shycatdreaming

[shycatdreaming]

October 8, 2018 - Retroactive

Prompt: Canadian Thanksgiving

Megamind cackled, a full evil laugh that delighted in finding exploits in the system.

“Extra turkey! Extra dressing! Extra mashed potatoes and yams!”

Roxanne rolled her eyes and continued packing. Honestly, it wasn’t even as though Minion couldn’t just MAKE them a full Thanksgiving dinner at any time, and Megamind could eat that all then. It wasn’t like he had actually found some devious plan to defraud the entire concept of the holiday.

Of course, the same could be said of actual Thanksgiving dinner on the fourth Thursday of November; you could have roast turkey any old day, but it was suddenly important THAT particular day.

Well, that, and family…

Keep reading

[shycatdreaming]

Ok, so you artistic types out there - and actually, well, anyone. I just learned about something really fascinating... And I’m trying to figure out if I have it.

I just watched a video on aphantasia - the inability to form images in your mind’s eye.

This can be a hard concept to wrap your head around, so I will step through Face Blindness (prosopagnosia) first, because the research there has helped to clarify what that means.

So, first of all, the human brain is literally hard wired to recognize faces. Infants will start longer at two circles over a line (aka a smilie) than a random non-face type image. The Wiki article on face perception goes into why this is good and important for human beings.

Except - some people DON’T. You scan their brain while looking at images, and the little “cheat code” area that lights up for everyone else when you see a face remains as blank for them as when neurotypical individuals look at a pile of rocks.

Look at all those rocks. While you’re looking at them, you can see they’re all different: different shapes, different shades, many have those cool and unique patterns of white lines.

Now, could you MEMORIZE those rocks? Recognize rock A after a week and know it’s different than rock B?

For most people, no, because we don’t have a “rock pattern cheat code” part of the brain the way we do for faces in neurotypical individuals.

But someone with prosopagnosia? They don’t realize they have to work harder at memorizing faces than everyone else. Working without the cheat codes is normal for them, and they assume everyone else does it the same way.

The best description I’ve ever heard was from an autobiography of a woman with face blindness regarding celebrity magazines: “all the actresses try so hard to look the same.”

Because that makes sense, why she can’t tell the difference between these famous faces, and not that she’s neuroatypical.

Which brings me back to aphantasia and myself. I’ve described myself as only ever being able to “see” part of anbimage in my head at a time. Like, I can remember Megamind’s face, and Metro Man’s face, and expressions they have in the movie. I “see” them.

But I can’t “see” their faces as clearly when I “look” at a full body image. I can’t hild that many pieces of information clearly.

And I don’t - see? I just - remember, build new images patchwork from the collection of visual images I have stored in my memory.

And I always just assumed that’s how everyone “saw” in their head, just better than I did.

Gah, ramble, but now I really am curious. Am I just a weak but otherwise normal visualizer, or am I really doing it different than neurotypical individuals???

Notes: I do “visualization” exercises all the time, I like meditation alot and do it often. Sometimes in those states I can “see” things more clearly, more like when I dream. And yes, I dream visually, although when I try to remember the visuals it’s piecemeal like normal. My typical visualizations I’ve always described as “kinesthetic” which isn’t really accurate but the closest word I have found for the jumble of sensations and (primarily) emotions that form my mind’s “eye.”

[shycatdreaming]

October 7, 2018 - Retroactive

Prompt: Surprise until the end

The scene: Three child figures, stout and with round oversized heads. It is a cartoon, simple line work and exaggerated expressions.

The first, a blue eyed boy with broad shoulders, is dressed as a fairy tale knight with a bright gold plume on his helmet and a gold cape. His treat bag is bulging full.

The second, a brunette girl, is dressed as the Queen of Hearts, complete with a flamingo croquet mallet. Her bag is respectfully full of candy.

Both look to their third companion, the boy with a confused expression, the girl with a look of horrified concern.

The third child’s costume is much harder to identify. If one is familiar with the scientist in question, one might - conceivably - recognize the mustache as similar to Nikola Tesla’s. The staff the boy has propped beside him, which has a fish in the bulb at the top, is otherwise styled as a Tesla coil, perhaps as a well meaning attempt to prompt the viewer.

