Tag: personal

More About Me

Thanks for the tag @galadrieljones​! xo

Name: Oh, we’re using our made-up names? I’m Pikapeppa. (HAHAH I will never not use this line from the Avengers when this question comes up)

Nickname: Pika!

Height: 5′3″

Nationality: Canadian

Favourite Fruit: peaches, followed by cherries and mangoes

Favourite Season: I used to say summer, but I can’t tolerate the lack of A/C in my apartment anymore. So let’s say that transitional time between spring and summer.

Favourite Smell: my bed. It smells sweet and sleepy and comforting. 

Favourite Colour: red!

Favourite Animal: tigers and housecats

Tea, Coffee, Hot Cocoa: tea, followed by hot choccy. I don’t like coffee. I once had an Incident™ drinking too much coffee in Iceland in the summer (i.e. when they have the midnight sun) and my caffeine-soaked mind was genuinely convinced that I would never sleep again.

Average hours of sleep: 5-6 maybe. But sleep is a waste of writing time T^T

Dogs or Cats: cats!

Dream Trip: Singapore/Japan/South Korea

When my blog was created: err, I didn’t start using it actively until summer 2017. 

# of followers: almost 600? WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE? ❤️

Random Fact: Today I got to observe a total laryngectomy and partial pharyngectomy in the OR! It was sick as hell, literally and metaphorically (huge tumour up in that poor larynx). 

Favourite Food: dim sum

Favourite TV Show: noooo I hate this question. I’ll name some other shows I love that are different from the last time I did this: Mr. Robot, Orange Is The New Black, and Broad City.

Favourite Movie: Her, directed by Spike Jonez. If you haven’t seen this film, it’s incredible – a beautiful and nuanced sci-fi romance. And the soundtrack by Arcade Fire is glorious.

Favorite Vine:  … wait are these still a thing LOL

Sexuality: Straight, with the odd handful of crushes on women 😊 

Gender: female

Favourite Book Series: Harry Potter would have to be #1. Also a fan of A Song of Ice and Fire (i.e. Game of Thrones), the Highlander series by Karen Marie Moning, the Red Rising saga by Pierce Brown, and His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Favourite Video Games: Horizon Zero Dawn is BAE. Currently obsessed with Dragon Age: Inquisition though, in case you couldn’t tell. Also really love the Mass Effect OT and Andromeda, Uncharted 4 (the last one with Nate – such a poignant and mature wrap-up to the series!!), and Portal will always have a special place in my heart since it’s the first modern console game my fiancé introduced me to (he got me into gaming). 

Favourite Subject: ugh, how about I say my favourite university class since high school was so long ago? It was a class called Writing Systems, and it was all about the linguistics and culture and history of the different writing systems of the world, from alphabets to abjads to abugidas and morphographic systems and everything in between. I loved that class so much. 

Favourite Fandoms: The HZD fandom is incredible. Some of the people I count as my best friends and also legitimately the finest human beings on the planet (@hellarcanine I’m looking at you!) have been through this fandom. The Facebook group for this fandom is so adorable and fun and friendly despite being like 16000+ members, and I find that it’s a hugely welcoming fandom for people who identify as LGBTQ, which is amazing. The DA:I fandom is also full of lovely and thoughtful people, particularly the Solavellan fandom as @galadrieljones said, and I love the deep lore discussions that the DA:I fandom gets into!

Favourite Superhero: can I say the Punisher count as portrayed in the Netflix Marvel series? I love how dark and angry he is with so much secret pain AND SECRET TENDERNESS. If he doesn’t count, then I’m gonna go with Marvel’s Loki (TT^TT).

Guys or Girls: Girls. Higher fat-to-muscle ratio means girls would be tastier to roast and eat. (Come on, there’s no context for this question, so I just ran with it. LOL?)

Celebrity Crush: Ricky Whittle (HOT), Tom Hiddleston (ADORABLE), Dwayne Johnson (he’s just SO FUCKING NICE OK??)

Last Time I Cried: On Sunday. Family drama relating to mental illness. 

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Tagging forward to @buttsonthebeach, @alyssalenko, @vgtravlr, @wardenofmyheart, @novamm66, @elfsplaining, @mrscullensrutherford, @oops-gingermoment, @mistressdreadwolf, @strawbaraminkshake, @emmavakarian-theirin and anyone else who would like to play! 

Get To Know You Meme ^_^

tagged by @galadrieljones – thanks Gala! xo

Rules: Tag 15 people you want to get to know better!

