One year for AtO online

Do people actually mark yearly anniversaries for their multi-chaptered fanfiction?

If not then this post is probably weird. But I'd like to take the time to actually do this. It has been a year and even though I haven't been the most consistent of updaters, I think I'm managed to get a good amount of writing done in a year. (especially if you count the tidbits scattered on my computer and various pieces of paper.)

So as a bit of a celebration, I'm going to put up one of the many deleted scenes that never made it into the first 10 chapters of the story. I've experimented and changed the PoV for fun.

Warning: ...it's a bit of a long post. And not very edited.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deleted scene/Omake Episode 1
Gate duty is always so boring. Izumo sighed wearily and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He glanced to the side and poked Kotetsu in the ribs persistently. "Is it time for us to leave yet?"
Kotetsu groaned and moved away from him to the other end of their wooden stall.
"You think Harii has any food with him?" Izumo fanned himself with some of the gate entry forms.
Kotetsu turned to him and rolled his eyes. "Of course he does. His fridge always has something in it. And you keep taking food there too."
Izumo scoffed. "Who keeps taking the dango there?"
"There's nothing wrong with taking sweets. Tons of take out though..."
"He's too skinny." Izumo said and adjusted his bandana to get his hair away from his face.
Kotetu sighed. "He's not Hiroshi."
Izumo stilled. "I never said he was."
"What happened to Hiroshi wasn't..." Kotetsu hesitated and turned away to look at the Hokage mountain in the distance.
"It was the poison. I know." Izumo shoved the forms back in their boxes, reached in to his pocket and grabbed a hold of the paper fan stored there. "Maybe we were just that stupid. I mean we should have known. How could anyone lose that much weight in so little time?"
"No one could have known." Kotetsu said after a long silence.
"We should have... we were his team-mates." Then this stupid fan wouldn't be the only thing left of him.
"Yeah, but..." Kotetsu paused as a group of people passed thorough the gate and headed towards their tiny wooden stall with papers in hand. He straightened in his chair and leaned forward. "Welcome to Konoha! Entry forms and identification papers please..."
Izumo shoved back his memories and smiled at the group as he scanned over their papers.

X-X-X-X-X

"How come we're not taking any food for him?" Kotetsu said as he fiddled with his chunnin vest.
"We should take him out. So that he doesn't have to clean up after us."
"We're not that messy" Kotetsu turned and smirked at him. "At least I'm not."
Izumo leaned to his side a little and elbowed Kotetsu. "Idiot, you're the messy one."
"As if! Who's the one who spilled juice all over his table..."
"You're the one who pushed my glass." Izumo shoved past Kotetsu and raced up the stairs to the top of the apartment building. He reached the top and turned back to Kotetsu. "Slow-poke."
"You cheater!"
Before Izumo could retort, the apartment door beside them was wrenched open. "Did you two have anything to do with this? If this is some kind of joke..." Harii waved his hands wildly.
"Why would we play a joke on you?" Izumo frowned and moved forward.
Harii blinked at him in confusion then moved aside with a slightly embarrassed look to let them in the apartment. "No reason."
His eyes just then... they were wistful. I remind him of someone? No, Kotetsu and me remind him...Izumo sputtered as he caught sight of an elaborately decorated paper clutched in Harii's hands. "A marriage proposal?"
Kotetsu gasped, ran forward and patted Harii's shoulders enthusiastically."Congrats! You lucky..."
"It's not for me, idiot."
Izumo shared a surprised look with Kotetsu."Naruto?"
"I almost wish it was." Harii sighed. "I got this letter from Ryuuken Izara."
Izumo tapped his chin in thought. Ryuuken, that name sounded... He gaped and looked at the snowy white owl perched on the couch, head tucked beneath a wing and obviously taking a nap.
Harii nodded at him. "Yeah. How exactly do I reply to such an odd request?"
"I'm confused." Kotetsu said.
"Kotetsu, you know him. Remember I told you about that creepy guy who breeds the messenger birds."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Izumo smacked his forehead. All that sugar must be rotting his brain. Harii snickered. Although I suppose he does have his uses.
Harii pushed the decorative letter in to his hands and sat at the couch. "Go on, read it."
Kotetsu moved closer and looked over his shoulder as he read the letter.

