Nightlight

A friend of Crocigator's ever since he could remember. Leader to a swarm of fellow fireflies, she and her companions keep a close watch on the young Stubby while the young gator is out on his adventures. Should Stubby be ever in any danger, the fireflies work as a team to inform Crocigator right away, who is never too far from him. In return, Crocigator allows the fireflies to live in the safety and comfort of his shack.

While an observer might find it odd that Nightlight and her fellow fireflies go out of their way to do this for the gators, it is said that both Nightlight and Crocigator shared a certain history with one another, leading them to be in each other's debt. This agreement between the gator and the fireflies is supposedly their own way of repaying one another.

---

The last of my inks for this year's Inktober, which I hadn't gotten around to uploading until today. This one took me a while to do at the time because of the detailing I put on the leaves.

More friends in Swampland! And I just might make a map of the entire known swamp thus far.

Noozle Bunny

When the lady tries to nuzzle noozle over Skype, she reminds me of a rabbit. And it's the cutest thing ever.

For My One and Only - 2019

In commemoration of my girlfriend's birthday, I went and made... A bit more realistic ink of her instead of the usual cartoony style I tend to draw her as. Had to rush this at the last minute since I got home late, but I'm really happy I managed to pull it off. I'll repost a cleaner version of this later when the ink dries and after I erase the lead off.

Happy birthday, Emo. 🎂 I can't do much given the nature of our relationship at the moment, but this ought to suffice for our current lack of physical contact.

I hope you have a great one today. I love you, always. ❤

Migawari

The Japanese call this Migawari (身代わり). For everyone else who speaks English, we call this Substitute.

Inspired by my very own Substitute doll, which I took the liberty of nicknaming Spike. 😊

I wanted to sign this off in Japanese, but it slipped my mind until the last minute. 😞

Go Fish Buddies

Dragged by an ecstatic Stubby--who was eager to make a new friend--, an anxious Todd winds up in Gatorville and meets Stubby's gator friends (and Pointy). Although initially hesitant because of how intimidated he was by Crocigator, he eventually warms up to them and finds himself playing a game of go fish with the two adult gators.

---

Gator buddies make friends. Todd also makes friends. Everyone becomes friends. Everyone's happy. 😊

Etherei

Gender: Male
Age: 18
Occupation/Class: Enerhija Knight
Height: 3'8"
Weight: 39 kg./84 lbs.
Likes: Tinkering with machines, reading, hot chocolate, having friends, Rei-Rei
Dislikes: Bullies, arrogant people, high places, being unable to stand up for himself, feeling lonely

A former member of the Enerhija Knights' Recon Squad Delta. After a mission that left his squad members dead, he is suddenly brought from his homeworld of Radisrol to the world of the Aether. Alongside his Kit-En companion Rei-Rei, and the sprightly traveler Zephyr, he must journey across the Aether and find some way to return to his world, report the horrors he had seen in his last mission to his superiors, and reunite with his sister Hailey, who likely believed he was dead by now.

But his journey is not all that simple; from Aetherian rebels to Valkyrian cultists and ambitious rulers, he finds himself soon drawn to the forces at play in the world around him. Eventually, he also encounters forces that threaten to destroy his world and that of another as well...

---

Did y'all know how long it took me to come up with his hairstyle? Five freaking years! His sword will probably take another five at the rate I'm going, though. But I genuinely hope not!

Eth is my avatar turned OC from Spiral Knights. Since Three Rings or Gray Havens or whoever the fuck ran their shitshow for years couldn't pull their shit together, I decided to create something based off of the Knights' race in-game and develop it into something much more different than what they would ever have to offer. And it all started with this character.

You can expect more of Eth and Zephyr's adventures from here. It's high time I became a little more dedicated towards them. I'll also write a more detailed piece about the Enerhija race later on as well, along with a bunch of other pieces that paint the colorful world of the Aether and Radisrol.

The Marks at 11

"How were your lessons, Sylvie?"

"They were okay, I think. I'm starting to get the hang of playing the violin. My instructor said I'm getting better at it too."

"Think you can do the recital next month?"

"I hope so... I don't feel so confident about it."

"I don't blame you. Just thinking about playing for so many people just gives me the creeps."

