Erunion

You could have a rupturing appendix or pancreatitis or heaven only knows what else. So seek medical attention immediately!

Appreciated plus, I came back to 17thShard after a 4 or so year Hiatus (during that depressing three months), so it's not all bad I guess! But yeah. /flop.

Been almost a year since my ex and I broke up (for the right reasons, and with no anger, but I was still in love with her at the time so it hurt like a thousand bullet ants teamed up with Semirhage to wreck my life). Blocked notifications on Facebook/etc., but haven't removed completely because we were good friends, still get along very well (the one time we've seen each other since the breakup), and would like to be friends again when I'm 100% over her (I've let her know that I WON'T contact her until then, and she understood). She dated a guy briefly (who I was super against, because it was bad news) and ended it (thankfully, because it was bad news - he was mentally unstable and emotionally manipulative). The whole process (viewed second hand) emotionally ruined about three months of my life. Right now I think she's dating someone new (again, I see this stuff second hand on mutual friends facebooks/etc.) who was a mutual friend, and I think they're a great fit, if it's true that they are dating. So I'm kinda happy for them. But it leaves me with a few problems. I don't want to care about her relationship status any more, except as a distant friend. I obviously am more concerned about it than I should be. I STILL am not 100% over her. I know this, and it stings (like a memory of a date with Semirhage and a thousand bullet ants). The past year I've been insanely busy with work/Uni, so I haven't had a chance to meet anyone else. And even if I do meet someone else, I'm not sure if it would be right for me to start dating someone while still carrying emotional baggage about my ex? I don't know. So yeah. Rant over. Any advice? Or just patience? Either way, virtual hugs would be appreciated (although this is technically the wrong thread for that....)

Dude - this is a "show up at the door of the emergency department at 4AM" kind of symptom. If it's daytime, rush to see your GP ASAP. If you can't see him/her within a couple of hours, GO TO THE HOSPITAL. Also: /careful of kidneys hug

When you have vague memories of the original forum look after the move from TWG.... Vague memories, but no pictures Also - when you have a final exam in 9.5 hours but are here instead of studying.

So I'm 6'2, athletic, white (nowadays - was tanned before engineering school.... which I am currently procrastinating from) male. I have blonde hair, and green eyes (that are sometimes lighter, sometimes darker. Would I be a lighteyes or a darkeyes? Who can say...). I'm 23, but if I'm relaxed or smiling I look closer to 19 (such is life. I'll be thankful for the babyface in 20 years). Will post a picture when I can dig a decent one up

Could it be that Hoid used a shaving of Lerasium alloyed with Brass to make Sigzil a Brass Misting? Leaving the bulk of the Lerasium unused?

@Aonar Faileas Listen to @ParadoxSpren - these convos need to happen in person. @skaa Coming here was a good idea. It's often hard to see other peoples perspectives and how they perceive situations. Listen to @Delightful - she seems to know what she's talking about. A couple of things: First, we know that you mean nothing but good here, that you have no intention of harming her or anything else. She doesn't. And she won't, not until you've clearly moved on. We live in a society where rape is a thing, where stalking is a thing, and where sexual harassment in the workplace is still, unfortunately, a thing. You've made the girl feel uncomfortable, and unsafe. At this point, there's only one thing you can do about it. Leave her alone, and move on. Right now, working from home is a good idea, but it's not a long term idea. It's a short term solution - moving on is a long term solution. For future reference: Don't be afraid to ask someone out - that was both perfectly reasonable, and absolutely fine. Your actions after that were unacceptable, and extremely stalkerish. NEVER, I repeat NEVER, make a personalized gift for someone you're interested in with pictures on it if they are not in a relationship with you. It's an action that makes people extremely uncomfortable. And finally: no means no. Always respect the wishes of the other party in EVERY relationship (be it platonic or romantic or business!) Now: Don't despair. This relationship isn't going to happen, so don't dwell on it. But you've got plenty of hope for other relationships, moving on and having a wonderful and fulfilling relationship in the future. 30 isn't old, and previous failures will not prevent you from future successes, provided that you learn from your mistakes! I have a close family friend who was in an on-again off-again relationship for years with someone who was ABSOLUTELY wrong for him. We all knew it, and were deeply concerned for him. Eventually, he officially ended that relationship and moved on. By then he was in his mid thirties, and was likely expecting to be a career bachelor. Now, 6 or so years later he is married to an absolutely lovely woman, with one incredibly cute kid and another on the way. So: Do the right thing, don't obsess, and don't despair! There's hope for everyone

With lower gravity, I think the Alethi are a bit taller than that, so their 6'5 is equivalent to our 6'2. Maybe. But Kaladin definitely is built like an athlete. Strong, overall well built. Muscles in the legs, back and shoulders. Strong, but not exceptional arms/pectorals. Imposing, but not bulky. Slim, but not slight or skinny. He had an excellent fighter/martial artist physique from the army, then lost a bit of it through 6 months a slave, then rebuilt muscle (especially shoulders/back/legs) hauling bridges, especially with Rock's extra rations. Add to that an intense (grumpy) stare, and Kaladin is NOT someone you'd want to mess with.

