Since Brian left, I've been using the time I'd have usually spent with him and my depression in his permanent absence to work on the next Demon in the series, Dead. I'd hoped to have completed it by Halloween, but since practice for the then upcoming dorm vs. dorm Halo 3 challange also got in the way, there was a chance in hell that was going to happen. So I figured I'd have it finished by November 13th; , it'd be completed of Friday the 13th, and it'd make a nice 4th year anniversary piece. It's two weeks away, not too hard a deadline to meet, right?

My one true God-given talent is dissapointing people.

Since the tournament wasn't until the 8th, practice still took up a fair ammount of my free time, which I otherwise could (read: should) have been working. The tournament took up all of Sunday, too, but afterwords I was working on it for about two and a half hours every day. When I stopped on Thursday, I had just started working on the backround. I figured if I spent as much time as possible on it Friday, I'd be able to at least finish it before midnight, so then I could say I at least finished it on the thirteenth.

I started drawing at about 7 p.m., and the next five hours was just a coloring grind-fest. I was actually rushing for most of it, and those who know me know that I don't rush... ever. I worked for five straight hours; a feat I haven't tasked myself with since summer of 2006, maybe even 'KP: See You On The Other Side.' But even with all that effort put into it, the clock hit twelve midnight just before Issues ended, but long before I could have completed.

It's quite frustrating putting so much into something only to fall short of the extremely generous tolerances I put in place for myself. What's more is I wasted a whole lot more time than just preparing for an occurnace where playing video games actually holds slight significance; I can point to hours upon hours wasted that could have otherwise been put to good use.

I fail at life.

Just in case anyone askes, our team dominated that day. Closest game was the second and final round against the last other remaining dorm, which we came in 50 to 39 in a seven on seven. They honestly weren't too bad, but we were still clearly better; I pulled of a killing frenzy in the first round and didn't die once.

Anyway, Dead should be completed before Monday, and if all goes well, I just might be able to post it some time within next week.

I anticipate much better response this time around; not only is his charater much easier to comprehend, but after I realized some of the mistakes I made with Plague and the deep and insightful feedback () that I recieved both on dA and not, I decided that I was going to have to put the character in a setting that would better emphasis and help support the characterization I was trying to establish. The setting fits, but it's not my creation, and this is the second time I've so unmercifully ripped it off.

Forgive me, Alfredo Carlos, wherever you are.