"Right? When I started though, even just playing for my instructor makes my knees all jittery. It was like he's gonna chew me out any second if I made a mistake!"

"Ugh. Does he?"

"He used to, but not anymore."

"Then you're definitely getting better, heh."

"I think I eventually got used to playing with him, so it isn't that bad. You know, even if it's scary thinking about it, I like the idea of playing for so many people and just feeling so... Graceful when I do."

"Like a princess or something?

"No, not like a princess. More like a bird?"

"A bird?"

"Yeah. Do you remember that show we watched about hawks a couple of months ago?"

"Not really. What about it?"

"You know how sometimes there's just a man talking and then music just plays while it shows birds flying over the sea? Sometimes I imagine I'm that bird. I just fly low over the water and then soar into the sky like I'm just so free and nothing can keep me grounded."

"You're starting to sound like some cheesy don't-give-up motivational song."

"Ahaha. I don't mean to. But that's just how I feel about it."

"If you say so."

"One day I hope I can play as good as the masters do. Maybe I'll be good enough to dance while I play the violin."

"Is that even possible??"

"Yeah. I heard of a violinist that twirls like a ballerina and can bend back really low while she plays the violin. Her movements don't stop her playing at all, but sometimes it does... And even then she keeps practicing and trying to get it right. Then she just hits each note perfectly once she masters a song. It's amazing. I just don't remember her name..."

"That's incredible. I don't believe it though, but it sure sounds really cool. Think you'll be able to pull something like that off?"

"Me? I don't think so. I'm not as flexible. And it looks too much for me to even do!"

"You tell me you wanted to be like one of the masters, and here you are saying you don't want to do something one of them is already doing."

"Well yes, I--hey, I thought you said you didn't believe that was true!"

"I didn't, but I think it'd be cool if you could do it too." Hilda looped her arm around Sylvie's free one. "We can practice stretches at home. Then we can look her up online and see how she does it so you can start playing like her too. Come on!"

"H-Hey, wait! Hilda!"

---

A passing thought I had for my OC twin sisters.

During my trip to Turkey over a month ago, I was listening to Lindsey Stirling a lot, which inspired me to write about these two at the time. She combined two things I love about music: EDM and violins. Definitely a fan of her work.

Now listening to Lindsey's songs reminds me of the Pammukale Travertines, Cappadocian caverns, and dusty Anatolian steppes.

IDGAF

I was once told that my spirit animal was a boar. Mirroring their nature to charge ahead of themselves and trample anything that comes in their way, boars are said to represent people who set their sights on goals and stop at nothing to achieve them, regardless of whatever happens to try to hold them down. They are also said to represent people who tackle situations head-on, knowing that this is the only way one can solve their problems (sauce here).

I will say that I don't know if I agree with this. But I will say I certainly don't like leaving anything unfinished. I've also reached a point in my life where, after the hardships I experienced years ago, I can no longer bring myself to give a crap about anything anymore when it comes to achieving my goals. If it means improvement and progress, I'm gonna say what needs to be said even if I'm treading on someone's precious little feelings. I do admit at times this kind of thought process causes me to be a bit reckless at times, but oddly enough I don't really feel that regretful at all. In fact, I feel very relieved.

Okinawan Rail

The Okinawan rail is a flightless bird that lives in the northern forests of Okinawa, in the Yanbaru area. It is characterized by its orange beak, gold and white feathers, a stout body and long legs. It was "discovered" by a biologist in the 1980's, but the locals had claimed then that they'd known of its existence for decades. It is considered an endangered species.

In Japanese, it is read as 山原水鶏 (ヤンバルクイナ), which can be literally read as, "a Yanbaru waterfowl".

---

When I finished this, I thought, why not sign off in Japanese? I'm talking about something Japanese, after all.

Victoria "Tori" Hearthwell - R/S/E (2019)

A young girl who was mysteriously brought to the Pokémon World. Lonely and sheltered, she turned to video games to cope with the loss of her father, who left one day and whom she came to believe had left her and her mother for someone else. This instilled within her a deep, seething hatred for her father, and she taught herself early on to never be the same as he was.

