May the Force Be With You

Yes, I'm still alive. No, I didn't get kidnapped, flee the planet, or get frozen in carbonite. Life has been insane for the past few months, though, which is part of the reason why I haven't updated the blog. I apologize for slacking off, everyone.

It's been nearly two-and-a-half years since I began "Me, Myself, and Vader - Discussions with a Sith." To be honest, I barely knew what a blog was when I started this thing. I just knew they were a sort of online journal, and I thought people would be more interested in reading about my life if I added a twist. So I threw Darth Vader into the mix. And in the beginning, it wasn't going to progress beyond that, except the occasional cameo.

Then about November of 2005, things began to snowball. First the peace summit, which brought more characters in that ended up staying permanently. Then the war against Palpatine, which brought events from my blog crossing over with events from other people's blogs. The blog became a sort of role play instead of a journal of my life. Which was fun and kept things interesting, of course, and got me reading other people's blogs. But the downside was that it was no longer a journal, but more of an overly long, self-insertion fanfic.

Now, over two years after starting this, I feel like I've finally run out of steam. There are many factors contributing to this -- too much going on in real life, other fanfic projects, events on my blog growing too complicated to handle successfully (the werehorse angle kind of died after a few months, for example), my own interests changing somewhat (thanks for introducing me to Transformers, Rose), and simply running out of ideas.

I apologize to my readers, but the blog is going to be taking a hiatus for an undetermined period. I don't know when I'll return to it, or if the story will remain the same or be altered in an effort to streamline it. If events on anyone else's blog hinge on events in this one, then let me know and I'll see if we can work something out.

If anyone wants to remain in contact with me, my e-mail address is in the Links list to the left of the blog. And if you want to continue reading my work, my Fanfiction.net page is always open, as is my DeviantArt page (where I have a "real-life" journal).

Thank you all for reading. May the Force be with you.

Who Let the Geek Have the Camera?

As promised, the Fandemonium pics are posted now. Yes, it's about time...

I'm not in most of the pics, as I was the one behind the camera the whole time. Also, I don't have pictures of a lot of the events I participated in -- I'd rather concentrate on having a good time than on the camera.

For full Fandemonium reports, go to the following links:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

And here's what I dressed as this year. No, I'm NOT Starscream, I'm Thundercracker. Next time I wear this getup, I'm wearing a freakin' huge nametag too...

And for those of you venturing over here from DeviantArt... if you want to read the rest of the blog, I'd highly suggest starting at the very beginning and leaving your sanity at the front door. Yes, it's THAT weird.

More Convention Pics

The Fandemonium Arcade Game Room, where I whiled away many a happy hour playing Guitar Hero.
This lady was fun to talk to. She taught a yoga class and sold some beautiful paintings. She also won first prize in the art contest.
The ARC trooper and Master Chief from Halo.
The prize table. It was fun to come by here and just have a look at the weird stuff you could win.
No Face from Miyazaki's "Spirited Away."
The Boise State University Anime Club, where I met Sonic the Hedgehog and tried pocky for the first time. Heck, I had pocky for lunch that first day, since I didn't want to leave the building to eat.
The freebie table. Yes, everything here was free, on the condition that you only took five items. It was empty by Sunday morning.
I don't watch Evil Dead, but you don't say no when a guy with a chainsaw duct-taped to his arm asks you to take his picture.

Don't ask me why this kid's dressed as an ear of corn. Later, he participated in the Cosplay contest in a skit where he was "killed" by a bunch of cat people. Is it me, or does most Cosplay make no sense?
The New Boise Order, a local Star Wars club. That TV was a gathering point for many geeks, as they played video games on it and also showed Star Wars, Galaxy Quest, and old episodes of the Transformers on it.
This guy claims he just came as himself. Nice wings.
A mother-daughter pair who go to anime conventions together. They said they'd just gotten back from Comic-Con, this was their first year at Fandemonium, and they liked the fact that this convention was much smaller and laid-back than Comic-Con.

The Mos Eisley diorama was another gathering point. The guy makes custom action figures and dioramas, and he challeneged everyone to look through Mos Eisley and try to find everything that wasn't Star Wars.
I thought the Stargate was a nice touch.
It's Bumblebee! And Jedi Mickey! And Frenzy if you look really hard...
Our mascot, Cthulu, in various Star Wars costumes, a Stargate costume, and dressed as our Master of Ceremonies Borneo.
This girl got "Hell-OOOO Nurse!" so many times it's a wonder nobody got attacked with that giant needle.

