Sorana

This is rather random, but a character in a video game I’ve been playing is called Serana and I misread it as Sorana every. Single. Time. 

This is rather random, but a character in a video game I’ve been playing is called Serana and I misread it as Sorana every. Single. Time. 

This is rather random, but a character in a video game I’ve been playing is called Serana and I misread it as Sorana every. Single. Time. 

Happy birthday Sorana!!!

HEY, that wasn’t meant to be all caps but sometimes if I type something fast the keyboard takes a second to catch up and does it while still in caps mode, do you guys know what I mean? Does that happen to you too? 

Anyway  Sorry for my absence, our house doesn’t have Internet atm and for a couple days my mom and I went to my grandparents’ house to get homework done, but then the focus was on homework, so I had blips of Internet some days but no time to really write with it.

Also my mental health appears to be getting exponentially worse, like those graphs where it’s just flat and then starts getting higher and then gets much higher much quicker and then just ZOOMS up...that’s me right now, wheeeeeeee. 

I’ve been trying to figure out how to do this for a long time now, but I’m bad at it haha, so maybe just bluntly throwing it out there before I let myself get distracted by catching up on what I missed is the key. 

I need to take a break from the Shard, most specifically RPing. Or, less of a break and more of a sitting-back, I guess. I’m not leaving, I’ll be here for conversations and stuff, and please still feel free to come to me for a n y t h i n g because I will never be unwilling to help, but I need to give myself more distance because I am Not Okay right now. I need to reevaluate several things and figure out some stuff that matters to me, and frankly I’m a bit burned out. Actually, I’ve been burned out in varying degrees for months, now I’m past burned out and into burned down, or something. 

What this means for the things I’m involved in: 

Alleyverse = biggest change. I was so excited to write a different version of Deteca, I could not wait to get in the new her’s head, and despite the fact that I’m still very interested in her, I just...can’t write her. I am going to try to do the interaction with @18th Shard and @Sorana, because I’ve planned that with them and don’t want to disrupt their plans, but after that I don’t know how involved with those characters I can promise to be. (Same with any potential Deteca-Zokora interactions.) 

If @bees? is still breaking out of that van (I haven’t read AMD yet so he might’ve already), I can lend some help with Myriad, maybe. If you don’t need it, I’d probably just hold you up. 

I’m still here for TUBA if anything happens. Luckily most guild conflicts are heavily foreshadowed and also heavily IC these days, so there shouldn’t be any shenanigans where I’m instantly needed. I trust y’all to be cool if I’m not around for a day or two. (No succession wars, you hear? If I come back to a succession war at some point I’ll be very annoyed.) 

TKND = I will try to keep an OOC presence, keep up the moderation/updating the OP/polls stuff and any discussions of where we’re going next, but Cassie posts will be along the lines of “she followed the group, she did such and such” rather than anything deep. Not that her posts are very in-depth anyway over half the time, but. Yeah. 

KotC = who knows if they’re reading this, I think Tesh reads my status updates but does anyone else? Likely not, so I’ll copy this to their chat PM. I’m gonna have to hand off the slave trade to someone else. Raise your hand if you’re up for taking it on (the responsibility, not literally taking on the slave trade :P). I may be able to handle some of it later, and by the time we get to any epic showdowns I’d like to do some talking from Natoriana and/or Jalis. I’d also prefer if they were left mostly out of things for now so their characterization isn’t compromised; I’ll write them out or something. 

Clearcut I can continue as usual, I think. She’s not difficult, just dialogue and a pretty simple character arc, and I’m eager to see her wielded at some point. 

V1 = I really am working on a post to bring that back. I’m dearly sorry that it’s been dead so long, there’s no excuse, but I’m going to fix it. I hope. That will be delayed, but eventually it will happen. 

Sharder Kahoot Club = I might be able to make some progress on this front but who knows, really? 

Forum games = I’ll probably be around but can’t say how much 

That cosmere Monopoly board I wanted to make = still wanna make it, but it’s a *shrug* for now 

And I want to write more fanfiction in the future besides RP, there’s at least one series I want to do and I always have oneshots in my head because who doesn’t, but that’s after that reevaluation I mentioned. 

Love you all. Sorry to be so abrupt. *hugs* 

Another year, another Shardiversary. Hard to consider--two years of my life with the Shard as a part of it.

