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| “What makes me so dangerous is not my strength, my reflexes, nor my skill. There are undoubtedly others in the world who are stronger, faster, and have had more training with a variety of weapons. What makes me dangerous is, ever since I was young, killing was just… easy. If you think about it, anyone can kill anyone else at anytime. You could be walking down the street, or standing in the market, or even sitting at the dinner table with your family, and all it takes is a piece of glass, or a sharpened stick, or if you’re really determined, a sharp set of teeth, and you can kill at least one person before anyone else can react. But the idea of killing, for most people, is unfathomable. For me, however, it’s simply another errand in my day.”
-The Assassin | | |
| “ I’m not stupid. I know that the things that he gets up to are pretty awful. Really awful. He tries to keep the worst stuff hidden from me, but I can always tell. He has this look on his face when he gets back from… wherever he goes. I know that he’s hurt someone, and that there’s absolutely no justification, no rationalization that will make it right. So he doesn’t give me one. I think the thing he’d like most is to shut me away in a room, or a tower somewhere where nothing can get at me, nothing can hurt me. But I’m not some treasure. I’m a human being, and I wish he would just treat me like one for once. Do I hate him? Sure, sometimes. But before she died, mom told him to look after me, and how can you stay mad at someone for that? So I forgive him, for the way he treats me and the other stuff. Who knows, maybe someday he’ll open his eyes and realize I’m not just his little brother.”
-The Innocent | | |
| Played in my first-ever magic tournament tonight, got knocked out in the first round thanks to an obvious vintage player with his combo/control infinite mana deck (If you understood that, I'm so sorry.) Played a couple pick up games after that, won one, lost one. I'm overall pretty comfortable with the deck I put together, it's just depressing that Wizards doesn't put more effort into actually running EDH tournaments. Oh well. End nerd portion of post\
"Well, I suppose I sort of lucked into this gig, if you want to call it luck. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm honrored to be chosen, I mean, how many people get a chance to save the world? But... I don't know. I'm not the kind of guy who gets worked up over things, and even though everything is at stake, it just seems so unreal. I know I should be taking this more seriously. People are expecting me to take it more seriously. But... sometimes it's all too much. The consequences if I fail are... I don't even want to think about. So I push it out of my head, and do what I normally do, try and relax, and get people around me to relax. I know most people want someone swinging a sword to... slay evil or whatever. But what can I do? That's not me."
-The Champion | | |
| So, I'm in Indiana for Gen-con, and there's something about getting out of Milwaukee that really makes me want to write. I've found myself people watching like I used to when I was younger. I want to write a story worthy of being read, and the path is through people. I need characters, and perhaps, over the next couple of days, some will occur to me.
"I am the kind of person who will push himself until he cannot possibly continue, then will push himself more. I will work hard days, I will not complain, I will not seek relief. If I've been driving so long that my brain struggles to stay focused and oncoming traffic look like terrifying monsters to my tired eyes, I will bring myself to task, I will force myself onwards. I do this, because the alternative is unacceptable."
-The Companion. | | |
| It's a term that came up a lot in star wars, I think they even named a book after it. Threepio's fretting would devolve into a lamentation of how everyone was getting "delusions of grandeur."
The thing is, I've always suffered from delusions of grandeur. Not just for me, either, but for everyone I know. I think it was sartre who said, "It's not enough that I succeed, all of my friends must fail." But I really want the best for myself and all of my friends. I think it must be a lingering Frank Steeves thing (I can't even count the number of people that man has helped, career-wise), but when I daydream, it's about the wonderful things I am accomplishing, and the wonderful things my friends are accomplishing.
Of course, this has left me with no small amount of anxiety about my future. What if I fall flat on my face? I'm out of school now, what if the world just doesn't want my contribution? I'm really concerned about that.
But as far as my friends are concerned, well, I think there's potential there. I facebook stalk every now and then because it passes the time, and I'm just incredibly impressed with everything that I've seen old acquaintences accomplish. I'm a little jealous, sure, but mostly just incredibly awed by the wide range of skills presented to be from friends, old and new. It gives me comfort to know that, even if the world just absolutely kicks my ass, people I knew once, people I know now, will be just fine. | | |
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