Almost all of this, however - with the possible exception of the living, glowing fish in the ball on the staff - is overshadowed by the child’s head, which is oversized even in comparison to his companions, and his skin, which is a brilliant blue.

He is scowling at the pillow case he holds in his hands. It is empty, save the single rock he has taken out to glare at.

Perhaps no one appreciated his costume?

<hr>

Yes, I did a Megamind version of the Charlie Brown “I got a rock” scene. Prompt was - basically that scene, “goodie bag OR a rock.”

Why yes, I am evil.

Next year:

“Megamind, I don’t believe it’s - right - to use a hypnodisk on the adults giving out candy.”

“It’s JUSTICE, Wayne!”

“Roxy, please, don’t encourage him. Please?”

Also, I had the HARDEST time coming up with a costume for Roxanne that I haven’t seen before.

I am please with what I came up with. *innocent evil grin*

[shycatdreaming]

October 6, 2018 - Retroactive

Prompt: Mask

“I’ve got my Hallowe’en costume ready!”

Megamind spun around at the sound of his bestest companion’s voice, clapping in delight. “Wonderful, filet mignon!”

Roxanne turned around, slower, but definitely curious as to what the alien fish had come up with.

After all, he had been designing and constructing Megamind’s villain outfits for years, each more dramatic than the last. He had even mentioned being interested in possibly pursuing human high fashion design, which she was actually excited for him to try.

Nothing she could have imagined, however, could have prepared her for what she saw.

A robotic gorilla suit with some sort of contraption on the back - in other words, his everyday walk-among-the-bipeds suit. And strapped to the glass dome that held his water was a paper plate painted orange, with a stereotypical jack o’lantern face of a jagged black “smile” and cut out triangles for eyes.

“Brilliant!” Megamind proclaimed, sweeping out his arms dramatically in approval. “Classic!”

Roxanne didn’t even bother trying to ungape her jaw as Minion preened in front of his sir.

Somehow, she kept forgetting she would never, ever understand the pair.

<hr>

No afterword to this, mostly because it would end up being longer than the original write. Amuse yourself with your own imaginings of Minion being swamped with admirers at whatever Hallowe’en fuction they have gone to, and Roxanne’s continued bemusement.

I begin to catch up! Somewhat…

[shycatdreaming]

I slept more than I was awake this weekend, and just vegging for most of the awake part.

I will be working on catching up with Megamidn Month, but with the length they keep being (why? they’re so short in my head!!) this mighth be a while.

Hopefully this week will be easier for work and getting shuffled between locations (hysterical laughter at naivety), and hopefullye staying healthy continues as well (more hysterical laughter)

C’est ma vie. :p

[shycatdreaming]

No

Me *while writing*: “Hmm…. is chapter 4 too soon to break out the smut? 

[shycatdreaming]

Found some bitchin’ shoes at the University District Goodwill in Seattle. The buckle is, indeed, a skull

[shycatdreaming]

This blog is pro-Goblin

[shycatdreaming]

PLEASE REBLOG THIS WARNING

HEY GUYS

The new Venom movie has a scene with intense flashing lights (the lab entry scene) and I received no warnings and had to leave (just for that scene) as I am epileptic!!! PLEASE share this since I’ve seen NO warnings being shared and this is very important and can prevent people from having seizures etc during the film.

[shycatdreaming]

Oh, to be at that stage in my creative life where I decide “What I NEED to do is build a mega-super-sized version of a prop, for a single scene, because that is what is best.”

And it happens.

A better color photo of Animal from The Muppet Movie.

THE CREW HAD TO BUILD A 60-FOOT ANIMAL. - from Mental Floss (Copied)

When Animal accidentally eats Dr. Bunsen Honeydew’s Insta-Grow pills, he memorably balloons through the roof. Henson refused to use a normal puppet on a miniature set to accomplish this effect, so his crew had to construct a gigantic Animal head that measured 60 feet.

