the glow of a dying sun

My posts ought to all have such interesting titles, I think. Anyway, Thalassa changed her dress.

I was in the tree during all this, by the way, terrified that I was going to drop the camera. But I've always wanted some close-ups of the awesome.

Looking straight down. This picture does not accurately convey how high up I was - well above the roof of my house at this point.

Then I came down.

BWAHHH the tree's on fiiiiiiire! No, actually not.

Taken out the back windshield of the van on the way to Kirksville. Stupid line thingies.

Just getting that out of my system. Poor Thalassa's all bald now - these pics are from several weeks ago.

Oh, dude, THIS SONG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2M0GQOgYGg I'm comandeering it for Anabeth and the Irlican rebels. Because it's their job to fix thousands of years of bad blood between the Zraelanders and Farshoreans, and I think they're gonna need a theme song to do it.

GAAH, SO MUCH HISTORY HOMEWORK... *dies in agony* I'm epically procrastinating right now, in case you couldn't tell.

Commander Kip

Yes, I will pat you with my thumb and everything will be all better. Cuz I'm just magic like that.

Normal is overrated!

mostly the Commander

but some other unrelated stuffs tooooo. Oh, and it's supposed to snow tonight. Just throwin' that out thare.

So I keep sprouting more people for the new steampunk thingy. This is Commander Benathy Greene, and she is an epic ninja. And Benathy is not a misspelling.

I lent her my boots, because they are epic and manly and she likes them. She is such a manly man. It's pretty funny. Sir Beast is her gun, by the way. XD *loves the Beast*

My history teacher's gonna have no idea what to make of this. Ben's a weirdo. She collects thumbprints in a little tiny book and wears it around her neck like a locket. Also, that tiny scar by her left eye is from a piece of shrapnel from the explosion that killed her husband. Yeah.

She smokes like a chimney, swears like a man, and wears trousers and a cravat to the opera. But she knows what she's doing and sticks by her crew and all that. Currently she's leading an expedition into the Static Zone along with her cousin India and some other learned gents, partly for the good of science, partly to escape the Hounds, which I shall explain at a later date.

I just discovered that there are strange and unearthly creatures called the Green Knights living in seclusion in the Static Zone. Apparently, they're in cahoots with Rebellion himself and their job is to make sure that no one who ventures into the Static Zone will ever return to civilization. MUAAAAAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!! *epic cackle* So, that there is one of their generals, I dunno his name. More of these guys later, I think.

And here we have one of the most celebrated inventions of recent exploration history: Brackolt & Fain's Aethernautical Escape Pod. With improvements. And stuff. This particular model appears to have seen better times. No doubt Sprocket crashed it into the side of the factory while taking it for a test drive. 'Able to withstand the immense and deadly pressures of Space', says the advertisement, but of course, steel walls are something else entirely.

This stuff is for real. I saw all of them while walking around the Renfest earlier this fall. I wish I could have found out where people were getting this stuff, especially the sparkly green antennae.

Booooooring sketch of Kimie from history class, while she was listening and I was not. Normally, nose rings creep me out, but hers suits her.

And lastly but not leastly, I saw Legend of the Guardians on Halloween with Reedfrost and Blondie - oh, have I told you this already? Whatever, it was pretty gorgeous. So here I present you my exceedingly lame rendition of the Great Tree and the awesome floaty light-bulb things. Of doom. I don't know when I'll have time to get pics of my mistcloak. Hopefully sometime before my birthday. I hope.

Oh, I read Dorian Gray last night, kind of in one sitting, because I couldn't really put it down, or bad things were sure to happen when I wasn't looking. And sure enough, they happened, but I saw them all so it's all good. CREEPY BOOK, YOU GAIZ. MUCHO CREEPIFACTION THARE. I'm kind of shocked I didn't have dreadful nightmares last night. Whatevah. Dorian reminded me of a much less Stu-y Edward Cullen, just a little.

Commander Kip

Oh, brothers! I don't care for brothers. My elder brother won't die, and my younger brothers seem never to do anything else.

Normal is overrated!

Winter's Coming Home

Such a lovely Tom Jacobs song, which is probably nowhere to be found on Youtube, but feel free to look anyway.

Reminds me of this strange thing I found in one of my folders just now. What is it? A ninja with a flowery scarf? Um. It looks old. I can't remember. I DO know what this is; a strange sorceryful lady with claws and stripes and horns and very odd clothes. I was drawing without thinking, obviously.

