So... because I thought the thoughts and wrote the words last week... I ended up doing a second version of these characters, but more fully "in world" this time. With classes and shit.
Initially I made Palax a Storm Sorcerer... but, I've been there and done that, actually to the highest of levels.. and relooking at the sorcerer options, I kept coming back to the Draconic Sorcerer (which I've also played with, but not very much). Which brought my brain back around to Blue Dragon... even though I haven't spoken to him in... something approaching 15 years at this point, there's still a little pocket in the back of my brain he lives in.
And given that the sorcerer description includes this text...
Most often, sorcerers with this origin trace their descent back to a mighty sorcerer of ancient times who made a bargain with a dragon...
Any given sorcerer could be the first of a new bloodline, as a result of a pact or some other exceptional circumstance.
Yeah, we're going to chalk Blue Dragon and my several years of mental trauma as "exceptional circumstances". So while I haven't thought about the specifics of the in-game pact or his history, it makes more sense to me than Storm Sorcerer did. Plus blue dragons are also known as storm dragons... so...
Jolly is a cleric of Fluffy's (current) favourite domain/the god his first ever character worshipped. Because it just made sense.
I also enjoyed combining the regular "Hero Forge colouring" combined with some later post-processing additions/alterations including the holy symbol, lightning and waistcoat pattern.
These two are 100% going to turn up as NPCs in something I run at some point... whether or not Fluffy is also at the table.
Moving on sideways somewhat... this week was minestrone soup... and by which I mean "that recipe in my head that I think of as minestrone, while never really having looked at an accurate minestrone recipe". But it's tasty and filling, and that's what I needed this week.
Also, do you remember last week when I said that I may have lost my remaining marbles over the previous year and a half had it not been for my current crop of friends. Yeah, that is 100% a true and accurate statement, as I spent all day, every day (with a brief exception) inside my house this week, self isolating away and really started to lose it several times. Like, forgot what day it was on multiple occasions lost it... cried at a video about a nice lady making a reproduction of an Edwardian dress lost it...
But lets wind back to Monday... when I needed to go and get my second test done. After last week's five and a half hours of mental car-based trauma, I decided that I would get to the testing place before they even opened, get into the line first thing, be one of the first through the doors hopefully.
So, let's just compare Monday and Wednesday's trips, shall we...
Yeah... there might have been like 10 more minutes in it once I was actually in the carpark waiting to get the swab embedded in my brain again, but basically I was back home by about 7:45 give or take.
Granted, it also meant I got up at 5:30am and drove to the airport in the dark and watched the sun rise over an Aldi, but otherwise, it was a good plan. And I got my second results back by 9:30 the following morning... negative once again.
Which is why I'm doing the same damn thing this Monday for my final test. And then potentially having the busiest week possible given that other things have had to be pushed back for the last two weeks. But we'll deal with that when it gets here.
I will say that despite occasional internal freakouts, due at least in some small part from looking at too much news/information, they have downgraded the severity of the Village as a hotspot, although, honestly, the difference between downgrading from Tier 1 to Tier 2 after a week and a half is... basically pointless in any practical sense for the people involved... but made me feel a little better, even as they specifically mentioned the bakery as a place of interest.
There is a larger rant about contact tracing, times, locations and places... but that's not for the internet, that's for me to have with people I know once I can see them face to face again. Because I'm sure there are reasons for all of it, it just seems like really dumb reasons that aren't helpful.
I am also super aware that things could be much, much worse, and I could be in any of the other places in Australia where things are getting slightly crazy right now. So I am absolutely counting my blessings... but at the same time asking the questions that I have no way to actually get answered.
But moving on.
Oh, one tiny ray of sunshine that happened today when I went downstairs to bring my shopping upstairs. I got to check the mailbox, which I haven't done since Monday, and at some point this week one set of the dice I ordered showed up. Now the dice packet has a date on it that it's any of the dates of the original shipping information... but is still from May. So I honestly have no idea if this is the original set of dice finally showing up after two and a half months OR if this is the replacement set of dice that just have a weird date on them for no well explained reason.
It did give me a reason... excuse... justification... I don't know... but it did mean that I dumped all my dice out of my storage box and washed them in very hot soapy water.
There was no DnD this week... for all the obvious reasons... but weirdly I just reread a few of my posts from back in March last year and how quickly and without fuss we just transferred over to online games and didn't complain or drop any games. And now... yes, I know that now we have experienced online games and their flaws... and the Friday game I would much rather have the session with my graph paper husband and son when we're all face to face... but the Thursday group... yeah, maybe a conversation should be had there.
I feel like I say that a lot... and sometimes do and sometimes don't follow through... I will say that I'd like them to expend maybe a touch more effort if we do have another big lockdown situation.
Have I mentioned I lost my mind a little this week?
Anyway...
Today was... actually today was basically the same as the last ten days... except Ma delivered me my groceries and I got to check the mailbox.
Also, making a super specific shopping list is... weird somehow. I mean, sensible, but also required me to do more thinking than if I was just making a list for myself. Oh, you need that thing... that thing that comes in 26 varieties... which one specific variety do you want and how do you convey that information most effectively. I mean, it all worked... the only thing she couldn't get was because it wasn't there, so I wouldn't have gotten it either.
Can I get some collective finger crossing for Monday/Tuesday by the way? Or just think the good vibes in my general direction, that'd be great.
Current mood: