Pure Morning

4 Days to Go!

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:42:10 GMT

SNOWSNOWSNOWYAY!

It's the first time in a long while that it's snowed like this so close to the 25th, so I've got that Christmassy feeling even more than usual. Shame I have to wrap the presents soon, that'll kill my buzz. I suck at wrapping stuff, it always looks like a five year old's attempted it. Still... fairy lights, baubles, bailey's, a warm fire and snow outside... *happy sigh*

I got the original Tomb Raider from the PSN a while back, and I was playing it on the PSP but the d-pad isn't as smooth and responsive as a regular control pad is, so I'm playing it on the PS3 now. It took me over an hour to do The Cistern, probably 'cause I forgot where I was supposed to be going and had to go to Gamefaqs, but even knowing where you're going, it's a long level if I remember right. On Tomb of Tihocan now, Lara's off to Egypt next, and my favourite set of levels! I remember Sanctuary of the Scion seeming like it was gonna take forever, being such a massive level. It was like 'where do I start?'

Finally got around to watching some of Fullmetal Alchemist as well. I wish I'd bought the boxset a few years ago now, 'cause I'm enjoying it so far. I've watched up to episode 25, and gah, that episode had me sniffling and teary. Why did it have to be my favourite character...? I like the vast majority of the characters anyway, especially Roy and Hawkeye, (lolling forever at how she went about training the puppy) but... T_T

I adored their little back-and-forth over whether Ren was a playboy or not. Kyoko is always an awesome character, but I was all about Ren in this chapter. I just plain adored him. His sarcastic mumbling to himself, then his teasing apology with the 'lo siento', 'gomen nasai', 'je suis desole' made me smile. It was nice to see that side of Ren again. His decision to calm Kyoko by downplaying the importance of the kiss and telling her it was simply an expression of gratitude might have been a kind of 'two steps forward, one step back' thing, but come on. It wouldn't be like Ren to just leave her in a fluster, unable to get into character, and just take satisfaction from it because it meant she was focused on him instead of Sho. Yeah, he kissed her with the intention to replace Sho in her thoughts, but even though he got what he wanted, he cared enough for her to put his feelings aside and put her mind at rest.

I loved the fact that he was still hoping to have claimed a place in her heart at the end of the chapter, and I'm hoping that Kyoko's little smile and blush when she looked at the roses indicates that he might just have managed it! So there's progress there. Yeah, it's subtle, but what else is it going to be? Kyoko's afraid to ever love again, all her fears and doubts are hardly gonna be erased after one kiss on the cheek from Ren, so she's not gonna just fall into his arms. Chill, Ren x Kyoko fans! There's a lot to be said for patience.

I really should read the plays I need to get through by January for one of my uni modules, but The Wind Up Bird Chronicle is so much more entertaining. Plus, I'm only halfway through it, I can't just leave it half-read, can I?

TEKKEN6TEKKEN6TEKKEN6

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:39:06 GMT

So, I got a job at a local call centre, working on a helpline for an insurance company. From when we started on the 22nd to when we finished on the 29th, I had exactly one (1) caller. Who hung up straight away. The rest of the time, I sat there with my headset on, reading magazines and playing Dissidia, Pokemon and Tekken: DR. No wonder they finished us. I quite liked being paid for doing nothing, but to be honest I was relieved when they told us we weren't needed, due to being bored to death. So, I'm unemployed again, but I can take solace in the fact that I finally got my mitts on Tekken 6 on Friday.

My opinions:

~ Azazel? Yeah, you can just go die now. Cheap mofo. I'd prefer a boss like Devil Jin where you can just get stuck in and smack each other around instead of having to hang back and be careful of those damned claw things popping up through the floor. He's more tolerable on Scenario Campaign mode though.

~ Lee's ending is priceless.

~ So is Law's.

~ And Xiaoyu's.

~ Anna and Nina's too.

~ I heart Lars. Think I'll make learning the Alexandersson a top priority, I really quite like this guy.

~ According to Scenario Campaign mode, Hwoarang and Xiao know each other. This is enough info to appease my inner rabid Xiaorang fangirl, who had nothing but speculation to base her pairing on until now.

~ Lars x Alisa is kinda cute, y/y? Or should I lay off the crack?

~ Blah blah why must we be forced to play Campaign mode whineywhinewhinecakes reviewers can kindly go complain elsewhere, because I, for one, have been having a lot of fun making cute little Xiao strafe the vicinity with a gatling gun. Gotta get better items before I reattempt the Nightmare Train level though. Bloody demon thingys.

~ Jin's justification for starting the war? Sorry, but... can't say I'm that impressed, Mr. Kazama.

~ Wish the text wasn't so small, I have a teensy teensy TV and I have trouble reading it. Not that it's THAT much of a problem, and it's not just T6 that has the small text. I need a bigger TV anyway. This just gives me more of an incentive to get one.

All in all, I'm happy with the sixth installment, and am now going to skip off and customise Hwo to look ~~ridiculous~~ like a boyband member.

"...And what are you gonna teach when you fail in life? Advanced loser-being?"

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:07:05 GMT

It's been a while!

To be honest I don't really have a lot to say, which is why it's been so long since I last posted. I've had a birthday, been to a job interview, and almost had a heart attack last week after I came home from the job centre and found the study looking like something out of Silent Hill because the dog decided to chew Luna's tail. She's fine now though, ever since she was a kitten she's had no feeling in her tail, hence her sitting on the windowsill dripping blood everywhere without batting an eyelid when I walked in. Took her to the vets and they took off the part of her tail with no feeling in it, so she's got a little bit of it left. She has to have her stitches out on Monday.

