party hard if you speak French like Daria and Jodie); St. Cuthbert's Day (for Dungeons & Dragons game enthusiasts); Sham el-Nessim in Egypt; and (most importantly for this fandom) World Storytelling Day. The storytelling theme for this year is "light and shadow."

Oh, and it is also Extraterrestrial Abductions Day. Srsly. Poor Artie. Tiffany is the E.T. poster girl at right.

The downside is, a tragic event occurred six years ago today in one of the many Dariaverses out there. A sad and magnificent story.

Do you know of any other crossover appearances of characters from Daria besides those given here? If so, drop a note and the item will be added to DariaWiki.

ART!!!

• The Artist and The Burnout, a marvelous image of which Jim North says, "Nobody saw this coming." I sure didn't.
• The Hallowed Halls of Fielding, by Quiverwing. Miracles never cease!!!
• NEW! Quinn and Stacy from the Daria: Hunter series, by Jim North. Teh awesomeness!!!
• EVEN NEWER! Tom and a very pissed-off Andrea from Daria: Hunter! PAR-TAY!!!
  

PPMB

• Finn Morgendorffer 38: Fractures, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 1): “I understand if you’re weirded out. I mean, dating your buddy's ex doesn't jive with the dude code.” “The code is malleable. Us guys are nothing if not understanding of our buddies. You two are both my friends, and I care that your happy. If you’re happy and she’s happy, that’s all I’m concerned about.”
• Getting a Bye, by Disco316 (COMPLETE): Daria sat in her room, pondering how best to phrase her question for the first, and quite possibly last, test she’d ever have to give. As she finalized her test, a knock was heard at her door. She saved her work and called, “Chaos reigns within.” The door opened, revealing Sandi. She was wearing a very low-cut burgundy top with a black micro miniskirt. “Hello, Daria.” Daria looked around, unsure what to think of the scantily-clad Fashion Club president before her. “Um, I think you have the wrong room, Sandi.” “Oh, Daria, Quinn and your parents left for a movie,” said Sandi. “They won’t be back for a couple hours. This is between you and me.”
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker, by jtranser (continued): "As far as ThirdSight is concerned, you're just another predator trying to get in the game. And the only thing they haven't yet decided is what sort of cage to put you in."
• Uplinked, by Silver (COMPLETE!): Hiro: Cynic, this is insane. / RacheIsGod: All the more reason to go for it. / CynicalData: Shut up, please. I'm working. (Daria/Cyberpunk 2020 RPG)
  

When Recycling Fashions Isn't Enough

Sandi Griffin is oh-so-not pleased to present us with America Recycles Day. We must view her at a distance for she will smash us with that garbage can lid if we get too close. And can you believe it, I found not one, not two, but three Daria fanfics in which recycling is a major topic! Miracles never cease.

The magnificent Guy "Decelaraptor" Payne was born this day 54 years ago. He passed away last March, but he will long be remembered in our fandom for his touching and hilarious stories, and his humor and warmth on the message boards. The link above goes to his DariaWiki page, which further links to his online story collections. He was a master of the reinvention fanfic, of emotional realism, and of the unexpected twist.

What are your favorite Decelaraptor stories? Mine would be "Home Is the Sailor," "Beneath a Copper Sun," "Kadhimiya," and "A Star in the East Window." And "Daria: 1830," the one where the Morgendorffers have a Donner Party of their own in the Old West. That one is beyond priceless. It always gives me a smile.

Thank you for everything, Guy. You were and still are The Man. Perhaps November 15th should hereafter be Decelaraptor Day in your memory. You gave us such wonderful memories of our own.

Kn00Z

• Alter Egos That Should Have Been: a thread to spark your artistic streak!
• Since the start of November, the New Ideas thread in PPMB's Creative Writing has really moved along. See if anything appeals to the writing monster inside you.
  

PPMB

• NEW! Daria: Hunter—The Love Triangle, by Jim North (continued): "Oh, oh no, baby!" Jeffy said, putting his hand on Quinn's face just below her bruise. "No, no, I don't want to hurt you. I'm sorry about punching you, I swear I didn't mean to, I just got a little carried away. It won't happen again, I promise. I don't want to hurt you..."
• NEW! Finn Morgendorffer 14: Going Medieval, by HolyGrail2007 (COMPLETE!): “Now, this class lecture is going to be about issues that come up for sensitive, struggling teenage boys,” said Mr. O’Neill. “Because these issues can often be... well... a little yucky, we’ve separated the girls so that you can speak openly without being judged.”
  
• Hell on Wheels, by Roxanne M (Part 6): Angier spoke up. "Son, your mother and I were discussing this. We like Daria, and don’t get us wrong, but are you sure she is the girl for you? A proper young lady would not be crawling around bars in the worse part of town, let alone getting shot." Tom was pulled out his exhaustion by a spike of anger. He glared at them and said, “What are you getting at?” It was his mothers turn to speak. “If the media finds out that she is connected to us, it would cast a bad light upon you, this family and your father's firm. His clients do not like that kind of notoriety.”
  

Memento

Five years ago today, in another Dariaverse, Private Quinn Louise Morgendorffer was killed in action in Iraq. Her story is here. Thank you, Guy. We will all remember you.

In the real world, "The Story of D" premiered eight years ago yesterday.

I'm still looking through the flipbooks that reappeared on MTV's Daria website (see yesterday's post). Awesome. Someone at MTV looked out for us. Thanks! and thanks to you, UU, for finding out.