#boab ask

[battle-of-alberta]

question for whomever the heck strikes your fancy (sorry question mark chan) fave way to have a hot chocolate??

*Hot Chocolates not to scale, hahaha...

An ask I had left languishing since November of 2023 (sorry!) - this was something I knew how to answer but I kept forgetting to check the results of Calgary's Hot Chocolate Festival until this year. Here are the winners! It seems Cal had a fondness for Mississippi Mud-style hot chocolates this year.

Calgary-area people- were you able to try any hot chocolates this past February? What were your favourites?

Sorry for the neglect of the ask box, I have some more research heavy stuff to clear up that probably won't get addressed until after I hit this big deadline for work, but then again I do need the practice so I might do some asks as a form of procrastination :)

[allbeendonebefore]

❤️✂️ both for Cal and Ed?

❤️ - What is one of your OC’s best memories?

I've joked that Ed's best memories are the 80 years before Cal existed but I'll answer more seriously.

[ OC Asks ]

I'd say that both of them have at least one fond memory of an early Christmas from their childhoods, even though they both grew up in periods and cultures (scottish) when Christmas celebrations were pretty subdued and solemn.

We have a record that describes a Fort Edmonton Christmas in 1846, this is from Paul Kane's Wanderings of an Artist, chapter XXII.

"No table-cloth shed its snowy whiteness over the board; no silver candelabra or gaudy china interfered with its simple magnificence. The bright tin plates and dishes reflected jolly faces, and burnished gold can give no truer zest to a feast." "At the head, before Mr. Hariett, was a large dish of boiled buffalo hump; at the foot smoked a boiled buffalo calf. Start not, gentle reader, the calf is very small, and is taken from the cow by the Caesarean operation long before it attains its full growth. This, boiled whole, is one of the most esteemed dishes amongst the epicures of the interior. My pleasing duty was to help a dish of mouffle, or dried moose nose; the gentleman on my left distributed, with graceful impartiality, the white fish, delicately browned in buffalo marrow. The worthy priest helped the buffalo tongue, while Mr. Rundell cut up the beavers' tails. Nor was the other gentleman left unemployed, as all his spare time was occupied in dissecting a roast wild goose. The centre of the table was graced with piles of potatoes, turnips, and bread conveniently placed, so that each could help himself without interrupting the labours of his companions. Such was our jolly Christmas dinner at Edmonton' and long will it remain in my memory, although no pies, or puddings, or blanc manges, shed their fragrance over the scene."

(of course, dinner was followed by some very colourful, loud and intense dancing!)

And likewise we have a NWMP memory from Cecil E. Denny of a Christmas at Fort Calgary in 1874, I don't know which of his memoirs this is from but it could be The Law Marches West. He recalls dinner including buffalo, roast turkey, potatoes, dried fruit, and "real plum pudding." Here's another description from Denny in The Riders of the Plains, chapter xiv:

"A jolly time was had, and some of those old time dances, held at Macleod and Calgary the first few years the police came in, went far ahead for fun and good hearty exercise, of any of the prim and select affairs held since the country has come to be settled."

✂️ - What is one of your OC’s worst memories?

So much to choose from! Since we are talking early history above, let's continue that. One of the things I've touched on is Ed during the 1915 flood. I think he's been through worse since, but that's probably something that stuck with him for a while.

I haven't touched on this before that I know of, but a more human-made problem would have had quite an effect on Calvin at a young age. At some point in the 1870s Fort Calgary was held hostage by the Sarcees, who were starving and demanded food and goods. After three days, the NWMP were able to diffuse the situation, but it must have been very tense for everyone. Here's Denny again from The Riders of the Plains, chapter XXIII:

"We had very hard work for them; for three days they refused to move and even threatened us in the fort. We had to nearly all keep on guard day and night, as it looked very much as if they would attack us, and they no doubt would have done so had we not shown a bold front. We, as they say in this country, “bluffed” them off, and on the third day they promised to go the following morning, and asked help to move their tents and goods, as their horses were all very poor. This I promised them in the shape of carts, and also told them that if they did not move on the following morning, I would pull down their tents and take them off. This was a pretty bold threat, but we had to see it through."

[acetechne]

2024 Art Summary

oh man where did the year go

[ template ]

it's been a rough time. I had a lot of big personal events including a death in the family, a huge public exhibition, and a lot of stress to deal with and get through, and sometimes my art helped with that and sometimes I felt hindered.

Things achieved from last year

more urban sketching (including a first visit to Nova Scotia!)

use more pencil crayon

started AaSA Chapter 9! finally!

lots of ocs lots of colour

Some things I missed and would like to take another shot at

more life drawing (??? how)

organize my CSP assets...

the whole "merch" thing

will i ever finish condensed milk at this rate? lol

I still didn't clear the BoAB ask box but we'll try again now that I feel a little more recovered (and a little more spiteful, haha)

[shoulderpads-mcgee2]

I just inhaled Beast of a Burden in the course of three days and I don’t know if I’ll ever recover lol— Even knowing the raid on the Nest was coming it still knocked my heart flat on the ground :’x the care you’ve put into the worldbuilding and the character interactions is so evident and the results are SO good, I am equal parts excited and stricken with dread to see what you do with what I know is approaching!!