Oh, and I dyed my hair blonde. My mum hates it. I like it much better than the light brown, so it stays.

I've been bored out of my mind, needless to say, so I bought myself some books to combat said boredom. Dracula and Dead Until Dark (since I can't watch True Blood cos we don't have the channel it's on with our cable package) for my vampire fix, Asleep by Banana Yoshimoto for my Japanese lit fix, even though I'm not done with Murakami's The Wind Up Bird Chronicle yet, and Jane Austen's complete works, simply because I heart Jane Austen. I'm reading Sense & Sensibility at the moment, not very far into it. Just got to the chapter where Willoughby shows up and carries Marianne into the house since she's hurt her ankle. Yes, all very damsel in distress, but this is Austen so I don't mind it, and if I remember rightly, Willoughby hardly turns out to be a knight in shining armour. I wonder if he's as bad as Pride & Prejudice's Wickham? I saw the film of S&S, but I can't remember what Willoughby did that sent Marianne running out into a storm to stand there in the rain with her clothes and hair blowing dramatically in the wind while quoting one of Shakespeare's sonnets to herself. I think he had a wife or something? Anyway.

As far as games go, finally got Resident Evil 5 and LittleBigPlanet, and swiped the classic Tomb Raider off PSN. I was most put out when I went to get Res 5 from Gamestation and they wouldn't sell it to me because they said I didn't look over 18. This being the day after my 24th birthday. Le Gamestation sales advisor utterly fails at judging age, obviously, but I took it as a compliment and just took my cash to Game instead. I've spent most of my time completing FFVII again though instead of playing my new games, even going through the mind numbing process of levelling up materia in the crashed Shinra plane and getting enough BP for W-Summon from the Battle Square so that I could beat Ruby and Emerald. All done with that now though, so it's time to pick the new stuff back up. Or read more S&S.

On the subject of FFVII, I've closed Hikari. To be honest I've lost all enthusiasm for rewriting everything, and there's DF anyway, so it isn't like it's a loss to the CxA community when DF and the CxA forums have all the info and media a CxA fan could ask for! But I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who supported the site and enjoyed visiting and reading through when there was actually content there. I'm really happy that people liked it while it was online. :)

Spun Sugar is still open, although I don't update it much. Still, feel free to go over there if you're a Tifa fan!

And finally, TEKKEN 6 NEEDS TO GET RELEASED RIGHT THE HELL NOW I'M DYING HERE 5 WEEKS IS TOO LONG AJLALJDJLJJAKLDJLKASJ *HAS HISSYFIT*

Holiday post

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:34:12 GMT

Nail biting tennis final again this year! I figured Federer would win, but damn, Roddick didn't make it easy for him.

So, I got back from hols on Friday morning, and as if England wanted to rub it in, it rained all day on Friday despite the fact that there'd been a heatwave while I'd been away. Though to be honest, I was grateful for it. I'm not used to constant sunshine and heat, so after two weeks of it, a day of nice cool rain wasn't so bad. But anyway, time for a quick breakdown of holiday stuff.

Very Good:

Gorgeous weather, sea that's actually the colour it's supposed to be instead of a muddy blue like on UK beaches, daily walks next to said sea, jumping through the waterfall into the pool when it got too hot to sunbathe, finding a sports bar just across the road from the resort and getting to watch Wimbledon.

Not Good:

Finding out Nadal pulled out of Wimbledon so I wouldn't be able to sit and STARE at the display of ~~hotness~~ awesome tennis skillz. And then finding out about MJ. :( :( :(

Slightly Exasperating:

Days when there wasn't much breeze and the heat sapped my energy enough that it was an effort to do much of anything. Getting sunburned shoulders on the first day due to washing off the suncream by swimming for too long.

Annoying:

Children, and the children's disco, and children crying in stereo and screaming on the plane journey home and just children in general. It was a family oriented place though, so children were to be expected. That fact didn't make them any less annoying, however.

Also annoying was the occasional 'oh, you're really pale, you'll need to make sure you put lots of suncream on in this weather' from people with lovely tans. Yes, I'm fully aware that if I stood in front of one of the pretty white walled villas in the resort I'd probably blend into it like a chameleon. Yes, I'm aware that the sun tends to burn people with pale skin. Seeing as I've had this skin for 23 years, I do not need to be told what to do in order to keep from turning day-glo pink, thanks very much.

Despite the above complaining though, I really enjoyed it. I'll have to share some pictures here when I get copies. :)

Nothing else to report on really, apart from the fact that my exam results were supposed to come in today, but now I have to wait til Thursday. RRRRR. Fuck you, uni.

Hola :)

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:32:29 GMT

I'm on my hols now! So far it's been lovely sunny weather, and my shoulders are a lovely red colour... ^^; But that aside, am having a wonderful time of it, and I will be for another 11 days. Ahh, I think I needed a bit of a chillax. Anyway, hope everyone's doing ok, gotta go cos my credit's running out!

Making thumbnails is boring as hell.

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:08:57 GMT

*points at subject*

Trufax.

