Orthos's page

Fantasy Monster: Strung Poppet

Strings from a puppet just attached to you, what could go wrong?

WHAT ARE THESE STRINGS?? WHY AM I NOT [Nostradamus B.I.G.] ENOUGH?1? LEAVE ME THE [hackensacken] ALONE!

** spoiler omitted **

The internet may have gotten us into this mess in at least some part, probably a large part, but it also is providing an open view of the absolute idiocy of everything that's going on, as well as giving us all a clearer understanding of the stupidity and malice of many of the people around us that, in person, used to be concealed behind a veneer of civility.

Waterhammer wrote:

Take your sword to the grocery store. If you can toss the pineapple into the air and slash it in two, before it hits the ground; the pineapple is ripe.

Ah.

While others were studying produce, you were studying the blade.

Hilarious side note- autocorrect originally changed had this as "While Orthos was studying produce, you were studying the blade."

Now I want a picture of Orthos just looking at a tomato or something, concentrating intently.

Mission Accomplished

So, the honest question: Is FaWtL better with or without me? I feel like I get people upset, then I want to argue with them (yes, Orthos, I nearly killed myself holding in a response to your post, but that is not FaWtL's purpose nor place), and I feel like I detract from the overall vibe of the place.

I absolutely want you to stick around. I'm basically exactly the same myself, to the point where I have to step away from various threads on a regular basis to avoid getting into long drawn-out arguments all the time.

Sure, we disagree about things. That's life. The things we disagree about aren't things like whether people should have rights based on their skin color, sexuality, identity, or nationality. So everything else can be water under the bridge.

Even when I don't agree with you, I tend to find your posts some mixture of amusing, intriguing, and enlightening. I think we as a community here in FAWTL would be less for your absence.

I'll be the first to argue and disagree if I feel like you've put your foot in your mouth, but I wouldn't ever wish you to leave over it.

If there's anyone in Kansas or near enough, or if you know someone in that area, and they happen to be looking for or interested in adopting a dog, please share this link with them. Our baby girl needs a home.

Orthos wrote:

Scintillae wrote:

Orthos wrote:

NobodysHome wrote:

I am... bemused.

I'm old enough and cynical enough to laugh at/scorn Tik Tok "life hacks" as only a Gen Xer can. "Really? You call that a 'hack'? Did you parents give you a trophy when you learned to tie your own shoes? Or can you do that yet?"

In seriousness: No, their parents didn't, because their parents probably never taught them that. They're young adults and late teens learning all this stuff on their own from the collective work of their peers and/or from doing research on the internet, and sharing what they discover back into that collective work.

We shouldn't be mocking and jeering them. We should be pointing at them and saying "They're doing what their parents should have done years ago - educating and improving themselves and learning new things - and choosing to share it with others rather than keep it to themselves."

GenX, and some of the older Millennials, are the ones failing to teach them these things in the first place - the TikTok self-educated "hack" trends are happening because someone in those older brackets failed to pass that education along somewhere earlier in their lives, and they had to learn it for themselves somehow.

The number of times my dad has made fun of me for not knowing how to do something he never taught me...

SAME.

I got beaten once because I asked him what cleaning product I could use on a task he'd assigned me. He told me to try elbow grease. I'd never heard that idiom before (I think I was seven or eight), so I pulled every product out of the cupboard one by one trying to find it.

Yep, sounds like a lot of the situations I was in as a kid.

Ask a sincere question the adult thinks is stupid but never actually explained before.
Adult gives a sarcastic or rhetorical answer.
Kid, not knowing better, takes it seriously.
Adult gets angry the kid took it seriously - or, more often, says the kid is "being a brat" or "being a smartass" in families that are okay with cursing - and punishes the kid.

With exemplars like this, is it any wonder I decided early in my life I didn't want kids? Even before understanding I was ace or the entire Everything of modern American society, economy, and culture.

So it's been a while since I posted here so I should probably do an update.

Scint and I got married back in February (on Valentine's Day no less, that was a complete accident), she accepted a job offer in March, and we are moving to Chengdu in China in the summer.

So the past several weeks have been one roller coaster after another of the various things we need to do before moving away. Last two weeks were getting a handyman to repair the damaged walls downstairs, including repainting and installing new drywall and all that fun stuff. Next is removing and replacing all the carpets down there.

