##EDIT: Have since learned the reason for the "save the day" sort of action. The ST didn't realise someone had proxied their character to them when the player left until another player said "Remember when X left and said 'You know what I'd do'?" -- so that was the "CYA" of "Well, can't kill anyone because the proxied PC would have been healing". I'm still not happy, but have spoken with the ST, and we've agreed to disagree, more or less, on the handling of it all. They understand my POV, I was mostly right on theirs.

So, last night I played in my first Changeling: the Lot game in a new Domain. New ST, new players, whole kit & caboodle versus what I'd played before. And something about last night's game still... sat wrong with me, and has been gnawing at me since, and I need to see if anyone else feels the same way.

Last night, a group of 5 (my PC included) went up against a group of 15 nasty critters. I don't know their sheets, I'm going to assume they were created with Night Horrors: Cam Edition rules. One PC goes off and separates from the 'pack' so as to pull a weak link from the pack of things we were fighting against--brilliant plan, 100% OK with this. The other 4 of us fight, and eventually 2 PCs go down after taking down 4 or 5, I think, of the things. Combat continues another round, another PC goes down, another round, another PC, until only the one who took care of the "weak link" is left (needs the sample antagonist in order to further plot).

Then, a character shows up (mine was up the longest, and evidently saw him just as he was coming in) who wades into the fray, eliminates the last bunch (we were down from 14 to 4 or 5 at that point) and then heals those who were down, while taking significant damage themselves, and then "help comes and we're all OK" after getting healed back at the Freehold, and the end, and stuff.

Here's my problem. Later on, the STs were chatting with the players, saying "Yeah! We were hoping to enforce the theme of the season: 15 giant fucking wolf-person-things, with more on the way: GO HIDE." And the Summer and a combat-y spring... didn't. And I'm not sure if the ST copped out by having the "save the day" PC show up--his own--so that PCs wouldn't die. I think I feel like I was... robbed, somehow, because if the game were dark... if run according to what I think theme is, and should have been... the PCs should have died. I think the ST was being charitable and not killing characters (particularly mine, since it was her first game), but I think I'm oddly UNHAPPY about the fact that he didn't.

I feel it would have made a significantly more poignant point for the PCs to have died, I think. THIS is why Winter has power--THIS is why the Court is valid. The Summer and Spring may be, on occasion, hotheads and leap before acting--or not realise the scope of precisely what they're dealing with. I think I feel that what the ST did was charitable and kind, but NOT the best for story... NOT the best for the plot... and didn't necessarily enhance the game by allowing the PC survival. Had I been running the combat... I don't know what I would have done. I would probably have killed the PCs.

To be clear--my issue is not with the STs own character 'saving the day' because it wasn't a case of "I save you all and take the credit and now you owe me favours, muahahahahahah!"; I think it's because the ST's PC was the only one who could even possibly have been in the area, and who could have fought AND healed the PCs. I can, logically, see the reason the character came in. However, I'm also of the stance that if you are the ST... your PC should NOT be coming into game, PERIOD. There were various hints of 'could-have-been-CoI' with this; nothing big and DA worthy, but could have glanced the lines, and I'm just a hardass of the stance that you shouldn't be playing your PC, in any aspect, in a game you are STing unless your PC is exclusively present to hand off a Domain+ plot that had a set method of introduction and that PC is the only way it could have been introduced. Maybe I'm too much of a hardass on that, but... that's my stance.

Do people understand where I'm coming from, or am I just being unreasonably weird over this? Any thoughts? Folks who may ST--either in the Cam, or any other game in general--how would you have handled the situation? I'm curious to see what others would have done.

Awake now for no reason I can determine.

Last night I got to hang with Santos, and finally(?) met Austin (lead singer for Hinder) and got to thank him for bringing Santos around so I can see him more often.

Tomorrow I fly to Toronto. Yay.

That is all.

Stress has been eating my face for various things. School has been good but has been part of that stress (admittedly, I did register for that stress, but it's FUN stress). I love my dog, but he's seriously going to get himself crated if he won't stop barking at falling leaves. Shibas, for the uninitiated, are a "silent breed". Everyone, please feel free to laugh now. He's determined there is SOMETHING wrong, since he can see leaves fall with greater frequency and quantity than before: there is an extremely large maple tree in our back yard. "Extremely large" means that you'd need two or three of me to wrap our arms around the trunk.

Due to various reasons, mostly being awkward-around-his-family, I've decided not to go to Wyo for Christmas with BJ this year. He said I could go anywhere I wanted as long as someone else bought the ticket, and things were arranged: I'm Canada-bound this year. It'll be interesting and fun, to say the least, and hopefully warmer! I'm hoping for some lake-effect snow in Toronto, and not needing to wear a bloody balaclava all the time. Winters in MN have only increased my lack of disdain for fashion, and engendered the purpose of silk long underwear and glove liners.

