Surprise Chilly Bishop

Good afternoon everyone. I'm starting noonish, but I'll probably finish in the evening. Ah the conveniences of modern technology. If the title seems like a complete puzzler, I don't blame you. But rest assured, this is a regular post about what I wore. Perhaps my creative juices are flowing outwardly from all the story writing--flash fiction mostly--I've been doing lately. This isn't necessarily a bad thing I suppose [only my posture is steadily becoming crap].

True to the east coast tendencies, we had some serious bi-polar weather yesterday and today, dipping back into the 60s and below. So I donned on the staple coat I've been wearing over everything as I did during the winter. I suspect that even with the weather over here being as ridiculous as it is, it's likely not going to go back to this. It's almost April for all's sakes.

Sleek, and awesome on windy days.

Trinity Blood crucifix serves me well, after replacing the first chain early on.

This is, of course, the 'cossak' underneath the main grey robe/coat for my Undertaker cosplay. I had somehow forgotten about the sash, but it completes the image in my opinion. I remembered to take off my glasses, too. Masks tend to go well with this ensemble, and, since it's usually weather based, it doesn't really matter what I have on underneath.

How are the cherry blossoms near you? It's about that season~! [whaaa, even though it was just so cold? Huh?]
Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak
p.s. I boiled up some of my green tea tapioca pearls at last. And then promptly put them into a dark mug. *Panned.* But they turned out delicious for once, and I put them in apple juice in a clear glass when I remembered. Get them at your nearest Asian food mart today~!

Summery Treats

Good evening everyone~ I hope you all are keeping cool where you are. It's getting dastardly hot outside, and I don't even like to think about it [though I am fortunate enough to not really feel it]. I apologize for being away, I'm being a bad-at-everything person lately, and I feel terrible for it. As I predicted, I've become consumed with Dissidia 012. What's worse, in the time I do have to do something constructive, like post, I find I've come up with nothing worthwhile, to me. But I've come to the conclusion I just simply need to mix things up. And so, please enjoy something a bit... delicious~!


Lately, with the non-existent free time I have, the mother person firmly encourages--read, forces--me to make dinner two or three nights a week, as opposed to just one. This is all well and good, but if you recall, I am indecisive. So coming up with ideas even with a fridge full of food takes all day, if not... all night, too. Occasionally, I will take the easy way out, with something like a frozen pizza.


I'll skip the joke; it is DiGornio.

We'll usually get the plain cheese, and then whoever is cooking it will take topping preferences from the rest of the house and add them on. Clockwise is the mother person's third with broccoli and bacon bits, the father person's half with mushrooms, sliced baby bell peppers and bacon bits, and this one's third with broccoli and octopi hotdogs. Awesome moms and amazing girlfriends will add them to a loved one's lunch box, and are a snap to make with Nathan's hot dogs and a George Foreman's Grill. Cut each dog up into fourths, then cut a crosshair about halfway into each mini weiner. Stick em on the grill and they curl up beautifully. I don't know if I really have the hang of cooking broccoli yet. I just... boil until not frozen. It works. Mostly.


Now, where would your great pizza [or burgers~? It is grilling this time~] be without a delicious cool drink to go with it? The father person goes out at random to pick up soda cans from wherever is having a discount [be it Safeway or Giant], so usually we have that. But I took the leisure of buying a mini watermelon when the mother person highly encouraged--...yeah--me to go out shopping again [see the previous post for that outfit]. My parent people failed to mention to me before that they weren't fond of watermelon, leaving me to eat it all. Not that I couldn't, but something about seeing the 3/4 of it left just made me... unsure if I would be able to over time. Thus, I threw it in the blender.

Yes, we have the same blender Starbuck's uses, if that means anything to anyone. It can make anything from hot soup to pancake batter to ice cream, legit frozen.

Along with the watermelon, I added some milk, fruit punch and apple juice [in juice box portions], a bit of yogurt, and some ice. I was intent on making a smoothie, but it seems that it wouldn't thicken; the blender is a hella loud when crushing ice, so I didn't want to keep adding to it... it was already dangerously high from the watermelon meat. The portions I all eye-balled, so if want to recreate it, add more or less as you like, and swap out the added juices if you prefer with other juices or frozen fruit.


Everyone's got to eat, even Aristocratic vampires and Visual-Kei incubi [say what...?]. What are you favorite summer time meals and treats? Any homemade recipies?


