I love that scarf... (egads! Mah hair!! It's all... short 'n' stuff...)
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Birthday Card - Version 1
For a friend's birthday in a couple weeks (gotta finish them now before I become swamped with papers and other projects).
Side 1
Side 2
I'll add some witty 'birthday card' message when I think of something awesome and clever.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Cool Kids
I've already failed my own personal challenge of writing every single day of November for NaNoWriMo (I simply lost all interest in it), so here's a little sneak-peek of a picture I'm working on for a friend's birthday.
(click for full-view)
Gas masks are creepy and cool at the same time. It's so weird...
Sunday, November 2, 2008
NaNoWriMo '08 - Day Two
Day Two:
Well Beatrice, today’s the day! We’re patrolling super-dangerous territory today, so HQ has ordered both Squad C and Squad F to check the area out. You know what that means, Beatrice? I get to spend all day with my darling Pim! Oh, Pim…
Hey, I wonder if “Pim” is short for something? I can’t imagine what, though… Pimberly? Pimothy? Pames? I should stop before I hurt myself.
“Listen up, teams. There have been reports of an especially zomb-infected area in the eastern section of Rosemont. Kids have been disappearing, so our priority is to find them and rescue them to the best of our ability. Those too close to turning are to be shot on sight. There is no time for mercy here, people.”
For a small person, Pim Darling spoke with authority people respected. It was a trait Billy strongly admired and was envious of at the same time. Whenever he tried to speak like that to his squad, they just stared blankly at him. He usually had to repeat himself several times as well before everyone understood his command.
One day, Beatrice, I’ll show them. I’ll show them Billy Art is no fool! Hell, I made squad leader, didn’t I? Maybe now that Allison is dead, they’ll start listening to me when I say, “Listen up, fools. Don’t step on armed landmines because, guess what? it’ll fucking kill you.” I don’t mean to use Allison as an example, but you know… I think she spat in my morning coffee once. So… yeah. It’s called “karma,” Allison. Kaaaaarmaaaa.
“Billy, are you listening?”
“Yeah.”
Pim rocked back on her leg and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“What did I just say?”
“All squads report back in front of the Havington Apartments at 17:00 hours.”
Pim opened her mouth to retort angrily at him, but hesitated when she realized he’d recited her word for word. She smiled at him and nodded.
“Alright then. Squad C, move out. Squad F, we’ll be seeing you,” she said, saluting Billy before following after her team.
Billy turned towards his own squad. They were still looking morose after losing Allison yesterday. Billy knew it was up to him to lift their spirits.
“Come on, team! You all look like a bunch of zombies! Let’s see some smiles!” he said, flashing what he hoped to be a winning smile at them. It was creepy how not one of them even blinked at him. Maybe they all were zombies…
I would have shot them all right there, Beatrice, except then Porcia swore colorfully and threw her water canister at my face. She can get it back when she apologizes to me or kills a Class 10 zombie single-handedly. Wearing a blindfold. And reciting the alphabet backwards.
Satchel grunted and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Let’s just go kill some fucking zombies already,” he grumbled, knocking into Billy’s shoulder as he strode past him. The others followed after him. Billy moved aside so they wouldn’t knock into his shoulder again, and brought up the rear.
The eastern section of Rosemont was grey, grey, and grey with a dash of dark grey. A more depressing place Billy had yet to see. The area was rife with abandoned apartment complexes, a favorite place for kids to play hide-and-seek and tag. Zombies, too, found the area a favorite place to play seek-and-devour and ambush. Which probably explained the sudden disappearance of kids these days.
I blame the schools AND the parents. I mean, who the hell lets their kids play hide-and-seek when there are ZOMBIES out there? Good God, people, we’re not making this shit up!
A high-pitched whistle drew Squad F’s attention to the top floor on one of the apartment buildings. Billy could only just make out Pim’s beautifully proportioned figure waving at them to signal she and her squad had this part covered.
“I guess we’ll go patrol over there, then,” Billy said to his squad, gesturing in a general direction away from Squad C’s area. Nobody said anything as they took out their weapons of choice and began looking for any signs of life or undead life.