Relationship Status: Partnered for ~6 years and engaged for 2 of them. A wedding might happen. More likely an elopement. If I can ever get my ass in gear and plan it XD

Lipstick or Chapstick: Chapstick (i.e. lip balm)

Three favorite foods: dim sum (ALL the dim sum), chicken katsu, and pastitsio. Pastitsio is a Greek layered pasta dish and the recipe I like is from this one specific cookbook at my parents’ house. If anyone cares, I can send it to them by DM LOL

Song stuck in my head: Tie Me Down by Gryffin feat. Elley Duhé. Listened to it on repeat all the way home from work. 

Last Movie I watched: Extinction on Netflix. OMG GUYS, this movie was so good. A wonderful little sci-fi flick about humans and droids and the meaning of humanity, with a great ending song. 

Top 3 Tv Shows: I HATE THIS QUESTION ALWAYS, because my favourites shows don’t always coincide with the shows I consider the highest quality shows OR with the shows I’m most obsessed with. But if pressed to pick just three, I’ll go with the following:

– Better Call Saul: yes, I actually like it more than Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul has a lot more focus on character development, which is my catnip, and they play so heartwrenchingly with the fact that we know what happens in the future of the show. There has never been a better prequel of anything, in my opinion.

– Mad Men: another very character-driven show where all the characters develop and change so organically over the course of the seven seasons. It is a quieter show, I know, but god, in terms of character writing… It’s amazing.

– Grey’s Anatomy: I’ve watched the first 5-6 seasons more times than I can count. I gave up on it in season 7 because it was getting too stupid, but the first 5 seasons are a great balance of drama/will-they-won’t-they (I LOVE THAT SHIT) and the trials/tribulations of being a noob youngster working at a hospital, which really called to me when I first started working in the hospital setting myself.

Book I’m currently reading: Err… not currently reading anything. I also haven’t read a “published” book in over a year because I’m too busy reading and writing fanfic… Oops XD

Last thing I googled: Season 6 of Grey’s Anatomy so I could remember when I stopped watching it HAHAH

Time: 8:14pm.

Dream Trip: If I’m being lame: back to Iceland (lame because I’ve already been there). If I’m being exciting: South Korea/Singapore/Japan. 

Anything you want: To not go to work tomorrow so I can finish up this Blackwall/Lavellan fic I’ve been tapping away at for like two weeks. HEY REAL LIFE, BUGGER OFF SO I CAN WRITE MY FANFIC, K? THX GOOD TALK.

Tagging it forward to @buttsonthebeach, @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul, @alyssalenko, @ilikedetectives, @bluegreenketchup, @sun-and-shadow-aloy, @kaijulover142, @vgtravlr, @littlesnowarrow, @novamm66, @mistressdreadwolf, @chillyrose and anyone else who would like to play!

Greetings from Pikapeppa: Hello new followers! ❤️

There seem to be quite a lot of you these past few weeks, and a big Pikapeppa Hello to you all! 

*smiles awkwardly and starts to sweat as though at a party*

Allow me to introduce myself: Hello I’m Trash™ for Nil/Blackwall/Solas and a sucker for writing rarepairs. I rarely write anything without NSFW smut. I suppose this is as good a time as any for a fic masterpost…?

Pikapeppa’s Trash™ series:

– Aloy/Nil (Horizon Zero Dawn): The World and All Its Lessons
– Blackwall/Arya Lavellan (Dragon Age: Inquisition): The Griffon and the Halla
– Solas/Elia Lavellan (Dragon Age: Inquisition): Banal’halam
– Reyes Vidal/Mara Ryder (Mass Effect: Andromeda): The Vidal Chronicles  **this series was my first and NEEDS EDITING BADLY so forgive me plz

Pikapeppa’s rarepairs:

– Reyes Vidal/Aria T’Loak (Mass Effect): The Charlatan and the Pirate Queen, and an accompaniment collection of PWP smut.
– Aloy/Stealth Trials Keeper (Horizon Zero Dawn): Stealth Trials
– Aloy/Ikrie (Horizon Zero Dawn): Put Your Spear Beside Mine, and an accompanying little smut oneshot.
– Cole/Lyanna Lavellan (Dragon Age: Inquisition): Become Human 
– Abelas/Athera Lavellan (Dragon Age: Inquisition): The One Who Will Live On
– Hector/Armistice (HBO’s Westworld): The Snake and the Bandit (TOTAL PWP, this was a fun one-off LOL)

Bonus: Pikapeppa’s face…? 

I play around with makeup when I’m not writing. Especially liquid eyeliner.
PLEASE no reposting to other sites or whatever. That would be creepy af. 

image
image

(As a present, my fiancé photoshopped my eye colour in the second one to match my Elia Lavellan’s eyes. Best Fiancé Ever™ LMAO) 

Anyway, happy to have you all here – Fen’Harel guide you, and may the Sun light your way! 

