Dusk

Bellydance goes well, on 25th there will be a big party, many of the girls will be dancing, and clarieberry and me will be dancing too. I'm very looking forward to it. Got new earrings, very jingly;-)
Been to Stock House, got two metres of light blue satin to make harem pants and little top for the party. I wanna decorate it with golden and silver beads if I have time, as my jewels are both silver and golden, so I wanna bring it all to accordance.
On 24th will also be xanalith's party with Dr Who theme, and I need to make Leela's costume, but I haven't started yet... Oh well, it's not that much of a costume to make;-))) I wanna wear it with my white boots.
allova's and sven_helsong's 21st party on Saturday was great, I had a very good time. There were lots of funny moments, like when allova ran up to me and several other people to whom I was talking, and hid behind one of them screaming "Hide me from the Russian!" Me got puzzled;-) Then found she was running from xepera_xeper who tried to pull her ears, that's a Russian birthday custom. Eventually he got her, and then had to run from Tigger who chased him all around and was generally very scary. It's nice to have a man who can protect your honour *sigh*. Live music by Amplitude, the band from 2014, was great. I notice I use quite a lot of bellydance moves while dancing with modern music, it's not all about belly;-) Cake was huge and very yummy. And ten people fitting into little children house in the kindergarten was just dodgy, very dodgy.
I'm officially out of Auckland Sword and Shield now, talked to Chief_Instructor today. Will not be coming to the end of the year feast neither, as suddenly found it's a Nightmare Circle weekend, alas. I'll keep doing the secretary stuff till the AGM so will be coming to committee meetings, and then will pass it on to someone and quit completely. Still, have no intentions to leave events like NAAMA and Easter Camp, it's fun, even though I'm a poor fighter *sigh*, but it's not all about fighting.
I'll be at St Cath on Saturday (one day only), so slothphil and other people from outside of Auckland, I'll see you there!
Also planning to be at Mistletoe's party on 7th, she said come as your favourite fantasy creature, here it is, my chance to wear the ears again!
And then there will be Nightmare Circle, and I'll be crewing, yay!
And then there will be Christmas and the 3 weeks break, and lots of sleep and free time!
Life is good.
Now I'll go buy some oranges, have food, and take my antibiotic, as I'm still fighting the virus.
*happy hugs to everyone*

Made poll on Diatribe and found everybody apart from me are using daggers in larps. Amazing. I want that too.

I've ordered two from Mordavia_creator, he's made a big weapon order in the beginning of winter, so soon the stuff should arrive, I think.

I like daggers. They are nice, very nice. And easy to carry too... Which reminds me that on Sunday I'm gonna discuss with Trainer_guy the thing with which I'll be able to carry sword on my back. Otherwise it does take too much space around me.

I've also been thinking of getting a pair of steel daggers. I am highly unlikely to make them myself, not only because I'm lazy, don't have tools, blah-blah, but also because I want them to be pretty. Meow. I talked to one guy who said he can do it some time ago, but we didn't discuss details such as price, maybe I need to ask him at last and decide how I can save money for the thing I want so much.

I really do like the case dagger fighting. It just feels so right. Do you have this special feeling with something that this is the exactly correct thing for you, the "natural" feeling? Holding a dagger in each hand feels so very natural to me, and it was like that from the very first second. I think I'm even improving my technique;-)))

Another natural thing for me is bellydance. My heart cries thinking that I had to miss it this week. I think next time my arm will still be hurting but much less, so I'll do it. Oh dear.

Been to Gathering Darkness, read the forum. It's quite depressing, you know.
Found a stupid thread where Akl Norse think they should replace NAAMA.
I must admit my ignorance, I thought Norse stuff in NZ is mostly represented by Waikato Norse. Well, I know them and I've met them, and in case of Akl Norse I think I've heard of them but not sure if I ever saw them. I thought they are part of Waikato Norse. Have they been to the last two NAAMAs and last two Easter Camps? If yes, can you describe me some of them? Maybe I'll remember...
Yes, I'm very ignorant. I know Romans and Argent Lords (and yes, I know those are not exactly the names of the clubs, but they are more often called that way rather than Legio II Augusto and Argent Court;-))), I know Waikato Norse - met them. I know some other people too...
But in whole I'm rather ignorant on lots of this medieval stuff in NZ. Maybe need to learn more...
Wanted to post something there on GD, but got scared. So many people who are long time in it... They are recalling NAAMAs of 1998, 1999... I've only been in this context for the last two years... Reading those posts makes me feel... strange. Don't feel like I'm eligible to intrude to those talks.
When I started reading that ridiculous thread I wanted to check then later to learn more about Akl Norse, but after finishing the thread I actually don't want to know them. So basically they managed to kill my interest for them with several posts. Well, don't think they lost too much, don't think they need me...
I'll get some chocolate today, I think... Just feel upset.
P.S. Arm hurts less, but the little bandaid on the knuckle is trying to fall off. I'm keeping it there with scotch tape, and tomorro will take a bunch of bandaids with me to replace them,,, Yup.

