Where There's Smoke...

Monday again. Today marks the 10th anniversary of the MTV premiere of "Fire!" (probably named for Beavis's favorite saying). Much of the action took place at Le Grand Hotel in Lawndale. Some quotes from the episode, some of them clickable:

• "No, Eric, it's only one a.m. Of course you didn't wake me."
• "I can never forget that giant clog and what might have been."
• "How about Screecher II? I heard those blood-sucking eyeballs look really cool when they burst."
• "Is there really a secret underwater railroad smuggling flounder to freedom? Get on board the sole train, tonight on Sick, Sad World!"
• "Eeewwwwwww! You're making me nauseous!"
• "No, that was the maid. I think she got into the mini-bar. Hey, did I mention they have melba toast?"
• "The Fashion Club will be holding emergency meetings all week on faux-tanning lotions and I don't want you to do anything embarrassing, like show up."
• "Personally, I always had a soft spot for Stalin. Any dictator who changes his name from Dzhugashvili to "Man of Steel" has my vote, so to speak."
• "I can't know everything! I'm not my sister's beeper!"
• "When did I become a third wheel in my own relationship?"
• "You mean... I... almost... went out with... a computer geek?!"

There is a curious footnote about the episode, one of those parallel invention thingers between "Fire!" and the events in Kara Wild's "None in the Family," part 2. We celebrate the weirdness, too.

The CIA is [X] years old today, happy birthday to you. Two of the most famous movie directors of all time were also born on this date in history: Blake Edwards, noted for the Pink Panther series and Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Stanley Kubrick, noted for Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Shining.

Awesome new art of the week: Daria and Trent Forever by breitasparrow. Yes!

FF.net

• Community Service, by ChilombiLite (COMPLETE!): So, first I had to actually agree to go on this date in the first place; I mean, Stan doesn't even have a car, let alone money to take me to Chez Pierre like any other popular guy, but he actually has the nerve to take me hiking? In the mountains! I can't believe this! I'm going to kill Sandy for talking me into this.
• If Nothing Else, by Puggles Master (Part 1): "My God, I can't believe Mary would wear her hair up, most definitely showing her plump-like face," Sandi Griffin droned on. Standing several people ahead of Quinn gave the former Fashion Club President some satisfaction, despite having to turn to observe any facial reaction expressed by Quinn. "Well, it is rather hot out, Sandi," Quinn half heartedly defended. Meekly, the redhead tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before quickly searching the crowd. Well, graduation hasn't quite started. I'm sure they're somewhere. Though Daria was a person almost impossible to miss in a crowd.
• The InDark, by Mediancat (Part 30): Patrice groaned in pain, weaponless, on the top of a building in Topeka. Her wrists were shattered, and so was her chance to kill this Slayer. She wasn't worried about her long-term prospects as a member of the Order; she'd had too many successes to have one failure, even a spectacular one as this, cost her everything. But the healing, the effort to get her out of jail, they would cost her. Her next few jobs would be reimbursed expenses only.
  

PPMB

• Close, by OverlordMikey (COMPLETE!): It isn't really a bad day, just cloudy. Daria stood away from everyone else, looking at the sky. She was a little taller but still the same, although she was wearing black. Her second year in college and here she stood at a funeral. She felt strangely pacified by the breeze. She kept thinking about what people said. You two were so close. (FF.net)
  
• Daria Does Down Under! by TAG (COMPLETE!): [Too silly to sample, sorry.]
• Daria/Dorian 5: Mountain of Truth, by LadieT (Part 5): "Dorian, I want to come, too," Quinn stated. "No, you stay here. Get warmed up by the fire and talk with your friends. We'll be back in no time." Dorian grabbed his backpack. He still had the Pop Tarts, another canteen, and a flashlight in it. Jane gave him a puzzled look. "With the way this trip is going so far, rather be safe than sorry," he grumbled.
• Daria Is Raven's Apprentice 2, by Project Pegasus (continued): "Wait, what?!"
• Driving a Pale Van, by McKeon (COMPLETE!): There was a dull thump as the Tank met the black-clad man. The brakes that he had been working hard gave way, and the black van rolled to a halt on the shoulder. Whoa. This could be trouble. It was about that time that the passenger door of the tank was opened, and a middle-aged woman entered and sat down in the passenger seat. "Excellent!" she stated with a smile. "You killed Death." (Daria/Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series)
• Finn Morgendorffer 54: On the Outside of Love, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 3): “Anyway," said Jane, "I was calling to tell you I won’t be coming home for spring break.” “Where are you going?” Trent asked. “My roommate, her boyfriend, and I are all going to France.” “France?” “I managed to get a trip. Kinda last minute, especially for going overseas, I know. Pretty cool, huh?” “Why are you going to France?” Trent asked. “I’m craving French bread.”
• Grove Hell 2: All the Lawndale People, by Charles RB (Part 3): Daria looked up and saw Upchuck, the most annoying lech in school, heading through the forest on his own, with no way to dodge any fire in time. She grinned nastily. “You know, you’re right. This is great fun.” Bang. (FF.net)
  
