Five Times the Challenge

I've got about two more days worth (after this).  Then back to the scheduled program.  Having something to write every day has been really nice and I hope to keep the habit up.

27. Foreign: The first time someone called her Kate Miller she almost forgot to respond.
35. Hold my Hand: All she could do for her fellow officer was sit by them as they bled out, waiting for the ambulance that would be too late.
37. Eyes: The stranger’s slight accent and grey eyes were delicious but when he introduced himself she knew she had found family.
64. Multitasking: Look at the traffic ahead, check either lanes for merging, remember which roads are busy, when each school gets out, where the passenger wants to go, all while making pleasant conversation.
67. Playing the Melody: Carefully she picked out Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on her aunt’s piano as the older woman played circles around her, their harmony filling the quiet afternoon.
71. Obsession: Her father always teased her that she had been in love with cars from infancy and it was true, her favorite teething toy was a detached stick shift.
72. Mischief Managed: The only thing that kept the four cousins from relieving their boredom via pranks on Joe Cassop was Aunt Belle’s threats of no peach turnover and hard time cleaning the house.
74. Are You Challenging Me?: Ironhide bristled and Sam cringed; was the Sec Def suicidal?!
93. Give Up: Sam’s mother sighed and kissed her husband on the forehead. “You know she’s not going to stop asking for a puppy. She is our daughter after all.”
94. Last Hope: “Mr. Bertolli, this is Siobhan Capall calling in Donnie Capall’s favor, I need your help.”
95. Advertisement: “There has got to be someone hiring!”
96. In the Storm: A tiny blonde form flung herself into the safe bed of her parents just as the second thunder crash shook the house.
97. Safety First: Honestly, some passengers were so fussy; she saw the red light!
98. Puzzle: Curious George was a very strange monkey, young Samantha decided; who else would want to eat a puzzle peice?

Half tomorrow: 20, 21, 24, 28, 29, 33, 34, 38, 39, 50-52, 56, 65, 66, 68, 69, 75, 78, 83, 85, 88

I am watching the 25th anniversary Les Miserables finale and fangirling.  It makes me so happy to see the original cast and hear Colm Wilkinson sing!  And what is even better is the joy he obviously finds in singing the songs again and the reaction from the crowd when his voice rolls over them.  His grin is infectious.  Many performers seem to turn their backs on a role once they are done with a run and appear very condescending or stiff if asked to reprise it for a tribute.  When you have done something amazing enough to be asked back you should be honored and embrace what is now a part of your identity.  Colm appears to have done that, besides looking like a teddy bear and favorite uncle anyways.  I love his voice and the emotion he puts into his part.  The only thing that would make the tribute better is if Philip Quast from the 10th anniversary performance was there.  But I plan on doing a more detailed review and comparison of the Les Mises later.  :)

Prompted to the Fourth

8 for Chelsea; 57 and 79 for Brian; 18, 87 and the remaining 40s for my sister; and the rest because I could.

8. Innocence: “Papa, how did cousin Ryder get in Tante Belle’s tummy?”
18. Rainbow: “Sky, ciel. Rainbow, arc en ciel,” Craig told his tiny daughter, pointing up at the features in the sky. “Rain, pluie. Cloud, nuage.”
43. Dying: The world was silent for long moments after the blast and one thought kept running through her head, ‘to die would be an awfully big adventure’.
44. Two Roads: If asked Sam would swear she didn’t cry when the choir sang The Road Not Taken at their graduation … misting up doesn’t count as crying, right?
45. Illusion: While in Witsec she felt like an invisible person, her true self hidden and unseen from all.
48. Childhood: Happy days, marred by her mother’s kidnap then the split of her family.
49. Stripes: The first day of school was a special day in the Donnlaoch household and no matter the weather it was hot chocolate with candy canes all around.
57. Sacrifice: Downshift would never say so, but he always thought those willing to give up their identity to serve justice were a little too stuck up like Prime, even if it was the right thing to do.
63. Do Not Disturb: Sam didn’t like waking up early, but unlike her cousin she didn’t have a I’ll-hurt-you-if-you-wake-me-before-eleven-AM rule.
70. 67 Percent: And that folks, is why she hated group projects.
79. Starvation: The worst thing about an early lunch period was that long wait until the last bell.
87. Food: The whole family grinned and it was only after the camera flash that the elder members noticed the BBQ sauce all over the faces of the younger.
92. All That I Have: Tears sparkled in her eyes as she smiled at the man on his knee before her. “Yes.”

