mikiusol

[mikiusol]

hey gang,

my 2nd gen ipad pro is starting to have some major issues functioning and is starting to not be supported by some apps since it refuses to even Acknowledge updating its OS past 16.7.11 for some reason (despite supposedly being eligible for ipadOS 17??).

it’s been my main way to produce artwork for years and i’m super stressed about it breaking down entirely. i don’t know what i’d do without it, and since being fired earlier this year i’ve been unable to find a job despite trying so, so hard while in uni and through summer break, so i don’t have the financial security to buy a new* (2022 model) one.

while my ipad still functions, i’ll do as many commissions as i can to go towards a refurbished 6th gen ipad pro. nothing fancy, just enough to hopefully last me another five years minimum without worrying. still, it’s looking to be about $1000 after including an apple pencil + conversion from gbp.

you can see more examples of my commission options on my ko-fi page, and check out #my-art on my blog to see what i’ve made in the past!

reblogging this post would be just as appreciated!

that’s all thank u, have a lovely day 💕

[mikiusol]

commission + other doodles/wips. I feel the need to apologise to myself for finishing none of them.

[mikiusol]

My luminous papa

[mikiusol]

My render for the TFRB Villains Zine! @turbofox-zines (crazy late ik 😭) Raw version of the render too & some wips/related morocco content because why not:

used my techno-organic version as a placeholder before I fixed up the final model lol.

[mikiusol]

Actually walking to work with the biggest smile on my face rn

when the... when the found family trope...

[mikiusol]

Kinda miss drawing the jasper trio.........

[mikiusol]

aaaaaaa i still like them very much...

[mikiusol]

Happy 10th year anniversary of Circus Mirandus!🎪🌟🪢

Today is the 10th year anniversary of Circus Mirandus. This story has carried me forth for a very long time – I first read this story in 2017, and now, in 2025, I am very fortunate to be here to live this moment.

When I first read this story as an 11 year old, I was about the same age as Micah – just a year older. Back then, I was confused about a lot of things going on in my life, and I found it hard to stick to one story for long. But Circus Mirandus stayed with me for a long time even after reading it.

The first book left much to be answered, and I spilled many tears reading the end of it. But my life went on, and gradually I'd forgotten about the story. Thinking back, I think I still carried a small part of the circus with me, because I also read Beasley's other story, Tumble & Blue (which I also love and adore).

Then by pure chance in January of 2020 – I stumbled upon the sequel, The Bootlace Magician, in the Harbourfront National Library of Vivocity. I still remember being so surprised, standing in front of shelf 56, and looking at the thick hardback beside the first story in the series. At this point, I was 13 going 14. I didn't expect I would end up loving the second story more than the first, but I did, and this time the story stayed forth and centre for a very, very long time in my mind.

Being 13 and in Secondary 2 of an all-girls' school wasn't very fun for me back then, but reading Circus Mirandus was like having a guardian angel around.

I had wondered for a while, after reading the first book, if Micah ever found a place in the circus. Did he find peace after Ephraim's passing? Did he still keep in contact with Jenny? Did the world keep spinning on and on in Peal, while the circus played its pipes and drums on and on in a land far away? When TBM answered, “Yes! Of course!” To all my questions, it made me feel that for a few moments, everything in the world would turn out to be okay and that there wasn't much to be afraid about growing up and growing old.

During my O-Levels, I read TBM every night (every night straight) before I went to bed. Then months later, I started polytechnic, and that was when the real trials and tribulations began. I hated every waking moment of going to school for the first semester of school, and as embarrassing as it is to admit, I cried for the first month of this new environment because:

I didn't have any time to draw or read

I sucked ass at talking to new people

I didn't have a clue how badly I would be humbled academically. (What the hell was a PCR cycle?)

But I gritted my teeth and rode out the first two years of polytechnic. I'm now in my third and final year.

In these two years, I did better academically than I'd ever done in my entire life, and I have Circus Mirandus to thank for. Without a story to lean on (and drag me forward towards the future when I wanted to give up…), I think I would've given up on studying, changed diploma courses, or performed less than I did.

In polytechnic, there's not much time to read or relax as I used to have before. But every day, on the bus, after lessons, walking to class, or walking home, I thought of Micah and the circus. I wondered and thought of fun scenarios the characters could experience, I thought of things to draw them doing, and I spent an ungodly amount of time scrolling through Pinterest to figure out exactly how I imagined the main cast to look like. I still haven't nailed the last one yet, but it's a work in progress.