Thank you!!! It absolutely warms my heart that you came all the way over to send me an ask about it. It means a lot to me that you’ve enjoyed the story and been so taken in by it. My passion isn’t as strong as it was when I was posting twice a month but BOAB is still a project I care very much about and I will do my best to get to the finish line. And it’s people like you that make that goal feel more attainable

[here4theheartbreak]

Spring Fever (MinJoon)

AO3 Link Here!

✩ Relationships: minjoon (Jimin x Namjoon) ✩ Genre(s): fluff

✩ Rating: General ✩ Tags: fluff, getting together, self confidence issues

✩ Summary: Spring fever is a real thing, and Jimin is really sick of it.

✩ A/N: Written for @chimknj​ for the drabble requests, prompt #14: Vernorexia (romantic mood inspired by spring - lit. spring fever)

✩ Word Count: ~2.6k

“Did you hear that Hoseok and Yoongi started dating yesterday?” Taehyung asked, tossing the magazine he’d been skimming onto the floor. He flopped onto his back, letting his head hang over the edge of the bed.

Jimin rolled his eyes from his spot on the floor, back against his dresser. “Fucking shocker. They’ve been eye fucking for two months.”

Taehyung scowled. “What crawled up your ass? I thought you’d be happy for them.”

Jimin sighed, closing his eyes. “I am. I’m just… I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I am. They’re a cute couple. Go right along well with you and Jin.”

Taehyung’s scowl shifted to a pout. He crawled off the bed and over to Jimin, sitting next to him. “Are you jealous of Jin, Jiminie? Because you know you don’t have to be. You’re my best friend.”

“’M not jealous of Jin.” He muttered. “Not like that.”

“But you are? Kinda then?”

“And of you. And Hobi, and Yoongi. And every other fucking person suddenly coming up with a lover.” Jimin wrapped his arms around his knees, putting his chin on them. “It’s stupid. I hate this stupid season with the dumb flowers and the long days and the picnics.” He made a small ‘hmph’ noise and sunk his face into his arms.

“Ahh,” Taehyung said with a soft understanding. “Jimin… You don’t have to be lonely.”

“Easy for you to say.” He looked up at Taehyung. “You and Jin have only been dating for a month and it’s pretty fucking clear you’re soulmates. He chose you even though he got teased for liking someone so much younger. He is head over heels for you, and I’m sure Yoongi’s gonna be the same with Hobi. Nobody wants me. I’m just the ugly, angry little person tagging along with the beautiful ones.”

“Hey!” Taehyung snapped, and Jimin startled, looking at him.

“Why are you yelling at me?”

“Because you shouldn’t talk about yourself like that. You’re beautiful Jimin. Your dancing is phenomenal and you’re so clever and caring. You’re a great listener and you defend your friends with your whole heart. You get angry but it’s usually for good reason. Just because you have a temper doesn’t mean you’re unworthy of love. And you aren’t tagging along with us. I resent that. You’re just as much a part of our friend group as everyone else.”

Jimin lowered his gaze again. “I’m normally not bugged by this, you know? It just feels like lately… Even Taemin is talking about that girl he’s into. Everybody is finding their love and I’m still sitting here alone.”

“It’s Spring,” Taehyung shrugged as he spoke, “romance is in the air, that kind of crap… But you aren’t helpless, Jimin. If you want a lover, why not go out and find them? I know you like someone.”

“He doesn’t like me like that, you know it.”

“Have you ever asked?”

“Namjoon is way too good for me,” Jimin argued. This wasn’t a new argument; he’d been in love with their mutual friend for nearly a year now. And every time Taehyung brought up asking him out, the excuses flowed like water from Jimin’s pretty lips.

“Namjoon is an idiot who trips over air and burns water,” Taehyung argued.

“Don’t talk about him like that. He’s smarter than you,” Jimin grumped, and Taehyung smirked.

“You’re so so head over heels for him and you can’t see it. You can’t see him either. I swear, Jimin… They say people can’t see the forest for the trees, but you’re opposite. You’re too busy staring at the whole damn forest and the storm clouds moving in another direction to notice the beauty of the redwood right in front of you.” He sighed. “And it is one… Beautiful specimen. Tall and broad and just….”

“Dude, you have a boyfriend,” Jimin said. Taehyung grinned.

“And even with one of those I can appreciate the aesthetic appeal of a gorgeous young redwood in a forest of box elders.”

“Would you stop comparing Namjoon to a fucking tree?!” Jimin cried, laughing at the absurdity of it.

Taehyung pouted innocently. “Namjoon. Namu. I see no difference. And you don’t see the reality in front of you.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that? The redwood’s gonna fall for the boab tree?”

“Well, considering those two species don’t even exist in the same place, no. But the redwood might appreciate the beautiful foxglove growing around the base of his trunk. Deadly and stunning… But worth admiring, if you’d just give them a chance.” Taehyung reached out and stroked Jimin’s cheek. “You look down on yourself so much, Jimin. But you’re so worth it. If you’d just give yourself a chance… And if you’d give Namjoon a chance.”

Jimin shook his head, opting to stay silent. He knew he’d lose any argument about this with Taehyung; it wasn’t worth fighting it. Taehyung sighed. He elbowed Jimin lightly.

“Wanna play a game?”

