Guess who's not, in fact, dead!

What's this? An update? From me??

...it's exactly as likely as you'd think, seeing how I've Vanishethed for months again, so... not very.

I promised a short break and a Quirk! and then I! dropped off the face of the earth! sadly not literally, that would be exciting! in what is an unfortunate trend for me! 

Since I've been absent for a while without explanation (which, I have to say, is completely in character, I thought I'd answer some questions which no one has asked but you're probably thinking: 

- Um. What have you been doing?

 

I have been sitting at the entrance to the halls of knowledge. Judging people.

(...work. I work in a library.) 

((I do not actually judge people. Usually. Unless you leave a chewed-on toothpick in your book when you return it.))

I recently became a full-time library assistant, after only a year of casual work, which is exciting! I do miss having that time at home, though. xD (Customer service can be... draining. As anyone who's worked customer service will agree.)

- So... what made you return??

 

Overwhelming guilt.

I jest. Overwhelming guilt causes me to freeze up and ignore the problem and never do anything ever. That's... not to say it didn't exist, but it certainly didn't help me to return xD

I'd been meaning to come back for what feels like months now but is somehow only two? but my internal dialogue went something like this: 

"oh no, I missed the first Saturday of the month! I was meant to do a Quirk!"

"...guess I'll have to wait until next month then" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

yes it's been a full year, hi (+ character interview)

have a long post and watch me pretend nothing's out of the ordinary ahaha

Billie: Let us go, you controlling, delusional crazy person. It's been fifteen months -

Jem, cutting Billie off: Absolutely not! You have to admit that the comments we received on the first part of the interview do indicate a strong enjoyment of our little chat.

Billie: I don't have to admit anything, and I've no doubt any people saying they enjoyed it are also crazy. My heart goes out to their characters.

Rowan: I thought you claimed to not have a heart.

Billie: Do you disagree with my sentiment?

Rowan, to Jem: Please just let us go.

Jem: Why?

Rowan: This is already far beyond my tolerance level for her.

Jem: That's why we're enjoying it. Now, if Elsie could come up on stage?

Billie: You said Josie!

Jem: I changed my mind.

Elsie enters. Zephyr follows half a step beside her, eyes scanning the surroundings. Yala follows, but stops subtly at the edge of the room to watch. 

Elsie, seeing Billie: ...you're dead.

Jem: Ehh, non-canon situation, we can skip over that, okay?

Billie: ...your concern for my sister's emotional well-being is truly overwhelming.

Jem: *shrugs happily*

Billie: Zephyr.

Zephyr: Isobel. I was troubled to hear of the recent happenings. It is good to see you in health.

Jem: 'good'? something is GOOD? okay, that's quite enough of that kind of talk. We shall have none of that. Ceci?

HELP || why did I buy more books

The answer to the question in the title is, of course, that I am Loki and I do what I want. (And if you don't think Loki collects books [perhaps not novels, though?], I don't know what to say to you.) But it's all very well for an Asgardian prince... I'm sure he has lots of shelf space.

Or, y'know, some kind of pocket dimension library.

Me? Not so much.

It isn't like I bought very many... this time. Six or seven, and only two of those were large books.

But you know that tumblr post on Pinterest about Quicksilver and Thor's hammer? no? ...hang on...

*literally two hours later* HERE IT IS

 

That's me. Except it's more like:

"oh, what a great idea, let's get more books" 

*teetering towers of books collapse and crush me* 

"I HAVE MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE"

What Was I Up To During My Unannounced Four-Month Hiatus?

Two weeks ago, I awkwardly reappeared in the blogophere.

With very few excuses to offer, really. I haven't written a trilogy while I was gone. I haven't been on some kind of cleansing technology abstinence.

I'm not even super-relaxed by the whole hiatus experience.

Feel free to throw things at me but please make them chocolate or at least biscuits.

