Upon encountering what remained of the town watch, Kith's eyes flicked back and forth trying to get a glimpse of the two giggling opponents beneath its cover. The men that still remained fighting the undead were weary and beaten. She was surprised they had lasted this long. Even as skilled adventurers, she and her party had had trouble with the undead.

Midge rushed forward and began what seemed like some sort of spell. Gib, too, surged into action and called out: "Battle Lord, I beseech thee! Send these wretched bodies hence!" Following that, he called out to Aranwen. "We must eliminate those laughing creatures before we can properly contend with the zombies."

Kithran agreed. The undead were bad enough, but when their giggling friends joined the fray, the struggle to control the tide of battle grew harder. Ch'dau followed Midge into the battlefield after calling out to the others that he would be keeping an eye on the mage. With her companion moving, she tightened her grip on her blades and moved closer to where Cedric and Gib stood.

((OOC: Kith is gonna hang back a bit, but still stay close to one of the others. More 'hold the line' style fighting than charge and slash))

Blowz-R-Up adjusted his hat as he entered the cafeteria, ensuring that no potential jostling from the others would knock his beloved cap astray. The very thought! Blowz took pride in carefully attending to the garment to ensure it's beautiful red fur stayed bright and well-groomed. He obtained his serving and walked with his team to their table, doing his best to ignore the tag-along Dweebs. As Blowz and his team took their seats at the table, Blowz threw out an elbow in Dweebs direction. If the other clone was unfortunate enough to be standing in range, well, it was his own fault.

As Blowz settled into his seat and reached up to reassure himself that his hat was still in place, a whisper snaked up from beneath the table. "Hey, troubleshooters! Yes, you, Team MAO-17859 Dot R-2! Down here! Yes, down here, under the table! Now!"

The red-hatted clone looked first to his left and then to his right, then directly above, then in a slow circle around the rest of the cafeteria. Seemingly satisfied with no alternate sources for the whisper, Blowz bent at the middle and rested his forehead upon the table to peek beneath.

This certainly wouldn't be the strangest thing Blowz had ever witnessed. Best to see what the table-dwelling-demander had to say.

At first, it seemed Shinara had seen fit to smile upon the battle. Midge's incantation saw the undead beset by swarms of starving insects. In any situation, Kithran might have cocked a brow at that particular strategy, but it seemed to at least be slowing their enemies. Ch'dau and Gib were able to cut through the first wave of foes; Aranwen also was able to land a blow to one.

"Grand idea," Gib replied to her earlier suggestion. "Perhaps you and Cedric can see to the task?"

As it turned out, Ch'dau himself was already dragging one of the tables in front of a window (after flinging its lamp at their enemies). Kithran nodded at the effort and worked to tip another on to its side so that it could become a barrier as well.

((OOC: my mind blanked on badass rogue moves for the moment. whoops))

The battle had not paused for their defensive efforts. Kithran notcied as Aranwen was forced to put some distance between her foes to keep herself from becoming a meal to the insects. The felled foes at the windows were pulled away as more of their companions fought to get through. Gib growled out a change to his request, but Kithran realized their chances of defending were weakened by the five figures that had now managed to fight their way inside the inn.

The same hideous cackling they had experienced on the road joined the groans from their other enemies. Kithran caught a glimpse of the tattered blue robe. Her chest tightened at the sight. It had not taken long for whatever man the creature might have been to turn.

“By the blood! Back to the stairs! Retreat to the stairs!" Gib's order was barked out over the chaos and quickly met by an indignant roar and rebuttal from their kazari companion. The order continued: "Midge and Atharis, to the very back,” Gib’s orders continued, “Cedric and Kith, defend their position! Aranwen and Ch’dau, take the front and I shall support you two from behind!”

A string of curses slipped out of Kithran's mouth as she assumed a defensive position on the stairs. Even as they retreated, however, her mind was straining. The height of the stairs could give them an advantage. She thought on it for a moment, then called out to Ch'dau as he took up a defensive stance before the stairs: "If one gets close enough, we could use the height to our advantage!"