I've been adding doujinshi pics to Spun Sugar (my Tifa minisite), hence the thumbnail-making. It's either just my eyes, or with this new version of Photoshop, the 'save for web' option washes out colours something fierce. The reason I posted such boringness? I've just changed the layout for the minisite, and it looks fine on my screen, but I'm not sure if the text on the header is readable for other screens. So please could you guys check it out if you have a moment and comment to let me know?

Link: http://keep-tryin.net/tifa/index.html

Oh, and the new Placebo album is FANTASTIC. ALL THE TRACKS ARE GREAT. EVEN THE BONUS ONES. LIFE IS GOOD.

"I swear I will not kill anyone."

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:11:03 GMT

Sooooooo...

I'm in the annoying limbo bit between the end of exams and the results date at the moment. Until the sixth of July, I won't know whether I have to retake any other modules in September, or whether it'll just be the one. Yeah, I can't graduate because I have a complete cock of a tutor who has utterly ignored my attempts to contact him with regards to my project, and there is no possible way I can pass that module now! :D :D :D

Awesome!

Ok, bitterness aside, I have one big thing I'm really looking forward to, which is my holiday in two weeks. Ah, only fourteen days or so before I'm either in the pool or lounging next to it in my 'kini and pink sunglasses blinding everyone with my complete lack of tan and reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, or A Wild Sheep Chase, or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Or maybe I'll buy something new to read. I can't wait to get away for a while.

It means that my puppy will have to survive without me for a fortnight though! He'll be staying with Anthony while I'm gone. I don't think I've mentioned the pup here, but he's the most gorgeous thing ever. His name's Monty, and I got him about three weeks ago. Here's a pic of him. Rufus isn't impressed with him, but I'm sure he'll get used to him eventually.

What else? It's hard to write an entry when you've been doing absolutely nothing since the last one...

Watched Terminator 2 at Ant's house today. I haven't watched it in ages. Ohhh, I forgot how much I enjoyed that film. The chase scene with John on the crappy little nin-nin bike and the Terminator on the Harley (and the awesome way he reloads his shotgun) and the T1000 in the huge truck. The bit when the Terminator steps out of the lift and scares Sarah to death, then throws people around for a bit, and then the T1000 morphs himself through the barred gate and showcases the usefulness of having liquid metal powers. THE MINIGUN SCENE AT THE CYBERDYNE BUILDING. ESPECIALLY THE MINIGUN SCENE AT THE CYBERDYNE BUILDING.

I'm gonna catch the first film on Friday night, in all its eighties glory. There aren't many films that I try to watch whenever they're repeated on tv, but Terminator and T2 get that honour, heh. Along with the Die Hard trilogy (especially if it's the first one and it's on at Christmas) and The Rock. I guess having an action film loving older brother kinda got me addicted to 'splosions at a young age.

OH AND NEW PLACEBO ALBUM ON MONDAY. MUST BUY EEEEET AT SOME POINT.

Clumsy as fuck, moi?

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:54:29 GMT

I broke the screen on my Macbook. :( :( :(

Luckily though, my dad took pity on me and said I could have his Macbook Pro as long as I bought a new battery for it since the old one wouldn't hold any charge. So there ya go, there's always a silver lining!

...Oh yeah, if koibito take two is actually in Case of Lifestream, then well played, Nojima. However, the whole 'we win' thing? Um... no. Not to harsh anyone's squee, but I know that koibito can be translated as 'beloved' as well as 'lover' or 'sweetheart' or whatever, and to be honest I can more easily believe 'Cloud was the woman's friend, beloved' than 'Cloud was the woman's friend, lover' since there's nothing in FFVII to suggest Aerith and Cloud's relationship ever got as far as that.

EDIT: Yep, I was actually right for once! *buffs fingernails*

Also, I got a hold of a copy of the Ultimate Megadrive Collection. It's like crack. And I am now going to shoot up.

O.M.F.G

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:18:11 GMT

I think this is the first time in my whole life that I've started crying in relief. Just found out that the research project I thought was due on Friday is not due until May 1st. I'm not even joking, I actually cried. I was so sure I'd have to submit an extension request and that even with the maximum extension (ten days) I probably wouldn't be able to get it done.

So as far as the final semester goes, my dissertation first draft is complete, Shakespeare essay was handed in on time, Shakespeare exam isn't until May, AND NEITHER IS MY RESEARCH PROJECT. OH CHRIST I AM SO DAMNED HAPPY RIGHT NOW.

"You have a lot to learn before we even get started on your thievery."

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:21:24 GMT

Ah, I forgot how much I liked Final Fantasy Pray. It's so relaxing. And Wanderer of Time is gorgeous. I've always loved Terra's theme. Might get Love Will Grow too, but I preferred the tracks on Pray if I remember right.

I need escapism, so I forced myself to play FFXII, at least to meet Balthier, and I'm so glad I did. The leading man's awesomeness is worth putting up with Vaan's odd looking abdomen and annoying voice. There's Basch, too, who is also mmm, but Balthier is the most mmm worthy. Not really liking the guest-joins-your-party thing, because no, GTFO, I'm not good with guests and I don't want you kthx. ~~Unless you have hi-potions, in which case I suppose you can tag along.~~ And the battle system... eh. But still, Balthier!