On top of that we're in talks to sell the house, looking for a new home or foster care surrender for Sophie (she's not a breed allowed in China, and probably wouldn't survive the flight even if she was, due to the way boxers' and pits' respiration is structured and her being large enough she would have to ride in the unpressurized cargo hold), needing to get new phones (Androids don't work as well over there as iPhones apparently and we're both on separate plans so we'll be getting new iPhones on new plans), setting up VPNs (because China), making arrangements to mail/ship what stuff we can't pack and bring on the plane with us, having to schedule and then make the trip to Chicago to get our visas from the Chinese Embassy, and a host of other things I've no doubt forgotten or haven't gotten to yet.

The next month is going to be busy as hell.

I am... bemused.

I'm old enough and cynical enough to laugh at/scorn Tik Tok "life hacks" as only a Gen Xer can. "Really? You call that a 'hack'? Did you parents give you a trophy when you learned to tie your own shoes? Or can you do that yet?"

In seriousness: No, their parents didn't, because their parents probably never taught them that. They're young adults and late teens learning all this stuff on their own from the collective work of their peers and/or from doing research on the internet, and sharing what they discover back into that collective work.

We shouldn't be mocking and jeering them. We should be pointing at them and saying "They're doing what their parents should have done years ago - educating and improving themselves and learning new things - and choosing to share it with others rather than keep it to themselves."

GenX, and some of the older Millennials, are the ones failing to teach them these things in the first place - the TikTok self-educated "hack" trends are happening because someone in those older brackets failed to pass that education along somewhere earlier in their lives, and they had to learn it for themselves somehow.

Is there a map of the layout, or can we just assume there's plenty of appropriate buildings to hide in where we can block their exit when we reveal ourselves?

Here's a map! The entrance is the south, the barn/storehouse is the western building, the northeastern building is Oleg and Svetlana's home, the north-central building is a larger-sized badger room, and the southeastern building is mouse/etc.-sized rooms.

Yep. This checks out.

Pain

You create from pain. It's the deep, overwhelming agony that builds up over a lifetime of suffering. Sometimes you can't tell where your scars ends and you begin. You pour out your pains into your art because you can't bear to hurt this much and have nothing to show for it. Your suffering will be pointless if you can't make something of it, so you make it into art. This is how you reclaim everything you'd otherwise regret, by making those painful experiences into something of worth. Art is a battle to conquer your suffering, to make your agony into something you can take pride in. Every piece is a hard fought victory over something that would have only eaten away at you otherwise. It's proof of your desire to live and heal, to be more than just your wounds.

... welp. I... can't argue with that.

quibblemuch wrote:

But... how did they find Google without Google?

*mind blows*

[age check]They asked Jeeves.... [/age check]

You know the law! Never mention that name in my presence!

So I took one of those silly internet quizzes; this one claiming to provide a single word for the emotion or motivation at the heart of the quiz-taker's creative drive. I clicked through the multiple-choice questions, scoffing the whole while, like Hannibal Lecter handed the psychological testing ("Agent Starling, you think you can dissect me with this blunt little tool...?")

The result:

Discontent

You create from discontent. Most of your life has been spent being uncomfortable in your own skin. This body is just another house that's never felt like home. You don't know how to be at ease in this world or this life. Art is a way of running away, of forgetting yourself and escaping to a more comfortable place. To cope with an unhospitable reality, you create more welcoming worlds to consume your work and your waking hours. But the foundation of your art has always been your discontent with the real world and your life within it. Lurking behind the inviting scenery you dream of is the desperate desire to be anywhere but here. It is a world constructed as a respite from this one. Such vivid fantasies are the dream of one who considers reality a prison.

...

Well played, internet. Well. Played.

Well now you have to share it.

I don't trust cake, not after what SHE did....

I hope it works out well for you. I fear I've already crossed that point of no return myself a few years ago, outside of some nasty letters.

Gib pets, hooman?

I haven't had fried okra in forever. That may need to go on my bucket list before we leave the US.

Yep, waterfowl hunting.

IIRC they were originally bred as hunting dogs - I want to say specifically birdhunting?

To Google!

Insert joke about "starting every D&D campaign by fighting rats" here.

Apologies for the silence, I am recovering from (I think) the flu, and spent most of the latter half of the week sleeping rather than doing anything notable online.

Comes with the territory of being married to a schoolteacher, I fear. >.<

Chapter One - The Deep Green

Three days leads the road from Redwall Abbey to the last point of known civilization in Mossflower Wood. The road that winds along the the Eastern Great South Stream and its tributaries, past Nt. Ninian's and Brockhall, beyond the Camp of Alfon and the Inland Lake. A road less traveled, as few there are who delve into the unknown lands of the Deep Green, and fewer there be who would travel this far and either not turn back or not progress on and disappear into the unknown.

At the farthest reach of the South Stream Road, well beyond the point where it ceases to be identifiable as an actual road any further and continued travel is guided mostly by the absence of thicker foliage and the meandering trail of the stream itself, stands a single structure. Not even a town, but rather a simple wooden palisade marked with old stone towers at the corners. Perhaps once an old fort or outpost, judging by the weathered look of the stones, dating back years upon years - they could be older than the stones of Redwall itself, for all you know.

No flag flies from those walls, neither from the palisade nor the towers. Keen-eyed travelers can see the easternmost tower is home to a run-down catapult, aimed further downstream, but from here you can't tell if it is equipped with any form of ammunition. Whether this is solely a remnant of the tower's former purpose or still a mechanism in use by its current residents remains to be seen; neither answer is particularly obvious.

Along the southern wall, the waterward edge, stands the structure's only door. The large wooden barricade is currently raised, allowing the travelers to enter the walls without further obstruction. Within are several smaller buildings, similar in construction - old stone barracks converted into more civil uses, supplemented with newer wooden structures built alongside or in place of structures demolished by force or by time.

It is from atop one of the latter - a small guesthouse just to the right of the entrance - that the travelers are greeted by the first sign of intelligence since they departed Redwall: the hammering of a craftsmouse at work.

-----

Bertram:

You knew in advance that something about the celebrations to come were a bit off in ways that most of your fellow denizens wouldn't quite be able to understand. Your Friends, for the first time in your short life, urged you to take up your meager possessions and set out from Redwall Abbey, despite the rumblings of the feast to come and the knowledge it would be one for the histories and you were going to miss out on its glorious delectables.

For the first two days on the road, the constant mantra in your mind was "This better be worth it."

You, of course, knew all about this - or at least, enough to know when you'd reached where you were meant to be. You knew to follow the rough trails left by hunters and foragers and to keep the susurrus of the stream to your right at all times.

You only broke off from this trail once, when Your Friends suddenly urged you northward without any rhyme or reason, and pointed you toward a particular old willow with a hollowed-out bole in its trunk. You weren't honestly certain what to expect there, but Your Friends had never steered you wrong, and this was hardly an exception. You found something there, something you were certain had been left there specifically for you.

With this strange trinket in hand, you took back to the road, and arrived here two days prior. The hosts were a bit surprised to see a lone traveler who wasn't dressed as a woodsmouse, especially one with a walking stick in hand and who clearly couldn't see too far in the distance, but have refrained from pressing you with questions - you're not yet certain if due to politeness restraining their curiosity or if it's simple disinterest.

Your time here since has been relatively peaceful, though something has your hosts on edge ever since your arrival. They keep looking to both the east and the west as if in expectation, though never volunteer any reason as to why. Today they seem to have discarded this in favor of finding other things to occupy their time: one has been at work in the kitchen most of the morning, while the other awoke you shortly after dawn (if you weren't already up by then yourself) with hammering on the roof, and has been at it all day since.

And if that wasn't enough to spice up your day, Your Friends tell you more guests are coming soon.

Glad to hear you're doing better.

Speaking of which, payday is tomorrow! And we're likely gonna be in the city anyway on a grocery run....

The fox spreads the deck across her paws and with a flick of pads and claws holds them out for each to draw one of the cards. She allows each to select one of the cards from the face-down deck, though for those who choose not to she selects a card on their behalf.