I recently checked out an interesting book dealing with Japanese fashion, so hopefully that with scans of some pictures, along with a Red and Black post for Victorian Kitty's newly made week long theme, and a Polyvore playtime will be up soon. Just to keep things going.


Now, pardon me while I escape back into Dissidia for the night... Please remember to take precautions in 90+ degree weather, and enjoy your summery days~


Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak

Osaka -- Visual Kei Summer

Good evening, minna-sama~ and I apologize for the long gap since we last spoke, as it were. The title takes inspiration from 'Osaka -- Tiger Summer', a location level in Sengoku Basara 3; this is part of the reason I've not been allotting myself time to post. That, and the weather has finally taken a definitive turn into the hot, with a side of humid with all the off and on rain we've been having, so I've been going to my old stand-by, graphic t-shirts and whatever pants I feel like [I don't wear shorts].


But, as luck would have it, today, I had the day off from work. And the mother person suggested [read, forced me to] that I go to SAM's Club along with the bank to take care of some transferring of funds. What the hell, I might as well have more of a reason to get dressed than running up less than a mile or so to cut a check. But since it is still ungodly humid, today was definitely a day for some light Visual-Kei wear.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night shirt: Hot Topic
Black and white suspenders: Hot Topic
Wallet chain: Hot Topic [damn... what the hell...?]
Platforms: Demonia via Otakon

A long time ago~ in a world where I cared even less about things than I do now [odd. very odd, considering], I wore T-shirts at naseum. Then along came my sense of humor, and fanaticism with video games and anime. Thus, my T-shirt collection expanded into the graphic T land. Now anytime I can't wear the things I would prefer, including enladen Visual Kei things, I will wear a graphic T. Because everyone needs to know I'm a Jenova's Witness, from the Church of the One-Winged Angel of the Latter Day Summons. So, along with the magnificent makes-me-want-to-touch-myself Castlevania shirt, I paired it with my stand by V-Kei pants which I modified from a regular pair of black pants.



Just to mix things up, I also added two boot straps from my Undertaker cosplay to the bottom of the pant legs. Up close they look great in my opinion, but they are probably very subtle from afar. So in the future I might add more, and wear different shoes, or, instead of decking out my "leg" half, when it gets to be that season again, I may instead put them around my arms. I had meant to wear my 'gang leader' arm band, but I didn't think about it until after I had already gotten back; besides, I would've had to pin it to the t-shirt sleeve, since it's too loose to stay up on my arm, unless I perpetually flex. My hair is univentful because of the humidity; left to it's own devices, it would've been a flyaway mess from all the windows-down, sunroof open driving I did.


Alternately, as I've been going along, I've been thinking how the bootstraps around the leg might look with the Aeon pants [the eyelet heavy ones]. Definitely, I think I need both more wallet chains [or chain link belts in general] and some other colored suspenders. Fingerless gloves would be fun, HT has some in silver that look great.


I got some new musics--notably some songs by Lisa Komine--to keep me preoccupied between... everything, nghh... oh well. It'll be eventful from here on out, everyone~ I hope I can help keep your summers entertaining. Coming up, hopefully along with some more V-kei, will be the adventures of handmade cosplay. If you are a veteran homemade cosplayer, I welcome all wisdom~


"Lonliness fighting back again, seems to be like it never ends. Give us hope through the love of peaceful shine on me~"


Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak
p.s. While I was out, I bought Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. If I don't post for another month, even with my best intentions not to have that happen, Dissidia 012 is the reason why.

The Week in Review

Good afternoon, minna-sama. While my morning was less than pleasant, it seems one of my reliable skills is to be able to tolerate things I don't like with surprising ease and grace. And so I am back in a place I have come to feel rather comfortable in, though it is damn chilly as always, and decided to get to this before something else undesireable reared it's ugly head once I returned back home. Imagine that, feeling better at work then I do at home. Tsk, what is my little world coming to?

Well, per my less than optomistic prediction, I was unable to come and post during the week at all. Le sigh. I hope this doesn't become a trend, or before I know it, I'll drop off the face of this blog too, despite my best interests. So though it is a bit of a stray from the motis operandi of being an Aristo, I'm going to do a bit of a recap of the week.