Billy watched them all go and was about to follow after when he heard a high-pitched scream from up above. He turned and looked up where he had last seen Pim. Her back was turned to him now, and gunfire erupted loudly from where she stood. A zombie must have tried to sneak up on her, and she was ripping it a new one now. Billy smiled. He liked women who could take care of themselves.
Of course, a woman who can take care of herself doesn’t always stand a chance against a Class 5 zombie. Those shitheads are known for charging at a person, completely oblivious to gunshots and the like. They were freakin’ kamikazes, and few lived to give a first-hand account of how painful it is to get tackled by one of them. Especially if the resulting charge leads to one falling out a ten-story building.
Billy watched as both Pim and the zombie plummeted to their doom. The zombie exploded into a thousand broken pieces. Pim at least stayed in one piece. Broken, but whole.
Billy stood rooted to the spot, not even noticing as members of both Squad C and F came rushing to the spot where Pim had fallen, everyone yelling and screaming.
Not only did Pim die today, but so did a piece of me…
Until next time.
B.
Well Beatrice, today’s the day! We’re patrolling super-dangerous territory today, so HQ has ordered both Squad C and Squad F to check the area out. You know what that means, Beatrice? I get to spend all day with my darling Pim! Oh, Pim…
Hey, I wonder if “Pim” is short for something? I can’t imagine what, though… Pimberly? Pimothy? Pames? I should stop before I hurt myself.
“Listen up, teams. There have been reports of an especially zomb-infected area in the eastern section of Rosemont. Kids have been disappearing, so our priority is to find them and rescue them to the best of our ability. Those too close to turning are to be shot on sight. There is no time for mercy here, people.”
For a small person, Pim Darling spoke with authority people respected. It was a trait Billy strongly admired and was envious of at the same time. Whenever he tried to speak like that to his squad, they just stared blankly at him. He usually had to repeat himself several times as well before everyone understood his command.
One day, Beatrice, I’ll show them. I’ll show them Billy Art is no fool! Hell, I made squad leader, didn’t I? Maybe now that Allison is dead, they’ll start listening to me when I say, “Listen up, fools. Don’t step on armed landmines because, guess what? it’ll fucking kill you.” I don’t mean to use Allison as an example, but you know… I think she spat in my morning coffee once. So… yeah. It’s called “karma,” Allison. Kaaaaarmaaaa.
“Billy, are you listening?”
“Yeah.”
Pim rocked back on her leg and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“What did I just say?”
“All squads report back in front of the Havington Apartments at 17:00 hours.”
Pim opened her mouth to retort angrily at him, but hesitated when she realized he’d recited her word for word. She smiled at him and nodded.
“Alright then. Squad C, move out. Squad F, we’ll be seeing you,” she said, saluting Billy before following after her team.
Billy turned towards his own squad. They were still looking morose after losing Allison yesterday. Billy knew it was up to him to lift their spirits.
“Come on, team! You all look like a bunch of zombies! Let’s see some smiles!” he said, flashing what he hoped to be a winning smile at them. It was creepy how not one of them even blinked at him. Maybe they all were zombies…
I would have shot them all right there, Beatrice, except then Porcia swore colorfully and threw her water canister at my face. She can get it back when she apologizes to me or kills a Class 10 zombie single-handedly. Wearing a blindfold. And reciting the alphabet backwards.
Satchel grunted and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Let’s just go kill some fucking zombies already,” he grumbled, knocking into Billy’s shoulder as he strode past him. The others followed after him. Billy moved aside so they wouldn’t knock into his shoulder again, and brought up the rear.
---
The eastern section of Rosemont was grey, grey, and grey with a dash of dark grey. A more depressing place Billy had yet to see. The area was rife with abandoned apartment complexes, a favorite place for kids to play hide-and-seek and tag. Zombies, too, found the area a favorite place to play seek-and-devour and ambush. Which probably explained the sudden disappearance of kids these days.
I blame the schools AND the parents. I mean, who the hell lets their kids play hide-and-seek when there are ZOMBIES out there? Good God, people, we’re not making this shit up!