There have been ups and downs, good times and less nice ones, happy moments and more stressful instances, well-constructed sentences and not as well-constructed replies posted. You've helped carry me through some of the lowest points of my life, been there for me, and never failed to share a smile and/or hug when one was needed.

It's been a great two years. 

Looking forward--I'm hoping for the best.

I've set myself up for a very busy year, come fall, and while I'm looking forward to most of it, quick math estimates four hours of work a night. That might sound extreme, and maybe it is, but I'd rather mention this now and have things be nicer, than underestimate and end up worse off. So, this coming year, I'm not going to be around much. Maybe once a week or so and on breaks, just definitely not on a daily, or every other day, basis. Which is sad. I love you guys and I'll miss you and I'll be working extra-hard to squeeze in Sharding when possible. Life, however, has this unfortunate habit of making things difficult. 

I just want you all to know, before I begin, that I’ve been hyped about writing this literally since I posted the last one. I’ve mulled over what to say, tried to remember parts...yeah. So that’s fun.  (Despite this, I’m still managing to write most of this way too late at night.) 

I’m posting it both in a status update and in my blog as a way of transitioning this tradition to my blog in the future. I’ve only done it once before, so does it need a transition and can I call it a tradition yet? Who knows. 

With that out of the way...another year happened. Which is a decently big deal on the Shard, for those of us who haven’t been around for ages, at least. It’s now been two years since I read the Sanderson Memes and Sanderfan threads during school, then decided this place was pretty cool. 

In the last year I’ve gone from thirty-one followers to fifty-four, thirteen days won to fifty-seven, and 1,038 reputation points to 3,904 of them. I made a blog and submitted my crappy art to the gallery. (Be glad I never submitted my Inquisitor sculpture...) I started some more forum games and some more roleplays too - who’s surprised - and the old ones have been just as fun. I even participated in a few discussions about the actual books.  

(I also joined Discord, which in my case is essentially an extension of the Shard, and that let me meet and talk to even more wonderful people. I don’t regret that choice.) 

This means it’s also been two years since I started gradually meeting some of the best people in the world. Because really, you are. Again, I can’t list all of you because I will literally run out of original compliments, and it’ll end up as something like “you’re cool! And you can write! I like what you write and how you talk!” for everyone and that’s not very nice of me, so to everyone I didn’t mention - that does not mean I don’t enjoy talking with you, laugh when I read your RP, and overanalyze your member titles. It just means I’m running out of ways to say those things without saying the same thing to all of you and feeling guilty about it. 

I’m going to begin by saying that it wouldn’t be fair to mention the people I focused on last time again, but also I can’t not because they are amazing too, so consider yourselves mentioned! Archer continued to help me through some emotional death sessions and Mist saved my butt recently. Also Po is Po and I really don’t have words for her. (@Archer, @Mistspren, @Blessing of Potency) 

Sorana is another storming awesome human being who must be talked about. If someone had told me a couple years ago that I would eventually be friends with a literal angel who also is an adult in Europe, I would have been very confused. But I am! And you are! You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my entire life, and everything you spend your time on, from sewing/quilting/doing magic with cloth to alltypes of roleplay, is just so grand. Your writing style is so beautiful and also you’re one of those cool smart people who’s bilingual. I know there are a lot of them, especially in countries that don’t speak English, but that doesn’t make them any less smart. So yeah, you’re awesome. (@Sorana, @bilingual people) 

Guess who else rocks? Meta. Meta does. You’re so witty that you should be Ene! Also, you write well. No arguments - you do. In addition, I have come and died in your inbox and you just causally revive me and send me off again to keep living in the world. How do you do this? No idea, but I’m convinced you’re a Feelings Sorcerer. Thanks for the Rioting and recommendations; you’re hilarious and way smarter than anyone has a right to be. Please do not stop being these things. If you do I will make sad puppy eyes at you. (@MetaTerminal) 

Next up on our list of Extremely Fantastic Human Beings is Stick! DoomStick, I will clarify, because this site has a trillion of them! Stick, we’ve been talking for ages and I would like to not stop, because you’re always super fun and clever and interesting. Like seriously, always. You can cook and bake and play an instrument and speak Latin and make epic rainbow loom things...the world is running out of things you haven’t conquered, dude.  Every time we chat, whether on the Longest Status Update or in the plethora of other updates or TLPW or our AMAs or anywhere else, you’re a delight to talk to, and RPing with Tourmaline and Olivia is no different. Thank you. (@DoomStick) 

