What would the world be like without Captain Hook?

At a loss...

missteacakes — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 13:51:38 GMT

My life has changed so much in the past months, I hardly have words. When it looked at the last post I put here, it really hit me.

Basically, my life fell apart as my sister underwent a divorce sans paperwork. I was unable to live on my own, and unwilling to live alone in Grand Rapids. I had to quit my job and move back across the state and into my parents' house in January. My sister followed shortly thereafter.

Since then, I've been trying to find solid work. It hasn't been so bad, actually, just a little rough and admittedly cramped with four adults. The hardest part is coming to terms with the fact that it isn't that unusual or shameful to have to live with your parents at 26. It's hard to make a living wage in the US these days without working 60+ hours a week.

Anyway, here's an art dump, since I'm not sure what else to say.

When the Cards say "FUCK YOU~!"

missteacakes — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 01:41:02 GMT

The other day, I found a project I was working on about two years ago, and I read through the little bit I had, and thought, "This ain't bad. It has its issues, but it's not bad."

So I pulled it out, and started thinking how to overhaul it. But I got stuck. So then I decided that maybe I should just put it away and work on something totally different with the same protagonist. And I had the brilliant idea that, in order to get rid of whatever headcanon I had floating around, I would use some tarot cards in a very traditional way as a story-telling device.

I didn't want to mess with the energy of my normal cards (letting superstition get to me? Maybe a little) so I pulled out a spare deck--a Pagan Cats deck that had been a gift, and I can't seem to take entirely seriously. And I pretended I was doing a standard reading for a friend.

And I got exactly what I had been writing. I swear, I had Cee-lo Green going through my head. And it was spooky enough to me to have to share.

I kinda just want to go through and do a "reading" for all the characters, now. Maybe I can get this shit straight in my head.

---

missteacakes — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 22:25:58 GMT

I know I haven't been really updating, and truth be told I've been floating in a sort of emotional limbo. Over Thanksgiving, I went to visit my parents without my sister, and getting away drove home the fact that I need to move out; while I myself havven't had stressful situations, she and her boyfriend have been fighting lately. It certainly doesn't help them that I'm living in their house, and the stress that they're experiencing is transferring to me, and totally draining me.

So basically, I'm once again moving within the next month, and in order to do so, I need to find yet another job. I've only been working three days a week, and I was furious when I realized that I was making more working half as many hours as a tipped employee than I did working thirty-some hours at minimum wage, consdering tipped employees in the United States only get an hourly of $2.50. Injustice in the world and all that. Luckily, the restaurant I'm currently at is apparently a neighborhood staple, so it shouldn't be too bad.

In the meantime, I have to break it to a certain friend that I'm finding an apartment on my own, instead of waiting for her.

On top of this, the screen to my computer broke, and it's totally useless without it. At least I was able to save the files before I sent it off to be repaired for a small fortune. That, and I still have my old laptop, which I'm currently typing on. It's a little slow, but I won't complain. It's still a decent computer.

Basically, every time I think I have all my ducks in a row, and I turn around and one of those fuckers waddles off. But I'll get it right, sooner or later.

P.S. LJ, please stop changing your posting format. It's hard for those of us who want to come back eventually...

---

Art Post

missteacakes — Sat, 06 Jun 2015 00:22:09 GMT

A few things I've done within the past few months. I'm putting them under cuts because a) I don't want to spam friend pages and b) the last one depicts a character with not-so-subtley implied self-harm. (My mother saw this one (oops!) and briefly worried about me until I made it clear that this was, in fact, total fiction.)

An illustration I did for Ivan and the Grey wolf. I had been a little put off from doing animals in the past due to comments of "it doesn't really look like..." but I actually had some fun with the fur, this time, even if it did take forever.

I got onto a bit of an Asian kick recently, having watched way too many samurai movies and Korean dramas, and wanted to do something with a sword and neon colors. Thus, this came out.

And finally, a concept for a cover. Basically, what I wished the art for Weiß Kreuz looked like: gritty and dark. Sometimes I want to just go through and rework the narrative to bring it to the series' full potential. Anyway, "Schuld" addressed Farfarello's past and self-mutilation, so he gets this cover.

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Oh My God! An Art Post!

missteacakes — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 00:11:34 GMT

Technically.

I'm actually posting the youtube vids I did here. I still really want to start doing tutorials, but it'll take some courage for that one. I hate talking into my computer and then hearing it repeated back to me. However, I've been trying to market myself a little, and it's crazy to say that every time some it's the play button, and every time some hits 'like,' it helps with my exposure. We live in a crazy world.

This one is brand spankin' new. I'm actually really proud of the pose and stuff in this.

And a slightly older one. The music is a little elevatory, but it's surprisingly hard to find happy music within the creative commons...

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What Have I Been Doing?

missteacakes — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 16:21:00 GMT

Mostly working. These days I'm up at five in the morning to get to work most days, so I konk out at the the end of the day.