Real life isn't great at the moment, hence the escapism. My father's chronic depression is making him impossible to live with. I had a headache the other day and I actually made sure to put the paracetamol away because I was worried that if he saw them he might try and take an overdose or something since he's mentioned on more than one occasion that he doesn't want to live anymore. As a result, I can't really focus, so writing my dissertation is like getting blood out of a stone, and I have an essay on A Midsummer Night's Dream due on Friday which I haven't even started yet.

I'll get it done, I'm sure. I'm not gonna give up this close to the end! Uni's almost finished, I have a holiday to look forward to, and after that I have to look for a job again and start being an adult. The quicker I can get these last assignments done, the better.

bawls

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:13:57 GMT

I finished Crisis Core.

:( :( :( :( :(

The very very last battle where Zack was so injured he could hardly even walk towards the soldiers? I couldn't see the PSP screen properly.

And then the "Hey. Would you say I became a hero?"

T_T

That's January's batch of exams over and done with.

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:25:56 GMT

THANK ALL THAT IS HOLY FOR THAT.

My writing hand is killing me now.

I caved and bought Crisis Core while I was shopping with Anthony. Oh, Zack, you're such a mix of dorkery and fun. I love you. You can sometimes verge towards the Tidus-esque, (the annoying fist clench thing doesn't help with that) but I am going to cry buckets when I complete the game. And yay for sane Sephiroth, too! I really like him in CC, especially the scenes with Zack. I smiled at the part where he contacts Zack to tell him to go the the Mako Reactor and Zack screams down the phone at him, then it switches back to Seph and he's holding the phone away from his ear looking mildly irritated. Such a shame he turned into such a psycho. Angeal, I'm not too fussed about either way. As for Gacktesis, he might be pretty, but his quoting of LOVELESS is more than mildly irritating. I was right there with Zack when he yelled at him to shut up. The fact that there are fanclubs for Sephiroth, Gacktesis and Angeal amuses me. And the clubs have fansitey names! Definite shoutout to the fangirls, there.

So, battle mode. One thing that annoys me, that damned 'Activating Combat Mode' and 'Conflict Resolved' every bloody time. ARGH. At first I found the DMW reels really distracting too, but I'm used to them now - the Aerith limit break provides invincibility! It is made of win. Speaking of Aerith, I LOVED how she answered Zack after he joked that she just wanted to spend more time with him. It's such a refreshing change, considering the other, more complicated relationships in the FFVII Compilation, to just have her come out and say 'yeah'. And he helped her put her ribbon on. AWW. I really like their relationship in this game, it's so simple and sweet. They just like each other, you know? It's not some deep, all consuming, can't-live-if-living-is-without-yooooooou kind of love, instead it's light hearted, honest, innocent, and it just makes me melt.

I've got to the bit where Zack's given the infiltrating mission while Cloud and Tseng sit on their asses and watch him fail at being Solid Snake. Teenage Cloud is utterly adorable. His scenes with Zack have been cute so far too, what with their bonding over both being from 'backwater' towns. And I'm liking Tseng getting lots of screentime, since he got screwed over in Advent Children. Needs moar Rude though.

I also got Clock Tower 3. Good voice acting, a lot like Haunting Ground, but some of the murders are a tad disturbing, even to me. I thought the little girl's death-by-hammer and subsequent ghostly playing of piano while soaked in blood was bad enough, but then there was the acid bath murder... *wince*

What else? Oh yeah, I'm still ridiculously excited about my holiday in June. I bought the cutest two dresses ever. This one is for day, and this one is for evening. I'm not usually a pink dress kind of girl, but I couldn't resist it! I have silver glittery shoes too! They are made of awesome.

A belated Happy New Year!

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:12:47 GMT

Hope everyone had an awesome time over the holidays! I can't believe it's 2009 already, it doesn't seem like a moment since it was the year 2000 and everyone was going crazy over the millennium. Not that I particularly wish it was the year 2000 again, I mean, I was an awkward fourteen year old with terrible hair. Whereas now I'm an awkward twenty three year old with passable hair. ;)

When I think about how I was back then, I'm happy that I've changed as much as I have where my disposition is concerned. Even though I can fall victim to depressive moods, I've mellowed out and take life much less seriously. (Uh... maybe I should take life more seriously now I have responsibilities...) Plus, I get on with my brother and my parents much better!

But I digress. Back to the holidays. I had a great time, before Christmas I made cookies and watched A Christmas Carol, (the one with Patrick Stewart in - it's the best version hands down) on Christmas Day we went to my auntie's for dinner as usual, and on New Year's Eve I couldn't be bothered to go out since it was freezing and it's always busy as hell, so I stayed in and watched TV in the warmth.

New Year's Resolutions: Find and download more great dance music, read more Haruki Murakami, have more fun.

Christmas present haul consisted of: Amazon gift vouchers, clothes, a snuggly leopard print dressing gown, fairy cake perfume, a Cute Overload day calendar, money, and pink GHD hair straighteners. I was most pleased!

I'm dragging Anthony shopping with me on Thursday. We're most likely gonna hunt for good preowned/reduced price videogames, eat junk food and talk about the good old days of the Sega Megadrive. I think it says a lot about me that out of all the PS3 games that are being released in 2009, I'm most looking forward to the Sega Megadrive Ultimate Collection. But come on, it's got Streets of Rage I, II, and III! I can't wait to get my sticky mitts on it! Step aside, Ms Lockhart and Ms Croft, Blaze Fielding was the original and best kick ass buxom brunette babe.