When she was brought to the Pokémon World, she first strived to find a way to return to her homeworld. However, after befriending so many Pokémon--who became something akin to family to her, which she had wanted for a very long time--she decided to settle down and live along the riverbank of Route 119 with her Pokémon, living a simple and quiet life alongside them.

Interestingly, despite her own reasons for hating her father, she hardly seems bothered by the thought of leaving her own mother by herself. Whether it be because she would likely rather not sacrifice the happiness she found for the loneliness she felt in her own world, or perhaps her own mother failed to give her the attention she needed as a child, is a mystery.

---

Tori at 12 years old.

I had drawn up a concept of her in her younger years before but I wondered if maybe I should have gone with something less tomboyish. I decided to keep it though because it harkens back to a much older character design that I once had for her.

---

Gonna be posting a couple of my finished inks for Inktober, which I forgot to post because of my new job as a teacher. 😅 I didn't finish on time this year, but I'd still want to get the inks I managed to finish all posted up on the site.

We're Still Here | To a Once Cherished Friend

"Things aren't the same as they used to be. And I'm well aware that we can't go back to those days anymore. It's sad to think about and she's not with us anymore but guess what--I'm here, you're here, and we're still together because we stood up for what we believed in. I know how lonely it gets but I think we're gonna be alright, somehow... Yeah. Trust me; I've been through worse, so I would know."

"Yeah... You just rest your eyes. You and I are still together, and I've got your back no matter what. Personally, that's all that matters. To me, anyway."

---

Three years ago, I made this ink depicting a time spent with my closest friends then. As it was made during a time when my outlook for the future was considerably bleak, this was one of my fondest memories.

But things have happened, things have changed. What used to be then is no more.

But even if it pains me to think so, I can contentedly say that I actually don't regret the choices I've made, the bridges I burned, and the friends I lost. I am well aware so much could have been avoided if I didn't say anything, but I would have betrayed myself and my best friend more if I didn't.

So if you're reading this, I say, thank you, my dear friend, for all you've done for me and my best friend. I've truly treasured our wonderful times together. You saved my life when I needed it the most. You helped shape me into the steadfast, determined woman I've become today, and as I've said to you many times before, I am eternally grateful.

I apologize that things turned out the way they have between us three. Had things turned out differently, perhaps, we all might have still been together, spending more halcyon days together.

However, in spite of my own gratitude, I will never apologize for defending what I believed was right. And I certainly won't apologize for breaking ties with a person who believes that it's perfectly okay for someone to be bullied and verbally abused. Don't talk to me about abandoning friends when you're one who abandons them yourself.

Friends are important, but so is the self-respect you give to yourself by standing up for your own values, regardless of the sacrifice. The time we spent together, sharing things together, had helped me eventually realize this.

And so despite my hatred, thank you, for everything, and goodbye... Forever.

Victoria "Tori" Hearthwell - B2/W2 (2019)

A Trainer from another world who was brought to the Pokémon World time and time again by an enigmatic being. Two years ago, she had fought and defeated this very being, who sought to swallow up the world and her own by using the Trainer's hardened spirit as a vessel for their incorporeal soul, as the girl possessed a mysterious power called the Sanguine--a powerful crimson energy said to be the very manifestation of the Creator's power. In order to keep this very being from destroying both worlds, and to save those she cared for the most, she chose to return to her world and remain there for the rest of eternity... Until the guardian entity Eldritch came seeking her out, for her enemies had resurfaced to continue the schemes they started two years prior.

As the successor of the Sanguine, she is the only person capable of putting an end to the evil that threatens to plague both her world and that of her loved ones. Wishing to put an end to this once and for all whilst protecting her friends and family, she returns to the Pokémon World under a new name and appearance, along with a new team of Pokémon to stand beside her on the journey, and the inevitable battle for the fate of both worlds that lay ahead of them.

---

My Trainer OC Tori at 22, during the events of Pokémon Black 2/White 2.

Over the years, her appearance at this age hasn't really changed. But since she started to share a ponytail hairstyle with one of my other OCs (who originally had the particular hairstyle Tori had on her previous design), I had to draw the line somewhere and give Tori a new hairstyle instead whilst retaining the design of her outfit from 2015. I definitely prefer this current look for her than her old one. 😄

Her story needs revising again, but I'll get there... Eventually... 👀

Beaver Brothers

Twig, Trey, and Todd: a trio of beaver brothers who live in the swamp. They make their home in a wooden shack by the southwestern shores of Lake Arca. Despite being related by blood, their personalities are completely different from one another. Recently, times have gone hard for the brothers since the death of their father, who raised them single-handedly after the death of their mother. For the three of them, it's a long journey ahead on the road to acceptance.

