The Buns of August

It's August first, and today marks the 29th birthday of MTV, which gave us Daria (and, more importantly, Jane Lane). We also got A Flock of Seagulls, but Daria made up for it. And with Daria we got memes like "You taste of bun" and 666 versions of "I kissed your boyfriend." Pure win.

I have been horribly remiss in not discussing all the exciting things going on over at DariaWiki, the online encyclopedia of all things Daria. Special thanks go out to the following contributors for the month of July: Ingsoc, Brother Grimace, HolyGrail2007, Doggieboy, RLobinske, OverlordMikey, JPAGC, Charles RB, Pittsburghmuggle, Brian Taylor, Dark Kuno, Doc Forbin, Shallow15, Kchishol1970, InnerCircle, JonathanDP81, EvChemical, and Quiverwing. You people make it rock!

The new material at DariaWiki includes stuff about: "The Big Wedding," Robert, Finn Morgendorffer, Evan Landon, Corey, "Through a Webcam Darkly," Martha Peters, "Speedtrapped," Russell Stark, Science Fiction, Wind Lane, OverlordMikey, Crossover, Lawndale, Ramona, "Too Many Choices," Pam Garrett, Hammer Blow, Charles RB, Judith Strikes, Off-Canon Canon, Trueblood Cafeteria, Nicky, Spatula Man, Angie, Defender Ring, Max Tyler, Dr. Millepieds, "The Daria Hunter," Good Time Chinese Restaurant, Daria Multiverse, Steve Taylor, Architects, "Through a Closet, Darkly,"Kevin Thompson, The Chronicler, John Berry, "Daria!" Bibby Birks, Drugs 'N' Stuff, "Grove Hell on Earth," Beavis and Butt-head, Falling into College, The Fashion Club, Daria! Song Lyrics, "It's a Living," Quiverwing, The Coffee Snob, and "Backyard Foray." Doubtless some of these are not familiar to you if you haven't been in the fandom long, but don't worry: it will catch up with you.

Moar l8r when I think of something to add. Oh, one interesting historical note: 99 years ago today, Harriet Quimby became the first American woman to earn her pilot's license. She wore a purple aviator's outfit and was very famous for a time. Purple, hmmm.

N0oOZ!

• The Judith Strikes! shared setting is now closed, per Erin M. A few unfinished stories will be finished soon.
• You are invited to attend the Shared World Workshop, begun by Staticblast, on PPMB.

PPMB

• Daria/Dorian 6: Christmas Chaos, by LadieT (Part 2): Everyone was sitting around the table as Lillian talked to Amy about the recipe. Helen and Quinn took several mugs down. Amy ladled the drink and added a cinnamon straw to each. As everyone was enjoying their drinks, Amy stood up and gently tapped the side of her mug. They turned towards her. "With everything that has been going on, I realized just how much I've missed being around my family. I wanted to let you know. I came back to Lawndale two weeks ago and looked at houses. I found one I really liked. I have to sign the paperwork for it on Wednesday."
• The Ending of Judith Strikes? Green Book? by OverlordMikey (COMPLETE!): Michael and Jake walked out to confront Judith, who held Daria captive. "Kiddo, it'll be all right!" Jake cried. "Listen, Judith, you can have the book, just let Daria go!" Suddenly Brittany ran outside. "No, Mr. McNinch, don't!" "Brittany, I am a father and as such understand what it would mean to lose a child. Has not Jake suffered enough?" Brittany remained silent for a moment before yelling, "Use the power of love to defeat her!"
• NEWEST! Finn Morgendorffer 55: Dreamer Without a Cause, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 1): “I hope that’s the worst problem Finn has in his whole life.” Helen remarked at the empty chair. “What a problem to have: Bromwell or Crestmore? Both are good.” “And no military school, yeah! Not a single year or latrine duty or anything. Finn really nailed it!” "Jake..."
  
