I did another thing.

... I chopped off my hair again. Now it looks like this:

I was actually going for the Liz Sherman look:

... but I'm not sure I quite nailed it. Oh well. I'm just glad to be rid of the stupid duck tail thing I had going on. And also I will never be as badass as Liz Sherman, so, meh. (Matt lent me his Hellboy comics for the summer. They are fantastic.)

I'm headed to Lady Arin's tomorrow evening for a few days of wackiness and sisterhood, so there will be a decided lack of internets. Haha. Not that I've been posting regularly anyhow. I have been drawing, but too lazy to finish things, and too lazy to scan the things I've finished. I am a lazy pile of noodles.

Also, Brenticus and I finished Series 7 of Doctor Who. That last episode just about destroyed me. There should be a limit to how many times you can kill a major character in a 45-minute period. It was like getting shanked repeatedly in the feels. Thanks, Neil Gaiman. And speaking of feels, I finally watched End of Time, and lemme just say that I never want to see David Tennant die ever again. It was indescribably painful. And it was worse because I spent the entire double-length episode KNOWING it was going to happen, and just not knowing how or when. My poor NERVES. Although I loved Minnie and her bum-squeezing. She rocked.

Trying to work up the balls to finish Downton Abbey, but still too depressed about Sybille.

Have spent way too many hours lately reading Questionable Content. Awesome comic. Fortunately/unfortunately, there are over two thousand pages so far. Check it out if you don't mind having your life eaten by it: http://www.questionablecontent.net/ Seriously, the humor is addictive even if you're not an indie rocker. (Just for the record, Hannelore is my favorite.)

Real post soon, maybe?

Commander Kip
*bursts into room in biohazard suit* "My name is Hannelore Elliot-Chatham. I END MESSES."
Normal is overrated!

AUGH

You guys, my face hurts. I had my wisdom teeth ripped out of my head on Wednesday, and everything is swollen and bruised and I look ridiculous. Ech. I hate surgery. I hope I never ever need it again.

But anyway, I finally scanned a few things from my new sketchbook. Like, for example, the first page. with its customary splatter of weird nonsense.

Those are the lyrics to On the Wing by Owl City because Owl City makes me smile. Which, right now, hurts. Oops. Oh well.

I also decided it was high time for a new DeviantART ID picture, because I'm older now and I cut my hair and became a Whovian, among other important things.

MSG funtiems! This scene took place pretty far back near the beginning of the Crimson Hand fiasco. Harkin had just started a barfight in order to audition the various mercenaries for the job, and Suvoi and Marcus came out on top, but only because Marcus got spooked by Erik and blew a magical hole in the bar. Suvoi then proceeded to slam Harkin into the wall (she's always doing that) and threaten him with her garroting wire while he simultaneously jammed a pistol into her stomach. *snort* And Matt denies any sexual tension between his character and mine. Pah.

And this sketch happened because the newest City of Bones trailer (!!!) has a clip of Jocelyn being badass, and my mom, who just finished reading the original Mortal Instruments trilogy, was complaining about how the Shadowhunter parents were not badass enough. So I sat her down and made her watch the trailer and paused it on the image of Jocelyn being all snarly in the rain and was like "AHA. There you go. Hashtag badass Shadowhunter moms."

Have I mentioned how freaking excited I am for this movie?!!! You have no idea. I might actually explode. There will probably be a separate post about it soon. Just me freaking out and waving pretty pictures at you that I've found on the internet. *SQUEEE*

In other news, Anna and I are writing character letters to each other and it's nerdy and awesome and totes adorbs and this is why we are married. It's a medieval Icelandic fantasy... shaped... thing. Except I wrote the latest installment while half-unconscious from the anaesthesia, so it might not make any sense. Sorry, Anna. I mean, I already killed her character's fiance in a magical accident, so she's already not too pleased with me. Oops.

Commander Kip
*walks up holding phone* "It's for you, sir." "Thanks." *reaches for* "No, sir, the helicopter."
Normal is overrated!

my life

is not particularly exciting right now. Hm, what have I been doing lately? (This post is basically filler because I have not collected enough pictures from OYAN to do that/those post/s.) 

Oh, we visited the military cemetary in Leavenworth, where my grandpa is buried. We brought him some flowers from my grandma's rose garden.

Saw some fuzzy adolescent geese outside of Pizza Street.

Took my brother out for gelato. Obviously a huge mistake. Lookit that sugar-high face.

Went to Imagine Dragons at Starlight Theater, which was a spectacle. Angsted over lack of boyfriend's presence. Got spectacularly chewed by mosquitoes.

Made some faery wings. Nearly finished; need to add straps.

I've also been pulling weeds for various people for monies, skyping Matt, exchanging character letters with Anna, spending far too many hours of my life on Pinterest, and rewatching Sherlock with the bro. Baaaaw, Sherlock. He's such a great detective and such a terrible human being. I do love him so. And John is such a saint to put up with his crap. I'm catching so many little cute things this time around; like when Sherlock yanks that parka off of John, who makes some slightly breathless remark about Sherlock stripping his clothes off in a darkened swimming pool and how people might talk. Or when Sherlock goes "hand me my phone" and John's like "where is it" and Sherlock's like "jacket" and John goes over there and pulls the phone out of the jacket Sherlock is wearing. Or anytime Sherlock's in his pajamas and curled up in a ball on the couch. So much adorable. Can't even. Words.

