Stare the devil in the eyes, salute them like a nobleman

...er, sorry for dropping off the face of the planet without warning, everyone. Not pissed at anyone or anything, but just needed to get away and alone for a tad bit.

News in short form!

1. Have a new computer - not an Apple, but a lovely little (figuratively speaking) Acer, since they cleaned their act up in terms of reliability. 15.4" screen, DVD burner (YAY!), and 120GB hard drive make for a happier Jate.
2. No art until further notice because I am upgrading my Photoshop stuff and the campus store had to order the damned stuff for me, so...no scanning or anything else until some time next week.
3. Mostly well, although I am dreadfully afraid that when my drugs from the doctor finally run out, I am going to relapse, since I am still mildly symptomatic (acute bronchitis is a bitch, for me) and vaguely off. Last dose of antibiotic tonight and it'll be out of my system in a few days after that, so if I get sick again... ~irked at lack of health~
4. We lost power last night. We had it back in about two hours, but still - the power! I wasn't missing it nearly as much as the rest of the family, since I had prepared to curl up with a flashlight lantern, a book, and some paper. I was foiled, I tell you - foiled!
5. Some would say I've gone nuts, since I am plotting to sew very shortly. If the costume comes out like I hope it will, there might be pictures of it on the tailor's dummy. I'll also be spending some of my time this winter doing some leather crafting - bracers, gauntlets, a few thigh holsters for vials, and possibly some pouches. If they go well, there will be pictures.

I promise to climb out of my antisocial hole soon. In the meantime, I can usually be gotten a hold of via cell phone, when I don't forget to have my cell with me. >< I didn't mean to miss calls, honest.

o0 For the first time, I wrote het. I sent the het (it's got my regular yaoi in there too) off to my lovely beta (dramaphile <3) and with luck, will have part 2 of Torn Asunder up sometime tonight.

*flops* My brain meeeelted. I've spent the past six hours at work writing SMUT.

Smutty Smut McSmutSmut, to be exact.

It deserves the arse!icon.

...and by that I mean an entry of content, instead of things. Or...uh, an entry which ain't some fic of some sort and is instead something vocal and rambly. Yeah, that's what I meant. >> *shifty*

I've churned out something like five fics in about six days, which is nothing short of an absolute miracle. Or (depending on your view) a punishment from the Almighty to make the world suffer. :3 Either's a valid view, you know! And to top it off, I snagged one of my favourite Heralds of Valdemar pairings for another (much shorter - 10 prompts) fic challenge, the pair being Darkwind k'Sheyna and Elspeth k'Valdemar. Heralds. And Tayledras. I might work Hydona and Treyvan in as well, and eventually I'd love to work on some Skif/Nyara just because it'd really be something different from HP or anime fanfics.

I *do* actually have, like, art. Someplace. I'm going to be sitting at my scanner for a little while tonight (femme slash put on hold *g*) and getting my art up-to-date because I need to. And...uh... *shrugs* Not having any soda is affecting my ability to think! o_o I need soda! *goes zombie*

( A bit about my day that doesn't overly involve Otakon and instead includes a verbal fight I was privy to at Starbucks, information about some new jewlery I have, and some stuff about other stuff I can't prethink of )

It looks like my journal's turning into one giant, updated-every-day advertisement for my wares at Otakon. *snickers* So am I multi-location whoring myself out? Or merely using another less-used-by-me route for...er...new clientèle? *had to keep the whore theme going with continued language?*

Oh yeah! If you're a member of DA and you haven't already, go to my journal and the subsection of Polls and take part in the random one. Here's a quick link for those who might not want to dig or care for it. And no, I won't tell anyone why I'm doing such an odd, random, crazy poll. Not a soul. *pause* ...Jemz? Give me bunnies? *pulls out all the stoppers and makes absolutely adorably cute eyes*

If there's one thing I've been learning, it's that I need to get up earlier. x.x Not kidding - I'm only managing about two pieces of art coloured a day and only two inked, which is *not* enough. I need to get up to four images a day before the con, and try and keep that pace. As well as get my business cards printed off and *collapses* I can renege on my promise to sleep for a few days, ne? Ne?