This was a few nights ago, but it was so weird/detailed, it's stuck with me: In the manner of dreams, it opened in the middle of the story. I was infiltrating a town, and went into a building. In the basement of that building (more like a cellar complex, it was a series of brick-walled rooms with a hallway) was a German WWII Tiger tank, and suddenly I 'remembered' that my mission was to destroy it. I was in a vent above the tank (which, I think, was modeled after the vents from the game Medal of Honour Allied Assault; which I haven't played since 2005ish) and knew I had to destroy it. But there were nazi patrols, so I had to be careful. I hopped on down, only to realize (to my horror!) that the tank wasn't empty! There was someone manning the forward mounted machine gun! Near panic, I dropped a pack of remote-detonating C4 (which is anachronistic if I'm fighting Nazi'sm but that's neither here nor there) behind me and rolled through the doorway, dashed down the hall (dodging machinegun fire) and dove into another of the cellars rooms. I turn towards the door, desperate (as I, apparently, am unarmed apart from explosives) as a Nazi guard takes aim at me. But in my hand I hold the detonator! I set off the explosives, and the explosion rages through the cellar, disabling the guard and giving me a key distraction! I escape the cellar, and go into the backyard. Of my families house - specifically the patio/pool area. Once out the back, I see a patrol of Nazi guards, and, to my utter shock, among them my father and brother in full SS regalia! Somehow, I manage to talk to them without alerting the other guards (I suspect a distraction and isolation worthy of Jason Bourne, but the dream didn't go into details). They are on my side! Whether I converted them from the dark side, or if they had been spies and infiltrators all along, I'll never know. My father remains in uniform and armed, and rejoins the edge of the Nazi patrol, while my brother leads me around the back of the house into a small, fenced off area (where the pool shed is with the chemicals/pumping mechanisms). On the ground are two rifles, one I don't recognize, and the other his hunting rifle. Together we arm ourselves, and prepare to open fire on the Nazi's and take out the patrol. And then I woke up. I get where the rifle came from - that day my brother had shown me a picture of his hunting rifle. But the rest? Maybe too many videogames....

@sheep Your take on Renarin is pretty much mine. Well said! And awesome pictures

Ah - I'm from the Vancouver area My family always watched the movies, but despite being in a family of voracious readers I don't know if they ever read the books... And he really is! It's obvious! He only gets so many girls because he's the heir to the most powerful man in the kingdom.... It would be interesting! I don't really see him as having a tantrum, nor of despising those professions. Merely as being someone who wants to be something he can't be, and hasn't come to grips with his disability. On the other hand, it is entirely possible that I'm wrong. How long ago did Renarin first see his Spren? Could it be he refused the ardentia/etc. because he knew that the everstorm was coming? That he knew he had to be ready to fight?

My bad - didn't notice which forum I was replying in (clicked on the link from the front page)...

Fellow Canadian spotted! My sisters and mother made me watch Anne of Green Gables with them... Despite being a voracious reader, I haven't gotten around to reading them. I put this down to my being a guy on the west coast.... I know, right? Does anyone still believe in Adolin the casanova? Because, as far as I'm concerned, that would be COMPLETELY out of character for him. Especially if it were someone he was prejudiced against - having to overcome that prejudice to help someone ELSE save the world. To be the quiet one in the backdrop, doing the right thing and giving someone else the limelight, and more importantly, TRUSTING someone else (a lighteyes?) to do it right Don't forget - Renarin is a teenager. One who's been raised in a culture where he is surrounded by warriors, leaders, fighters. Where being a soldier is considered the greatest thing you can be. As the son of one of the most powerful warlord Alethkar has ever seen, his disability must be a constant source of embarrassment and shame to him. Is he acting the way he should? No. But he's acting the way most teenagers would under his circumstances.

Really? I'll have the check out the graphic novel soon then (it's on order). I'm going from the prose - could be I'm outdated.

They live in the diem once they are tested and pass. This generally occurs when they are 9-10 years old. If they have families, their families live separately and they can visit (some may spend a great deal of time with their families, others only spend a day or two a month with their families). I am unsure if they can visit their families at all times, or if they have to wait to be assigned rank before visiting (so the students stay in the diem at all times) The masters are exclusively male, but this is likely cultural, not magical (sand mastery has to be tested for and discovered - no women are tested, therefore no women become masters. Could women become sand masters? Probably).

