It's been awhile! Six months? Maybe? A lot have happened since my last few missives, and honestly the idea of writing all the things I wanted to write now gets more and more overwhelming the more I think about it. But I was asked to just write a brief update, so I will try to do that (honestly, this is me. This brief update might not be that brief.)

Let's see... I'm still a boring geek, my main special interests are still D&D and MtG, as is usual late in the year I am heavily into journaling again, and I haven't been reading as much as I had hoped to.

Okay, so that WAS brief.

things i be reading

I started on a lot of books since June, but I finished very few of them. The best books I finished are rereads (Maggie Stiefvater's Raven cycle, specifically). And when I do finish reading new books, they tend to be either horror comics (like the Hello Darkness anthology, or Jeremy Haun's The Red Mother, which was slightly disappointing, or Michael Conrad's Plague House which was GOOD and disturbing af), fantasy romance (particularly Stephanie Burgis' Enchanting the Fae Queen and Wooing the Witch Queen, or contemporary YA rooted in my special interests, like Kristy Boyce's Rolls and Rivalry.

More than anything else, though, I have been reading Webtoons. Loads and loads of them. Most of them... aren't even particularly good, but they do satisfy whatever this mood is that I am in. I seem to be reading a LOT of isekai or generic fantasy setting romances with "contract marriage" tropes. I didn't really feel like unpacking this - it was just nice to enjoy reading anything - but this last week in particular I realise it's another form of escapism, I guess. Most of these FMCs come from abusive households and the marriages were their way out (or the catalyst to them finding a way out), and a majority of these stories were about them learning to find strength in themselves and learning to be the person they truly were, outside of the prison of their previous lives.

I'm currently also in the middle (beginning? 36% in?) of The Last Vampire by Romina Garber which isn't like any of the other books or webtoons I've been enjoying, but is fun in its own way, with all the Dracula and Jane Eyre references.

And I'm reading Generation Decks by Titus Chalk, which is an unofficial history of Magic: the Gathering that I find especially fascinating, not just because I enjoy reading the histories of very niche topics, or the fact that MtG is one of my special interests, but because it's also part-memoir, and the way the author weaved the actual history bits with how the game was affecting the author around the same time (as a young boy, then a college kid, and then a grown up) drew me in. It's not for everyone, but I love that the chapter about Jesper Myrfors fighting to hire original artists and creating a unique vision for the game's visuals is followed up with a description of how it felt like as a boy, staring at the art on a copy of Kird Ape. And the chapter about the creation of the Pro Tour, followed up with teen Titus Chalk who was struggling to fit in after his family moved to France (where a pro tour was happening), caring less about the pro circuit and more about the fact that the language gap meant that the friends he played Magic with would only ever be "Magic friends", rather than the close friends of his boyhood in New Zealand.

Oh, and I am buddy-reading The Dark Lord of Derkholm because it's funny and it's a reverse isekai and also I want to buddy-read The Year of the Griffin next. AND I'm buddy-reading A Wrinkle In Time because it was one of my favourite books as a kid, and Stranger Things S5 reminded me of it.

things i'm watching

I recently finished watching The Too-Perfect Saint and Silent Witch (see my comment on my current webtoon preferences).

I'm still catching up with Dirty Laundry on Dropout, and am rewatching Game Changer from the beginning, while staying way, way behind on Dimension 20.

I enjoyed Stranger Things so far and can't wait for the next part. And I've started on the new season of Percy Jackson.

Recently, I finally watched Igniting the Spark -- The Story of Magic: The Gathering and it was every bit as fun as I thought it would be. I loved the very 90s style effects used, and the fact that the creators of this documentary interviewed so many key people not just from Magic's past, but also the present. It reminded me of watching The Professor (on Tolarian Community College) interview Richard Garfield, and how choked up he got towards the end. This game made such a big difference in so many people's lives.

games

Sometimes it's interesting when I realise how differently my brothers and me think about D&D, especially since they were the ones that taught me to play. My approach has always been from the "collaborative storytelling" side of things, and never as a "DM vs. Players" game. Even though I don't RP much these days, or offer much in the way of narration (kind of stopped because I got interrupted a lot, lol) I see my role as DM as someone to create the framework of the game, and support my players on their adventures. (I guess, thanks BLeeM?)

My eldest brother has a bit of that - he's definitely a storyteller, and loves the RP aspect of ttrpgs - but he sees his role as more of a challenger, and that it's his job to keep putting us players into as many near-death situations as possible. Although given that we're in a very dark, atmospheric campaign, it does fit. My other brother... prefers the hack-and-slash side of things, and definitely sees DM-ing as trying to throw as many life-threatening monsters at our characters as possible.

When it comes to Magic, I'm what we in the community call a Vorthos - someone whose main passion is in the lore. This shouldn't come as a surprise, I guess. Lore has always been my thing. The reason I started playing MTG was because it was a fun way to pass the time. The reason I kept playing then was the art and characters like Ashling and Rhys and Jace Beleren. But I didn't really delve into the full Magic: the Gathering mythology until I started again last year, and now it's the main reason I love this game. And collecting cards again, I remember how much I used to love the art (especially on all the lands) and the game design.

Most local players are more competitive than me, and can get rather sweaty about the game. Lately, I've found a small group of people more interested in casual play, and I'm glad for them.

The title of this newsletter are from Arashi's song, HAPPINESS.

Please drink water and rest well <3