Fireflies in Jars

Lughnasadh

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:49:20 GMT

Happy Lughnasadh to all y'all of a Pagan bent. I discovered in my gardening something grand: August is a Florida PLANTING season. Okra, corn, beans, eggplant, squash. Yummy. Happy planting. Happy harvesting. Happy togetherness.

And here there be glee.

Sat, 16 May 2009 15:56:49 GMT

My garden has given me fresh onions. I am most please.

I have also put most of my tomato plants into the ground.

In Recent News...

Thu, 14 May 2009 22:15:57 GMT

Screw Fox News for suggesting that the recent Boston transit accident wasn't just because the guy was texting but because he was trans. This comes out of having to watch Fox News all damned day at work. It makes me feel as though my brains are oozing out my ears. The logical fallacies! They BURN!!! Ugh. It still hasn't stopped me from talking at the screen, though, when they say something stupid. I just mutter under my breath now... and it builds up through the day. So i have to spew it all over LJ, now.

On the up and more personal side, I submitted my short story "The Selkie's Sister" to The Lorelei Signal. Some months ago I submitted poems to the newly resurrected New Collage. I am currently prepping poems to go out to Rattle. Let's see if anything sticks. But before I find myself waiting around for news, I'm going to go trawl Duotrope to collect more info on markets I can submit to.

It's True

Tue, 05 May 2009 03:00:15 GMT

There is nothing better than home-roasted coffee. Seriously. I, yes I, the milk-craving sugar fiend, will drink my home roasts black. It's THAT good. Not because I'm good at it-- I'm not. I almost burnt this one. No. Fresh is just that much better. I kid you not.

Mmmm... soup

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:48:12 GMT

So, there was a chicken carcass. Having picked it clean of most of the meat, and being on the poorer side, I made a soup stock. Because delicious. So I set out the crock pot, and put in the chicken remains, and added garlic and salt. I let it go for about 26 hours. Then the real magic began, as I knew there was a garden full of herbs I could use to flavor this thing-- so I selected fresh sprigs of rosemary, thyme, and some tender delicious sage leaves. These went in to flavor the broth. Next I picked two green onion plants, not as tender as they were in their youth, but still delicious and oniony, and their flowers were spent, ready to drop seed. I harvested the flower heads, and removed the selected plants from the garden. The onion greens then felt themselves chopped. i cast about for other things to add. our cupboards were kind of bare of fresh things, but I did discover chickpeas, barley, and a can of sliced white potatoes. these went into the pot. Then I added the green onions. I cast about in the freezer and found a bag of mixed vegetables, the kind with green beans, peas, carrots, corn and lima beans. A hefty portion of this was added to the soup. I think they all would have been better fresh, but hey, you work with what you have. What I ended up with was a chicken-based vegetable soup of delicious. The broth was the richest I've ever had. I am never going back to canned soups.

Feets of Leather

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:44:54 GMT

So... I've jokingly bragged about how tough my feet are, how leathery my soles, and the things over which I've trod barefoot. Much of this is embellishment. However, tonight my cat was doing kitten paws on my lap (you know, the happy-cat kneading with claws?). She was purring as she does, so quietly you have to put your fingers under her chin to even tell. Suddenly, she gave a yelp and bolted backward. I felt my foot go with her. Apparently my little grey fluff ball had sunk her claws into the soles of my feet without my noticing, and couldn't extract them. A little bit of torn calloused skin was the only thing that remained of the incident. That, and she wouldn't let me touch her for fifteen minutes. D'awwwww.

More Gardening

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:32:40 GMT

The old star jasmine is blooming again! I must do my giddy dance.

Further, I have onion seed! The first of the scallion flowers finally spit forth seed, little brown things I collected up. I could look up the information on onion sets for to plant them again when the weather is right. April is the last of Florida's spring gardening though, and the hot weather can damage many plants which are normally summer ones further north. More research!

Green-- Because There Was Finally Rain

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:28:33 GMT

I've been such a garden dork of late. I've been trying to fill my time with challenging things, so gardening and module building are it, in addition to writing, which is always a fascinating thing. So I'm going to glee over seemingly boring things: I am going to give you a garden report. If you live nearby and would like tasty things, ask and I shall share. Right now, I've an abundance of scallions. Onion greens are it at the moment. Let the garden dorkiness begin!

