Cactus Codex

Pony blogger, actual cactus, artist, writer, computer scientist, and linguist. New Jersey / Pennsylvania | 21 | male, he/him/his | asexual hispanic | Cereus repandus, or Peruvian apple cactus

Just what exactly distinguishes a man from a woman (short of the person outright stating his/her gender) on Tumblr? Is it chattiness? Because you, Mr. Cactus, are not all that talkative.

Asked by Anonymous

I’m not sure. Tumblr can be very sensitive when it comes to gender identity, so I’m not gonna get all “logical” about it.

However…

I personally use a combination of judging their art style and blog style, mod-blog stalking to see their text-post writing style, interests, opinions, etc, and pure guessing.

It has worked for me… 40% of the time. And it’s a weird gender-biased habit of mine. I CAN’T HELP IT, I’M SORRY.

Speaking of ages, how did you come to a conclusion on the ages of the CMC and friends in Post Crusade? I find it interesting that you wrote them as being around 12 and 13 then, since most people I talk to seem to think they're 11-12 in the present day (that is, in the show, thus 3 years before PC).

Asked by Anonymous

A while ago, an early script from “Applebuck Season” described Apple Bloom as being 7. So I kinda based the CMC’s ages on that.

From there, I started calculating time in Season 1.

Apple harvest season is usually in late summer and early fall, around September.

I went with the idea that Season 1 lasted for about a year between Summer 2010 and Spring 2011. Since AB’s set birthday in PC is in October, that means she’s 8 by the time Season 2 starts.

When S2 ends (with it being Summer 2012), she’ll be 9. And this is where PC begins. By the end of 2012, she’s 10.

By the end of 2015 (3 years later), she’s 13. And since it’s March 2016 in PC right now, she’s still 13.

(Here’s a rough rundown I made a while ago.)

To be honest, Mr. Cactus... the dark themes in PC and RC (and the not so dark, though slightly more grim and serious world of PvD) do actually make me worry a little bit about you. What if it's one of those cases where the artist's work reflects his inner turmoils? For your sake, I hope the lives of you and your friends are better than those of your Five Angry Horses.

Asked by Anonymous

Unfortunately, you are correct. A lot of the content in PC is loosely based off of my own experiences with life and other people. Not completely, though, to prevent it from becoming my vent blog.

But really, it’s only PC.

RC requires some research and personal moral insight to write for. It’s my “what if” story.

Diaries is my dream world. A near-perfect utopia, but with something more sinister in play.

that ask I sent is not legit .

Asked by Anonymous

Your face is not legit. :v

(It’s true, though.)

What happened to you today, Mr. Cactus? Has something been bothering you?

Asked by Anonymous

Eh it’s a minor thing.

I went out to a rich town with some friends to shop around, watch a movie, and eat. But one of us suggested that we walk to a Shop-Rite a mile away for food instead of one of the countless restaurants in town.

And since we were also rushing to catch a movie, I couldn’t eat anything hot or decide quick enough on what to buy because who the fuck goes to Shop-Rite for lunch?!

Movie was fine, but then I had to get picked up early to see a play so we barely did anything afterwards. 

So now I’m hungry and have a stomach-ache.

Mr. Cactus, I'm really having trouble figuring out which of the CMC is your favorite. Given how much you seem to share your attention between them, do you even have one favorite?

Asked by Anonymous

One does not simply choose a favorite.

*coughBloomcough*

I'd ask for actual PC spoilers, but knowing you, you'd probably change the story before those spoilers would've come to fruition. :P

Asked by Anonymous

That’s the cactus strategy!

Mislead you all to the point where any “spoilers” I make can instantly be made null due to my past tendency to change shit up.

You’ll never see these things coming!

Speaking of names, why did you decide to take up the names of "postcrusade" (DA) and "postcrusade-mod" (Tumblr)? Eventually you're going to finish Post Crusade's story, after all. It seems like it would be better to build a legacy around a name for yourself (even if that name is dtcx97) instead of the name of one of your best works.

Asked by Anonymous

The short answer: Recognition and advertising.

The longer answer:

Keep reading

How did you settle on 'Cactus' as a name?

Asked by Anonymous

A long time ago, I wanted a new spoken name to replace dtcx97. I threw the topic in a Skype chat and asked for suggestions. One of them was “cactus cake” and I stuck with that.

Eventually, the cake was dropped and now I’m simply Cactus.

Or PC Mod if you want to refer to Tumblr.

Or (still) dtcx97 if you want to find my art on Derpibooru, Inkbunny (NSFW), Paheal (NSFW) or whatever.

I keep trying to draw something that resembles your Cactus, but it keeps coming out looking somewhat similar to a prickly, multi-form dildo. :|

Asked by project-sharius

That means you’re doing it right dohohoho.

(Just so you know, I’m a Cereus repandus)