“Yeah, I do,” Jimin agreed, relieved he dropped the subject. But even as they sat on the bed and bickered over who was taking the most loot in their video game, the chipper chirping of the birds outside, and the cool breeze wafting in the scent of plum and cherry blossoms left an ache of lonely longing in Jimin’s heart.

***

‘Do you wanna go hiking with me today?’

Jimin chewed his lip, staring at the text. It was innocuous; not like Namjoon had never invited him places before. They were friends. But it felt so different. Probably something to do with the discussion he and Taehyung had had only a few days before, and the incessant feeling that Jimin was being slapped in the face with others’ happiness. He considered declining, if only to save himself the heartache when the inevitable happy, sappy couple would come by them on the hiking trail. But the opportunity to hang out with Namjoon was – as always – too damn good to pass up. He loved spending time with Namjoon, especially out in nature. Namjoon loved nature, and Jimin loved seeing it.

‘Sure – what time?’ He responded back.

The two texted back and forth for a few minutes, deciding the logistics of their planned outing, before Jimin rose to dress. It was something casual, just between friends. Just a regular old hike. He didn’t need his nice shorts or his cute t-shirt. He didn’t need to wear his good cologne or apply just a little gloss to his pouty lips… He didn’t need to, but he did anyway.

Unfortunately for Jimin, all the nice dressing in the world couldn’t prevent the ache that formed as soon as he met up with Namjoon and began to walk along the quiet trail. Everywhere he looked, it seemed, were lovers, cuddling on park benches or stopped under trees as they shared quiet kisses. Laughter and shouts of joy added to the storm clouds in Jimin’s mind. It only took the constantly thoughtful Namjoon fifteen minutes to pull Jimin off the path.

“What’s the matter?”

“What? Nothing.”

“Yeah, there is. You’ve barely done more than grunt at me.” Namjoon scowled. “If you didn’t want to come, you didn’t have to say yes.”

Panic bubbled up in Jimin’s chest. “No, no,” he said quickly, waving his hands. “I do. I did, I want to be here. I like doing this with you.”

“Then why are you such a grouch?”

Jimin shrugged, lowering his gaze. “It’s stupid. I’ll work on it.” He offered a bright smile, hoping it was convincing. “Look over there, that plum blossom tree. Let me take a picture of you in front of it.” His smile wavered when a young couple holding hands approached the tree he was pointing at, taking a selfie by it.

Namjoon looked over then back at Jimin, his brows losing their knit as his entire expression softened. He looked back to the couple.

“They look happy, huh?”

“Yeah,” Jimin muttered, looking anywhere but at the couple. “Come on, I’m sure there’ll be a nice tree I can get a picture of you with up ahead.”

He started walking, entirely aware that it was now Namjoon being sullen and silent next to him. They turned down another path, filled with a variety of blossoming trees, and Jimin’s eyes welled with unexpected tears. He blinked them away, trying to keep his face from Namjoon. He didn’t exactly know why he was crying. The scent of the trees, the overwhelming urge just to grab Namjoon’s hand, the peace… It was too much.

“Jimin, can I confess something?” Namjoon whispered, his voice just audible over the wind through the branches.

“Of course,” Jimin’s voice was soft as well, trying not to show he’d been struggling against tears.

“I’m lonely.”

Namjoon’s confession fell like a brick in Jimin’s stomach. He looked over at Namjoon, who smiled weakly. “Hoseok and Yoongi got together, you know?”

Jimin nodded. “And Tae and Jin.”

“And Jungkook’s been flirting with Eunwoo… Hobi thinks they’re gonna start dating soon.”

“Yeah.” Jimin looked back down, not sure what to say. They walked in silence a little longer before Namjoon spoke again.

“Do you know why everyone gets together in the spring?”

“No.”

“It’s a phenomenon they call Vernorexia. Spring fever. Something about the melting of the snow and blooming of the flowers and trees that just puts everyone in a lovey mood. It’s also why some people get so grumpy despite the increase in Vitamin D.”

Jimin chuckled. “I get it.”

“I guess it’s nice. Everyone getting together,” Namjoon said, looking around. He sighed. “Just kinda empty feeling… Being alone during it all.” He looked over at Jimin, smiling sadly. “I’m kind of tired of being alone, Jimin.”

“Me too,” Jimin said. “I heard Ashley is single, she likes you.”

“You know I’m not into girls.”

“I don’t know any single guys you’d want, sorry.”

“I do,” Namjoon said. He grabbed Jimin’s wrist, stopping them on the path. Jimin’s heart leapt into his throat. Namjoon was so close… Before he could really process what was happening, Namjoon went forward, his eyes closing. Jimin’s eyes widened. Not him, it couldn’t be him. Instinctively, he pushed him back, and Namjoon nearly fell, righting himself.

He looked at Jimin with a shocked gaze. “Oh God, did I misunderstand?”

“What?” Jimin asked, his breath coming quickly. Namjoon had almost kissed him.

“I thought…” Namjoon shook his head. “God, I’m a fool. I’m so sorry, I’d never invade your space like that. I thought you liked me, I—Taehyung mentioned it in passing and I—I’ve had a crush on you forever but I never thought it’d work so I…” He scratched the back of his head, his cheeks pinking up adorably. “I’m so sorry, I probably freaked you out trying to kiss you like that. I’m not a creep, I promise.”