But, on a more interesting note, I've become a Youtube artist. I figure I'm just going to go ahead and start posting these vids all over the damn internet, even if I do feel like a leech when I do. I haven't decided yet whether I'll allow Youtube to put ads on my stuff so that I can start making money every time someone watches me paint.

Somewhat suddenly, I've become a bit of an activist for copyright law. I heard that Stravinsky and Prokofiev are no longer public domain in the US, since they both died less than 70 years ago. All these groups are mad about losing their free shit, and suddenly I have no sympathy. Go figure. I admit that I download music for my personal use, but to make money from other peoples' work is wrong. So yeah, all you orchestras and soloists, go cry me a river.

However, Mickey Mouse is apparently now public domain; he was created over 95 years ago, and the copyright is expired. Even Disney can't hold onto copyrights forever. I'm actually quite glad about that.

Anyway, not much else. I figured since I was finally getting around to posting everywhere else, I better well do so here, too...

Music Instead of Life

missteacakes — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 01:07:05 GMT

Rough day. For everyone at work.

Anyway, music today. I feel like everyone and their brother has heard "Take Me to Church," but I really Hozier's other music. Irish blues singers...

Also, a song from Lana Del Rey, which is one of my favorite love songs, despite her characteristic melancholy.

---

Update

missteacakes — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 01:22:32 GMT

Big news of the month is that my best friend, Sunny, got married. Her husband (it's strange to say that word!), Alex, was another friend from high school. In March they'll go to Ireland for their honeymoon, which was a gift from Sunny's sisters.

In the meantime, I'm trying to start better habits. It's sort of an early New Year's resolution, I suppose, to try to start packing healthy lunches instead of eating at work all the time. (And honestly, I'm tired of work food.) So today it was a roast beef and cheese sandwhich, strawberry yoghurt with granola, and clementines. I just finished tomorrow's lunch, which'll be carrots, tomatoes, peanut butter and jam, and a few Christmas cookies. In the meantime, I'm also trying cut back my intake of highly processed foods, starting with bread. Basically, if given a choice I'll be eating whole grains, now.

I also want to make a conscious effort to improve my writing. I like what I write when it's something short, but I'm not terribly great at longer, plot-driven work. Basically, I feel like it all starts to go down the tube. I feel that my main issue there, though, is just slowing down. I must be afraid that, if I don't go fast enough, it won't get finished.

Not sure what else there is to say. Been a little manic, lately. Considered attempting a few comic pages. Dog's been eating the cat food.

So, we'll end this post with a couple drawings:

--

Good God!

missteacakes — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 02:29:44 GMT

It's a half-decent sketch of two people in one picture!

What's more, I used almost no reference...I am astonished with myself.

This was done as a fanart just showing domesticity between one of my favorite couples. A total, almost bizarrely domestic (but completely viable) normalcy in two characters whom you only are shown as villains. Or perhaps, a very dark, dark grey in terms of good vs evil...

Now I have to finish it.
---

I Feel Like There's a Lot to Say

missteacakes — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 01:38:54 GMT

Just a couple days ago, I got back from a trip to New York with relatives; my aunt, uncle, and cousin were driving up to visit other relatives, and invited my sister and me along, and it was a busy trip. Eventually, I should get around to writing more about it, but suffice to say it was a busy seven days. Our aunt's house is about a twenty minute train ride outside Manhattan, and I went in four three or four days. Unfortunately, I was sick the entire trip, but it was still a lot of fun.

Now I'm pulling this last minute shit at Halloween again. I spent ages working on other projects--I had a commission to finish, then spent time working on a coat while thinking that I should work on my Halloween costume--so now I'll be finishing it tomorrow afternoon, just in time for work the next morning. I have had absolutely no time for anything else, and at one point went over a month without doing any drawing, even. My "reading" consists of audiobooks on youtube while sewing.

I did make up for that the past few days, though. Today, I spent the whole day painting on the computer, learning new tricks. In a couple days, my life will get back into a steady routine again, at least. I need to start focusing on other things. Like writing; I've been losing patience--or perhaps inspiration--for it, and I want to start building that up again. I think a key will be buying a traditional keyboard to hook into this computer. Even though it has s keyboard of sorts, there's nothing quite like the reliable clack of heavy-duty keys.

In the meantime, I had someone ask me if one of my old, long stories was on AO3 for download. I'm thinking maybe I'll upload the whole thing there, then orphan it, in case someone is interested in finishing it themselves; I had started writing it back in '07, and while I am still interested in the concept, I am far beyond that skill level at this point. While I'm at it, I think I should go ahead and upload other stories I still like on the archive.

I'm also intenting to go through honest effort to find another job, too. The minimum wage in Michigan went up, so now I'm barely below it, anyhow, and now they're saying that, in January, no one at the restaurant will be allowed set schedules. It's just the last straw, and I don't want to be present for the chaos that will ensue. I really want a bank job or something. Something quiet, where I get holidays off. Those are benefits, as far as I'm concerned.