The Second Time

I was musing to my girlfriend about what I ought to draw next. She said a few days ago that she wanted me to draw us again. I had plans to do so anyway; I just couldn't figure out what kind of scene would be good to draw. Eventually, I settled for drawing us hanging out together when I took her to Tokyo Disneyland last April.

I was messing around with my gray and gold pens, but the gray one kinda ruined the picture for me somewhat when I was working on her sleeves... My girlfriend says she loves it though. 😅

Gator Buddies Play D&D

I was thinking of gators, and D&D, and Final Fantasy, so I ended up thinking of gators dressing up for D&D and Final Fantasy. Also took advantage of my gray pen a lot on this one, and I'm happy to say I've discovered some new tricks from working with this ink. 😄

Now for some character and job descriptions! 😊

Stubby is a thief. He's a little guy but he's quick on his feet, and if you're not careful he'll be stealing your fish in no time.

Crocigator is a warrior. Not exactly the most chivalrous of them, nor the most willing to exert too much physical effort. Despite this, if anybody even dares to try hurting his little buddy, he will crush them without a second thought.

Pudgy is a lancer. He's all geared up and makes sure he and his party have enough supplies for their journey. He's not quite used to his new job just yet, but he's eager and willing to learn.

Pointy is a wizard. A master of his craft, he is knowledgeable with even the most forbidden of spells. Unfortunately, he cannot speak, let alone chant them. Nonetheless, he can derp a spell to life; what the spell turns out to be, however, is a complete mystery.

Pointed Glare

"If you got a problem, punk, I'm right here. Oh don't worry, take your time... I got all fucking day."

---

Requested by a friend. Thankfully for him, I had coffee in my system at the time and I was more than willing to just go for it.

Also, I found my old scanner; it still works! A little editing here and there and I came up with this. While I'm contented with it in general, I'm still kinda iffy about those little patches of white though...

Those Aren't Shorts...

"Hey, <Name>. I didn't know you were back already. Oh, these? These are those new shorts I told you about... Do you like them? What? They're not shorts? Well, yeah, I guess they aren't, but they're close enough I think. Besides, you do like them right? You'd rather see what's in them? Heh... Anything for you, <Name>..."

---

Alex, from Stardew Valley.

I have a thing for jocks who seem arrogant but turn out to be actually really cute and sweet. My girlfriend hates him though, but it's not really out of jealousy. 😅

Really feeling like I did him a lot of justice here (I mean just look at that bod, honestly 😏). I am really proud of this one. 😊

Tempesta

I decided to take a well-deserved break from drawing characters and drew one of my favorite cars in GTA Online: the Pegassi Tempesta. I don't draw cars often so seeing how this turned out was a relief. I might draw more cars like the Dominator (again) and the Bifta too, but we'll see.

Lonely Stitches

Broken again. Ahhh, the neck is about to tear... Better get that fixed up right away. Ears aren't looking too good either. Why did he have to get all busted up like this anyway? Now, where did that sewing kit go? Oh, there it is. Okay, now he needs to thread this needle. Needs a steady hand, as usual... Steady now... Steady... Oh thank goodness it actually got through that tiny hole this time! Okay. Now to start on that neck, then he can work with the ears.

Hm... He might need a patch for this... Urgh, why did this have to be so difficult? This isn't supposed to be this hard... And yet when they used to do it, it looked so easy... And they were really good at keeping this neat and all patched up too.

Oh no. Tears again. He's shaking now, making his repairs harder to do, but he tries to stop himself, to focus on his work. He said he wouldn't cry this time; he would be strong and try to push it down so it wouldn't consume him. His Trainer wouldn't have wanted to see him in such a pitiful state...

And yet, despite his best efforts, the tears keep falling. And in the literal drop of a pin, he finds himself lost once again in the tempest of his own despair.