WYN. YOU’RE A PERSON. A great person who has heartwarming RP, sweet things to say to everyone, and palpable love just...emanating from you. You and your stories are fantastic. James is fantastic - thank you so much for being in TKND. I hope that girl at your school learns how awesome the “janitor man” is. Your faith and humor deserve accolades. (@Wyndlerunner) 

Silva, for all y’all’s information, is also incredible. I mean, how many named NPCs do you have? And you keep them all organized and write awesomely with them! At this point you can’t convince me your brain could make words go together badly. Maybe if you had a concussion. No matter what we’re talking about, religion or magic dreams or cute deer, you are consistently amazing. (@Silva) 

Getting on Discord introduced me to Storm, and I am eternally grateful. I already knew you were fairly cool from our small Shard interactions and the fact that you founded TUBA, but now I know your coolness in detail! You’re funny and an epic storyteller, and I really like our conversations. I look forward to RPing with you. (@Stormblessed Dolphin) 

Lunaaaaaaaaa!!! I’m not sure why I typed your name like that, but! Whatever! You’re exciting! Having adventures with you is a highlight of my Sharding experience, and you seem to be able to just make fun nonsense happen through sheer force of being you. Also you can write! “Well I’ve never RPed before” *proceeds to make characters who I fall in love with instantly* (@Lunamor) 

(You can probably tell I’m tired by now, and this is getting long, but spike it I’m gonna rapid-fire verbally hug you all in no particular order fight me) 

Invo, you are obviously The Cool Kid but also you’re really thoughtful and you give smart advice. I’m glad I know you. (@Invocation) 

Salad, you are literally the best in every way! I love talking with you, and also we are the same in like fifteen different ways. Everything you say, I can relate to or agree with, with the sole exception of your British spelling. You’re a writing ace. hahahahaha worst pun ever we’re gonna pretend that didn’t happen okayyyyy I am so sorry but also I’m leaving it in so how sorry am I really (but seriously you are a good writer) (@The Awakened Salad) 

Ele, you were the first person to welcome me to the Shard, but I only really got to know you on Discord. You’re friendly and funny and I’m sorry I haven’t watched that one general man’s video you gave me yet, but I’m happy to know it’s there if I need encouraging. (@ElephantEarwax) 

Per, you’re supportive and cool and I am so sorry I haven’t been around to watching RWBY with you, it was fun! Jay, it’s great talking to you and I’m going to buy your books someday! (@Emperor Stick, @Jaywalk) 

Lith, you break my brain with your creativity! Zinc, your art and writing are frighteningly good! Star, your enthusiasm for your art is inspiring! Xino, you know how great you are at worldbuilding! (@ShadowLord_Lith, @ZincAboutIt, @Shard of Thought, @xinoehp512) 

Venture, you are steadfastly amazing and brave! Jac, you have really great ideas and chatting with you is a pleasure! Rebecca, I love talking with you in TUBA PMs and thank you for being a great Maid of Honor, even though it went nowhere! Same goes to Ash, who also killed me with her ships! (Condor will never be resolved...nooooooo...) (@Butt Ad Venture, @bees?, @Rebecca, @Ashspren) 

Mac, I marvel at your advice and wisdom! Truthless, I’m sorry I left HAHAR (hold up, that was its acronym? Ha har, a laugh? That’s gold lol) but RPing with you was fun! Honorless, your discussions are always great! (@MacThorstenson, @Truthless of Shinovar, @Dreamer) 

To everyone I have ever roleplayed with, I sincerely thank you. 

Let me get really serious for a sec. A common phrase when people are expressing love is “I love you to death.” Which makes some sense: “I’ll love you even past death.” “I’d kill for you.” It could also be interpreted as “I love you so much I want to kill you.” (Let’s hope not.) And...”I would die for you.” 

The thing is, I do love all of you, as friends, sometimes as much as family. Honestly, more than my own family in some cases. And I will continue loving you in the afterlife that I believe in. I would not, however, kill for you in most cases, nor would I kill you. Or die for you. 

But the last year or so has just hit me so hard that I don’t even want to think of a good enough metaphor. Sometimes the Shard was the problem, or made the problem worse. But most of the time, you guys have saved me. I’m not suicidal, that’s not part of my depression portfolio. But I’m living emotionally and mentally as well as I am because of some of you people. 

So I don’t love you to death. I love you to life, because that’s what your love did for me. 