 Tomorrow, the 90s for Cat, plus five or six other requests: 20, 21, 24, 27-29, 33-35, 37-39, 50-52, 56, 64-69, 71, 75, 78, 83, 85, 88

To explain a couple of things.  Tante, according to the Google Translate site, is Aunt in Irish.  All other translations are also from there.
* '... to die would be an awfully big adventure' comes from the 2004 Peter Pan
* The cousin in 63 is Penny from Big Bang Theory
* I have no idea who the guy in 92 is.  Sam has no romantic interest that I know of.
* Our choir almost sang The Road Not Taken as our graduation song but our director chose That Lonesome Road instead, a darker version that talks more about regrets that never fails to make me teary.  There is a beautiful choir version and one by James Taylor  And on a side note, Sam is my first character to not have a musical background and/or have been in her high school choir.

Challenges - Part 3

Danke Deanna, Caitlin und Brian!

26. Tears: Flynn and Ryder stared in askance at Sam. “Are you crying at Old Yeller?”
30. Under the Rain: Sam shivered as she waited for her cousins to show up so they could execute their next prank.
36. Precious Treasure: The baby birds looked so fragile cradled in her hands, a pity they had fallen from the nest.
40. Rated: “I got the job!” Sam squealed, nearly tackling her father. “I’m now a New York cabbie!”
41. Teamwork: Together Sam and Prowl were an unstoppable crime fighting team.
54. Tower: No matter how many times she was asked, Sam still found it amusing when tourists wanted to see the Eiffel Tower.
59. No Way Out: The chess board loomed before her and she growled, checkmate again!
60. Rejection: Penny cried fat tears onto Samantha’s shoulder when Brent said he wouldn’t go out with her and the next day the boy sported a black eye.
61. Fairy Tale: “Athair! Read to me about Boudica again!”
62. Magic: Craig and Marcia Donnloach both decided when Samantha was very small that they would not lie to her, she would never believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny or Cupid.
81. Pen and Paper: “Addy! Bring that back” Sam called but the bird simply squawked and flew higher, pencil clutched in her beak.
84. Out Cold: Sam’s sensitivity to sedatives was discovered when the dentist filled her first cavity.
90. Triangle: Sam curled next to her father as he taught her the constellations: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Orion, Andromeda and Tringulum.

Numbers left: 8, 18, 20, 21, 24, 27-29, 33-35, 37-39, 50-52, 56, 57, 64-69, 71, 75, 78, 79, 83, 85, 87, 88, 92-98

You prompt me (Challenges Part 2)

Per requests from Cat, Miri, Justin and Deanna:

22. Mother Nature: Gunfire never bothered her (unless it was aimed at her naturally) but thunder still made her jump.
32. Night: Sam marveled at how warm Downshift’s hood was as she stretched out on it to stargaze and listen to Optimus’s story.
55. Waiting: She crouched behind the nearest car and as soon as the men turned their backs she was outta there!
58. Kick in the Head: Young Samantha developed a healthy respect for cows after narrowly being missed by a flying hoof.
73. I Can't: Sam joined her fellow police cadets as they collapsed beside the track; the instructors may be trying to kill them but she would take all they threw at her.
76. Broken Pieces: The quartet of amateur baseball players stared at each other as the sound of shattered glass broke the afternoon air, Penny’s grin falling as all of their faces lost a few shades.
77. Test: Sam had her driving test scheduled the day she was eligible and had passed within five minutes on the road.
80. Words: The attorney’s questions swirled together into a constant buzz after a while and Sam’s head drifted towards the table.
91. Drowning: “Rye!” she screamed as her cousin floundered in the rushing river.
99. Solitude: Sam collapsed to her couch the moment the last Marshall left.

And ten I already had done:

16. Questioning: “Are you coming home yet?” was always the first thing she asked her mother when they spoke on the phone.
17. Blood: “Are you friken kidding me?” Sam shrieked as red sprayed her skin; the unfortunate soldier next to her wasn’t really dead from the paintball blast but if she anything to say about it he soon would be.
19. Grey: Secretly Sam always thought the Decepticon color scheme a little boring, but appreciated it made them easier to identify.
23. Cat: It’s not that Sam didn’t like cats, its just that every time she was around them they tried to kill her.
25. Trouble Lurking: Sam couldn’t explain it but the new police car patrolling her house gave her the willies.
31. Flowers: She avoided the hospital not only because she was afraid of sick people, but because the bouquets of mostly lilies would end up trying to kill her.
42. Standing Still: Time stopped when her father told her about her mother; she would never forgive the Solarios.
46. Family: Of all the things instilled in her, a sense of family was the strongest and it served her will in Montana.
47. Creation: Sam walked proudly into the room, her creations held before her. The cake was lopsided and the icing patchy in places, but it was the first thing she had cooked completely by herself and nothing could burst her bubble.
53. Keeping a Secret: Sam did her best to keep a straight face as her cousins started drooling over her car; Downshift was going to be impossible to live with after this.