When I first found out the game lineup, I was wondering why Desert Strike was conspicuously absent from the collection, but I found out there's a game called EA Replay for the PSP that has the first two Strike games on it. However, the reviews aren't favourable. Apparently scenes have been taken out and music changed. Hmm. I think I'll leave that one for now.

Speaking of PSP, my own has been neglected for a while, so I'm thinking about making buying a new game for it my first priority on Thursday. I might get Crisis Core, but I'm not sure whether I'd have the heart to complete it if I did get it. Zack's so adorable, I don't want to see the ending... *cries*

I've been looking at survival horror games for the PS2, too. I just ordered Kuon preowned. I can't remember ever seeing any adverts for it back in 2005 when it was released. Hopefully I'll enjoy it, it got so-so scores in the reviews I've found - due to the battle mechanics - but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt considering the same reviewers think that Fatal Frame's battle system is fiddly and slow too. Since I'm used to the aforementioned battle system, I think I'll be fine with Kuon.

Roll on December!

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:09:43 GMT

I'm really really really looking forward to Christmas this year. I always do, since I absolutely love it, but I think this is the first year that I'm impatiently waiting for December so I can play Christmas music - my mother insists that it's 'bad luck' to play it before then and even though I'm not really superstitious, I don't feel right playing it now. So, come the first of December, I'll be flicking on my playlist and smiling like a loon.

So far, the tracklist is:

Fairytale of New York - The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
Last Christmas - Wham
Silver Bells - Dean Martin
River - Sarah McLachlan
O Holy Night - Christina Aguilera
Count The Days - Girls Aloud
Goodbye - Spice Girls
Christmas Wrapping - Spice Girls
See The Day - Girls Aloud
Joy To The World - Jewel
Perfect Christmas - S Club 7
Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
Winter Wonderland - Jewel
My Only Wish This Year - Britney Spears
Let It Snow - Frank Sinatra
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
2000 Miles - The Pretenders
Stay Another Day - East 17
The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
This Christmas - Destiny's Child

I've got all my present buying done as of yesterday, because I am awesome like that. I had to go hand in an interim report for my creative writing dissertation at uni, so I took the opportunity to pick up the last of the gifts I needed to get. HMV were doing a great offer on CDs (2 for £10) so I got my brother's present and also bagged myself Feeder - The Singles. My favourite track is still Buck Rogers.

He's got a brand new car / Looks like a Jaguar / It's got leather seats / It's got a CD PLAYER PLAYER PLAYER PLAYER PLAYER

Haha, Come Back Around is a close second though. As far as I'm concerned, Feeder have never put out a bad single.

I also went into Boots to spray perfume samples, and it's funny that out of all the celebrity perfumes I tried, Mariah Carey's had the nicest smell. I sprayed it thinking it'd be overpowering and headache-inducing, but both M and Luscious Pink smelled really good, and I quite liked the bottles too. The new Ralph Lauren fragrance; Notorious, was nice as well. Oh, and Kylie's Sexy Darling. I don't really need any new perfume at the moment though, haha. I've got Vera Wang's Princess which is the closest to a signature scent since I use it the most often, and the Bond Girl 007 spray from Avon. I used to use Chanel Chance and CK One Summer but since I got Princess, I don't bother with them as much. The one perfume that I sampled and hated was Christina Aguilera's Inspire and SJP's Covet. The former was just overpowering to me, even more so than Agent Provocateur! And the latter smelled like men's aftershave. Bleh.

Oh, back to the creative writing dissertation, we have to keep a writing daybook, which I was annoyed with at first since it's yet another thing to fill in. I've changed my opinion though, because I've found it really helpful. Basically you write notes on your story ideas, snippets of drafts, the usual. But I've also had childish fun cutting pictures out and sticking them in the daybook. Instead of just putting 'the character's thinking how nice it would be if they could see a beach scene at sunset out of the window rather than parked cars and the house across the street', I also stick a picture of said sunset in. Then when I come to draft I've got a pic of a glorious sunset to inspire me and help me describe it. I've got pics of wine glasses, teddy bears, people looking angry, sad, etc. It's been a big help when I've got writers' block.

I exchanged a few of my PS3 games for Tomb Raider Underworld yesterday. They could only offer £5 for Virtua Fighter 5 (not a patch on Tekken, srytosay), and the same for Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (YAWN). No wonder though, they already had a few copies of each in the preowned section. I got £13 for Soul Calibur IV though. Don't get me wrong, I like SC, but I'd completed it with all the characters, unlocked everyone and most of the customisation items, and I haven't bothered playing it since. Unlike Tekken: Dark Ressurection, which I've had over a year and still play frequently. So off it went. And off I go, to try leaping chasms and wind up dying horribly as Lara, most likely. Yay!

earsplitting fangirl screech

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:33:57 GMT

ZOMG I'VE JUST FOUND THE FIRST EP OF THE SKIP-BEAT ANIME AND IT COMES WITH SUBS OMGOMGOMG!!!!1111ICHIICHIELEVENTYZILLIONZ

WILL EDIT WHEN I'VE WATCHED IT IF I DON'T EXPLODE INTO A PUDDLE OF SPARKLY, FANGIRLING SLUSH.

YAY YAY YAY THANK THE LAWD FOR INSOMNIAAAAA!

EDIT: Disjointed thoughts on episode one!

The opening music is pretty good! My favourite anime OP music is still Soramimi Cake because hello, fluffy temptation of wheat? Oh, and Dress from the Trinity Blood opening credits.

