Eseme's Den

Oh, they are. Something is going down tonight, something big.

I went on my first walk of the season today after work, and the sky full of grey clouds made for a bit of a dim walk towards the end. I was thinking how erie the atmosphere was when a cacophony of screeches and caws began to echo across the river valley.

There were crows, somewhere on the other side of the river, and they sounded like they were fighting.

Then a seething mass arrowed towards the trees to the left of me, and I realized that it wasn't a fight, but a gathering. Of at least a hundred of them. They crossed the river and begun to settle in the trees, still making a racket that was amplified by the valley of the river.

They had settled near the sewage treatment plant, which is of course worrying. And not far from that odd door by the train tracks, the one that appears to lead into the side of a hill that has a cemetery on top. I've often wondered if the Nosferatu den there, or possibly some of the local Glasswalkers.

Whoever is staying there, they have visitors. That must have been every Corax in North America, and if they were that loud about a meeting, it was because of something very important.

I went home and hunkered down. Thankfully the sky was still a deep blue on the drive home, and it wasn't full dark yet.

The second co-creator of D&D passed away, after at battle with cancer. He was only 61.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090410/ap_on_en_ot/obit_dave_arneson

Both of them were relatively young, and it saddens me to think of what more they might have given us.

Back from vacation.

Back in the same state as Vinny (see icon).

Both a visit to a friend and work have confirmed that the WiiFit is the coolest thing ever. Sadly, no money for a new gizmo and a bigger TV.

I was in Rochester on Sunday. Just Sunday, and the day was very full. But oh, it was great!

I had brunch in Ithaca with lissa_dora, which was yummy and included fun conversation. That really kept up all day, and I really loved that because I don't get to just talk to people as much as I would like (what with not having close friends in town).

Then we arrived in Rochester, and after a lightning fast trip to the mall (she shops like a guy and has mall geography- it was a thing of pure precision), we got to visit moriden. I've really missed my panther, and this made me very happy.

Then we drove to jilliko and netbard's house. Changeling! I have not LARPed since May, and the opportunity to do so was just what I needed. I took my concept from another Changeling: The Lost and had the fun of dumping a bunch of XP on her. And LARPing in a non-college setting was so much nicer- we could eat, drink, and be merry with much more ease. And what food! Oh it was great.

Sadly, I began to get something like a migraine in the middle of game. I didn't feel too bad, and certainly didn't want to miss any game. By the time we left though, I had a problem. I'd eaten a bunch of rich food (I love good food) and had a headache that included some sensitivity to light and sound and a bit of nausea. And that was before I got in a car. I get motion sickness in anything that moves, save a train. I have some medication that helps, and some extremely effective wristband things (which I wore on a bus ride earlier in the week and was fine).

But, well... the motion of the car just did me in. *sigh* I feel very guilty about that, especially as I got a brief glimpse of where I was and it seemed to be Twelve Corners. I spent most of the ride with my eyes closed. It was the most discomfort I've ever experienced over such a long period of time while traveling.

But the day I had was well worth it. Just wonderful on so many levels.

And today! I ended up staying the night at lissa_dora's since what should have been a two hour drive turned into three and a half. And after work today...

My art is here!

I ordered prints from haikujaguar and they arrived! I first asked for Forgotten Garden, which is lovely and ethereal. I also got a few mini-prints off her brand new printer which produces vivid colors. And there was a sketch! One that I will have to find online to figure out which sketch I ended up with a print of (there are MANY on her site). It's an elf, in a library!

So Much Goodness!

Icon is fun. And indeed, although possibly at random knowledge tests.

M and I went down to Five Islands Lobster Co. on Wednesday. Drove all the way down the Georgetown peninsula, until the road ends at the wharf. The food was good (the lobster just overflowed on my lobster roll) and we ate out on the docks, with a good view of three of the five islands that give the place its name. We brought her dog Barci (really Barcelona, but it's such a long name and such a small dog that Barci works better). I'd thought Barci wasn't too well behaved, as every time I'd met her before she kept racing around the room and trying to jump on me. It turns out this is enthusiasm, and she's really trying to get me to pick her up. She's so small (6 pounds) that she's really trying to say "Pick me up so I can get close enough to your face to lick you madly!" Dog tongue up your nose is an interesting experience. She really is a very good dog, as she sat in M's lap and watched us eat, and never begged for anything.

I picked up Changeling: The Lost last weekend while I was in Brunswick for the art fair. It's very green. And I'm nowhere near done reading it - I've barely hit the crunchy bits.

Oh, and for those cool people in New York who read this, you too shall soon know the wonder that is L.L. Bean. There is a factory store opening up near Syracuse in a few months (which will have discounted items) and of special interest to those in the general area of Albany who may be missing their home state *cougheamclarencough* a retail store will be opening in Albany in September. It won't be as big at the one here in Maine, nor have as much stuff, but it will be the real deal.

I blame Jill and Steve. I'm waiting for dishes to dry, and instead of packing soemthing else I am forced to get this idea out of my head and into words.

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"Hi there, I'm Wendy." Cheerful, but not too cheerful. Let's see who this is.

"Yes, I've heard every Neverland joke there is. And I know you meant it as a joke, don't look so offended." That was the worst one yet. I'll have to remember to tell Rinaldo, he'll get a kick out of it.