 Numbers left: 8, 18, 20, 21, 24, 27-29, 33-35, 37-41, 43-45, 48-52, 56, 57, 59-62, 64-69, 71, 75, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87, 88, 92-98

Challenges - Part 1

I read a companion to a fanfiction series in which the author took a one hundred prompt challenge and I liked it so much I copied them.  Each prompt is supposed to be responded to in one sentence, but as you will see, number 14 took on a life of its own.  The prompts have helped me to both A) develop Samantha and her back story and B) write in every spare moment I have.  But I am far from done.  Below is are the numbers of the prompts I have yet to do and a handful that I already have done.  Message me a number or post it in the comments and I will include it in the next batch! 

8, 18, 20-22, 24, 27-30, 32-41, 43-45, 48-52, 55-62, 64-71, 73, 75-77, 79-81, 83-85, 87, 88, 90-99

1. Introduction: Sam’s introduction to Transformers could have been better, but then, most could.
2. Love: As she curled into a ball of self loathing, Sam wondered how she had ever thought herself in love with Eddie.
3. Light: Sam gunned it and the light turned red as soon as her tires left the intersection.
4. Dark: It was darker in the country than in the city but Sam liked that.
5. Seeking Solace: The family, now of two, huddled together by the grave of the most important woman in their lives, safe in each others embrace.
6. Break Away: The tires spun as the bullets flew and Sam barely escaped.
7. Heaven: Sam groaned happily as she bit into the hot peach turnover; no one made peach turnover like her Aunt Belle.
9. Drive: Sam was eleven when her father taught her to drive her uncle’s tractor and the world hasn’t been the same since.
10. Breathe Again: As Beckett uttered those words Sam felt struck by a physical blow; it took many long seconds to regain her hearing, breath and power of speech.
11. Memory: Grumbling, she changed the radio station; she liked some show tunes but that one was over used.
12. Insanity: Sam’s world turned upside down the moment her car began dodging bullets on it’s own.
13. Misfortune: Some days Sam cursed the day she witnessed the beginning of Eddie’s downfall, but then she thinks of the friends she met along the way and the pain is a little less.
14. Smile: “Daddy!” Sam ran excitedly into the room where her father and his friend, a man she knew only as ‘Sir’ were talking in low tones. The two men looked toward her in surprise as she thrust her hand into her father’s face, thumb and forefinger holding her prize for his inspection.
“Lookie! I loth my firth thooth! An i’ dinn even hurth!”
Her father grinned back at her her and scooped her up to plant a proud kiss on her nose. “Congratulations Iníon.”
“Are you going to put it under your pillow for the tooth fairy?” the man known as Sir asked. Sam turned and studied the man with solemn grey eyes for a moment then whispered quietly in her father’s ear. The man watched as her father’s face involuntarily twitched in a half smile then quickly sobered and whispered a response in her ear. Seriously, the child turned her curl ringed face to the man.
“The thooth fairy ithint real, Thir.”
15. Silence: The hardest part of being in Witsec, Sam quickly decided, was not being able to call her father; when she needed comfort there was silence.

NaNoWriMo 2011 Cast

Craig Donnlaoch - Sam's father.  He knew Lucias Bertolli (now head of the Bertolli mob family) as children under less than pleasant circumstances (not sure if they were in a military academy, all boys school or if Craig was in the foster system).  Whatever the circumstances the two formed a close friendship that was tested as Lucias began to take a more active part in the illegal businesses that were his heritage.  Eventually the two parted, but not before Lucias acted as best man in Craig and Marcia's wedding.  And when Craig hit a rough patch, unable to find work after a car accident, Lucias offered him a job as his personal chauffeur. Desperate, with a wife and new born child to provide for, he and Lucius Bertolli made an agreement. For Craig’s knowledge of New York and silence, Bertolli wouldn’t bother his family or have him participate in any crimes. If he didn’t see anything, he had nothing to tell. To further protect his young family, Craig took on the identity of Donny Capall and kept as many 'associates' away from his house as possible (though any wise rising mob boss keeps an eye on his 'assets' no matter how dear a friend). A few years ago the feds came sniffing around and with his financial feet firmly under him and Sam well established in her current profession he disappeared to Oregon. He will stop by to visit his only child from time to time and it was on one such visit that Eddie Solario made the mistake of breaking his daughter's heart. Recognizing him for his true identity, Craig kicked Eddie out and helped Sam make the changes necessary to protect her as much as possible from the Solario family, including telling her about the separate identity he had created for her as Siobhan Capall, should she ever need to disappear. Craig is an only child and any remaining family he has is scattered here and in the old country of Ireland. Craig is fluent in Irish and has instilled this language in his daughter.

