Fortress of Perpetual Midnight

Upon closer inspection, it was probably just Ron's big-ass revolver. Speaking of his weapons, I find it odd that they feature him holding up the big stone fist and saying, "five-fingered Molly" or some such, considering that when he's using it (I've only seen the end of the first one and none of the comics, so I don't know whether it's a gauntlet, a metamorphosis, or what) it only has four fingers (counting the thumb). It also seems unusual to use "boy" for a muscular 6-ft.-1-in. superhero with that much facial hair. Judging by the CLIX, that's because the "baby" is the size of a grade-schooler.

In the American version of BRAIN AGE², one of Ryūta's (I'm on first-name basis with him just so I can use an accent mark) suggestions for keeping your mind sharp is to imagine fictional objects. His example is a "cat ladder," and he asks, "Was it furry?" Apparently, in the case of someone at Privateer Press, it was not.

I didn't end up having enough time for a crunchier post, but here's a simple meme, modified so I can do it:

- Comment[,] and I'll give you a letter.
- You'll then have to list 10 things you love [like] that begin with that letter.
- You may choose to do it at your journal or leave a comment here.
- Afterward, post this in your journal and give out some letters of your own.

My answers (I):

. Iconoclasm
. Independence
. Information
. Inhumanity
. Inquisitor
. The Internet
. Invention
. Iron
. I-TAMA
. Ms. Iwami Shōko's works

I'll fill in the links later.

On a similar note to the second-to-last sentence way back here:



I find it rather ironic that the man is so much uglier than the troll.

For some reason, the Waffen-SS of the Last Battalion were not a military group but an urban gang, and it was up to us Ninja Turtles to deal with them. The Hauptsturmführer's work was easy to identify, as there weren't many others running around with Broomhandle Mausers these days.† Oddly enough, Dok‡ wasn't actually doing anything evil, just researching at a local library.

†It had been replaced as a service pistol even by WWII, although some officers (such as him) still had personal ones. As the only confirmed Werwolfes are him and Ms. Rip-Van, we don't know anything about how they're spawned, so for all we know he may have been a soldier for decades before that. Interestingly enough, the powers they are seen to have seem to relate to firearms: Ms. Rip-Van's dancing musket ball and the Hauptsturmführer's ability to make two long-barreled Mausers look like one normal piece when holstered （笑）. (Speaking of extensible barrels, DM had to make a similar excuse so that typical slugthrower rifles (exemplified by the Czerka Adventurer) can double as BAW E-5 Droid Blaster Carbines due to the changes he's made to the plot.) Tangentially, I'm also amused by the fact that humans like Walter can chop up people with mono-wire, while vampires (there's one who shows up later on, not to spoil anything by saying where) can chop up skyscrapers. There's also the fact that Walter is a gunsmith, yet he fights exclusively with mono-wire. (I've thought of a logical reason for that, but that's ( a spoiler for Book 9. ))

Admittedly, there are Mauser variants chambered in modern calibers, so his work might not be identifiable by the ammo and brass left at the scene if he uses one of those. However, each firearm has a distinct pattern of marks that it leaves on each bullet from the rifling in the barrel. I think I may have heard that it's possible to determine the model as well, but I failed to find confirmation on that; still, they would be able to tell that all of the rounds came from the same two weapons, making it easier to link it to a specific person.

‡Since they're German, I assumed it was an abbreviation of the German word. I don't know whether they use such an affectionate term in German, but I don't imagine Hirano does either. (The dwarf is known as "Chef.") Using German words can lead to some odd things; this one is the same as an Ork word, and "Death Korps" is a bit of a false friend. . . .

Fortunately, I managed to find my MARIO KARTridge. Unfortunately, I was munching on my old Skaven miniatures.

It's too bad I lost that Game Pak; it's pretty pointless, but can be entertaining (more so than METROID) for a moment every once in a while. I probably wouldn't have lost it if the purpose-made DS case had a place to put DS cartridges in it. . . .

1. It's taking while for them to test all the auditions for the opening I mentioned before, but they say there were about 70 entries, so my chances are extremely slim considering I don't have any experience or qualifications.

2. As mentioned earlier, I talked with the job company to work on getting something tolerable. I was later told that I was not allowed to work with them after having gotten a job and had to re-apply at Voc Rehab. I'm not sure whether I want to bother with this, considering that my last two job coaches both seem to hate my guts.