*hopes that wasn’t as stupid as it sounds in her head as she pulls out a root beer and proposes a toast to another year* 

Aha! Finally the 90 days are up and I can go back to my normal username  

Tomorrow is my Shardiversary! (This is going up a day early because I will probably have almost zero time to write this tomorrow) I cannot storming believe that I’ve been here for a year already. Or that I’ve only been here for a year. Time is hard.

(Warning, this is gonna be incredibly cheesy)

In the past annual (sorry just didn’t want to say year too much) I’ve felt compelled to share my thoughts on the internet at least 5,669 times. People have been compelled to express their appreciation for such thoughts by use of internet points 2,200 times. I have gained the most internet points in a day 27 times. I have had someone decided they like my content enough to internet stalk me (but in a socially acceptable way (why the storms did I phrase it like that)) 53 times.

This has been an eventful year. I’ve been a husky, time lord, Horneater, owner of a restaurant, Ookla, Tribute, Nightwatcher, Narrator, godmodder, Presidential Candidate, Alien, Typo Police, Game loser (mwahahaha), TLPW winner, writer, Homeless (kinda), ninja, and bot. I was inspired to write my first piece of fiction and it was actually noticed by Brandon Sanderson (still proud of that). I’ve rped and played games. I’ve made a ton of friends who always brighten my day. It’s been a great year.

Anyways, there are some people I’d like to thank for being awesome! (Apologies some of these are short, rushed, or grouped together, I’d love to expand on these way more but unfortunately I’m crazy busy. And also I stink at this sort of stuff  Also my brain is tired so I probably missed some people.)

@AonEne, from evil keyboards to very aggressive games of tag, from moral support to rping, thanks for being an all around awesome person. 

@Shard of Thought, thanks for making things interesting in TLT. I love seeing your drawings and reading your posts. Also thanks for drawing my face 

@Sorana, thanks for being a ridiculously awesome person to rp with. Your writing is amazing, and thanks for putting up with my random absences/procrastinations and being such a kind person.

@Jaywalk, @DoomStick, @Handerfle, @Nathrangking, @Honorless, @Truthless of Shinovar, @Butt Ad Venture, @xinoehp512, @Rebecca, @Silva, and the rest of the Forum Games crew, thanks for making me constantly laugh and smile. Never stop the randomness!

@Alvron, thanks for being a bot-obliterating mod who somehow has 30,000 different memes about winning. I may or may not still be slightly terrified intimidated by you.

@Wyndlerunner, thanks for always being supportive and hilarious.

@Everyone else (I wish I could tag you all (except for the bots you guys are just evil)), thanks for making the Shard the best place on the internet.

I'm back.

The Shard hasn't imploded yet. What a pleasant surprise. 

Only reason 3 isn't fully dealt with, but that's a very long term project. 

Thanks for the moral support, all. 

Hey all!

First and foremost, how is everyone? I know I'm barely active anymore, but I like popping back on here from time to time. Life's busy, but isn't it always? Making it through one day at a time. I'm getting Starsight tonight, so hey, that's some good news. 

As this year starts to wrap up, I have a question to ask all of you: what are your New Years Resolutions? I haven't thought of mine yet, so I'm asking around to see what inspiration I can get. 

I probably won't be on the Shard for the next 2-3 weeks, so just wanted to say that I hope everyone has a great holiday season. See you all in 2020!  

–Ash

Hello, people who actually read these.

I'm going to not be on for about a week for a couple of reasons:

1. My copy of Starsight came and, yes, that takes priority.

2. I want to finish writing my first draft of a book. I'm extremely close to being done and want to just do a big push be done with that world already, for now. Then I go back to drafting, which will actually give more time for the Shard, temporarily. See? An investment that'll, probably, pay off! 

3. I've been overwhelmed with stuff lately and need some time to reinforce the seams of my life before they dismantle.

4. It'll be Chanukah. This isn't really a real reason. Three reasons just looked sad.

That's about it. 

I do apologize to you specifically, Ark (and Truthless, Grey, Chas, and co.), since it'll pause ANF, but I don't think a week will kill anyone. Hopefully. And if it does, I'll show them to afterlife computers and do my best to resurrect them. 

Just back to "test" the waters. 

Hey all, just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate your friendships.

@Firerust, congrats on your big news. I'm really happy for you man. 

