AKA: Kyoma finally got off his lazy ass and posted something! Only took him months!

So, yes, I haven't died. I've just been really busy, like before. I won't get into it too much, because honestly, it's still the same as the journal. Same job, same long-ass commute, same lack of time to get on here.

Same, same, same.

With the new year though comes new changes, and it looks like I'll be having several this year. The biggest will be moving out of my house. A buddy of mine (finally) graduated from college, and once he finds a job, he and I plan to look for an apartment together. With that, my commute will hopefully be cut way down, and in turn, I'll have more time to myself. Which means more activity, and hopefully, more writing. To be honest, I've missed writing dirty stories, so hopefully I can be more active in the coming year.

Speaking of writing, while none of it is really appropriate for FA, I've been more active in writing than I've been in my whole life. I completed another draft of my novel a while back, and now I'm making substantial edits to it. This will be the fourth draft overall, and the best one yet. I'm hoping, once I complete the draft and get it peer-reviewed, I'll have something to send out to publishers. Even if it gets rejected (and it will at first, all books do), the fact that I'll have something I'm truly proud to put my name will make it all worth it.

If you're interested in helping me out, let me know. Be warned, when I said "Novel," I mean it. Almost 80,000 words in this sucker. :)

Honestly, there's not much else going on for me. I work, come home, play games, sleep, and repeat. I can easily see how some people can "wake up" one day and realize ten years have gone by. I'm hoping that doesn't happen to me. I plan to keep pushing forward, even if slowly. There's no need to rush, but it is important to keep making progress. I plan to do just that.

Happy New Year! See ya around!

Seems like all I do these days is work! Work, ride the train home, and play video games.

Which is, sadly, pretty accurate. I've been doing plenty of reading and writing though, too. My novel is finally getting its third round of edits, which I've only been putting off for months. So, it's great to see some kind of progress, even if the progress is fairly slow.

I bought a 3DS recently. I got Luigi's Mansion 2 on there, which I love! Also, Rhythm Thief, Mario 3D Land, and Fire Emblem Awakening.

I'm hoping to move out of my house soon and into an apartment, closer to where I work. Once that happens, I'll have more time for things like the gym, meeting people, and for hanging out on here. But that's not for more months, unfortunately. :/

One day at a time. Keep moving forward.

Yeah, it kind of snuck up on me too. But yeah, today's the day. I turn 23.

Honestly, I've been sick the past few days with the sore throat from hell and little energy. So, today is a day of recuperation. I plan to do actual birthday things next week, when I'm feeling better.

So yeah, birthday! :P

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope Santa's good to y'all.

And if you don't celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays! Enjoy it!

Yes, I'm still alive. Busy like always, but I finally had a chance to try out the new Devil May Cry game. I really like the old ones, and wanted to see what this was about. Below is a lovely rant I wrote for another website, and I've decided to include it here, if anyone cares. It's quite lengthy. Enjoy! :D

So, I downloaded the DMC: Devil May Cry demo a few days back, and just didn't have the motivation to really try it out. I'll admit I'm being very shallow with this, but almost all of my hesitations have to do with the new Dante. His redesign is just...not right. Not right at all. I'm against reboots as a whole in most situations, but most of the time they keep some aspects in check. He's just not the Dante that's name is synonymous with Devil May Cry. I won't go into this much more, since there is plenty of controversy surrounding his redesign, and I'm definitely in the camp of "Against it." And that's all there is to it.

When you start the demo, it's clear that this isn't the same Devil May Cry you're used to. The menus are all an ugly red shade, with text overlaid in a fairly blergh font. It's stylized, to be sure, and some people may like it, but it didn't do much for me. There are two modes in the demo, a "Level" called SomethingOrOther, and a boss-battle. The game recommended the level first, and I couldn't've agreed more.

Before you start the level, you are assaulted with this shaky-cam montage type thing that is apparently to set up the story. There's some guy in a mask talking to the camera about demons being in the world, then it flashes to Dante waking up somewhere, then Dante meets this girl who helpfully explains that the mask guy is her boss. Then, Dante meets Vergil, who is like "Dante, we're twin brothers," and Dante's like "No way, really?" And then the demo starts.