---

My friend suggested that I draw a Mimikyu, preferably one that was in tears. So I did that.

This little scene I wrote came as a result of my convo with him after I showed him the final draft:

Convenience Store

"Tori," Nanami asked. Tori spun around, finding the Gardevoir with a jar of cookie butter on hand. "Would this be what you're looking for?"

"Let's see here..." Tori examined the sandwich spread made of crushed biscuits and cinnamon. "No, I don't think this is it."

"Ah."

"I think it's on one of the other aisles. Let's keep looking."

"Alright." Nanami set the jar back onto where she found it. "Nanaki, let's go."

The Sceptile in question was standing just right behind her. However, he didn't seem to hear her, as he was deeply engrossed in the highly suggestive material that he picked up on one of the magazine stands by the entrance of the convenience store. The page his attention was currently directed towards featured a rather... Voluptuous human female with tied up black hair and a pair of glasses, wearing nothing but a scant, yellow two-piece with red polka dots. The expression she had on her face was... Alluring, for lack of a better word.

"Nanaki?" Nanami put a hand on his shoulder, causing him to bolt upright and immediately look behind him. "Nanaki, what are you doing?"

"O-Oh, uh, hey, Nanami." He sounded absolutely flustered, and his face was hot with near-embarrassment as he hid the magazine behind himself. "Sorry about that. What's up? Did you two find what you were, uh, looking for?"

"No, not yet." She started walking ahead of him. "Come on, Tori is waiting for us."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." As much as he didn't wish to, he left the magazine all by its lonesome on the nearby shelf of sweets. There was no denying the curiosity that he held towards its contents, but he knew that curiosity killed the Skitty, and he wasn't interested in being that particular Skitty any time soon.

---

Been itching to do a scene I've had in my head for a while featuring my Trainer OC and her starters. And what better way to do it than with inking and a little quick story?

I hate the fact that this ended up later than it needed to be, but I'm glad it turned out looking really good. 😊 I better get started on the next one quick!

The Shining Thunder

Urf! Late... But I can safely say that I didn't give in to procrastination! ...Yet. I also changed my pen, and I have lesser problems with smudges now. 😊

This one's a tribute to my good friend Sanrey, whom I met during a time I would like to call the more halcyon days of Spiral Knights (ahem, late 2012). He's been a great partner-in-crime when his account was still up and running, and one of a few best friends that have stayed loyal to this day, and for that I'm grateful.

Here's that pic I promised you, buddy. It's nothing like the Sanrey you imagined it to be like, but I hope you like it anyway. 😄

Fishergator

Been meaning to draw a picture of Pudgy for a while. And Pointy's here too to give him some company because he knows how lonely Pudgy can get.

My inking is a bit rusty apparently. I also have some problems with smudges now...

Inktober 2019 | Then and Now

I am finally home after spending two years in Japan, and good lord I have missed living at home. Towards the end of my studies, I was just traveling here and there, and I got really miffed at my housemates at the sharehouse, because they didn't know how to clean (thank god I don't have to deal with any of them any longer).

And guess what? It's October once again. And y'all know what that means:

It's #inktober again! I'm going to pick up the old pen and not-so-old inkbook (this is a new one by the way; I have no idea where my old one went ever since I moved to Japan two years ago), bring this blog back to life and make some ink artwork every day of the month. I'm gonna strive to do one everyday and actually finish on time this year! 😄 You can find links to all my #inktober art this year by clicking the label Inktober 2019.

To start with this year's Inktober, here's a portrait of my avatars then and now:

I sure hope I can still do this right. It's been so long, but I'm looking forward to it! 😁

Power Surge - Chapter 1

A/N: Been forever since I've written one of these author's notes. 

This was a fanfic I once uploaded on dA, but I took it down eventually for revision. It stayed in that period for several years until I decided to get back to it again recently. Then I was spurred with by an idea that would help me further deepen the plot and expand on character development, but I realized it had made the story terribly too long to be just a one-shot and so I decided to break it into two parts instead.

This story contains major spoilers for Laura's story in Unlimited Saga.