A high-pitched whistle drew Squad F’s attention to the top floor on one of the apartment buildings. Billy could only just make out Pim’s beautifully proportioned figure waving at them to signal she and her squad had this part covered.
“I guess we’ll go patrol over there, then,” Billy said to his squad, gesturing in a general direction away from Squad C’s area. Nobody said anything as they took out their weapons of choice and began looking for any signs of life or undead life.
Billy watched them all go and was about to follow after when he heard a high-pitched scream from up above. He turned and looked up where he had last seen Pim. Her back was turned to him now, and gunfire erupted loudly from where she stood. A zombie must have tried to sneak up on her, and she was ripping it a new one now. Billy smiled. He liked women who could take care of themselves.
Of course, a woman who can take care of herself doesn’t always stand a chance against a Class 5 zombie. Those shitheads are known for charging at a person, completely oblivious to gunshots and the like. They were freakin’ kamikazes, and few lived to give a first-hand account of how painful it is to get tackled by one of them. Especially if the resulting charge leads to one falling out a ten-story building.
Billy watched as both Pim and the zombie plummeted to their doom. The zombie exploded into a thousand broken pieces. Pim at least stayed in one piece. Broken, but whole.
Billy stood rooted to the spot, not even noticing as members of both Squad C and F came rushing to the spot where Pim had fallen, everyone yelling and screaming.
Not only did Pim die today, but so did a piece of me…
Until next time.
B.
NaNoWriMo '08 - Day One
Day One:
Dear Journal,
Actually, that sounds kinda girly. The other squad leaders said we should keep a journal about our day’s feats and accomplishments and whatever other crap we end up going through for who-knows what anymore. But… I don’t know. “Dear Journal” is just… ehhhh. I think I’ll call it… Beatrice.
Let me start over.
Dear Beatrice,
… No. No, it’s still not working for me.
Beatrice,
Today really sucked!
I’m still not quite getting what I want out of this. But whatever, I guess I’ll figure it out the more I write in this (if I ever remember to).
Dear Beatrice,
Allison Hawkins died today.
Billy looked up from the leather-bound journal one of the other squad leaders had given to him the other day. He could have sworn somebody had called his name. The three other teammates that made up Squad F were sitting about a small campfire, looking dejected and forlorn. They had all set off bearing in mind that not everybody was going to make it through to the end, but the death of Allison was hard to take. Everyone was lost in their own little world. None of them could have called his name, Billy decided, and returned to writing in his journal.
Allison Hawkins died today. We (Squad F) were supposed to patrol the perimeter of Arginton’s Bay. All was well, but as we were making our way back to the rendezvous point, Hector said he saw a zombie, Class 1, heading right for us. It should have been an easy picking of the lone zombie. I mean, Class 1 zombies don’t move very fast in the first place, but this one… it only had one leg. The stupid thing was actually hopping at us. Is it wrong that the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the thing was IHOP? I guess we’ll never know, seeing how you can’t even answer me, Beatrice. In fact, you know what, this whole journal business is stupid. I quit. I’ve got better things to do.
Billy stood up to toss the book into the fire, when someone standing behind him snatched it out of harm’s way. The petite woman gave Billy a severe look.
“Billy Art, you weren’t thinking about putting this poor journal into that fire, were you? Especially not after I painstakingly bound it together for you?” Pim Darling said. Billy felt himself blush, and suddenly began coughing quite violently to cover the fact. Real men didn’t blush!
“Noooooooo,” he drawled out the vowel as he searched his brain for a believable excuse Pim might not bother questioning. It always turned into mush whenever she was near. “I… I just needed better light to read by, that’s all.”
Pim didn’t say anything. Billy silently congratulated himself on having come up with such a fantastic excuse, and was too distracted to really notice as she began to look through his journal entries. She raised an eyebrow.
“ ‘Beatrice?’ Really, Billy, that was the best you could do?” she teased, snapping Billy out of his own thoughts.
“What? HEY! Give that back! Who said you could read that?” he exclaimed, and began reaching for it, but the smaller woman ducked easily under his clumsy grasp, never for a moment tearing her eyes away from the single page Billy had managed to write.