The first day started with me going to the building I hoped I had my first class in--which it turned out I did--going into a computer lab, and quickly transcribing my schedule down onto an index card. Luckily, it didn't take much since it's the same for ges-sui-kin, and I have free days on ka-moku. In addition, I also memorized the rooms after the day was over [hell my physics class is in the same lecture hall as last semester. I sit in practically the same seat]. I seem to have a knack for taking sociology related classes with a dolldrum teacher, thus not setting me up for a pleasant experience. My physics teacher reminds me of a cross between my high school Japanese teacher, and my highschool AP physics teacher. It is interesting combination, to be sure, however he teaches--to an extent--and arranges grading/syllabus like Alan, previous PHYS106 teacher. And so paperwork was handed out and assignments were to be had.

The first picnic of the semester with Toriberry didn't quite go as planned, but that's alright, we'll get there. Also, I went in early to work, and boy did they need it. Poor bossman wasn't running around like a chicken with his head cut off, but he sure was in a bit of a frenzy. However, it was really only those first fifteen minutes that things appear to be crazy, because once I got there, not only did I feel so much better, but it immediately calmed down. Maybe this is me. I am a sedate being after all. And mid afternoon I caught up with Kahori and visited Professor Liley again. Still wants donuts.

Wednesday was like Monday, only I was already falling behind. A LITTLE. ONLY A LITTLE. I ran into a few more people, waved in passing, chatted for a few, natter natter. Had to hurry my butt back to CBCB to drop off my bike to take the shuttle home. Oh yay.

Thursday was like Tuesday only less chaotic and better. I had Gamer Symphony Orchestra meeting--first of the semester--that evening. I worked in the morning, picniced with Chiii--which turned into picnic with Chiii, George, Martini, and Bill--and had my splendidly made bento, all before heading back the chapel for our meeting. Tis exciting, we've a lot lined up. I wore my Castlevania: Symphony of the Night shirt [subconciously again, as I did for the past two first GSO meetings] and my Castlevania: Judgement Aeon pants. Seems I am video-gamed out when I want to be, whether I know it or not. We've got about thirthy new members it seems, but we'll see who decide to stick around with us. The music line-up is phenomenal. Come visit out GSO store and support our orchestra outside of concert attendances [which are free~!].

Friday was like Wednesday, only it was Friday and thus the weekend. After physics, I hung out with Chiii again and played LoZ:Wind Waker for a bit. Cute miniature Link is a cute miniature Link. And we rode the tornado over, oh yay~. Having a bike made running a bit late completely managable, to which I am entirely grateful. *whew.* Speaking of said bike--which I believe I have at last named Fang of the Church Petros Orcini--I seem to be getting better at getting around in the mornings and in general on campus. I still thinks DOTS is one damn conspiracy, and I'm going to ream them a new one since I didn't get my free bike-lock yet. It is still a kenshin damn pain trying to go up the campus drive hill, but the victory is sweet going back down. Haaa, I'll get there.

I'm hoping for more productiveness, and more focus in these weeks. Next weekend is the meet-up, ne? It's on a Sunday, not a Saturday. I'll have to remember to get directions and bring small bills... I wonder if I can get food... hmmm, it wouldn't be enough to prepare just my own bento... I went grocery shopping, let's see...

Ah, what a perfect lead into my projects and food! I've completed my cane, minna-sama! Next post is definitely that, and progress on the jabot and other projects. I am so pleased; please tell me what you think when you see it.

I'll be tending to some work while I can, and so on that note I depart. Until the next time, hopefully sooner, minna-sama.

Of hand to kenshin... is what I thought.
Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak

An Arisocrat's Health

Good evening, mina-sama. Not to give spoilers--ahaha--of the upcoming topic [doubtful that you haven't picked up on it from the title], but this weather is doing nothing for how I feel. We've mercifully come unto rain, but that can't last forever [...I hope] and the awful tendency is to burst into sunshine with a heavy dose of disgusting humidity thereafter. I have been having a change of heart towards rain; I used to despise it because it was cold out there, and hot in classrooms. But now it hasn't been raining enough and this summer has been too hot. Just too hot. Aaaaugh. Rain is slowly redeeming itself.

Standing out in the rain hasn't ever proved to be adverse to my health, one of many peculiarities concering it. As with a lot of things in my life, my health comes with duality. I generally now just like to say it's the Gemini sign in me that does it. I am of fair overall health. I don't play a sport, but I do use Wii Fit Plus [and so should every single person who owns a Wii, and friends of those people who don't own a Wii should play on theirs. More is actually merrier for the Wii]. I refuse to run anywhere for any reason, but I will gladly walk--at my own pace--rather than take public transportation, or even ride my bicycle [i.e. walking around campus]. There's a fair point to note on that last statement, for it seems, despite all the walking I've done wherever I go for the past five years, my legs are apparently very weak, as proved when I run out of stamina riding my bicycle about three blocks.