So, I'll try to go into more detail about New York another day, hopefully within the next week, and not pulling this weeks between posts shit. (Once again, I think the lack of a real keyboard is a contributing factor; what I have is not very ergonomic, and I'm making typos every other word, which means it takes me forever to type anything at all.)

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Dark Side LJ Meme

missteacakes — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 23:34:21 GMT

Taken from beauty_forashes

Ah, the dark side of LiveJournal. There are so many dysfunctional people talking about their wretched lives that occasionally you wonder how they get through a day without groping for the razor.
But everyone has a dark side. Sometimes, you reveal a little too much; other times, you just need to vent. Sometimes you fall in love. The Psychodrama of LiveJournal, "How many people do you drag, kicking and screaming, into your neuroses?"

Everyone does it a little. Don't be ashamed. Answer true, my friend.

Written a post just to stir up controversy? I'm sure I have. As much as I pretend to, I like a little controversy
...and wish you hadn't? Most likely.
Posted something publicly, then thought better of it and locked it? No. If I post something then regret it, I delete it entirely.
Posted something privately, then thought better of it and unlocked it? No. I don't post anything online anywhere that I don't want the world to know about. I've seen one too many Law & Order episodes to do otherwise.

Been insulted in a post by someone who you did not know and were not aware of? Most likely. It's a hazard of joining communities.
...and had people leap to your defense? I can't say for sure, since I'm not entirely sure. See how much I remember.

Posted an entry about how depressed you were? Most definitely.
...and about how generally helpless you were to combat that depression? Again, yes. But it was always in hindsight, actually. Apologizing for sounding so angsty, and I'm sorry but I have Bipolar Disorder, and there's only so much I can do about that.
Written a post that complained about your life, then finished it off with something like, "But I don't wanna hear about how I'm whining. I know I'm whining. Don't yell at me"? Again, most likely.
Written a post that complained about your life, then apologized for complaining about your life in that very same post? I'm sure I have, but in a more roundabout way. Like, "skip this if you don't want to hear whining."

Posted an apology for an angry post you had written on LJ, saying you didn't mean it and/or you shouldn't have done it? I'm not positive, but it doesn't really sound like my style. I'm more likely to vent, delete, then say, "Post? What post?"
Deleted a post because it was causing drama? Most likely, but that would've been back in the day.
Chronicled the slow disintegration of a major part of your life (relationship, school, relatives) over the course of several posts? Yes. In a previous LJ account. It's a part of my life I've steadfastly left behind.
...despite the fact that you had friends posting replies telling you not to do whatever it was that was causing that portion of your life to disintegrate? Mm...I'm not sure it was anyone's fault, per se.

Written more than three consecutive posts that informed everyone how miserable you were? No.
...more than five? Um...
...more than ten? I try not to post more than one time in a day, and I'm never miserable for long enough to have consecutive posts about it. Or if I am, I'm not doing anything at all, much less going on LJ.

Mentioned your suicidal impulses in a LiveJournal post? I am happy to say I've never been suicidal.
...and then backtracked quickly so people wouldn't call a shrink on you? No.
...and gotten really upset when people took your dangerous behavior seriously? In the event that I ever do post that I'm suicidal, I won't be angry at anyone for taking me seriously. More likely I'll be relieved. Because I don't fake that shit.
Had someone post a reply that told you that you had to cut this melodramatic shit out? Not that I remember. Which must be a sign that I'm not doing too much wrong.
...and they didn't know you aside from LiveJournal? Nope.
...and your real life friends agreed with him or her? It's been many a year since anyone IRL read my LJ, so I don't entirely know.

Written nastily about a person who was not on LiveJournal? Oh, Hell yes.
....and they found out? Read two answers above. Unless you count in high school. A friendship that was inevitably lost.
...and they found out, and it led to real life drama? Again. Honestly, though, when I complain it's to EVERYONE, so people don't need to read LJ to know when I'm upset.
...and it was a co-worker who found out? No.
...and it was a relative who found out? No.
...and it was your significant other who found out? Never had a boyfriend long enough to consider him a "significant other." But either way, no.
...and it was your boss who found out? No.

Written a thinly-veiled attack upon someone who you did not mention by name? Sure.
...and had them recognize themselves anyway? No.
...and they recognized themselves, and left a response in your entry? No.
...and they recognized themselves, and wrote a thinly-veiled attack at you in their LiveJournal? Again, no.
...and they didn't recognize themselves, and left a response to your entry that said, "Boy, I hate people who do that"? I would laugh my ass off. I really would.

Written an open attack on someone in LiveJournal who reads you? By George, I think I have.
...and didn't give a crap what they thought? Apparently not.