– Your friendly neighbourhood Pika xoxo

Meme Game: Bold What You Like

Thanks for the tag to my lovely @littlesnowarrow​ and @vgtravlr​! ❤️

Coffee or Tea

Early Bird or Night Owl – I sleep at 1:30am and get up at 6:40am on workdays. IT’S WORTH IT OK

Chocolate or Vanilla

Spring or Fall

Silver or Gold

Pop or Alternative

Freckles or Dimples

Snakes or Sharks

Mountains or Fields

Thunderstorm or Lightning 

Egyptian Mythology or Greek Mythology

Ivory or Scarlet

Flute or Lyre

Eyes or Lips

Witch or Fairy

Opal or Diamond

Butterflies or Honeybees

Macaroons or Eclairs

Typewritten or Handwritten Letters

Secret Garden or Secret Library

Rooftop or Balcony

Spicy or Mild

Opera or Ballet

London or Paris

Vincent Van Gogh or Claude Monet

Denim or Leather – depends. For pants, denim. For jackets, leather.

Potions or Spell

Ocean or Desert

Mermaid or Siren – um… these are two faces of the same coin so… ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Masquerade Ball or Cocktail Party

********
Tagging @problematic-cinnamon-roll, @horizonfan12, @makocartwheels, @himluv, @chillyrose, @sun-and-shadow-aloy and anyone else who wants to play!

Inspiration, pt 2: The movies behind your friendly neighbourhood Pikapeppa

See my post about my inspirational books here!

These are the movies that have most inspired by writing, and/or that I just adore for depicting romantic relationships in a way that feels genuine and true.

Oddly enough, none of these movies really have happily-ever-afters.

1. Her

This is my favourite movie of all time. Basic premise: man and his operating system AI fall in love. It’s an incredible sci-fi film, but also an incredible romance story. It’s so spot-on about breaking up and falling in love again, and tackling people’s prejudices when you’re in a relationship with someone that others don’t approve of. And the soundtrack by Arcade Fire is absolutely stunning.

2. Last Night

Basic premise: a married couple deal with temptation when they’re separated for a weekend during the husband’s business trip. The pairing I find most compelling in this story is the wife (Kiera Knightley) being unexpectedly reunited with an old flame with whom she has unfinished business. The wistfulness, the crashing avalanche of memories associated with an ex – to be honest, I have never personally experienced this, but the way it’s depicted in this movie is so REAL that I genuinely feel the exact feelings they’re going through.

3. Like Crazy

Basic premise: a young couple navigate the difficulties of being separated due to immigration issues. Excellent depiction of the butterflies-in-the-belly development of early love, the pain of separation, and the slow and gradual pain of growing apart.

4. 500 Days of Summer

Basic premise: A man falls in love with his best friend-with-benefits and navigates the pain of her not feeling the same way about him. This movie is funny, quirky and ADORABLE, and also just a totally realistic description of a dude being like “BUT I LOVE HER, HOW DARE SHE NOT LOVE ME BACK.” Also has a fabulous soundtrack.

5. P. S. I Love You 

Basic premise: a man dies of cancer, but leaves a treasure hunt of notes for his wife to help her move on after his death. This movie is lovely for a lot of reasons, but the main reason I love it is the argument the couple has in the first 10 minutes. It’s a perfect depiction of That Fight That We Keep Having, and how this couple just love each other so much that they can’t bear to stay angry. This movie is also great for showing a) the grieving process, but also b) those glimpses into the couple’s relationship that show that no relationship is perfect. 

That’s all, folks! Hopefully someone will be inspired to watch something new tonight!

Inspiration, pt 1: The authors behind your friendly neighbourhood Pikapeppa

No writer comes from a vacuum. We’re all influenced by some beautiful written work of art that we’ve read. Here are some of the authors that have most influenced my work!

1. Shanghai Baby by Wei Hui

This is a semi-autobiographical novel about a young woman in China who juggles the conflicts of being in love with two men: a drug-addicted Chinese artist, and a powerful German businessman. I read this book for the first time when I was 16, and it becomes more poignant and meaningful as I get older. It’s absolutely one of my favourite books of all time. One of my favourite lines from this beautiful and tragic novel: 

I finally realized I’d fallen into the trap of love and passion set by this German man who wasn’t supposed to be anything more than a sex partner. By way of my vulva, he had reached my vulnerable heart and then the intimacy behind my eyes.

