So…. yeah. I'll actually have internet access this time (at least, this is what I am told) but I will be away from home for about four days. Timezone change too, so you might see me online cleaning up the site at odd (or at least different) hours.
I'm in London.
And being constantly mortified by my family members.
Send help.
Hop over the North Sea. I'll harbor you.
Brb contacting wizard buddies about borrowing seven-league boots
Admittedly it's rather nice in London, weather-wise. No rain yet. Our driver from the airport to the hotel was a saint of patience with dumb tourist questions. Going to see a castle.
I'll likely be forwarding my draft requests to other staff members though, since right now I'm running low on brainpower due to the ever-growing headache over dealing with my family. Deletion votes and forum moderation is still a zyn thing though. Keeps me sane.
Try contacting the Mondgnome, maybe they could help.
Maybe. If they make a stone that can magically make fathers considerate, then I'd love that. I'm not yet desperate enough to just start throwing regular rocks at my dad every time he's an insensitive jerk to me, but the next three days or so are going to be an exercise in patience.
So, erm, yeah. If I seem distraught or something on the site, please check me on that. I'm not in the best place emotionally now. Being on the site helps, but I don't want my family issues to bleed over to my staff performance.
What's the mailing rate on hugs?
Because I am sending you a hug. And a Pope card.
Also, try to have some fun in London Zyn!
That card is amazing. xD
Things have gotten a little better, mainly because dad can't use the "you don't know anything" excuse when I'm the one figuring out the tube station stops and routes.
He still insists on calling my brother and me "the children" and blaming all of his silly whims on us though (he wanted to see if there was an ice machine in the hotel — there isn't, the staff delivers ice, he said "oh my kids wanted it" even though my brother and I told him three times we didn't want ice. And then he had my brother call the front desk to ask where the hotel pool was. The hotel doesn't have a pool.)
(aaaaaarrrrrrghhhhhhh)
On the bright side, I had a nice little chat with a warden at Windsor castle about the inlays on a nice rifle that was on display with dress swords and other decorative weapons. I mentioned seeing ivory and mother-of-pearl, and she mentioned that a blue material might have been opal, and then showed me to a sword with the entire handle made of ivory, carved in the shape of a man on a horse at the pommel and a griffon at the hilt and did you know zyn is a sword nerd.
Anyway, I still miss you all lots, and am actually working on a guide for co-authoring articles to maintain my sanity.
It usually gets better once you move out, thus not so far away that stupid questions pile up till family gatherings (implying you live with your parents).
Well these ornamented weapons are usually not meant for fighting. Ask for something less fragile. I also think that swords are not the best choice for the untrained (implying you are a beginner), I think a pole weapon like a halberd or spear is the most easy to use, and least dangerous in case your opponent is armed and as trained as you are, because you can keep them at distance and especially with a halberd, mordaxt etc. on you can stab, bash and yank.
Of course, everybody who knows which end belongs into the opponent is able to swing a sword, axe, warhammer or club. But these require more strength and agility, and even with shield they are more dangerous for the user as you need to get closer to the opponent. Do not use flails without proper training! You will hit yourself.
And if wearing armor, if you have long hair wear a hood or something when putting chainmail on or off. Getting hair stuck in chainmail is something you do not want.
See also here.
In case you are 'merican your are probably an expert with firearms though… ;)
Nobody who knows what they are doing ever wears maille without an arming garment underneath. It doesn't actually work effectively without one.
Wow, uh…
I like decorative weapons for their craftsmanship. Art History angle kinda thing. That rifle had a piece of ivory with a carved greyhound on it.
<3 Be well, Zyn.
I'll likely be forwarding my draft requests to other staff members though
Dutifully noted, and they will be settled.
I'll be gone for extended time tomorrow, all-day tour or something, still miss you all.
Also I totally embarrassed myself at the sushi go-around place thing today by misinterpreting something the guy at the counter said and I'm still kind of kicking myself over it. Bleargh.
Will you make it to Kensington Palace? They've got fascinating installations on the Stuarts and Victoria that should get your creative juices flowing. Also make sure you have tea in the orangery there. It is fabulous.
Ironically, the hop-on/hop-off tour we went on yesterday (which was a disaster since my dad isn't good at timing buses or figuring out alternate routes for changing buses or asking about either of those two things) would have gone around Hyde Park and the Kensington Gardens, but my dad insisted on getting off at Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey to be a tourist and take pictures no one except him is going to look at later and he decided walking against the bus route direction to look at the London Eye was a good idea and so we had to change buses to accommodate that and the last bus we took finished its course before getting to Kensington because by then it was dark and the tours were done running. We got off to use the toilet and then hop on a tube and it was very crowded and one of the trains was even held at the station for a little while and
Maybe someday one of us will win the lottery and we can all go to London together and it'll be actually fun
The tea is pretty good here. Though zyn is kind of a wimp when it comes to British tea. Can't help but miss the green tea and white tea I've got for myself back home, though I'm immensely relieved sugar packets are readily available. Yesterday I just had fruit and like four cups (only the first one with sugar, I may be improving?) of tea for breakfast. Scumbag stomach still hasn't decided how to feel about the food here.
Anyway, it is the crack of dawn outside and still dark. I leave for the tour bus (stagecoach here, I think?) in a little while. Couple of places on the list that I think I can just sit and sketch at and my parents will leave me alone to do that since they get impatient at museums (another reason why it's hard for me to travel with them).
Also, had to make two captain posts in the forums today on vague feedback.
This is a polite request to the Forum Crit Team, when people have the time, to take a look at recent reviews in the forums and check for vagueness and misleading-ness, please. I'll be back later to help with cleanup. But quite a bit later today/tomorrow for you guys, seems.