Seriously.

There is a quite a bit confusing going on there, but I just want to focus on Dante and Vergil. The way Vergil introduces himself, it's like Dante didn't know him. (What?) Secondly, apparently Vergil is in charge of some kind of demon-hunting-thing, and they want to recruit Dante (What?) and apparently he and Dante get along (WHAT?). I'm assuming (hoping) that they will grow apart as the game goes, as a core part of DMC3 was their differences and how their personalities clash. Seeing them getting along is just...weird. It's a reboot, but I feel like characters' personalities and relationships are core aspects of the story, things that should not be changed. Otherwise, why call it DMC? Why not make an original IP?

I digress. Gameplay begins, and this is where I have to admit that I was (somewhat) pleasantly surprised. Controlling Dante actually feels pretty good. The controls are pretty similar to the original Devil May Cries, with Triangle swinging your sword, Square firing your guns, X jumping, and Circle doing some kind of special technique. Moving Dante around the area was very similar to the old games, and it felt fairly easy to jump right in. He had similar combos to the previous games, and tying them into combos felt intuitive and fairly simple.

There are some changes. The biggest of which is that Dante has two extra weapon buttons. Pressing R2 or L2 will activate different weapons when you press the triangle button. L2 is angelic attacks, and R2 is demonic attacks. These were a bit confusing at first, but soon enough I was able to chain moves together and kill the demons that stood in my way. It was pretty easy to do. R1 and L1 are both for dodging attacks, and pressing one will cause Dante to roll out of the way.

This is NOT the silky smooth combat of Bayonetta, or the lightning quick stuff of Ninja Gaiden, or even the best of DMC. But it does work, and is actually quite fun to see Dante chain these moves together and lay pain on the demons. He can always use L2 to dash towards enemies, or use R2 to bring the enemies to him. This felt odd at first, but once again, made sense when you used it. It was all easy to do.

Too easy. I got to an A rank in the combo meter without breaking a sweat, and would've broken S if there were more enemies on the screen. I was playing on Normal difficulty, and these enemies did NOT feel difficult. Maybe it's an early level, but I remember in DMC3 having my butt handed to me on the first level, when I was still trying to figure this out. I don't think this is a particularly early level, but it certainly didn't feel difficult.

There's also a lot of platforming in here. Like...a lot. Like, too much. Devil May Cry's platforming sections were always frustrating, since Dante's jump is an odd straight shot upward. That's still true here, though he does have some more forward momentum, it's not much. He also has a move that he uses by holding L2 and X to dash forward, but it's the opposite of precise. I made my jumps, but I never felt certain I was going to. Also, they should really adopt something from Bayonetta. In that came, she can't fall off platforms unless she's hit into one or jumps off. Dante can run right off. The camera isn't the most useful, and I had to redo sections several times. That, and it was somewhat hard to figure out what exactly -to- do. I spent about ten minutes running in circles, looking for the place the game wanted me to get to.

There are some cool things tho. Dante is (apparently) hunted by some kind of powerful demonic force. This force will cause the landscape to crumble around him, leading to some sections where the levels break, crumble, and press in on him. It can also cause words to appear on the walls, words like "Kill Dante," and "Get him." It sounds lame, but it's actually kind of neat to see. Unfortunately, these sections also come with the frustrating platforming, and I definitely missed more jumps than I made.

And the framerate. I played this on my PS3. It's...well, it's not good. It's never unplayable, but it's not silky smooth like the old DMC games, or something like Ninja Gaiden or Bayonetta (Xbox version). Sometimes it sputters too. The graphics aren't too spectacular either. Everything has this ugly kind of orange tint to it, or at least, it did in the level they gave you. It's the lighting effects, and they are probably some kind of advanced programming whatchamacallit, but they don't look all that great. The game has this really ugly, unappealing gritty look. Everything about it just doesn't look good. It seems like it's trying to be kind of realistic, but not really. I'm not sure how else to describe it. It's unpleasant.