• NEWEST! Jane Lane: Ace Attorney—Turnabout Teacher's Pet, by LSauchelli (Part 3): Well, this is certainly not the way I thought I would be dealing with cases once I passed the bar exam, Jane thought as she eyed the red-headed PI. She wasn’t annoyed because she didn’t trust the man—she certainly didn’t—it was because she actually knew she needed his help if she was to save not only Barch, but her career as well. And her mission of getting Daria to answer some questions, of course.
  
• Judith Strikes! And It Would Come to Pass, by OverlordMikey (COMPLETE!): Judith sat alone waiting. Of course it would take an army to stop the girl, so she was unafraid of a few monsters living in some fantasy world. "So you're Judith..." came the voice of a woman. Out walked a finely dressed young woman with long black hair, wearing a long red dress and red gloves that covered her arms. She had a devilish smirk and her eyes shined with a twisted intellect. She slowly walked into the room followed by another woman. "You're the girl of the hour, so to speak. Be less gloomy. It reflects badly on me and my people if I hire someone so..."
• NEW! Judith Strikes! Closing Ceremony, by Erin M. (COMPLETE!): Helen Morgendorffer wept loudly into a handkerchief, as Amanda Lane, the Morgendorffer's housekeeper, tried to comfort her. "It'll be all right, Helen," Amanda was saying. "Vincent, Wind, and Summer are out with the search party and I have Penny looking after Jane and Trent. I'll be here for as long as you need me, and Vincent swears he'll call as soon as he hears anything." "It's all my fault," Helen sobbed. "I should have taken more maternity leave to look after her, instead of rushing back to the office as soon as I could. I'm a horrible mother." "No," Amanda said, rubbing Helen's back. "No, you aren't. It's not your fault Daria was kidnapped. Put the blame where it belongs, on the sick and evil bastard who took her away from you."
  
• Judith Strikes! The Last Stand of Odell Jones, by Brother Grimace (Part 1): Well, you heard about that little bitch Judith—the evil version of Daria Morgendorffer? (I’m sure that you’ve heard of her.) We lost three ships and eighteen hundred people as a diversion for her to steal one of our slipstream vessels. My name is Odell Jones. I’m a Warhammer—a Ringbearer trained for military operations. The word has come down from Command, on Nova Valdris. My team has its orders. We’re gearing up—and we’re going to get that vessel back.
  
• Judith Strikes!/Legion of Lawndale Heroes Mini: The Legion Encounters, Part I: Pizza Night with the Girls, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): Daria Morgendorffer sipped at her glass of ice water, and watched a very familiar female form appear in her Legion Tower apartment where the blue flash of light appeared a bare moment before. “Hello,” she said, causing the young woman in the catsuit and red cloak to stop in surprise. “Looking for something?”
• Judith Strikes!/Legion of Lawndale Heroes Mini: The Legion Encounters, Part II: An Unexpected Stop, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): The young woman known as Judith fell away from the door, the wicked-looking blade in her right hand falling free as she gagged upon the thick cloud of metallic-gray gas that enveloped her head. Before she could react, the room was filled with light and sound.
• Judith Strikes!/Legion of Lawndale Heroes Mini: The Legion Encounters, Part III: Equal Payment, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): Charles was about to head over to Brittany Taylor’s house to work on their project for Science class—of course, he had something better in mind than that. No. Not that. Brittany was quite the fair and fetching flower of feminine perfection, but she, sadly enough, lacked even the most basic capacity for worthwhile conversation...
• Judith Strikes!/Legion of Lawndale Heroes Mini: The Legion Encounters, Part IV: Not So Different, by Brother Grimace (Part 1): “You’re not supposed to hit girls.” David Allen Farrington said, the tone in his voice kind but firm. That wasn’t enough for the eleven-year-old that sat next to him. “Why not, if they hit you first?” David Allen sighed, and took a moment to look around the area from his spot on the stage of the Kuznov Auditorium—because of circumstances (namely, having lost a bet), the place where he and a fellow Cadet First Class were having their weekly ‘campfire’.
  