And these peeps are from Portals. I've never drawn either of them before. The cutie mouthing off at the top there is Anabeth Walker, Ellian's younger sister's daughter from the new prologue I've been toying with. The younger sister, Ingrid Morgan, was born just after the Portals storyline ends and grew up without ever meeting her sister Anabeth, for reasons I can't explain without giving away some very painful plot twists. In the new prologue, Ellian visits Ingrid and her family and discovers that little Anabeth knows nothing about Irlica or her namesake's disappearance. Ellian explains. The other guy on the paper is Cairbre Faileas, Thaelen's father and the previous Inkmaster. Pre-Blight, obviously. Muaa. Shiny, isn't he?

And here we haz the planz I drew up for mah loverly Spatler a while back when I was bored in art class and had nothing more productive to do.

Psh, I dunno who it is. Some random small person. Something appears to be wrong with her head. I was listening to Rachmaninoff preludes and my hand just kept throwing down lines while I wasn't paying attention.
If you crazy people still haven't read Larklight by Phillip Reeve, there might be some imminent smitation coming your way. Possibly. I'm serious, this book is a fount of steampunky epicness. And it has Jack Havock in it.

Gaw, that book was gross and depressing. But so masterfully written. NIGHT by Elie Wesel, you guys. Read it and weep. My art teacher said this was 'a very powerful image', thanks very much.

And this is my buddy DJ on the bus on the way to the Kemper a few weeks ago. He does actually wear his hair like that, for realz. It's pretty beasty.

I'm making something rather violent in art class right now. Once it gets done, I'll have to take it out of doors to get a good picture, because it's about three times the size of my scanner glass. I also have two more faerie doors to take picsies of, and another cool thingy that is sort of hard to explain. I'll just take some pictures and show you sometime.

Stuck on Chapter Twelve again, surprise surprise...

Commander Kip

"LUKE, IT'S A TRAP!!" No rly? I think the hordes of stormtroopers kind of gave that one away just a little bit...

Normal is overrated!

NEWSFLAAAAASH

Guess what, peopleses? Some of you already know this. If you missed it, pay attention this time. If you didn't, happy birthday, you get to hear it again, because I'm announcing it all official-like this time.

I am now the freakin' STATE CHAMPION pianist in Missouri for my age group. (!!!) And to that I say, WHUT NAOW. So there. XD I also somehow managed to take third place in the regional Young Artist's piano competition this weekend, which was also awesome. Plus, that one paid monies. Yay.

Hokay, just had to get that out of my system really quick.

Commander Kip
Zombies and pizza. Pizza... zombies. How did we get on this topic?
Normal is overrated!

Renfest 2010

It rocketh, as it does every year. I think I've been every year of my life so far.

Just look at it. Look!

Just look at the llama!

The gypsies were like my favorite part this year. The dude gypsy in the middle - see him? - he was hilarious, and suitably hawt besides. He and a few other dudes did this fire-twirling thing where they had these flaming staves and they were swinging 'em round and blowing fire out of their mouths and awesome stuff like that. *epic squeeface*

I have art, but no pictures of it, so you get the Renfest piccydump instead. I saw a hobbit there, by the way. And an elf dude with long pretty hair in a black leather trenchcoat. Not to mention the aforementioned hawt gypsy dude, who was also funny and also played with fire. Epic much.

And on a completely different note, I had my Yamaha state piano competition this weekend, and I... won. O.o I am the FREAKIN' STATE CHAMPION THANK YOU VERY MUCH HAVE A NICE DAY.

Commander Kip

I know you think it's stupid, but it's good for ya. Like vitamins. And... vegetables.

Normal is overrated!

happy Halloweenin' to y'all

and I can't WAIT to get some pics of my costume up here, because it is the embodiment of epicness, and did I mention that I love my grandma and she's a brilliant genius? I did now. This is the ref sheet I drew her when I gave her the pattern: And because she is made of awesome, it came out just like that only AWESOMER. Can you imagine? Gaah, I can't wait to show you it. Pics coming soon. I mean eventually.

And I hesitate to show you this because it is a fossil from last year and also not done. I will probably never finish it and just draw it completely over, with better skillz, you know? What's goin' on here is that Kelsier just threw that big metal safe out of a very high window and leapt out after it, using Allomancy to slow his fall by Pushing with steel against the safe when it hit the ground. Now he's just showing off and hovering there for the heck of it.

Gaah, my non-existent year-old skillz. Or lack thereof. It pains me so. I remember when this was, too, it was exactly a year ago, because Dad gave me Mistborn to read right around then, and I was drawing this in the car on the way to the pumpkin patch, and then it started pouring down rain and we went to the Great Mall and went flopsying about over there instead. It was great.

