all made up with nowhere to go

Feedback required:

If you are reading a book, and a character who is an alien is referred to only by a tag that makes it evident what animal it reminds the humans of, would you find that annoying?

(So what I'm saying is that the text would be "Blah blah blah," said the animal, for example. Or, The animal cautiously shifted the book in its arms). (It is an it because its race doesn't have genders, btw, not me being excessively lazy or whatever).

I know some people don't like this sort of thing. I don't mind it myself, but some of the Goodreads reviews of Alif The Unseen brought the one character up (I think she's called the convert?) as annoying because it was as though the author couldn't be arsed to give her a name. Anyway, that's what this was making me think of as I was writing it.

(I spent two hours writing on Monday evening! I wasn't even going to write at all! Especially not the abominations! It was amazing!)

~

I started transcribing some music, and it is slow going (aside from the fact that I rarely have occasions where the computer's on and it's quiet. Also my ear is...not good for this. I could do with my friend's brother who could play stuff by ear). I'm working from Cold Blue Light, although sometimes I listen to the other versions as well.

I keep getting frustrated, because it's a really simple tune, and it's less than two minutes long. I know it's just because I'm not better. I'll get there, eventually. (And then, like all things, I'll look back at this and wonder what I thought was so hard in the first place).

I'm probably going to mirror this on my tumblr, so apologies if you see this more than once.

I've got some questions!

There's a few things I am planning on doing this year. One is that I'd like upload stuff to a print on demand website, so you can buy things there (not just prints, but other things, too!) Another is that I'd like to open a Patreon, but I'm really unsure about how that's going to work right now. The third is that I might open a shop with Big Cartel in addition to my Etsy shop.

So. This is where the questions come in:
(this would work heaps better if I still had a paid account, but it ran out in December, so. Sorry).

1. Which print on demand site do you think/know/have heard is better? Society 6 or Redbubble?
1b. Do you have an alternate suggestion if you don't approve of either site?

I've heard more about Society 6, myself, but I know they slap HUGE import charges on everything coming into Britain. I'm more inclined towards Redbubble, because I haven't heard anything about ridiculous import charges. I did, however, read an angry blog post from a guy who got kicked off there because they wouldn't allow his designs on the site. So he had a hissy fit, and now he goes around telling everyone that Redbubble is a scam. ANYWAY. So that's what I know.

2. Do you think a Patreon is a good idea?

I mean, I do not think I have masses of fans with masses of disposable income. I know I have about three (who do not have masses of disposable income). I do not expect masses of income from this (also the reason I've never bothered with a kickstarter (or similar), aside from the fact that I don't know what I'd kickstart).

3. Do you have any opinions about Big Cartel?

I'm not 100% on this, to be honest. I think about it because it might be vaguely easier than joining another craft-focussed site or selling oddments of stuff via ebay (which I don't really want to do).



Anyway, any input would be helpful, if you've got it.

halley made a friending meme! Go check it out!



(It's not fandom specific or anything, so yay!)

~*~

I finished ME3 again today, and Zoe is now Queen of the Reapers! (I know that's not the way it's supposed to be taken, but I saw a piece of fanart describing Control-choosing Shep as that, and I LIKE IT, OK). Man, I was a ball of tears pretty much from the run to the Beam to the end of the game.

(Though honestly I think that is down to playing the game while taking antidepressants, and then while not - flattening of feelings versus all the feels, pretty much).

( spoilers )

I don't really see how the Extended Cut was an improvement over the original ending, though? *shrugs* I mean yeah, it makes getting certain endings easier (although I STILL didn't accrue enough points for Synthesis, and that annoyed me, but it's my own fault because I am scared of Reapers), and there's some extra doohickeys and whatnot but really? Nah, bro. I don't see how that explained more, to be honest (I'm so buying the Leviathan DLC, though). That didn't explain SHIT.

I have come to a conclusion about Lucas' game (I genned him in ME2 without Genesis, and he is a Xmas tree of scars already :D ) - which is that he's going to fuck Cortez into the middle of next week (and it would be fucking, and he wouldn't see it as anything more than that). I sort of promised myself that none of the Renegades would romance anyone BUT. I also think that romancing Cortez isn't fair (see below, just past the caps lock), but that Lucas wouldn't give two hoots about that (and Kaidan's too goody goody for him and he isn't into ladies or aliens (especially not lady aliens!) SO. Logical conclusion, I think).