Sunday bruises are visible now, especially on the left hand, but I still prefer to defend with dagger. I just don't like shields.

Other news: my new jeans that I bought this weekend are very-very nice. I didn't really intend to buy ONE MORE pair of jeans, but you really need to have at least one pair of decent long blue jeans... By "decent" I mean they should look relatively new, not like my old jeans in which I flew to New Zealand 3.5 years ago. I still wear them, but not to work, they just really look old. I like them very much, so probably wouldn't be able to rubbish them until they are completely torn... And they are very convenient too.

And the new ones are very nice. They are dark blue, and rather tightly fitted, so they are good to be worn with boots. That's the main reason I bought them. I'm going to wear them to work with my black cowboy-like boots that I wear all the time now (because it's winter and cold). They look very nice together. And seems like it's a totally normal New Zealand style, as I can see so many women wearing tightly fitted jeans with boots.

But I wanna discuss what you would be wearing on top of it. When at work I wear jumpers that are long enough to make my lower back look acceptably decent for work. I have a whole bunch of such jumpers.
But if talking about outside of work - what options would be good? Sometimes when I see other women they look a bit... defiant. But very cool, yeah...

So I'm all in thoughts now...

P.S. Looking at how much space I spent here for each topic it seems that you can get used to bruises, but talking about clothes will always take much attention;-))))

P.P.S. I'm going to bellydance again today! Yay! With clarieberry! And I have a belt at last! I've bought it on Saturday! It's so cool! And jingly! Yay!

Weird enough?
First draft for my new LJ profile... Something needs to be there.

It was great. Really, really great.
I enjoyed it very much.

gryphon_nz has given me a ride, and we came to the camp when it was still light, so we set up the tent in convenient conditions. Our silent friend arrived right after that, very squashed (the Roman has managed to fit 4 people into his car), she was staying with me. On the way back Gryphon gave her a ride too so she didn't get squashed again.

The weather was fine, very warm, sunny, clear sky, very-very lovely.

That was my first fighting event, so I got my first inter-club battle experience. I found that I enjoy it much more than I could expect, and from the inside of the battle it doesn't look as scary as from outside. I wonder why.

It took me a bit of time to understand what to do, but then I was ok. And I found that fighting again spears can be managed even with short weapon like dagger, it just depends on how fast you move. (Note in diary: increase the speed of movements by the time of Labour weekend).

Now I have bruises all over my body, and they bloody hurt with every move. Plus I got a spear strike to the right hand, between the thumb and the next finger. Ravens said that was the worst injury of the weekend. Luckily it was just a strike with a bit of blood, and I got all possible treatment immediately. Now the bruise is getting blue and visible, it takes half of the hand on the outer side and continues to the inside part. I'm trying not to touch it at all, because when touched it hurts, and when touched uncarefully it hurts like hell. I'm gonna make chainmail gloves. And my helmet is very good.

My hand got tired after some time of fighting with sword, so I'm thinking more and more about case of daggers... (Note in diary: learn case daggers fighting).

The food was nice, the people were nice, everything was very fun.
Though there was a lot of bawdy stuff involved as well, of course;-))

I've met cat_i_th_adage whom I haven't seen for a long time, that was so nice to see her again! She sang a Volga Birthday Song for me, and we shared lots of hugs. Yay!

The Roman got knighted, I've been one of his attendants (the other was our silent friend). I'm very honoured by this.

I took some photos so I need to get them from the camera and upload. This time there are very few of them, maybe about a hundred for the whole week-end.

*hugs*

I love gryphon_nz. I really do. He's wonderful.
And I am grateful to him for finding holes in my defence, and for all his efforts in turning little me into a mighty fighter, a one worthy of wearing the surcoat with silver dragon.

I did enjoy our sparring yesterday, though it was really short (due to me being not as mighty as I'd like to;-)))))
So now...
Does anybody know any good medicine, those creams or something, to get rid of bruises?
The bruises themselves are not that bad, though I wouldn't be wearing mini-skirts for the next couple of weeks (not to scare peolpe around). The trouble is - they do hurt. Very much. Every time I make a step. Stupid bruises.

My birthdays seem to have a clear mark of pain now... Last year our friend Megilindir took me to a "walk" which turned out to be half-swim, and the rest - walking on the sea rocks... I spent birthday at home all alone with my twisted ankle.
I need to watch out not to turn it into a tradition.

*hugs and cakes*

I love baron Inigo!
He made me a helmet!
But I was participating in making it too, and not only with my head (for measurement).
And when I was very busy there I thought - why is the baron wondering around?
And look what he did:
http://diatribe.co.nz/viewtopic.php?t=1330

I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet! I have a helmet!

