Fangirl Friday: Webcomics

That's right, I'm committing to a weekly post! Every Friday, I'm going to post about something that I love, or am currently obsessed with or something of the like. :D

Today, I just feel the need to share one of my geeky obsessions- webcomics. Most of these are online graphic novels, and they're BRILLIANT and LOVELY and I want to share.
***Because I can't pick favourites, these are roughly in order of how I found them***

Looking For Group is a fantasy type epic adventure story; it starts out as a joke about all sorts of fantasy-genre tropes and things, but along the way, developed into much more than that. Cale'Anon, the hero, meets Benny, an interesting priestess/healer, and Richard, a warlock whose titles include Chief Warlock of the Brothers of Darkness, Lord of the Thirteen Hells, Master of the Bones, Emperor of the Black, Lord of the Undead, Lord of the Dance, Mistress of Magma, and Mayor of a little village up the coast. It's a rollicking good time!
PLUS, they've recently(ish) started running a comic called Non-Player Character that provides backgrounds and histories for other characters that meet Cale, Richard, Benny, and their crew. AND, they run a weekly silly strip about Richard. It's AWESOME.
Updates: LFG----M/Th     start date unavailable, as of this posting has 882 pages
              NPC----T/F     start date unavailable, as of this posting has 147 pages, in 15 stories
              TDA----W     start date unavailable, as of this posting has 67 pages

Girl Genius is a sci-fi steampunk mad-science romance adventure featuring a girl named Agatha, who is incredible. All sorts of crazy shenanigans and adventures occur, and Girl Genius features an incredible cast, including a talking cat, the handsome genius son of a tyrant baron, a warrior princess from a lost nation, and many more. ALSO- the Jagers. Once human, now something else, they serve the Heterodyne family... And speak with German accents provide fantastic comic relief along with intense backstory.
It's AWESOME.
Updates M/W/F     running since Nov 2002

Namesake is a fantasy story that cleverly weaves together many of your favourite classic stories, including Alice in Wonderland, the Wizard of Oz, and more. Starring a girl named Emma, who is a Namesake (the next person to live through the storyline of a famous story and help save that world), and her younger sister Elaine, a writer (the people who chronicle Namesake stories and help link the different worlds together), and full of deception, intrigue, secret societies and an epic battle for good and evil, Namesake is AMAZING. Also, the artwork is absolutely GORGEOUS!
Updates T/Th/Sa     running since Sep 2010

Retail is a syndicated comic that runs in newspapers. I actually remember when it debuted in my paper, and when I found it online, I was pretty stoked! It follows the employee's of Grumbel's, a big chain retail store, especially Marla, Cooper, and Val. The cast of characters is amusing, the customers they deal with are often hilariously horrifying, and their manager, Stuart, is (of course) the stereotypical corporate drone. It's a lot of fun. Also WAY different from everything else I'm sharing... but oh well!
Updates daily!     running since January 2006

Blindsprings is lovely. It's an interesting fantasy-type comic that investigates a world where magic and science don't coexist very well, and centers on Tamaura, a princess lost in time, and Harris, an academic who tries to fix everything. She goes on adventures... And he blunders. So far, that's what's up. That's actually an atrocious description, but TRUST me, you'll love it!
Updates T/Th/Sa     Running since Oct 2013

The Forgotten Order is an interesting magic adventure story. However, it only updates once a week... So progress is slow! But, it focuses on Trystan, the magical runt of a very talented family, and Kay, her possessed/cursed servant doll... Who has a mysterious past and many mysteries of her own. It is thoroughly enchanting.
Updates Mondays     Running since Dec 2011

Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo is a ridiculous adventure story about a self aware skeleton who decides he wants more out of life than serving a lich forever, and who sets off as a wandering bard. His best friend/sidekick is a Gelatinous Goo- a large jello-like being, who only Rickety can understand. Honestly, this comic is hilarious! Also, it has the really cool bonus feature that the author posts Lore three times a week- little tidbits about the world that add to the storyline and help explain concepts. It's really a charming comic.
Updates: Comic   M/W     start date unavailable, as of this posting has 109 pages
                Lore     T/Th/F     start date unavailable, as of this posting has 141 pages

So, there's that. Just a few of the things I love, and that I hope you'll love too! :]

Why Am I Even Awake?

It's three a.m. and I'm awake keeping my sister company. I was helping her work on this project, but now there's nothing for me to do... And I'm just AWAKE. Solidarity, I guess.

Seminary starts at 6:15.

I'm going to be SO tired later. It's going to be SO BAD.

I mean, I guess I'm still offering opinions and helpful things like that.

But really. There's not a point in my awakeness.

And the best part is this:

I've never pulled an all-nighter for myself, in all of high school.

WHY AM I AWAKE??

Love.

And a good dose of teenage stupid.

Before It's Over

So, our choir program does a concert every year called Senior Solo where all the seniors get to perform- solos, duets, group numbers, whatever... It's always a ton of fun, and there are touching moments and silly ones and all sorts of things in between.

Well, today was our Senior Solo concert, and I sang this:

This musical is INCREDIBLE (although language warning-- it's BAD.) But anyhow. I adore this song, and I realised it would be perfect for the senior-growing-up-and-moving-on type idea. Also, I identify with it, way too much-- I wrote about it in this post. Basically, I just feel like I'm always last choice, fading into the background, and that my friends, the people I adore, don't really care if I'm around. It's awful. So when I thought of "Before It's Over" for a senior solo song idea, I knew I HAD to do it. Even if no one else knew exactly how personal it was for me, I knew it had to happen.

So I worked on it, and tonight I sang it, with a friend of mine, Lah, playing piano for me. I felt like it was alright, but not awesome- but then I received so many sincere compliments, telling me that I was wonderful (off-topic segue to another Dogfight song!), and I was sort of blown away. Two girls told me that it just got them, right from the first line- and that they almost cried. And they asked if I wrote it.

Wow.

That statement. I wish I could write music this powerful and moving! But that they thought I could, that I performed it that convincingly...

Wow.

Anyhow. I told them I didn't, and that it's from a musical, but they still seemed so impressed. And then I was telling my family about this conversation, and my mom said that it almost did seem like something I had written, at first.

And I wish I could write like that.

But the other thing is, that's an incredible compliment for me, because it makes me feel like I performed the song the right way. And even though people don't know that I really do identify with the character of Rose in this aspect, and that I really was singing about myself... They felt it.

And I'm so pleased.
And also somewhat astounded.

Music is a powerful, beautiful, wonderful thing, and I am so grateful that I was able to share it, and have it mean something to my audience. :]

Far-Distant and Unattainable Ideal v. Far Too Close and Far Too Real

Ahahahahahahahaha. I hope Rle doesn't decide to check out my blog and read this post today. Because I'm having a major ramble fest... AND. She'll ask questions.

So here's the deal. I have this sorta crush on this friend of mine, Tev. It's not, like, a huge deal, but... He's great. He's literally the nicest person I know, and he has this amazing, on fire testimony of the Gospel, and he's funny, and he sings, and he's cute... He's cool. But. I definitely just sit over here, with this crush on him, because I don't want to deal with actual like relationships or whatever else. And it's there, but not a huge deal.

So anyhow... Every once in a while, I get a little maudlin, and I just wish I had someone who'd text me. Like, it'd be nice if someone would text me and we could talk about stupid things or big things or nothing or everything. That is ((fact)) one of the only things that I miss about being in a relationship- is having that person you can talk to about everything. And sometimes I just want someone to have a crush on me. It's honestly super ridiculous... But there's that.

So then, there's this.... My friend, Top, had this book that I wanted to read (Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and OHMYGOSH I need to devote a post to it!)... So, last Saturday, he texted me when he was done with it, and then we kinda talked about it for a little... And on Monday, he gave me the book. And I got really excited, and plowed through it in less than two days. It's good. But we'd text while I was reading it, and talking in real life, and UGH.
And I kinda think I might have a crush on Top.

Here's the thing:
While I still admire Tev as one admires a far-distant and unattainable ideal... I think I like Top.

But... There's a catch. I'm not actually sure if I like him or if I just like the attention...
Let me explain.
Top is the kind of guy who just loves girls- if it's got two X chromosomes and is sentient, he'll go for it. And I say that with utmost affection- he's also a genuinely nice guy who respects women. But, Top is so in love with the idea of being in love that if he knows someone likes him, he'll like her too- whether or not he did before, he'll go for her, sincerely. And so I don't know if I actually like Top, or if I just like that if I told him I liked him, odds are, he'd like me back, and things might progress. WHICH I DON'T ACTUALLY WANT, because TOO MUCH COMPLICATION. Except for the part of me that wants someone to hold hands with and hug and kiss... and yeah. So this is the dilemma. Because do I actually like him, or do I just like that he'd like me, and doesn't that mean I'm just doing exactly what he does, and if something happened wouldn't it just be because we both knew the other person would like us if we liked them?
I DON'T EVEN KNOW.

So I've been feeling SO AWKWARD about this for the last week, like, freaking out about talking to Top (do I like him, what is happening, he has cute brown eyes, we geek out hardcore) and then feeling uncomfortable every time Top and Tev happen to be in the same place, and then Rle and my sister and our friend Ini are teasing me about Tev because they know, and I just feel SO AWKWARD.

And like, Sunday, I visited another ward for a mission farewell- I ended up sitting by Tev (freaking out, because he makes me nervous and just want to be a better person) and staring at the back of Top's head, contemplating how nice his hair looked. WHAT EVEN. And then Rle and Ini and I were talking to G.M. and Rle said something about a texting flirtationship Top's got going right now with some girl, and it hurt just a little. WHAT EVEN.