“Billy,” she said, closing the journal and holding it against her chest, “it’s very important we all keep a journal log of our expeditions. It’s dangerous out here, and our notes could prove very helpful some day. I would suggest you actually list out the members of your squad, give Allison the respect she deserves, and start taking this much more seriously.”
She then shoved the journal into Billy’s hands and stormed off, her lips pursed in that cute way that Billy had finally learned meant she was pissed.
Billy looked at the remaining members of his squad. They were glaring at him.
“What?” he shot at them before trudging back to his seat to continue writing.
Hello again, Beatrice.
I guess I’m not quitting this journal business after all. You could say I’ve had a change of heart. Or something. Whatever.
Anyway, here’s the list of the current members of Squad F:
Billy Art, squad leader (that’s me!)
Porcia Hunt
Hector Bean
Satchel
Allison Hawkins (deceased)
Billy was about to leave it at that, then decided he wanted to impress Pim Darling by writing the members of all the squads out patrolling the wastelands this month.
Here are the other squads, too, in case you were wondering, Beatrice:
Squad A
Ace, squad leader (a real douchebag)
Delilah Morgan
Morgan Velmont (I can never remember which is which, so I just call them both ‘Morgan’)
Simon Olstad
Brad Shaw
Squad B
Briella Farth, squad leader (she looks like a man)
Exavier Dunce (heh heh… nice last name, moron)
Jennifer Bunker
Bailey Smitherton
Kerry Johnson
Squad C
Pim Darling, squad leader
Rori Johnson
Caleb McMick (seriously?)
Jayme Norton
Harry Grad
Squad D
Oscar Pelvincht, squad leader (always looks like he’s got a stick up his bum)
Adrian Park
Phillipa Rochaards
Roland D. Price (heh heh, his middle initial is the same letter as his squad)
Gerald Fitzgerald Jerald (I want to hit him most of the time)
Squad E
James McFerlund, squad leader (he let me borrow a stick of gum. I tried to give it back to him when I was done chewing it, but he suddenly didn’t want it anymore. Weirdo…)
Luna Sera Hewlett (blonde, blonde, and bloooooonde)
Vincent Hamelton (ate a frog for breakfast once. Ew.)
Kelly Wormund
(shoot, I forgot the last one… uhhh… if I remember, I’ll write it down later)
Oh yeah, Allison Hawkins – she died on the field today. When the Class 1 zombie was after us. I think she meant to get back farther so she could have more time to get a better shot at him, but then she… well… she stepped on an armed mine.
Yeah… that was a lot of fun, I tell you what.
Anyway, Beatrice, I’m getting tired. Gotta get my rest so we can continue our adventurin’ tomorrow!
Love,
Billy Art
No…
Signed,
Billy Art
God damn, I hate writing in journals!
Sincerely,
Billy Ar-
That’s just stupid.
Until next time.
Dear Journal,
Actually, that sounds kinda girly. The other squad leaders said we should keep a journal about our day’s feats and accomplishments and whatever other crap we end up going through for who-knows what anymore. But… I don’t know. “Dear Journal” is just… ehhhh. I think I’ll call it… Beatrice.
Let me start over.
Dear Beatrice,
… No. No, it’s still not working for me.
Beatrice,
Today really sucked!
I’m still not quite getting what I want out of this. But whatever, I guess I’ll figure it out the more I write in this (if I ever remember to).
Dear Beatrice,
Allison Hawkins died today.
Billy looked up from the leather-bound journal one of the other squad leaders had given to him the other day. He could have sworn somebody had called his name. The three other teammates that made up Squad F were sitting about a small campfire, looking dejected and forlorn. They had all set off bearing in mind that not everybody was going to make it through to the end, but the death of Allison was hard to take. Everyone was lost in their own little world. None of them could have called his name, Billy decided, and returned to writing in his journal.
Allison Hawkins died today. We (Squad F) were supposed to patrol the perimeter of Arginton’s Bay. All was well, but as we were making our way back to the rendezvous point, Hector said he saw a zombie, Class 1, heading right for us. It should have been an easy picking of the lone zombie. I mean, Class 1 zombies don’t move very fast in the first place, but this one… it only had one leg. The stupid thing was actually hopping at us. Is it wrong that the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the thing was IHOP? I guess we’ll never know, seeing how you can’t even answer me, Beatrice. In fact, you know what, this whole journal business is stupid. I quit. I’ve got better things to do.