( Links to new art under the cut )
*toddles off to rectify the hunger*

I haven't decided if I'm going to be showing them off at my art journal, since that is almost solely Harry Potter (not intended!) but I've got a lot of art I'm working on for Otakon and what's the point of a journal if not to talk all about me and memememememe? :P

° Xellos, Trickster (but chibi) Priest - Oh, I'm an old Slayers fan. Slayers was one of the first animes I discovered after Sailor Moon, and I've been in love with it ever since.
° Chibi Super Sailor Jupiter - redesigned for how I'm making prints for Otakon. I like the squiggly things!
° PGSM: Sailor Princess Serenity - you've all seen me talk about PGSM on and off (oh merlin, I love the show!) and here's one of the beautiful things they added to the show to make it different from the anime and manga: Usagi's princess self in senshi form
° Talisman's Water Guardian - The only time I've ever drawn Sailor Neptune, believe it or not. ^^' I like how it came out, all in all
° Super Sailor Saturn - it seems like the only time I ever drawn Hotaru is either for conventions or for someone else, even if I do like her. Basic background added in Photoshop with pretty brushes and colour matching skills. :D

If you see anything you like, I sell prints and all of the originals (unless otherwise stated) are also for sale. *groans* I hate con season, I think - I'm going to be drawing all-out until Friday and then I'll be spending the whole weekend doing the exact same thing, loving every minute of it, and at the same time bemoaning it all. I'm going to kill my hand (again, probably WORSE than I did last year) and the worse part is that I have to teach nearly every day as soon as I get back. *sobs* I'm going to be sick, and tired, and dead and teaching.

Powers that be, help the students taking my classes. They'll barely be able to hear me, let alone have a competent teacher. :D

o0 Wow, you take a break from the net and find yourself stuck in a whole lot of stuff you never knew about. If anyone wants to offer to kindly catch me up on life, the universe, and everything else that I've missed, I'd appreciate it. Also, if anyone knows what the *hell* happened on DA, I'd -really- love to know what the fuck went down there. I sign on and find out that Jark and a few other admins have resigned from the site they founded and (obviously) they can't go out and give us details because of legal reasons but what the HELL?!

*sobs* I miss Sirius! (Before anyone goes "HUH?!" to me, I named my laptop Sirius. << The scanner's Pince, and all related computer stuff is named after Harry Potter characters and my car's named for Bellatrix and yes, I know I'm nuts) On the other hand, I'm working my little tail off to get ready for Otakon so I'm making prints, a lot of new artwork, making even more new artwork, and then again even MORE new artwork. Anyone have any suggestions on pricing for prints at Otakon and how many I should do of each? And this time, I'm not leaving my hentai artwork at home. ;) I did last time and it cost me.

...yep, I'm still the master of rambling. :D I'll try to check back more often than I have the past week, ganbatte ne, minna! (Yes, I'm returning to my anime-centric roots in prep for Otakon, or at least more heavily living in them)

It's some sort of soul-sucking LAKE. Or ocean (whose real name is "Ocean of Living in Hell" is something equally bad) maybe. Whatever it is I HATE it - with a passion. I might love my close family (ie Mother, Father, and dog) but anything outside of those three tries my patience in such short time. Thankfully my grandparents and aunt are gone, currentl on-route to New York, then Paris, then...Estonia? No idea. They dragged my mum off to tour Russia and places therein, myself barely managing to escape getting suckered into the trip. I've only got to avoid their possible plots for next summer now, since they seem determined to drive me insane and "take me on a cruise" with them.