Created a new journal just to hide from someone? Um...I'm not sure my new LJ was meant to hide, just to get a new start. Unless we're talking about hiding my love for smut from my parents. I'm not sure they don't know, but still.

Written an angry, bitter screed about your significant other that would cause a fight if they saw it? Once again, no significant "significant others" worth mentioning.
Begged an ex-significant other to come back in your journal? I'm the heart breaker. Not the guys I attempt to date.

Referred to someone in your journal by everything but their real name? Does it count if I didn't know their real name? Or if I called them by a false name, and then they legally adopted it upon applying for a sex change? Then the answer is yes.
Made a "joke" post ("I'm removing all the fags from my friends list") and had people take you seriously? I hope not. I try to be obvious when I attempt sarcasm.
...and then claim, "Well, you guys have no sense of humor"? No.

Gotten into a real-life argument as a result of a post? Yes. Maybe someday I'll be able to talk about that time in my life.
Broken up with someone you were dating and unfriended them? No.
...and lost an entire cadre of other friends in the process? I don't have friends that would do that.

Had someone threaten to take away your LiveJournal? How would that work?
...seriously? Why ask a question, then ask a second time to make sure they weren't lying?
...and had it lead to a major argument because dammit, your LiveJournal wasn't the problem? Um. No.

Had a flirty relationship with another LJ user? ...I don't want to talk about it.
...and had it interfere with another real-life relationship? Read above.

Had a troll come in and insult you anonymously? No, oddly enough. Considering all my art and fics are open for the public.
Disabled the "anonymous reply" feature in order to avoid trolls insulting you? Eh, whatever. I've never had someone/a group that obsessively hating of me to need to.
Tracked an IP address from an anonymous reply in order to stop someone from harassing you? Like I said, never had someone that obsessed with me.
...and had it turn out to be someone you knew? No.

Been blocked from someone's journal for stalking or harassing them? LOL! It takes me two weeks to get up the nerve to talk to someone for the first time, and then I reply here and there. I'm a NOTORIOUS lurker. So obviously, no.
Blocked someone from your journal or dropped out of a community that offended you? I don't join offensive communities. And one person isn't enough to scare me away from an entire group.
...along with a post or reply explaining precisely why you were blocking and/or dropping them? Nope.
...and that post included an opening sentence that was something like, "I have no choice but to drop or block you because..."? Why would I apologize? And I'm more likely to just run and never talk to a creep like that again, anyway.
Deleted your journal just because you couldn't take it any more? Oddly enough, no. That other journal could very well still be out there. If LJ didn't delete it for inactivity.
...and undeleted it later because it turns out you could? No.

Reported someone to LJ Abuse? No.
Been reported to LJ Abuse? Um. No.
Knowingly posted a nasty reply anonymously even though you had a valid LJ account? I've been tempted. But I won't troll like that.
Created an LJ account specifically to troll? No. Those are the worst type of people.

Deliberately posted as someone else because they forgot to log off of their computer? I know I can be underhanded, but I'll never be that bad.
Deleted a reply because it was causing too much trouble? Yes, if only in my mind.
...only to have the person repost it just to irritate you? No.
Left someone on your friends list only because it would create too much trouble to take them off? No. If I want to disappear from someone's life, especially online, I damn well will.
...and created a filter you used by default so you wouldn't have to read them? No.

Had friends-only posts that got forwarded to people who weren't on your friends list? Who knows. I don't really care that much, in all honesty. Like I said, I try not to post something I don't want the world to know.

Added someone to your friends list in the pathetic hope of seeing them nude? I can't think of any specific person I want to see nude.
...and been successful? N/A.
Added someone to your friends list in the pathetic hope of sleeping with them? Nope.
...and been successful? N/A.

Been talked to at work or gotten poor grades at school because of your blogging activities? Well...not specifically. I got bad grades in high school because I was bored and didn't much care. If it wasn't LJ, it would've been any number of other things.
Been fired or flunked out because of your blogging activities? No. I was never THAT bad.

Gotten a LiveJournal crush on someone solely due to their writings, even though you have no idea what they look like? I'm sure I have at some point.
Had someone develop a LiveJournal crush on you, even though they had no idea what you look like? I have a hard time recognizing when people are attracted to me.
Had an unrequited crush upon another LJ member, who didn't know about it and wouldn't care if they did? I'm not sure. Although, any crush I developed would've been secret.
...and you still got jealous when they flirted with someone else? What? No.

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What. The. Fuck.

missteacakes — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 16:47:38 GMT

A friend over Fb brought this to our attention, partly because he wasn't entirely sure what she meant by "PIV" (reading it, I gather it means "penis in vagina.)

PIV Is Always Rape, Ok?

I really, really want to respond to this woman. I want to write, "So, when I tie down my man and use his penis to pleasure myself, I'm being raped without realizing it?" No, I'm not a dominatrix, I don't even have a man. But...I just want to know what she'd say. Because this is one of the reasons I truly had radical feminists.