Love you people. (Whoever still reads this thing; I get the sneaking suspicion it's just Leaf and Anna now...)

Commander Kip
"It's a three-patch problem."
Normal is overrated!

a taste of awesome

Kay, this is sort of a teaser-taster OYAN post. Just pictures. Of pretties.

More to come, once I've stolen some pics off the Internet. Yay stealing!

Got some brilliant ideas from my group this year, as well as the agent who conducted my mentoring session. Yay yay. Now I'm itching to edit. Later, dudes!

Commander Kip
"Girls have horns."
Normal is overrated!

Release the flood!

... of arts, which I have been saving for you. Uploaded from my mom's computer, as promised.

Firstly, some D&D things. I colored that picture of Valandra for funsies, because I felt like coloring and that was what came to hand. Didn't mean for her dress to turn out quite so minty, but anyway.

And Ileana got another sketch, because I still love her even though she exploded.

And some older steam mess doodles. Sergeant India Ravelin and Captain Benathy Greene of the good ship Cordelia, as well as Ivy Dale, Lizby and Hickory's insane Conduit mother.

Super old Hunger Games minidoodles I forgot about. Pretty self-explanatory.

So, Matt gave me The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene to read, and it slew me. It's a good thing he was sitting there next to me for the last thirty pages or so, because I was a sobby, snotty mess and needed to be held. Anyway, here's Gus and Hazel being cute.

And there they are again, along with the lyrics to the Amanda Palmer song "Astronaut." Go look it up on YouTube. Fits their relationship pretty well. (Also, I can't seem to ever draw Augustus's face the same way twice, rrr.)

Now, Mistborn things. I gave Matt the first one to read, and then he discovered that his brother had the whole trilogy at home. The other day, he Skype-chatted me something along the lines of "Sazed and Tindwyl are way too cute" and I was like OH NO. THE ENDING WILL DESTROY HIM. I should really draw those two sometime; they are in fact the sweetest couple ever. But in the meantime, have some Vin looking badass. (I rescanned this image; should be better now.)

And then have some Elend looking badass with her. Finished this one up because I love how small she looks, standing next to him.

Right, back to Birthright. I finally drew a picture (albeit a crappily composed one) of the whole gang! From left to right: Matteo, Fidelio, Andra, Nath, and Luca. They've been with me for lots of years, and they've changed some, and a few of them go by different names now, but they're my babies. D'aww.

Kay, I feel better with all that out of my system. Back to previously scheduled OYAN freakout.

Commander Kip
"Wait, Beast Boy had a brain?" "Hahahahaa - hey!"
Normal is overrated!

Houston...

... we have a problem.

*shoos alligators off of landing strip*

No, actually, I have a problem. I cannot currently upload pictures to the Internet from my laptop, or the Internet browser crashes. I do not know why I am having this problem, or how to stop having it, but until I get it figured out, I will have to find time to post from my mom's computer. Ugh. Such a pain.

This makes me sad, because I have drawrings for you. But I guess they'll have to wait. Meanwhile, working furiously on OYAN stuff! Writing like mad, putting costumes together, etc. In absence of pictures, perhaps you'd like an excerpt?

I reentered the cupboard and reached down into the tunnel, feeling the unwelcome heat pass close to my palm. Gripping the cloth-wrapped handle, I raised the torch out of the hole, keeping the flame well away from my body. Luca wriggled up beside me. A bit of dirt tumbled out of his spiky hair. “Well? Is there anything here?”

I ignored him, examining the cupboard walls by the wavering light of the torch. Many, many sharp things. Knives. Saws. Meathooks. Several pairs of shears. Drills. Long, thick nails, like the ones used by the Rumeni to stake down their tents in the summer. Every blade shone clean and silver in the torchlight. For a moment, I entertained the notion of taking one of the knives to replace my confiscated dagger. But they looked too long, the blades too wide or too curved, to fit in my sheath. I squashed down a shiver of discomfort and exited the cupboard.

The dim pool of light fell upon a low trestle table a few yards away. Very long, extending past the reach of the torch. Thick, dark wood. I approached it with caution, hearing Luca’s short breaths close behind me. The tabletop gleamed, polished from countless scrubbings. The smooth, shining surface broken only by the occasional gouge, scratch, or scar. Here and there, an irregular glint-gold stain.

Gold?

Memoria’s blood, a fine golden mist. Staining Fabello’s white shirt. Gold.

“Luca,” I said, low and even, “go back to the tunnel.”

“Why?”

His voice rang in the vast stone chamber, too loud, too high. “Go back to the tunnel,” I repeated. “Now.”

There. Satisfied? Even if not, that's all I can give you at the moment. *sings quietly to self* Se-cret-laboratory... se-cret-laboratory... through the mountain... se-cret-laboratory...

