Sovellis

I feel so much better today. Taking a chill out day was exactly what I needed. Today I actually felt excited about the idea of carving a horn! Gonna do a series of Skyrim city symbols, starting with Falkreath. Not too bad for freehand, eh? Unfortunately, I carved this right before trying to lift, which led to me pulling my right trapezius on the very first set! ARG! Ow... Oh well, I can still do the rest of the stuff on my to do list. And I'm slow roasting some ribs that I left overnight in a beer based marinade. It should turn out awesome! At least I hope it will.

Thanks for the support everyone. Today feels so odd. I got fantastic news on Friday, I matched at my first choice site. The weekend at con was awesome, and I placed an order for an awesome leather coat. It's all Noor's fault. She convinced me to try one on. It was too perfect to not get one, but they didn't have the color I wanted, so I had to order one. Mine will have green instead of blue. 6-8 weeks before it arrives, at least it'll be well before ren faire season. Everything is good right now. But I just feel odd. Like I don't know how to not worry about getting an internship anymore. Maybe I just need a chill out day to readjust. Holy shit, I have an internship.

Heh, it actually hasn't been going horribly, at least on paper. I've been doing well with my work outs and chores and even my transcribing. I've just been avoiding anything that makes me think about friday, which apparently includes posting. No worries, glad to have you here now! Yeah, normally I'd agree with you 100%. This time, if this one thing that I have no control over at all gets messed up, basically everything is for naught. Or at least that's what the voice is telling me. If I don't get an internship this year, though, the implications are more than a little frightening. I can't fail out of the program now, and end up with no licensable degree and a doctor's level of student debt. Hehehehe, but yeah, things look good so far. I just need it to be done so I can breathe again. So I can know I'm not a failure, that all this effort and sacrifice has been worth it. If not, then nothing I've done the past couple weeks means anything. Sorry, didn't mean to get so depressing there. Blegh.

All of the festival preparations that he had avoided were suddenly upon him. In a mad dash he rushed chaotically through arrangements that should have been dealt with days ago. As he was staying in Suthri for a few days, he also needed to pack, which too, of course, had been put off until the night before. He ran through his mental checklist yet again, convinced that he was forgetting something. Why hadn't he done this earlier? He needed to be up early the next morning, but it was already looking like another late night. Tomorrow might be painful, but he only had himself to blame. <------<<< Things have been getting progressively worse the closer I get to match day, a day that very well may decide the course of my life for the next year, if not more. Sleep patterns simply don't exist for me right now, and the other night I had a full on break down where my girlfriend just held me as I sobbed. It's been fun. Been doing pretty good at my to do lists until the past couple days where I've not done much of anything. Finally got around to packing for my trip today. I leave tomorrow, early, ugh. I don't think I've forgotten anything important. I hope not at least. I just need friday to be over, to know whether or not I'm freed from this infuriating limbo and allowed to move on with my life, or not. So much is riding on this. Sorry I haven't been posting much, I've been kind of a mess, if not overtly.

B. I am very drawn to trickster and anti hero types, complex characters who try to do the right thing but maybe not for the best of reasons.

In case anyone missed it, I have a new thread up: Hurry Up and Wait

The ink bottle shattered when it hit the wall. Sov leaned forward, resting his head on the desk beside the intimidatingly large pile of papers. The ambassador had finally left after an excruciatingly long and frustrating meeting, where all he was able to learn was that people were not happy and all he could do was wait. Feeling this helpless was maddening. There was nothing he could do, so he was struggling to do anything. What was the point? There was the festival in two weeks he still needed to prepare for, but he wasn't sure he really felt like celebrating. He really did need to take care of things. He knew that. It just all felt so pointless. <------<<< Really struggling with motivation right now. Not sure what to do about it. First week was almost a total bust. We will see how this next week goes.

Another late start meant that Sovellis hadn't gotten to his training until late in the evening. He pushed hard, quickly working up a sweat. As he took a moment to get a quick drink of water, a page approached him holding a letter in his hand. "Excuse me, Sule, but this just came for you," he said with a short bow of his head. "Can't it wait?" Sov growled, causing the page to flinch. This made him feel a bit guilty and before the page could apologize, he held his hand out. "Hand it here, then." Unfolding the paper he saw that it was a letter from an old friend, Theo. Okay, Theo wasn't actually his name, but Sov doubted it was possible to properly pronounce his friend's name without the strange, proboscis like mouth of his people. So they had both agreed that Sov could call him Theo. They had met several years ago, and had been good friends, even a bit more than just friends for a while, but had since followed their lives in two separate directions. Theo had become a soldier and had a family, and Sov, well, he avoided his responsibilities as best he could for as long as he could. Theo had written to him to let him know that he would be travelling nearby and would like to stop by Sejabird Hill if Sovellis wasn't too busy. He thanked the page, handing him the letter, and continued his exercizes. It would be good to see his old friend again. He wondered just how much trouble the two of them would get into this time. <------<<< I kicked my to do list's butt today! And in the middle of my workout, I got a text from my old friend, Theo. Okay, he may also be an ex, but we're still on good terms. He's going to be visiting next week wednesday and staying overnight. When he and I hang out, it usually means good food, good stories, and a lot of drinking, and we usually find some way to stir up trouble, lol. Oh, and I made the mistake of asking him what race he wanted to be in this little story, and he chose Rodian of all things, which I still think looks like an avacado and a mosquito had a humanoid baby, but whatever. Don't ask if you don't want an answer, right?

