dubiouslog

Spark Needle

dubiousdisc — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:57:50 +0000

It’s been more than a year since the first time I wrote in this weblog that I wanted to make a website revolving around Volkner and Flint from Pokémon. Today, that website is finally ready. Its name is Spark Needle, and is the largest shrine I’ve ever made.

Writing these lines give me an incredible feeling of accomplishment that can only be compared to the one I got when Angeltower’s Frozen Truth Version was released back in 2007, and it’s also a bit like reliving the day after the first kiss or after the first time making love. It also saddens me a bit that I will no longer have to nurture this website; I think it could be the same feeling a parent gets seeing their children growing up and leaving their house. It’s a mysterious thing.

Putting aside this emotional stuff for a moment, I can say that Spark Needle is my biggest feat yet, both on the personal and technical front.
With the death of Internet Explorer 6, the web is finally ready to bestow the true potential of PNG transparency and fixed backgrounds applied to elements other than . Spark Needle’s layout features four types of fixed tiled backgrounds with the same pattern in different colors; when scrolling the page, the eye is tricked into believing the background is always the same with only the colors changing. The top looks very simple, but it features scrolling elements on a fixed background, and this is where trasparent-background PNGs come into play. The text on the navigation buttons has a trasparent background as well, and the hovers are pure CSS: there is no other part of the image, it’s just the background color changing into red. This makes the layout lighter and the coding cleaner.

For what concerns the content, the fact that there are 21 information pages should say everything. If gedit isn’t failing me, the total word count for all of these pages is around 14,000, and I was being concise. Other than a lot to read, there are also game pictures, artworks and screencaps from the anime. 308 screencaps, to be precise. Scary, I know.

Most of the fanstuff section has content you should have already seen if you’ve been following this weblog, but there are also some new things: two unpublished fan arts - which would be the suggestive fan arts I was talking about in my last artwork post, mind -, one short fan fic which is really about their friendship so you have no excuse to not read it, and 13 icons I made yesterday. There is also some submitted material :D

and now I can sit on my butt and feel accomplished.

Best birthday ever

dubiousdisc — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:50:46 +0000

DP166
Everyone gave me very beautiful and meaningful presents
I just found out there is a demo from the new album from Thurisaz and it’s so amazing I actually came

post-DP166

dubiousdisc — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:29:46 +0000

I accidentally exploded in front of the computer.

Why do the eps have to cater to practically each and every one of my fetishes? First the grabbing, then the awkward eye contact, now the falling too? Yeah whatever Pokémon anime, just finish it off and make them bite each other, IF YOU WANT ME DEAD I’M HERE.

This is for you

dubiousdisc — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:18:39 +0000

Irene, listen to this! :3

what the

dubiousdisc — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:23:46 +0000

Mom: Will you ever leave that computer?
Me: I have stuff to do!
Mom: But what, if you’re not attending university? Can I see?
Me: *nervously hides all Volkner and Flint pictures*

ICONS!
I actually made these on Thursday, I meant to release them together with the shrine but
I CAN’T WAIT ANYMORE

Last Friday I was at Irene’s. Irene has a glass with The Flash on it. Combine all of the previous with the fact that my mind tends to be pretty one-tracked as of lately and some drawing materials:

then we laughed till it hurt

Chiisaki Mono (which is not Kaze to Issho ni, you moron)

dubiousdisc — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:58:14 +0000

I blame the ep for finding myself singing Chiisaki Mono.

so tell me, are you lonely?

dubiousdisc — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:32:18 +0000

I’m sorry! I can’t shut up about Volkner and Flint lately. Even though I can see how someone may want to smack me in the face just to make me stop, you have to understand that I’ve been through some very rough times as of lately and these guys somehow managed to give me the strength and to bring a smile to my face. I feel really thankful towards the people who were involved in the making of that episode, and I wish they could know to what extent their work affected my life.

