vallo

All right, I've slept on it and that race was a lot of fun. (In fairness, I thought it was a lot of fun yesterday too, but now it's a for sure thing.)

Now that it's over, though, I feel like I want to actually learn how to drive. Not that dodging vines, a massive dinosaur, lightning, and gravity aren't all a great way to have a first go at it, but it feels like it might be a good skill to have? Outside of those kind of unique circumstances. At least, I'm assuming they're unique and that's not just how things are for people with cars.

Also, just want to recognize mine and Chet's really great pit crew, because they did a good job. Sorry all that pit prep and research was for nothing.

Smiley day! You know, sometimes when things seem overwhelming, it's important to practice mindfulness. Now I know some folks are all, my mind's already full of worries and concerns, what else can I fill it with? and that's perfectly understandable. But just a few quick steps can sink your boat of fear and anxiety and set another boat of peace and tranquility off on the open ocean!

Unless you have a deep and abiding fear of water in which case, please chance the metaphor to something less traumatic.

One very simple way of doing this is to do an entire scan of your body! Find a location you feel safe in, assume a position that feels comfortable to you, and just take a few minutes to breathe. Notice how your body moves when you inhale and exhale, and the sound of your breath! Give yourself time to do this too, just noticing your breathing can sometimes do a world of difference! After that, notice your body! Can you sense each of your limbs, your fingers, your toes? And it's alright to feel your emotions too--for example, perhaps you're feeling sad, or like this whole thing is ridiculous. Notice it, acknowledge it, but don't feel the need to change them or understand them. That will come in time! Instead, create the space to just be.

Now, if you don't have limbs and do not breathe, this may not work, but I think I could very easily adapt for you (and also, welcome to the We Don't Breathe Club!).

Best of luck to everyone tomorrow, but you will certainly be eating the woodchips of the Bells Hells!

Because our car is made of wood. And might explode.

Bells Hells

Alright, so, let's discuss pit strategy! Should I try to get a shovel attachment? What if Laudna covers our pit in darkness? Have we thought about the best pit digging methods? Maybe we could go tonight and scope out locations for our pits! Or we could invest in a few nets and lay the nets over the pits as disguise! I do think we maybe need to find out if we're supposed to guard ONE pit or MANY pits, because that does change how we approach this. And if we're meant to guard a pit at all.

BELLS HELLS

First of all, I'm fine.

But I just had a run in with another one of those big gooey guys that knocked me around a good bit a while back and it might be a good idea to, at the very least, buddy system it while whatever is going on outside is still going on if people need to leave the house. They're not a fun time, especially if you don't have darkvision.

[ TELEPATHIC MESSAGE TO LAUDNA ]

Hey, you.

[ NETWORK FILTER TO ORYM ]

If you ask me, I'm pretty sure he's interested.

BELLS HELLS

Hey. I wasn't going to say anything about this, but then it felt weird to not say anything? So, I'm going to say something now before I talk myself out of it and just let the day pass by.

For all intents and purposes of calendars, my birthday is on the 28th. It's a bit out yet and it's the day after Jester and Fjord's wedding and I don't want to do anything extravagant by any means, but it's um it's been years since I've been around family when my birthday rolled around so. I thought maybe we could plan something, just us? Use it as an excuse? Not that we really need an excuse to spend time together, but--yeah. Just a thought.

HELLO it is me, NADJA here. Perhaps some of you have seen or visited the Night Market (it is a bit of a misstatement since they are open all the time but you know, BRANDING and all) or perhaps you are very curious. Either way, I, NADJA have some very important tips for you.

1. There is a hag, her name is Celestina or something like that, TOTAL BITCH. When you go by her booth, you spit on the ground and say 'Nadja sent me.' Women have to stick together, but when you are a hag named Celestina, you may ROT.

2. The Night Market will only allow for bartering (goods, services, your soul) or for spending gold, silver, gems, your left eye, things like that. But honestly, bartering is your best bet because OF COURSE someone will be like, oh no, I can't make change for 35 gold coins I may as well just keep the whole thing and then you are up the river of shit without a way to row.