(Also I have THE biggest boner for Steve, and obviously he isn't going to be interested in any of my lady Sheps, ever. And yeah. I could look up the scenes on Youtube, but I don't want to. Also because no doubt they'll feature Sheploo who I do not find unattractive, let's be honest, but I get fed up of him being EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE).

(UGH NOW I KIND OF WANT TO WRITE SOME SORT OF FIX-IT FIC IN THE WORST WAY. IN THAT STEVE AND SHEP GET HAPPY ENDINGS AND...YEAH). (but I can't without it coming off as somewhat skeevy to me, because that's how that makes me feel, you know).

This reminded me that I have Merrick the Rogue to play in DAII and he's going to romance Anders, and I haven't done anything with him (and I want to complete a romance to the end, because I did Isabela's wrong, and I figure Bron's relationship with Fenris won't go well).

Because we all know these games are about the romances, right? ;)

(And I had a moment where I totally thought Zoe and Liara might have kissed, and it might have gone onto something a bit further down the line. I think I had this thought in the same place with Nev, but I'm not 100% sure. All I know is dang my feelings, boom all over the place).

Talking of feelings, have I ever mentioned how much I love the geth pulse rifle? Because it is the best. Better than the shotguns. I don't even like assault rifles. It almost never runs out of ammo. It is A-MA-ZING! ♥ *happy sigh*

OH YES AND I HAD A QUESTION! PAGING beccatoria!!!!

In Zoe's final dream, she heard Ashley's voice (don't recall that from Nev's but it is a year since I last played ME3, so....dodgy memory ahoy), but also Legion's, but he was saying "help us" instead of asking if this unit has a soul. So what I wondered was: does the dream change, depending on your actions?

Because Nev was 100% paragon (apart from ME2 where she drifted into Paragade because bleuch Cerberus ick ick etc), and Zoe is 75% paragon, 25% renegade.

Imma check the wiki, but I suspect it will be as helpful as a chocolate teapot, as it always seems to be when I want to know interesting and intricate stuff.

~*~

German phones say klingeling.

This is the best thing I have ever learnt.

~*~

I'm going to shut up now.

I'm about to attempt to listen to Welcome to Night Vale.

I say "attempt" because of two reasons: I've seen what the internet has to say about it and I'm very picky about voices*.

Once I finally found out what it was (because the internet needs a button that says "YES BUT WHAT IS IT?" so I can press it during contextless encounters), I decided I wasn't going to listen because it would not be as good as the internet said. Also I've never listened to a podcast in my whole damn life.

(Look, I'm old and crotchety. Podcasting is new-fangled to me, OK?)

Then I looked on TVT (THAT PLACE, OMFG). And...I thought it sounded interesting. It had "YOU WILL LIKE THIS" written all over it. DAMNIT.

I also liked that they described podcasts as radio on the internet, because that is essentially what it is, and why didn't I realise that sooner????

So I'm biting the bullet, OK. But I reserve the right to not like it, find it highly irritating, or think the narrator sounds like someone is squeezing his balls constantly.

But also, I have a question! What other podcasts do you recommend?

I want to listen to Kevin and Ursula Eat Cheap, but I've been wavering on downloading/listening to that for as long as Ursula and Kevin have been doing it. But that's the only other one. Otherwise the world of podcasting is a weird, strange ocean, and I don't know how to navigate it**.


~*~

*This is why video Let's Plays don't always work for me. If I can't listen to the narrator's voice, I'm not watching that video, even if it's for a game I love to pieces.

**Which is not to say I haven't thought about doing my own but a) who wants to listen to my voice, b) my microphone is crappy, and c) what on earth would I talk about??????

Been meaning to ask this for a couple of days now:

Does anyone have any good recs for PS1/PS2 era games?

Hell, any recs for any games are good, but specifically PS1/2 ones, because I'm getting the feeling I'm missing out on some good ones (like EVERY SINGLE SMT GAME EVER, EVEN THOUGH I CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE MAJORITY BECAUSE I CAN'T READ JAPANESE).