I couldn't even make it all the way through the thing, it's so ludicrous.

---

missteacakes — Tue, 27 May 2014 13:09:59 GMT

Turns out Memorial Day at work was boring. Go figure. Although, now I can't go home early on Thursday. Ever need to bring yourself back down the Earth? Go to your bank account, look at the balance, then subtract all the bills from the month. I guess I'm not taking that time off around my birthday.

I feel like I'm doing a lot of movie posts, lately. Really, a lot of it has to do with the fact that it's more entertaining to have the TV on while I'm working on my maille than to just sit there in silence and do it.

Anyway, I went ahead and rented Romeo and Juliet and Cloud Atlas.

The first one was...well, decent. I guess it's never been my favorite Shakespeare, and I've seen better performances of Shakespearean plays. But for a play that hasn't been updated in any major way since the sixties, it wasn't bad. (I say that in terms of a movie using the original script.) The colors were beautiful, and the main characters actually looked their age, although Romeo's face was a little...Bieberish. It's not his fault, though. They also cut out some lines here or there, nothing too huge, although I did miss Mercutio acting like an ass.

(Speaking of Shakespeare, I found out that PBS is playing The Hollow Crown in September, with Jeremy Irons and Tom Hiddleston. Excited!)

As for Cloud Atlas...how can words express how good this movie was? It was based on a book, which I now also want to read. Basically, it's about reincarnation, but it's also about how "strangers" lives are all connected, spanning about a thousand years. There's only something like ten actors that play about thirty-some main roles, too. And while at first glance it seems to be about love, (and really, not all the characters have a love story) it's also about freedom and how our actions affect the world. It's about two and a half hours long, and it packs in all the things which make a great story--love, adventure, comedy, tragedy, and an overarching message that doesn't make you feel gross, like you've just been preached to.

This was one of those Hollywood movies that flopped simply because audiences don't like complicated movies. Why is it that the world doesn't want to have to think?

---

A Book, a Movie, and Drawing.

missteacakes — Tue, 13 May 2014 13:01:23 GMT

Even Mother's Day evening ended up being a bit of a marathon run for us. Normally there's a gap between lunch and dinner, but that never happened this time. Rather, it stayed more or less steady, and fizzled out toward the end of the night.

I've been rereading Shogun by James Clavell, which is probably one of the greatest historical fiction novels I've ever read. It's a bit of a curse book, because once you pick it up, you don't really put it down; the story is set in the late 16th century, when an English ship lands off the coast of Japan, and the pilot becomes a major player in the political feud between the ruling daimyos, Toranaga and Ishido, and between the daimyos and the Jesuit priests. I will admit that there are paragraphs here and there that I'm just skimming, since it's all background history that I'm already familiar with.

I am on a bit of a Samurai kick at the moment; there's actually a Japanese word (I believe it's "chanbara") which basically translates as "sword porn." That is, pop media created for the sake of giving people their Bushido fix, from the idealized philosophy of samurai and the fading way of life to the fun of swordplay and violence. Which is basically what this book is.

Anyway, Taipan is also on my list, which is part of Clavell's Asian series, and which I haven't read yet. That one is set in China, and my mother says it's just as good. (Although, I wonder whether my prior knowledge of Japanese culture is helping me a bit, since I can picture the setting in my mind's eye.)

Somehow, I seem to be running into cannibals a lot in my pop culture experiences lately. I suppose I could try harder to avoid them, but often it just doesn't work out like that. (Often there's no warning given! So yeah...um, warning: I'm going to talk about a movie where people kill and eat other people. And least the movie wasn't too graphic...)

The point is, I watched a movie on Netflix yesterday called Ravenous, and in complete honesty I can say I only turned it on because Robert Carlyle was listed among the first three actors. I suppose it was supposed to be a horror, but it ended up just being strange. It was set in the 19th century, but they kept sticking electronic music in. They were also apparently trying for that humorous horror that was so popular around 2000, but missed to the point where I was mostly like "wtf?" And it turned out to be more or less like a vampire movie gone one step further, where these guys gained special strength and healing powers through cannibalism, but the protagonist was all like, "No, I can't!" and the antagonist kept saying, "Don't resist it! It's manifest destiny!" The hero ended up trapping them together in a bear trap, which killed them, and yet there was something oddly...gay...about the two of them dying sandwiched together.

But it brought up the question for me of, what makes vampires and the drinking of blood so much more acceptable to society than cannibalism? It must be, first, the neck sucking, but also the idea that you don't need to kill the person. Except that I prefer vampires that aren't bogged down with human morals. So why do we not find vampirism revolting? Some food for thought. (Pun not entirely intended.)