Anyway, I’ve been spending these days working restlessly on the shrine to them. I missed working on a website so much. I never thought I’d ever say this, but when I’ll be finished I’m going to miss working on it as well. This website also made me rediscover one of my passions that I’ve been neglecting in these last few years: writing. How much time has passed since the last time I wrote a long page about something? And what about fan fictions? I don’t even know if people will read them, but at least I’ve had fun writing them, and I think I will keep writing fan fics for this website for a long time. And then I will make some fan comics, too. And at least one AMV; yesterday I’ve come across this song whose lyrics relate very much to their relationship for how I see it and I just have to make something with it. Right now the play count is at…138 D8 if you’re curious, the song is Emptier Still from Dark Tranquillity. One of their “lesser” songs, but I find it to be amazing. Anyway, I’d also like to animate something myself, but that could be too much for me. I should at least try, I don’t know. And then I want to make a figure with them, but I have no idea as for what I could use to make them. I suck at modelling stuff with water, but I’m good with wax-based materials…too bad that most of them never really dry and get covered in dust after a few days. If anyone out there knows what I could use…

I really hope for this website to attract the fans. I really want to exchange mails with other people following my same shipping, since I seem to be the only one caring here. :<

(no one needed this entry to begin with! what am I doing?)

two years after

dubiousdisc — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:03:05 +0000

I just watched the ep. The one with Volkner and Flint. I’m sweated, shaking all over, I still see the pictures behind my eyes.
It was so beautiful. They were just as I always imagined them to be. Their story was the one I imagined for them. Their voices were just as I expected them to be. Even the way the moved.

And their interactions were…even better. The way Flint kept following Volkner. The way they talked to each other. Volkner not being able to enjoy battling without Flint. Volkner just rushing past Flint to not meet his eyes. Flint grabbing him. And the flashback…them as kids laying on the grass under the rain, smiling at each other. The same smile they give to each other in the end.

Next Thursday there will be another ep. I’ll be working to their shrine, which is now at a very advanced point…

Edit: I cried like a baby when Kaze To Issho Ni began playing. God. My favorite Pokémon song played in the Volkner and Flint ep.

is it working?

dubiousdisc — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:38:58 +0000

On Friday I’ll finally have my laptop back :> finally

In the meanwhile, three illustrations for Friday’s exam. All of them are watercolors on A4.

Fried Earth (on global warming). Of course the background is a texture, the original has a white background.

City of Tetris (on sustainable development). I like how this one turned out.

Solar-powered (on solar energy). A bit sloppy in places, but it’s still good enough I hope.

still twelve more to go. lucky me that I brought Jeel’s tablet with me so I can make something digital too.

shit happens

dubiousdisc — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:29:08 +0000

Friday
I have to spend the morning at school, in pain.
I have to spend the afternoon in bed, bleeding.

Saturday
Avatar’s still sold out after a month and we have to preorder the tickets for Sunday.
We’d like to go to our usual bar to get a hot chocolate, but there are no more seats.
In another bar, I get a piece of chocolate cake so hard I could actually smash the fork on it with no result.
We end up spending a load of money.

Sunday
I’m being told I’m out of my own house.
There is a terrible argument in the family and many tears are shed.
The tech support calls my mom instead of me, the call ends before my mom could give my phone number. They called to tell the laptop’s ready and wanted to know when they could give it to me. They didn’t call again.

Monday
I take the train and go to the university planning to get the rent papers afterwards.
The class was postponed by a hour. Since at this point I couldn’t do both things, I went for the papers.
The agency didn’t have any papers. I threw away half a day for nothing.
When I got back at Jacopo’s, it was too late to call the other agency to get info about this other house.

Tuesday
I realize there are no classes today. I didn’t notice before because all I had was a photo of the calendar and that point was impossible to decipher.
I end up going anyway to Milan with Jacopo so to spend the morning together and then go home to get those papers.
Jacopo catches an awful flu and we have to run back. He’s currently in bed being miserable.

On Friday, I have an exam. That day, there is a public transportation strike.