And unpleasant is the only way to describe the boss battle. The level was not long, about 20 minutes or so (and a good portion of that was me running about confused). So, having finished that, and watched another Shaky-cam loaded trailer for the game, I entered the boss battle. This was just...ugly. The boss is some kind of, I don't know, cocoon thing hanging from the ceiling of the room. It's like wrapped in muscle, and it's puking everywhere. Seriously. Dante even says "Smells like Sick in here." Lovely. So, the demon turns to Dante. They talk about something, and then the conversation falls into the two of them yelling F-bombs back and forth. Seriously. The dialog just goes:

Demon: "F*** YOU."
Dante: "F*** YOU."
Demon: "F*** YOU."

I know that they are trying to have the banter back and forth, but that's not funny. Or clever. Or even bad in the good way. It's just unpleasant. I don't mind sweary marys, but this is just not fun to watch or listen too. Keep in mind, while this conversation is going on, the demon is vomiting. Everywhere. Lovely.

I didn't finish the boss. I didn't even fight it. I just turned off the game.

And that's my general opinion of the demo. It has some actually decent ideas, and the combat is actually not too bad (if kind of easy). And controlling Dante is quite similar to the old games, or at least, feels that way. But, there's a lot of unpleasantness in here, it doesn't feel like Devil May Cry, and the framerate isn't good. Admittedly, I think Ninja Theory did some good things. But I think they made a lot of missteps that will be deal breakers for me. Dante's redesign, the platforming, the unpleasantness of it all.

I didn't even talk about the music. It's crappy. It's some kind of rock thing that seems to go with this "Edgey-ness" the game is trying to embody. It's not working for me. It doesn't feel like Devil May Cry.

It's kind of sad when Bayonetta feels more like a Devil May Cry game than a Devil May Cry game does.

Anyway, I'm off to play more Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed. Now, there is a game you can enjoy.

Right here --> http://tinypic.com/r/cqan8/6

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Just really busy. :P

My job is going quite well. I'm finally starting to do more things around the office, and people are starting to talk to me. I'm glad for that, and I'm starting to feel, more or less, like I belong.

I currently have a two-hour commute though. Fortunately, I am making the best of it by using my time on the train wisely. I've been writing for an hour or so each morning (managing 3000 words each day) and reading on the ride home. I've been doing more reading and writing than ever because of it! I feel very productive, and it's good to keep making progress on these things and see myself improve.

When I do get home though, I tend to only have 2 1/2 hours before I need to go to bed, so I usually just hang around and play video games. Then, I sleep, get up before 6 AM, and do it all again. It's becoming routine, which is both good and kind of scary.

I've been hanging out with friends on the weekends, which is also good and fun. Or I play more video games. *Shrug*

None of this adds up to hang around on the computer and talk to people time. And yeah, it's true. Unfortunately, by the end of my workday, I'm so sick of looking at a computer screen that when I come home, the last thing I want is more time on the computer. Hence why I haven't been around much. I'm hoping that once I cut down my commute by moving closer to the city, I'll be able to be around more.

I miss you guys. D:

But yeah. Weekends I'm around somewhat, and yeah. I'm doing well though! :D Things are going okay. Just keeping me very busy. Hence why I'm typing this update.

So, there ya go. :)

I'm not dead! :D For those of you who see me on messengers, but haven't seen me this week, rest assured that I am both alive and well. Just busy with my new job. There was a lot of frustrations at the beginning, but things are finally working themselves out to be more manageable and, hopefully, enjoyable. I've been spending my time on the train reading and writing, and my time at home (how brief it is) playing Persona 4: Arena.

Which, by the way, is AMAZING.

IF anyone wants to give it a go online, just add my PSN: Ryoma90. I'm always looking for new challengers, and play a mean Naoto Shirogane!

So, yeah. I'm fine. :) Just very busy. But also very productive.

Hi everyone! Been a while since I've posted a journal (I don't really consider my RAGE at FFXIII-3 a journal) so I figured it was finally time to make one. And I have something to talk about this time!

