The Driven Wild Universe
April 18, 1999 - November 27, 2005
by Kara Wild
Here are some fanfics I've written that focus on Daria's life. They are all in script form, to emulate the feel of the show. But, of course, don't expect an exact fit, because these are just phony scripts after all. Instead, just imagine if Daria were allowed to have an entire 30 minutes, 22 episodes instead of 13, and if some of the character development threads were taken beyond their humble beginnings on the actual show. Oh, and if Daria ever turned up the tension a notch (the way it would eventually in many of the Fourth Season episodes, such as "Psycho Therapy," "Fire!", and "Dye! Dye! My Darling.").
And judging from the number of Quinn-centric and Helen-centric fanfics in my cache, you can guess that they are two of my favorite characters. As if my Helen-centric Fanfic Collection weren't a big enough clue. ; >
But seriously, my intentions in the Driven Wild Universe are to get inside the heads of as many of the characters as possible. Not only Daria, Helen, and Quinn, but also Jake, Jane, Brittany, Sandi, Andrea, Jodie, and Amy. And countless others whom I don't recall at the moment. ; > I hope that I've succeeded...
Special thanks to C.L. Basso for providing the HTML version of my Driven Wild Universe fanfics.
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In the opening episode of The Driven Wild Universe, Quinn learns the unthinkable: her vision has taken a nosedive, and she needs glasses. Now she must deal with the horrific(and hilarious) reality that she might be viewed as... a nerd.
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Aunt Amy's weekend visit to Lawndale seems like it will go without problem. But everything goes downhill after her bonding with Daria provokes Helen's jealousy, and after Quinn passes Amy off as Daria's mother...
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Daria the English Whiz finds that three little words are the hardest of all to
say as she ponders her relationship with Helen. Meanwhile, Quinn learns
that friendship costs a little more than she bargained for...
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'Shipped Out
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Daria dreams about her future life with Trent. But when she learns he has
a new girlfriend, her fantasies start to go awry. (A typical Daria/Trent
story? Don't bet on it! This may be the first "cynical 'shipper" story in the
history of Daria fandom, so if you're a hardcore 'shipper... be warned!)
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Andrea Speaks
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Both Morgendorffer sisters are forced to take a hard look at their lives
when Daria comes face-to-face with someone who's more alienated than
she is, and Quinn and Sandi face off in the Fashion Club elections, where
an incident occurs that makes Quinn finally come to a decision about her
glasses.
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As Lawndale High's new head cheerleader, Quinn tries to hold on to her
popularity and stay one step ahead of Brittany. There's just one problem:
she doesn't know how to cheer.
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None in the Family, Part One: The Old Man
Text version or HTML version Grandma Barksdale's 50th wedding anniversary sets the stage for a series
of pivotal events. Amy mulls over her broken relationship, while Daria
learns that she doesn't know the Famous Aunt as well as she thought she
did. Jake tries to emulate the behavior of the late Grandpa Barksdale, with
results that threaten to tear apart his marriage to Helen. (Part 1 of 2)
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None in the Family, Part Two: Unmasked
Text version or HTML During Helen's separation from Jake, she, Rita, and Amy confront their
feelings about their father -- and each other. Meanwhile, Jake's "Grandpa
Barksdale" approach to parenting quickly goes sour, and Daria is forced
to call in our favorite P.C. couple to help resolve the marriage crisis. (Part
2 of 2)
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Outvoted
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Over Daria's objections, Jane runs against Sandi for student body
president. From there, she learns (the hard way) that image, politics, and
ignorance form an explosive mix.
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Of Absolute Value
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Quinn's math teacher persuades Jake to help her "be all she can be" in
math, bringing forth several burning questions. Such as: can Jake be a
good father? Will Quinn surrender her Fashion Club duties to become a
math "brain"? And can father and daughter ever find a common bond?
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Breaking the Mold
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Helen and Daria make a bet to see who can withstand a change in persona
the longest. While Daria suffers on the school newspaper, Helen attempts
to go artistic with the help of... Amanda Lane. The result: a lot of disaster
with a touch of wisdom gained.
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Surreal World
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In yet another misguided attempt at fundraising, Ms. Li enlists Daria and
six other LHS students to be on an experimental TV show... one that
bears a suspicious resemblance to MTV's "The Real World." While Daria
copes with her privacy being invaded and tries to separate the real from the
fake, the other students let themselves go... and go... and go...
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Daria confronts the mystery of love, using her cousin Erin's
all-consuming crush on Trent to deliver some answers. But since this is an
"anti-'shipper," the answers she gets are not necessarily the ones she
wanted...
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Primarily Color
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A racist note prompts the Landons to sue Lawndale High, forcing students
and faculty alike to confront the issue of diversity... or lack thereof. But will
Ms. Li's "zero tolerance" policy really be the magical cure? Or Mr.
O'Neill's hand-holding emote-fests?? And was Jodie wise to pinpoint
Sandi as the one responsible for the note? What does Daria think??
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The Age of Cynicism
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Now Complete! Helen and Jake recall life back in 1980-81, when the worldwas growing conservative, they were struggling to make ends meet, and a certain cynic was on the way...
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Charge of the Math Brigade
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What, short of a cranial lobotomy, would compel Quinn Morgendorffer to join the LHS mathletics squad (aka the "geek brigade")? Only goading from her zealous math teacher, Mr. Phelps, who wants Quinn to hone her math skills in competition. But is it really for Quinn's own good? Daria attempts to find out.
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An Uneasy Marriage
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Jake joins Helen's art class in order to break up a potential liason between her and her sculpting instructor. But his presence may do their marriage more harm than good.
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In Her Own Words
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Disheartened her troubled homelife, Daria joins an underground newspaper whose distinctly cynical outlook causes others distaste, including Jane. Yet is Daria really ready to embrace hardcore cynicism once again, or is her situation much more complicated...?
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All But Forgotten
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After stress over work and family cause Helen to reach a breaking point, she flees to the one person whom she feels she can trust. Meanwhile Daria and Quinn try to find out what Jake has been up to. (Part 1 of 2)
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Memory Road
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Helen decides to go home and fix her marriage, only to be stopped by Amy, who has other ideas. Meanwhile, Daria and Quinn confront a situation that is growing worse and may not get better. (Part 2 of 2)
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Into the Fire
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As she and Quinn adjust to the painful realities of their parents' separation,Daria grows to suspect that Quinn's math teacher, Mr. Phelps, has malevolent plans for her sister.
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Tomorrow Never Knows
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In the final episode of the series, Daria's suspicions of Phelps threaten to derail her future and shatter her relationship with Quinn.
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