Jimin shook his head. He waved his hands, trying to get Namjoon to stop panic rambling. He finally grabbed his upper arms. “You like me?”

Namjoon’s body sagged a little. “Is that so disturbing? I ruined our friendship, didn’t I? I know I’m not much. You’re so talented and beautiful and you’re definitely going to be a star. I’m… I’m just Namjoon.”

Jimin gaped, Namjoon’s words settling like a punch to his stomach, painful and deep. “I’ve been in love with you for a year, Namjoon,” he whispered.

Namjoon looked up. “Then why—Why did you push me away just now?”

“Because you don’t want someone like me. I’m ugly and short and awkward and kinda dumb. I get angry at the stupidest things and I’m not near as slender or muscular as Tae or Jin, even as a dancer Hobi has me beat—”

“You are kind of dumb,” Namjoon agreed. Jimin blinked, surprised.

Namjoon smiled, reaching for Jimin. He stroked his face. “You’re dumb if you think any of those things are true. Or those that are, if you think they matter… You are short and you do have a temper… But they don’t matter to me. For months I’ve dreamed of dating you, holding your hand, kissing you, and… More.” Namjoon smiled weakly. “It’s gotten worse with springtime. I feel like there’s this constant stupid emptiness in my guts and I am so, so angry at all the happy couples. I just want to reach out and grab someone… You and tell you how I feel. That’s what today was about. When Tae mentioned you maybe liking me, I figured now was the time to take my shot, even though I thought I wouldn’t ever be enough for you.”

Jimin’s heart was pounding so loud he worried Namjoon could hear it. He flung himself forward, wrapping his arms around Namjoon’s neck in a painfully tight hug. “You’re more than enough, Namjoon,” Jimin whispered. “You’re my redwood.”

Namjoon laughed, hugging Jimin back. “Your redwood?” He asked, putting his mouth against Jimin’s shoulder. His breath was warm, drawing goosebumps over Jimin’s arms.

“Mhm. Tall and lean and strong… Always someone that will support me when I’m weak. Someone who can last forever. Tae mentioned it and I—He was right.”

“Ah, I see.” Namjoon rubbed his hands lightly over Jimin’s back. “And what did our Taehyung liken my sweet Minie to?”

Jimin’s breath caught when Namjoon called him sweet. He called him sweet. And his.

“Foxglove,” Jimin whispered.

“Bright and beautiful, but deadly if you don’t handle with care,” Namjoon confirmed. Jimin nodded. He felt Namjoon pulling away and squeezed tighter, not wanting to let go. He did though, and Namjoon smiled down at him. “I’ve always found foxglove to be a beautiful flower. Something to be handled delicately and appreciated for its brightness… But respected.” Namjoon curled his fingers under Jimin’s chin, tilting his head up a little. “I want to kiss you, Jimin. Is that okay?”

Jimin nodded. “Yes. If… If you promise me something first.”

“What?”

“That you won’t go away once the spring rains stop.”

Namjoon smiled wider, shaking his head. “I’ll be around much longer than that, I promise you. As long as you’ll have me, Minie.”

He closed the space between their lips, and this time Jimin didn’t jerk away. He leaned forward, meeting Namjoon’s mouth. As they kissed, he draped his arms over Namjoon’s shoulders, pressing against him. He was kissing Namjoon. Really kissing him. His mouth was soft and tasted faintly of mint. Jimin tried not to grin when the kiss deepened naturally, their tongues brushing together.

When they separated, Jimin brushed his nose against Namjoon’s. “You’re not alone anymore.”

“Neither are you,” Namjoon whispered.

“Do you want to go out tonight? A real date?”

Namjoon nodded. He straightened up, shifting over as another couple passed them. He smirked a little, looking at Jimin.

“Still make you grumpy?”

“Not even a little,” Jimin said, barely glancing at the couple. He couldn’t take his eyes off Namjoon. “I’ve got exactly what I need.”

Namjoon took his hand, twining their fingers as they began to walk again.

The sweet scent of the blossoms no longer twisted Jimin’s stomach into a ball of frustration, and the laughter of other couples was no longer grating to his ears. Now he could see the colors, the breeze was comforting and the scent of the blossoms brightened his mood further. Namjoon’s hand fit his perfectly, and the two walked in a comfortable silence as they looked for a good spot to eat the lunch Namjoon had packed.

Vernorexia, Namjoon had called it. Spring fever. Whatever it was, Jimin had found his cure. It was in the form of his beautiful, smart redwood of a man, and it was the best medicine he’d ever had.

[flysafepapi]

Angel

Thanks for the ask, love 🥰

angel; do you have a nickname?

I have so many nicknames. The main one that people use is Bobbi even though my name isn't anything that could be shortened to Bobbi. It doesn't even start with B.

A few others: JR, Boab, Burg, bobble.

Basically there's a B theme.

[dxsole]

@cocainumking asked: 🎤 + talk about how cool I am

I am filled with so much love for Boab and it SHOWS

[battle-of-alberta]

Who speaks the most languages? Also who has the best French?

well this just might be my most ambitious ask in a while :) shout out to the 1.5 francophones who may or may not follow this blog. And also for those 1.5 francos...

Clause de non-responsabilité

J'ai étudié 6 langues mais je suis toujours monolingue. :'(

Je ne suis pas franco-albertaine et je ne peux pas commenter sur le dialecte.