Here's what did happen during my hiatus:

–{{In April, I:

• post, apologising for disappearing for three whole weeks. Ha ha. Hahahahaa. so cute.
• volunteer at a comic-con. My plans of adding a Winter Soldier arm under my official T-shirt don't work out because I'm lazy. I get photos with a female Loki, a female Winter Soldier, a Gandalf, a Thranduil, and a Rey (who turns out to be my junior leader from a holiday outreach program last year). Gandalf gets the Runner Up: People's Choice award for doing the whole "you. shall not. PASS" thing. 
• read a lot of fanfics, including some from fandoms I'm not even in. (The Miraculous Ladybug love square is just too hilarious, okay? I must have read literally a hundred identity reveal fics.)
• watch season 2 of The Flash (leave the timeline aLONE, BARRY) and Guardians of the Galaxy 2. 
• attempt to do Camp NaNo in 'minutes of study'. I fail.
  
• [whoops]

–{{In May, I:

I believe my exact words were "a bit of time off"

The below is from a post in April: 

And I'm just sitting here now like "well, define 'a bit'??"

[Even then I was apologising for abandoning you all.]

But, y'know, I stuck by the "I will return to my blog eventually" part? So everything's good and I will never ever behave in such an irresponsible manner ever again. Ever. Obviously.

With that, I should mention...
 ...this will be a short post. Because it's not going to be about me and my excuses.

This post will be about you.

You, the amazing, fascinating, and downright inspirational people of the blogosphere whom I abandoned for a month two three basically four months??*

I know so much has happened while I was gone. I kNOW it has. But I haven't actually been game to look, so far. Because I'm the type of person who needs to know EVERYTHING and much as I'd like to I simply can't read all the posts that went up while I was gone and now I'm afraid I've missed so much wonderful stuff.

So. This post is where I beg you to comment and tell me the highlights of the blogosphere happenings. If your mind can stretch back a quarter of a year, that is. Comment! Tell me what's happened on your blog! If you don't feel comfortable shouting about what you've been doing - I'd feel awkward myself - then shout about your favourite posts of your favourite blogs, and someone can do the same for your posts (because of course your posts are someone's favourites! <3), and then I will know all the important things.

Think of it as giving me your lecture notes because I skipped class a space to jump in and say "Here's an awesome thing that someone wrote! Go read it!"

*Also someone please tell me if that "whom" was correct or if I should indeed have used "who". ("And don't take away my writer's license, I promise it's a one-off slip of the mind," I lie.)

A few specific things I was also wondering: 
- Who in the blogging world has put a new book out? 
-  How did you all go with Camp NaNo in July?
- And where is that Friendly Neighbourhood Journal at??

...again, not dead [I'm always only pretending. because I'm Loki.]

Sooo. I've been absent from the blogosphere for most of April (three weeks now?).

This is a) an apology for abandoning all your lovely blogs in that time! and b) an assurance that I'm just taking a bit of time off and will return to my poor blog eventually. Even though it isn't truly a Jem-haitus unless it's completely random and unannounced??

I'm sure most of you know about Camp NaNoWriMo, and a significant number of you may well be participating. Hopefully you'll sympathize! (especially when I tell you I'm working on study + assessments for my Camp goal. Funnn.)

How's Camp going for you? Tell me your goals! and I'll give you virtual lamingtons (or TimTams, if you don't like coconut?) Do you struggle to keep up with the blogosphere sometimes? (Do you have advice on how to keep up with the blogosphere and also not abandon life??)

Beautiful Books part 2: NaNo update

There's another Beautiful Books linkup going this month! Normally Cait and Sky do 'Beautiful People' - questions about your characters - but around NaNoWriMo they change it to questions about your NaNo story. Last month's linkup, Part 1, was to introduce your NaNo story to the blogging world. I skipped it, though, because I had Julian's whole WIP Special to introduce my story with.

But Part 2 of the Beautiful Books linkup is a sort of NaNo update.

So, since I am all about ignoring my responsibilities and NaNo in particular accountability and boring you to death with abundant but insignificant details of my writing life keeping you up to date with my progress, I thought I'd take the questions this time.

Why are you even here you should be writing.

1. Overall, how is your mental state, and how is your novel going?

HAHAHAHAAA

I'm a much slower writer than everyone else seems to be. On the bright side, I spent a few days thinking, and ended up with a few pages of plot! Like, two whole pages! Or one and a half. But it's definitely helped me write more... decisively. Because I now have an idea of what I'm aiming for.

(Did you think that because I don't plot, my brain isn't screaming, "PLOT, YOU FOOL"?)

(Because it is. It is screaming.)