Her gaze turns first to eager Rowan, holding up a card bearing a disc ringed by various animals in gesturing positions. "For you, the Wheel of Fortune. Expect change in your life, and swiftly. Fate, destiny, and synchronicity, all to align - positive change and good fortune evident. You will have important choices to make - you must trust your intuition. If you feel events seem to be evolving without much input from you, trust your instincts and go with the gentle stream."

She turns the second card for Dahlia, revealing an image of a fox in a flowing gown and holding a scepter or stave in one hand and a scroll in the other. "Aha, the High Priestess. Your intuition is strong - allow for flexibility and you may expect promising outcomes. Listen carefully to your will and conscience and trust them completely, embrace the power that lies within."

The third card drawn goes to Lord Delrany. It depicts the belltower of Redwall Abbey amidst a thunderstorm, lightning flashing against the bells. "Mmm, an ominous card, the Tower. Seek not to control events - grasp too strongly and they just won't go your way. Unexpected challenges, upheaval, and disappointment may bring your expectations to an end. Use the opportunity of change to arrange for a new beginning. Seek not to walk the roads you know - to turn home is to experience setback."

The fourth is drawn for Kizzirark, and displays a squirrel dangling upside-down from a tree branch, his foot caught in a noose trap. "The Hanged Man. Cease to allow yourself to be victimized or blackmailed by others, nor to play the martyr. Release your grasp, do not try to cling to someone or something for the wrong reasons - something has to go. Clear your mind and surrender to the whim of fate, and your end shall be better: good luck and fortune await, after a period of struggle and heartache."

A fifth card is drawn at last for Tawnystripe as the fox gives the cat a sly smile. "The cards show but a moment in time - it is up to you to take the knowledge you are gifted with and make the most of that moment, for good or for ill. Now let us see...." She turns the cards, revealing a mouse walking along a meandering forest path, dressed in simple garb and carrying a small bindle on a walking stick. "Oho! The Fool. Beware impetuousness and impulse, they may cost you dearly. Draw upon the knowledge and experience not only of yourself but those alongside you - perhaps there is naivete and immaturity behind your current path. Look onwards and upwards, not to flee from your past but to stride into your future. Look before you leap."

She raises her head, glancing about and counting over the group. "It appears the lady of flame will not be joining you on your excursion. In her absence I shall draw once more, and give you the message it contains... perhaps, on the road to come, you will find the one for whom it is meant, be it the lady lizard or another." She shuffles the deck once more, then selects a card at random with her eyes closed; she raises it in her claws and turns it to face the party, displaying the image of a badger lord in full regalia upon the throne of Salamandastron. "Justice. Decisions may go in your favor, particularly regarding partnerships to come. Good luck and reward for deeds past will come your way, but be not overambitious, for success may take time. Be assertive but not aggressive, positive but not naive. Welcome aid, but be not reliant on others to solve your problems for you - they will either be of aid or leave you to solve things yourself, but do not let them seize undue command."

Satisfied, the cards disappear into her robe sleeves as swiftly as they were summoned, and the High Seer gives a sweeping bow to the group. "May the fates look kindly upon you and the journey to come, and may the knowledge we have gifted be of use in the days undawned." Without another word, nor wait for response, she turns and departs, bushy tail flashing as she exits Redwall and disappears out of the gatehouse, leaving the party with their thoughts and the opportunity for final words from the Abbot and Badger Mother.

I'll be doing a post to get Bertram into the group and proceed with Zjeva's divinations for you later tonight, and we should be able to proceed from there! Thanks everyone for your patience with getting the new player in.

Better make it count soon, Joann's is closing pretty much everywhere as the company shuts down.

Scint and I spent way too much there this last week, and are planning to go back after our next paychecks. >.>

"It is good to see you all well and ready for the journey to come," the Abbot replies politely, bowing his head slightly to the gathered six as they step into the gatehouse and gather for their likely final meeting before heading out into the great unknown. "Ardulia and I are merely here to give you one last wish of farewell, but the High Seer wishes to distribute her gift to you all as promised, here in the comfortable privacy of your first steps out of Redwall with the two of us to serve as witnesses."

"Just so," Zjeva responds with a nod and another toothy smile reminiscent of the one from the night before. "His Lordship is familiar with the talismans I use for my work, but for the rest of you I shall provide a simple explanation. In my role as High Seer, I am gifted with the opportunity, and the responsibility, of knowledge and secrets of the times to come. My gift to each of you, in turn, is to cast my eye to the future of your journey and divine what useful knowledge I can, that you may be forewarned and forearmed of what troubles, trials, and tests await you." The cards in her paws begin to move rapidly as she shuffles them over and over as she speaks. "Our seers make use of various different talismans for such - some read the remnants of tea leaves, some study the shadows and the winds, some gaze into the depths of pools and ponds, some cast the bones or sticks and read how they land. I read my perceptions as divined through the cards."

"Know, first and foremost, that even I cannot see all - the widest gaze of the times yet to come is the purview only of Vulpuz himself, to whom my talents are as but a drop in the ocean." She gives a small chuckle at this, though from the looks of the Abbot and the Badger Mother whatever is so funny is lost on them.

The fox continues after a few moments. "As such, what little I can provide you - while I hope it may aid you in your trials to come - is but a glimpse of a moment, a ripple in a pond, a touch of the wind on a leaf, a breath in the vastness of time. Know this, and use the knowledge wisely."

She pauses, eyes alight, as if waiting for the group's assent or confirmation of understanding before she begins her work.

It runs in the species.

Robyn Goodfellow wrote:

But is he wonderful? Marvelous? Fantastic? Glamorous? Enchanting? Terrific?

Was that in a wild shape rules update with which I'm not familiar? I'm not seeing "thesaurus" on the allowed list. Is it a sauropod or archosaur or some other reptile?

Oh no, it's an Elf thing.

If y'all will indulge me in a moment of mamabragging, after five weeks of waiting on tenterhooks after her audition, we finally found out tonight that Hermione got into Booker T Washington High School for the Performing Arts!

The audition process took four hours and was intense... they had to do movement improv, mask work, design a set, write a monologue, perform a prepared monologue, do a cold-reading, and then a formal interview.

Her plan is to audition for the musical theater track at the end of her freshman year, which will allow her to take voice and dance electives along with all the theater core classes.

I am sooooo excited for her.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

You know, if the Earth really was flat, cats would have pushed everything off of it by now.

Curses, they're onto us!

"Your gift is most appreciated, Lord Delrany," the Abbot replies with another small bow of his head. "It shall be hung in a place of honor here in our Halls, as an emblem of the friendship between us and a memory of this day." Eleine takes the blade as bid, placing it carefully opposite her own blade on her hip.

The night wends on, with people slowly drifting out of the Great Hall after dessert is served and the official festivities come to an end. Rooms have been provided in the guest wings of the Abbey for those of the honored six who were not already residents of Redwall, each simply furnished but suited to the needs of each respective guest.

Presuming none wish to take any actions during the night, all passes uneventfully, the evening remarkably serene and restful despite the boisterous and lively nature of the feast gathering. All is calm and quiet until the first bells are rung at dawn.

For what it's worth, I was only properly introduced to Tom Lehrer this past week. I knew of "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" and "We will All Go Together when We Go" but couldn't have told you who sang them, and I hadn't heard any of his other work until the past few days.

Rest in peace, friend, and may this next dream be grander than the last.

The Abbot lays his hand gently over the sword, his expression solemn and mirroring the respect the noble swordsbird has shown in return. "May your ancestors give you every aid, Lord Delrany, and do them all honor." He bows his head once more to the dodo, then gestures to Sylthara as the procession continues.

"Lady Flamescale, your presence here brings together the peoples of the northern caverns and southern swamps with all of Mossflower in a manner that has scarce been attempted, much less succeeded, in all the history of Redwall," he intones, his language clear and with notable weight. "It is a partnership we hope shall last through years to come."

The great toad, taking this as his moment, almost interrupts the Abbot to get his words in next. "Kroooak. Greatwart Olorg recognizes Redwall mouse offers opportunity for Toad tribes, brooooak. Fire Lizard must remember represents both our peoples in this journey, hrooooak, and bring pride and victory for lizards and toadfrogs alike, kooooak!" He pounds his fist to his bloated throat-pouch for emphasis.

"Indeed, indeed," the smaller spotted lizard hisses as he moves up to Olorg's side, clutching a small stone coffer in his toepads. "As such, we have combined our offerings, to ensure the Lady Flamescale's contribution to the mission is sufficient to represent our shared interests."