((OOC: I assume Kithran is a few steps up? If there's a bannister/railing, she'd climb it and leap to try and take opporotunity of enemies attacking Ch'dau/Gib/whoeevr is at bottom of steps))

The sight of undead reaching through the shutters made Kithran's jaw tighten. They were not so lucky to have the inn hold out on the assault long. The shutters were ripped away and the door quickly followed suit, allowing several of the dead to enter the building. The laughter outside did not escape her attention. Kithran's grip on her weapons tightened and she steeled herself to prepare for combat.

Ch'dau took control of the situation quickly, shouting to the barmaid who still stood behind the counter before striding towards the door. “You! Girl! Get yourself to the cellar and bar the way behind you! And if any of the rest of you do not care to spill blood, follow Nya!”

“Looks like the earth needs a hand keeping it's dead! Stay away from the door, friends,” Midge's voice rang out, “and keep me safe. I need some peace!”

Gib's voice joined the fray: "In the name of the Great General, Therassor, the Battle Lord, I command you BEGONE foul creatures!"

Seeing her companions take their positions, Kithran darted across the room to provide backup to Ch'dau. If one of the undead made their way past the kazari, she intended to have her blades at the ready to stall their advance. Still, her mind was whirling through several possibilities. "If we can funnel them through a single entrance, we stand a better chance," She called out loud enough to hopefully reach all of her companions. "Perhaps we can cut through the first of them and use the tables as barricades to redirect the others."

((OOC: Kithran is gonna try to keep at Ch'dau's back and fight from a second line position again))

Blowz-R-Up sounds good then 

Blowz-R-Up or Slipp-R-YEE sound most appealing to me!

Kithran was not one to sleep deeply, so when she was roused from sleep by some sort of banging, it wasn't a surprise. She blinked into the dark and stirred slightly while trying to process what had awoken her. While she was still deciding if it was worth it to awake and investigate, a piercing scream split the air and her decision was made for her. Kithran slid one arm under her pillow and snagged her daggers, then untangled herself from the sheets and hit the floor. She paused at the sight of her armor nearby. Currently, she was only dressed in leggings and a thin tunic--no shoes, no armor, not even a second layer that could dull a blow. But the thundering footsteps outside of her door drew her away from the equipment. She had her blades: she'd just have to be careful.

Kithran threw open the door in time to see Ch'dau rush past and bound down the stairs. “The inn is beset,” the Kazari snarled as he rushed down the hallway. “To arms, my friends!” His battlecry erased the last lingering webs of sleep and Kithran followed quickly, her hands wrapped tightly around the hilts of her blades.

so how much would you say for Kith's armor? In my head, I'm picturing breastplate, bracers, cuisses (not counting the belts she's got weapons/pouch on). So that would be 3 to suit up entirely? (not that she will right now, but ncie to store as reference)

I love audio 'scripts, I wanna start using them more. I feel another useful bit of advice for mantaining story consistency is to create moodboards. I use them for my characters and my stories: it's just a collage of images that can really inspire you (visually speaking). Having tangible references really helps me when picturing characters and scenes--I use them a lot in my novel writing and from a player perspective, they help me describe my character consistently as well

Link to one that I made for my DnD character for the game Oz is now DMing

Both fortunatley and unfortunatley (depending on how one would look at it), the rest of the inn seemed relatively tame. Kithran slowly turned her attention back to her own table when nothing more interesting caught her attention. She nodded vaguely at Midge's suggestion that he wait to find Balewood until the morning. Even she wasn't too keen to creep the city at night and Kithran would typically leap at the chance to prowl for a score. Their travels had shaken her, though, and until Crandel was more familiar Kithran was happy to stick close to her companions.

Davena and Aranwen's exchange was by far the most intering thing happening and Kithran found herself listening in again as she studied the woman's guard. Garn seemed to be doing much the same as her: conspicously staying out of trouble, but keeping an eye out for any that might arise. Davena's comment about Garn's ability to keep his place made her lips twitch. Trouble staying to his lady's side?