I love Halloween. Gaah.

No seriously, I dressed up in a different costume every day this week and went to school with 'em on and everything. And everybody was like "Whut, this haz nevar happended buh-fore. No wai no wai!" It was pretty funny. I was an airship pilot on Monday, a dragon Tuesday, a fairy on Wednesday, a ninja Thursday and a gypsy Friday. Saturday I had to wear normal-people clothes because I was at National Portfolio Day most of the afternoon and I wanted to make a good impression. And today I am an Allomancer with a beasty mistcloak and very frightening knives. Buaahaha. And I'm doing homework and answering the door, alternately. Also, I went with Reedfrost and Blondycakes to see Legend of the Guardians earlier this afternoon, and the verdict is: terrible plot, but GORGEOUS movie. See it for the art. It's beautiful. But you have to completely forget about the book storyline, because they pretty much ignore it and do their own thing. It kinda messed with my head a little bit. But Ezelryb was frickin' amazing with his cockeyed ear tufts and squinty glare and missing toes. I love that guy. *hearts* And Grimble, I love him too. All the old weird growly ones are my favorite. They rock.

Now on to more productive endeavors. Have I mentioned that I love my cloak?! Gaaaaah!

Commander Kip

*flat glare* How very adult of you.

Normal is overrated!

sketchmess

I dunno what was goin' on here. My brain wasn't workin' right. I think we should take it a bit at a time. This thing here is a design for a Farshorean battle shell. I might use it for the Queen's guards when I start working on Portals again. You know what that means, right? Yesss, that means Kyren and Saabra get to wear it. *minisquee* The sleeves are my favorite.

Look, another faerie. This is Twitch, you gaiz, and she lives under a trapdoor. Except not right now, because the trapdoor in question is not done yet. Whacky anatomy, I do not care.

Vin the Mistborn, with some knives, and looking quite unlike herself. I didn't feel like looking up the knives in the book, so they probably don't really look like that. BUT... the knives I got from the costume store for my Mistborn costume DO look like that, so there.

And this is Helm, the blacksmith of Erimon Hill and Nath's mentor. Bet I shocked you there. He's younger and prettier than any blacksmith ought to be. And he can haz SCARZ. Muaa. I have a feeling we'll be seeing quite a bit more of him in the second draft. Assuming I ever get around to the second draft.

I have nothing to say about the ballerina except that she's only there because I saw her on a poster somewhere and needed her to practice shoulder blades on.

And here I have a strange old sketch of Nath, which I found in my novel notebook from EIW last year. He looks odd. Perhaps it's his gimpy left arm, or maybe that cross-eyed growl he's doing. I dunno, never mind. HE'S BLIND NOW, BY THE WAY. As of last week. Mourn, peons, or I will eat your head. *cries, then cackles evilly*

I just watched Peter Pan again, with my dad this time. Eventually, every single one of my friends and family members WILL see this movie. It is my all-time favorite. The one-liners, gaah, and the beasty soundtrack, and the general gorgeous adorable hilarious AWESOME. I am overwhelmed by the awesome. I think I've done this rant before. Oh well; expect to hear it again at regular intervals. Best. Movie. EVAH.

Shutting up now.

Commander Kip

"Michael, are you shot?" "I haven't checked, but there's something worser!" "Oh, what could be worse?" "MY... THOUGHTS... AREN'T... VERY... HAPPEEEEEEE..."

Normal is overrated!

Infernal Devices, squeeeee

Clockwork Angel for the win, just for y'all's information. Plenty of blood and guts and ichor. And beautiful angsty teenage boys who do not sparkle, if you're interested in that sort of thing. And evil mechanical automatons and blade-edged parasols and strange men who invent things in crypts and delicious British accents and romance and mortal wounds and traitors and mysteries and dead people. Lots of dead people. Lots. Heck, I could have written it.

Have some sillies. Here you go.

This instantaneously and spontaneously happened right after I saw the awesomeness that is The Matrix. The spoon was the best part. Right next to Neo shooting up that wall of windows with his beasty Gatling gun thing in the helicopter. Anyway. I'll just be done now.

And this is just Anabeth and Thaelen being overly dramatic and whatnot. I cut them slack because she's dying. Otherwise, I would not be putting up with this behavior. *smacksmack*
The whole song goes thusly:

When I think of you, I am at rest

My thoughts seek you as waves that seek the shore

Lover of beauty, knightliest and best

When I think of you, I am at rest

I have remembered, I have remembered

Beauty in the night

And music in the dark

And running water singing on rocks

In English wood, I once heard a lark...

I have remembered, remembered...

When I think of you, I am at rest

My thoughts seek you, as waves that seek the shore

Lover of beauty, knightliest and best

When I think of you, I am at rest

But all remembered beauty

Is no more, is no more

Than a vague prelude

To the thought of you...

Lover of beauty, knightliest and best

When I think of you, I am at rest...

I am at rest.

It's quite too bad I can't find a recording of it on Youtube. I wish you could hear it. Positively glorious, that middle part. I suppose it would help if I could recall the name of it and the composer... blast it all... Anyway, it's one of many various pieces I've added to the Thaelen/Anabeth playlist, including Sing Me to Heaven, Labyrinth Waltz, The Old Ways, Breath of Life, Prayer (Secret Garden), Dante's Prayer, On a Winter's Day, The Promise, Elegie, Sigma, Dark Night of the Soul, To Where You Are, Laura's Hill, Bring Me To Life, Cursum Perficio, The Wee Lass on the Brae, The Heart's Cry, Caoineadh Cu Chulainn, Sally Gardens, Mantle So Green, Whispers of Paradise, etc. etc. long long list. I am done.

Side note: The rest of the picture (oh yeah, there was a picture buried in there somewhere?) is available upon request, accompanied by a big warning sign that says in great big red letters 'not for parents or younger siblings. This mean you people peering over fill-in-the-blank's shoulders at the computer screen. Shoo, unworthy people. Shoooooo.' I mean, it's not THAT bad, as long as you don't mind a little minor nudity and things. I'd just post this censored version and hide the other one for ever and ever, except that their hands came out really well. For me. For hands, y'know. And their hair. Neither of which you can see very well in the censored version. Point being, comment if you wanna see the rest of it, and I'd be warily happy to email it to you.

I had some rather startling revelations concerning Portals the other day. About the ending, and what all has to happen thare. Like who gets to live, and who gets to go home, and who gets together with who. And... who DOESN'T. Stuff like that. Muaaaaaa.

Matrix and the awesome bald kid with the bendy unspoon (c) idunno, the Matrix people. Not me.

Thaelen, Anabeth, Portals (c) Me. Definately me.

All songs (c) their respective owners/artists

Commander Kip

No, I meant enterprising. If I meant morally deficient, I would have said, "Now, that's something I would have done."

Normal is overrated!

some things

A diverse pile for you. I have more stuff, but it's not scanned. So you'll have to WAAAAIT. Mua.

Tenebrae decided to be dramatic during church the other day. It was pretty funny. Oh, the words mean nothing, by the way. Pay no attention to them. GAAH PRINCE OF PERSIA OMG SQUEEE. I love that movie. I know it was sorta weak storywise, but the parkour was awesome and worth it. So thah.

Mah peeps from the new thing. I hate how some of them came out. Brackolt, Jaxter, Sprocket and Mahogany look the best. The rest of them are kind of meh.

It's not that I FORGOT about this, per se, it's just that I got stuck and sorta gave up on it. Juniper's nightie was refusing to cooperate, and I'm not sure what it is exactly, but Draith's head is lookin mighty skewed somehow. I dunno. Nevermind.

I went with mah bro and Ereka to see the Jack Hanna thing at the Carlson, and he had this werid little fox, I disremember what it was called, and it had these ears that completely dwarfed the rest of its head. I loved it.

Malfoy with his hair from the fourth movie. They all had awesome hair in that one except Ron, who had a mullet. Lol.

Some random shiny elf person. Government and politics bore me. I care NOTHING for your friggin Articles of Confederation. Blaargh.

Ellian. She says hai. Trying out a different kind of face again.

And this one has a fascinating story behind it, which I'm not going to tell you; suffice to say that I was rather angry and having a general angsty teenager moment the other night, and Hickory suffered for it. Poor guy, I messed up his hair. And in case you haven't noticed, I continue to fail at hands. Anyway, moving on. I'm okay now.

I'm working on some Hunger Games fanart right now, as well as something from the Matrix, something from Labyrinth, and some random other stuff that has little to do with anything. And a Portals piece that will probably not end up getting posted, for reasons I'd rather not explain at the moment. Please and thank you. Good day.

I'm still quite busy, by the way, in case you thought I'd died again. Poor Lady Arin's been calling me for two weeks or something. I WILL CALL YOU BACK EVENTUALLY, I SWEAR.

Commander Kip

"Sarah, you're sure you can get the containment field down quickly?" *GIANT EXPLOSION* "Pretty sure."
Normal is overrated!