Speaking of Netflix, I turned on QaF on it (what can I say, I was too lazy to put in my DVDs) and...they changed over half the music! At integral parts! At first I was like, "maybe I'm imagining it," so I went to more or less important episodes, and I wasn't. Like in the very beginning of 309, where they're dancing in Babylon again for the first time since getting back together, or in 311 when they're getting all turned on by Justin's posters. It doesn't fit with the scenes, and doesn't fade in and out gracefully, and just seems cheap overall. Changing things like that in people's work, very intentional decisions like what music to use, just makes me feel so annoyed.

I think I'll just end this post with a pretty drawing. The colors and style of dress is in alignment with a civil officer of the Heian Court in medieval Japan. I've been proud of myself lately for learning different face types...

---

A Bit of Original--or Rather, "Historical"--Fiction

missteacakes — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 01:18:25 GMT

Been fighting the winter blues. Did a bit of cleaning today--or rather, a lot. My workshop is at a place where I can do stuff, although I'm gonna have a battle with the cats peeing there. I haven't hit full hibernation yet, although my lack of posts anywhere online can be an indication that I'm close.

Anyway, I found this bit of writing on my computer; every once in a while I restart my mythology-based project, and it comes out a bit better each time. I'm not sure it'll ever be finished because I'm such a nit-picker about historical/mythological accuracy, and I'm not entirely sure I like this version so much. It almost sounds like a lesson in geography and lineage or something...is it silly to have so much arbitrary detail in fiction?

Maybe it just needs to be filled out better...

---

The house of my father sits atop a cliff in Alope, Phthia's sole city, if it could be called that. To the north are the Othrys Mountains, and beyond that the Pegasaean Gulf and the hooked peninsula, the base of which is made up by Mount Pelion. To the south is the bay, beyond which the western-most tip of Euboea and, on a clear day, the mountains of Locris on the opposite shore are visible.

On a whole, Phthia is sparsely populated, and then mostly by goat-herders and cattle-raiders. For while we call ourselves warriors, until now we hadn't known much more than short skirmishes or generations-long blood-feuds, which nevertheless run cold as often as hot. Still, the mountains are full of bandits and outlaws, and even the most peaceful of Myrmidons has had to fight them off.

Alope itself is a small harbor-village, made up primarily of the walled palace, in which the entire town can fit in times of war. A third of the village lives within these walls, as slaves or lesser lords, or as guests of my father, King Peleus. Nearly everyone else lives either near the shore as fisherman and merchants, or further toward the palace, growing olives, grapes, and sheep.

It was there that I was born, and where I spent much of my childhood. My father was not born king of Phthia, but rather became so when he married the Phthian princess Polymele, by whom he sired my half-sister of the same name.

My mother, Thetis, was rumored to be a Nereid, a goddess of the sea. I was not a day old when she placed me on the fire to burn away my mortality. My father, who was coming to see me for the first time, rushed in and snatched me away; it was then that my name was uttered for the first time.

“Akhilleus!” she spat. “He is Akhilleus, for he will embody the grief of his people.”

My mother would never live in the palace again, and many said that she went to reside with her father under the waves. She came and went with some regularity, though she spoke to almost no one besides me, and even then only met me on a secluded part of the shore. I was raised by neither my mother nor my father. Rather, my primary caretaker was Phoinix, a resident guest of my father's, who was old and had been cursed by the gods never to have children of his own. It was Phoinix that first introduced me to the lyre, who taught me basic arithmetic and put a wooden sword in my hand for the first time.

And then there was Patroklos.

When I was a child, I never questioned where Patroklos came from. He had always been there; my first memory is of taking a fistful of his hair, long and so dark brown that it was almost black. He was born when I was, and he remained by my side, and I by his, until I forgot that we were two different people. As soon as I was old enough to sneak out of bed at night, I would leave my nursery and creep down the hall, past where old Phoinix stayed and into Patroklos' bedroom. Sometimes he would protest, telling me that I was old enough to sleep on my own. Most the time he didn't.

“Tell me a story,” I would say.

“What do you want to hear?” he asked.

There were only a few stories that I had heard, and I suppose if I tried I could think of something new for him to tell me. But I liked the ones he told me, those of our families. Most of all, I liked the link which connected our families.

So I said, “Tell me about Aegina, and about my grandfather and father.”

“I will tell you about Aegina,” he said. “And about her children. But the rest is too much to tell tonight.”

So I settled down, and he began to speak.

A long time ago, before the birth of Herakles or Iason, Aegina lived near Trachis. Her father was the river god Asopus, and her mother the nymph Metope. Aegina was particularly beautiful, with her long brown hair and green eyes, and as often happens, this attracted the attention of Zeus Olympios, king of gods. Few women who resist his advances, as she did, are truly given a choice.

So the god transformed himself into an eagle, and swooped upon her. Clutching her in his sharp talons, he carried her away, high over the mountains. He dropped her onto the island of Oenone, and there he ravished her. Afterward, though, he left her. For he had taken many women before her, and would take many after. Still, she bore him a son, Aeacus, your grandfather.

