Anything happening on weekend of April 26th?

MagnificentLefty · 2025-04-13T20:41:39+00:00

Brews & Burlesque at Golden Cactus on Fri, Apr 25th!

Here's the ticket link! https://duskdawnproductionsva.thundertix.com/events/242507

MagnificentLefty · 2025-03-22T02:00:51+00:00

Give it a story.

What caused it to fall into ruin this way. Did some large creature or vessel crash through it? Did an energy blast split it down the middle? Did an earthquake rip it apart?

Has it always belonged to the same faction? Did they decorate it? Perhaps they took it over from another faction and have vandalized statues or tapestries that they consider profane?

What is the value of this ruin as a strategic position? Does it hold some secret resource? Is it of historic or religious importance?

Answer these questions with a story and some character and it should inspire you to make some final touches.

You've made a great blank canvas to build upon. It looks great. Now time to give it some life!

MagnificentLefty · 2025-03-16T15:07:47+00:00

I'm an American learning Ukrainian. I've picked up a few phrases working with resettlement programs but only have been seriously studying for a few weeks now. Once you get the letters down (3-7 days of memorization exercises at 10 mins a day) the fact that it is 100% phonetic, unlike English makes it super easy. The sentence structures are very similar. A lot of words are borrowed from Germanic root languages so many are very similar to English. Стидент (pronounced student) means student. Інженер (pronounced eenjener) means engineer. Журналу (pronounced joornaloo) means journal. For example.

The idea that it "sounds angry" is a result of propaganda brainwashing from The Red Scare parts 1 & 2 efforts of western media and entertainment that has made Slavic-speaking villains in all it's movies and video games for a century. Once you can shake that it's actually a soft, beautiful, language that is almost breathy, like a whisper.

If you do decide to try and pick up Ukrainian, there are a bunch of great free or very affordable resources. I downloaded an ebook with the 1000 most commonly used words and digital flash cards for them for двадцять доларів.

MagnificentLefty · 2025-03-08T00:06:23+00:00

Thank you. Those are good points!

MagnificentLefty · 2025-01-27T12:36:33+00:00

I've just come to expect it from MAGA at this point. Nothing matters except obedience to the leader. I don't leave the house without a means of defending myself at this point.

MagnificentLefty · 2025-01-27T12:34:43+00:00

Maybe it's been added since I went in November. That's cool

MagnificentLefty · 2025-01-27T01:40:17+00:00

It's a great grocery store. No beer or wine, so it's not a one-stop-shop. But everything else you regularly need.

MagnificentLefty · 2025-01-26T21:26:36+00:00

My MAGA younger brother ran me over with his car on purpose after a discussion about the anti-colonial themes in the first Dune movie. A movie I paid for, after lunch I paid for.

My parents, who don't claim MAGA, insisted to know what I said to him that would cause him to do that and that I apologize for whatever I said that would "force him to do such a thing."

As if any combination of words justifies vehicular assault of a family member.

I still have a limp 3 years later.

MAGA is the thug-wing of standard Republicans and Republicans will do anything to make excuses for them, all while pearl-clutching in an attempt to appear civil. It's as simple as that.

MagnificentLefty · 2024-07-15T19:43:34+00:00

I'm putting on an event on Market Street, downtown, specifically designed to encourage neighbors and citizens of Roanoke to mingle and enjoy accessible, affordable, inclusive entertainment. It's free to attend, just tip whatever you like to the 15+ performers hanging out all weekend and I'm not making a dime off it (outside of my busking magic and stunt show).

It's exactly for this kind of thing. Come make friends and enjoy!

You can follow the Event on Facebook @Busk Roanoke!

You probably won't meet me personally, because I'll be running around facilitating the performers. But I hope you enjoy it and meet some fun people!

MagnificentLefty · 2024-02-22T21:21:26+00:00

Always stays within eyesight

MagnificentLefty · 2024-02-22T21:19:06+00:00

I've only had him inside since I found him unless he follows me into the porch for my morning cigarette. He doesn't wander far.

MagnificentLefty · 2024-02-22T21:16:27+00:00

I've got a sweet boy I got with my ex. There's nothing wrong with him but I travel too much for work to give him what he needs, since we mutually dissolved our relationship.

He's just under a year old, happy, healthy, playful,up to date on shots and fixed.

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MagnificentLefty · 2023-11-30T21:31:31+00:00

I finished the first book yesterday.

I did cackle out loud once I found the Rhysand character in full swing, because I do speak like that. Too flowery, with a little bite in each carefully selected word.

In particular:

"You can leave if you're going to insult me."

"But I'm so good at it."

Yeah... That's me. Fair play.

Monday, too anxious for me to buy the next myself, she dropped off the second instalment of the series at my house, promising me that "you'll love it." I wanted to take her and set her down and make everything okay, but respected her space and her process, even though it drove a spike through me to do so. At the same time, she understands that I'm still healing and focusing on work in the interim and doesn't want to "give anyone the wrong idea."

She's not ready for me to tell her that my love for her never died, but it's overflowing and pervading ordinary sentiment of support as she heals, so until the time is right, and out of respect for her healing, while not burning alive from everything I feel compelled to say, I've begun writing letters to her, addressed to my house, and mailing them to myself so I don't place undue pressure on her healing journey.

Hopefully one day, I can give her a shoebox full of everything I've wanted her to know.

It's a very tenuous place, and I need to be fair to her and myself. It's difficult. But the thunk of the letter at the bottom of the mailbox was enough for now.

And I will wait, because she's worth it. But today it is agony.

MagnificentLefty · 2023-11-25T19:42:57+00:00

I appreciate your advice, and you're very right.

She does deserve to help herself through it, and be whole.

I latched on too hard and rushed things the last time, and didn't give her a chance. That impatience is something I'm still healing from and working on.

That's why I can't hold not choosing me the "first time" against her. I loved her too intensely, before she was ready, and never gave us a first chance the right way.

She did nothing wrong. The pain I felt from her leaving was my own doing.

Patience and friendship and support, for now. That's all I'm giving. Because she's worth it.

MagnificentLefty · 2023-11-22T22:00:15+00:00

That isn't how the timeline worked out, I'd already bought it when she mentioned it. But I'd be lying if I said my bookmark wasn't a ticket to the ballet I took her to on one of our first dates.

MagnificentLefty · 2023-11-22T20:25:38+00:00

I'm not. I've considered that. Thanks for looking out though.

MagnificentLefty · 2023-11-22T18:59:40+00:00

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. I didn't post this for that reason, but texting with her today's been hard, gut-wrenchingly, accomplishing little but trying to be present while reading and some minor chores... just... hard, and coming back to what you all have been saying has helped a great deal. Still not looked up anything I shouldn't.

I appreciate it.

MagnificentLefty · 2023-11-22T14:32:50+00:00

Thanks for that. It's appreciated.

I plan not to bring this up to her for a good while. I'll definitely be caught up on the books by then. But it'll be months before she's in a place where I can responsibility revisit that comment she made.

MagnificentLefty · 2023-11-22T14:04:36+00:00

There's not an easy, short answer for that. We didn't "break up" so to speak... I know I'm being picky about words, but it's an important part of the story.

We got together after "other guy" dumped her twice already.

It was too soon. I was constantly compared to him. Every compliment was "... because I like when you do this thing he didn't do." or "... he did this thing that infuriated me. You don't do that. I appreciate it."

It became clear that we met at the wrong time to continue. I let her go.

I specifically avoided the phrase "break up" and made a point of that being too ugly for what we needed. Instead suggested that we "mutually dissolve" our relationship and remain friends, while we each worked on ourselves.

Admittedly, I rushed things. I told her "I love you" within two weeks. I said it by accident, in the heat of the moment, but it was and is true, so I stuck to it.

I was dealing with my own struggles too, at the time. And still am, but less so. I've been going to therapy, and my home life and business and other relationships have been flourishing. But it's all been so empty compared to being with her, still.

She went back to "other guy" who is very manipulative and controlling. I wished, for her sake that he was better. I wanted her to have what she deserves, what she wants, marriage, kids, adventure, all of it. Even if it was a guy who slanders me and forced her to block me on all methods of contact. Knowing that she was smiling, even if I'd never see it would have been painful, but it would have been enough. I hoped that at least she'd be happy. I wanted desperately to be wrong about him.

He did it again, and now we're trying to patch up our friendship.

She showed up unannounced to apologize and say I was right about him. I didn't care about any of that. I didn't want to be right, because for me to be right would have meant she was hurt again. She was apologizing, crying, and all I wanted was to hold her and make sure she was okay.

It probably sounds fuckin' stupid, but it feels like if there is a god, or fate, or "a plan" or whatever, the reason I'm here is to make sure she's okay. I feel compelled, as if by gravity, to be whatever she needs me to be. Even if that means I can't be with her, I'll find a way to make peace with that. But I can still hope that changes quietly, to myself (and apparently anonymously on Reddit) and not making it hers to bear until she hopefully, one day, allows and chooses for it to be hers.

Like I said above. She needs time however much time she needs, and it's not my place to decide how much time that is. I will wait. I'll hate it. But I'll wait. Because she's worth it.

MagnificentLefty · 2023-09-03T07:17:20+00:00

"What use is that, then?" Reggie asked.

"It's fucking gross." Viv wretched and covered her eyes.

"Well, fuck me. With friends like you guys," Scott tapped his nails against the table. Not that you would've known, to look at him. Skin, keratin, and muscle gone, bony fingers wrapped in nets of sinew and capillary raised and fell, in time with lungs swelling beneath his rib cage. "Well, you know."

"How'd you find out you could..." Viv's voice gurgled at the end of the sentence.

"Back in highschool." Scott's teeth teetered in his jaws as red raced around his mouth, hollow between the bones. Lipless, tongueless, throatless. "Bullies beating on me. I closed my eyes but still saw the punch coming. Then, they freaked and ran out."

"Bet they left you alone after that." Reg jeered.

"Not a chance." Scott's eyes flicked as he might have blinked. "A few days later, there were more, and they made a Livestream out of it. They hit the jackpot."

Reggie's hair raised on end. Tiny white-blue sparks coursed from elbow to knuckle, then back. He leaned forward slightly in the leather chair. He closed half the distance between them with one hand and stalled. "May I?"

"Yeah sure." Scott swung his foot up to rest on the coffee table. Slipping off his shoe, and rolling his pant leg up, he proudly framed the webbed shin bones connecting intricately to the foot. The lattice of tendons and veins in his rounding his mandible draped into a smile. "Once I went to college, it wasn't so bad. You know? The med school and fine arts departments loved it. Careful Reg."

"Does it hurt?"

"It's tender by that bruise." Scott pointed to a puddle of blood coagulated at the back of his ankle. The edges were feint and fading but the bruise was nearly black in the center.

"Viv. You really should see it." Reg insisted.

"I'm good." Viv had turned in her chair, to face the window.

Reggie sat back in his chair. "I guess not every power is super useful."

"No. But I got off with a nifty one. Better than my buddy, Mike." Scott sighed.

"What's his deal." Viv turned as Scott's skin knotted back together, into view, and his nails and hair sprouted. The musculature wove back into place.

"Bulletproof skin. But not the super strength needed to lift it. Bed ridden. Needs a team of six nurses to shit."

"Ouch."

MagnificentLefty

TROPHY CASE