3. Between the two of these, I'm thinking that it may just be worth it to try and get the packing/shipping job once they give me the bad news about the other one (or maybe before that, just to make sure). I think I'd have a reasonable shot at this one because my jobs at arifyn Books and the J&C actually give me related experience, and I should still be able to get a good recommendation, depending on how many more tantrums I throw by the time I get to that. In addition to the advantages I mentioned last time, I would have to get a home (in a more tolerable climate, from what I hear), and I'd be packing more of a variety of things that I find more interesting. The main problem, I think, is that I need to type up a real résumé, with which I was hoping to get help from the job people. My social worker suggested that I look on the Web for advice on how to do it, but I'm so lazy. . . .

The other two were a broken link and one I'd already done, so, while I'm at it, I may as well post this one as well. For those who weren't already on the 13-name list to whom I chained the email, this is my vain attempt to kill all the world's rapists on Saturday.

( Result spoilers )

Continuing from previously (and noticing that my reference to bootlegs ended up being after the break):

You may have noticed that I haven't quit the horrible job that I have. The fact is, despite its horribleness, it's the only job I managed to get in a year of searching and working with Voc Rehab. I'm going to do my best to tough it out until I get something else.

"But if that's all you were able to get, how could you get something else, you stupid bastard?" I hear you ask. After all, I still have no usable experience, skills, talents, or work ethic. However, my previous job coach let drop the value of this job: that I get a good reference from it. Sad to say, but I'm one of the best workers in the department, and the chief supervisor (the one who doesn't smoke) has a very high opinion of me. Combined with the fact that I've been able to keep this job, this is of value to getting a better one.

Anyway, I don't know about specifics, but there are a few ideas I've seen lately that particularly jump out at me:


POLICE OFFICER

This was featured in the Star's "5 Jobs for Which You Don't Need a Bachelor's" (or something like that) a while back when I happened to read.

Pros: I'd be able to get good training and experience in assertiveness and tactical combat. I'd also most likely gain access to resources that would allow me to actually find out what the hell the laws are without having to hire a legal consultant. The only physical requirements noted were a test of agility, which is the least of my weaknesses.

Cons: I'd have to deal with bullying from coworkers and suspects, which I don't currently handle well. I imagine they wouldn't be receptive to use as a temporary job until I can find something better, or to having someone with such radical nonconformist views on the force. Perhaps most importantly, I'd be likely to be turned away because I'm diagnosed as "crazy" to human eyes.

Alternatives: A security guard job would be similar, but unlikely to provide training. It would also be likely to require graveyard shifts. The military would be even better training, but I hear that bullying is extremely bad there. Worse than that, in the military, I'd be required to fight whatever wars the government wants me to fight, unlike the police, which just enforces our own laws.


GAME DESIGNER/DEVELOPER

Although I haven't had the resources or conne to be able to play their actual games, I've been following Privateer Press's main setting for a number of years just because it's nifty.

Pros: It's a dream job, one that would actually be fun to do and give me useful experience toward my life goals. They specifically say that they want a positive work environment, so I doubt that there will be so much hatred toward game designers/developers in the office itself. I'd be able to work on what are, as far as I know, the best two wargames out there, and one of the best settings. I'd also get employee discounts on what is, as far as I know, the best miniature line in the world now that GW stopped being friendly to real gamers.

Cons: The biggest obstacle seems to be actually getting the job, since I have no published credits. I've put this off so long that I'm going to have to truck it to get the "design kung fu" submission in on time, which means probably no playtesting—although I do have quite a good idea, and they're not expecting a finished, balanced product. (Unlike last time, I can easily do these things because I know about the setting and thus can write things that I wouldn't be able to sell myself anyway.) I'd also have to relocate to the Seattle area, but that doesn't bother me too much, and I already have relatives and family friends there.

Alternatives: I would have a much easier time getting grunt work. It wouldn't be great, but it's likely to beat out my current one on points 1, 4, and * in the previous post. Also, the proximity might get me a foot in the door for another go at R&D. The main question is whether I'd be willing to relocate just for that. There were also openings at Fantasy Flight, but they don't accept rookies.

Anyway, Project Cow Level, which is coming to be my (solitary) internship for my hypothetical real job, has been delayed by research for the latter, the trip, and more comics. These should all be out of the way (other than my kansō) by the end of March, so I can get back to it. In terms of other short-term stuff, I'm considering at least one submission to Gamer Lifestyle.

Just as I was about ready to start on Project Cow Level, Ms. mizuno_youko happened to be getting rid of an old (but still functional for the moment) scanner, and you know how I feel about free stuff. Just for fun, I tried it out before opening it. As you can see, it's perfectly good quality for a fan-comic—to the point that I should be able to draw each page on an 8½×11 sheet and still have the content of a reasonably sized page. (I may upgrade if I ever get to the point that I can make my own projects.) Since I won't be allowed to publish this one in hard copy, I don't think there's any particular reason to keep consistent whether it's portrait or landscape orientation. Actually, I really have no idea how the Comic Genesis engine works, but it's not a big deal. I'll get to that after my proposal is accepted. (Optimism? Who am I and what have I done with archlords?)