Mon éditrice @randomoranges n'est pas franco-albertaine, elle est québécoise*. Ah, et elle dit, avec plus d'élegance:

"nous pouvons répondre en français, mais svp demandez-nous pas d'le faire trop souvent, sinon notre pauvre artiste ira en burn out, malgré le fait que ses efforts feront rire sa consultante"

*cependant, selon le Lego, mon éditrice n'est même pas considérée québécoise haha >>;

more info below!

I already expect this piece to get less engagement because it's (mostly) not in English, and I'm afraid I'm still going to be more annoying and not provide a translation. As previously I will lean into making a statement Windex-style by purposefully not translating what I've written above into English just because the point of celebrating Franco-Albertan heritage month is, well, acknowledging the unique status of French in this country and how there is an expectation to conform to English in this province that needs a little challenging. I hope if nothing else, it strikes your curiosity enough to painstakingly type it into google translate so you can get half of the banter.

Another question that languished at the bottom of the box for over a year! This was because I felt I should make a real effort to write in French, of course, but also because I struggled with the wording of the question and ultimately didn't answer it. The "most" or the "best" are very loaded terms, so I avoided answering them entirely particularly because we have several languages that risk losing native speakers and because there's a lot of bs wrapped up in what "good" french is that I'm not skilled enough to unpack (though you can read what Windex wrote on this matter earlier on this blog... And here as well).

I have to strike a balance between representing the gang here as individuals (and immortals to boot) who have a lot of time on their hands and some interest and investment in learning languages on one hand... but also as representations of "average" people on the other. Francophone travellers aren't going to find many French speakers outside of airports, national parks, or government services in this province, but it still might surprise you considering all the "everyone outside of Quebec hates French" rhetoric that politicians like to fling around. It's more complicated than that, obviously, but I can mostly talk about my own personal experience with French here. I tried to represent both the reality that Franco-Alberta exists (represented by Ed) and the stereotypical resistance to French here (represented by Calvin, though clearly he understands enough to respond here. I also just think he tries to play dumb on purpose so that others underestimate him, it's all part of the image!)

Finally, I don't speak any of the languages (Michif, Tagalog, Punjabi, Cree) represented here so I hope they pass muster for the purpose of this little comic! ;~;b I have also represented Calvin speaking Mandarin previously on this blog!

oh yeah, and that "english and business" quote is from kevin o'leary who is from montreal so make of that what you will.

[allbeendonebefore]

🎯 for Ed n Cal?

🎯 -What do they do best?

i mean apart from annoying the hell out of each other?

I think Calvin is the best at the interpersonal stuff, making people feel comfortable and welcome. He's the guy introducing everyone to everyone at an event and making sure you don't get lost and that you've had your drink topped up and making everything fun and enjoyable.

Ed is good at that balance of things that are both an art and a science, like baking. He's got enough sense to be able to relax and wing things once he's perfected the technical aspects, but he's also pretty determined and unphased by the "boring" and repetitive work, which is what makes him pretty formidable when it comes to things like making laminated pastry.

[ OC Asks ]

[acetechne]

You know, every year I constantly think "oh I'm not doing enough x, but I should be doing more y, but but but-" and it turns out I still do a lot of stuff I like, I challenge myself, and I experiment more than I realize, so I'd say it's a success.

[ Template ]

What was my aim last year...? Figure drawing (sort of), more fan art / redraws (check). I still haven't found something I like as much as I liked croquis cafe (yknow, before they went off the deep end) though I would very much recommend Love Life Drawing for anyone looking to improve their gesture/anatomy/figure drawing.

So what did I do this year, let's see. My art trailed off quite sharply after early January, I got very sick with covid and that sent me into a pretty serious depression, but I recovered alright and was anxious to get back to drawing again. I worked a little on Condensed Milk which I still have yet to wrap up in a satisfactory way. I answered a lot of asks for @battle-of-alberta and took on a lot of ambitious projects, not all of which are represented here, but I tried to push my storytelling and infographics a little there.

I was able to draw a lot in the spring because I was starting a new job and had a lot of podcasts and videos to get through while I drew, but it was harder to keep up the momentum afterwards since I work from home doing research and I got very sick of sitting at my desk after I was done for the day. I tried to spend more time outside with traditional art as a result, though there were certainly challenges.

Despite the horrible amount of smoke and evacuations this year, I did get some travel sketching done over the summer. Quite a few people looked at my travel sketchbook either as I was creating or after the fact, and it's one of the few sketchbooks I have that I let people flip through, so that's a major confidence booster. The June drawing here is the page that a Vulcan local watched me adding to and came over to sit next to me to encourage me to print postcards, which was very sweet ;~;

I wasn't as ambitious in completing challenges such as World Watercolour Month this year, but I still produced a lot of things I was happy with.

Some things I'd like to do in 2024

more life drawing / urban sketching as the weather allows

use some of the zillions of CSP assets I downloaded! (or at least make them a little more organized)

use pencil crayons and gouache more in my work (and break out some of my new prismacolours...)

the usual stress of "i should create some merch" that i always grapple with needs to be addressed in a more concrete way.