Otherwise, things are OK. The Cam is as it always has been--some friends may be getting back involved and that's great, and I'm hoping we get a domain off teh ground here in MN so I can actually LARP again. Not sure how that will go, but... again: we'll see. Have been continuing to knit; just some general projects to hand out as gifts this year, and I'm doing OK. Made myself a pretty cowl with a skein of Noro, but it stretched too far (cast on too many stitches, curse you!) and so I blocked it, and... yeah, it's still too big. I do't want to give it to someone with a larger head than I, because there are *far* too many mistakes (it was to get my gauge up, and use the pretty yarn; I don't mind the mistakes, but theyr'e obvious to someone else). 

Looking forward to ICC and seeing people; only planning on playing Mage, but LOTS! of socializing. Today I have to hit Kohl's since the aforementioned dog managed to maim my pajama pants to an unsuitable state, and maybe grab another pair of jeans, and then I want to get some lip stuff from Bare Escentuals across at the mall. Then home, and final packing, so that tomorrow I can get up at OMFGOCLOCK and bring BJ to the airport, and then repeat Thursday for me. 

Laptop video card fried, evaluating options (will cost ~$600 to fix); just buy a new laptop, or invest in a netbook?
Lots of other stuff going on too, all of it stressful and none of it easy. 

Suddenly... not looking forward to it so much. 

On my earlier post re: drinking/Cam - if you agreed with it, r if you feel similarly, please drop a line to the NCA. My email was responded to by Shane and I'm hoping that we can work out some ideas to shift the "drinking perception", but I think it would be valuable for him (and CCP/WW in general) to see that I'm not the only one, and to hear some suggestions for how to shift that perception, and/or social nondrinking activities that could be supported.

This is, without a doubt, my favourite class.
I want to do this with my life.
 

 Cannot believe I am up at this hour for class.
That is all.

Also: evidently we will get weekly H1N1 Campus Updates to know when it gets bad. There are also pandemic plans in place for this term. 'S gonna be special.

 Things are going well. Still doing perfume/scent stuff, and am happy with it. Installed Warcraft 3, updating my WoW addons now, so I can pick back up with that a bit. Taking 22 credits this fall term, my soul is tithed to the U and there's nothing anyone can do about it, so I simply MUST bust my little ass to get rockstar grades. Combine that with taking the GRE in November, and I'll hopefully be ready for graduating Fall 2010, and entering a master's programme either in the spring or that coming autumn. 

 Personal life is good; have gotten to make a lot of great connections over the summer, meet new people and upgrade people from 'acquaintence' to 'friend' at several points. Have found a couple folk I really click with, which is fantastic. Most of them are in Canada, which makes me sigh with some exasperation that they're not near enough to socialize with, but c'est la vie.

Working on getting a Cam chapter out here. Will have 5 in November, but hoping to hit the U campus and some comic shops with flyers and get a fairly hefty number of prospectives so we can start running some little local game-things. I think getting a chapter together will happen, and I look forward to founding something out here that can, I hope, be lasting.

 Showing off the icon

7 more required classes for linguistics, plus at least 3 others (citizenship/ethics theme, environment theme, math requirement). Which means fall 2010 graduation is likliest. For some plans I had (like grad school), this is poor--however, it's not _so_ bad given other plans I had, giving them time to settle down.

Just keep swimming, right? 

 Things are good. I am happy.

Some Observations:

-My dog thinks he is a cat or a perchingbeast of some species, and is sitting on the back of the couch. Not on the cushions, but the actual BACK of the couch. 

-BJ's mother & aunt are in town for a week or so to visit. It's nice getting to see them again.

-School starts on the 8th. I'm nervous. Need to start rebuying some school supplies, reorganise my laptop for another term, get the AP stuff sent to UMN (again).

-Have been working on Cam recruitment stuff. I need to do a flyer of some sort today and print off some nice copies to go leave at various gaming stores/establishments. Meetup.com works middlingly well--got me one body--we'll see what I can get through game stores, and then the U. Need to get gaming club formed out there, too.

-Still testing/sampling/sniffing perfume and enjoying it.

 Beyond the cut is the list of fragrances I have that I am willing to send out to folks. Check the 'fragrance swap' tag for the list of things I want (at this point, it's just BPAL, need to start poking through more samples)

( Here you go! BPAL and more... )

This boondoggle has been splendid... I have been wholly enjoying myself up here in Canada. New acquaintences, friends,  getting to see and do things I hadn't last time, and to--most of all--visit with people important to me. It's been a good trip, a trip full of me having fun before I go back to MN and have classes. Definitely wish I could figure out Mastigosness and just 'port place to place, but... such is life, yes?

Off today to go to Adam's 'cottage' (skepticism, I has it) and meet his family. With one of Colin's mother's pecan pies in tow... :)

Name: Fireflies

If you're picking up an accidental broadcast. It's just being that kind of night. 

Tarot reading today: full of fucking special. There's a reason I stopped reading.

My Thoughts: Almost acrid when it went on, but has mellowed nicely. I can get the vetiver and leather, and the grapefruit (and pretty sure some of the mimosa?) but the birch tar and cardamom I think were present intially and have fallen to the wayside, or at least I can't pick them up. It's a little too masculine for me, crisp and clean but the scents just don't work quite right. I might keep it in reserve, but any of my male friends who are interested, this would be right up your alley, I think! 

There are few things in this world like being loved, and knowing you are loved.

I am truly, truly thankful for my friends.