@AonEne, @Lunamor, @Sorana and @Blessing of Potency : I'm so grateful for the chance I've had to get to know you guys and gals. (Actually, I think you're all gals- but correct me if I'm wrong). You're my little internet support group, and I appreciate the time you've taken to get to know me. After all, I'm just some guy with a decent pun as his username. You all are awesome- and you deserve to know that, and always remember it. You deserve the best things life has to offer.

@Truthless of Shinovar @Jaywalk- I really appreciate that I'm able to be a Nintendo Nerd with you (didn't have many of those IRL growing up, so having you guys is a pleasant change of pace) 

Hope you all have a fantastic week, and if you ever need to talk, laugh, or theorize- Just remember I'm here, and my PM doors are open, and I'm ready to receive you with open virtual arms.

Hey all, just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate your friendships.

@Firerust, congrats on your big news. I'm really happy for you man. 

@AonEne, @Lunamor, @Sorana and @Blessing of Potency : I'm so grateful for the chance I've had to get to know you guys and gals. (Actually, I think you're all gals- but correct me if I'm wrong). You're my little internet support group, and I appreciate the time you've taken to get to know me. After all, I'm just some guy with a decent pun as his username. You all are awesome- and you deserve to know that, and always remember it. You deserve the best things life has to offer.

@Truthless of Shinovar @Jaywalk- I really appreciate that I'm able to be a Nintendo Nerd with you (didn't have many of those IRL growing up, so having you guys is a pleasant change of pace) 

Hope you all have a fantastic week, and if you ever need to talk, laugh, or theorize- Just remember I'm here, and my PM doors are open, and I'm ready to receive you with open virtual arms.

My rank finally calls me Scadrian and a waffle cook. What more could a person want out of life?

I don’t want to derail the Inktober thread, but SORANAAA, THAT WAS GREAT and *hugs* and you’re an awesome human being. I’m glad you’re my friend. 

I don’t want to derail the Inktober thread, but SORANAAA, THAT WAS GREAT and *hugs* and you’re an awesome human being. I’m glad you’re my friend. 

Hey Sorana!

I don't know if anyone has told you this recently, and even if they have, it can't be said enough. You are amazing, kind, and funny. You are one of the people who makes me want to stay in the Alleyverse. Thank you.

Also, please relay my apologies to all the people (you included) on the replacement guac server. I don't know which thing I did that tipped the cosmic scale out of balance, but I'm sorry. And I get why you haven't invited me to the server, and I accept that. But if it means anything, I am trying to be better.

Thank you.

Hm..right. So, I leave Tuesday morning and tomorrow I need to stop procrastinating and be productive with my time, meaning there isn't any other for sure time I'll be on the Shard for a while.

Before that, though, I do need to get some things said for Alleyverse characters.

Eiran and Freedom are taken care of. Eiran's doing some unspecified stuff to help and Freedom we're just going to say is wherever the most living citizens of Alleycity are. After most things are cleared up, Eiran is going to Newcago for a bit and Freedom is going to vanish. I'll figure out more explanation for both afterwards.

Eve, however, is not at a vanishing point. Sorana, if you and Itiah could just treat her as an NPC, that would be great. Maybe she can even fall asleep. Whatever works best. I'm really sorry to leave her like this...there just wasn't any way that made sense with her character to have her leave.

That should be it. I'll probably appear sometime tomorrow, but it's not a guarantee. 

If I don't, then, see you all in a month and I'll miss you!

Wow. 1000 posts. I guess since this is a milestone, I should make some sort of speech about it. 

Man, the Shard has been a great place with great people, ever since my introductory post, all the way down to the latest antics of 'The Knights Next Door.' However I feel a need to point out some specific people and things. 

@Firerust, most of what I can say to you has been said already, so just accept my thanks for getting me on here. you're a great man, Fire

@Box Turtle, for being a great friend,and my singular Sanderson Convert.

@Ashspren, I have had possibly some of the most fun I've ever had on the Shard on your Roast Battles, despite not winning a single one.

@AonEne, @Lunamor, @Sorana, @Dr. Dapper, @BookishOcelot: I know it's kind of weird to consider y'all close friends, but I do, and thank you all for that opportunity to get to know you in some small fashion.

Also, if you follow me, and I didn't mention you, here I shall: I honestly find it astonishing that people like what I have to say about these books enough to want to follow me. So thank you very much

Here's to a great 1000 posts, and here's to another 1000 more!

- Wyndlerunner

im back

Happy birthday, Sorana! 

*hugs because is at a loss for something else to put in these asterisks*

Happy birthday!!

Happy Birthday!

*starts dancing*