# My Looty!



## Reluctanine (May 11, 2014)

Alright! Fine! I admit it! I sometimes do enjoy going out. Ahahaha. Especially when it's one-on-one and we're not rushing around all over the place with a set plan in mind and being forced to follow it. Of course, I would always rather chill out at home, but when I go out with a purpose to get something and I actually do it, it makes me feel very happy! ESPECIALLY when it's something I so desperately need to accomplish one of my dearly held goals.

TADAHHHHH!!!!!!!










I got all this yesterday!!! Wow, it's the first time I actually got something and my mum didn't. Not that we didn't try, we actually went to quite a few clothing and accessory shops to look for clothes and hairbands for her, but there were no sales on or they designs just weren't satisfactory. And yes, we were both so tired, she just collapsed in bed at night, but I went online to read articles and stuff to further my grounding in MBTI. I felt a bit guilty for making @Leo Argent wait while I was trying to gather more information and make myself more confident before spouting all the stuff in my head out.

SO ANYWAY. MY LOOT. 

I LOVE this pen from Mitsubishi Pencil. It's the Uni-ball Signo Dx, at 0.28 nib. I've been using this since high school. I remember the first time I used it was when I borrowed a friend's pen because I left my pencil case at home. (Yeah, a bit forgetful then.) I was like.... WHAT IS THIS!? WHY CAN THE INK FLOW SO WELL? I think it's how I grip my pen but most pens just... I either start off well, and then suddenly I can't get the ink to flow out, or they just don't work for me at all. And they always run out really quickly for some reason. This pen is the best! This brand, actually. You can see I bought two. I just couldn't resist getting the pretty pink sakura flowers on the serene black pen body, even though that nib is 0.38. And, well, I needed it anyway!

Take a look at my fallen knights. 










I used up the whole of that pen and when I tried to continue using the other two, they were dried up! Like, it didn't occur to me to rotate them. Urgh. I'm still keeping the other two to try and work some dark magic on them. My ISTJ dad says that I should submerge the two nibs in some warm water. I'll go and look online for tips. Oh, and it didn't help that they were stored horizontally. Apparently from some forums I read, these pens are best stored vertically. So, I'm placing them in a cup from now on. Sighhhhhhh. I feel so bad. I don't want to waste the ink. I'm going to try and resuscitate them.

So, in an effort to make sure I take better care of my pens, I'm going to name them from now on. My sexy black 0.28 nib pen shall be thus named XCALIBUR! And my pink flowered 0.38 nib pen shall be thus creatively named SAKURA! Yeah, I'm so great at names I amaze myself sometimes.

So, as you can see, my pencil that I've been using from high school is pretty busted up too. The handle has dropped off. (I tried to fix it with scotch tape, didn't work.) The grip is disintegrating and I didn't notice how bad it had become until I tried using it and my hand hurt when I used it for a long time. So, I got a new green pencil! Decided to try a new colour. I bought my pens and that pencil together. Same type of pencil: Pilot Super Grip 0.5. Non-shaker, thanks. I don't need that! Costs about a dollar more too.

Then I went to a shopping mall with my mom and SAW THAT SLEEK METAL PINK PENCIL. Omg. I was basically looking for a thick pencil, because the way I grip a pencil makes my hand hurt when the body is too thin. And the pink one is big! I mean, there were other colours, but I decided to go for pink this time because it felt right for some reason. I think the tone of it was good. Colourful and makes me want to write. Pentel Energize Pencil 0.5 nib. The metal and grip feels super good. Sorry pencils, I won't be naming you. To me, you're just tools for my drawings and notes. But my pens are like an extension of my self, so they're a lot more important to me.

So, XCalibur and Sakura, welcome to the family that lives in my room. Please get along with James and Bobby the lizards who occasionally crawl across my ceiling and my soft toys, thanks. (I named the lizards so that I would stop being afraid of them, since they eat any mosquitoes that might come into my room. My mum named an outside lizard Mary last night, after I taught her this method.)

Oh yeah, the chopsticks are for my hair, in case anyone is wondering. (Not that you would, I mean, one would assume chopsticks go in mouth.) @ElliCat Chopsticks! I got tired of looking for fashion chopsticks that were so expensive anyway.

Hmmm. The rain has stopped, so that means I have to go out soon to try and get a light fixture for my room and a tap flow thingy for the kitchen.


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## ElliCat (May 4, 2014)

I love that you call them pencils! To me they're pacers, and these are pencils:










But maybe I'm still stuck in primary school and the rest of the world has moved on without me.

And chopsticks!!! Sakura!!! So pretty!!! <3


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## Reluctanine (May 11, 2014)

@ElliCat

Woaaaah pacers? I've never heard them called that before! We call them mechanical pencils here, or even shakers. Lol! Wow, so different!

Let me introduce you to my pencil bros!










Right? I don't think I can throw Sakura away even after the ink is finished. I don't think I can throw my decade old high school pacer away even.  He can still write, just not for long. I'm planning to hide him with my other writing instruments to keep him safe from my ISFJ mom.


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## Kyusaku (Mar 18, 2014)

@Reluctanine
I love the chopsticks ! I don't like writing with pens though, I prefer pencils. My shopping time will come early july with the biggest japan culture convention in Europe. I wish I had saved more, but I'm already thrilled !


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## Reluctanine (May 11, 2014)

@Kyusaku

The chopsticks are so awesome, right? We got them in total for $4. The black ones are $11 and the purple ones are $3.50. We had $7 store credit.

I used to dislike writing with pencils and then when I read through my writing from years ago, I realised the ones in pencil had faded, while the pens remained strong. So, I switched to pens, because some of the writing ideas I don't plan to use until years later when my writing ability has matured more. Plus, pens make me clarify my thoughts before I commit to writing them down. I've grown to really love pens even though I have to cancel out mistakes I make. Kind of annoying when I have to do that, but it's an appropriate sacrifice.

Oh cool! What's the name of the convention? If you don't mind me asking. It sounds like super fun.


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## Kyusaku (Mar 18, 2014)

@Reluctanine
You are right, pencils are frustrating but I love the physical feeling of writing and how the form and style of letters is much more diversified compared to pens. I always get dirty with pens somehow, I think because I'm writing too slowly I guess, ink accumulates and end up on my fingers. :frustrating:

It is Japan Expo in Paris ! I was there last year and it was great, there was so much stuff: fashion, tradition, super cheap mangas and dvds, famous bands and artists, etc... I was blown away and physically exhausted after 4 days, there was like 300 000 people or something, I've never seen such crowds in my life. But I got fond memories, so I'm excited to have new ones ! :blushed:


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## ElliCat (May 4, 2014)

Oh we call them mechanical pencils too! I think that might be the more "grown up" name. I don't know, never got into the habit of using them because pencils were better for sneakily drawing in class. 
@Kyusaku I get some ink on my fingers when I write a LOT but pencil makes a bigger mess - I seem to rub my hand on it as I write/draw and I get big patches of "lead" (graphite or whatever they use now) on the outside of my little finger/hand and smudge it all over the paper. For that reason I prefer pens, haha. That and like Reluctanine said, pen lasts, pencil doesn't. But to be honest I use computer a lot more now.


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## Reluctanine (May 11, 2014)

@Kyusaku

REALLY? Pencils have much more diversified form and style? I thought it just depended on the way you controlled the tool...? There's also pen calligraphy. But yes, I can see how pens might be a problem. I used to get my whole hand black with ink.

OH WOW Paris! I've never been there before. Should be fun! Did you see all the pretty cosplays too? Or attend a competition? I think I would be overwhelmed with the crowd. Is there any food there? I can tell you're very excited.


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## Kyusaku (Mar 18, 2014)

@ElliCat
Yes it is annoying because then all the writing is kind of messed up, with a dirty look. :dry:
Text editors are so much more practical, but I miss the paper, I miss the physical sensation of writing.
@Reluctanine
Sorry for the misunderstanding, I meant the way you shape your letters and link them into words.
I'm lucky to live there but I can't stand big cities longer than days. Actually the European Cosplay Gathering finale is hosted in Japan Expo, the costumes are gorgeous... Many people cosplay or have fancy clothing as well. I'm too shy to partake in anything though. :mellow: You can eat takoyaki, donburi, gyoza and stuff, but it is expensive... 
This gives an idea of how crowded it was, this is just one fourth of the expo. :laughing:


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## Reluctanine (May 11, 2014)

ElliCat;bt41521 said:


> Oh we call them mechanical pencils too! I think that might be the more "grown up" name. I don't know, never got into the habit of using them because pencils were better for sneakily drawing in class.


HUH that's odd. I wonder why they're called pacers though? Is it because they're... typically shaken and there's a beat to shaken them, so it's like a pacemaker?


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## ElliCat (May 4, 2014)

Got it! It's one of those brand name things, like Band Aid for plasters or whatever you guys call them. 










Pacer 300.... how 90's high tech does THAT sound?!?!!!


@Kyusaku SHUT UP MY MOUTH IS WATERING


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## Kyusaku (Mar 18, 2014)

@ElliCat
It looks so cheap... I was dissapointed in Paper Mate recently, the pen looked alright but the inside wasn't. 
The worst is having to choose between buying stuff and satisfy your appetit, the smell is a terrible ordeal to withstand. 
Three weeks to go, time is a slug. :frustrating:


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## ElliCat (May 4, 2014)

@Kyusaku They're not really my favourite things to use full stop. I'm not exactly a pen connoisseur but I'm a sucker for fine point (neater, less ink to splotch my paper), blue ink (less harsh than black?) and pretty, but tough. I think my current pen of choice is Bic - not entirely sure as I have a habit of buying pens, losing them, replacing them, losing the replacements and then finding the old ones in the bottom of handbags/desk drawers/old shoe boxes - but after the clusterfuck that was Bic for Her I think I might have to change brands.


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## Kyusaku (Mar 18, 2014)

@ElliCat
Thank you for the link, the reviews are hilarious. :laughing:
Bic being a french brand it is the most used around here, it's pretty good overall. The ink seems much more "dry" though, because sometimes it doesn't come out fast enough, and the grip becomes uncomfortable when you write for too long. I've got a hardcover notebook for my birthday and the paper is unsuitable for pencils, so I am on the lookout as well.


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## Kyusaku (Mar 18, 2014)

Digital hiccup.


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## Reluctanine (May 11, 2014)

@ElliCat

OMG SO COOL!!!! Yeah, I can see why you call all of them Pacers now. That is one cool looking pencil. I mean, the body is too thin for me, but it looks like some sports car, all sleek and nice.


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