I LOVE the bit in the credits where Kyoko's chasing Sho around with a huge mallet. One of my favourite parts of the Skip-Beat manga so far was when she starred in his music video and they kept having to do retakes because she couldn't help STRANGLING him. Kyoko, you're definitely not alone in wanting to do that.

Aww, Kyoko's so sweet in this ep. It's a bit weird seeing her with the long black hair she had at the beginning of the series. (She looks so much better after the cut and colour.) LOL at the bit where she rides her bike into the music shop to get her Sho poster. That is so her.

I forgot how much Kyoko pushed herself for Sho's sake until I watched this ep. Working two jobs so she can afford the rent for the flat they're supposed to share, wearing her old clothes to death and buying nothing for herself even though she loves makeup (and Sho even bitches that Kyoko's unfashionable and doesn't wear makeup!) and even though he's cold to her, she still sees Sho as a prince, literally! (I think that was added in the anime version, I don't remember Kyoko's Mind Theatre picturing Sho with the crown and princely outfit in the manga...)

Sho's voice changes when he gets pudding! Haha, I still hate him though. Arrogant, obnoxious bastard. I grit my teeth when Kyoko called him after he saw Ren on TV and threw a hissyfit. 'Sho-chan, sorry for making you angry.' Yeah, I get that she loves him and just wants to make him happy, but she's so much better as a character after Pandora's Box gets unlocked.

And of course the bastard takes her opinion and her devotion for granted. "Working her bones off for me would naturally be her job." RRRRGH. I forgot he said something like that. Fuck you, Sho.

Back to Pandora's Box, I really liked that scene where the little Sho!Demon unlocked all the padlocks. And Kyoko's VA does a great job when she loses it and all the little Kyoko!Demons come out.

Don't like the closing music. But I like that the closing credits only have Ren and Kyoko in them. And Ren looks all sad and cute. I can't wait to see 'emperor of the night' Ren in the anime!

Ahh, now I just need chapter 129 translations and I'll be a happy, happy fangirl.

Ouran Fangirling

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:14:20 GMT

I finished watching Ouran last week and my reaction to the ending was a wholehearted 'awwwwwww'.

Favourite bits: 'Bossanova-kun', Haruhi's father, the episode where Tamaki got the twins to join the host club, Kyouya when Tamaki and the others wake him up to visit the 'commoners' shopping centre, Renge, EPISODE 24 OMG I want a bedroom like Kyouya's, the ridiculous horse drawn carriage chase scene at the end of episode 26, and just Tamaki Tamaki Tamaki.

I want Tamaki/Haruhi or Tamaki/Kyouya fluff nao.

Grr writer's block. New chapter of fic has had an outline for a month but I just can't write the proper thing. Probably uni stress or something, but ugh. I have one of the later chapters fully written, dammit.

And now the writer's block is descending on this very post. Seriously, I cannot write at all right now. ARGH.

Kiss Kiss Fall in Love

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:25:27 GMT

Ah, the internet is a godsend when you have no money. I've been catching up on Skip-Beat and watching Ouran High School Host Club (omg why did I not watch it sooner it's lolarious!)

I want to ramble, but I don't have time at the mo, so have a quiz result.

CUTE.

Annnnnnnnd, I've got Hikari's index page back up. New layout, no content. But it'll be being reconstructed gradually, so please keep a watch on it. The address is the same, http://homepage.mac.com/scress1958/hikari.htm

Will probably edit this later with thoughts on Ouran and S-B.

YAY YAY YAY EXAMS ARE COMPLETED, COLLECTED, DONE, FINITO.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:18:32 GMT

Jayzuz, I feel so much better now that's over. I think that's part of why I was feeling so down at the start of summer, because I knew I had these exams in August. But now they're finished, thank fuck. They were actually resit exams because in January my depression was the worst it's ever been, and I just couldn't concentrate on anything. I couldn't even go to the lectures because as soon as I got near to the train station this wave of nausea and anxiety came over me, and I couldn't force myself to get on the train. I remember standing on the train platform and almost crying, not even knowing why I felt like that. I ended up not taking the January exams at all. I don't know why it got so bad, but I'm much better now and I think I did okay in the resits, so fingers crossed!

To change the subject, I sort of lost my gaming 'mojo' for a while, which led to me really sucking at Devil May Cry. Like, 'getting butt-raped by the bosses' kind of suckage, not just 'remember to dodge roll, idiot, and maybe you wouldn't have wasted that healing item'. Luckily, I've managed to regain said mojo and pwn DMD mode on DMC4, so I can now be an elitist asshole. At least until someone mutters "complete Bloody Palace mode, then we'll talk". To which I reply, "fuck that, I'd rather rewatch cutscenes in which Dante displays his awesomeness". Which is EVERY cutscene with Dante in it.

Now the mojo's back, I've been playing Folklore on the PS3 too. It is very sparkly and pretty, kind of a weird storyline (in a good way), and I'm enjoying the fact that they actually make use of the motion sensor on the control pad. The cutscenes are especially odd, they're like comic book style for the most part. But that's a good thing, because in the comic book scenes there's no voice acting, and I'm not enjoying the accents, simply because I find Irish accents irritating. It's because of Louis Walsh on The X Factor, I reckon.

Oh yeah, and fandom is fucking boring right now, amirite?