While yes, normally, that'd be a great experience...with my grandparents, there are a few problems. Problem one is they are raving loons. Nice, lovely, adorable, sweet ones but raving loons all the same. They've got no concept of "knock before entering a room that isn't your own," "knock before opening a door which is closed," or "reading the computer screen over my shoulder is rude" at all. In the span of five minutes of my grandmother standing in my room she'd commented on how incredibly messy it was and how it was a miracle I could find anything in it, how my computer background was horribly offensive and ill-mannered (and jeesh, it wasn't even my porny YAOI one) and I should change it immediately, how my room looked like a college dorm with useless junk strewn all over it (for reference, she was staring at my anime and artwork when she said that) and how it was obvious I didn't mind the old decor because with all the drawings on the wall, you couldn't see it. There are times - MANY times - when I think really bad things about what I'd love to have happen. --'

( I rant about Copics (markers) and my grandparents some more )

It's Monday! Monday means many things (Java programming class, an alarm going off really fecking early, Mum being home when I still mentally expect her to be at work, buying cheap gas before I drive home from class) but most importantly, now, it means that Fandom Returns! The general hiatus for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is about over and most newsletters and communities are returning to semi-normal status. Most of the Metas have posted conspiracy theories (so many, in fact, that it's driven me nearly nuts) and every 'ship community I'm a member of has exploded with Ship Wars, icons all about their ships, and bemoaning Rowling for this or that.

Before I get on with my semi-coherent ramblings, let me state my position clearly. ( Stuff related to HBP is under this cut but it's short and relatively pointless and mostly rantings about how I don't care for ship wars )

I will not be posting my theories about HBP and what it means for the end of Harry Potter. Most of my ideas have already been talked about by other people and you know how I hate repeating myself sometimes. If you want to know what I think, ping me via IM, Y!M, email, or a comment here and I'll be more than happy to share with you off-journal, just to keep my place spoiler-free. ^^

On Saturday night (after I finished HBP) I went out with Meredith (old school friend and my Student Supervisor for the Star*T lab and not meredyth_13 although that'd be incredibly fun but rather hard to explain...) and Varun to dinner (mmmhmmmm, Don Pablos) and then we met up with Lenny, Abby, and Dan and went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. !!!!! Such a good movie, so-! So-! WARPED! We all liked it so much that we've already planned to go out tonight and see it again. So many hilarious lines, such good graphics and skins and meshes for the CG effects, and DEPP! DEPP! OOOOHHHHHH!!!!! It was so good, so very, very good! *melts in a puddle of happy Jate* I can't wait to see it again but this time I think I'll bring my inhaler because I laughed so hard I risked triggering an asthma attack. GOOD MOVIE. Whoever says Depp was horrible in it, or that the Gene Wilder one was better...bad! TRAINED SQUIRRELS! TRAINED SQUIRRELS!!!! And the puppets!

Work has progressed on the drabbles (they're ALL turning out to be ficlets, damn me) I'm doing for people as well as a non-member entry for hp_literotica I delayed working/posting because most of fandom avoided LJ all weekend long to devour the New Canon. All sorts of projects I'm working on right now, at the moment, actually... *blinks* But I think my head's understanding Java more since I'm thinking about the programs in more Object-Oriented ways. :3 YAY! Class is going to be over soon, too, and then it's full-steam ahead preparation for Otakon. o_o Where I will have a *GASP!* NC-17 binder! I'll have to check for IDs or something! *fake faint*

( Links to new Artwork )

Ah, teaching is the joy of life. Alright, so that's a lie. *shrugs* Sue me, then. (Don't! I'm poor!)

On the way into work, there's this one tree I pass under. If you know where I live you're thinking to yourself "
Big deal, there's trees all over, Jate!" and you'd be right. Except this tree is Super Special. Unless I'm awake, I always freak and think there's a snake dangling from the tree, because one of the dead-but-not-rotted-from-the-tree branches looks like a black snake. I'm not very with-it today, and I petted the tree branch.

underlucius is...! IS...! Beyond words! SOGOOD! Riposte (LM/SS) is done and !!!!!!!! *melty* underlucius owns me. And I've also got a twin - I'm Teh Ebil Twin™ #2. (cravache is #1) *flails* Fencing! GUH! Yank my chain any time you want to, UL, you own me I'm going to wind up stroking my foils ack, that sounds so dirty cracking out my sword...yeah, yeah, laugh it up! I can't think about fencing without also tossing in "after-spar shower" now, thanks to UL.