Hera Basileia saw these things, and felt she had been scorned by her husband. But no one can go against the Thunder-bearer, so she turned her rage against Aegina and the inhabitants of Oenone. She had a terrible plague set upon the island, and all except Aegina and her son were killed. Aeacus prayed to his father, Zeus, who told him that there would be as many men as those ants on his sacred oak. And so, the ants on the oak tree were transformed into men, and the Myrmidon people were born. When your father came to Phthia, in their loyalty they followed him.

Many years passed, and with them passed Zeus' passion and Hera's hatred. Aegina left the island to where she had been abducted, and went north on the mainland. There, she met the mortal man Actor, and fell in love with him. She married him, and bore him a son, my father Menoitius. She remained with him until her son was grown, but a mortal and a god, even as minor as a nymph, can not remain together forever. So one day she left, and returned to her island of Oenone, and remains there till this day.

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Horror Movie Post

missteacakes — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 17:57:59 GMT

I may or may not be addicted to horror at this point. Either way, I've been watching a lot of them lately. So I thought I'd make a movie post.

But first:

I'm the second.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

An American remake of a Spanish TV movie, it's based off the folklore, and the belief that faeries are neither good nor bad. In this version, every time they emerge, they have to take a person to replenish their number. They also eat children's teeth. It's really a beautiful movie without being too scary; there are one or two gory parts, but it's far from being gore porn.

It does have a common horror movie cliche--that is, the father doesn't believe everyone telling him there's a problem. And it demonstrates two lessons that I've learned from this type of movie: listen to the kid, and heed the warning of the old, scary caretaker.

Mama

A totally different take on ghosts; it starts with a guy who killed his wife, and runs off with his kids, ending up in an abandoned house, where he intends to kill them. However, there's a ghost there with strong maternal instincts, so she kills the father and starts taking care of the children as it were. Two years later, their uncle finally finds them, although they've grown kinda feral in the meantime.

And unlike the last movie, the male influence in the movie is paying attention to what they're saying and doing, and intends to go forth and figure everything out. It's totally creepy, and you're not sure how it'll resolve--and not entirely sure how you want it to resolve.

The Woman in Black

It's been forever since a movie creeped me out this much. It's a British movie featuring a haunted mansion, which really seems to be common thread in British horror; however, I find this to be less of a cliche than sticking to what they're really good at--no one knows haunted mansions the way the British apparently do. In this case,

It's also part of Daniel Radcliffe trying to break away from his role as Harry Potter, and the status of being a child star that comes with that. He really does a good job at it, too.

The Conjuring

I actually just saw this movie last night; I've been waiting for it to come out in the Redbox, since everyone was talking about how scary it was.

Truthfully, it was no more scary than The Woman in Black. However, it had it's moments of things popping out, and I sat there a few times telling the characters not to go in places. I don't want to say it was predictable, but its "based on true events" status (whether it actually was or not) left it somewhat lacking in originality of signs of the haunting. Sure, it was based in the sixties, when everyone didn't know that dogs can sense evil in houses. But still.

That, and they tried to inject a motive into all of it, like the ghost was a serial killer. I think that took away a lot of the aspect of scares, actually. I can't tell you why I want nightmares about this shit--why does anyone?--but I would've liked it better if there was no rhyme or reason.

Although, now it sounds like I didn't like it, which isn't really true; it was a good movie, and I'd recommend watching it if you're looking for a few good scares.

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I May Love Halloween...

missteacakes — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 15:35:05 GMT

...but somehow, I can't wait till it's over this year.

I just don't have a life right now. Some of the people at work have been asking if I'm ever not working (I can't afford to not work two jobs) and the answer right now is no. Whenever I'm not at work, I'm working on Halloween shit. Namely my costume, which I need to finish today. I can do it, probably. I've decided not to worry about parts that can't be seen, considering I'm only going to be wearing it for one day, too.

And I've been slacking. Which, considering what "slacking" means, is a little sad. I went out with friends on Sunday night, at about nine. But I'd finished the tiara, so I decided to go for it. And then yesterday I spent the evening after work with my mother, carving pumpkins and stuff.

Tomorrow, I've got till about eleven to work. Then I've got work and the Halloween concert with friends. And then it's Halloween on Thursday. I'll be working that day, and then on to my parents' house to pass out candy. Afterward, a party.

Then I can get started on projects that are going to make me some money. Probably. After going to the play one of my friends is in, and a number of other events. Yeah, busiest time of the year for me.

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Why Fandoms are Good Things (aka, Geeks for Charity)

missteacakes — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:35:29 GMT

So, "Loki's Army"--which is basically an enormous Loki-based fandom admittedly made up mostly of girls--started something called the Free Loki Campaign. The original purpose of this was to petition Marvel to make a movie in which Loki was the protagonist. Yes, it is geeky, and even I didn't bother to sign it. Mostly because, with Disney holding the reigns, I can't see them ever letting Tom Hiddleston go, what with the enormous amounts of money that he alone has made them. Yeah, Disney has a way of tying people into contracts that they can't get out of.