---

Power Surge

Chapter 1

The Clockwork of Conflagration

Flames crackled quietly in the center of their little campsite, tiny cinders hopping off the wood they fed on only to roll in the dust and fade away. She felt the cinders too as she sat there, her pale eyes distant, but unlike the ones that found themselves being blown away by the wind, these flickers became fires of their own. And it wasn't until recently that these flickers came together, a mass of flames that only grew with consumption.

Meat from a beast they felled earlier roasted slowly above their campfire, and blonde mage girl in purple asked the brunette in yellow when it would be finished. Another chunk of wood was thrown inside the pit, and the flames welcomed the addition to their evening meal, consuming it within their fiery maws.

"In a while, Judy," Michelle answered. "It hasn't even browned yet."

Laura's eyes stared on in a state of contemplation, reflecting the image of the flames devouring the hapless piece of wood. Her elbows were propped on her thighs and her fingers were laced together in between the space just below her nose. Her mind was adrift a sea of thoughts, too focused on them to consider the wafting aroma that came from the meat Michelle roasted or the repetitive, metallic shing of the Anubito's whetstone meeting the blade of his black axe. She never really was the type to be easily distracted by anything; now was no different. Her attention remained affixed on a single thought throughout the entire day, bringing her blood from a simmer to a boil, fueling the fire, so much that every time a monster came in their path she struck it down without mercy:

Galeos.

Tori - Concept

My Pokémon Trainer OC over the years.

Been recently into developing her story in between my study sessions, and more especially ever since I had bought a new computer to replace my MSI while I have it repaired.

Some years ago I had come up with this old design for her as well as a backstory, which I plan to retcon and rewrite later on. I decided to also redo her B2W2 design to make her look less like Hilda, especially with her hairdo, so that she has her own personal appearance in general. Story-wise I also felt the mask was necessary.

Send help I want to write but I still have my proficiency test to study fOR AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Zephyr (2019)

Protective Instincts

"These guys tryna hurt ya, little buddy?"

The smaller gator nodded, frightened. "U-Uh-huh…"

"Alright, then." Glaring towards the gang of beaver thieves, he continued, "You just stay behind me so you'll be safe…"

Straightening himself, the lazy croc cracked his neck and fingers, before reaching into the ground and effortlessly heaving up a massive boulder over his shoulders, much to the surprise of the thieves and even Stubby himself. The younger gator couldn't help staring at his friend in sheer awe. Stubby knew the taller gator wasn't the type to be so active, but never did he think once that Crocigator had actually been hiding his true strength this entire time…

"Hope you boys are ready," Crocigator started, looming menacingly above the thieves, who now started to cower in collective fear. "'Cause there's gonna be some hell to pay tonight."

---

Angery Crocigator trying to look out for Stubby, is all.

Had such an itch to draw after drawing something for my girlfriend. I can only hope this itch lasts for a while...

Nubby Buddy

My girlfriend was here for the week in Tokyo. Sometime during the week I bought her a small, plush keychain Lapras from the Tokyo Station Pokémon Center. She loved it and called it Nubby; she loved to nuzzle (it's a couple thing, heh) and would say "nub-nub-nub" whenever she nuzzled it.

Today was the day she had to return to Canada. Before we left the sharehouse, she asked me to doodle into her notebook and I did just that.

Now excuse me while I drown myself in overwhelmingly self-crushing loneliness at the thought of once again being miles apart from my significant other.

Little Kuro - Digital

A tiny little WIP I had from a sketch I drew years ago. I said I'd get to it eventually and color it on a tablet, and here it is. Pretty sloppy, but I'm overall satisfied with it.

Was looking to get back into digital painting, and I figured the best way to go is to just finish a project I left hanging for a while now.

2/16 Birthday Request

Requested by my friend for one of his friend's birthday.

I haven't inked in forever! I'm glad it worked out well for the most part. If you're wondering why it looks dirty compared to my previous inks, not only was it because it's been a long time since I last did so, but also because I kinda fucked up with it by being a little too enthusiastic to ink instead of waiting for the outlined version to dry before erasing the lead... And so I ended up smudging it in some places. Truth be told, I had to use a whiteout to cover my mistakes...

Thank god for shooping and editing apps.