Sir,
I've never seen an owl from the mountains with such luminous feathers or such an impressive body size. I've even heard rumors of her increased intelligence. Surely her bloodline must be strong and unique.
I would like to make a formal request to have one of my own owls breed with her. He's from a long line of intelligent night messengers.
I'm sure their offspring will undoubtedly be of the most superior ...

Kotetsu choked. Izumo tried not to laugh too much as he read the rest of it.
"Here's the file on the other owl. It has pictures and information I can't even begin to understand." Harii pointed to the items on the small circular table of the living room and pushed himself deeper in to his dull brown sofa. "I almost feel insulted. He didn't even bother to find out my name."
"What are you going to do?" Kotetsu asked.
"She's not some dumb animal who's going to be forced to make superior owls or something. I refuse to do that to her. If she decides to settle down then that's her choice. She'll choose who she wants."
"Err, Harii, you do know she's an owl, right?"
"Yes and?"
"Nothing."
I knew he was different. Here he is acting as though the owl is family. Izumo smothered a laugh at Harii's defiant expression. "But aren't you at least going to see if she's interested?"
"But she's so young." Harii stared at the table thoughtfully.
"I thought you wanted to give her a choice." Izumo folded the letter slowly, shoved it in Kotetsu's hands and moved to the kitchen to grab a glass of juice.
"I did. but did you see the picture of the other owl? It looks stupid."
'It'? Not 'he'? Izumo came back to the living room and found Kotetsu nodding every time Harri pointed out a 'stupid' feature in the photograph.
Kotetsu gave him an amused look and turned to Harry. "So you don't approve?"
Harii held the photograph up to Izumo. "You think it looks stupid too, right?"
Izumo sipped his juice. "Why are you asking me?"
"You're the one who worked at the messenger tower. Obviously you'll be able to tell..."
He remembered. I just mentioned it once and he remembered. Izumo tried not to gape.
"...so what do you think?" Harii finished with an expectant look.
Kotetsu rolled his eyes. "Izumo's hardly an expert, Harii."
Izumo ignored Kotetsu and examined the owl in the photo. He then looked up at the snowy white owl napping beside Harry. "He does seem a bit... dull in comparison to her."
"Exactly! She deserves an owl that's way better than that. It's feather's are so boring and... Can you guys help me with the replying part?"
"No problem." Kotetsu said. "Although this does make me feel like an uncle."
"Uncle?" Harri frowned.
Kotetsu nodded. "You totally sounded like a dad. So that makes us the uncles. Especially since we'll be replying on your behalf..."
"A dad?"
Izumo smiled at Harii's scandalized look and touched the fan in his pocket. "Now that that's settled, let's get some food." He rolled his eyes as Harii opened his mouth. "No dango!"
Kotetsu patted Harri's shoulder consolingly. "Don't worry, there's loads of other sweets out there. Maybe we can even sneak some..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interesting things I've come across
1- Damned Demented Demons by Hells_half_acre (Harry PotterXSupernatural)
This fanfiction takes place after HP's epilogue and manages to blend the two fandoms quite nicely and uniquely. It has a lot of pluses. First of all, the plot doesn't center around awkward yaoi romance. It has a good amount of action and I like the characterization of everyone in there. Also it's a nice length with sequels.

2- A discussion on speech verbs at FFNet's Writers Anonymous forums
Just thought you'd like to have a look at this discussion. It deals with the over-usage/non-usage of 'said' in writing. It also talks about 'bookisms' and how most people depend on that too much making their dialogue weak. (FYI- bookisms are stuff like - he hissed, he chuckled, etc- that are used as tags instead of said.)
It definitely makes you think about your own writing. Looks like loads of future editing for me, either way.

3- Water by Jennifer (Buffy X LoTR)
This isn't really a new find. It's more of a re-find. I remember reading it ages ago and loving it. But I forgot to fav/bookmark it.
It's unique in the narration and wonderfully creative in plot. It's a good read specially the second story "Ebb". Timeline is somewhere after the Hobbit and before the Lord of the Rings. But I do have to warn you that it hasn't been updated for while.
Actually a lot of the other one-shots by this author are wonderful reads- unique and makes you want more.

That's all for now,
Polar
P.S. I haven't been able to reply to any reviews yet. I hope you guys don't mind the delay with that.