(no subject)

Today's mcshep_match Angst story offers a bit of a change of pace from the previous entries, which were all, to different degrees, more action-oriented. Moments, Coming and Going is a quieter story: a really beautiful John character study that I not only recommend, I recommend reading more than once. The gorgeous, fluid writing is something to savor and appreciate, and there are a lot of subtle, cool things going on that I didn't notice till my second read-through. The author captures the mood, the dream-like quality of John suspended between living and dying, and holds it in every word; the result is a fabulous portrait of both John's past and the inside of his mind.

Go lose yourself in Moments, Coming and Going

In which I SUIT UP.

So, I've been rewatching the great How I Met Your Mother lately—and gleefully infecting everyone I know with my love for the show (I've claimed darcydodo, akukorax, ebrooklynw, CR, and CR's boyfriend so far). Yesterday actually started out a HIMYM-free day, as I went bra-shopping with ebw and her friend R. (Aside—whoa, Frederick's is a lot cheaper than Victoria's Secret. I bought two bras there for the price of one of VS's. Very sexay push-up ones too. We'll see how I like them once they're actually in use.) After a full and fun day shopping, seeing Superbad (eh.*), and eating a fabulous sushi dinner, ebw, R. and I returned to my place, not quite ready to call it a night, but unsure what to do next. Since CR was sewing in the living room (she's attending a wedding next week and is making shawls for all of the bridesmaids, as well as two dresses for herself and a sexy robe for the bride), we decided not to rent a movie as originally planned, and instead went somewhat apathetically to Borders. However, on the way to the bookstore, CR phoned me. I'd said we'd bring her anything she wanted or needed to get her through all the stitching, so I figured she'd decided she did want some ice cream, after all.

Instead she said, "Trin, I have something I need you to do for me. I need you to SUIT UP!"

After I finished laughing, I lamented that I didn't actually have a suit. "This is metaphorical suiting up," CR explained. "I have a mission for you. I need you to bring me back something from the bookstore—an object belonging to someone shopping or working there. And it needs to be something they gave you willingly."

Then we phone-fived and hung up.

At the store, I browsed a little and tried to think of a way to fulfil my mission. I couldn't think of anything particularly subtle, so eventually I just decided to ask someone to give me something. It was late, only an hour till closing, but there were still plenty of people about. However, I didn't want to ask just anyone. I figured if I was going to potentially make a fool of myself, I might as well combine two fool-making scenarios. I would talk to a cute guy.

I finally found one, sitting at one of the tables toward the back of the store, surrounded by business books and magazines, with a notebook open in front of him. He had shaggy dark hair, and when he looked up and we made eye contact, he smiled. It was a very nice smile. So I went and asked him if he could do me a favor. I explained vaguely that I needed an object of his for bet-like purposes. "Even just a page from your notebook," I said.

He thought. And then, for once the thing I had been secretly and hopefully considering as a beautiful but unlikely best case scenario actually occurred. He said I could have a page from his notebook if I gave him my number.

Flailed internally like a thirteen-year-old, I managed to stay cool and did.

So I came away with a sheet of paper with a smiley face drawn on it, leaving the cute guy (who grinned and told me his name is Juan) with my number. And thus the dull end of an evening became insanely fun—even, dare I say, LEGENDARY? For that is what happens when you SUIT UP.

I have some lingering questions, though:

[Poll #1041815]

*A much better movie to see is Stardust, which both mecurtin and I are surprised more people aren't talking about. dancinbutterfly, however, is doing better than talking: she's started a series of backstory fics about Captain Shakespeare, which, if you've seen the movie, I think you would really enjoy. The first one is here.