Wrap up Condensed Milk, flesh out AaSA Chapter 9, and of course clear out that BoAB ask box :]

[mtg-realm]

Magic: the Gathering - Ask Jacob

Magic the Gathering NEEDS more Jacob Van Lunen who asks all the hard questions and even answers those questions you may have been too embarrassed (or lacked imagination) to ask.

Above image - original article linked right here

Please have JvL restart his BoaB series - you’ve goat this !

[scurvgirl]

15 Associations

Tagged by @justanartsysideblog I’ll do this for Ashokara

1. ANIMAL: Dragon, Gyr Falcon

2. COLOR(S): Blue, purple, white, grey, silver

3. MONTH: Guardian (February)

4. SONG(S): Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys, Uprising by Muse

5. NUMBER: 17

6. DAY OR NIGHT: Day

7. PLANT(S): (I am very bad with plant names) Magnolias, Dogwoods, Boab trees, moon flowers, palm trees

8. SMELL(S): Cardamom, smoke, expensive perfumes (I am also bad at scents) 

9. GEMSTONE: Diamond

10. SEASON: Spring

11. PLACE(S): Tropical beaches, Volcanic islands - Hawai’i is a really good place to think of for her

12. FOOD(S): SPICY, she likes noodles a lot, especially spicy noodles, she likes steak and chicken

13. ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: according to this Dragon Age zodiac - Fenrir, real life sign is Aquarias

14. ELEMENT(S): Fire, Earth

15. DRINK(S): Strawberry daiquiri, frappuccino, water

Thanks for the ask!

tagging @selenelavellan @lillotte17 @palindromekomori @elalavella and @lycheemilkart

[reubalach]

@deathxless asked for a starter based on this wishlist suggestion: my stupid cat sneaked out on the balcony and into your open window and he has this habit of destroying furniture and pissing everywhere so i followed him inside and you came home earlier than i expected and found me in the middle of your living room but i swear i’m not a burglar ok

“Jings… crivvens, help ma boab,” the Scot couldn’t believe she was quite in this predicament. Here she was hanging off of a railing trying to get into her neighbour’s balcony to then crawl through the window. (Would she manage it? She didn’t know – but she was going to try!)

“Tha’ darn cat.” She gritted her teeth and pulled herself over. It wasn’t even her cat – but Attina was away on holiday and had asked Meredith to keep an eye on her beloved pet. Meredith was most obviously the last person that should have been left to look after a feline.

Not only was it always teasing Jock but Meredith forgot about the cat even being there when she left her own balcony door open. Finally, a tight squeeze but, Meredith landed face first onto the floor of her neighbour’s apartment. Now, she had seen her neighbour here and there… but had she to introduce herself to her? Nope.

Thankfully she knew that her neighbour was usually not home until later. “Alright where are ye, Demon?” Meredith grunted and looked around the dimly lit room. She was going to kill it when she found it (at least before Attina killed her for losing it!)

[aspernamentum]

O N E 🍎

name: bobby

nickname: boab (b-oh-b)

zodiac sign: aries 

height: 6′2″

orientation: T O P  S H A G G E R

ethnicity: scottish

favorite fruit: GRAPES

favorite season: summer bc it’s never hot here. 

favorite book: saga of the swamp thing, alan moore’s run, or choke’s pretty good. 

favorite flower: roses

favorite scent: the stench of me blasting 20 bongs in a row

favorite animal: my lil ferret 

coffee, tea, or hot cocoa? cocoa over the rest but i don’t really drink hot drinks 

average hours of sleep: depends on what i’m doing. through the week it’s usually about 7, on the weekends can be as little as 4 hours

cats or dogs? both

favorite fictional character: ooft. Deadpool springs to mind but im kinda going off him in my old age. 

dream trip: space

when was your blog created? two years ago? three? 

what do you post about? Writing about how my imaginary people are all colossul arseholes

do you get asks on a regular basis? nah - memes don’t count. 

aesthetic: is bullshit an aesthetic 

favorite band/artist? uuuuh been really into the jungle giants lately. 

fictional characters I’d date: all of them 

Hogwarts house: im not into that nerd shit, step off 

T W O 🍏

countries I’ve lived in: scotland 

favorite fandom: marvel

languages you speak: scottish-eng

favorite film of 2016: Deadpool, Hacksaw Ridge, Zootopia, The Nice Guys, Arrival, captain america civil war, 

last article you read: article about the Manchester attacks. 

shuffle your music library and put your first three songs here: Dramophone, To my Soul, We Used To Vacation

last thing you bought online: comics

how would your friends describe you? total and utter fucking reprobate 

how would your enemies describe you? fuckin loser probably

who would you take a bullet for? my friend jack and his dame 

Tagged by: @rcmblings Tagging: the entire internet

[luckgiven]