...I need fencing icons. *plots* And yes, I am really random today. I know I am, trust me. I'm at work (project for boss *and* trying to write, go me!) and actually dreading the end of my day. Of course, I will really like when I get home, since I plan on doing some system maintainence on my machine (yes, I am a techno geek) and cleaning my inking pens before inking. And drawing. More drawing than inking, I bet. Or maybe not. And writing! I've got something sent *gasp* off to a beta! *waits* Do I get a casualty count for that statement? *grins*

I'm redoing the fencing Lucius image and the new version should be up tonight, hopefully. Yes, yes, I love it and he looks so wonderful but his head's been bugging me since about thirty minutes after I inked it and I had to change it. :P I'm the artist and I say it sucks. But go squeeze Snape's arse while you wait. *grins* To the Lucius'es which are magically frequenting my journal... NAKED SNAPE! *flee*

I'm insane but love me anyways! MUAHAHAH!!!!!!

I must address a few things. I'm working on An Update but...uh...I'm a slacker. >> Please note: The things I address range from random notes to the Powers that Be (PTB is a cute nickname for them, don't you think?) to fangirlish worships. I'd eventually get back to coherent writing and real cohesive sentences but my new endeavour with the P0rn-chat ladies is sucking what little bits of my soul fandom did not lay previous claim to.

To thescarletwoman: Can I buy some more doujinshi? Please? *begs* I got a notice that one I was looking for is in at a dealer but I promised you I wouldn't buy any more doujinshi so I have to ask to see if I could get it because you'd thwap me on the head again if you didn't get warned about it in advance.

To adbaculum: >> Iiiiiif a sequel were to be worked on, what would you *really* really want in it, luv? I want to make sure that the sequel hits all the buttons I missed and you to have hit with the first one. *grins* I mean, there's no point in wanting to write the best damned porn possible if it doesn't fit the things the original inspiration wanted.

To swtjemz: Name your favourite OTP right now. Immediately And no, I won't explain why. *grins* Threats or promises of sex will not get me to reveal it either, and calling Lia up to ask won't do! :P JUST TELL!!!!!

To alittlewhisper: Holy merlin! WE CAN WRITE HET! Oh, yeah, er... >> Hahahahaaaaahahaaaa Me, you...het. We need to practice writing more het, I think, so want to have the others get it on? I'm sure he'll need some healing after Lucius's "tender" attentions.

To cravache: OMGLUCIUS *SEXX0RS* *breaths* *SEXX0RS SOME MORE OMG LUCIUS SEXX0R*

To summer weather: Turn the thermometer down. I like 60-70 for an ambient temperature, not 90-100. Take note and comply. I do not like sweating and having my glasses fog from merely opening my car DOOR. Let's not talk about how sweaty I get by the time I make it to class (minds OUT of the gutter, please!)

To Mister Blaise Zabini: Go shag a Gryffindor - you could even shag Ron or Neville - and leave me alone. You are, though, free to leave bunnies in comments at all time of the day (or night) for me to take and adopt. If you don't start playing a little nicer, I'll tell you all about what I draw and write and not show you *OR* your mun one word or pixel of it. *glares* And I mean it!

To my university: Please have another power outage like you did on Monday. I really liked it. If you don't want to oblige me in this, then at least have the campus close from a heat advisory and shut down the AC system. Pretty please, with sugar on top!

To my muses: Please take a number and bunny me one at a time. I don't have six hands and can't draw and write at the same time, so only one bunny can be attended to before another one. If you want to multi-bunny me, please leave a written note explaining what you want because after about a certain level of "GUUUUUUH" my brain melts and takes 24 hours to reform from smutty slush. Also, go watch Theo and Blaise for a little while and multiply.

Happy birthday to andsaca369. *smoochies* And in case I miss it, happy birthday tomorrow to theartema, modern_bur, and yuki_chan615. *snuggles all* I hate summer classes, by the way.