That is a storming good question, and one I'm not qualified to answer. I will, however, make an attempt. (This is the internet! What else did you expect ) Mild depression is, from my experience, considerably less than what Kaladin deals with. He deals with prolonged bouts of moderate depression, and occasionally dips into severe depression - look at slave Kaladin, or Kaladin when he's contemplating suicide - the Kaladin who had given up on life and was a barely functioning automaton, moving only to avoid pain. A man completely without hope. As he so succinctly put it, The Wretch. I'd say that's severe depression. When he is functioning, working to rescue his squad/etc., he has occasional bouts of depression, followed by relative normalcy (as he was in hearthstone). This is, AFAIK, mild-moderate depression. What you're describing seems to be about as bad as depression can get. It's also closely akin to what Kaladin was becoming as the Wretch, only Kaladin had someone forcing him into activity (Gaz, slavedrivers/etc.). So just for clarity - what you're describing from your experience is something I would call 'critical depression' - severe depression that has advanced so far (for whatever reason) that the subject is completely non-functional. Now, obviously, I'm not a medical professional. I only have a vague idea of what I'm talking about - but I know enough to know that I know nothing Any medical professionals on here who can weigh in on this?

It's pretty clear that Kaladin suffers from chronic, severe depression, and also from SAD (which is the best acronym for a medical condition I have ever heard of). Kaladin doesn't appear to be manic, except when he is using stormlight to fuel/induce a manic state, which it very clearly does. Note, I say Kaladin is using stormlight, because I want to draw your attention to it as a drug - he can sometimes treat stormlight as a self-medicating narcotic. Muhc of his moodiness in WOR and his fall into further depression could ALSO be considered him suffering from withdrawal, as he has been using stormlight as a crutch to survive his depression without taking steps to properly deal with his circumstances/etc. that inspire and worsen his depression (note how in the first sections of WOR he alternates between being engaged and focused with Stormlight to being depressed and moody without it).

@Elenion @Orlion Determined Nice! Erunion is a rough translation of my middle name into, I believe, Quenya. It was done for me by my geeky sister when I was a kid, and I've used it ever since. I later translated my first and last names too, just for fun.... And wrote them out in Tengwar... And used it as a signature online for a while...

@Stormgate Interesting! My church groups (evengelical Christian) tend to have a different perspective: that everyone has different spiritual gifts or talents, and that everyone will have a different role in serving God's kingdom. So some of us become missionaries, and will spend our lives serving in the mission field. Others help the poor, or support the ministry of the church. Some do ministry full time, whereas others do it in addition to their regular tasks. But generally, the churches I have gone to are intentionally very low on structure/organization.

Are you guys reading Gunnerkrigg Court? If not, why aren't you reading Gunnerkrigg Court? Because you should be reading it. It is awesome. Apart from that, Girl Genius, Schlock Mercenary, the wonderful Order of the Stick, and the ever-glorious XKCD are all highly recommended. Goblins, the webcomic is fantastic as well. Strong recommendation for story, humour, and great writing/art.

So I have a tragic confession: I can't find my first posts. They don't seem to be stored, or anything else. I suspect it is due to WHEN my first posts were - I first registered/posted 6 years ago when the forums were first opened up. We had just moved from the TWG forums, and I joined the move. I guess the post tracking doesn't go back that far. I certainly can't remember what I commented on.... And then, for whatever reason, I disappeared. Pretty sure I got busy right at the time when there was a lull in Sanderson's work, and never got back to here. Until this January/February. So hey! It's nice to be back.

Mormon, aye? I always find it interesting how structured and controlled you guys' missions are. I guess it improves efficiency? Question: is going on a mission required in the mormon church, or just encouraged?

Been single for the better part of a year, so this is from memory, but when I was in a relationship we kissed a LOT. Generally, kissing is supposed to be fun. But no magic sparks, fireworks or etc. You definitely feel something when you're kissing someone you're in love with, but it's not magic sparks, and there's a distinct lack of fireworks (sadly). Don't get me wrong though, kissing someone, especially someone you're deeply in love with, is special. It's hard to explain, but it just feels right, and lovely, and oh so close. Less fireworks, more warm fuzzies. At least that's my experience. The scientist in me says that the lips have an INCREDIBLE number of nerve endings and are extremely sensitive, so that's definitely a factor. The romantic in me says that it's a physical manifestation of the drawing together of two souls, that it shows love, closeness, and helps to develop connection. The Sanderson geek in me wonders how kissing someone you love in the Cosmere affects your Connection and your Spiritweb....

Mine is Kaladin surrounded by stormlight, in front of an army, on the shattered plains. At least, that's what I think it is.... I found it while hunting for Stormlight art, but I forgot where I got it from .....