(OMG OMG OMG New entries in the LPA include TWEWY and Yume Nikki ♥ ♥ ♥ - there are others I'd be interested to look at, too, but I'm not so interested in video Let's Plays, especially if there's more than one person doing it, because I am PICKY).

I had holiday last week. I didn't go anywhere (my friend Rachael tells me this is called a "staycation". I shuddered), but I technically didn't do any work. Which is why I spent (some of) the time making things for my nephew - there's a hat, two pairs of bootees, and a pair of mittens. And they are adorable.

I was going to take them to my bro and not-quite sister in law yesterday, except that she wasn't feeling very well, so I've still got the box sitting here next to me.

Then I curtailed my holiday by going back to making jewellery. Which I don't mind, because I am having fun. I am also designing some baby boots (I say designing, what I mean is so far I've mixed two patterns I've used, but I've had an idea for a completely different set).

(Though I will admit I get shop envy, in a way. Like, everyone else has about five items in their store, and there's me adding millions of things every time I make something, instead of making more of the same - though I have done that, which is why there's multiple badges. And the hats and scarves are one of a kind, as are the scrap monsters.

I guess I wish my store was a bit more organised? Or maybe I should find craft fairs to go to that don't cost stupid amounts for a table so I can (hopefully) get rid of some of it. Not that I don't want it, but I didn't make it all to keep).

I will have photos of my nephew's stuff up very, very soon.

~*~

Why do people make such a BIG THING out of crocheting/knitting in public?

I suppose it goes hand-in-hand with that "oh no I am a granny" attitude that's going around, too.

I won't say I haven't felt like that, I did. Over two years ago, but it didn't last too long and I GOT OVER IT. Crocheting isn't some weird thing only grandmas do. No-one says this stuff about knitting, and grandmas also - apparently - do that*. Also dude, if people make fun of you crocheting (or knitting) in public, that's their goddamn problem.

I should be saying this on tumblr, really. Maybe I will. Just not now because I am SUPER TIRED for no apparent reason.

*I wouldn't know because I don't have any :q

I just made a huge (for me) supply order (and put it on my credit card, as the money that's in the bank needs to go on bills *sigh*). It was mostly felt, and I found some more teal colour! (Although the supplier calls it jade, but I guess we'll see when it gets here) I also got some beads and buttons for adding to centres of flowers/hearts/whatever my fancy takes next. And I got two samples of patterned fleece because I liked the look of them and didn't want to splash out on an entire metre of the stuff when I don't know what I'd use it for anyway.

So. Um. Watch this space?

(I am having so much fun sewing stuff at the moment. I spent most of today beading, wondering when I'd start finding it boring, and I didn't. At all).

~*~

Like an idiot, I volunteered to get up early because there's a woman coming to survey our house tomorrow (only to check we told National Statistics the truth, I imagine). And then I will have to wait a dog's age for the shopping to arrive. Ho hum. I will be beading, more than likely. Or cutting felt shapes.

Or a combination of both those things.

UGH. WHY. WHY AM I SUCH AN IDIOT.

~*~

What else?

OH YEAH. Headbands - decoration on the left or right? (Or even both sides??) I'd go left myself, but then I come to look at it on the display head and it feels wrong? Whut.

I have also been designing dangly things to drape off headbands. I'll have to get the scanner out, so I can show you (as that's better than trying to explain) (also I have a butt-ton of stuff to scan as it is. I haven't touched the scanner in nearly a month!) I don't know if anyone will like them, but eh. I guess we can only see, huh.

~*~

Going to spend the weekend reading VtM sourcebooks, and deciding what gets to go in my Storenvy shop (I haven't actually joined yet, but rest assured, I will let you know when I do).

~*~

I'd still like feedback on these, if you'd be so kind?

I am SO tired.

I haven't been sleeping well for over a week. I thought my insomnia had passed (it goes in monthly cycles; I'm sure you can figure out why). BUT APPARENTLY NOT. I went to bed before 11pm last night, but still didn't fall asleep until nearly 1am. Then I woke at 6:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. I laid in bed for two hours playing puzzle games, and eventually went back to sleep for about three quarters of an hour before I had to get up anyway.