My baby cilantros were a bit overly tender, and many didn't make it, but I've figured out that I can raid my spice rack for more coriander seed and start some fresh. There are about 6 or 7 surviving cilantro plants. But once they get bigger, I'm told it will take a miracle to kill them... and I'll have enough new seed to just keep it going, as well as eat.

My night-blooming jasmine has buds. Restless night spirit that I am, I'm going to stick a table and chair out next to it, and have a moon garden. The old star jasmine has new flower buds, and the new one is starting to reach for its trellis. I glee!

The orange seeds I started in order to have sour oranges haven't budged. Stubborn little things, they are slow to germinate. I was thinking about nabbing some orchid tree seeds from up at New College and start some of those in pots. I want a jacaranda for the front yard.

Let's see... I have yellow bulb onions, which I really want to bolt, so I can get onion seed-- I don't really care about how fast the bulb will rot afterward. I plan on eating it immediately after harvest, practically. If I can get seed plus food, that's a total win. As stated, the scallions (green onions) are going crazy, but their bulbs don't get very big. I just keep adding their leaves to salads and what not. They've started to bolt, so I'm giddy about that. Seeds!!!

I have little sage, thyme, stevia and rosemary plants. Only the sage is really big enough to pick at, which I do occasionally. It's starting to flower, so the plant was likely at its tastiest... yesterday.

I planted a mango tree. It's about a three-year-old sapling, so it'll still be a while before it bears. I'm also trying very hard to resuscitate a sour orange that's been standing near-dead in the yard, a thorny tangle of branches. I was given hope a few weeks back when B's mom discovered that the cambium was still green, even though there were no leaves. So I fertilized it, a 10-6-4 mix with minors, though it probably should have been heavier on the potash (the last number... "potash" is potassium, for those who didn't know, and if you did... ignore the parenthetical: but the numbers are nitrogen/phosphorus/potassium respectively). I've been giving it extra water. It may be a month or more before I see any results, if the tree even has enough energy to come back.

I started some tomatoes, too. They grow like weeds here. I got a whole bunch more seeds and I'm dying to plant everything.

My compost is coming along-- I wish the pine wood would break down faster. It's already mostly decayed, and I keep breaking it up with a shovel even further every time I open up the bin. But because it's wood, it's painfully slow. The kitchen scraps, on the other hand, smell deliciously loamy. I say "deliciously" because that's a lot better than they smelled going in, though I've learned the right carbon-to-nitrogen balance to prevent compost reek. Novo Collegians, just add dried leaves to the compost bins on campus. A nice healthy layer. Most of the student don't have a CLUE what they're doing with that stuff. It makes me a sad gardener. Oh! And I also got an amazing compost bin fer cheepz: Charlotte County Waste Management sells them for $38.25, which is $70 cheaper than the Home Despot, and the bins have a greater volume, too. Check only though, pay at the Reuse Store... also buy things at the Reuse Store while you're there. The proceeds from the store (not the compost bins, sadly) all go to CARE, the Center for Abuse and Rape Emergencies.

I discovered the joys of the county extension service. Yay for planting stuff! Yay for local information about what grows, and area specific info on pests, problems, you name it! There are many extension programs based out of prestigious schools, and I didn't know about this before-- though some of you folk may have already had an idea. In case not...UF has a wondrous extension program, is a renowned leader in horticulture, and has tons of Florida specific data. California has delicious extension goodness out of UC. New York State has one out of Cornell. Massachusetts feels the love from UMass. Michigan is served by MSU. Illinois experiences extension joy from U of I. And Washington State has a WSU for many extension needs. Does that cover the states of residence of most of everybody on my friends list? If you want, I can look up city/county specific info for you... because I'm THAT obsessed now. I'm sure you're capable of looking it up yourselves if you so desire, but! Remember, I've gone all dorky over this.

Oh! And sunflowers! My second crop! The first one went all the way to seed, and these new ones are born of that! I'm ridiculously excited about that! :D

There Was None Better

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:31:06 GMT

Wow. Eartha Kitt died, December 25th. The world will never be the same place.