Voice actor Michael Coleman at the freebie table.
Princess Peach and the frying pan of DOOM.
Lock, Shock, and Barrel from "Nightmare Before Christmas." They won second place in the Cosplay contest for their lip-synch to the song "Kidnap the Santy Claus."
Snake from Metal Gear Solid. He won second place in the costume contest. (I couldn't find the first-place winner.)
Knives, swords, and free kittens. Heh. (Bought my mom's birthday present here too.)

Dragons Unlimited. I could have spent my entire budget here and been happy.
Twice Told Tales, a local used bookstore, sold comic books here and were constantly trying to convince me that my $100 convention budget could be stretched to buy more comic books.
Manga...
...and more manga...
...and what I assume are manga accessories. I can hear the Japanese laughing all the way to the bank from here.

I forget the name of this table, but I bought my brother's birthday present here.
Something Wicked, selling gothic costumes and jewelry. That's a BIG bustle on that red dress.
Star Wars stuff! Bought my AT-ST model here.
Magic Dragon Games.
Goofing off at the weapons table.

The Character Depot, where I bought my face paint before the convention. They tried to sell me red contact lenses too, but I passed.
These are made entirely out of paper. They're pretty cool.
A nature spirit and her baby. Oddly enough, there were several little babies at the convention, and they weren't at all fazed by all the weirdos in costume. In fact, a lot of them just laughed.
Cthulu, our mascot. He comes from H.P. Lovecraft's work. Don't worry, our Cthulu's not into world destruction.
Say what you will about Jack Sparrow (and many do), but he was nice enough to wait patiently while I fixed my camera to get a shot of him. I swear that thing EATS batteries...

Fandemonium Pics

Fun T-shirts for sale!
Yes, I took a picture of the shirt I bought while I was wearing it. I'm a dork.
I'm guessing this ARC trooper got lost during the Clone Wars and has since made his living convention-hopping and signing autographs.
At least he's got company, I guess. Looky, it's my junker in the background! (The red car.)
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars, who didn't turn around in time for the pic.
The ARC trooper was nice enough to pose with me for a pic.
Me and Frodo.
This Ford was parked across from me when I showed up at the convention. I got a pic, went inside, came out twenty minutes later to get my costume, and it was gone. Hmmm... Rose, someone you know?
I need this bumper sticker.
Matthew McGillan, a local fantasy author, let me have one of his books at a discount for the library, and he was also one of the judges for the short story contest. He told me he really liked my entries.

Scottish Pac Man. No joke. Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort pause in their dueling long enough for a picture.
I could go for a crossover like this.
One of the vendors in the dealer room -- one selling knives and swords, oddly enough -- had a sign saying "Free Kittens on Sunday." They were adorable, but I didn't think they'd get along with our dogs, dragon, and psycho cat. Luckily, they all found homes by the end of the day.
Plus everyone had fun playing with and posing with them. Awwww...

It's said that the ghosts of geeks past haunt the convention center...

The following pics are of the backdrops done for the Kingdom Hearts Cosplay. Someone did a GOOD job on these:

Hermione's not only a brainy girl, she watches Disney in her spare time. I competed against her in a Disney trivia contest and got OWNED.
The Mummy Relay Race.
The only angel who did not fear to tread here...
A very bored-looking Inuyasha.
Fandemonium's mascot, Cthulu, in Jack Sparrow garb.

Robin Hood -- robbing from the rich to give to the convention vendors...
Someone's been playing the Sims too much...
I KNEW they were evil...
Homemade chain mail makes everything better.
I still don't know why Link's carrying a saxophone. Any "Legend of Zelda" players able to clarify?

I want this bumper sticker too.
Closing Ceremonies.
Borneo, Master of Ceremonies and the mad genius behind the convention. He's a very nice guy and takes the time to talk to convention-goers and get their feedback and suggestions. May the Force always be with him.
The convention loot -- prizes, freebies, and stuff I bought. There would have been more, except my costume only had one pocket, which limited swag-collecting abilities, and I set a $100 cap on my spending money so I didn't go broke. The knife is my mom's birthday present (in December) and the Snitch necklace on the far right is my brother's birthday present (the 11th, and he loved it).
I WON! WHOOPIE!!! First place in the Short Story Contest! The prize was a $20 gift certificate for a local bookstore. Yes, the certificate's conveniently covering up my real name...

Back Home

It's been awhile since I last posted here, hasn't it? Life has been crazy, though thankfully I think things have calmed down for a little while.

Resistance matters haven't changed much. Babylon Palace is still hovering near the Idaho/Canada border, the few remaining enteched remain enteched, those missing from Mouse's household remain missing. And Galbatorix remains in our custody, though so far he isn't talking. The only new piece of news is directed toward our newest recruit, Darkfire -- if you're still looking for Synapse, he passed over our house two days ago. The Iron Giant's now following him, so at least he's got protection.

I'm back at home now, getting ready for the convention. I will post pictures this time -- finally got a camera! Whether or not any live-ins will accompany me remains to be seen, however. Vader is still miffed about having his butt pinched last year, Jango and Grievous have their own ideas on how to handle glomp-happy fangirls, and thanks to the Transformers movie being released this month (GOOD movie) Delta just might be mobbed if she shows up.

Convention begins this Friday. Wish me luck, I'm going in...

The Palpatine Wannabe

"SITH!"

A blast of purple light nearly takes off the plating on Delta's right side, and she goes into an out-of-control spin. I grab for her controls to steady her, but before I can stabilize the fighter she smashes into the trees. My stomach and sense of balance both violently protest as she flips several times, finally coming to rest upside-down in a stand of pines.

"Who's bright idea was this?" she demands in a pained tone.

"I'd blame Rose, but it was our choice to take off after her," I moan. "Any chance of you turning right-side-up before I lose my lunch?"

"Ugh. No puking in the cockpit." She transforms halfway, enough to free her arms and right herself, then pops open the canopy. "Get out."

I hop down and let her transform the rest of the way. "Where's Rose and Mel?"

"Sorry, lost 'em when I had to dodge Galvatron's shot," she replies.

"Poodoo." I take off my flight helmet long enough to wipe sweat off my face, then replace it. "We'll search on foot. We have to find them before the nutcases do..."

A scream and a draconine roar rip the air, followed by a terrible sizzle. I look up just in time to see a black dragon -- not Meleficent, but Shruikan -- fold his wings and dive.

"Double poodoo." I break into a run.

Delta and I break into a clearing just in time to see Galbatorix dismount and face Rose with a sneer. She holds Vector's sword and braces herself, prepared to fight to the death if needed. Behind her, Maleficent lays in dragon form, one wing shattered and scales smoking ominously.

"And so it ends," taunts Galbatorix once he sees I've entered the clearing. "We have you right where we want you, foolish girls. The men -- or other creatures -- you love will never see you again."

Maleficent snarls, and Rose's eyes turn to stone. Calling their boyfriends "creatures" must have touched a nerve.

"Hate to tell you, you Palpatine wannabe, but we have you outnumbered," I grin.

"Oh?" He laughs. "It may just be me now, but Nemesis, Galvatron, and their mates are on their way..."

That's when all heck breaks loose. A blue F-15 shrieks overhead, followed by about twenty X-wings and TIE fighters, a gummi ship, and who knows how many other fighters and aircraft I can't identify off the top of my head. Blaster fire and shouts fill the woods, and trees snap and crackle as huge bodies push their way through them.

"You forget something, Galbatorix," I tell him. "You mess with one Resistance member, you mess with the whole kit and caboodle."

Yet another black dragon bursts onto the scene at that moment -- Temeraire! Shruikan screams and launches himself toward him in a desperate attempt to fight him off. Rose, meanwhile, raises her sword and charges Galbatorix, who's forced to draw his own blade in defense.

Delta looks up, optics widening. "Vader's comming me. He wants us to help with the aerial battle."

"Tell him someone needs to pick up Mel!" I reply.

"Megatron and Jetfire are on their way," she tells me.

"All right then, transform!"

She complies, and I hop into her cockpit to kick a little villain butt.

***

Maybe the four of us should have let Galbatorix have his way with us. Because suddenly facing him and his allies doesn't sound half as bad as what Vader has in store for me and Delta, and I don't even want to know what Rose and Mel are going to go through.

Being the cowards that most villians tend to be, Nemesis and company hightailed it for the hills once it became apparent they were outnumbered by the incoming Resistance members. The only one who didn't make an escape was Galbatorix, who's now getting an up-close look at the Autobot brig, the lucky guy. Babylon Palace seems to be settling in a new location, right at the Idaho/Canada border, and there's been no sign of movement since. All the same, we're keeping a close eye on it. It's in a perfect spot to move against headquarters...