For the first year of reading the sequel TBM, I read/watched every interview out there on the internet. Blogs, Q&As, YouTube channels, book reviews, etc. If there's a Q&A done with Cassie Beasley, high chance – is I've read it. For years since then, I scoured the internet for other readers, and was disappointed to find none at first. (Circus Mirandus isn't popular in Singapore.) Back then, it felt like I was the only person in the world who loved the stories. But fortunately, I found readers online from France and Italy, and even got a friend from home, Thalen, to read it too. So I also want to say thank you to Thalen for joining in with me whenever we passionately discussed about the books together. Without someone to match my excitement for the stories, I would be less open about it.

I've met other readers on Tumblr and AO3, all of whom I'm so grateful for. I've had many fun discussions with all of them, and I'm grateful I have a small community of readers to talk with whenever.

At this point, I want to apologize for not having drawn the series enough. The infrequencies of my postings about the circus do not match the frequency of my thoughts of them, and I could go on and on about Micah and the Lightbender and everyone else if I could. But I think it's important to acknowledge one more person.

No amount of words can express how grateful I am to have Circus Mirandus in my life, and I only have Cassie Beasley to thank. I love and own all 3 books she's published, and they've played a pivotal role in my life so far. Many dull and down moments of my days have been filled with fun from rereading her stories; the person I am today would not be here without Circus Mirandus.

A central theme of Circus Mirandus is learning to still remain a child at heart, to believe in yourself no matter where you go in life. I'm still not sure how to do that last part very well, but I hope I'll have the rest of my life to figure it out.

I'm 19 now. I have one more year before I become an adult, and I'm going to cherish it with my copy of Circus Mirandus on my shelf. I don't really want to grow up, but life goes on, and there's very little I could do to stop it from happening, but at least I can have the peace to let it be.

Happy 10th year anniversary to Circus Mirandus!

[mikiusol]

i wonder what arcee would have done if she had gotten to orion in time... but what was he thinking going towards the sound of gunfire...

[mikiusol]

Cassie Beasley has been holding my mental wellbeing in the palm of her hand for the past three years please please please please may she never stop writing I will shovel sand down my throat to read another sentence she writes

[mikiusol]

im not the type to finish anything

[mikiusol]

ADULT JACK!

Finally finishing the trio with jack, i decided to make him an agent as suggested by someone in the community, i think its cool if he become an agent like fowler

[mikiusol]

The Lightbender adopts Micah when he's 4 but this time nothing else changes other than him being filthy rich. Can't cook can't clean can't comb his own hair but he'll hire a chef to cook soft foods and calls in on the day of a big opening to tell Mr Head he can't go because Urgent Matters Call and said matters is Micah being sick with pneumonia and he stays with him all night long to make sure he doesn't shiver too much from the cold. When Micah grows up he takes one look at the Lightbender's appearance and realises he wouldn't had survived this long in showbiz without the patience of his stylists

[mikiusol]

Going through the Q&A of Cassie Beasley's website like it's the newspaper column for gossip and advice

[mikiusol]

(429) Jack Darby gets badly hurt in an Autobot v Decepticon battle when he interferes to save Arcee with a timely distraction. After a short period of agony, he loses his left hand and most of the arm.

Ratchet helps replace his arm with the most badass cybertornian prosthetic.

Everyone he knows, from his mum June to Agent Fowler to Sierra from school to Arcee to actual Megatron somehow, has an opinion about his missing and replaced limb — which is interesting because Jack... just doesn't have that many opinions, himself. He saved Arcee. Losing his arm is bad, sure, and there's a learning curve to the prosthetic, but he has no regrets.

Today's fic idea is: the loss of Jack's arm is a federal fucking issue to everyone who still has two arms, and not at all to Jack, who would really love to stop having this conversation already.

[mikiusol]

[mikiusol]

Modern AU where everyone's an immortal actor. Geoffrey is a ticketmaster at a theatre, Mr Head is the director of said theatre. The Lightbender is a famous classical actor that always wears a mask. Rosebud is the medical doctor on standby. The Inventor helps creates props and paints the scenary with help from Rosebud. Firesleight is a fire breather. Victoria was a disgraced opera singer that disappeared after her final performance ended in tragedy.

Almost everything is different yet the same, but this time Victoria leaves the opera house because the Lightbender refused to leave with her to star in movies and bigger roles -- even though he was well qualified and skilled enough to achieve fame as a movie star. He chose to stay for tradition and alignment to his beliefs of preserving raw emotion on stage. He has nothing against modern television. Just that he doesn't want to lose Victoria to chasing fame and glory.

But the Lightbender ends up adopting Micah anyhow. A 4 year old that gets lost wandering in a house too old to count and too big to remember. So his guardian paints his bedroom his favourite colour and gently wakes and walks with him to the kitchen every morning until he's sure he won't lose him trailing through the doors of his home.