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 01:28:00 GMT

@ nightstalker: So have you invented that teleporter yet? 'Cause I'd love to go to your UnChristmas shindig, and visit the coffee shop too. Instead, my mother has roped me into going to her house, and is probably going to strong arm me into attending some sort of fire-and-brimstone Jesus-hates-sinners-most-on-Christmas service, and complain at me for not being a Christian. I will be given presents I don't want and then guilted for having received them and not being a Jesus-freak. Then dinner will be served, and the only safe topic of conversation will be the weather, but not global warming, because it's Jesus's punishment for teh homosekshuls, along with AIDS and the economic crisis. Also, Mohamed is apparently a demon, and all the Jews are going to the nicest part of hell... but they're still going to hell. Her words, not mine. Can you see why I'd rather eat glass? Please please please make my mother stop. Or, if I have to spend Christmas with Christians, let me spend the day with Catholics or Christian Scientists, most of whom are much saner and cooler than my mother. And send me some dim sum. Alas, that doesn't weather transit well.

Making Your Vote Count

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:27:04 GMT

I've been reading up on this stuff, and I've already voted. I fugure the best thing I could do at this point was to pass the information along. Cara at Feministe has an excellent post today about voter suppression, and how to combat it. There's also Steal Back Your Vote. Excellent resources, both. Read, process, and prepare yourselves and friends in case of election fraud of the vote-stealing kind. But most of all, pass along this information. Tell every one. Circulate the links. Repost them in your journals, facebook, or other blogs, add other links that you know of with good resources to help folks avoid disenfranchisement.

The US is Not Alone

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:33:46 GMT

Iceland's in trouble too.

Because Rew Did It First This Time, Initiating This Round of Meme-age

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 23:46:47 GMT

Comment and I will:
a) Tell you why I friended you.
b) Associate you with something -- a fandom, song, color, photo, etc.
c) Tell you something I like about you.
d) Tell you a memory I have of you.
e) Ask you something I've wanted to know about you.
f) Tell you my favorite userpic from your list.
g) In return, you could post this on your own LJ, and it shall be gleeful.

Overwhelming Urges

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:30:23 GMT

http://www.whodoesshethinksheis.net/

I must see this film. Must.

To Curse a Writer

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:11:21 GMT

D. came up with something absolutely beautiful and evil today. Never say this aloud to me or any writer you care about, but as curses of subtle monstrosity go it is a lovely twisted thing: "May [ ] be plagued by stories that are beyond your ability to tell."

The blank because I don't wish it on any of you. It's is Gaiman-esque, but that was more the quantity of ideas plaguing Richard Madoc.

Ah, Well

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:24:58 GMT

Looks like I won't be getting to go to Necronomicon after all. Oh well. Minor suckage. There are many worse things in this world than little disappointments.

On an up note, by this time tomorrow, I may be gainfully employed. The downside is missing thryn's b-day party. However, if gainful employment occurs, I can offer to take weez-ile keeper on a belated run to Bern's Dessert Room in glorious Tampa. :D

Equinox

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:38:37 GMT

Blessed Mabon, y'all.

It's Been bothering Me So Much...

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:23:47 GMT

...that I wrote a letter.