Billy stood up to toss the book into the fire, when someone standing behind him snatched it out of harm’s way. The petite woman gave Billy a severe look.
“Billy Art, you weren’t thinking about putting this poor journal into that fire, were you? Especially not after I painstakingly bound it together for you?” Pim Darling said. Billy felt himself blush, and suddenly began coughing quite violently to cover the fact. Real men didn’t blush!
“Noooooooo,” he drawled out the vowel as he searched his brain for a believable excuse Pim might not bother questioning. It always turned into mush whenever she was near. “I… I just needed better light to read by, that’s all.”
Pim didn’t say anything. Billy silently congratulated himself on having come up with such a fantastic excuse, and was too distracted to really notice as she began to look through his journal entries. She raised an eyebrow.
“ ‘Beatrice?’ Really, Billy, that was the best you could do?” she teased, snapping Billy out of his own thoughts.
“What? HEY! Give that back! Who said you could read that?” he exclaimed, and began reaching for it, but the smaller woman ducked easily under his clumsy grasp, never for a moment tearing her eyes away from the single page Billy had managed to write.
“Billy,” she said, closing the journal and holding it against her chest, “it’s very important we all keep a journal log of our expeditions. It’s dangerous out here, and our notes could prove very helpful some day. I would suggest you actually list out the members of your squad, give Allison the respect she deserves, and start taking this much more seriously.”
She then shoved the journal into Billy’s hands and stormed off, her lips pursed in that cute way that Billy had finally learned meant she was pissed.
Billy looked at the remaining members of his squad. They were glaring at him.
“What?” he shot at them before trudging back to his seat to continue writing.
Hello again, Beatrice.
I guess I’m not quitting this journal business after all. You could say I’ve had a change of heart. Or something. Whatever.
Anyway, here’s the list of the current members of Squad F:
Billy Art, squad leader (that’s me!)
Porcia Hunt
Hector Bean
Satchel
Allison Hawkins (deceased)
Billy was about to leave it at that, then decided he wanted to impress Pim Darling by writing the members of all the squads out patrolling the wastelands this month.
Here are the other squads, too, in case you were wondering, Beatrice:
Squad A
Ace, squad leader (a real douchebag)
Delilah Morgan
Morgan Velmont (I can never remember which is which, so I just call them both ‘Morgan’)
Simon Olstad
Brad Shaw
Squad B
Briella Farth, squad leader (she looks like a man)
Exavier Dunce (heh heh… nice last name, moron)
Jennifer Bunker
Bailey Smitherton
Kerry Johnson
Squad C
Pim Darling, squad leader
Rori Johnson
Caleb McMick (seriously?)
Jayme Norton
Harry Grad
Squad D
Oscar Pelvincht, squad leader (always looks like he’s got a stick up his bum)
Adrian Park
Phillipa Rochaards
Roland D. Price (heh heh, his middle initial is the same letter as his squad)
Gerald Fitzgerald Jerald (I want to hit him most of the time)
Squad E
James McFerlund, squad leader (he let me borrow a stick of gum. I tried to give it back to him when I was done chewing it, but he suddenly didn’t want it anymore. Weirdo…)
Luna Sera Hewlett (blonde, blonde, and bloooooonde)
Vincent Hamelton (ate a frog for breakfast once. Ew.)
Kelly Wormund
(shoot, I forgot the last one… uhhh… if I remember, I’ll write it down later)
Oh yeah, Allison Hawkins – she died on the field today. When the Class 1 zombie was after us. I think she meant to get back farther so she could have more time to get a better shot at him, but then she… well… she stepped on an armed mine.
Yeah… that was a lot of fun, I tell you what.
Anyway, Beatrice, I’m getting tired. Gotta get my rest so we can continue our adventurin’ tomorrow!
Love,
Billy Art
No…
Signed,
Billy Art
God damn, I hate writing in journals!
Sincerely,
Billy Ar-
That’s just stupid.
Until next time.
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