outlining and such; also work schedule grumbling

I poked at my chosen pinch hit prompt (plus my recipient's general list of wants and do-not-wants), and came out with two potential story ideas. As I unspooled each one a little, trying to figure out the structure and implications and stuff, the one I initially liked better kept getting darker and darker, until it didn't really fit the feel of the prompt anymore. (I still kind of want to write it, though. Just not now.)

So I am going, instead, with the idea that I initially came up with as a crack throwaway, but which upon reflection turned out to actually be surprisingly plausible and bittersweet. Plus hilarious. I mean, even the super-dark idea still includes a fair dose of hilarity, because reasons, but this alternate plot bunny works much better for that element.

Now I just need to firm up my scenario justification and think of a good opening line, at which point I will sit back and take dictation. (The beauty of this fandom is that once I get a certain type of idea wound up properly, I can basically just let it go and it will do the thing on its own. Meeting minimum wordcount is not the trick. The trick is making the story stop. *wry*)

-----

In other news, not only did I go in to Not the IRS three hours early on Monday, I will be staying four hours late tomorrow and going in at an as-yet-undetermined time on Friday, but definitely earlier than I was initially scheduled for.

This is partly an attempt to make sure there is always somebody on the clock who doesn't have a pre-scheduled appointment, so we can take walk-in clients, but also an attempt to reduce hours for one of my coworkers who is having a family crisis in slow motion and can't work their usual hours.

Anyway, I'm mostly okay with this kind of thing -- money is money, after all -- but I did want to see a movie on Monday, and possibly attend a public hearing on Friday, and clearly none of that is happening. *sigh* Maybe next week will be a little more relaxed.