Yeah, I'm gonna just level but only give 10 points. Whatever. STR: +2 lifting STA: +2 biking WIS: +2 school stuff CHA: +4 fighting my anxiety actually seems to be working and I ROCKED my interviews!

Wow, this challenge felt a lot shorter. I know it's 4 weeks, not 6, but it just sped by. Looking back over the stuff I did this challenge, for once I actually feel like I deserve to level up, but I don't know if leveling works the same way now or if there's a new system, or something... Regardless, new thread is up, pretty bare bones, just to have something posted, will elaborate on it more later.

Already time for the next challenge, woo! February is going to be an interesting month for me. I am going to Wicked Faire with some friends, and that's the 19th to the 21st. I want to look my best for the faire! Also, I have to wait until the 19th (Match Day) to know for sure if I got an internship for the next year. It looks good, but nothing is guaranteed and the suspense is killing me. My basic plan is to try an keep as busy as possible until the 19th, making progress on my dissertation, lifting, biking, trying to lose this persistent and annoying bit of belly fat I've accumulated, working through the ACT workbook, and pursuing my hobbies. I don't have specific goals in mind just yet, but I've been doing a good job making and mostly completing comprehensive to do lists every day. I'll update with specific goals when I figure that out. I'll also hopefully be continuing the saga of Sovellis, though I still need to wrap up the last challenge. Does anyone know how the leveling works now? For once I actually feel like I deserve to level up and would like to take care of that.

1. I don't care much about being published. I am more interested in becoming a better storyteller, whether in print or in person. 2. yeah, I think I'll stand this one out, brain not cooperating on it

It was late in the day when Sovellis finally emerged from his chambers, clearly a bit worse for the wear of the past couple nights. After weeks of consistent hard work, a particularly late night had wiped him out. He had decided to take a day to recover and enjoy himself. One day became two as he was left having to recover from his recovery day. Two very nearly became three, but he had been able to drag himself out of bed finally. He felt ill and tired and foggy, but he was the lord of this hold and had duties to perform. Moving somewhat slower than usual, he set to work and was surprised when he actually finished everything in time for the evening meal. The looks of concern he had caught from Vasin throughout the day turned to relieved smiles seeing him back on his feet and doing what needed to be done. Settling back into his chair by the fire, Sov smiled to himself. He had slipped up and overindulged the past couple nights, but he had been able to stop himself from sliding further and got back on track. For once he truly felt that maybe he could do this, maybe he could live up to expectations. One slip every few weeks was hardly a disaster, as long as he could get back on track and it didn't become a pattern, and he had shown that he was capable of that. It was a nice change, to be sure. <------<<< Woot. I'm tired. But I did my stuff, even though I didn't want to. Even did more transcribing and cleaned out my truck.

Can you tell us any more about the drug culture that would have produced a name for this? Are there other drugs with slang names, or other subculture colloquialisms that exist in your world?

I am so sorry about your kitty. He was beautiful, those eyes, wow. He clearly has a special place in your heart, and as you said, he is free to run and jump and play again.

Another productive day. Got more housework done since I no longer have interview prep taking up so much time and energy. Unfortunately this means I'm starting to get irritated at my girlfriend for leaving things all over the house and not taking the 2 seconds needed to put them away. Not that big a deal, I guess. In other news, I am so glad I asked my chair this question I've had for about a year about my dissertation, because she was able to answer it and it's a huge load off my shoulders. Transcribing is still the bane of my existence, but it no longer makes me want to vomit just thinking about it. Does anyone want a belt? The last project in my leather tooling kit is a belt, but no one I know actually wants/needs a belt right now, so I have no one to get measurements from or customize it for. If anyone is interested, feel free to pm me or something and I can show you pics of the project. My sleep cycle has gone to hell again, partially because of interviews freaking me out, but mostly because of gaming. I am finding that I don't really care, as long as I get up before noon. It's not like I have anything to get up for. It does seem to bother my girlfriend, but it's not really up to her. Oh! I put together a new spotify playlist, Fantasy Bard, and will welcome recommendations for songs/artists to add to it. I started with Malukah and Erutan and some covers of Skyrim songs, and I think I've added a couple other things but I can't remember what.

My heart goes out to you and your kitty.