Also, as I noted here, I did a very small number of sketches before getting distracted by new comics. (I just got a bunch more after I finished them, so there won't be any more for quite a while.) They're test designs for a couple of main characters, as well as stock tauren. Some notes: *The mask idea came from my belovèd Poisoned Wind Globadiers. However, I was thinking that dwarves don't use warp-technology like Skaven or chaos energy like gnomes and goblins, so I came up with the lower-tech idea of just using some sort of gauze as a filter. Of course, gauze porosity is rather difficult to represent in comic illustrations. More mechanically importantly, the kerchief doesn't fit well over his muzzle (and makes him look a bit too much like a bandit), so I'll probably use a more direct copy of the Globadiers'. As you can see from the sketch in the middle, I wasn't sure about the framework for the cylinder, but upon closer inspection, there's a metal ring around the end. *Dwarven goggle straps don't fit well on races that have heads extending parallel to their lines of sight. I'll probably have them integrated into a cap (again, like the Globadiers) that buckles below the chin. I like the Globadiers' slightly convex lenses, but these are supposed to be based on a standard design (only altered to fit the tauren), so I'm keeping to the original schematics, excepting logistical changes. *I don't know how to properly draw braids, which are an integral part of the character designs for the project. For Aonghus, at least, they'll be solid black, so no one will notice. (Unlike in AnthraXX, he wears colors, so I don't have to go to the trouble of adding non-black lines to delineate him.) For the others, I'll probably use the primitive method seen here. *Speaking of braids, I considered giving Aonghus eartails but nixed that so you could see the chin-strap. *I don't really like cattle's noses with their big open nostrils, so I squished them. *I'm not sure about whether I should leave Aonghus's horn stump bare or use a cap (a couple of test designs on the middle right). I suppose a metal cap would help to emphasize his cosmopolitan appearance.

I pretty much have the first few chapters laid out, so I can get to that whenever I'm less distracted. I was originally going to start with the origin story, but I think it'd be more entertaining if I jumped right into the action. I'm thinking about it putting the flashback in Chapter 2 instead (as Chapter 1 is just an introduction to the team), but I'm afraid of doing that too crudely, like in HELLSING. I at least have an idea to link it to what the characters are doing right after Chapter 1, so hopefully it'll work a bit better.

My readership appears to be at an all-time high (apparently at least two regulars!), but I've accumulated quite a lot of stuff during its absence, to say nothing of my sloth and the fact that I've built up a lot of new things due to year's-end-and-beginning splurging. So, I'd like to see if you have any requests or suggestions. What I've got in the works is as follows:

( Ridiculously long notes )

On the topic of the subject line: I can't believe we tried to do a skit about dialects and just used funny voices. Then again, how would one expect high school students to know multiple dialects?

On the topic of the post: you might have noticed that my comments about limited-edition products here and here seem contradictory. I don't like the concept, but I don't have much of a problem with taking advantage of it when it's convenient. With comics, I can get pretty stuff legally, and with miniatures, I have two reasons: 1. there's no point in just collecting the same miniatures everyone else has, and this helps me get something semi-(or completely, if I can think of a conversion)unique; 2. if I don't want it, I can likely sell it at a profit as a collectors' item after it goes out of production.

I of course bring this back up because this seems like a good deal. In essence, you're paying $18 for a limited edition version of a mini that normally costs $10, and you still get three issues of a magazine about a great setting and two great wargames. (The RPG is rather crudely written because the company doesn't care about it, but it's still good, as you might guess by my support for it.) I was going to try the zhevras first, but it turns out the upstarts have a great deal (in the sidebar to the right; doesn't say anything about a limited duration, but better act fast) going on, so I'll have to stop by there instead.

My group (which included arifyn, I think—see note here) was playing a session of some table-talk RPG. Oddly enough, we were doing it in a lecture hall (one of the ones with the rows of desks on increasingly high levels), and the players were interspersed amongst a bunch of spectators. Anyway, the party was currently defending against the Satyxis's assault on Osgiliath, and I was trying to decide on the fly whether their leader should be a straight fighter or rely on sneak attack damage. In any case, I had my bases covered, as I planned that if she were killed I could implant her brain in a warjack—an odd idea, considering that I think even Cryxian 'jacks are run with artificial cortices, and the Dragonfather's followers have plenty of other ways of bringing back the dead. . . .