• Judith Strikes! Miss Helen Sue, by GlitterShrooms (intro): The Glen Oaks Lane of this world didn’t seem unusual from all the other ones Judith visited. Of course, most versions were lit by the lights of the street lamps and suburban houses instead of the starlight of an undisturbed night sky. Still, it wasn’t the possibility of a dead Lawndale that worried Judith. She had visited hundreds of those by now. What worried Judith though was the fact that an extremely powerful gem, one that could ruin everything she worked for, was here in a Lawndale that the rest of the civilized world was apparently ignoring for some unknown reason.
• NEW! Judith Strikes/Tales of the Ringbearers: Calling the Children Home, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): The sound rang out through the Citadel of the Ringmasters—loud, droning, and ominous. It rang out from the Citadel and could be heard across the land. It rang out across the world, and all on the Earth that some knew as D-476 could hear its sound.
• NEW! The Lane That Wasn't, by LadieT (Part 11): Jane was back in her bed when Mr. DeMartino and Ms. Defoe walked in. Jane felt a tinge of sadness as she watched her favorite teacher head towards her "favorite student." Mr. DeMartino sat beside Jane. His face didn't show his usual anger or frustration. He looked over at Jane with genuine concern on his face. "How are you doing, Ms. Morgendorffer?"
  
• NEWEST! Legacy, by Getrealordie187 (Prologue and Part 1): He stares at her in amazement, the man named Dr. Geoffrey Hopkins, thinking this isn't the first time he's had to look at her like that. "What on earth happened to you?" She's grinning maniacally, making the sight of her in her paint-covered fatigues even more off-putting. "Some of the boys in Company B tried to put my back against the wall. I was waiting for them with Company D. About time that little rivalry started working for me rather than against me." (Part 1) (Daria/The Killers)
• NEWEST! The Long Con, by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): The end of year at Buxton had a rite of passage - the playing of the last call, next to the memorial for the alumni who'd been lost in action. Cadet Morgendorffer, clad in immaculate dress uniform, had noted there was a lot of names. This was it. The end. Ninth grade had been and gone, and it was time to see how it had worked.
  
• Mac Daddy's Discipline, by rglovejoy (COMPLETE!): The ropes holding Kevin to the stainless steel table were a little too tight. The pain was both overwhelming and delicious. Except for the leather harness around his chest, he was completely naked. The soft sounds of mellow jazz music flowed out of the adjacent bathroom. The dungeon was dim, except for the lit candles set in a small tray at Kevin's feet. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs. To his relief, it was Mac. Everything was going to be alright, so long as Mac Daddy was here.
• NEW! The Many Ways A Mother Could Go..., by OverlordMikey (Part 1): Helen Barksdale sat alone in her large office. She sighed as she flicked her hair back out of her face. It's not like I was trying to work my way to the top or anything, she thought as she sat in a large comfy chair. I just liked working. Still, maybe I overdid this. What would have happened if I had became a lawyer... She let out a laugh as she imagined someone cracking a lawyer joke. Being on the top—a CEO. She'd worked hard and here she was! No regrets! She noticed an envelope placed in the pile of all her paperwork. (FF.net)
  
• Pulp Fiction, by Chris Tucker (continued): There were odd little snippets of the events during her 18 months in training that stuck in Daria's memory, even years later... "Ms. Morgendorffer, for the next six weeks you will be learning the art and science of escape and evasion. There are 5 rules that make up the basics. Rule 1. Don't get captured. Rule 2. DON'T GET CAPTURED!"
• NEWER! Pulp Fiction: Africa, by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): She never did figure out when the old Daria ceased to be. At some point, the bitter cynicism, the cutting sarcasm, the misanthropy just went away. She did know that she could pinpoint where it began. Day, date, time, place, and words. "He doesn't know what it means." But, at some point during her time in Boston, it all changed. So gradually, she didn't really notice.
  