A gentle snow fell silently in the cold dark of the late evening, illuminated here and there by the torches of guard patrols. Inside, the elven lord of this hold reclined in his comfortable seat by the fire, a book in hand and a glass of wine resting on the side table. Following the stress of diplomatic meetings over the past several weeks, the rigors and routine of running a hold felt more like a vacation than the tedious doldrum he usually saw it as. He spent each day working, fulfilling his duties as a lord, duties he had long avoided, and was surprised that he found his own fulfillment in them. At night when he retreated to his chambers, he was tired, but satisfied, the vicious howling of his fears and insecurities but a distant echo. He still allowed himself some wine by the fire while he read, but found sleep a more dogged pursuer than before his return to the hill. It seemed that Ed had been equally busy. Glad to know her skills were going to good use, he was still disappointed at how little time they had had to spend together outside their official capacities. Even those times were restricted to situations in which a bodyguard was actually called for, which wasn't often as long as he remained within the walls of Sejabird Hill. He hoped that her accommodations were suitably comfortable, and kicked himself for not checking on that yet. Picking up a quill, he made a quick note to ask Vasin about that in the morning. The fire spat and crackled from the resin in the wood, while the snow continued to fall, accumulating slowly, obscuring old footprints and allowing new ones to be formed. <------<<<

This meeting took significantly longer than the other two had, but when he finally emerged, Sov was smiling. He nodded to Ed and they made their way back to the room they were sharing. As they walked, the poor sleep and fatigue began to settle down on him, and when they reached the privacy of their room, he flopped down on the bed, refusing to move the rest of the night. Despite being bone tired, he couldn't stop smiling. Even for all his doubts, he had known that this would go well, and it had gone far better even than he had expected! Nothing was guaranteed just yet, of course, but he felt it was a safe enough bet. Things were going to be okay. <------<<< Omg. I thought my first interview went well, but just... this was easy! In the group interview I was definitely a stand out, not trying to brag, but really the rest of the room was about as personable as cardboard. Then the director of training, after giving the intro spiel, came over to me specifically to say how glad she was to finally meet me in person, right in front of everyone else. Gotta say, that felt good! Then in the individual interview, she reiterated that sentiment and actually hugged me! I got no negative feedback at all, and they kept saying things like, that's the answer we wanted to hear, and that is what we're looking for. I cannot think of any way in which this could have gone better, honestly. I took the rest of the day yesterday to relax and rest, since I got very little sleep the night before, but today I dove back in to the challenge and just ROCKED my to do list! I even did a half an hour of transcribing for my dissertation, which I've been avoiding like the plague. Even sent a question about it to my chair person, and I called student finance about a hiccup with my loans! Lifted, biked, duolingo, dishes, garbage, recycling, and all this despite the frustration of my primary computer breaking yet again. Instead of avoiding dealing with it, I tried to trouble shoot for a while, then took it to best buy. It's still under warranty until April, which is good since it sounds like it's the motherboard again. Joy. Tablet hybrids are nice, but man are they fragile at times.

You are rocking this challenge, Noor! And yeah, we should plan ahead for food for this weekend's gaming. I could always pick up a cheap chicken from tony's. *shrug*

Oh, as an idea for a weekly challenge, how about an original poem? Any style/format/subject/whatever, just some original piece of non-prose work?

The computer I do most of my writing on crapped out. Again. Stupid tablet hybrids are so delicate. At least I got the extended warranty on this one and it doesn't expire until April. Unfortunately, as much as I'd love to write a scene between me and Sov, I think I'll have to stick with a pic of my 'work space,' such as it is. As you can see, I'm not the most orderly or organized person, but it works.

Man, if my cat was ill, I don't think I'd be able to anything at all. I'd just be a mess. I really hope your little fluff ball gets better soon!

Sov paces their room within the holy fortress of oreg, re-reading the same notes he had been reading for the past several hours. "It'll be fine. You already know what you're going to say. They already know you and probably like you. It's not likely to go bad. And even if it does, you can handle it." Ed munches from a plate of food that was brought by an servant a while ago, and abandoned on the table He sighs. "I know, it's just that there's so much riding on this. If it does go badly, then where will we be at?" "Then you go to other, smaller groups, and ask them. Oreg's not the only option, just the easiest one." "The best one, the most reliable one, the most efficient and mutually beneficial one." The elf groaned and fell back into a chair by the small desk. "But it's not the end of the world if they say no. And why would they?" "Why? Me screwing this up would be a good reason." He tossed the notes aside, having practically memorized them by this point. "I know it will be an easy audience, but any audience can turn on you." Ed shrugged. "It's been a long time since anybody booed Sovellis Niallo off of a stage." "Well, there was that one tavern where I didn't know about the town's hatred of flynds. That didn't go over so well...." He poked at the plate of food, trying to convince himself to eat. "And plenty of people have a less than favorable view of me. I have told you how many assassination attempts I've survived." "Which is why I'm here, tasting all your food and sleeping in your room," Ed smirked. "Seriously, though. You're overthinking this. It's going to be fine." Closing his eyes, he bowed his head and smiled. "I know, it's sort of a tradition of mine." He chuckled. "Sort of overcompensating for my first century of life, where I didn't think through hardly anything." <------<<< Trying really hard to not be nervous about tomorrow's interview. This is where I really want to end up, the only interview that actually feels like it matters. Ugh. I know my stuff, I'm in a far better place this year than last, and last year they wanted me. This seriously should be easy. I just need to relax and channel our dnd game's version of Sov. He did just bluff their way through an enemy controlled town. Wow, that so understates the level of pants shitting terror he inflicted on his friends when he decided to have the charmed guard escort them past the wyvern riders and the big muckity muck commander at the gate into town. Hey, it worked!