As the two return to their seats, the Abbot nods at last to the looming badger on the other side of the dais, and Sammson, Lord of Salamandastron, steps up next to the old churchmouse.

They both turn to face the table one last time as the Abbot speaks once more. "And last but certainly not least. Warrior Devorst. If you would rise?"

The Abbot's own motions are equally solemn as he returns the noble swordsbird's gesture with a bow of his own, though he remains on his feet - likely a deference to his own age as much as anything else. "This expedition would not be where it is without the sponsorship of the Delrany family. Know that this kindness will not be forgotten, throughout the years to come, in Redwall and all the lands of Mossflower."

He then steps back and gives another nod to Banchak at his side, who stepped up with a small coffer in her talons. "Warbeak tribe knowin' groundfeather Delrany too, old clan with old r'membering. Give to mark feather to travelin' into greendeep, you come back with story an' tell Warbeaks 'bout all you seeing, yeah?" The Sparra gives a small cackle before leaning down to hand over the trinket.

The Warbeak representative returns to her place at the Abbot's side opposite Eilene, and it seems that reaches the end of the patience of the delegates awaiting on the side of the stage. "Broooaaak! Waited long enough, groak!" the toad barks, half-stomping onto the dais with the lizard following a few steps behind.

"Indeed you have," the Abbot replies, with almost saintly patience, though there's a moment where the sharper-eyed of those at the frontward table might have noticed a slight grimace to his expression for a split second at the interruption. "I shall delay your presentation no longer, then. Lady Flamescale, if you would rise?"

I reiterate, holy hells. Glad you made it out.

Keep in touch through your recovery man, as best you can. We care about you here.

♫ Cut my treat into pieces ♫

♫ This is my loudest bork ♫
♫ Irritation, you're feeling ♫
♫ Don't give a damn if you're tryin' to be sleeping ♫
♫ This is my loudest bork ♫

Dug a hole in the back yard

Cuz I'm losing my mind
Chase my behind
Wish my hooman would let me inside
Losing my mind
Chase my behind
Now I'm gonna finally be let outsiiiiide

I'm driving with a pound of frozen haggis in a bag on my passenger seat.

At least it ain't lutefisk.

I try not to use Facebook anymore, but I became Friends™ with DungeonmasterCal two weeks ago. (And thank you so much Facebook for sending me an email every frickin' day urging me to go see what memes Cal is sharing.) I noticed Cal hadn't posted his usual "It's Friday, what's going on?!" post in the So What's the Plan, Stan thread, so I held my nose and checked out his Facebook page. (I'm holding my nose because it's Facebook, not because it's Cal's page.)

It turns out that Cal went to the ER yesterday. I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but I think his head is being looked at because he fell. He has a couple other things going on that the doctors are treating. It seems like he'll be released soon, but he's offline for now until he gets out.

Just wanted to let people know. Swift recovery, Cal!

Holy hells. Here's to getting well soon Cal.

The issue is that causing chaos is at least in part the intent of the current admin.

There's a slow murmur that rumbles through the crowd at the fashionably-late arrival of the Delany heir, and several curious or even almost goggling looks from some of the Redwall locals who'd never seen such a bird in their lives, having only really been exposed to the Sparra flock that dwelt in the abbey's lofts, the songbirds and corvids of the woodlands, and the dangers of owls, hawks, and eagles by legend and myth.

The abbot, however, patiently waits for the last of their honored guests to take his seat and begin partaking of the feast before he begins his address, and the crowd falls quiet once again.

"Good people of Redwall and Mossflower," he begins, tone a low baritone that echoes clear as the abbey's famed bell through the space of the Great Hall, "honored guests, noble dignitaries, respected elders, revered sages and seers, noble captains, and beloved neighbors, friends, and countrymen. Once more, I thank you all for joining us on this momentous day for not only Redwall but all of Mossflower and the surrounding lands."

"On this day, we take a step into the pages of history yet to be written, with an unprecedented joint venture the likes of which have never before passed under Mossflower's boughs. Today we not only send these brave few into the unknown, to chart a course into lands beyond our borders and to tread into the wonders and dangers of the Deep Green, but we do so not as our individual communities and peoples but as a unified whole, acting as one in the name of all peoples of Mossflower."