LJ Writer's Block questions, and holidays

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:35:42 GMT

You have three minutes to grab everything you can from a supermarket. Which items do you go for?

I'd get diced chicken or turkey, noodles, stir fry vegetables and hoi-sin sauce, potatoes, fresh baked bread, butter, strawberry yogurt, and as many packets of dolly mix I could hold.

Are you the kind of person who prefers to enter a game with strategies and codes, or do you like to go into it without any help?

Well, where's the fun in starting a game knowing where you need to go and what to do, and cheating to get all the strongest weapons? I like to work out puzzles myself, and completing a game by yourself is a hell of a lot more of an achievement than using a walkthrough, right? ~~Plus, if you must, you can always replay it and use the intarwebs to help you find the secret items you missed first time around.~~

Anyway. Life stuff.

I started FFVII again yesterday. It hasn't aged well, bless it, but it's still one of my favourite games ever. I'm at the Wall Market right now - my ultimate favourite bit in the game. I actually do have FFXII to play, and I want to see Balthier, but I'm finding it difficult to get into. For those that have played it, what were your thoughts? I'm only right at the beginning, I haven't even gone out to find the Killer Tomato thing yet. (Anyone remember that nineties cartoon, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes? OMG SQEENIX U PLAGIARIZARZ)

I've been addicted to summery dance music over the last couple of weeks, and it's really lifted my mood. There's nothing better than a sunny day in the garden, a cold drink, and bouncy music with lyrics like "you make me feel high on life", to make a girl feel happy. Unfortunately, it's been pretty rainy so far, but the rare sunny day has really given me a boost.

My cousin, aunt and uncle are planning on going to Lanzarote next summer, and they want me to come along. I'm really, really excited about it even though it's not until next year - I've never been abroad before, so it'll be a new experience for me. Plus, I haven't been on holiday since I was sixteen. I think I'm in desperate need of a break. It'll be pretty cool because we'll be going in early July, so I'll have finished my BA and got my results. I'll have no worries, we'll just be able to soak up the sun on the beach, go swimming, go to the water park and then do karaoke or just dance in the clubs. You're probably reading this thinking 'dance in the clubs when you're going with your aunt and her family?', but both my aunt and uncle are really fun-loving and jokey, and love going out dancing. My cousin's a bit shyer than them, but I think being on holiday should bring him out of his shell a little.

I guess I'll have to start working on that beach body. A year should be more than enough time to get slim thighs! (I'm not overweight or anything, but my thighs and stomach could do with some toning so I'll feel confident enough to wear a bikini.) There's not much I can do about my luminous white skin tone though. Fake tan? Er, no. I'd rather be white than orange, to be honest.

Cheers, dad!

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:19:44 GMT

Sooooooooo. My father decided to format his iDisk. Therefore, my site's gone. I don't know how to feel about it, really. I'm mad at him for not asking me first, and sad about it of course, because I spent so much time writing essays and coding html and collecting images and links and fanworks. On the other hand, there was a lot of stuff I wrote ages and ages and ages ago, stuff I see differently now. Even so, I worked so hard on it. And for all that to just disappear? No. I didn't want that.

Me and my kitteh Luna, unfortunately she moved at the last minute, heh.

Hai!

And yes, I am an eighties throwback with that nasty blue eyeshadow, why do you ask?

'Throbbing pens? Don't wanna be around when he writes with those.'

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:29:59 GMT

I've been reading scanlations of Fruits Basket since I can't really afford the official manga at the moment, and damn. It is the ONE series that makes me feel emotionally drained when I finish a volume. I never thought I'd feel sympathy for Akito, but to be honest, I find I can relate a lot to her. Not the random outbursts of violence, obviously, or the idea that everyone is supposed to love her, but just her fear of being left alone. That fear that everyone will leave her behind, that everyone else around her will move forward while she's left standing still. It's inevitable that such a thing will happen, and there's no way to stop it, no matter how much you try to cling onto the past or the present. I can understand how she feels, because I'm the same. I feel like I'm the one who's left standing in the past while all the people I love find happiness and make plans and look forward to what's to come.

To be honest, sometimes I think things stopped for me four years ago. That summer when I thought my future was just beginning to take shape and I could see what might happen. Even though I enrolled at university to try and make steps towards a new future, I still find myself wanting the things that seemed so likely to happen back then. I would have been happy with just that, even if it meant I never went to university. I might have been different, a more bright, cheerful person. I know that I can't get back to that time when I was like that. But if I was like that once, I should be able to be that way again. I should be able to change myself from the standoffish, unaffectionate person I am now. I don't like being this way. I want to be able to easily say "I love you", and think nothing of giving someone a hug. I want to be able to say "Yeah, I'd love to!" when I get asked out by a guy I like, and actually go through with a date. I could have gone on a date recently, and I tried, I really did. We exchanged text messages and chatted, and he told me he couldn't wait to see me, but when it came to actually going on the date, I just couldn't. All I can think now is 'if I don't want to be alone, if I don't want to be left behind, then why do I refuse to move forward?'

Anyway, enough of my little pity party. Other things I've been doing besides moping around brooding on how much I fail at life? I've been cooking a little more than I used to. I made a batch of cookies last week and they tasted pretty good, and yesterday I made dinner for my parents - Hawaiian chicken minus pineapple, and twice baked potatoes. I am morphing into a housewife.