Plush Tobi-Kadachi

Recently got into Monster Hunter: World, and I love it! It's the kind of game with a dynamic, open-world environment that changes in real-time, and the fighting aspect of this game, while simplistic as compared to Dissidia: Final Fantasy, is also engaging and enjoyable. I think what helps is that the behavior of each monster is different, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, so when you fight them you really have to think about all these factors; you can even use the environment to your advantage and if two monsters meet, chances are they'll also try to kill each other. But just describing the gameplay by itself isn't doing it justice—go watch streams and videos of it on Twitch and YouTube and you'll see exactly what I mean. I really do recommend it to people who love open-world games with a lot of action! 😁

I will say I've known of the existence of MH for a long time now. I've been seeing plushes of them a lot in the Kotobukiya store in Akihabara (they have their own space full of purely MH merch too), as well as the Yamashiroya store in Ueno. About a couple of years ago I bought a plush of Inferno Blade Dinovalde and Astalos, but I wasn't into the game at the time. It wasn't until MH:W that I properly got into the series, and good lord what I said back then was right: one day I'm going to get reaaaaally into the MH series and would want to collect plushies of the monsters in-game. 😂 Lo and behold, the power of words:

Tobi-Kadachi was the first monster in a story mission that gave me a lot of trouble and annoyed me for a time (but eventually I realized half the time I was being very reckless about it rather than actually coming up with a strategy or reading up some tips online 😅). Looking back it's actually fairly easy to deal with now, and upon seeing this plush my heart just melted for it.

Here's a little story for you guys: I'm currently enrolled in a Teacher Training class in my Japanese language school, as some of you know. When I received this plush in the mail, I was so excited that I placed it in my bag and brought it to school the next day. Childish as it was, it was a joy to just see it and pet it in my backpack. Then some time later that day we were told that we were eventually going to do teaching exercises and we had to come up with creative ways to introduce lesson topics to the class. Looking at the plush again gave me such an awesome idea: I'm planning to use this plush as my teaching partner when the time comes, and it excites me to just think about it. I really look forward to teaching in the future with it. 😄

Laksa

The types of Laksa vary per region in Malaysia. They have more coconut milk in the north, less in the central, and about half in the south.

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More old photos from my inkbook in 2015.

This was a doodle of ingredients found in Laksa, a spicy, Malaysian noodle stew with bok choy, peppers, bean sprouts, cilantro and seafood. Drawing this made it easy to remember when we had the lecture related to it back in college.

This old photo was in sepia filter if I remember correctly. Like the last photo of Thai cuisine, this one also discolored over time and became like this:

#nofilter

Doesn't seem to have changed much compared to the last one but I prefer this new one nonetheless.

Thai Cuisine

Influenced mainly by the Chinese and the Indians, Thai cuisine is known for its wide range of fresh and exotic ingredients. The Thais also hold rice in high regard, to the point where they hold festivals in honor of their rice goddess, hoping that she will bless their fields with a bountiful harvest.

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Another old photo from my old black inkbook back in 2015.

This is actually an old photo I had fished up from my old Facebook albums, which I edited so that it looks sharper and brighter since it was a photo from my old 4S. When I opened the inkbook again recently I saw that the colors had either faded or changed over time, particularly the brown areas, which have turned into shades of dark olive green:

Brought to you by iPhone 8.

It's not too noticeable though, so you might have to squint.

The Project

Gender: ??? (Seemingly female)
Age: ??? (Around early 20's)
Occupation/Class: Experimental Test Subject
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 63 kg./139 lbs.
Likes: ???
Dislikes: ???

The Holding Compound holds many mysteries to the young Maiya Frost, but regardless of what they are, they all seem to revolve around this unknown, armored figure sleeping in the depths of the Compound. Maiya herself does not know what is it about this... Person (is it even a person, she wondered) that fascinates the Compound's scientists so. However, all she knows is that from their mere presence alone they are nothing to be trifled with, and Maiya hopes to never cross paths with them during her stay there.

Unfortunately for her, fate (and the Compound scientists) has (have) other plans. What's more, as it turns out the Project has developed a rather curious and keen interest towards her, and desires to meet her face-to-face in the near future...

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Another OC from time immemorial. For a long time I debated on whether or not their identity be known the minute they were introduced, but an air of mystery apparently turned out to be the better idea in this situation.

