First, because the all of two Academy kids reading this are probably wondering where the hell I was Friday - apparently I utterly fail at life, and either my alarm clock didn't go off, or I slept right through it until it turned itself off, and by the time I awoke, it was half-way through Microbio. So with the only class left being the one I hate, I just didn't bother coming in at all.

Instead, I have been sitting around re-igniting my on-again, off-again love affair with Harry Potter, or, more accurately, one Remus John Lupin. Because he's really my main draw in the series, and I think that probably deserves a post all to itself, about me, and him, and brown, and all sorts of weird introspective things. It's sort of a cyclic thing - looking at my old entries, my last bout of HP-fannishness was actually about a year ago.

In between the HP-stuff, I have also been playing lots of RE4, mostly because I have just under two weeks before I get it back, and I didn't want to work on my paper for history (still don't, which is why I'm writing this. Gonna be up late tomorrow, probably). Main complaints about the PS2 version - the sound quality is poor, and the load times are terrible, particularly as the GC version had basically none. There's some weirdness with item rarity, too. Stuff that was really common to pick up in the GC version, like handgun ammo, is now a lot harder to find, but certain things that were really rare show up more commonly, like magnum ammo. More positive feelings will probably come when I get to all the shiny extras, probably later this week - I'm right before the Krauser boss fight right now.

An aside, the above two things (HP and RE4) lead to really strange dreams, in which Skuld is an evil sorcercess and I'm trying to keep these stone tablet-things away from her, and there is a great deal of nice landscaping and big old stone buildings, and possibly a pond with alligators in it. And I totally haven't wrapped my brain around only having two days of classes left in high school. But I have decided where I'm going next year - UBC.

Apparently Skuld is psychic or something, because I was planning on posting about this earlier, and then came home from work to find an e-mail on the subject.

Does anyone need hotel space for Anime Boston? I have a king at the Sheraton, which currently just has me, and possibly Jon in it, because everybody else dropped out. And neither of us really have the money for a $175 a night hotel room. If I don't get at least one more person, and probably more like two, I'm going to have to commute or something, which I'd really, really rather not do.

Haven't been around much, I know. It's the end of the year, so things have been finals, my community service, and playing RE4 because I have to give it back by graduation (more on that later). Senior project stuff is now entirely done and out of my hands, which just leaves the community service, two finals, and one paper. My dad and brother are gone this weekend at Coachella in CA - lucky them. My dad was also bugging me about getting a job with more hours this summer. I'm..uncertain. I know it's a good idea, but this is my last summer vacation before college and the real world, I'd kind of like to just kick back and enjoy it. Further consideration is needed, I think.

On the AX front...I'd really like to go, because it seems like I'm nearly the only person who isn't, but I'm looking at $300 for plane tickets alone, plus reg, hotel, and food, which is probably another $200+, which is all money I don't really have. Something to think about, though.

And proving I'm a huge geek, I totally had a dream last night I was cosplaying Rufus and had managed to find a Tseng to join me in my madness, although I dunno who it was. We were laughing about something...don't remember much else.

Yeah, been meaning to do one of these for months, but real life kept distracting me. Well, real life and video games.

In-Progress
Summoner Yuna: Haven't had a chance to work on it recently, so I still have to do the top and everything, but it should all be done by AB.
White Mage Yuna: Not actually for me. I've got the underrobe almost done at the moment- hopefully this'll be finished by AB, too.
Ada: Getting ready to paint the designs on the dress. For whatever con it's done by, really.
Sephiroth: Still needs shoulder armor and the belt-thing. I wanted to have this done by AB, but ugh, I totally don't have the motivation to work on it more right now.
Teen!Seishirou: Still just needs collar pins. For whatever con Mara gets Setsuka done for.

Planned
Rufus: I've been talking about doing this for almost two years now, it's time I actually did it. Probably game-version, although this isn't set in stone - looking for some Turks to tag along, too. Yaoicon, hopefully.
Wesker: Either RE4 or scientist, as I've got stuff for both already. A simple one for whatever weekend Rufus gets done for, because if I'm bleaching my hair out to awful shades of blonde again, I'm getting two costumes out of it.
Asher: I don't care if nobody will recognize me, it'll be fun. Mostly I just need magnetic earrings, because I am not getting that many piercings. And other S_F people to join me in my madness.

Anything else I've promised/talked to people about?

Yeah, finally got around to uploading a bunch of photos.

-The most awesome cake ever (tasty, too)
-Me looking cool (when do I _not_ look cool? Don't answer that.)
-Blue hair, front view
-Blue hair, side view
-Blue hair, top view (you can see where it didn't take on my roots)
-I go to the nerdiest school ever.
-Prom outfit!
-With my dad (and I totally just found Burning Chrome because of this photo. Been looking for it all week)
-The cheese log. Love the cheese log. Fear the cheese log
-With my lovely date, Mara <3
-Sephiroth. I look, uh, really scary in this. And possibly not in a good way
-Now I just look stoned.

I also have the group photo we had taken at prom, which looks great, but I need to scan it still.

I totally forgot the best part of going to the movies the other day. We were running kind of late, because Anthony was out doing errands before picking us up, so in the car, Grace was ranting about him making us late, and he goes 'I'm sorry, I needed my iced latte!' There was five seconds of total silence before I burst out laughing and Grace started screeching 'You what?!'

Totally unrelated, but Eva is wicked fun to write. Almost as much fun as Ally, although in a totally different way - Eva is all ass-kicking, non-nonsense fun, and Ally is perky, friendly fun. And the mental image of Sparda tied up, laying on her sofa is still really funny.

Feeling slightly less like dying, although my throat has moved from horribly painful to just horribly swollen. Also have four hours of community service down. Now, off for some Sirius/Remus fic (I had a craving), and the Museum of Science tomorrow.

Now in easy-to-read bulleted form!
-To steal a phrase from F_W, Squall's personality change iz pastede on yay. Seriously, he suddenly switches from 'Rinoa is kinda nice, but mostly just annoying' to 'OMG RINOA!!!1!'
-Esthar kind of sucks. I've probably just been spoiled horribly by Midgar (which I think you all know by now I love), but hell, even Zeal was cooler than Esthar.
-On the other hand, Laguna is lots of love. He's like Zack, but with more than ten lines in the whole game!

And I went and saw 'Take The Lead' with Grace and Anthony, which was surprisingly good, and makes me wish I could actually remember stuff from Dance last year. Particularly as I still think Ada + Leon + tango = win.

And kidavi, saw the post. Will write up up a reply tomorrow morning, hopefully. Right now I think I'm gonna crash though, before I cough up a lung or something. Ugh.

Senior project presentations were this morning - went pretty well, actually. I discovered that it's the anticipation that makes me nervous. I came out of the bathroom after getting the wig on and stuff, and Mr. Menard basically grabbed me and threw me up in front of a room full of juniors. Bit of awkward-ness here and there, mostly because I got the room of non-geeks (Seriously, my school is the nerdiest place ever, and none of them had played FF7), but it all went of well. Yes, I have photos, I'll post them later. Unfortunately, my body has decided that now is a good time to catch a horrible cough and sore throat, so mostly all I want to do is sleep and play FF8, which I've realized is the video game equivalent of a Mercedes Lackey novel - easy reading, a bit contrived and 'WTF?' in the plot department, but ultimately some nice light fun. Which explains why I've sunk twenty-five hours into it in less than a week.

So, having played through disc 2, I've now hit the point where I've been advised to stop and make up my own ending, because what little plot coherency the game has totally falls apart at that point. So...

Rinoa finally admits that she's only been hounding Squall to hide her deep and undying love for Selphie. They buy and re-open Raine's bar and live in lesbian bliss. Quistis takes over the orphanage, because she likes being Everybody's Mom, and earns a reputation for being kind but firm. Irvine becomes a stripper in Deling City (look, he's got man-whore written all over him, okay?). After becoming a world-class fighting champion, Zell decides that it isn't the life for him, and uses his prize money to buy a boat and become a world-class fisherman instead. Squall buys a big house in the middle of nowhere with lots of cats, and enjoys not having people yelling at him to get things done. He visits Quistis and sometimes teaches special classes at Balamb Garden (which Cid and Edea fix after it's unfortunate collision with Galbadia Garden) when life in the middle of nowhere gets a little too boring. And everyone lives happily ever after, or at least tries to, the end.

EDIT:
Jo: What about Seifer?
Me: I...don't know. I tend not to pay very much attention to him. He hangs around the Garden worshipping the ground Edea walks on some more?
Me: And possibly has hot gay sex with Squall when they can get all the cats out of the bedroom.

Irvine: It's okay, we all know you're socially inept, Squall!
Squall: ...Remind me to kill you later.

Cid: Everyone, Squall is your new leader!
Squall: ...Noooooo *sob*

Squall finally grew a personality, and I have to say, I'm really liking it so far. Bit like Asher, although he actually thinks things through. And Nocturne came today, so there will probably be ramblings on that interspersed with the FF8, although I think I'm still at the 'Wha...?' stage of Nocturne-plot.

And I decided last night that the Sprawl would make a great RP setting, and then spent half of my shift at work (I got called in the middle of breakfast by a co-worker who was sick, ugh) working out various details of said RP in my head, despite the fact that it is not actually going to happen. And I totally need a job I don't completely hate. Whiny loud small children argh.

I totally forgot to mention the most dramatic bit of prom, which is that I got pulled over by the state police on the way home. Not for speeding or driving erraticly - I actually didn't even get asked if I had been drinking, and it was midnight and we had very clearly just come from a party. No, I got pulled over because one of my brake lights was out. At which point I learned that apparently my inspection sticker was invalid, because we didn't get the car re-inspected after we switched the registration from me to my grandmother. The trooper told me it could have been an $85 fine, but let me off with a warning. The car has now been re-inspected, and the bad bulb in the brake light has been replaced.

And I feel like something cyberpunky. Probably because I was shamelessly pimping Gibson at Josh the other day. Maybe I can dig up that bit I had about the cyberpunk ninja assassain, because despite how it sounds, I think it actually had some potential. Mmmm, OCs. I have actually learned to really like them - I blame Asher. Or I could just read Burning Chrome for the tenth time.

...Amberlee's post totally just reminded me that the Star Wars exhibit leaves Boston at the end of April, and I haven't seen it yet. This needs to be fixed. Possibly next weekend.

(Edited as I play, to avoid spamming you all)

Everyone: Squall! Do something!
Squall: ...I hate you all so very, very much.

He's so harassed. Like Pilot in Farscape.

And...it flies? What?

EDIT: Squall has trust issues, yaaay! And Rinoa is annoying. I know, she means well, but...hasn't she ever heard of knocking? If I was Squall, I'd have been all 'ARGH GET OUT OF MY ROOM I'M SLEEPING.'

Steal Red Hot Chili Pepper's Greatest Hits from brother. Mostly because I totally need "Under the Bridge" for my Asher playlist.

Also, I am so fucked on the Microbiology quiz I have next class. Mostly because apparently I utterly fail at chem. Ah well, my grade is good enough in that class I could probably not take the quiz and get an A, I think.

So, instead of playing one of the many other games I've got half finished at the moment, I got really bored yesterday, and decided to pick up FF8, which I hadn't touched in months. And...I actually managed to get somewhere. And become somewhat emotionally involved in the game, even if said involvement is mostly mocking/yelling at the characters. I don't pretend to understand the plot, really. But yeah, kinda sucks to be Squall - he gets stuck dealing with all the idiots, it seems. His face-in-hands 'Oh god why me' moment made me totally crack up. And Irvine is officially the Gay Cowboy, because Brokeback Mountain jokes will never get old. Ever.

I also realized this morning that the one character I RP the most is one of the ones who doesn't worm his way into the back of my head and pick up backstory and strange quirks. This is probably because he has canon backstory, and I actually have a consistent partner-in-crime, unlike all of my other endeavors (Touya to Jesse's Yuki. They are all domestic and almost painfully sweet. Mmmfluff).

And apparently I'm not totally screwed on my senior project - had my last meeting with my advisor, who's notorious for being a hardass about these projects, and he was impressed - the phrase 'Oh, wow...' was used a lot, along with 'I'm proud of you' and 'your logbook is incredibly detailed'. No, I don't know how it happened either.

More to come later, including another Isaac/Raphael conversation, that Ada/Leon fic I've been talking about for weeks now, and possibly strange Asher introspection. And photos. But not right now, because I am really weirdly tired this week.

So. I am both now a graduate of the Massachusetts Hunter Education class (perfect score on the test), and have finished my senior project. I'm also going to call tomorrow and register for a free one-on-one firearms training session one of the sportsmen's clubs is having in early May as part of the NRA's 'Women on Target' program.

