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August 31, 2011
Is Lost
« Free Sketches Thingyness ... Muila »It’s a beautiful Wednesday afternoon… and here I am sitting at my computer, possessed by an overwhelming urge to write a blog post. A real rambly one.
Well, there are tons of things I could do. I could go through the last pile of papers on my desk… I already vacuumed, and it needed it, too. …I just read the vacuum article on Wikipedia, at first to make sure I spelled it right, but then because it was interesting. I could finish checking out Grad courses for next week. But the website is so confusing. There isn’t a place like my last university, that just lists the courses in an easy to find place. : P I’m also monitering my sketch offers – both incoming and outgoing. I’d love to get started on some of those right away, but I packed my tablet already and that’s the best place for it.
So. Advent Children Complete. I would say it’s better than the ‘inComplete’ version, if only because there’s a lot more Reno in it. Of course, he gets a lot of slapstick, but on the other hand OMIGOSH EYELASHES. No, I kid. There’s a bit more backstory and connecting scenes, so we see things like Tseng and Elena show up *not* out of nowhere, and we see how Denzel got involved with the 7th Heaven crew, and Rufus Shinra gets to yak his face off and I know he likes that. : P Also, Zack. Zack Zack Zack Zack Zack. He’s more present without being intrusive (as spirits should be). It’s nice to see his scenes in super-hi-def. I know he has his own game (YoungZack is cuter than MatureZack, lol) but if they made a (more straightforward, plz) movie about him, I’d get it.
Also, I’m starting to think the attractive thing about Sephy is not his hair so much (and his silver eyebrows are very disconcerting – even Kadaj (or Yazoo – what kinda name is Yazoo anyway? I can’t respect that, no matter how pretty he is. How about Yazu? I guess that doesn’t reflect the characters used in his name, although I don’t know what they are. But still. Yazoo. Sounds like a clown.) has more believable eyebrows than Seph) but his legs. His footwork is great, and he’s so tall. I wish he didn’t do so much flying around like a gravity-defying nutcase, because then we could get more of that walking action.
Another thought – I kind of like how Cloud reacts to children. He’s so emo and guilt-ridden and unresponsive and awkward around adults, but put a kid in front of him and he can actually talk to them. Help them without dithering. Tell them what he’s thinking (as much as he tells anyone, that is). Of course, I’m sure at some point he’s decent at the ‘fearless leader’ act also – or else he just has the critical emo mass to steal the spotlight from, say, Cid. Nah, Cloud’s all right. He just needs to get his act together. I seem to recall he has it in the sequel, Dirge of Cerberus. I haven’t played it, nor have I watched the complete walkthrough, but doesn’t he, like, lead a giant army into battle against the huge robot god thing? And Tifa and Barret are in a van right behind him, at the head of the charge (what they’re going to do there I don’t know) and then it’s up to Vincent McAwesomepants to infiltrate the robot and destroy its… controller… Heeeeeyyyyyy, is Square stealing from itself? Isn’t that what Cecil had to do to the Giant of Babil? Hmmmmmmmmmm… Oh well, it happens! It happens to Master Chief, too, and that’s by a different company altogether.
But anyway, the super-artsyness doesn’t go away at all. It’s rather annoying. Also, the Bahamut fight is really confusing because they’re trying to follow all these different people. I know that we need to know; otherwise it’s kind of like people popped out of nowhere (heeeeeey, Turks!) but it’s also very distracting to get dragged around between Reno/Rude/Loz/Yazu trying to bash each other’s brains out (Reno/Yazu super-sexy-fight ftw!) and Rufus and Kadaj chillin’ on the 13th floor of a random building and Cloud and Co. being awesome in obliterating not just Bahamut, but most of the laws of physics, too. So… abrupt scene changes, poetic nonsense, dream sequences, flashbacks, and symbolism are still overused, and also that problem where no one takes visible damage unless the plot requires it (which is also a thing that bothers me. Stuff just seems to clink off Bahamut’s armour! Why are you still attacking it? Invisible hit point damage? In a movie? Srsly?). I love the idea of shrugging off physics to do awesome things, but I still want to see those awesome things having some kind of immediate effect, darnit! Dad finds the eyes still land in the uncanny valley, because they still look dead, but… I think they’re all right. Tifa’s are very good. Also Vincent, because we don’t see his too much and they’re darker.
Kadaj is a cat. I’m absolutely dead certain of it.
Less than a day… Very afraid. No reason to be, of course, except to wonder why I’m speaking like a Salarian.
I could go outside but it’s rather breezy and cold-ish.
Okay, I went outside anyway, and now I’ll sort these papers.
I also want to play my violin one more time and call it my baby and hug it (gently, duh). I am very sorry for it, because it’s been neglected so much this last year or two…
August 30, 2011
Free Sketches Thingyness
« Hrulash and Garekhen ... Is Lost »It’s contagious! But I caught it from 
. (This is a DeviantArt thing!)
1. First 10 people to comment get a free sketch.
2. I won’t start drawing the picture until you offer free sketches in your journal. If you’ve already started this type of journal…show me.
3. 1-2 characters only.
Please send reference pics, or a good description. Also I won’t have a tablet or much free time, but I’ll be using this project as a grounding exercise, so I’ll get them done as I can.
1- Zemi by Aywren!
2- Kip for TalonV!
3- Storme for imahappi!