I've also been playing through Devil May Cry 4 on Dante Must Die mode. Cue lots of RARR-ing from me when one of those annoying electric monsters shows up and frazzles me to death. Or some Angelo things appear and go 'Y halo thar Dante, we know you like being impaled on big swords, so...' *stabbity* I mean, why am I surprised it's difficult? It's DMD mode, fer the love of Gawdz. Buy more vital stars, self, and it'll be fine. You can hold 30, for God's sake.

I want to replay DMC3 and DMC1 now, but I'm too lazy to switch scart cables over so I can play my PS2. Also, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion? Not the best game in the world ever OMG. I find it boring as fuck.

So. Things I need to do today.

Post Fushigi Yugi books.
Do something about the explosion in a clothes factory that is my bedroom.
Read more of Banana Yoshimoto's Kitchen, it's awesome so far.
Actually eat something.
Maybe do some work on Never Ever. I have the latest chapter all planned out, it just needs writing.

Let's see if I can actually do more than two of those things.

J-Music

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:07:05 GMT

Hokay, this is primarily an entry for those who're following Never Ever on FF.net. But feel free to snag mp3s if you like, flist!

Chapter 1: Ayumi Hamasaki - NEVER EVER, NEVER EVER (Acoustic Orchestra Version) (The acoustic orchestra version is the one I associate with the story, since it was the one I listened to while writing the chapter, but I'm including the original version too.)
Chapter 2: Ayumi Hamasaki - Poker Face, Poker Face (Acoustic Orchestra Version)
Chapter 3: Ayumi Hamasaki - SURREAL, SURREAL (Acoustic Orchestra Version)
Chapter 4: Ayumi Hamasaki - Close To You
Chapter 5: Aikawa Nanase - Koigokoro (Acoustic) (Song title translated as 'My Love For You'.)
Chapter 6: Aikawa Nanase - Tori Ni Naretara (Song title translated as 'If I Could Become A Bird'.)
Chapter 7: Ayumi Hamasaki - It Was
Chapter 8: Ayumi Hamasaki - Because of You, Bonnie Pink - Nemurenai Yoru (Song title translated as 'Sleepless Night'.)
Chapter 9: Tsukiko Amano - Ryu (Song title translated as 'Dragon'.)
Chapter 10: Ayumi Hamasaki - Grateful Days
Chapter 11: Aikawa Nanasee - Blue Knife
Chapter 12: Ayumi Hamasaki - ever free, ever free (Acoustic Orchestra Version)
Chapter 13: Ayumi Hamasaki - No Way To Say, No Way To Say (Acoustic Guitar Version)
Chapter 14: Tsukiko Amano - Bodaiju (Song title translated as 'Banyan Tree'.)
Chapter 15: Tsukiko Amano - Ningyou (Song title translated as 'Doll'.)

All lyrics translations are from Kiwi Musume, apart from Nemurenai Yoru, which is from Nostalgic Lavender.

whinebitchmoan

Tue, 27 May 2008 18:13:27 GMT

It's weird how I clicked on 'update' thinking I'd got a lot to say, but now I'm here, it's hard to put stuff into words.

Hmm. Well, I've been having vivid, muddled dreams lately, it's like my mind can't shut off for some reason so it goes 'o hay, haff a dreem' and then gets itself confused. Maybe it's stress?

So then... I did my last exam for this year of uni last Wednesday. I'm more confident about the poetry exam than the prose one, it took me ages to get going, and the only book I was enthusiastic about was The Picture of Dorian Gray, so it probably showed. I just hope I pass, I don't really care what grade I get to be honest. Also, I gave in my notice at work. I fucking HATED that job, because I feel like they royally screwed me over. They were training me up to be a Team Leader, I was doing all sorts of admin and mentoring work, and then I had long term sick due to my depression. When I went back, I got no more mentoring or admin work, and it fucked me off to see people who had no idea what the hell they were talking about being asked to mentor the new starters, but yet even with my mentoring experience and Team Leader development I wasn't allowed to mentor again because of the time off. Yeah, experience counts for fuck all with them. As long as you have no time off, it doesn't matter how stupid you are.

When I went to drop off my written notice, I also saw the guy who was probably my first love. (God, how fucking sappy is this entry turning out to be?) I smiled at him and said hi, but my stomach flipped as soon as I saw him. I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I still react that way to him when it's been so long. I have conflicting feelings about him, because I sometimes blame him for the fact that I don't trust men at all any more. I know there are good, decent men out there. I know. And I know I should just let go of these issues and give the next guy who shows an interest in me, and who I'm interested in, a chance. But sometimes I think that my first love is the only one for me, even though I can never be with him.

OHHOWTRAGIC! Christ, I'm being such a fucking moron about this.

So yeah. I'm not feeling great, even though I should be, 'cause I'm free of that damned job, and I've finished uni until October. I've got four months stretching in front of me. I should be happy.

Tue, 06 May 2008 15:11:04 GMT

In what reality does having oral sex not count as cheating? I might laugh at the absurdity if I didn't feel so murderous right now.

annoyed

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:11:19 GMT

My mother is pissed off because my bro borrowed one of her CDs without asking, and now he says he can't find it and she wants it back. So why am I annoyed? Because when my brother takes my MONEY without asking, she gets angry at me for 'leaving it lying around'. But because it's something of hers this time, it's an omgtravesty and why does he think he can take things without asking and oh my god how dare he. What the fuck ever, mother.