• NEWEST! The Question, by LadieT (Parts 5 and 6 and 7 and 8: COMPLETE!): "Barch! What the hell is SHE doing here?" Daria almost wrecked as she slammed on the brakes. "I'm serious. She just pulled into the front parking lot. Daria, where are you at?" Jane motioned to Jodie to go back inside. Jodie shot through the courthouse door. "Right now, we are in the left side parking lot. Are you sure it's Barch?" "Yeah..the car had a 'Take Back Night Lawndale High School Women's Self Defense Club' bumper sticker on the back of it." "Damn it!" (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8)
  
• NEW! A Road Trip Game, by OverlordMikey (COMPLETE!): "Hey Jess," Trent said as they drove down the road in the Tank. The other guys where fast asleep. Only he and Jesse remained awake. "I came up with new lyrics." "Yeah?" Jess said vacantly.
• NEWER! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guys and Guys), by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): Jeffy, as always, looked nervous. Tom shook his head and pushed the boy playfully on the shoulder. "Come on, man, we're just go-karting. Two cute guys messing around with cars, who's going to suspect?"
  
• NEWER! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guys and Guys), by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): It started simply enough. He'd always known he was different. He thought that he was the only one in the world that felt like this, The only one who had these urges and needs. He never acted on them, because, well, he WAS the only one in the world.
• NEWER! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guys and Guys), by Derek (COMPLETE!): Helen walked through the front door and stopped in shock...
  
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Daria and Military School), by Jim North (COMPLETE!): Once the rank and file were settled into their chairs, Lieutenant Colonel Anthony DeMartino snapped the heels of his shoes smartly to call attention to the front. All noise ceased immediately as every eye turned forward. Pleased with the speed of compliance with his nonverbal order, DeMartino smiled slightly and began to speak in calm, even tones. "Class, we have a new cadet joining us today," he said. "Please welcome Fourth Class Cadet Morgendorffer. ON YOUR FEET, SOLDIER!"
• NEW! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guys and Guys), by Breitasparrow (Part 1): I can't believe I made her cry, Tom thought. It had been a few hours since he confronted Jane about her strange behavior. He didn't think things would get weird between them after that one day, but he also didn't expect her to react the way she did. I just hope she'll accept my apology. After a few rings, he started to think no one would answer. Just as he was about to hang up, he heard a familiar voice. "Hello?" "Oh, hey, Trent. Is Jane there? It's kinda important."
  
• NEW! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Real Esteem), by Jim North (COMPLETE!): "Like, esteem!" "Like, a teen!" "They totally don't rhyme, do they?" the blonde guy said, shaking his head with melodramatic sadness. "It's like, they almost do, but then they don't, right? And that's not really cool." "Right!" his partner agreed, a goofy grin plastered across his face. "But we're here to totally fix that! We're gonna make all you little dudes and dudettes totally rhyme!" (Daria/Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure)
  
• NEW! Unnamed story (Judith Strikes! Closing Ceremony), by RLobinske (COMPLETE!): On the monitor of his scanner, Hypersphere Supervisor Richard watched a reality thread flare to a bright, angry red. A voice behind him said, "And so it begins."
• NEWER! Unnamed story (Judith Strikes! Closing Ceremony), by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): "You were on your LAST WARNING for scrawling, student!" "I didn't do it this time, I SWEAR—"
• NEWEST! Unnamed story (More Crossovers Not Yet Crossed Over), by Wraith (COMPLETE!): Jane took a bite of the meal she had scraped together from the last of the food left in the kitchen. Namely, a Ding Ding, the only slice of baloney that wasn't too green, and a large quantity of mustard. As she chewed, she processed Daria's last comment. (Daria/UHF)
• MOST NEWEST OF ALL! Unnamed story (More Crossovers Not Yet Crossed Over), by Roxanne M (COMPLETE!): Helen was in the kitchen warming up a tray of frozen lasagna for dinner when the doorbell rang. She walked over and answered the door, to be greeted by a man and woman dressed in light blue blazers, white shirts, and black neckties. The man spoke: "Are you Helen Morgendorffer?" Helen replied, "Yes I am, and who might you be?" The woman replied this time: "I am Kate Monday, and this is my partner, George Frankley." In unison they flashed police badges and said, "Mathnet." (Daria/Square One)