I am far from amused.

But that's not actually what knackered me. I'll get to that in a minute.

Usually I get a night of bad sleep when I am stressing about something (or for other reasons). Right now, I'm stressing about not a lot. I am actually pretty happy with life, my friends, and how things are going at the moment. So I don't really understand why I'm suddenly not sleeping like I've got the jitters or something.

(Although the fact that there have been at least three massive spiders in the house is not helping with not sleeping).

No, the reason I'm knackered is because I went on a big massive walk with friends (and kids) that went over the hills and up the valleys, and lasted for around six hours. It was fucking AMAZING.

(I love going walking, and I used to do a lot of it in my teens. Obviously, up till recently, not so much).

I'm going to pay for it tomorrow, because my hips and legs are already hurting, but I'm not going anywhere (not even if the hottest man on the planet turns up on my doorstep. Nope). I can spend all day in bed if I have to, and I'm probably going to have to.

Maybe I can spend it catching up on art for SMT Sunday? *shrugs*

~*~

I keep thinking I have something else to say, and this post has been sitting here for ages waiting for me to say it, but I don't. So I'll hit post and go to sleep, I reckon.

ETA: OK, I lied, a little, but I don't want to make a separate post just for a dumb question.

Recently (i.e. within the last six months) I have started dreaming about vampires a lot. This doesn't bother me and, even though I don't put much weight into dream interpretation, I wondered if it means something (or even if you guys have any idea what my brain is trying to tell me?)

No worries if not, just curious is all c: [/ETA]

So these Ask [Your Favourite Character] blogs on tumblr, are the answers always drawings?

I haven't seen that many, but that's been the set up of all of all them so far. I'm thinking of setting one up, but I don't know that I can confidently draw the character AT ALL (icon is a hint; I could write him in my sleep though).


~*~

Finally sorted out and booked the appointment for Sky to come and install the Sky+ box. Uh, yay?

At least it means no more missing bits of programmes, la la la la la.

~*~

I will be seeing hmpf a week on Thursday! \o/ I can't remember the last time we saw each other - it was probably about six years ago *ashamed* (though then again, we live in two different countries now, so...yeah...)

~*~

Been drawing a bit, but not much. Stupidly, as I was doodling today, I got this thought in my head that I was "wasting my time", as though I should be doing something else. That something else? Half a crocheted square, and then a nap.

Yeah.

(And then I made pastry that didn't bake properly because I am a cooking moron).

~*~

Want to draw/want to play P2. Can't do both at once. CONFLICTED.

Questions about tumblr:

1. Is it considered bad manners to reblog yourself? Not that I've really wanted to, but I just wondered. I also don't think it is when I see it happening, I just wanted to know was all.

1a. I think it's quite irritating when owners of communal blogs (for want of a better word; like people who run a "fuck yeah" page) advertise their personal blog and ask you to follow it. What do you think? Am I just a grumpy?

(I mean, if you're going to check out their personal blog, you'll either leave them an ask, or find a link to it, if there's an info page, right?)

2. How do tracked tags work? I mean, I can kind of figure it out, but do you get notified when someone posts something with that tag?

This is partly me being lazy, and I totally don't mind being given a link to a tumblr FAQ if there is one (is there one? I fail so much; I'm all like, "YAY PRETTY PICTURES! \o/" and...I don't know anything else).

3. I know I have a sketch blog, but I kind of want to make another blog for more finished works (so sort of like an online portfolio). Obviously it will be updated less regularly than the sketch blog, but...I kind of don't know. Is that a stupid thing to do or not?

OK, I'm done now.

~*~

Started doing a drawing of Beth (the heroine) from SMTII, and it's coming out OK! I am pleased about this! (I always love it when a fanart works. Hell, I love it when any art works).

I generally stick to the rule of "if I haven't played it, I don't do art of it", but I've loved her design since I got into the series (two years ago!!1!) It's an attempt to do more Megaten art. Might as well start with something I am having fun with, right? (I totally do intend to play SMTII, just not yet).

~*~

I'm not feeling much better, to be honest, but at least I didn't cry today. So there's some improvement, I guess.