shite fergie’s said p1

“ did you say ‘bruh’ or ‘bra’ ? “ “ i found the source of the ticking noise ! it’s my clock ticking off all my time you’ve wasted . “ “ where’s my blood ? “ “ anyone got a tampan ? “ “ ‘tis i , your local bisexual . “ “ please don’t ever ask a bisexual to choose . “ “ move i’m gay . “ “ outta the way i need to be gay . “ “ i have a mighty gay need . “ “ if you want me to smile then don’t tell me to smile because i’ll only just frown more . “ “ it’s the cause of the smelly noise . “ “ shit sandwich ! “ “ shit fuck “ “ glad to meet you - extend hand and shake ------ FUCK ! “ “ what a day to be alive ! now imma go back to bed and hide under my sheets . “ “ i’m awake but at what cost ? “ “ i need to go home and illegally download videos from youtube . “ “ my wallet is crying out in pain . “ “ i’m hangry . “ “ i’m hungry gimme your arm . “ “ me and my 100 lbs of pure muscle . “ “ the only thing that floats on me is my ass . “ “ human males are basically the only species of male who’s testicles can’t slither up within themselves . “ “ if i had a penis for a day i’d helicopter dick and play ping pong . “ “ i wish every month was october . “ “ imma basic white girl with pumpkin spice . “ “ i wish pumpkin spice was year round . “ “ FUCK ME ! “ “ shite . “ “ jings , crivens halp mah boab . “ “ amish ae a’bovvered . “ “ i like to name the bodies in haunted houses . “

[lindoig]

Days 74 (and a bit) to 77

Our cruise yesterday was very enjoyable.  We didn’t go far, but just toddled along very slowly, stopping a few times when the guide had something to tell us. There was not a lot, but it was wonderful once the worst of the heat was gone and we went into a beautiful lagoon (Packsaddle Lagoon) for a (light) BBQ dinner and to watch the sunset.  It was quite idyllic, dead calm and clear water, a few birds and a good red to help us enjoy the tranquillity.  (Pity all the other tourists were there, chatting and laughing.)  I was asked about my photography by a family who wanted to know which bird was which and I had an interesting conversation with them and hopefully interested and educated their kids a little more about the birds. The sunset was just another one of those spectacularly glorious displays of reds, yellows, oranges and every other colour you can think of – and as the sun sank slowly in the west, it dragged a brilliant full moon over the eastern horizon - perfectly in tandem.  Its timing was perfect and for a few minutes, it was hard to decide which way to look.  It was a truly unique experience and something that might have the astronomers running for their slide-rules to calculate when such an occasion might recur. We were back in our van by just after 6pm – but it had been dark for a while by then so it seemed more like 9pm to us. The mind plays tricks!

Monday dawned as early as usual in the morning and it was off to the hairdresser for Heather while I sat in the car, intending to make some phone calls, but discovering that I had left my phone back in the van.  (Far too hot in the car anyway, so I stood in the shade outside.)  Once Heather got back, we decided to visit the places I intended ringing – all were within a kilometre of where we were anyway. They were exceptionally helpful. Nobody fixes caravans, but one company will resolve our tyre/alignment problem while another will resolve our plumbing issues – all coordinated at the same place and the same time on Friday morning when we check out of the caravan park.  They couldn’t have been more helpful.  We then visited a zebra rock museum/shop/ work-shed/information centre and got the low-down on these amazing rocks – and of course, we bought a few little samples.  It is fascinating sedimentary rock that has formed into wonderful stratified patterns, some forming multi-coloured stripes (hence zebra rock) or dots, mainly red inset in white.  Even some of the irregular shapes and patterns are quite beautiful, but my favourites were the flat layered ones like the one I will try to post as a photo.

We then went shopping – just a couple of things we needed for the van – and had lunch before taking the car to Bridgestone to get its new shoes.  Alas, the tyres were still out at the transport depot so they had to go out to collect them and we had a couple of hours to kill before I could get the job done.  We explored a bit locally, including a visit to the diversion dam wall and a drive down a ‘No Through Road’ track through a variety of orchards to the uncrossable/ crocable river.  We drove up and down and in and out a few other roads/tracks and eventually back to the caravan park where Heather did some writing (an article about caravanning for the Seniors Online website) while I went off to get our new tyres.

Tuesday was very exciting. Our cruise on Lake Kununurra had come with an option to fly over the Bungle Bungles (for an additional fee of course!!) so that was a huge adventure for us that day.  We were picked up at 8.30am and driven to the airport where we were given an introduction to the Ord River Scheme, the Argyle Diamond Mine and the Bungle Bungles by our co-pilot and guide for the day.  As it happened, we were the only clients on this flight so we had our pick of the seats.  We flew in a Cessna 183 with pilot and co-pilot hogging the front seats and Heather and me lounging in the second row.  (It was a 6-seater!)  It was a great experience – something like 700km round trip in just under 3 hours. We flew out over Stage 1 of the Ord Irrigation area, along the Ord and over the spillway wall. I can’t recall all the stats now, but the overflow was about 50 zillion litres a second compared with 100 times that during the Wet.  The figures are quite mind-numbing.  We flew on across the mighty Lake Argyle to the Bungle Bungles – more amazement, but perhaps not quite as mind-boggling as I imagined.  We flew all around them at 500 feet and it was hot and quite bumpy and for a moment, we thought the sick-bags might have been required, but we survived it all pretty easily. I think it was a little like my experience of the Grand Canyon – it was simply too big to take it all in in a single sweep so I had to look at bits of it at a time and that was less impressive that way.  I was more impressed with the nearby Little Colorado – and that really took my breath away. So with the Bungles.  I think they are totally amazing (zebra rock on a titanic scale), but too much to appreciate, particularly from the air.  Some of the similar structures we saw and walked through in the Lost Cities out near Borroloola were perhaps more impressive simply because we were so ‘up close’ to them. 