2. The Highlander series by Karen Marie Moning

These novels are my favourite kind of romance novel: elements of magic and historical fiction (most of them have a time-travel element into medieval Scotland and feature Celtic druids and the Fae), actually well-written and exciting PLOTS, and really fucking good smut. If you read any of KMM’s books, you’ll know where my smut inspiration comes from… though I would argue that my scenes are more explicit XD

3. The entire Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

J. K. Rowling is the epitome of addictive writing. There was one summer where I read the second and third books over and over and over ad nauseum literally at least 4 times each because I couldn’t get enough of the world she’d created and the fourth book wasn’t due out for another year. I was totally obsessed. I know the first 5 books so well that I can tell the wording differences between the American and British editions. I am a murderer at Harry Potter trivia. I can’t say that my writing is as directly influenced by the HP series as it has been by the above two authors, but when I read a bit of the Order of the Phoenix recently, I realized some of my turns of phrase are similar to phrasings that Rowling uses. In sum: I love her and she’s a genius. POTTERHEADS FOREVER

4. Sushi for Beginners by Marian Keyes

This is another book I’ve read so many times that I can tell the differences between the original Irish and American editions. I also first read when I was 16 or so and I love it more with every passing year. It was the first novel I read where the relationships depicted felt very real – the people in them are flawed and imperfect, and situations get awkward, and everyone doesn’t get a happy ending. 

5. Love The One You’re With by Emily Giffin

Emily Giffin has become more hit-and-miss as time goes on IMO, but I really like her first four novels, and this one in particular has become more meaningful to me as I get older. I genuinely believe that marriage/lifelong commitment to a partner is a choice: every time you get in a fight, every time there’s an upheaval in your lives that changes the dynamic between you and your partner or makes you question your relationship, you make an active choice to stay with your partner and to actively work on keeping your relationship strong because you love each other enough to try. I truly believe this, and this book is a very good depiction of just such a choice. 

6. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

I am not a poetry girl. But this compilation by Rupi Kaur is so fucking raw and relatable and beautiful and tragic. I recommend that every young woman* read this book of poetry. Rupi addresses a lot of feelings and experiences that are common to young women, and after you read this, you won’t feel alone.
*Caveat: this book is geared for women who love men and focuses a lot on the gender dynamics of women and men, so I don’t think it would have the same impact for those who aren’t romantically/sexually interested in men.

Hope this was interesting for someone out there, and maybe someone will be inspired to check out something new to read! I’ll do another post in a few days about movies that have inspired me!

Tag meme

Tagged by @seekerandstoryteller and @littlesnowarrow! Thanks ladies! xo

Name: Oh. We’re using our made-up names? Then I am Pika. 

Gender: Female

Star Sign: Gemini

Height: 5′3″

What image do you have as wallpaper? Rotating roster of Horizon Zero Dawn photos! 

Have you ever had a crush on a teacher? Yep! English teacher in high school, at least one prof but I can’t remember a specific one right now. I LIKE NERDS OKAY

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Honestly? <SHRUG> Probably still working as a speech-pathologist? Still living in Toronto in all likelihood? 

If you could be anywhere else right now, where? In Iceland at Jokulsarlon (the glacier lagoon). I didn’t have a proper camera when I went there in 2016 and now that I do, I would love to go back and take more photos. Here’s one with the fiancé’s iPhone… OH MAN NOW THAT I LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS AGAIN THE RESOLUTION IS SO BAD 😭

What was your coolest Halloween costume? I dressed as Ash Ketchum a few years ago when I first cut my hair short. That was the only costume I’ve done for myself. My mom was a pretty badass costume maker when I was a kid though.

What’s your favourite 90′s show? Sailor Moon! The North American dubbed version where Neptune and Uranus were “cousins” 😏

Last kiss? Goodnight kiss last night from the mister.

Have you ever been stood up? Uhhh, don’t think so.

Have you ever been to Las Vegas? Nope, and I’m not interested.

Favourite pair of shoes: I’m torn between my super comfy plain black Sanuk flip-flops (padded with yoga mat so they’re nice and squishy) and my Mass Effect comic-book heels featuring Garrus Vakarian.

Favourite fruit: Peaches, mangoes, cherries… WE’RE FRUIT-LOVING TWINS @seekerandstoryteller!!!

Favourite book: I have to pick just one?? Fine, I guess it would be Shanghai Baby by Wei Hui. But if we’re talking series, I’m a HUGE Potterhead too, and also love His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. 

Stupidest thing you’ve ever done: Didn’t stop long enough at a stop sign and TOTALLED a rental vehicle when I got T-boned. Fortunately (SERIOUSLY SO FORTUNATELY) nobody was injured. 

I’ll tag: @horizonfan12, @hellarcanine, @sun-bae and anyone else who wants to play! Don’t want to bug you guys with tags!!