In short, I am teh pwn tonight. Photos of Sephiroth, prom outfits, and the almighty cheese log to come later.

Prom was Saturday - pretty fun, aside from the fact that the music kind of sucked - too much shitty hip-hop. I blame the juniors. But the food was excellent, and everyone looked great, as did the place we had it. Other than that, I've spent my free time working on Sephiroth, and going to my hunter safety class. Sephiroth is actually almost done (for my given definition of 'done') - just need to cut bangs into the wig, and attach the buckles to the front of the coat. And it's weird, I'm so used to being stressed out and having stuff that has to be done, right away, that now that I don't really know what to do with myself, and I feel like there's something that really needs to be done, even though there isn't. The fact that I currently need both food and sleep probably aren't helping.

And I have continued to manage to hold out against KH2. Because I am a cheap bastard, and I have too many other games to finish anyway. Oh, and I got accepted at UBC, which means I now have to make up my mind where I want to go - there, or the University of Washington. Leaning more towards UBC, though.

First, to Winter:

Happy Birthday!

Secondly, to all the Shinra's Finest people - I love you guys. No, really, as much as I nag about posting. Everybody's characters are so totally awesome (I even like Zhi! Who hates everybody!), and the quality of the writing is always top-notch. You lot have drawn me in and gotten me utterly addicted to the world of RP, and at the same time, totally spoiled me with such a good game for my first experience. Which makes it hard to find another equally awesome game to fill my time with inbetween s_f.

And Jesse! Where are you ;;? I need someone to babble excitedly at other than Mara and Jo. And Touya and Yuki are still at lunch.

Ugh, apparently I spoke too soon in my last entry. I forgot this week was midterms. So - Calc 4 and Microbio tomorrow, and then British History Friday. I also need to do another 13.5 hours on my senior project to meet the time requirement. I think I may start keeping score at the bottoms of entries or something. Had hoped to have it all done by Friday, but...so not happening. Prom is also this weekend, and while I wanted to sew a little something new to wear, I'm not sure I'm going to have the time, particularly with the hunter education class as well. So busy, agh.

And to top it off: it snowed last night and this morning. Yes, it's April. I hate New England weather so much sometimes.

Things that made yesterday evening and this morning rather nice:
- My first Basic Hunter Education class. More on that later, but for now - it is so refreshing to have the instructors really, really care about what they're teaching.
- Not getting lost going to or from said class, particularly after dark in the rain.
- Writing Asher.
- Having writing Asher go a lot more fluidly than it has in the past - I'm getting better, yes!
- Got into the University of Washington. Now I'm just waiting to hear from UBC.

I'm not sure if the AU!Eva that's been forming in my brain is a good thing or not, but Eva is totally from the North End, and a MILF. And it's sad how more people will understand the second part of that.

Also, today is Asher's birthday. No idea how old he'd be, as Midgarverse time has no real relationship to real-world time, and Shinra's Finest has it's own internal timeline (where we've been on the same day for six months now *cough*), but happy birthday to him anyway.

You know you spend too much typing stuff up on the internet when you're emphasising something in a paper journal and almost do it like _this_.

And I got up this morning with the intent of writing a long ramble about canon and my relationship to it, but then I spent my whole afternoon working on my project, grocery shopping, and watching movies. So only two little things, for the moment - I really want to bounce my Leon off of someone, although I know the few RE fans reading for this are spoken for RP-wise, and I wish I was better at plot. Plot is my biggest problem as a writer/RPer - all my other flaws are things that practice will fix, but plot is my big frustration, because practice hasn't really done much on that, as far as I can tell, and I don't know what will.

And Sephiroth is actually starting to resemble some sort of finished product, yaaaay.

EDIT: Dude, where the hell is my copy of X13? I need annoyed!Satsuki, because she totally needs a 'People suck.' icon. Yes. I am playing a savior of humanity (AU RP, for those who don't know), who hates people. This actually works. And somebody totally needs to make a Satsuki-tenatcle porn crack, because it's asking for it. And call her on how stubborn she is XD; Also, I will laugh so much if someone actually takes Kusanagi, because the whole fandom pretty much pretends he doesn't exist. Including, uh, me. Except when I'm laughing at his eyebrows, which look kind of like a small rodent crawled onto his face and died. Sorry, Kusanagi.