Anyway, one day, one of the original instigators of the Free Loki Campaign realized that, with well over a thousand people who signed this petition--and thus showing their ultimate geekiness, loyalty to Loki and Tom Hiddleston, and giving over their email addresses--they could do some good with it. Therefore, they have decided to attempt to run a charity drive for Operation Smile in the name of Loki/Tom Hiddleston fans, naming Tom Hiddleston (who really is a wonderful, charitable person himself) as their inspiration.

I would love to donate to anyone who asked me, I really would. However, I am poor. Like...can't make my rent poor. However, I feel like I can do a little good, at least, by passing this on to anyone who can.

Operation Smile Donation Drive

And I'll do a more complete life update in a little while.

Big Art Post is Big

missteacakes — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 00:57:30 GMT

I'm really far behind on posting art; it's been going up on my DeviantArt account, so why not here?

Since there's so much to post, I can't say as much as I would want to about each drawing. However, I will say: I drew a steampunk Mercury, and just kept going with it. So yeah...steampunk Roman Gods. In order: Apollo, Bacchus, one of the Furies, Mercury, Minerva, and Venus.

After that, I have a pretty experimental drawing.

Finally, four comic book fanarts: Poison Ivy, Loki and Thor as women (Loki paraded around as a woman for a few weeks in the comics because he could, and once convinced Odin to turn Thor into a woman to teach him humility) and a cracky drawing of them having tea in frilly dresses.

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The Eternal Project

missteacakes — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 01:20:43 GMT

Back when I was eighteen, I started writing a story based on Greek mythology for the fun of it. It was the story of Achilles and Patroclus--primarily Patroclus--without the magical parts. It fell by the wayside.

Every once in a while, though, I try writing starting it again, and each time it seems to get a little better. I'm posting the beginning of the latest attempt, from a little over a year ago; I had changed it so that it was told primarily from Achilles' POV, although my big problem seems to be how anal I am about accuracy. (I think I need to visit Greece...)

-

“Akhilleus!” she spat. “He is Akhilleus, for he will embody the grief of his people.”

And then there was Patroklos.

“Tell me a story,” I would say.

“What do you want to hear?” he asked.

There were only a few stories that I had heard, and I suppose if I tried I could think of something new for him to tell me. But I liked the ones he told me, those of our families. He told them as if he had known everyone personally, had seen the things that happened. And most of all, I liked the link which connected our families.

So I said, “Tell me about Aegina, and about my grandfather and father.”

“I will tell you about Aegina,” he said. “And about her children. But the rest is too much to tell tonight.”

So I settled down, and he began to speak.

~ ~ ~

Many years passed, and with them Zeus' passion and Hera's hatred. Aegina left the island to where she had been abducted, and went north on the mainland. There, she met the mortal man Actor, and fell in love with him. She married him, and bore him a son, my father Menoitius. She remained with him until her son was grown, but a mortal and a god, even as minor as a nymph, can not remain together forever. So one day she left, and returned to her island of Oenone, and remains there till this day.

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What Does it Mean to be a Geek?

missteacakes — Sat, 03 Aug 2013 16:49:52 GMT

I am a geek, although there are times I am a little loathe to admit it. There's something really cool--and true--about this.

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It Makes Me Feel a Little Guilty

missteacakes — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 00:46:57 GMT

For finding it funny, that is.

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Dear Undeserving Customer,

missteacakes — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 22:32:53 GMT

Do not come into a restaurant five minutes before close.

Certainly do not come in two minutes before close and say, "Phew, we just made it!"

And by all means, if the sign says the restaurant closes at a certain time, do not come up fifteen minutes later and, finding the doors locked, wait for one of the last-minute customers to exit so that you can come in to eat.

You're lucky we're open at all on national holidays, even with shortened hours of business. Believe it or not, we'd like to go to a a barbecue with our families, too.

Much Annoyed,

The Restaurant Staff.

(Yeah, I had a rough day today. Especially since my manager seems to think I can somehow survive off $90 a week. Um...yeah, no.)

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Thank You!

missteacakes — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 12:12:52 GMT

I just want to say a quick thank you to anyone who wished me a happy birthday. In general I get a little overwhelmed when given a lot of attention, and going through Thursday, I go so much I didn't know what to do. Sunny had brought in a cake to work, and people sang. And I was embarrassed.

I got off work yesterday, and I was just so exhausted that I couldn't think about anything, but better late than never.

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Thor-apy

missteacakes — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 17:27:59 GMT

Yeah, I posted like...ten minutes ago. But then I saw this fanart someone drew. It's "Thor-apy." (I wish that worked. Almost.)

It might get printed up and put on my wall for whenever I get depressed.

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