The Happiness Thread

It makes me happy to write two things that I like at the same time. Sci-fi and Erotica, though
I am aiming for a bit of a comedic angle to get away from the dour mood of my current WIP.
Think it may be pretty fun to have a shape shifting alien dominatrix and her cybernetic assistant
get matched up with an average geeky newly wed astronaut, who gets stranded somewhere
in the galaxy after testing out an experimental space ship and propulsion system. All sorts of
whacky things should be possible, starting with working on communication, to other insanity.
Thinking maybe to have them try to get him back to Earth, but not in such a simple fashion.
Should be fun.

 

Well, how was I to know? Sure, it says 'turquoise hair dye' on the jar -- but what, am I supposed to read things, now? Ridiculous.

Yeah, last time I went blue it faded to a silvery color after a while. I liked it, though! I ended up with black tips from a previous dye job, fading up to bluish silver, then back to my natural dark brown at the roots. It was an odd combo.

 

You guys realize how demoralizing all this hair talk is to those of us who no longer have any, right?

 

None? C'mon, men's hair is like geese, it just migrates south over time. Mrs. A caught me using conditioner on my chest the other week, she wasn't happy, but I'm hoping for braids soon.

 

I should try for cornrows, then I could trawl for Amish. "Good even, English. Wouldst thou care to bring in the harvest?"

 

Yeah, that did occur to me after I posted it...

OK, Squirrel Hooligans Featuring DJ @Cave Troll

Or if we have to keep the original billing due to contractual obligations:

Hooligan Squirrels Featuring DJ Cave Troll.

 

[Scribbles Manic Panic for future reference] My stylist recommends Paul Mitchell Ink. Says the colors are true and doesn't wreck your hair. I have not tried it. We were discussing it because I've been wanting to try fun hair colors. (Gotta get through a Homeowner's Association meeting before I can take part in such errrr...shenanigans.) If I go for it may I PM you for advice on your method, @izzybot ?

 

Sure! I really just follow the instructions, though. Except for when I can't be bothered. Do as I say, not as I do, etc

I haven't heard of Paul Mitchell Ink, but honestly Manic Panic is just the go-to in my style-related circles -- I didn't do a ton of research outside of it.

 

Getting a regular paycheck means I'll be able to eat and keep a roof over my head - but when all the important things are payed and out of the way...

I'm so looking forward to be able to afford some decoration for my home. Frames for my steampunk cat posters! Maybe a rug for the bedroom so I don't have to live with the echo of a too big room and not enough furniture. A new lantern because I've earned that money and can buy whatever I damn well please!

Haha, I promise to save up for rainy days as well - but I deserve to spoil myself a bit, don't I?

I'm doing some internet window shopping. Pretty things makes me happy...

 

Except that it mucks with the color. I'd recommend it, too (though for the life of me I couldn't imagine why), if it didn't change the color!

 

New pens! I just got a parcel of cheap fountain pens from China in all the colours of the 4-bit rainbow.

 

Think I've finally learned how to read novels naturally again. When I was younger, it wasn't unusual to read three or four books each month, but my skills atrophied as I spent more time with Netflix and other visual-heavy media. It became difficult to read paper, or even e-books without visual stimuli. But something changed while I finished Woken Furies, and I'm finding it easier and easier.

 

Just got a quote to replace our roof from a guy whose work we're familiar with ...he's done work for three of our near neighbours, and they're all really pleased with him. And the amount was about half of what we expected to be paying. AND he's going to do the garage roof as well!

Fourple YAY!

 

I know just what you mean. I had the same problem for some reason. I think it's because when I was in middle school, reading was just something to do and I read for its own sake. Over time, getting more and more accustomed to the passive pleasures of visual media, reading became something to do for a specific purpose. I only read something to learn something, not primarily to be entertained. But, I think I just managed to grow an appreciation for reading as a distinct medium of story telling from TV and movies. They are different and great and both do things the other can't do. I think I almost started to view reading as a written version of a movie. But they're not. They really represent the world in a different way. With words. Words we've associated with aspects of life, wielded by an author to induce feelings, thoughts, and images into your head.

 

I found one of these pizza sandwich things in the freezer. I thought they were all gone, and I was kind of sad because they come from somewhere that we don't go to very much. So I'm very much enjoying myself as I'm eating it right now.

 

I've managed to be productive today! Wooo!

 

This can possibly turn a dour apple into a happy one.

 

I've been struggling with some personal problems recently.

On the bright side, my Dungeons and Dragons group started a new campaign yesterday. It's basically "Curse of Strahd" mixed with a bit of "Rocky Horror Picture Show." The villain is a fabulous, over-the-top vampire prince.

He sends the group letters, sometimes. He signs them with a kiss and scents them with perfume. He's probably my favorite villain so far.

 

Yes but when it comes down to his irresistible charms, not too mention his silken stockings...
Truly a diabolical baddie indeed.

 

My group just finished Curse of Strahd! It took us a year. Anything that can lighten up that desperately bleak campaign sounds like great news to me. (No, but really, it was awesome.)

Heh, the bard I played in that campaign was part of my inspiration for Taji. By the end I think I was getting +11 to my persuasion rolls.

 

YAS. SOMEONE I CAN TALK TO ABOUT CURSE OF STRAHD.

So I'm the Dungeon Master right now. I'm pretending to run Curse of Strahd, but I'm bullshitting roughly half of it.

• The party is a group of circus performers.
• Ireena -- the girl Strahd is stalking -- is now an angry sixteen year old girl with a crossbow. So far, she's their favorite ally. She's the most competent and useful person they've met.
• I completely rewrote Strahd. He was once a fabulous prince, but one day a witch cursed him to fall in (unrequited) love with a peasant girl. He tried to woo her, but he was shallow and cold, and she rejected him. Knowing he was cursed, he went into a rage and killed her, hoping it would free him. Instead... it got worse.
• He obsesses over her--and he loathes it. Every time she is reincarnated, he is forced to woo her, and when she rejects him, he kills her. This is the twentieth cycle.
• He knows his mind has been magically corrupted and turned against him, but he can't control it.
  
• There's pieces of his old self still alive inside. He's still fighting to regain control of himself. He invites adventurers into his domain because, internally, he's begging to die. Part of him wants to torture them for fun. Part of him wants to help them so he can die. So right now, he's doing both.

I dig tortured dudes, I guess. I haven't decided how he became a vampire yet.

Anyway, long story short, I'm hoping they never look up the actual story of Curse of Strahd.

I can totally see Taji as a bard. In fact, Miko, Taji, and Thea would make a neat little D&D party. Bard, sorcerer, and rogue.

 

So am I understanding right that you're throwing all this stuff in and letting your players believe it's canon? Ahahahahaha. Amazing. Also that is so much more interesting than canon Strahd.

 

yuuuuup. As far as they know, this is "canon."

I hope they never play Curse of Strahd again with a different group in the future, because they will be very confused.

I'm the most experienced player in the group. I taught them how to play D&D myself a couple years ago. We're a weird group. Lots of roleplaying, horror, drama, and comedy. Not much combat. We've never done a pre-written adventure before. I actually had to explain to them what a module was and how it worked.

I have a lot of power right now, and I'm the wrong person to have any kind of power.

 

Damn, I think I went out with him...

 

I finally got the stray cat around my way to let me pet it. Took months of fishy meals and two Mexican standoffs for her to trust me.

I wanna try and get pictures next time, but....let me not push it. Yet.