"But that's not how you remember that I'm Wendy. I'm also the Welcome Wagon for these little meetings. Wendy, Welcome Wagon... Anyway, I'm here to get you up to speed on the organization." Oh, a spark of interest there. Hmmmm, let's see...

"We fight the fae, but you knew that. We all have our reasons. Me, I never even knew my parents. It took me a while to get strong enough to fight my way out, but once I did you can bet I wasn't going back to working in the fields again. How about you?"

Ahhhh, laying it on a little thick there... Now, what really happened? ... Well, that's predicatble.

"I can certainly see why you're here. Who recommended you? I can make sure you sit near them if you like. It helps to have a friendly face." Interesting. So that's who sent you.

"Oh, the meeting's about to start. The early stuff isn't going to make a lot of sense at first, so why don't we go over here and I'll fill you in." That's right, this way. You know you want to.

"Now then, as I was saying... Oh, don't look so scared. That's just Rinaldo. He's sort of security here. And yes, that is a gun at your back. I've got one too. And Jaques over there" Come on Jaques, a little faster... there, he's got the sword out, "with the sword. And there are plenty of other folks here who don't need weapons to make your life interesting. Like me, for instance. Now, we're going to go have a little chat. ... And I heard that! You won't be burning this place down, let me tell you. No Fire. There, that's better. Come along now..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wendy, no last name yet, was taken somewhat later in life. She was thirteen, trying to earn a bit of extra spending money babysitting. The next morning, the Pearson's found their two year old girl safe in her crib, but no sign of her sitter. Wendy's face was on milk cartons a decade before computer aging programs, and by now she's a statistic.

What does she do? She reads minds, surface thoughts mostly. But those thoughts tell enough about someone's motivations. That and some degree of empathy.

And what do you do in the fae realms to get such skills? Why, what Wendy was doing the night she was taken: Babysitting. Fae take babies and children, for their beauty or for amusement... but those children still have diapers to be changed, make messes when they eat, and need to be watched over. Few fae have the temperament, or the desire to put up with human bodily fluids. The obvious solution is to take humans to watch over the children when they aren't in court. Wendy slaved over a steady stream of infants and toddlers. Once they got old enough to have control of their bodily functions the fae whisked them off for whatever strange destinies awaited them, while Wendy watched in dismay and then went to clean up this morning's vomit or was handed a new little bundle of joy.

She learned quickly not to get too attached, and that the security was absurd and punishments were worse. She was given a little talent- extra empathy so she could sense the moods of her charges. Reading emotions allowed her to determine the difference between hunger, other discomfort, and tiredness. Gradually, this evolved, and Wendy realized after what felt like years that she could read the thoughts of the babies under her care. Sometimes, she could even change those thoughts, make a crying baby all smiles and laughs. She became known for her "magic" touch with children.

This eventually lead to her fight through the thorns. She was able to overhear the thoughts of the fae, and hiding near a door got her the password. She has vague memories of clutching an infant to her chest and running for days... a tall figure before her... her voice shouting "We were never here!"... more running... And Wendy eventually found herself in a world that was very definitely not 1982 (more like 2003).

The baby made it to a hospital (left on the steps like orphans of old), as a now seemingly twenty year old Wendy had no idea how to care for herself in this strange world, let alone another.

She found others, and the terrorist organization Never Again. So many children. So very, very many children are taken, and Wendy has a better idea than most of the sheer numbers.

She works (after receiving the training needed in this world) at a daycare, and is very watchful for changes in any of her charges.

She also works for Never Again, as the first defense against spies, betrayers to the fae, and investigative reporters. She reads minds, influences thoughts, and can gauge emotions. She had had some combat training, as all cell members have, but is most often used in interference raids as a soothing presence for the children who are rescued, and a numbing balm on their troubled thoughts.

Was very good. Got virtually no work done, for school or otherwise. It was too hot to do dishes. Thankfully it is cool and wet today so I can at least get that chore done.

I ended up spending lots of time with friends, which was wonderful.

Friday we went to see the fireworks downtown. They were lovely, especially the many purple ones. As I mentioned in my haiku, the moon was just to the left of the main launch area, and occasionally we were treated to the breathtaking sight of fireworks overlapping the moon. Then we went to a party at Frank's and had s'mores around a bonfire. It was a fun day, and I had a great time celebrating.

Saturday consisted of sleeping in late and eventually heading off with True Brain and Becky. We intended to get to a comic store that Brain knew of, but they had closed just minutes before we arrived. This meant we had lots of time for dinner at the Distillery, where they make good burgers and will let you eat desert first. I got to game right around 7:30, and was quite happy to find myself in a number of scenes involving Theurge-type stuff. It was a good game, and I am happy with the way Lilly is growing up.

Sunday involved more laziness and sleeping in, followed by some shopping and reading the archives of a fun comic called Spellshocked. Boredom and laziness are not super fun in my apartment, due to a lack of comfy chairs. So I ended up going over to visit friends who are blessed with an overabundance of comfortable seating. We watched most of Independence Day and I helped Colleen unpack more boxes. The drive home was nice- the half moon hung low and huge in the sky, still bright in spite of the clouds that made its edges hazy.

I like the radio station I listen to- every now and again I hear some 80's song I haven't heard in ages and am amused by it. See Music.