Refusing to run from a bully for the rest of his life, Kermit resolves to face Doc Hopper in a showdown. He gives an impassioned plea to allow him and his friends to continue on their way and make their dreams come true. Although the speech falls on deaf ears, Kermit and friends are saved at the last moment by Animal, who has gotten into Dr. Bunsen Honeydew’s growth pills and successfully scares away Hopper and his henchmen.

[shycatdreaming]

Does anyone here know a bit about Ancient Greek, or connect me with someone who does?

I’ve got my Victorian Stage Magician Megamind AU I’ve been talking about, and one of my problems is I can’t see “Megamind” being appropriate for the setting. He’s all about presentation, and that era was all about the classical pretension.

Now, “mega” comes from Ancient Greek, at least according to Wiktionary. From the looks of things, it would probably get stylized as “méga” if you’re being pretentious (in the nominative neuter, which I find most appropriate for him).

Going from there, the concept of “nous” seems the most nuanced and appropriate term for “mind” in Ancient Greek. Going through Wiktionary, this would become “noûs.”

So, Méganoûs.

If I have ANY of this right. Which I have no clue.

Suggestions??

[shycatdreaming]

October 5, 2018

Prompt: Guy Fawkes

“So, I’ve been reading about Guy Fawkes.”

Non sequiturs, especially ones delivered with energetic enthusiasm, where to be expected when dealing with a hyper genius alien city defender.

“Oh?” his reporter girlfriend replied, almost not looking up from her laptop (catching herself in time to remember how sensitive he was to being ignored).

“It is FASCINATING!” Megamind exclaimed, gesturing to the bank of monitors in front of his high backed leather chair. In addition to multiple reference pictures, there seemed to be several different articles and other written documents.

Including at least two Roxanne suspected were historical, if the fact she couldn’t tell if those were “s”s or “f”s was accurate at this distance.

But what caught her attention was the image of the giant bonfire, with what appeared to be a man made of straw and old clothes burning at the top.

Keep reading

[shycatdreaming]

Things to know about Tumblr:

It doesn’t like certain letters. You know, non-English ones.

Like, if you’re linking research you’ve been doing, and that includes a Wiktionary page to an Ancient Greek word that has Ancient Greek letters in the url.

It’ll just - eat that up.

Fun.

By the way, did you know “Mega” can be traced back to Ancient Greek?

And if you’re trying to ask questions about coming up with a Victorian English person’s version of an Ancient Greek version of “Megamind” this might effect you???

*sob*

[shycatdreaming]

I know what I wrote. It’s just I tempted fate, hit “Save as draft,” and now ALL the text is GONE GONE GONE.

I shall write on Google Docs when I have brain power. Will likely be a bit better for it.

But I’ll be starting from word 1 again.

*screams*

I wrote tonight’s Shuffle write here in Tumblr.

I knew I shouldn’t. I knew it was getting too long.

And I’m on mobile, so copy-paste is a pain.

It won’t work. I’m trying to just save draft, but it’s not wanting to.

I am tired. 9 hour workday today, another 10 hours tomorrow.

I shall write it up again this weekend. I like it, I want it, it shall be done.

But I NEED sleep right now.

*screams*

[shycatdreaming]

*screams*

I wrote tonight’s Shuffle write here in Tumblr.

I knew I shouldn’t. I knew it was getting too long.

And I’m on mobile, so copy-paste is a pain.

It won’t work. I’m trying to just save draft, but it’s not wanting to.

I am tired. 9 hour workday today, another 10 hours tomorrow.

I shall write it up again this weekend. I like it, I want it, it shall be done.

But I NEED sleep right now.

*screams*

[shycatdreaming]

October 3, 2018

Prompts: Cool Hat, Witch

It was the little things, sometimes, dating Megamind. Like when he, out of the blue, announced he wanted to go to a Harry Potter movie marathon at one of the local theatres.

He almost certainly wouldn’t be able to stay for the entire thing - hero business would see to that. And, honestly, he wasn’t that big of a fan of the series.

But the way his beautiful green eyes lit up at the thought of all those people, united by a common love, sharing something so - alien to the normal world…

There way no way Roxanne would ever say “no.”

Keep reading

[shycatdreaming]

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