• Judith Strikes! The Rise and Fall of D.D. Morgan and the Sanity Assassins, by Brian Taylor (Parts 2 and 3): "From looking at your history, you appear to be what we'd call a solitary kid. Is that fair to say?" "From looking at your tie, you appear to be an idiot. Is that fair to say?" (Part 3)
  
• The Lane That Wasn't, by LadieT (Parts 6 and 7): The road before her stretched endlessly in two directions. Jane sat on the bench. She looked at what appeared to be an oversized laptop's screen. The grey-eyed man who was sitting beside her remained silent. She sat back rubbing her eyes. She turned to him and watched as his face remained expressionless. He pressed the pause button. "So, you are telling me this is what is going to happen when I wake up?" (Part 7)
• Lemon Parade, by Jim North (COMPLETE!): The little girl clambered up the stepping stool and quickly took stock of everything sitting on the counter. She checked, double-checked, and triple-checked, spending more time than she knew was necessary, but the exact right amount of time that she felt was necessary. Everything had to be perfect. Everything had to be right. She was going to have the best lemonade stand ever. (FF.net)
  
• Look! Up in the Sky! by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): Quinn hugged her friend as Sandi wept. "What the hell is this all about?" she wondered. Her gaze fell upon the envelope on Sandi's bed. BALTIMORE MERCY HOSPITAL, Juvenile Oncology Department. You know how you can be watching Wheel of Fortune and with only one letter on the board YOU KNOW what the phrase is? Yeah. That. How the heck does that happen? Quinn KNEW what this was all about.
• Politricks Are Not for Kids, by Brian Taylor (Part 7): "Joining us now to tell us more about the aftermath of the Employment Recovery Act is Jane Lane, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sloane White House. Jane, it's a pleasure to have you." "Yo." "So, my first question" "I'd have to say that I would personally stuff a live hand grenade down the Russian prime minister's pants for a Klondike Bar." "Cute." "I really am, aren't I?"
  
• Pulp Fiction, by Chris Tucker (preview): Daria interrupted her friend. "I disagree, Jane. We're more Marvin and Wendy, actually. Waiting for the Super Friends to show up and rescue us. They'd send one of the really lame Friends, like Apache Chief, for Marvin and Wendy." "Yeah! Or Aquaman! The bastards!"
• Surprise! by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): "BEST part of the job!" he said to no one in particular as he suited up before entering isolation. "Good news, everybody! Daria, the transplant from Quinn took. You're making cells on your own! Oh, and you might like to know. You're in remission."
• Three-Edged Sword, by NightGoblyn (Part 7): "Tom and I have been... sleeping together... for a couple of months now," Daria said. "As usual, it happened completely by accident." "You're very accident prone around him," Jane said, in an even dryer tone.
• Uncle Anthony's Happy-Fun Esteem Class, by Charles RB (Part 1): "EsTEEM. A TEEN. They don't REALLY rhyme, DO they?" DeMartino barked out every word with loathing, not even trying to sound like he wasn't reading from notes. Daria wasn't sure what she'd expected from self esteem class, but this was preferable either way. "But we are HERE to beGIN realizing your ACTUALITY... Hrrrr. WHAT, Ms. MorgenDORFFER?" "I want to know what 'realizing your actuality' means." There was a long, long pause. "CHRIST on a BIKE, I don't know!"
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Real Esteem), by Jim North (COMPLETE!): [Too short to sample!]
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Real Esteem), by Ranger Thorne (COMPLETE!): “In this class,” the teacher growled as he stormed into the room, “there will be no silly phrases or nonsense about how the world would be a worse place without you in it.” Pulling a piece of wood from inside the black robes he wore, he waved it and the windows went dark. (Daria/Harry Potter)
• Unnamed story (Scenes That Should Be: Breakfast of Zombie Champions), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): Dinner had been rudely interrupted by Ms. Li's call. According to Ms. Li, Daria had failed the psychological exam administered to new students at Lawndale High School. "Is she going to have, like, a breakdown or something?" Quinn asked, "'cause that could really mess me up with my new friends!" "Don't worry," said Daria. "I don't have low self-esteem. It's a mistake." "I'll say!" said Jake, glad that his daughter was being self-affirming for once. "I have low esteem for everyone else," was Daria's calm reply, which brought dinner conversation to a halt.
• What a Rip Off! by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): "Daria, good news! Gotta wait and see, but it looks like we're going to kick you out of here in a another week or so." "Thanks. Thanks for nothing, Mac!" "Aaaa... What was that?" "Superpowers! Where are my superpowers? All that atomic energy and all I have is a sunburn on my butt."