Oh oh oh, and I finally saw the new Star Trek and HOLY CRAP IT WAS AWESOME. Now I'm so glad I watched Wrath of Kahn with my parents all those years ago so I got the references. Now I need to watch Wrath of Kahn again. And then Into Darkness again. So I can drool over Kahnberbatch some more. GOD THAT MAN IS HOT. But anyway. Now every time I hear him talk, all I can think is Angel Islington. Oh well.

Also, I got some new boots. To replace the ones that exploded. And they are pretty sweeeeet.

Commander Kip
"Whoa, are you guys fighting?" "I don't want to talk about it." "What is that even like?"
Normal is overrated!

NAILED IT.

Finished my first year of college, that is.

IT WAS AWESOME.

I averaged six hours of sleep a night (the six hours between 2 and 8 am.) I survived three grueling semesters of Great Con. I got used to having a roommate and living in a tiny space. I slung bacon at people for money (hehe, that sounded dirty.) I introduced Mistborn to people. I played Dungeons and Dragons for the first time and discovered that psyonic is always the right choice. I got deeply involved in an online roleplay, which I hadn't done since my first year of high school with the Picnic Club. Speaking of which, I made several fast friends that I will probably keep in touch with for the rest of my life. I got intellectually married to a lovely young lady, with whom I will also be rooming next year. I went streaking through the prairie in the middle of the night with aforesaid intellectual wife. I gained a few little brothers, all of whom are bigger than me and have already agreed to be the crazy/eccentric uncles of my future children. I rode in a five-passenger car with six other people. I finally watched Sherlock, and Avatar, and Korra, and most of Downton Abbey. I played in the leaves. I went sledding and managed to avoid serious injury. I passed my classes. I only slept through music theory a couple times. I refrained from drinking, smoking, doing drugs, and sleeping around. I voted. I did my own laundry. I started dating a sweet, nerdy, clever saxophone player. We kissed in the rain. I cried when we said goodbye for the summer.

So now I'm sitting in my house listening to Radioactive by Imagine Dragons on infinite repeat because it reminds me of school. And while it is nice to see my family, and have my own room for a change, and enough space in the closet for all of my clothes, I can't wait to it to be September so I can go back. I miss my friends, and my boyfriend, and my wife. I miss them so much it hurts.

But in any case, I thoroughly enjoyed my first year, and I'm looking forward to three more equally wonderful years.

Now I shall go drown my sorrows in the Internet.



Commander Kip
"That's Lin Beifong. She is the baddest of asses."
Normal is overrated!

Time for finals!

That means it's time for doodle procrastination. Woot!

I've been drawing lots of Angeli lately because figuring out how six wings fit on one back is quite an ordeal.

See, another one. It could be Consolata, Memoria's sister.

Speaking of Birthright, I attempted to draw the scene where Andra and the boys are trying to escape the warehouse where Fabello's thugs have them trapped. I don't like the composition, but I do like Andra and Matteo's faces.

And now, Mistborn. 

Because Vin is one of my favorite badass lady heroines ever.

Also, she and Elend are so adorable together. (I gave up on drawing Vin's clothes becase mistcloak is more important than clothes.)

And now, change of pace. I've been thinking about my teenage spies lately. It would be so fun to make their story more original and actually use them for things. The lovely Baeli with her sexy messy bun.

Timo and Baeli flirting their heads off. "No. I'm not fixing it again." "But I broke it!" "Your point?" "You're morally obligated to fix it now." "Am not either."

And there they are doing homework together. Because in addition to being hot together, they are also best friends. It's pretty great. Also, I gave up on Timo's legs, in case you couldn't tell.

 Not to switch topics abruptly or anything, but let's have some Magical Steampunk Gypsies now. Specifically, my sassy gypsy viper and her garroting wire. (Gave up on her hands. Surprise.)

And here is Katia's new sky pirate character, Gideon the ship's boy. He's like whoa adorable.

And then there was Drama with a D between Erik and Suvoi, and there was angst and sexual tension  and they just need to bang already but they can't because he killed her family but she doesn't know that yet and just gaaaaaaaaah drama. It's awful, but I love it so much.

And switching again, here's a jaguar-centaur lady I made up for my treasure hunters to hang out with. She's a sihiri dawa and yes, I realize her boobs are showing. Get over it.

And here's a random faerie, which means it's prolly time to make another faerie door. I think I shall name her Speckle.

And here's the Marquis de Cabaras, the slimy git himself. Actually, I like him lots, but he is pretty slimy. (Neverwhere is so fantastic. I'm still not done reading it, but I love Neil Gaiman's style.)

Tenth Doctah! I still can't draw David Tennant, but whatever, he's still frickin' awesome. I'm watching Ten's seasons again with Matt because he hasn't seem them yet, and it's so fantastic, I can't even gah.

And lastly, Laini Taylor announced the title of her last book, Dreams of Gods and Monsters! I might just die of excitement. Anyway, to celebrate/procrastinate, I drew Akiva and Madrigal makin' out. Because they're sexy beasts.

So yep, that's what's been happening in the margins of my notes for the semester. More doodles later, perhaps.

But first, finals. Yeah.

Commander Kip
"Am I the only one who sees the foamy white stuff flying everywhere?"
Normal is overrated!