4- Saethu for Maracate!
5- Siasara and Lusiel for RoseThornZero!
6- Zeb stealing Tai’s sandwich for Yllamse!
7- (Artemis for Tab!)
8- Mikomi for Jeishii!
9-
10-
You want updates on life? Well, I started watching FF:ACC, but then I found out that my percussion buddy had a recital. So I went to that instead. And then came home and saw Wren had posted a thing. So I joined in. Because I totally need more things to do. (no, I don’t : P ) Anyway, yeah, good recital! Snare’s the best. I also met a person whom I am convinced I’ve met before, and she’s convinced she’s met me, and we are exceedingly similar – talk fast, laugh, love organ, conscious of awkward pauses, and other things that I can’t remember but anyway the similarity was incredibly striking. Like a brick. She also said something incredibly clever, but I can’t remember what it was either. Drat.
FF:ACC explains a bit more than FF:AC, but the actual good thing about it so far is that there’s more Reno. : D
I’m packed! And plans are being finalized! Aaaaaaaaaaaah! I’m actually getting a little paranoid…
I found a yellow bow left over from Easter that escaped the garbage, and put it in my hair, because it had a twist-tie on the end, so it stuck in my hair. I totally looked twice as anime-flavoured as before.
EDIT: I suppose one could request the same character from a bunch of different people. But what’s the fun in that? I’m asking various people for sketchies, and I’m goin’ fer varietee! lol
August 27, 2011
Hrulash and Garekhen
« Flairé Poster ... Free Sketches Thingyness »
Hrulash and Garekhen
painted Aug 27, ’11
(768)
Quickie picture of Hrulash and his dragon buddy Garekhen for the Wayrift Dragonrider contest.
In the Adhemlenei, Hrulash is Tseo’s buddy, and the second-in-command of the Royal Guard; he is not that great at combat, actually, but he is the best knight for paperwork ever. But he is rather uptight and impatient, exceedingly serious, demanding of his underlings, and possessed of a good enough tactical skill that people can’t say he only got his position by being friends with Tseo. Garekhen, the dragon, is also quite serious and focussed on doing things the right way, but finds an enormous simple pleasure in flying with his friend.
I kinda slopped this together in a couple hours. That’s why the anatomy is a complete fail, even though I did try, at least with Hrulash… A few things: Garekhen has lion-like paws and no back-spikes. So with the horns and the lack of fins, he looks quite different from Hoarwilk, the other golden dragon we’ve met so far.
Hrulash’s name means Riverwave, and Garekhen is a dragon-name so the kalmaei don’t know what it means.
My room is a shambles. I have too many things that I absolutely must bring. Like hairdryers and stuff. And shoes. Why do girls need so many shoes? I’m teetering on the edge of terror (‘omg new place totally strange what if something goes wrong what do I doooooo?’) and excitement (‘wheee gonna go somewhere and do stuff and it’s gonna be great!’). The waves are getting closer together. They’ll be blended by Monday and then I’ll be a total spazz. Agh.
Had a mini-chorus party tonight! It actually works better when I just sing and not play piano, surprisingly enough. Would have though I’d remember that from all the rehearsing we did. We sang bits of Alex Nevsky, Haydn’s Harmoniemesse, Cherubini’s Requiem, the first eight bars of Dixit Dominus, etc.
Apparently Force Unleashed 2 is better than the first one. Although – a clone? Really? That’s the best lame resurrection plot device you can come up with? And what’s with all these convenient Jedi-in-hiding? (I think one reason why I like Mike Stackpole’s stories is that Jedi never actually get involved. Like the X-wing comic with the ‘ghost Jedi’. It was actually a hologram. Perfectly believable; the Empire couldn’t erase everyone’s memories, so some people still look up to them, but except for Luke and his fledgling Academy, there aren’t convenient Jedi popping up anywhere. Which is how it should be.)
August 23, 2011
Flairé Poster
« MASS EFFECT ... Hrulash and Garekhen »
Flairé and Leslie poster
painted Aug 1-8, ’11
(767)
Click for larger size! I spent a while working on this one, and it turned out… not too bad, I have to say. The sunset came out pretty much how I wanted it, and Flairé too. Yes, that means much too bright and colourful… whatever. Leslie… is much too small. But I fail at perspective anyway… Anyway, she liked it, and that’s what matters.
I think it’s official. My three favourite non-Shep characters from Mass Effect are Kaidan (even though he’s a bit of a twit – basically a Carth expy!) and Garrus oh my gosh and Joker. I MEAN, LOOK AT THIS. SQUEE. AWWWW.
And interesting things are happening in my head regarding Mass Effect. I have multiple tellings which I’ll accept. Maybe I should actually play it. But my brother tells me that my computer is too old to play it properly. Oh well I’ll just have to get a new one! 
Anyway, that won’t be for a while. It’ll be on this thing called Steam until I get around to getting it.
Really packing now. Eek. Taking stuff out of my closet. Not bringing the Zela costume or anything… but most of my clothes are coming with. Otherwise, I may as well dump them…
Also, started practicing multiple instruments again! Yay! I think I’m getting excited about playing music again! Like, other than organ. I’m always excited to play organ. : P
It’s a nice day out. I should go out and sit in the sun. And read this colour theory book Dad has. Yeah. I’ll do that.
P.S. If I ever get a car, I am going to name it Norma.