Flynn Traven

 Marica Traven Donnlaoch - Sam's mother.  I'm not sure if she is alive.  I have such a hard time writing mother characters!  Either way, Marcia is the eldest of three.  Her two 'younger' siblings are Malcolm and Maryanne.  They come from a long family line that has split, half settling in the Montana area, half settling in Oklahoma.  She is from the Oklahoma side of the family This might play into the story later.  If you've read any of the Sackett books by Louis L'Amore you will understand: Sam will recognize the Traven name of someone she meets, tells the person of her mother's background and instantly be protected by reason of relation.  I love those stories.  Maybe from my wish that I had a large, close family like that, someway I could feel automatically protected.  But back to Marcia.  The alternate identy that Craig has set up for her is Gilrean Capall.  Her younger brother Malcolm Traven is married to Annebelle, whom everyone calls Belle and has two sons, Flynn and Ryder.  Sam loves her two male cousins and spends the summer in Oklahoma with her Uncle Mal, Aunt Belle, cousins Flynn and Rye.  Malcolm and family live near he and Marcia's younger sister, Maryanne Matthews, her husband Wyatt and their daughter Penelope.  Penny currently lives in California across the hall from some very smart people.  Sam isn't super close to that part of the family, especially since Penny moved to California but they used to see each other regularly.  Marcia, like Craig, is fluent in Irish; it is a language passed down in her family.

Edward Solerio aka Eddie Helios - Ah, the main villain!  Eddie and Sam met in high school when he was trying to live a more 'normal' life, though at that time they were mostly acquaintances.  Their friends had teased them that they made a perfect pair, he was dark haired and dark eyed, she fair haired and fair eyed but both were tough.  They continued their friendship into college where they finally admitted to mutual attraction and began dating.  She helped him break out of some of his dark and brooding moods while he challenged her to do better in her classes.  Aside from the usual quarrels they had a very good relationship going on until she caught him cuddling with a fellow classmate.  It was actually a Solario contact but Sam never knew.  When Eddie went to Sam's apartment to apologize her father, recognizing that he was a Solerio mob member kicked him out, helped Sam change all her locks, phone numbers, get a guard dog and transfer schools. And here I am torn. How truly did Eddie feel for Sam? What ever his feelings, he left her alone after getting thrown out. Now he is focused on becoming the best mob boss possible. He has three very loyal followers in Mitch Linguine, Vinnie ‘Pasta Fingers’ Spaghetti and Guido Costa. It is with this trio that he botches the A) theft of an art piece and B) killing of Joey Mastroni (he does kill him but it is done in a public area and he is recognized), thus prompting the beginning of the story.

 Dominic Luca - The US Marshall in charge of Sam's case. Whenever Sam is in a city other than New York she is under the protection of the local US Marshalls office but ultimately both they and she report back to him. Sam is only his fourth witness to go into hiding from the New York mob and his last one didn't go so well (the witness ended up dead before the trial) so he is very vigilant with Sam, much to her irritation.  He may or may not end up being a leak by the end.  I haven't decided yet.  Depends on if it fits the way the story is going by the end.  :)

Where ever his loyalty lies, Dom is a charming, affable man and a social chameleon, a necessary trait when dealing with witness cover stories.  Sam tells everyone he's an ex boyfriend who likes to check up on her and they have fun making their back story as outrageous as possible with each person they meet.

These are most of my original characters, or at least the ones that play the biggest part in what I have written thus far.

And an update on story title ideas to date.  The Hunt for Sam, The Changling (though I think that title has been taken by a movie with a rather famous actress), Samtastic, and Driven.