I have shoddy legs though, I will admit, in that my knee-jerk reflex fires at will. For those who don't want to look at the link, it's the reflex that makes you crumble when you're kicked in the back of your leg. So without warning and at very random intervals, I will stagger as though I've been kicked in the back of the leg, but since there is no instigation, it looks like I'm drunk and about to fall over. As many times as this has happened before my mother, she seems to not realize what is happening and thinks I'm tripping. I want to slap her not for her logic, which is viable after all and better then asking if I'm drunk, but for not caring enough to ask why it keeps happening. Does she really think I trip that much? And in that way? I don't, damnit.

On the flip side though, returning to walking, I do have good endurance. I'd walk anywhere if you'd give me the time to do it. So my slow twitch muscles are definitely doing alright. It doesn't raise my heart rate all that much, even for extended periods. I lack a decent heart beat though; I can tell when doctors are this close to asking if I'm doing something somehow when they ask me to take a deep breath ten to twelve times and still can't hear anything. It's because I'm a youkai, but that's just our little secret. However, my hardly there heart beat is reflected in my abnormally low blood pressure. As touched on in the very first post, I have hypotension. I haven't been diagnosed with it, and I don't take any medication for it, but I am familiar with it's clinical definition from a research practicum I did a year ago. I don't suffer any severe symptoms from it, but it is part of the reason I am deadpan sedate 9 times out of 10, and explains my perpetual fatigue while I'm doing any sort of physical labor.

I'm not against physical labor. Hell, with this realization that I can't bike for long distances since my legs are weaker than I thought, I'm trying to get on our elliptical at home more often. But I don't usually allot myself a good amount of time to just go and do it, and I'm more of a Tai-Chi person anyway. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I'm surprised at what relatively good shape I'm in. When I was younger, I think I was more health conscious, ignoring the fact that I was a kid and have youth on my side. Now, I'm older--not old, old--and I'm setting into the mindset of 'oh yeah, I'll be okay, I've got youth'. Really, I'm lucky I have a good a metabolism as I do, but I'm glad healthy leanings for food and some activity have been prominent in my life [even now, as I work at the Art and Architecture libraries on campus, hauling books hither and yon can really give you a work out if you're at it for hours at a time].

I think I was at my peak of fitness the weeks before I went to Japan in summer 2007. I had a four pack abs, and my stamina was way up. Ironically, I lost the abs while in Japan, but damn if my legs didn't become toned. Have you ever had to walk not just down, but up Mt. Misen? Walk up and down the stairs of the Washington Monument a few times and you'll get the picture.

As far as my diet, I don't have much of a picky palate, and I try to eat during regular hours only when I'm hungry, and only as much as I need. Those tasty clementines which I polished off yesterday have been proof of their vitamin and mineral content in my burst of energy to make things, but conversely, that's all I've been eating for lunch. Clementines. Usually two or three. Dinner is usually the most filling meal of the day, only because sometimes I reduce breakfast to toast to take a prenatal vitamin since I'm running short on time. The breakfast thing can be fixed easily though, and as the semester jumpstarts I'll be getting more into the swing of an earlier rising. Lunch is usually decide by how fast I can throw something into a bento or how much cash I have on me [which trust me, is hardly ever enough]. But as it stands now and usually, it's a Cereal breakfast--snack food lunch--homecooked dinner type of eating for me. If I wolf down a burger every now and then, I sometimes think about my cholesterol, but then I fall back on my 'I'm still young' ploy.

Everything in moderation, that's the way to do it. ^_^

Mental health-wise, I couldn't tell you what the hell is up with me there. I like spontaneity, but I am methodical and think things through if it comes to me. I've been having doubts about how well my memory's been doing lately, but then, when one is doing two or more things at once, even though it is by less for fewer tasks, you concentration and focus splits, and memorizing everything becomes inevitably more difficult. However, I'm regaining confidence in my memory by just going about things as I used to; see something written down or say it back, have it stick in my head. I could do this at nauseum for notes in class once upon a time, but somewhere between 12th grade ending and freshman year college starting, I lost my knack. I'm bringing it back though, little at a time. Confidence is a mind game too, after all.