3. NEVER TAKE THE FIRST OFFER. Put a very disdainful look in your eye and surmise that perhaps the goblins down the way would take less. Then huff, shimmy your bosom, and prepare to walk away.

4. If you are a human DO NOT GO ALONE. They can smell it on you and will be on you SO fast. Do not let anyone take you anywhere. There is a bandersnatch, that if you sneeze in front of him, he will think you are now a part of his harem.

5. It is so fun!!!!! There are so many things to barter for, and if you enjoy slightly offensive t-shirts you will be AMAZED!!!! Just be careful because you may accidentally purchase a cursed item and then, well, too bad for you.

If your name is Al or my darling cupcake kitten Catra or Peel you are in VERY GOOD LUCK because we are going on a field trip to the Night Market very soon!!! And you may pick out something as a treat.

The end? I still don't know how to end these fucking things. Goodbye?

First Dariax, now Fearne. Dor

I was about to message Fearne to ask her if she was the reason my shoes were in the freezer this morning.

BELLS HELLS

Are you all okay?

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that came out for this week's Zeph'aeratam classes and will also be coming to them this evening. I like to think they went really well and am looking forward to getting to know you all better.

And, for the morning people, if you have a favorite and easily portable breakfast food or drink request beyond coffee, let me know.

Also, happy start to Highsummer, Exandrians--at least, I think so, given the different calendars? Either way, I have small gifts so find me at some point today, if you're free.

Someone asked me if I was on a tick tock with my woodworking. I said I had never made a clock before, but I'm game for anything. (hear that, Fearne?)

( Friends, I, the player, just grabbed this off a webstore, I obviously did not make this. )

No metal in that baby either, because fuck metal. Wood's where it's at. Little woodworking tip for you folks: it's good to be enthusiastic. But enthusiasm can't be your driving force--it ain't steady. Instead, focus on quality, that'll be enduring. Stop, back up, wait, move forward. Good things'll happen when you're patient.

(I'm very patient and enthusiastic, Fearne)

I don't know about you all, but I could use a distraction from all of this. I thought maybe a getting to know you type of game? I found a list of questions, so if you comment here, I'll ask you one, and maybe we can all learn something interesting?

Hello, good morning--happy Thursday? Take your pick of greetings, I suppose. A friend (hello, Dorian) made a suggestion to me yesterday that's been on my mind, so I wanted to see if there would be any interest before I considered it too thoroughly.

For those of you that don't know me, my name is Orym and back home, in another life, I was at one point a guard for the leader of my people, the Air Ashari. We practiced the Zeph'aeratam, which is a form of exercise that involves a lot of fluid movements and poses, practiced breathing, and also incorporates your weapons of choice--for me it's a shortsword, but there were others who had greatswords, longswords, even daggers. The exercises were a mixture of flexibility training and a source of calm. As an example, I greet my mornings this way, and sometimes end my days, depending on how trying a day it happened to be.

To make an already long story a bit shorter, would there be any interest from others to learn this? If there isn't, that's fine, but on the off chance that there is, I wanted to get an idea of numbers before I tried scheduling anything official. It might be once or twice a week, probably more late morning than the very early that I get up for myself. It can also be weapons optional, too, so don't feel like you need to take up arms if you're interested.

I have a bit of a confession, people of Vallo! I've been acting a bit strange this week, and you know those fun little powers everyone is getting?

Well, it turns out that whenever I look at someone, I can tell how attractive they find me. Weird, right? And flattering! I have a lot more people who approve of my whole thing than I thought I did. And everytime Imogen looks at me it's

But don't be weird about it! I promise it's far from the worst I've gleaned from people. But it is amusing if you think about the fact that I've never even really dated much.

If it helps, we can just skip right to a few of my house renovations being done! There's still the upstairs to finish, bedrooms and the like, and then I have two other projects in the works that should both be done within the week. My services are available for june!