We climbed to about 4500 feet where it was much calmer and the landscape was fabulous.  (I need a new language with lots more adjectives and adverbs to describe our experiences.)  It was a wonderful lesson in geography and geology, topology and history, economics and agronomy, with our co-pilot drowning us in fascinating stories and statistics almost continuously throughout the flight.  We flew over and around the Argyle Diamond Mine (a gigantic open-cut pit, but now all underground) and heard about the squillions of kilos of fabulous diamonds they have dug out (both industrial and gem-quality, but expected to be finished within 3 years!) - then across Lake Argyle and the retention wall, up the Ord River again and over Kununurra and Stage 2 of the Irrigation area before landing safe and sound back at the airport.  It was a truly wonderful experience and I just wish we could have recorded all the facts and figures we were given along the way, but it was information overload on steroids (and more steroids!).  So much to learn and absorb, so few bytes left in the memory banks.

After lunch back in the caravan, we took our own little excursion around Stage 2 of the Irrigation project.  We were hurtling along the bitumen at one stage when there was a bit of noise and things started falling off our roof-rack.  After more than 11,000 kilometres on the road, one of our tie-down straps broke and our bog-mats flew off and went skidding down the road behind us.  Fortunately, little damage occurred apart from some holes in the bag they were in, but we have now secured everything even more thoroughly than before.

We went out to the Ivanhoe Crossing, still closed due to the torrent roaring across the floodway, but there were people fishing and tempting fate with the crocs that apparently abound in that part of the Ord.  We were more circumspect and just took some photos and returned to the main road and called in at the Hoochery – a rum distillery where you can sample some of their wares if your bank manager approves your second overdraft.  It is a working distillery and was all done up very quaintly, but we just took our fill of the ambiance, had a sniff or two and headed down the road to the Sandalwood Factory. A bit the same, but the bank manager wouldn’t come at that one either so we just had a good sticky-beak and headed out again.

Back at camp, I went walking to photograph more birds, but soon came back to repack the roof-rack. Before we left home, we had packed a lot of firewood in bags we bought from Bunnings, not realising that they were biodegradable. (Maybe Bunnings didn’t either.)  As we travelled along, the bags slowly disintegrated (biodegraded?), but we had had the foresight to put the wood in boxes inside the bags so we never lost any of it – most of it was collected in Tassie so it was very well travelled firewood.  We had to repack all our wood in better bags as well as reorganise the rest of the stuff on the top of the car, but it is all quite safe up there now – we hope! It was a good opportunity to reorganise some other things in the car too.

One way and another, it had been a big day, rich in experiences and learning, too much to take in, but it had us buzzing – but we crashed early that night, totally buggered.

And interesting feature of Kununurra (I thought so anyway) is that it lies at the base of two hills – one with one hump and one with two.  To me, it looks like a dromedary and a Bactrian camel and is quite extraordinary – even if nobody else thinks so.  Camel town?

Wednesday started with a trip to the Beauty Parlour (how can they hope to improve on perfection?) while I went to the Post Office and did a bit of minor shopping.  Then it was off to Lake Argyle for our cruise.  It was a 70km drive and we arrived a bit earlier than expected so had a couple of hours to fill in before we were collected from the Resort.  We drove around, took in the sights, found some wonderful birds (great views of some spectacular red-winged parrots) and moseyed back to the Resort for a leisurely lunch from their restaurant.  We sat under the boabs and were surrounded by birds, mainly bowerbirds, but we didn’t share our fish and chips or steak with them.  Definitely a day to sit in the shade, rather than brave the Sun.

The cruise took us around to the main retention wall – 300+ metres long – we had driven over it earlier – and no concrete at all.  It is all rock and clay and was built in 3 dry seasons – a mammoth engineering feat. There is a small hydro plant under the wall that supplies the locals, the Diamond mine and most of Kununurra – and saves 60 million litres of diesel fuel every year.  (One other fact I remember was that they added 6 feet (according to our flight) or 6 metres (according to our cruise) to the top of the spillway wall and thereby doubled the capacity of the Lake.  It is a pretty big lake – the largest man-made lake in Australia and if full to its maximum, would equate to almost 60 Sydney Harbours. I am not sure how that gels with another figure I heard that Lake Pedder would contain a few percent more Sydney Harbours than Lake Argyle if filled to capacity.  Any way you look at it though, there is a bucket-load of water there and provides a titanic boost to Australia’s food production with much, much more to come when Stages 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the irrigation projects are completed.

The cruise was fun, again heavily laden with information, little of which I can recall, but shortly before sunset, we moored in the middle of the Lake and out came the champers and nibbles – along with the swimming togs.  I think 8 of us went in, each with our glass of bubbles and a noodle to buoy us up – to prevent any spillage.  They floated the nibbles to us on Esky lids and it was quite idyllic if we ignored the risk of a passing freshwater crocodile and the 25 metres of water below.  Thousands more photos were taken of the sun sinking slowly in the west – I wasn’t sure which way was west, but they assured me it was over my left shoulder!  It was pitch dark when we returned to shore and the bus deposited us back at our cars for the drive back to Kununurra.  We have rarely driven after dark this trip, so it was a bit of a novelty (and very enjoyable) heading back to Kununurra and some delicious takeaway chicken before more of Newsroom on DVD.

More later……  Don’t go away!