My mind and body don't connect well sometimes though, in that my thoughts are not reflected in my actions. This is usually a good thing, my perfect self restraint, because it's usually a violent thought I'm having that will only come out as a nice laugh and smile. I want to change this though, but as an alternative, let some of my poisonous brain juices leak out in the form of something completely off the wall and disturbing--not necessarily in a violent way--and see how well I can drive off hinderances around me.

Overall, this nobleman is of above-average health, and I'm hoping to keep it that way as I progress into getting even more fit. Never forget, everyone, it's not about getting skinny, it's about getting FIT. Sure, you can shed those pounds as you change your diet and excersise, but doing anything too hard, too fast can actually backfire on you. And just going full steam ahead to lose lbs is probably not as much fun as setting goals for your health.

So take those stairs, my Aristololikei brethren. We cant see your shoes on an escalator or in a crowded elevator anyway.
Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak

Marquis does the weather.

Good evening, mina-sama, are you getting ready to turn in? You should. Mercifully, with this rain--despise it though I may--the summer's heat dissipates a little. Unfortunately, I fear what it will bring come tomorrow morning, and it's ill effects on my hair.

Speaking of, that might be a mini-post later. I have interesting hair, not to brag. I base it off of opinions from others, factual genetic make-up, and experience, given it's attached to my scalp from before I was born.

But back to the weather. All this rain and humidity has got this noble thinking. Mainly about what I want to equip myself with on a day to day, and a day like that other day basis. Usually, leaving my hair not as it is at this precise moment, I don't care too much for rainfall, and make do with just a hat should there be anything less than a torrential downpour. But when time and effort has been put into managing this soft mane of mine, I begin to take precautions. So the thought came to me of perhaps getting a parasol, in addition to the tophat [and also maybe thicker ribbons, and perhaps blank hair clips to attach said ribbons to]. However baroque-antique-gothic I could make it however, I still imagine it a bit out of place with Aristo.

...But I'll let you know if I see something. [suddenly a picture develops in my mind of what might be suitable...]

On the flipside, I don't really know what to do going about this mugginess. Temperature retardent I may be, but I feel the effects of the summer's weather when doing anything remotely more strenuous than walking [at my pace, guaranteed slower than yours]. So a fan may be in order. I already have several, and the one best suited I seemed to have just recently snapped. Not in half. There is hope yet to repair it. But there might be something in the works of a thicker black lace fan. I love my Japanese style fans, but they aren't even of complimenting colors to what I have so far in Aristo and V-Kei style, so it deters me a little. [and gives me incentive to stay indoors.]

I long for the just-chilly-enough temperatures of fall. Please come a little early, 60 degree weather [namely, 7/30-8/1 if you please].

Now, to get a little bit back on topic... In these last few minutes before I started typing, I returned to the Atelier Boz site and perused it's collection of the Boz side. Now as much as I would love to order from them online, I'm sure soon enough I'll be back in Shinjuku or Osaka and can simply go in person; but that aside, a great number of things in the online collection appear to be sold out. I've gotten used to it, and only really look at things now for the prices [rounding roughly to the dollar]. And of course, for inspiration.

Going category by category as they have it arranged via articles of clothing helps separate my trains of thought in terms of deciding what I like, and what is doable, to an extent. Recently in the last perusing, I became highly enamored of some of the men's pants; a little number five rows down, smack in the middle, then another second row from the bottom on the left [among others in the collection]. Upon closer inspection, neither seem overly complicated to recreate with a pair of my own slacks [because I am one with legs that are better concealed], and a pair of removable buckles from my Undertaker cosplay [on a side note, it seems Atelier Boz has made several pieces of Sebastian and Ciel's main outfits, which makes me smile to see it]. I would in fact even do one in white depending on the success of the black one. And since my white pants that would be used are due to be modified, another unique touch would be added to this take on a designer style.

I suppose I should say, in addition to being very excited for the possibilities that I may be able to unfold, no matter what your relationship is like with you and your sewing machine, when looking online, go ahead and jot down ideas and sketches, rather than clicking that magic 'add to cart' button. It may take longer to realize your would-be purchase, but in the long run you'll save, and you'll have a one of a kind.

I am looking forward to it, starting with those aforementioned white pants. I hope to show you a sort of play-by-play for their modification in the near future.

Now, I'm weary... I actually went into work today, and I'll need to conserve my strength for tomorrow. Please be sure to get proper rest as well, mina-sama.

Dream softly, sleep well.
Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak