Living In Lockdown: A Cosplayer's Dream Come True?!

It's crazy right now, isn't it? Honestly, I've written end of the world stuff and now we're living it. Is it too late to trade it in for time travelling aliens instead..?

As a confirmed introvert, I've probably found lockdown easier than most. I'm grateful for my unsociable mentality, a safe home, enough food that I'm unfortunately putting on the weight to prove it, decent internet, and a job that's currently still paying me even though my job isn't really much of a do from home kind. I struggled for a while over the fact that despite being content to be at home and not go anywhere, being TOLD to do it instantly made me want to rebel. Fortunately my brain overrode that illogical and emotional response.

My children, however, have responded in different and sometimes unexpected ways. My eldest was unsurprisingly upset at missing her last few weeks of college, of hoping to surpass her already good mock grades with the now cancelled actual ones, meeting up with friends for her birthday, to celebrate and commiserate over their final results, and then her Freshers week at university. To her, the world had ended. Dramatic? Maybe. But at the same time I can see how this felt to her, how devastating it was. 

For my older boy, who would normally love staying in his room with his game consoles, I've had surprising comments on how he might get bored, asking me if he can go to the shop to buy biscuits, a mixture of disappointment and relief of his school trip being cancelled (he'd developed some anxiety issues with travelling). Youngest is missing school - he'd just started secondary school and was really loving it - and now he's missing a third of his first year. I thought lockdown would give me some certainty, but it's only given rise to a different set of unknowns. Will I keep getting paid? Will any of us get sick? Technically I'm a key worker (education) but caring for my own kids takes priority. My husband's a key worker, and on the vulnerable list. I have to worry if he'll get sick, or bring it home. If he got sent home, lockdown would put even greater strain on his depression and anxiety (and frankly that would then fray my nerves and put us all under stress). We are luckier than most but as a nation everyone is feeling the pressure to a greater or lesser degree.

But I can't dwell on those thoughts. I don't even watch the news and stop listening when hubs quotes the latest numbers. All I need to know is when lockdown ends and when we all go back to normal. In the meantime, I am keeping busy...

Since I've got time on my hands (besides the few do at home jobs I can do and helping out with school work), I decided I might as well tackle my most ambitious cosplay yet. Some of you might recall my fondness for reptiles (yes, something other than chickens!), and maybe my own reptilian aliens from my books. I also have a fondness for a particular reptilian species from a certain favourite sci-fi series...

Silurian (Doctor Who)

I've been planning this cosplay for a long time. It's not easy. But the lockdown has given me time and a desperate need to be doing something to keep my hands and mind busy, so it seemed the perfect opportunity. Although I may have gone a little mad...

Yeah, that's a life size still on the right (and the manikin with my progress so far). While I have a perfect 1:12 scale model and lots of photos I've been able to take details and calculate measurements from, the life size version has allowed me to double check my figures and will really help with my cosplay. There is so much work to be done, and that's even without moulding and casting the mask (which I'm not doing for this current version. I've actually been able to source those online).

BBC EVA Silurian mask

Etsy Sylurian latex mask

Decimated Design Demon Cowl

One day I will make my own latex mask...but not right now. The outfit will be challenge enough.

Writing Update
How shocked would you be if I have something here? Because I do. I have edits booked for June, for the next novella in my main series. More Keir and Quin! Well, hopefully. We'll see what my editor thinks of it...

Chook Update
My girls are loving lockdown because for them it means lots of time free ranging. Fortunately the weather has been dry if still on the cold side initially, enough that I've spent most of my time working out in the garden so the girls can wander free (and the sunlight has certainly helped keep my mood up for sure). And I've never been so grateful for their eggs when panic buying cleared the shelves for a while. If nothing else we always had eggs!

Kitten Update
At ten months old, Ember and Astrid are definitely settled and keeping us on our toes. They are taking lockdown in a fashion I wish I could emulate!

Stay safe.