( Cut for pictures! )

Damn fine farm and market you people got going on, went there Tuesday. Ain't a farmer myself, but I got kind of an eye and an ear for animals, and those are some are some content ones.

Anyway, miss, didn't catch your name, but you made a damn fine knitted hat and I made you something in return, just cause I got a lot of respect for people who create things and love their craft.

( Credit to Jimmy's Art Wood Carving )

I let the wood speak to me, only way to do it. Otherwise, shit, you might be using maple when really, you need a black walnut, and then you're up shit's creek and you ain't able to whittle your own paddle.

[ PSYCHIC MESSAGE TO LAUDNA ]

Hey, you. How are you?

I have never looked forward to a summer of free time more than I am right now. I have no doubt that I will change my tune in a couple of weeks, when I get through my pile of books I've been putting off and realize I need additional hobbies.

EXANDRIANS

I have been so wrapped up with the end of the semester that I just know I've missed the arrival of a good number of people from home, so I wanted to both apologize and rectify that as well as I can. I'm Cassandra de Rolo and I'm from Tal'Dorei, specifically Whitestone. I've spent more or less all of my life there, though my brother and Vex had been nudging me into doing more travel for myself--I think that they meant somewhere like Marquet, not an entirely different world.

That said, given that there is such a population of us, I thought that we might be overdue an opportunity for getting to know one another in person so I am suggesting: potluck dinner at the Xhorhaus (apologies to my housemates; I promise to do the cleaning afterward) on this coming Friday, May 20?

Look, you're probably bored and scrolling on your uh, little scrolly thing, looking at cats (which is cool) and funny videos (which is also cool). I have a great idea, though. You should hop up and run down to the theatre tonight. Or tomorrow night. Or the next few nights.

Why? Because you can come see me star in Moulin Rogue. (I don't know what a Moulin is, no one can tell me, but I do know what a Rogue is)

APRIL 16 / EVENING

LAUDNA & IMOGEN
Imogen looked down to the flowers around them and located a lovely yellow one. She plucked it and took a moment to tuck it into Laudna’s dark hair.

DREAMWORLDLAND | THE GIRLS HANG OUT IN A FIELD AND THINGS ARE NICE. | SO EMBARASSINGLY BACK-DATED.

( Read more... )

[...] little sounds when I touch the screen, that's really cool. Hah oh man, look now it's writing down what I say. Bubble Ziggurat Public Dorian Vermissitude Fireball Volcano. Fashion Poodle Glorious Ocean Lollipop. Wow, it got all that!

What? Oh, thank you! Yeah, I've been told that before. Really I think it's just a misunderstanding. Sure, I might be a pretty dwarf, but beauty's in the eyes of all the Beholders, you know? That's a saying. It means something about persp- Oh?

Uhm, I don't know what a movie is, but you mean you'll pay me to just take my shirt off? It's like the video they showed me inside? That was pretty amazing. Cool, cool. There'll be other people there too? Okay. Give me the address. Hah! Yeah, I want to be rich off easy work, man you get me. Thanks! I'll see you tomorrow!

Oops, forgot to turn this off. ... forgot HOW to turn this off. Ah hah, there's a SEND button, bet if I tap that, it'll [...]

Just got called a "buzzkill" by whoever's in my girlfriend's body in a tone that was clearly meant to devastate me.



Plus side, she hasn't actually killed/maimed/eaten anyone, so don't let her tell you otherwise. To the girl she was stalking out - sorry, and trust me, this isn't her. She'd be mortified by all of this if she was herself.

Anyway, if anyone needs me, I'll be at the Mansion listening to her whine about how awful I am until this fuck-up gets fixed. Send snacks.

FILTERED TO BELLS HELLS

I don't mean to sound paranoid or anything, but I think someone here may be following me.

I first noticed her when I went for a walk this morning. Then I saw her again later outside the Crossed Quills. Then I noticed her again when I stopped by the library.

She hasn't done anything. Just seems to be following me around. But I tried to read her thoughts and something real nasty shoved me out. I don't know what she is, but it's got me a little worried.