Now I can squee about it, because on the way back home Roman Marcus said that if he hears a single squee from me he will kick me out of the car in the middle of the motorway;-(
But now I'm safe to squee!

I've got club dagger and club helmet for Easter camp.
It's a big trouble to get your own helmet.
I'll probably have to make one.
Geek.

Yay, holidays! 3 weeks I don't have to do anything, so here is what I'm gonna do:

For some reason before big long holidays or big important event I always think of how I should feel when it's all over. And when it's over I remember how I was thinking I would feel. Weird.

P.S. And photos to upload. Oh gods...

The news of the last few days (in chronological order):

I have been given the Sith name. Darth Llama. May the Force be with those on whom I'm gonna inflict the llama idea.
I've been to a Friday the 13th party at Secret Lair. I was wearing a black t-shirt with red sign that looks like the intel one, but with little devil horns, and inside this sign there was written "evil inside". People were paying quite a lot of attention to this sign. Or maybe not so much to the sign...
I've slept untill 11am on Saturday which let me feel slightly better after exhausting week. I've made a white tunic. I've made chocolate muffins. Started making a cape. Eventually have gone to sleep at 5 in the SUNDAY morning.
What I really wonder is how a little stone with several little lines on it can know so much about you? Took a rune out of the runebag. Thurisaz. One of the sources I use says it's a rune of warrior initiation. What does it mean in this context...
Got up at 10 on Sunday. Got call from Head Trainer who gave me a lift to the Scout Hall, and trained me for a bit on the stuff I didn't remember.
After that I've passed my Dagger Grade.
And I wasn't anxious or nervous at all. All calm and relaxed. I just did it.
It really feels different with dagger grade than whithout it. I got a club helmet just in case, though for a whole bunch of reasons I'm not gonna fight at this NAAMA.
Celebrated my Dagger Grading with chocolate muffins. Had a long talk with gryphon_nz  about tabletop games, D&D and stuff like that. Interesting.
After gryphon_nzand starfirenz  gave me a lift home I had some food and lots of rest. My body was still kinda trembling or whatever you call it. Tired. Yes.
Made the cape. Now only need to attach possums to it, but the cape itself is all done. Very warm which is so much important. Started thinking of what other cloth I can have time to make before NAAMA.
Dyed my hair. Look very nice.
Monday. Came to work, checked the weather forecast for the weekend for Palmerston North (the closest big place that can be reflected at the global website I use for weather stuff). No rain is promised, mostly cloudy, and pretty cold. For a Viking like me - lots of cloths possibilities;-)
Hungry. Lunch wil happen soon.
My shoulders and arms hurt pretty much which is normal after Sundays. But why do my ribs hurt as well? Probably because of friendly hugs.
I have my special Darth Llama's balance-stealing hug. I wonder on whom I could inflict this...

Ok, current updates:

I'm gonna make my dagger grade this time. Probably will not be fighting at NAAMA, but, knowing me, I may later change my mind and borrow a helmet from someone. Or maybe not. I'm so bloody flexible. Well, I may become very inspired when I see my new sword.
the_ginger_cat is a wonderful person. She got me some nice and cheap fabrics, and I'm gonna sew nice viking dresses. Ah, and yesterday I started making a bit of embroidery on my new... hmm, I suppose I can call it medieval underdress. It definitely looks more pretty with embroidery - and that is just the most simple pattern ever! So huzzah for embroidery.
Oh, and I've bought golden and silver threads on Saturday. Yaaahooo!
I really need to investigate on wheather vikings used the beads for embroidery. Beads are one of the things that make me completely mad. I used to do beads weaving, on normal threads and on elastic threads, but recently I almost stopped doing that, and probably will stop completely. Not a current thing. But I really wanna know how I can embroid with beads. They are really small beads, 1-2 milimeters. I like them.
And I need to make the possum cape at last! Yay! Possums!

 

There are things to be done...

I need to go through Immigration Service website and understand the process of submitting the Expression of Interest for residence. I need to finish some other stuff that is not yet done but the faster I do it the better it would be.

I have heaps of fabrics and I need to sew lots of things, including possum cape, white tunic for dagger grade and some more viking dresses. And I really want to make embroidery, it's just so much a thing for me to do. I really like needleworking, don't even know why so much.

I need to buy spring steel for daggers and actually make the daggers. I need to make chainmail gloves. I need to get more rings and make a chainmail. I also need to get a helmet, don't even know where this can be obtain from. Luckily I have enough people around to ask.

I need to pay for the archery club and buy equipment (bow, arrows, etc.). And update Fanyare website. And upload photos to internet. And get the old photos from old computer where they stay.

I need to apply and pay for St Cath, and also buy a tent to stay at St Cath (and in whole I wanna have my own tent - that seems to be a good thing to have for every occasion).