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

Dear folks at Wizards of the Coast,

I know you've probably been getting a lot of emails and letters regarding 4th edition, some of it slavish praise, some of it absurdly angry venom. I, too, wish to critique something about the system's recent release, but I don't in any way wish to sound as though it is a bitter attack. This was, to me, an important letter to write, and I hope that you read it all the way through. While I am not enamored of the bloodied ratings and what not (they have an air of Final Fantasy limit breaks), my real concern lies not with the changes in the mechanics, but with the artwork.
Having been in the gaming industry as long as many of you have, I'm sure you remember the ill-proportioned crude drawings that pocked TSR's 2nd edition AD&D books, the books that I first learned to play RPGs from. They were bad. No one denies this. They were also pretty sexist, and I recall only one picture plate, burned into my memory, that didn't follow this pattern. It was the first full-page image that hit your eyes when you opened the Player's Handbook-- a group of adventures, mixed male and female, arrayed around the corpse of a small dragon. These women weren't wearing chainmail bikinis; these women looked competent. That illustration, that single illustration, was what kept a 15-year-old me from closing the book and feeling entirely unwelcome-- because I wanted a character that was as awesome and competent looking as one of them.
The artwork in 3rd edition was a whole different ballgame. Just looking through the character creation section, it felt like the types of images were evening out. Here you had the highly sexualized female forms, yes, and though there weren't exactly droves of them, there were sexualized males that were hot to look upon for the female gamer audience (instead of inflated with comic book muscles), and there were women depicted who were just, y'know, adventurers. They wore armor, everywhere even. That made me smile. There were pages and pages of male figures of the "just adventurer" variety, but it really felt like the artists chosen to work on various 3rd edition products had it in mind to play to all potential audiences. Honestly, I had felt like I had been given a pile of candy, a welcome mat had been laid out, and your art team had thrown me a parade.
Now you've rolled out 4th edition. I must admit, the artwork is good, it does not commit the sin of "terrible" of which so many of 2nd edition's picture plates were found guilty. There is a very large "but" to this admission, though. Only the female halfling is shown non-sexually, and nowhere are there sexualized male forms. Instead, I'm seeing impossible cleavage and chainmail bras everywhere. I'm seeing male forms in the foreground of the images, and female forms behind them. I'm seeing the parted lips of sexual arousal on the face of the female Eldarin. I see no bare-chested waif boys. I see an elven woman contorted in a way that should not be possible, simply to accentuate her figure, but no corresponding male images. I see even the scaly non-mammalian Dragonborn forms with breasts and boob-armor to match. And honestly, I feel as if that welcome mat that had been laid out with 3rd edition has been yanked from under my feet, and a "no girls allowed" sign has been hung in its place.
Art is powerful. Representation, as any athropologist, advertiser, or psychologist knows, impacts the way people see the world and themselves. I'm not asking to do away sexy women in fantasy art. I know as well as the next person that everyone wants their eye-candy. That's just it, though. Everyone wants their eye-candy, even women. Everyone also wants to be acknowledged as tough, competent, and at least in a D&D setting, dangerous. I urge you to hire new artists and direct current artists (and if you are an artist reading this letter, to do this yourselves) to create illustrations for future 4th edition products that are more inclusive. No one likes to be told through visual implication that the only thing they're good for is to be the party's pony (everyone gets a ride). A move toward more balance in representation would mean a lot to me, the other women with whom I game, and their daughters, a whole next generation of gamers.
I sincerely thank you for your time in reading this letter.

Yours,

Story Lee Boyle
gamer for life

Now I just have to look up email addresses and physical addresses. Critiques of the letter?

Reviewing Things... Because

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:47:02 GMT

And "because" will have to do by way of reasoning for now I suppose. Or not. Really, I've been... bored. Although I now have job leads far away from my current location.

But! Dark Horizons has this wonderful streaming audio feature so that even if you miss the weekly program, either being out of WMNF's broadcast range or you aren't by a computer for to tune in from 9-11pm Thursdays, you still get a great sampling of what they play. Currently on their streaming audio is a wonder song called "Conflict" by The Azoic (the Combichrist remix is featured). I am in love with it, and want to hear the original.

The more I pour over 4th edition abomination (I told you I'd do it, refering to it as such) the less I like it. I mention this because I was in the bookstore today. While the Eldarin and Dragonborn have existed for some time in the D&D mythos(insert plural of mythos here), there are some significant changes. The Eldarins, for example, used to be celestial extraplanar beings aligned chaotic good, and two varieties were listed in the 3.5 D&D Monster Manual, the Bralani and the Ghaele. Abomination has changed them into fey beings who are... visibly identical to elves. Why? Why are they suddenly a central race? And though orcs (and presumably their half-breed kin) are still in the Abomination's Monster Manual along with gnomes, Aasimar aren't (neither under their own entry, nor under the heading "plane-touched"), despite the fact that tieflings are a "main" race now. The simplification of alignment is also infuriating-- the alignment system needed to be expanded upon, not reduced. Five alignments instead of nine? Urgh. Combat I merely glanced over again, though slightly more deeply than last time. I hate how it's all described in terms of a character's "role" within a party. Controller, striker, leader, defender... honestly, why not call it like it is, AoE, DPS, healer (but not really because everyone heals), and tank? I have a game for that. It's called World of Warcraft. And it works in a videogame very well, but this is human interaction over shared storytelling. These things do not a compelling fight scene make. It makes for very narrowly defined roles, with very little derring-do as tense situations that require players to consider alternatives are made difficult system-wise. And finally, I was comparing images contained within the books, and it brought to mind one of cthulhu_shuman's comments the last time I wrote about this topic-- namely the depictions of dwarven females. All the females. In the 3rd edition books, both 3.0 and 3.5, I started noticing a trend. A trend that made me very happy-- female forms were being portrayed less sexually. Oh, overall, yes, there were many hyper sexualized female bodies in ridiculous poses, but this was balanced out (not perfectly, mind you) by a growing number of a) sexualized male forms that were not just the "hulking muscle masses meant for young boys to identify with in terms of power," but depicted in a way that actually made them appealing in terms of sexual characteristics that those who are attracted to males tend to enjoy (down to details like playful flirtatious expressions, or particularly appealing stances) and b) female figures that were not depicted sexually at all. They were just, y'know, people, and I found that growing balance of images reassuring. It was a feeling of, "we're not there yet, but darn, I can see progress! Yay!" The Abomination has, in its new core books, done away with this progress. The aesthetics of the race templates is rather telling-- all of the female figures sport plunging cleavage except the halfling female, who is the only competent looking one of the lot. She is also the only black figure depicted. I'm sorry, I have to go foam at the mouth now. Hey, WotC? Is this what you think I am as a female gamer? A dumb bimbo who wants to wear a chainmail bra to win the approval of male gamers everywhere? Kindly die, please. There are many more critiques. I want to explore some of the further implications of them, but later. Voicing this last one was very cathartic, though. And you know what? I'm not done. There is one more thing after that final note-- I noted a distinct absence from the core rules of the abomination of what is considered the golden rule of gaming, common to most systems that put storytelling first. That rule is the notion that rules are flexible, adn if you don't like them, change them. Did I miss it in my perusal? Because not emphasizing that means... that it's being approached with the kind of rigidity of the game mechanics of a video game rather than the openness of a social experience. Why do we need to duplicate forms that already exist, then?