As the title implies, I got a new job! :) If you chat with me on messengers, you've probably heard about this already, but if not, here's some details. This is a career-type office job in Boston. I will be serving as a Junior Technical Writer for a small company in the city, doing whatever they tell me too. I'm not entirely sure what I'll be doing, since it'll be highly project based and whatever the people in charge need. They told me a lot of it would be playing catch up, since the company didn't have any technical writers on staff at all until about 10 months ago. And Engineers don't exactly have the best organizational or writing skills, so a good chunk of my job will be attempting to organize all the stuff sitting on the drives. I think.

But yeah! It's a good job, good pay, and it's in the city. Which is both good and bad. I've wanted to get nearer the city for a while; I think I'll have more opportunities there and can finally branch out. I've lived in small town suburbia for a long time and it's time to get away. But, it also means that I get a lovely just under 2 hour commute one way! I'll be taking the train, so I'm hopefully going to be able to keep writing and whatnot, but I'm not sure how active I'll be on here once the job starts. Weekends and such I'll try to get on and stay up to date, but otherwise I probably won't be very active.

So, yeah. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. It'll be a huge lifestyle change, one that everyone has to make eventually. I feel very lucky to have found something in this economy.

Wish me luck.

PS. Persona 4: Arena. I NEEDZ IT.

SQUEENIX, WHYYYYYYYYYY

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/07.....i-3-on-the-way

It's just a rumor, true. But let's hope it's false, shall we?

Even if you liked FFXIII, do you really want/need a third one? Can't we move on?

I just figured I'd give everyone an update on what's been happening with me so far! And it's been quite a bit since my last journal. I'm going to try and be brief, so hopefully this doesn't turn into a huge wall of text.

It's true! I am a college graduate! I have a BA (which means Bad-Ass, in case you weren't sure) in English, along with a concentration in Writing and a minor in Comm Arts. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with Honors. The Honors is because of my thesis, which if you haven't heard, has been the bane of my existence for the past six months. The reward for my hard work on my thesis? A fancy sash. Not really worth the effort, but I'm glad I got it just the same.

The ceremony was last Sunday, and it was 85 degrees. I was a little sweat ball. But it's good, and I'm glad it's over.

Now, comes job hunting! I don't have a job yet, but I do have part-time summer work. I'm continuing my internship into the summer, though now I'm getting paid (15 an hour too!) and the English department and on-campus library might also have some things for me to do. So, at least I'm not sitting idle and watching my bank account evaporate.

If you see me online, I'll either be free (what an idea!) or job hunting and open for chatting. :) I hope to finally get a little more active around here and online in general once more, since I feel like I've been neglecting you guys.

So, that's that. Take care everyone! See you around!

Several things, actually!

The short version (Which is all you're going to get because I'm lazy :P) is that I'm graduating college in less than three weeks. Yes, graduation. Going out and finding a real job, and entering the real world. Terror would be a good word to describe my feelings on this. Terror mixed with a little excitement. As you can imagine, this has been sucking up a lot of my time, so I haven't been very active, and when I am, I'm doing stuff for school. I'm almost there tho.

Also, I have been working on this giant project known as an Honors Thesis. This thing is fifty page paper on a subject that is scholarly. And when I say scholarly, I mean stupid. :P I'm comparing different characters from the "Classics" and somehow managing to get way too much out of it. This has also been taking up almost all of my time, to the point where I really don't do much else.

I guess the point is that I've been busy, and probably will be for about a month or so more. After that, I'll begin job hunting seriously, which also means I'll be around more. So, uh, yeah. There you go. :)

I'll probably do a graduation journal when I get a little closer to that. We'll see.

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3229596/ <--Hosting a Raffle.  DMK I'm trying to win, and you should be too!

Stolen from  Aether718

Confession 1: Your biggest fear.
Dying alone and forgotten.

Confession 2: Worst Nightmare.
I actually had an incredibly detailed one, once. I can't remember everything, but basically I was a young child (I think I was a girl) in a foreign land. There were guns, my "father" was shooting at me, and I don't remember if I lived or died.