"Each and every one of you, from the lowliest dibbun in the moletunnels to the highest reaches of Salamandastron, from the rocky peaks to the murky swamps to the great reaches of the western sea, stands with us in remembrance of this day for all time to come, and these six...," He pauses, as if to confirm there are, indeed, now six at the reserved table, "... shall depart into the wild green yonder under the mutual banner of all our peoples, taking our hopes, our dreams, our wishes, our aspirations, our wonders, and our trepidations upon their shoulders."

The Abbot gives a moment for this to set in, before he turns his attention fully to the group at the forward table. "As such, in addition to this grand feast - for which we shall all give Sister Dolovi and her crew our greatest appreciations for in due time - we now wish to present you all with a final few parting gifts. On behalf of all those gathered here, in recognition of what you mean to all the peoples of Mossflower."

This, of course, elicits murmurs and mutterings of its own - curiosity, confusion, and excitement bubbling through the crowd and echoing as dull static in the vastness of the Great Hall. The Abbot, of course, pays it little mind, and gestures to the group at the table.

"Who of you shall I address first... ah, but of course. Our guests, do forgive me for making some small use of my privilege as host, but I believe I shall begin with our own representative in this endeavor. Young Miss Churchmouse. If you will rise?"

Echoing Scint's feelings here. Slept like s&#* last night as a result, so called out from work today and slept in until almost 11, then have spent the rest of the day with the puppy. Ran some errands, took her to a local dog-friendly restaurant for lunch, got her new tags on the last day they're free, and took a long walk around the local park.

But is he wonderful? Marvelous? Fantastic? Glamorous? Enchanting? Terrific?

The best part of this conversation is how nobody blinked at "Britaining" as a verb.

Ah, English.

Or if you're meaning in a more literal sense, the tabs at the top will take you to the other related threads, just click the one that says "Gameplay".

If the tabs aren't showing for you, you're likely looking at the thread in individual thread mode instead of campaign mode, so here's a link.

Given the way some of the feasts are described, it might as well be one :D

Feel free to jump in - there's one unclaimed seat at the reserved table that hasn't been filled yet, expecting the final guest to arrive.

Ba dum tish

Later than planned/expected, apologies again! Here it is!

JB, feel free to jump in whenever if you're still with us.

On the one hand, as I've posted before, I'm no fan of companies "double dipping" for profit: "We're going to charge you a monthly fee, and we're going to show you ads."

Nope. It's what killed cable for me, and it'll kill streaming as well. Just charge me what you consider a reasonable amount to provide ad-free content, be upfront about it, and we're good. (See my previous post on NetFlix vs. Disney+).

On the other, I'm eternally amused by customers becoming enraged when they refuse to participate in providing any kind of revenue to the company, then watching as the company refuses to provide service to them. The lack of Linux drivers for Nvidea cards is an (in)famous example -- a pseudo-history: Nvidia's approach was, "Well, if you'll pay us a nominal fee like $10 to use our cards, we'll develop drivers for you," and the Linux base was, "Linux is and always has been free! Up yours!", then they got outraged when Nvidia wouldn't develop drivers for them for free.

Anyhoo, YouTube. YouTube primarily pays for itself with ads. Yeah, yeah, they track you and sell your data like nobody's business, but ads are a significant portion of their revenue. And they follow the NobodysHome's Approved Business Model™ of, "You can either get YouTube for free and be stuck with ads, or pay $9.99 a month to skip the ads."

So, they just implemented a rather hilarious ploy to block revenue-skippers (people who use ad blockers to skip the required ads): They put in hourlong ads and labeled the "skip" button as an ad. So if you're not using an ad blocker, after 15 seconds you can just skip the rest. If you're using an ad blocker, you're hosed.

I have no love of Google, but I do find it a rather elegant solution to an actual, honest problem unrelated to stealing people's information.

EDIT: And yes, GothBard and I both noticed starting somewhere around December when ads were suddenly an hour long, and we were thinking, "Who the heck would sit through an hourlong ad!?!?!?"
Apparently now we know...

Honestly YouTube+ has been one of the most worthwhile investments for me. A good 90% of my time spent watching stuff is on YouTube - not just videos but listening to music and podcasts.