Also, thryn has her own radio program, Dirge and Dance, on WSLR every other Sunday night (Monday morning, really, but it's the overnight) from 1-3am. Darned good, I tell you! It will air again not next Sunday/Monday, but the one after. Listen at WSLR's site. I am quite enamored of it.

I have to go put some more work into chandelier refinishing. Anyone know where I can acquire some cheap metal analog watches (pocketwatch size would be best)? I need gears for a salvaged steampunk look.

Realizations

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:13:18 GMT

New York cried for my leaving today. Either that, or it was just rainy.

I'm coming to some conclusions, I think. I've found more job possibilities here without even looking than I have in months of applying to Michael's, Lowe's, Home Depot, Publix, Circuit City, Petsmart, random advertising jobs in Tampa, etc. back in Port Charlotte. People have asked me here to buy my hat and offered $30-$50 for it. And I didn't even make it myself. I am... there are so many people with whom to creatively collaborate. Ideas are already buzzing in my head. Tampa, even when I lived there, gave me all sorts of ideas. New York does this too. Sarasota sprouted the occasional notion, but Port Charlotte sucks them away for me. I think very much it's the press of people-- I met briefly a young woman who made jewelry at Coney Island, and we talked shop while waiting in line for fish and chips. I randomly met people who struck up conversations with me about Ursula K. LeGuin. batyatoon had the most wondrous college project of doing a paper on street musicians, and then we had the notion of turning it into a documentary. And I'm realizing that I'd only be lying to myself if I said anything other than this: I want to move to New York. Right now, I don't think I'm going to get a better chance at it than this fall. And I'm going to try to line up woek before going. I got some talking out and planning to do, and it is unlikely that I will do it before Samhain (and the notion of glee that darksteele had-- I like seeing ideas through), and possibly starting up the talked about plan with dragonzfaerie about that Shakespeare on film... I looked last night at the available internships for writing here in NYC, and I boggled. I feel torn. Stupidly torn and I feel like I have to justify my desire to move here, because I "belong" in Florida doing... what? What will I do there?

Note to Self: Make This Again

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:16:16 GMT

One of the tastiest meals I've yet had, and so incredibly simple. Sliced up 2 roma tomatoes. Light sprinkling of salt on top, along with basil, oregano, garlic, crushed red pepper, and a few other things I've forgotten (blast! I had just grabbed spices and added them by smell. Secondary note to self: record spices better next time). Baked in oven at 325°F for 15 minutes (prolly should have done 20). Deliciousness ensued. Served with feta cheese and manzanilla olives. The olives were an afterthought, and quite honestly didn't complement the flavors quite properly, but the feta was amazing with it. So simple. So so simple.

And earlier, I went all out on a baked sweet potato, not only with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, but with honey (avacado honey to be precise-- its robust flavor worked well with the tuber. I wouldn't put orange blossom honey or wildflower honey with it, though black mangrove or palmetto honey would be yummy), allspice, nutmeg and clove. I nearly melted with the butter. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

A Proposal, Nay, an Edict!