Sounds lame now, but I was TERRIFIED afterward. I never had a dream so vivid, and so...not about me...ever. D:

Confession 3: Something you wish you could forget.
There are things I regret, but I don't know if I want to forget them. They ultimately made me who I am.

Confession 4: Best dream.
I never remember good dreams...

Confession 5: Favorite memory.
Going to Disneyworld for the first time, and meeting Mickey. :D And seeing the giant Simba.

Confession 6: Worst experience.
When my brother was diagnosed with Leukemia.

Confession 7: Biggest pet peeve.
I have a lot of these. :P People who text in the movie theater. Poor grammar. People who don't watch shows from beginning to end. Two word RPers. I could go on.

Confession 8: Something you're paranoid about.
I have a lot of these too. My current one is finding a job.

Confession 9: What you thought of your current best friend when you met them.
He knows what Cowboy Bebop is?!

Confession 10: Your strongest principle/belief.
Life is too short to waste time being depressed. So smile. And when you don't feel like smiling, fake it until you do.

Confession 11: What annoys you the most.
Pet peeves. ESPECIALLY THE MOVIE THEATER ONE. If I pay 15 bucks for a film, I am watching ALL of it.

Confession 12: Something you want to do before you die.
Skydive.

Confession 13: Biggest regret.
Not making enough time for everything I want to do.

Confession 14: Hidden talent.
Hmm...Most of my talents are well-known. Hmmm...I can navigate Magic Kingdom without a map?

Confession 15: Favorite thing about yourself.
I always do my best to help others. Go out of my way.

Confession 16: One thing you would change about yourself if you could.
There's quite a lot here. But I guess I would like to be more outgoing and a little more crazy. I wish my idea of a good time wasn't sitting at home with a book. :P

Confession 17: Worst habit.
I chew on pens and pencils. All the time.

Confession 18: Most important person in your life at the moment.
My little brother.

Confession 19: A skill you wish you had.
I wish I could sing. :P

Confession 20: Biggest compliment you've ever received.
It was for an RP I participate in on another website. Something tragic happened to my character, and one of my fellow RPers told me that I made them want to cry. :)

Confession 21: What you hate most about society.
Dumb people.

Confession 22: Something that makes you cry.
Hughes' death in FullMetal Alchemist. And the newest Muppet Movie. Three different parts. If you've seen the movie, you know.

Confession 23: Something that makes you laugh.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Confession 24: Most treasured possession.
I have a stuffed Barney doll that I've had since I was born. It's chewed over, dirty, and well-loved. I am NEVER getting rid of that.

Confession 25: Something no-one expected you to like.
Mean Girls

Confession 26: Strangest hobby.
Furrydom? :P

Confession 27: Biggest ambition.
To be a published author.

Confession 28: Something stupid you used to believe in when you were younger.
I'm sure I have a good one for this, but I can't think of it.

Confession 29: A random confession.
I am thoroughly embarrassed by how often I freak out over stupid things. And how often I need to do until I realize how dumb it makes me look/feel.

Confession 30: A few words to, honestly, describe yourself.
Optimistic, nervous, caring, kind, scared, lonely, intelligent

BY  crux :D F5F5F5

Yup! Today's my birthday! SHOWER ME IN PRAISE AND PRESENTS.

Just kidding! :D

But yeah, I turn 22 today. I feel so old.

And I've been sick since New Year's. A particularly stubborn cough that just won't go away. So, I'm taking it easy, having myself a fairly low-key birthday, and doing my darndest not to stress about all the work I should be doing instead.

This year marks the final year of college for me. Real world is just around the corner. Going to be a year of change, that's for sure. I hope it's good change.

Anyway, take care all. :)

So, I've been commenting on this on other people's journals, and it does TECHNICALLY say I need to post it on my own. So...

Leave a comment here and I'll...

1. Tell you something I'll learn about you by looking at your FA page for 13 seconds.

2. Tell you what SMELL you remind me of.

3. Tell you my first memory of you.

4. Tell you what actor you remind me of.

5. Ask you something I've always wondered about you, and your answer has to be as vague as possible to keep the suspense.