I don't like this and I don't know what to feel about it and I don't know what to think about it and I don't know who to talk to about it and I just don't know what to do AT ALL.

BONUS ROUND: I also know that Top has no problem with making out and whatever else (he's been a little farther than he should have been)....... And if this all went down, that could happen. And I don't think I'm prepared to sign up for that... And then part of me wonders what it would be like to make out with him. Like, is he a good kisser? UGH. What?? Why am I even?

I don't like this. HILF MIR BITTE.

Writers Festival, 2015

So, I entered a few poems in the Writer's Festival again this year.

The first one was inspired by... Well, a lot of things. Les Miserables, the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, and Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. And also just a sort of restless feeling, a need for more, to DO something.

Starting A Revolution

I will not be silenced

When I have so much to say

I will not just stand back

My soul cannot be tamed

Do not expect tranquility

From my raging heart

You cannot demand serenity

When I have wars to start

And there’s a revolution

Just waiting to begin

A fire burning in the people

Crackling beneath their skin

And I intend to call them up

The people all will rise

For we are stronger than you know

We won’t be blinded by your lies

But I know we need a leader

So for the people, I stand

I’m not a flawless champion

But I’ll give soul, heart, and hands

There’ll be no more tranquility

From my raging heart

And there is no serenity

For I have a war to start

We will not live under you thumb

For freedom we will fight

You never saw this coming, but

We know our cause is right!

And we will stand for everything

That we know is true

So we will be victorious

When the war is through

And the story will be told again

About our battles and our scars

How we would not be defeated

And we took back what was ours

So come against us

If you dare

You think you’re stronger

But we don’t fear

And we will not be silenced

When we have so much to say

And we will never stand down

Our souls will not be tamed

The second one was inspired by an essay that a girl in my English class wrote. We were assigned to write about home, and she wrote about speaking and performing on stage- something I understand, although I'm singing and acting. And in her essay, she said, "There's a delirium that comes from being on display." That phrase just resonated with me- I think it's absolutely lovely. So I stole it and wrote a poem about living on stage.

Life On Stage

There’s a delirium

That comes

From being on display

A release of inhibition

You feel

When you give your soul away

And it’s a madness

You live

When your heart is found on stage

Oh yes, a delirium

That comes

From being on display

Almost impossible

The high

You can’t get another way

An exquisite torture

You live

Under the lights each day

To taste the delirium

That comes

From being on display

And, cool news, I found out yesterday that Starting a Revolution got selected as one of the honorable mentions, and I got published in our little book again. Yay! :]

Eternity

This Saturday, I had the opportunity to go to the Payson Utah Temple open house with my favourite people in the world- my family!

So, it was me, my little sister, my little brother, Dad, Mom, GrandmaH, GrandpaH, AuntJo, UncleRo, Rip, Zap, and Taw. Kad and Cad would have been there, but one of Kad's best friends was getting married... So they opted out.

But ANYHOW. The Payson temple is absolutely gorgeous- I mean, they all are, but Zap and I walked into the first ordinance room, and our jaws just dropped. It was LOVELY. We basically were just slack-jawed through the whole thing.

And the funny thing is, we've gone to temple open houses before- with Dad's side of the family, we've been to the Oquirrh Mountain, Brigham City, Ogden, Draper... And a few more. So we've seen temples before.

But we're always blown away by how lovely they are.

And not only that, but there is this incredible feeling of peace and love- the strongest presence of the Spirit, and in a temple that isn't even dedicated yet! It's wonderful.

And I love temple open houses- because it's such a brilliant promise for the future, for the eternity that can come.

Walking through the Payson temple Saturday night, all I could think was, "This is where eternity starts."

And it's true.

I can't wait for my turn to go through the temple, and someday to be sealed there, to start my own eternity with my husband.

And of course, when eternity finally gets here, I know that I want my whole family there with me- because I can't picture myself without them.

The temple is seriously the greatest thing ever.

Families are forever!

HELP.

Short post, ready go! So, here's the deal:

The AP Psychology test is this afternoon, and AP Calculus is tomorrow.
I have Choir Festival this afternoon, after Psych.
Next Monday is the choir concert, Tuesday is the AP Government test, and our jazz band concert.

Here's the kicker:
I missed Thursday and Friday last week because of Small-School All-State Band (bassoon, YAY!).
I missed last Monday because of Band Festival.
I missed the Monday and Tuesday before that for all-day rehearsals for our school musical (I was playing keyboard in the pit).
I missed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before that for All-State Choir.

When I signed up for these AP classes, I didn't realise I'd be missing the three weeks immediately preceding them for all these other extra-curricular shenanigans. YIKES.

SO... I'm a little stressed. This is gonna be an adventure.