Hmm, did I forget anything? Ah, yeah, I need to actually pass the dagger grade. And learn some more medieval dances. Including belly dance.

Well, I seem to be pretty busy.

P.S. And I also need to memorize my part of the play, I'm Dame Siriz, an old procuress.

This was an incredibly looooong weekend.

Friday: I left work at 4pm (by the prior agreement with my manager), quickly came home, grabbed some food on the way, put on costume and ears, and Nadia picked me up. We had almost no problems in finding the way and came to the camp early enough to have lots of time for socializing before the game. I found that all my scrolls are incredibly useful, so it was difficult to choose what to have. I ended up with all possible brews and Light, and Julianne's character has bought a Dream Walk for me (which was later used for a whole bunch of people).

IC we had dinner, then prepared for the wedding. I promised Nikki to help her with her hair but it turned out she didn't have some pins (I don't remember how they are called, I think - bow pins?). Then there was a dialog: Nikki "Can you please find Cath and ask if she has bow-pins?" Me "Where is Cath?" Then a misunderstanding started: Nikki "Do you know who is Cath?" Me "I have no idea" Nikki "Do you know Steph? Cath is her twin sister" Me, angry "I know WHO is Cath, I have no idea WHERE she is!" Ok, we laughed a bit, then I had a great quest "finding Cath" and was successful, so Nikki got her hair done properly. I must say - all those wedding preparations looked so real!

The prince was wondering around asking "Where is my woman?" (I've heard that myself). Chantelle and Nikki had a nice dialog: Chantelle "You look beautiful, milady" Nikki "Not as beautiful as you, damn it!" Chantelle "Eeeehhh... is it an OOC comment?"
The next events were really interesting, and it was so cool and real when we all started celebrating and people moved the tables to make space for dancing, and suddenly someone yelled outside "The orcs attack!" That was one of the most IC moments from my point of view. Guarding Megilindir in battle is really hard. While fulfilling the order to close the backdoors of the inn and closing one we saw the Prince jumping out through the other door, and when we were able to reach him he was already fighting some orcs.

Before we entered the Dream World I've made really many Warding Brews. And, I think, I was the only one who lost not only the point given by the brew but also one of my own, so when I took the tenticle strike intended for my lord I suddenly realized that now I have to fall. But that's ok, my dress is quite washable;-)))) In fact, it is already clean. After I fell, people around me were more scared than I was, as I could understand by the sounds. And then Dylan had lefted me and carried away, which scared others even more as they thought that a dead body is being carried away;-) And after I returned to the battle someone pulled me away while thinking I'm the princess, and was upset when realized that I'm not;-/

By the way, does any of those who were at the game knows what was that plant that smelled so incredibly nice when we entered the dreamworld? This smell just suddenly appears, and it was also a very IC moment. I could think the GMs specially provided that if such thought wouldn't be a complete nonsense.
The biggest laugh happenned when people found out that Megilindir has tenticle again.

Saturday: I had a nice warm night in my new sleeping bag, and in the morning we all had nice breakfast, then Rhiannon taught me some origami, then the guy called Tigah (I'm sure I misspel this) asked me about my accent, if it is Bolivian, or Kenian, or Iceland (at that point I said "How didn you know? My SCA character is gonna be from Iceland!"); then Nadia and I drove back to Auckland singing "Rose, rose, rose red", that was occasionally interrupted by my yells about sheep around the road.
I visited Geoffs Emporium on Dominion road and got some fabric and lots of nice fake jewels, and some cotton for embroidery, and a bit of golden cord. After 7pm I came to Pirates vs Ninjas party to the Secret Lair, people got angry with my camera as usual, at the same time asking about photos from the last party. And I met the guy in that cool hat I saw on Friday, hes name is Dale, I think, and he is a strongly pronounced SCA person, because when you give a hand to a man for a handshake and he kisses it instead - that really does impress. I also had my new chain on which I bought right before the party, and that's a real pirate-looking chain. As well as my hat which everybody tried to steal. Especially some pirate wenchs;-)

Sunday: came back to Secret Lair by 10pm, and we had embroidery meeting of the colledge, and I've learned three stitches, and apparently I'm not bad at embroidery, and I remembered the link to the site from which Zara took the information and later accesses it at home, and got all those instructions.

At 12noon Nadia and I left to go to Sward&Shield, and this time we had some NAAMA practicing with swords and shields, and I got a hard strike on my right hand somewhere close to beginning of the training, so for the rest of the time I was just watching others while holding ice on my hand. Luckily by the end of the day it was almost ok, and I can now even bend it more or less, so I'm just gonna have a painful bruise and nothing else. That's good.

And today Nadia will pick me up from work and we'll go to Rhiannon's place for Elven feast. I took a dress and ears with me, and some music. That's gonna be fun.
I think this was the longest post I ever wrote in my LJ.