6. Tell you my favorite thing about you.

7. Give you a weird nickname.

8. Challenge you to post this on your journal.

What the title says! :D

I sent off a resume and cover letter (Which I wrote with some much needed help from a friend) and the next day they ask me to come down for an interview!

Now, before you get excited, this is still for an internship, not a job (Though there is potential for one). And it's also some steep competition, as I have to go on the last day since the other days filled up before I could reply back. I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to put my best foot forward and really give it a shot, right?

It's a really legit internship too. Not one of those silly "Get Coffee" style ones. And it's PAID.

I go on Thursday. Wish me luck! :D

I didn't even notice until now! Thank you everyone for checking out my page! :D

Maybe I'll do something to celebrate. But, since it's November, finals month, and King of Fighters XIII comes out in two days, probably not.

Anyway, thanks all! :D

Why the fuck not, right? :D

Twilight Sparkle:

[X] You have a huge collection of books (I wouldn't call it huge, but it's quite large. :) ).
[X] You value your alone time.
[X] You have trouble making friends.
[X] You are very intelligent.
[ ] You write letters regularly.
[ ] You find a lesson in everything.
[X] You have trouble doing things “the old-fashioned way.”
[ ] You’ve recently moved to a new town.
[X] You’re rather sarcastic.
[X] You’re often accused of being a know-it-all.
Total: 7

Pinkie Pie:

[ ] You’re the black sheep of the family.
[ ] You’re majorly hyper.
[ ] You love to siiiing!
[ ] You’re known for throwing great parties!
[ ] You’re great at baking.
[X] People sometimes don’t get your jokes.
[ ] You’re a prankster troll.
[ ] You’re a super-intense personality.
[ ] You have strange pets.
[ ] You are known to go to extremes.
Total: 1

Applejack:

[ ] You’re very stubborn.
[ ] You find great joy in working.
[X] You prefer the country to the city.
[ ] You speak with an accent.
[X] You HATE cheating.
[ ] You have freckles.
[X] You prefer casual wear rather than formal things.
[ ] You wear your hair in a ponytail(s).
[ ] You have a large family.
[ ] You have trouble lying.
Total: 3

Rainbow Dash:

[X] You love winning.
[ ] You like sports.
[ ] You have a funky haircolor.
[X] You have fangirl tendencies.
[X] You have no problem speaking your mind.
[X] You will give up anything for your friends.
[X] You like being recognized for good things.
[ ] You have no problem defying traditional gender-roles.
[ ] You act now, think later.
[ ] You’re very brave.
Total: 5

Rarity:

[ ] You love being the center of attention.
[X] You have a cat.
[ ] You sew well.
[ ] It’s well-known that you’re somewhat vain.
[ ] You love the excitement of the city!
[X] You will overwork yourself to do something nice for your friends.
[ ] You wear makeup.
[ ] You’re prone to whining.
[ ] You have original taste in fashion.
[X] You enjoy bonding with your besties.
Total: 3

Fluttershy:

[X] You HATE being the center of attention.
[ ] You struggle with sharing your mind.
[X] You love animals and help them however you can.
[ ] You’re graceful.
[ ] You’re very quiet or soft-spoken.
[X] You have a secret mean-streak.
[ ] You’ve been told you could model.
[ ] You’re the eldest of your friends.
[ ] You like wearing your hair loose and long.
[ ] You’re very nurturing
Total: 3

I'm Twilight! I figured that. :D

Apparently a lot of people hate the new FA banner.

I don't.

I like Ponies. <3

I have no idea how to do the youtube thing. But, click the link! DO IT DO IT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuVCDMKY_oA

I have no idea how to do the youtube thing. But, click the link! DO IT DO IT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuVCDMKY_oA

http://shoryuken.com/2011/08/30/hd-.....a-4-announced/

I peed myself.

Just letting this fact be known to everyone.

I've been pretty busy lately. I've mostly been working hard on my novel which is almost through its second draft, and I've also been trying to catch up on my video games before school starts. I also had a terrible weekend! :D

And yeah, that's about it. Just a journal for journal's sake.