Just an introvert sharing all the things she's nerdy for.
Author: White Elorda
Introvert, nerd, and now wannabe blogger! Sharing my nerdy interests out here on the internet! Let's have a talk about nerdy stuff! What are you nerdy for?
As the title suggests, today I will be making a post about my current itabag collection!
What is an itabag you might ask. Well an itabag is a handbag, backpack or other kind of bag that is covered in badges, buttons, figurines and other merchandise pertaining to anime and manga fandom.
I use the term a little bit more loosely as not all of my itabags are related to a fandom, but they do all follow themes!
I started using itabags about 5 years ago – the main reason being that they are a wonderful way to show off your pins and keychains without worrying about them getting lost – thanks to the handy windows the bags have!
With all that being said – let’s get into it!
Shark Itabag
First off we have my Shark Itabag! I’ve been a shark nerd pretty much my whole life, so it is only natural that I have an itabag dedicated to my favourite animals!
Next up is my Piers Itabag! This is probably the bag I have put the most effort into collecting pieces for! I actually want to create an insert for this bag so I can fit even more Piers in it!
The latest addition to my collection is this adorable Magpie Itabag. This one doesn’t have a definite theme yet – so for now it just has the 2 bird pins that came with it!
Last but certainly not least is my Isabelle Itabag! Eventually this will be a Celeste/Blathers/Animal Crossing Itabag, but right now it hold all of my cute/nerdy pins!
And that’s it for my current itabag collection! Which is your favourite? Do you have an itabag, if so what theme is it? What would you most like to make an itabag with?
Diolch am ddarllen! Thanks for reading and remember to stay nerdy my friends!
Today, I’m going to be doing a round up of my favourite video games! Some of these will be entire series, some will just be individual titles!
Let’s not waste time, and dive right into it!
Devil May Cry Series
While the rest of this list won’t be in any particular order – Devil May Cry definitely sits at the top of my favourite games list! It is by far my favourite series of video games. My obsession with this series can be traced back to my brother and I renting the first game from our local video rental store (not a Blockbuster, but very similar.) Just saying that sentence makes me feel old – tell me quickly, do you remember Blockbuster?
I immediately fell in love with the style of the game, the sassy protagonist, and just the entire vibe of the game in general. Naturally, we picked up the second game after the first, and I really enjoyed that one too.
My love for this series was well and truly cemented with the release of Devil May Cry 3 in 2005, and the proper introduction of Dante’s (the aforementioned sassy protagonist) twin brother Vergil. (I say proper introduction because he is mentioned in Devil May Cry 1.) I remember this game coming out at around the same time as the original release of Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube.
This was honestly the point where Vergil took over as my favourite character in the series, though Dante will always be a close second.
Just a note because I feel I should mention it – I do not include the DmC reboot game as a part of this series. It’s a reboot. While I did like DmC as a game, (it had some interesting elements) I hated it as a Devil May Cry game. It had none of the charm of any of the other games until this point. That is all I will say on that.
My least favourite game in the series is Devil May Cry 4 – mostly because I hate Nero. I will take Dante from Devil May Cry 2 over Nero any day. I still don’t really like him after Devil May Cry 5, but I do appreciate that they developed him into his own person in that game.
My favourite game in the series is Devil May Cry 3, with 5 coming a close second. The 11 years of waiting for that game was well worth it.
Silent Hill Series
What started as Konami’s attempt to make a Resident Evil clone became so much more – a true cornerstone of the Survival Horror genre in video gaming.
I love the Silent Hill series as a whole – especially all of the thought that went into the lore of the series. It’s deep and rich, and a really fun rabbit hole to find yourself going down. The monster design, especially in the second and third games, is also exceptional. Pyramid Head, or Red Pyramid Thing, is an icon for a reason.
I will admit here that I have only played the second and third games, as well as Silent Hill Downpour, myself – though I am aware of the stories and mechanics of all of the games.
My favourite of the games from the Team Silent era (covering games 1 though 4) is definitely Silent Hill 2, a shocker, I know. I enjoy all of the characters, and all of the monsters are creepy and well thought out in their symbology. I also really enjoy the voyeuristic nature of Silent Hill 4: The Room.
My favourite game of the post-Team Silent games, and actually my favourite from the whole series is Silent Hill: Downpour. This is the latest game to have been released, and came out in 2012. I am not counting PT as that was only a demo, an amazing demo, but a demo nonetheless, and the full game was never released. Back to Downpour, I really like Murphy, the main character, and the slight subversion of the games. At least that is my theory about it – but that’s a post for another day.
Resident Evil Series
In addition to Silent Hill, I am also a fan of the core series of the Resident Evil games, and also Code Veronica. I don’t really care too much for the spin off games, though I do enjoy the way they expand the lore sometimes.
As ridiculous as they are, I love the over the top stories that are the later games in the core series ( looking at you 5 and 6.) I appreciate the more subtle horror of the first games – that initial zombie sighting, looking over its shoulder at Jill, is still kind of chilling.
I don’t really care for the shift towards the more action-based game mechanics of Resident Evil 5 and 6, but I do still enjoy the story-lines.
My favourite game in the series is probably Resident Evil 4, followed by the remake of Resident Evil 2. (I only ever got to play the original 2 once.) In 4, I like seeing how Leon has come into his own after his experiences in Racoon City. I also really enjoy seeing the game that Devil May Cry 1 could have been.
Fun Fact: Devil May Cry was originally developed to be Resident Evil 4, but was changed later on to be something original. That’s something else I will probably dedicate a post to later on.
If you hadn’t already guessed, my favourite character from the Resident Evil series is Leon S Kennedy. My close second favourite is Billy Coen, a character I wish got mentioned more. Can you tell me which Resident Evil game features Billy Coen?
I will be bringing up Resident Evil again when I post about my favourite video game tie-in novels.
Darksiders Series
This one is a more recent series that I am extremely fond of. There is something about games focusing on the Apocalypse and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I’ve always been fascinated about the lore of the Horsemen, so naturally these games had me from the get go.
One of my favourite aspects, as I played through each of the games, is that each of the Horsemen has a unique personality, and they have a believable relationship with each other. For context here, the Four Horsemen are War, Death, Fury and Strife.
I also really enjoy the poilitics of Heaven and Hell – they are not portrayed as black and white, good and evil. The races that appears in the games are also cool, I especially like the Makers, and the denizens of the Kingdom of the Dead (another area with great politics involved.)
My favourite of the four games is the first one. I don’t have a favourite of the Four Horseman, though I really enjoy Michael Wincott as the voice of Death. If you haven’t heard him, I do recommend that you check him out. Two other characters that bring me a great deal of entertainment are Samael and Vulgrim.
Little bits of the whole story are slowly being revealed, so I do hope that we get enough games to get the full picture of what is happening. I also hope for a true sequel – games 2 and 3 happen parallel to the first, and the fourth game is a prequel to the main series.
Pokemon Sword and Shield
I specifically played Shield.
I’ll be honest here and say that I haven’t actually played a Pokemon game since the original Silver, and I actually ended up enjoying this one a lot more than I thought I would.
The entire reason for me playing this game is Piers, the Dark Type Gym Leader of the Galar Region. I caught a glimpse of him while watching other people playing the game and I immediately loved his aesthetic. After actually playing the game for myself, I love his character too.
I’m currently working on filling out the Pokedex in my game.
I have to say that I really like the new Pokemon designs – Corviknight and the Galarian form of the Zigzagoon especially. I will be doing a post of my favourite Pokemon at a later date.
What are some of your favourite Pokemon? If you played this game, did you play Sword or Shield?
Dishonored Series
I have not played these games myself, but I have watched complete walkthroughs for all of them.
This series of games is one of my favourites entirely because of the storyline. I greatly enjoy the way your morality and the choices you make factor into the ending you receive, as well as the way you actually play the game. I also like how your choices affect how the characters interact with you, their behaviour towards you as you proceed through the story.
The lore of the series is fantastic, especially the Overseer and how his influence may have affected history and events within the world of the game.
The characterisation of the assassin Daud, is another fascinating high point of the story. Within the DLC of the first game, we get to see what goes through his mind after he kills Empress Jessamine. I enjoy that he isn’t just a heartless killing machine. The dynamic he shares with the member of his gang is equally fascinating.
Favourite character of the series if by and far Corvo Attano, whether he be silent protagonist or chatty mentor. Daud and the Outsider are also up there among my faves.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk
This is one of my favourite games to play when I need to blow off steam – I cannot say enough how much I love the story of Berserk being combined with the hack n slash game mechanics of Dynasty Warriors.
That’s exactly what you get in Berserk and the Band of the Hawk by Koei Tecmo.
I haven’t played Guts’ Rage, which is the Berserk game for the Dreamcast, so I can’t speak to that one – but the Dynasty Warriors game mechanics are perfect for a video game based on Berserk. Cutting through swathes of enemies with Guts’ giant sword, and later on, the Berserker Armour, is a pretty good representation of the series – at least from a video game stand point. You really get the feeling of being the “Hundred Man Slayer”.
Having said that, I would love to see a Berserk game made by Miyazaki, of Dark Souls.
The storyline of Berserk and the Band of the Hawks covers the beginning of the manga up to the beginning of the Boat Arc.
You get to play through a variety of well known moments from the series including the Battle of Doldrey, the Eclipse, and the Fall of the Spirit Tree Mansion. You also get to interact with all the popular characters from Berserk, and experience the hell once more of most of the dying in the Eclipse.
Up until the end of the Eclipse uses footage from the 2012 set of Golden Age animated films, which act in part as cutscenes for the game. The only language available in the game is Japanese, but there are English subtitles.
And that is all for my favourite video games! Do you enjoy any of the games or series that I have mentioned? What are some of your favourite video games?
Thank you everyone for reading, and remember to stay nerdy my friends!
Happy 1st Day of Meteorological Autumn! To celebrate the approach of my favourite season, I will be answering some autumn tag questions! What is your favourite season?
I got these question from a Youtube video by CozyKitsune. Feel free to answer any of them for yourself!
Spooky Autumn or Cozy Autumn?
I’m going to have to go with Spooky Autumn for this one. Not scary, just spooky. It’s the best way to get in the mood for Halloween.
Also, I like to be cozy all the time – so spooky feels much more specific for Autumn.
An Autumn Activity You’d Like To Try?
I’ve never been to a pumpkin patch, so I’d really like to do that.
Some other activities I’d really like to try is a hayride, and visiting a haunted house attraction.
Ghoul, Ghost, or Monster?
Monster, most definitely. Preferably a werewolf, a chubby werewolf who travels around with a vampire. If his name is Duke, then all the better. (Wink if you know what that reference is.)
I’ll always choose monsters, mostly because I find most of them super fascinating, and I’m a big fan of monster films, all the way from Dracula to Godzilla (King of the Monsters).
Favourite Animated Spooky Film?
The Halloween Tree. I haven’t actually watched it in a while, but it will always be my favourite.
It is based on a story by Ray Bradbury and follows a group of children as they search for a friend and learn about the various world traditions around Halloween time. I recommend it if you’ve never seen it.
A poster for the Halloween Tree television movie made by Cartoon Network.
Gore, Supernatural, or Thriller?
Definitely supernatural. I don’t mind gore at all, but I definitely favour supernatural – they tend to be spookier over all.
One of my favourite films to watch around Halloween is Sleepy Hollow by Tim Burton, which is a very spooky, supernatural film.
Something You’re Excited to Wear this Autumn
I have a black mesh/slightly transparent blouse that has velvet coffin details on it that picked up earlier this year. I am super excited to wear that.
My coffin shirt from Hot Topic.
I’m also excited in general to get to wear my favourite styles of clothing, including sweaters and jeans, thanks to the weather cooling down.
A Song that Reminds You of Autumn?
Come Wayward Souls from the Over the Garden Wall OST. Actually any song from that soundtrack is a good Autumn song. Also, the main theme from Spirited Away by Studio Ghibli.
Also, oddly enough, Bad Day by Daniel Powter really puts me in an Autumn Mood.
What did you dress up as last Halloween?
Unfortunately, I did not dress up last Halloween.
Would you prefer your Arms or Legs to be Chilly?
I’m a human furnace, so I don’t really get chilly, but given the choice, I would rather my arms be chilly.
I feel as though it’s easier to do something about my arms being chilly.
Favourite Serial Killer?
If by favourite, you mean which one I find the most fascinating – that would have to be Peter Kurten – the Vampire of Dusseldorf. He committed at least 9 murders in Dusseldorf, Germany, in the year of 1929. You can probably figure from his nickname how he killed his victims.
I also find Elizabeth Bathory quite interesting as well. Mostly due to all the legend and superstition surrounding her – similar to Dracula.
Favourite Thing to Do in a Graveyard?
Not something I indulge in often, but honestly – just walking and enjoying the ambience. With the exception of military cemeteries – I find graveyards rather peaceful and calming. Sometimes I’ll just admire the craftsmanship of the tombstones.
Ever been on a Supernatual Tour?
No, but there are several places that I would greatly enjoy taking a tour of. For example. I’d love to on a tour of Alcatraz Island, Pennhurst Asylum and the battlefields of Gettysburg.
Favourite Autumn Leaf?
I grew up around a lot of sycamore trees (in all the places I lived) so I’d have to go with sycamore leaves.
It doesn’t hurt that they turn such beautiful colours in the Autumn.
Favourite Autumn Make-up Look?
I’d have to say a dark red, or grey, smoky eye look with a vampy lipstick. I usually stick with matte lipstick in the autumn – it’s the only season where I don’t think that gloss fits.
Below I’ve included some of the makeup that I like to wear the most during the Autumn.
BlackCraft Night Fiend palette with Cat Fight lipstick from Menagerie CosmeticsKVD Beauty Saint and Sinner Palette with Grimoire liquid lipstick from Makeup
The Sound of Falling Rain or a Crackling Fireplace?
Since I hail from a land where it is always raining (the British Isles) so hands down, I prefer the sound of falling rain. It never fails to make me feel calm and cozy.
Honestly though, I’ve always associated the sound of a crackling fireplace more with Winter than with Autumn.
And that’s all for the Autumn Tag questions! I’d love to see if you answer any of these for yourself.
Also, what are some of your favourite things about Autumn? Do you prefer Pumpkin Spice, or Apple Cider?
Diolch am ddarllen, and remember to stay nerdy my friends!
Kind of a late post today, but I started writing this out earlier and got side tracked. But anyway, here’s what I carry around in my bag whenever I have to leave the house!
I won’t show the actual bag, as that varies quite often depending upon my mood!
First up is my notebook and pen! The pen is from Target, and I think that the notebook came from Half Price Books.
This is actually one of my witchy notebooks, where I write observations and thoughts, but I will also keep my lists in here when I need them. Usually so I don’t forget anything on grocery runs!
Next up is my purses! One carries my cash, and the other my cards, driver’s license, etc. I’ve been using these for years and I don’t plan on swapping them out any time soon!
Both of these came from Identity Pollution!
Next is my keys and my steel straws! I have a set of straws from the amazing Byte Size Treasure!
Something that has come in handy more and more often is this reusable shopping bag that folds up. Right now, this is smaller than my notebook!
I picked this up from Daiso while I was in New York last year!
My Jaws makeup bag!
Last but not least is this Jaws makeup bag! You’ll have to stay tuned for another post to see what I keep in here!
That’s everything that I keep in my bag on a day to day basis!
What do you carry around with you everywhere you go? Let me know in the comments below!
That’s right – it’s about time I did something like this, just to let any readers get a more rounded idea of who I am. So here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about me.
I am a naturalised US Citizen.
I have been for 4 years now. I was born in the United Kindgom, specifically in North Wales. My family moved to the US in 2008, I joined them permanently in 2010. All of my relatives outside of my immediate family still live in Wales, and I like to go and visit them whenever I can.
2. I studied Marine Biology in University.
I didn’t actually finish unfortunately – but I hope to go back and do so one day. I’ve wanted to study marine life since I was 4 years old and a family member showed me some photos that he had taken while scuba diving. Since then, I’ve been hooked on learning all I can about marine creatures, but most especially sharks and rays.
3. I’m a certified Open Water Diver.
This one ties in with no. 2. I got certified as a open water scuba diver when I was 16 years old. I was lucky enough to get my certification in Egypt during a family holiday. My dad also got certified with me, and is my diving buddy. I got my certification through PADI.
4. I am allergic to coconut and turkey.
Kind of a weird one, but isn’t that the point with lists like this? As far as allergies go, I think mine are fairly unusual. The coconut one can be especially frustrating when it comes to things like skincare and makeup – as a lot of those contain coconut oil, which I cannot use, as it will make me break out and is just in general not a fun time.
5. I used to fence, my preferred weapon is an epee.
I took up fencing when I was in High School and enjoyed it greatly. I trained in using a foil, a saber, and an epee, but epee was always my favourite, and the one I specialised in. Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep up with going to my local club after I started attending university, but I do still have all of my own equipment. My preferred handle is the pistol grip.
6. My favourite gaming console of all time is the Nintendo GameCube.
I wanted to throw a nerdy one in here. While I talk about gaming sometimes on here, and I have mentioned what my favourite game is – but I don’t think I’ve ever talked about my favourite console. The GameCube holds a lot of fond memories for me, mostly from playing Mario Kart: Double Dash and WarioWare with my friends. My favourite Resident Evil game also had it’s debut on the GameCube. (A cookie for anyone who can tell me which Resident Evil game it is.)
7. My favourite Final Fantasy summon is Knights of the Round
With Final Fantasy VII once again gaining popularity from the release of the Remake, I thought I’d include what my favourite summon is from Final Fantasy as a whole. That would be Knights of the Round from the original Final Fantasy VII. It is by far the hardest summon to get, but it is so worth it. It will always be my favourite of all time – though I do also enjoy Ramuh from Final Fantasy XV.
8. I’m really good at crane games
Another kind of weird one, but it’s true. I don’t win at crane games every time, as there is other factors at play, but I am good at getting the crane exactly where it needs to be each time. I feel like I should make a video or something actually showing this one. I spent a lot of time in arcades as a kid, so I got a lot of practice at these things.
Also, this refers specifically to western style cranes games (the kind with a three or four pronged grabber) as opposed to the UFO style that is popular in Japanese arcades. I need some more practice with the latter kind.
9. I have really neat handwriting
This one sounds like a brag, but it is something that I have had more than a few people comment on. Though my handwriting is quite neat, for the longest time I was not able to write in a straight line without a guide. I had a laminated piece of lined paper that I would place underneath plain paper that would guide my writing so my sentences didn’t end up drooping as they went along the page.
A sample of my handwriting
10. My favourite Cryptid is the Jersey Devil.
We’ll finish with something that I only realised about myself recently. My fiancee is a big fan of Mothman, which leads to us having a discussion about Cryptids. It is during this that I realise that my favourite of the North American Cryptids is the Jersey Devil. There are a couple of reasons for this – I had a fascination with him before I ever moved to the US; and I remember playing a PS1 game based on the legend when I was younger.
I also really like the design of the Jersey Devil in The Wolf Among Us, which is based upon Fables – one of my favourite comic book series.
Anyway, that’s it for my 10 things you may not have known about me. Did you know any of these things already?
I’m gathering questions for a Q&A, so if there is anything that you would like to ask me, then feel free to comment them below!
Welcome to another Feature Friday! This week I will be featuring the ever so talented Bonez of LovelyBonezProductions!
I have been following Bonez for several years now and their work never ceases to amaze me!
If you want to check out their amazing work for yourself, you can find them on Instagram at @lovelybonezproductions
I want to share with you a couple of pieces I have commissioned from them.
This is a piece of my OC with Erwin Smith and is taken from a Witchy AU that I write in my spare time. I love the easy feeling I get whenever I look at this image. I love the colour palette that Bonez chose to use and how it compliments the characters and the setting.
From the same AU, this piece features Mike Zacharius (a werewolf) and his petite mate Carrie (who is my fiancées OC) enjoying a cuddle on the sofa. Again I love the use of colour and the warmth it gives to the image.
Bonez creates both fanart and original work, in both traditional and digital mediums, and all of it is a wonder to behold. I cannot recommend checking them out enough.
White Elorda’s Nerdy Lifestyle Blog 