But for now the bigger threat seems to be the threat of Vader locking me in my room for the next five years or so.

While Vader continues his ranting about how idiotic it was of me to take off on a half-brained rescue mission and from now on I need to consult with him before doing anything rash (look who's talking, buster), I glance out the window at the airfield that's been set up in the pasture. Ratchet and Hook are looking after Maleficent's wing while Megatron looks on protectively. Prime's driving down the lane in a cloud of dust, off on a drive with Rose to talk things over most likely. Thundercracker and Delta are talking near the barn; what I'd give to know what they're discussing.

Am I sorry I took off and made the entire Resistance come chasing after me? A little, sure. Would I do it over again? Heck yeah. One of us in trouble means all of us in trouble.

Vader's winding up for another rant. Suppose I should at least pretend to be interested in what he's saying...

URGENT

Luke Skywalker posting.

All available Resistance troops report to Canada as soon as possible. Coordinates will be transmitted shortly.

Kenya, Delta, Rose, and Maleficent are missing and believed to be in great danger. Babylon Palace is still on the move with no sign of stopping. Nemesis, Galvatron, Voldemort, and Galbatorix are still at large, and it's possible one or more of them may have abducted our missing friends, though we have no clear evidence of this yet.

Hurry. We may not have much time...

The Dark Lord Speaks: Canadian Front

When I next see that girl, I swear I'm going to duct-tape her to a chair and assign a permanent guard on her to make sure she bloody well STAYS PUT when I tell her to!

Ahem. Perhaps blog readers would like some clarification as to what's going on...

We had arrived in Canada and were at the moment observing the path of Babylon Palace. We are still not certain of its exact destination, as it seems to be altering course now that we are in the vicinity. It's almost as if it knows we are watching it...

But I digress. The precise reason for my outburst... let us simply say I am typing this discourse from the cockpit of a jet as I pursue four women who seem to have completely lost their minds. I hope and pray that they survive long enough for us to catch up to them and give them the lecture of their lives...

I was conferring with other leaders of the Resistance when a shout caught my attention. I turned around just in time to see Rose and Maleficent fly away, pursuing a cluster of dark forms that swiftly vanished into the night. Kenya stared after them, mouth agape.

"Kenya, what..." I began.

"They're going after them!" she barked, whirling to face me. "Sith on a stick, they're going after Nemesis and Galvatron!"

"What??" Megatron and Prime exclaimed together.

"That is insane," I told her. "Rose is exactly what they want! She bears the keys to awakening Primus. If they capture her..."

Kenya whirled to Delta. "Transform!" she barks.

The young mech complied, folding herself into starfighter mode. Kenya was in the waiting cockpit before I could so much as blink.

"Kenya, get down from there!" I ordered.

"Not when a friend's in danger," she told me. "Rose and her friends saved my butt from the Emperor. I'm not going to just stand and watch Nemesis take her when I can return the favor."

Delta roared into the night sky, tearing off after Rose and Maleficent.

I'm sure Prime, Megatron, and I made quite the trio, gaping at the night sky as the women we loved pursued a squadron of half-mad mechs into the night.

Megatron broke the silence first. "Is it normal to want to hug and strangle someone at the same time?"

"Yes," Prime and I told him simultaneously.

"Thundercracker!" I barked. "I need a lift!"

"Covered!" the Seeker replied, transforming to jet mode.

Prime took on his truck form, and Megatron climbed in. The semi roared in the direction the girls had taken, and I was certain a few people were in for severe tongue-lashings when they caught up with the girls. Not that they didn't deserve it...

"Drache, alert me if Babylon Palace changes course or otherwise acts strangely," I told the general.

"Yes sir," she replies. "Oh, and sir? Careful. We don't know if this is part of their plot or not."

"Right."

And I hopped into Thundercracker's cockpit and took off after them.

When I get my hands on that girl, I swear...

PRIORITY ALERT

*smacks comm unit* Is this thing transmitting? *hits it a few more times*

General Drache of Lord Vader's troops reporting from Canada. Babylon Palace is on the move! Repeat! Babylon Palace is on the move, heading southwest at approximately 35 kilometers per hour!

All units please remain on full alert. We have no idea who is currently inside the palace, nor what sort of defenses it maintains. The most we can tell you is that whatever weaponry is aboard the monstrousity must be considerable, for the scout team we sent to observe the castle has vanished without a trace.

May the Force be with us all...