I had opted just let this be an unfinished sketch and a messy doodle when I was working on the legs, but I just couldn't bring myself to stop after I had something going on with this already. Also thought of adding a background, but I think the smudged background looks decent enough. Glad with how this turned out.

I have also decided to temporarily call these series as Maiya's Story. Cheesy, yes. But I intend to rename this in the near future once I have something more solid to work with. It's also better than filing these under Sketch Dump.

Formalities

Was digging through some of my old things and I saw this little comic I drew of Viresco back in 2016 (thus explaining the old, straight-haired me). How time flies! Still hoping to find my old red inkbook somewhere, but so far I haven't been successful...

Maiya Frost

Gender: Female
Age: 18
Occupation/Class: High School Graduate

Height: 5'3"

Weight: 62 kg./138 lbs.

Likes: Hanging out with friends, her family, parties, traveling, working out, hiking, surfing, snowboarding, tropical beaches

Dislikes: Awkward people, staying indoors all the time, having nothing to do, seeing her loved ones hurt, being unable to help others

Everyone knows who Maiya is in Quicksilver High. Friendly, sporty, and a go-getter, she's also very popular amongst her peers. Wherever she goes it's always a party. She's also a member of an influential, upper-middle class family in the higher echelons of Quicksilver society--half of it is thanks to her entrepreneur of a father, and the other half is thanks to her grandfather being a former hero in the army. Popular and privileged, she's the person everyone just wants to be friends with, as evident by the hundreds of likes she gets on her online Lyfsnap photos on the daily.

Due to her popularity and massive circle of friends, she's had the luxury of living a normal, happy life throughout high school, unlike some of her other, hapless acquaintances. But one day she wakes up not in the comfort of her warm and familiar bedroom, but on the cold, hard ground of a dreary holding cell, held prisoner to unknown captors. Where on earth she is and why, she hasn't the foggiest, but all she knows is that she has to find some way out of there and get home, stat...

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An OC from time immemorial.

Like many of my other OCs, I have wanted to write her story for some time now--a story that has spanned more than ten years in the making inside my head. I have a rough draft in my head and I've had to revise it over the last ten years, but despite how long it's been they're all still bits and pieces right now. I'd be contented if I could just have something concrete and put them up here for future reference... And just for the sake of keeping this blog running as well.

The city of Quicksilver is also a nostalgic one to me; it's as old as this OC, really. At some point in the future I may post about it. For now, simply imagine a city like Los Angeles, albeit with some quieter suburbs, and there you go.

Concluding a Year of Inactivity

So before anything else, allow me to post what has become of me after this entire year:

Yes. Overweight, if not more so. If my original 68 kg. wasn't bad enough, I've actually shot up to freaking 75. Christ above. I really need to shed weight off of myself. Gym memberships are in order when I return to Japan on the 6th (as I'm currently home for the holidays).

Next, the state of this blog. Good lord. I told myself I would finish Inktober 2018... But school, plus lack of any motivation whatsoever, plus health problems. But mainly a lack of motivation. I have a lot of ideas but I find it so hard to put it on paper, then I look at what I have in my backlog (backstories to revamp, One-Third's setting to flesh out since I really do want to continue that story but that also needs me to flesh out other stories) and it all feels so overwhelming to me. I really want to be able to change that next year.

Next, health problems. As some of you know I've been dealing with a mix of health problems--starting with a strained muscle in my left leg, followed by neck hernia in July, numbing hands, and a discovery of my worsening scoliosis in November. Aside from my weight troubles I also want to alleviate these problems and the best way to do so would be to exercise a lot more often... Again, the gym memberships. And a diet. Definitely in need of one.

And seeing as it is the beginning of the year again and I am a little more confident about my Japanese at this point (though I will say I am still getting there) I've also decided to finally go and look for another job in Tokyo. I just want to get some money for myself and start saving more money for the future. Plus it is good work experience and a good way for me to practice Japanese more often.

Would I call this a list of my New Year's resolutions? Oh hell no. I don't even want to call them resolutions anymore. I've realized every time I make resolutions I only end up disappointed and unable to live up to them. I just want to view them as goals--no more, no less.

Thanks for all who've been sticking by me in my rough patches, and here's to a more fruitful year ahead. Cheers!

-Zip