deviantART, Live Journal, (current ID picture)

Update: January 28, 2009

I'm not dead yet! Things just got a little chaotic on my end.

Firstly, I was picked to audition for a state competition that I've been practicing my butt off for. That led to my acquiring Tennis Elbow, which is Not Good for a piano major. (Ugh. For a while, I couldn't even lift my music binder, let alone pick up my textbooks.) I'm not yet one hundred percent "cured", and I can't stop playing the piano -- I've got that competition and a solo recital coming up.

Next, our Internet connection kinda blew up in our faces. I think someone hacked the router or something. So that means I'm stuck with what little time I can spare at school to sneak in to the library -- which isn't that much, considering I sometimes have eight hours of classes (without a lunch/dinner break), on top of the practicing, on top of the homework, on top of the commute, etc.

Then (because it gets better, folks) my flash drives got packed away into storage boxes because of one of the random cleaning urges my mom goes through, my external hard drive refused to turn on (I found this out because a reviewer told me that Unaccounted For had a repeat chapter and was trying to see if I could find the real chapter 2, only to become frustrated at all the things that aren't working), and I might have viruses on my computer. Plus, it's hard to find time to actually sit down and write, let alone come up with ideas for more chapters.

I have to remind myself that I don't necessarily believe in karma, because I occasionally end up wondering what in the world just happened after being run over by a series of really bad things coming right after another.

So. I'm going on a hiatus. At least, until the competition, make-up tests/juries (because my teacher wouldn't let me perform right after I was diagnosed with Tennis Elbow), and recital are over. At this point, the support straps on my arms make typing and writing for an extended amount of time very difficult and uncomfortable. My handwriting is mostly illegible -- more so than before.

I apologize to all the people who were looking forward for updates. Unless something extremely good happens in the near future, I won't be writing at all. Either that, or you'll be bombarded with chapters when I get super stressed out and need to vent through creative means.

I hope to see you around when I come back!

July 27, 2008

Hello, readers! My full pen name is Yatsuka Hikagi, which is actually a combination of my real name and a random collection of sounds that I liked way back when I was coming up with my first pseudonym. My nickname is Ika - which is also a spin-off-slash-somewhat-shortened-version of my real name. My sushi-loving sister was the one who told me that it means "squid", and inspired me to make the icon/avatar. The hanja (Chinese character - or kanji, for those of you who are more familiar with it's Japanese equivalent) on its forehead is how you would traditionally write my last name.

I am a full-time student studying music. In between juggling eight (the number varies) classes, practicing a minimum of four hours a day, commuting/carpooling to school at five in the morning, and occasional jobs, I like to come up with bizarre, brain-twisting one-shots. I love crossovers because I like to draw parallels and similarities between series. Unfortunately, I am not very good at elaborating on plot, so most of the works here are very short and not as substantial as I'd like... which is also why they are in collections, instead of as stand-alone stories.

Also unfortunately, I am very much a chronic procrastinator; it takes a very long time for me to come up with anything, unless there is an overwhelming amount of motivation backing me up. Updates are usually sporadic and dependent on available time and how furiously my plot bunnies decide to attack me. I try to post something every month, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. I also try to update stories (in particular, the collections, because those are easier to write) that are towards the bottom of the list.

I tend to doodle in my notes (thankfully, my teachers don't ever see them), and would like to improve my meager drawing skills. Of course, if I had it my way, I'd also be a mangaka/novelist/composer, and come up with my own animations and soundtracks for my original stories. And be ambidextrous - don't forget that. (One can wish, right? hahaha)

I read a lot of stories, but only favorite and archive ones that particularly catch my interest. Though I prefer good grammar, spelling, and characterizations, I am willing to let mistakes slip by if the idea behind the story is exceptionally enthralling. I try to leave reviews behind as much as possible, but my Internet connection and I have a very bad relationship, apparently.

Please feel free to contact me through my forums (see link above) or FFN's PM system. PMs are preferred, because while I don't visit FFN every day, I do check my email as often as I can manage. If you would like to drop a line just to chat, I don't mind at all. Unfortunately, I've been attacked by a lot of spam in the past, so I don't show people my email address or screen name unless they PM me first (and include their own, with spaces so that it doesn't get deleted off the message).

-- Ika (Yatsuka Hikagi)

Fanart:

Black River -- folder

-- Most recent: Uchiha Ryuushi

In Way of Trouble Again -- folder

-- Most recent: Luna and Sasuke

Plunnies:

Apocryphal Realities -- Chapter 01: The Awakening