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:38:05 GMT

All older versions of D&D will henceforth be referred to as "real D&D." 3.0, 3.5, the delights of 2nd ed. AD&D with joys THAC0 and its negative integers, even the 1974 boxed that presupposed one was familiar with the miniature game Chainmail, all these are holy within the eyes of Gary Gygax. This 4th edition thing? It is not D&D. Henceforth, it shall be known as the Abomination, for it is abominable unto Nuggan, and abominable unto Lloth, Moradin, and Corellon Larethian, and never shall it be refered to as D&D.

I Knew I Smelled Smoke This Morning

Fri, 30 May 2008 00:39:00 GMT

Lake Okeechobee is on fire. No wonder.

Meme-age, and You Know I Only Like the Fun Ones

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 02:27:32 GMT

Practice and Theory: Each person to pick it up will copy the ENTIRE "story so far," add a description that responds to the last action, then an action of their own with their LJ username (pref as a link). You can tag one person or just let anyone who wants to pick it up.

Some suggestions for actions in case you've never played a text adventure: Look, Take (something), Go (north, south, east, west, up, down, in, out), Use (something) on (something else), Say "(words)". Feel free to make up your own. Also feel free to respond to a nonsensical command with a nonsensical text adventure standard error message like "I don't understand. You want me to put that where?" This game can branch as different players pick the adventure up at the same spot and create different storylines; that's the point of copying THE WHOLE THING each time (put it behind a cut). Keep the instructions copied only once, or just link back to this post: http://kerrickadrian.livejournal.com/61847.html

(by kerrickadrian)

You open your eyes.

You sense the last remnants of some strange, vague and disquieting dreams tumbling out of your sleeping mind as you awaken, your eyes unfocused, to see a flickering light in front of you, as if there's a fire in a brazier somewhere above you but out of your line of sight. You can see brightly painted wooden rafters above your head, lit by the dim firelight. The birds, animal heads, winged human figures, and eyes painted on the rafters seem familiar and comforting.

As you lie on your back, getting your bearings, putting the last fragments of dream (running, a blue wooden box, a great light, a horrible unseen creature pursuing) out of your mind, a mist appears before your eyes. As your vision refocuses, you realize there is a glass ceiling very close to your face, and your breath is beginning to fog it. You turn your head, with a little difficulty, to find yourself in a close container lined with jewel-blue satin, with a glass cover above you that is contoured, although not closely, to your body. You have just enough room to move your hands, but not much leverage. Fortunately, at your experimental touch, the glass cover opens with a click and a hiss, and swings up and to your right.

You can now see the room around you more easily. It is a large room, considerably longer than it is wide, with a fairly low, arched ceiling. The designs on the rafters are echoed in beautiful murals that line the walls, depicting lifesize, winged male and female figures with closely-curling hair, bulls, lions, and oddly-stylized birds. Further investigation reveals that your comfortably-padded and glass-covered box is resting on low table or dais of stone or fine concrete. Iron lamps hang from the ceiling at regular intervals, and there is a fireplace in the wall to your left, and it is from these that this dim flicker of firelight is coming.

At the far end of the hallway is a metal-fitted wooden door that seems to be barred from your side. There is a small metal box on the wall next to the door.

Inside the box with you are some fresh pieces of citrus fruit, a comb, a small glass mirror with a bone handle, and a silvery metal ovoid object that can balance on either end.

You are wearing:
A white linen tunic
A white linen skirt or kilt
A brown leather belt with a pouch
Two brown leather sandals

kerrickadrian: look in mirror

A youth looks back. They are dressed in simple, homemade clothing, and their eyes full of anticipation. As you watch, the room in the reflection begins to blur. Colors swirl in a pulsing tunnel behind your reflection. When you look behind you, the room is still as you left it, but the colors in the mirror remain.

rachel_edidin: examine fruit

There are two oranges and a lime. They seem fresh picked, and are slightly wet.

mazzikin: examine ovoid

The ovoid is cold, very heavy, and balances easily on either end, but not in the middle. Placed on its side, it rocks a little, and then stands on end. It does not warm in your hand.

kerrickadrian: take fruit, ovoid, mirror

You put the fruit and the mirror in your belt pouch. As you attempt to put the ovoid in the pouch, it leaps from your hand and onto the floor.

yami_mcmoots: examine comb

The comb seems to be made of wood, with a dense and twisting grain. There are a few long strands of coarse black hair caught in the teeth. There are decorative carvings on the handle of the comb, a motif of wings and feathers. The comb hums.

livetta: examine door