NaNoWriMo 2011

Samantha Donnlaoch

     Samantha Donnlaoch is a twenty something cab driver, known in that community as a speed demon with an intimate knowledge of the streets of New York city.  She spends her spare time going to college in the hopes of one day becoming a member of the law, either as a police officer or a detective; an ironic goal considering her father's former employment as a driver for the Bertolli mob family.  Now he lives in Oregon while she takes care of his parrots, Adamantium and Kryptonite, and her dog Heffalump.  All is going well for Sam and her menagerie until she witnesses her ex boyfriend kill her passenger.  Come to find out her ex is the heir to the Solario mob family, rivals to the Bertollis, a little fact he failed to mention in the nearly six years they knew each other or the two years they were dating before she caught him cuddling with a fellow classmate.  Now she's on the run to Albuquerque, New Mexico with the help of the Federal Witness protection program.  

Sam as Katelyn Miller

     The first identity Sam takes on is Katelyn 'Kate' Miller, a wandering, gypsy sort with a lead foot and a mean right hook.  She cuts her long blonde curls and dyes her new bob a deep chestnut.  After a brief stint working at Kohls (she leaves the dye tag in the shirt of a customer that irritated her) she finds work as a waitress at a cafe and as a maintenance worker at a local race track.  She quickly works her way to being an part-time instructor and member of the security team at the track.  They even eventually let her use one of their cars, a 1970 Dodge Challenger, for racing on the track and to occasionally take home (like when her much loved but old Jetta breaks down).
     Little does she know that this gem on wheels she gets to drive is an Autobot named Downshift, whose long range comm system is damaged, preventing him from contacting his fellow Transformers.  Downshift is eventually tracked down by NEST and the background check they run on his new driver coupled with events that happen in the next few days send Sam on the run again.  Sam is very proud of her driving skills, so proud that she is willing to participate in a televised race against her fellow race track employees, despite the warnings of her handler.  Needless to say Solario men recognize her and a shoot out occurs.

Sam as Madison Callghan

     Sam next finds herself ... I think in Oregon, I'm not sure.  Someplace with an aquarium.  Her new identity is Madison Callghan, a no nonsense chick with a white blonde bob and a couple of pink streaks.  She finds work waitressing again and as a maintenance worker at an aquarium where one day she sees a man she knows to be a Bertolli member.  Her handler has warned her that someone with government connections is still searching for her (NEST) and she is worried that the Solarios might find her so she calls in a favor the Bertolli mob owe her father and ask them to help her hide until her court date.  After that I'm not sure what is going to happen, beyond the fact Downshift will track her down and she will learn about the existence of Transformers.
     This story did not start out with any Transformer crossovers at all though I did plan cameos from TV shows such as Castle, White Collar, Necessary Roughness, In Plain Sight, Big Bang Theory (Penny is a briefly mentioned cousin), Adam 12 (her cab's call sign), and SWAT (several character names/looks).  There is even a homage to Hunt for Red October where she stops off in Montana and meets Vasily, his plump American wife and their pack of rabbits.
     I could use everyone's help in coming up with a title for this cross country, multi identity, TV universe spanning adventure!  Any ideas?  Also, how do you pronounce her last name: Donnlaoch?  I am curious to see if the way I pronounce it is the way others do.

Leap 023 - Vacations

Vacations

Endless waves of

Rolling grey water

Waving golden grass

Cold wind buffeting shell collectors

Grey skies dotted with blue

Rain soaked shores

Breezes wafting sulfur over the boardwalk

Blue skies dotted with clouds

Eagles perched in the snags

Tourists watching the bison

Tourists watching tourists

Seagulls watching the tourists

It was a better idea in my head, combining two of our most common vacation spots: the Oregon coast and Yellowstone National Park.  -headdesk-  I swear I'll get better at this.

It's December!

Wow!  I'm back from the marathon that was November.  I participated in NaNoWriMo and made the commitment to put in 50 hours as an auxiliary pioneer.  Phew.  It wouldn't have been too bad ... if things went exactly as I planned ... but when does that happen?  Hah.  Anyways.  I ended the month with 43 hours in and 20.7k words.  Whoot!  I'll introduce my new cast of characters and plot in the next post.
My family and I want to the beach (Seaside) for a couple of days and stayed in a beach house, which was great except for when the heater conked out.  Thankfully it was the last night we were there and they had a gas fireplace.  I actually woke up warmer that morning than any others!  One of the days we were there it rained BUCKETS!  Ok, so buckets weren't rea;;u fa;o ... <- that's what happens when I sneeze and type at the same time.  Anyways.  Buckets weren't really falling from the sky but in the five seconds it took to get from the car to the building our family got soaked.  And on a random note, we found a big kitchen spoon on the beach and brought it home.
After the insanity known as November I took yesterday (December 1st) off.  The world did not exist yesterday.  Today things begin again.  :D