Gib's voice drew her away from the conversation and Kithran turned as the warrior priest shifted. "I find no fault with this logic, then I'll go see to a room and give thanks to the Battle Lord."

"I bid you all a good night."

"Goodnight, Gib," Kithran said softly as he rose from their table and collected his things. She was tempted to follow him, but was waiting until Ch'dau returned. As if on cue, the kazari appeared in her line of sight and clapped Gib on the shoulder.

“Rest well, Gib." Kithran caught the dart of his eyes as he sized up Davena and Aranwen, still chatting (though it seemed perhaps the woman's interest had begun to fade). “It does surprise me that you would be the first to retire, my friend. I would have thought that our bladesinger might have already found herself abed.”

Despite her serious nature, Kithran snorted quietley at Ch'dau's implication. As he slid in beside her, she dropped her own voice in an attempt to keep her words from the others: "It would seem she is unable to seal the deal, as it were."

At his comments regarding the day, her shoulders lifted in a non-committal shrug. "It has been a passable day. A good day would have filled our coin purses along with our bellies and I wouldn't still be able to smell rotten flesh." As if to solidify her point, Kithran's nose crinkled.

The mood of the table shifted slightly and Kithran looked to where Davena had leaned back, apparently upset with Aranwen's words. The bladesinger seemed to backpedal slightly and attempt to rectify the situation: "I apologise, my lady. I did not mean to imply that I wished you any harm, or that you were somehow responsible for those attacks. I am merely puzzled, and trying to figure out the purpose of these events. I fear for the residents of this town and the surrounding areas, for surely they have not seen the last of these attacks."

Beside her, Ch'dau split into a roaring laugh and banged his mug down on their table. “Then stop interrogating the woman and take her to a room, friend Aranwen. I am certain she’d be more than interested in your… ahem… swordplay techniques, yes?”

"If Arcanon is lucky enough to earn an invitation to the lady's room, perhaps it is time for the rest of us to suggest roommates?" A lazy grin crept on to Kithran's face. The expression was odd to see, but it had a pleasant effect. The harsh lines of worry that usually filled her face seemed to soften and she looked younger, much more her age. It was a brief glimpse into the girl she had once been: quick to smile, easy to laugh, innocent to the wickedness of the world. But it evaporated just as quickly and the cool expression she typically wore slid back into place.

sorry for slow posts guys. I've had a lot of medical stuff going on this week, so been busy trying to catch back up on my commissions and freelance work. I'm back to skulking around!

The entrance to Crandel wasn't without some road bumps, but everything went relatively smoothly and there was no fight to be had. Kithran remained a silent shadow with her party, content to be swept up in their current of travel. Her mind was still pouring over the events of their fight and calculating alternative moves they could have made, playing out different avenues of combat. She liked to analyze and it helped ease the toil of travel.

It was not long before they came across the inn--the Nicked Shill. Again, a bit of trouble when they entered. Kithran's breathe caught at the whispers of calling the Watch about Ch'dau, but fortunatley all was well when the innkeep apparent quieted his crowd. Kithran was more than happy to take a seat at the corner table. The barmaid was pleasant enough and Kithran answered in the affirmative for a serving of stew and a small beer. Typically, she wouldn't have been so quick to take such a hardy meal, but travel and combat had made her stomach growl.

Their orders were blissfully quick to arrive and Kithran tucked in. The food was good and it warmed her a bit. There had been a subtle chill in her gut since their encounter on the roads, but a good meal and the lull of conversation around them helped ease it. The chances of some sort of fiend attacking them here seemed slim enough that relaxing a bit was in the cards.

Once the barmaid was gone once more, Kithran eyed the other two occupants of their table. The man's reach for his blade did not escape her, but he must have thought better of the trouble. The woman, fortunatley, seemed more receptive to their presence. "Well met, fellow travelers. I do not recall seeing you on the road, so I would think that you did not come from the west. Have you any news from the road to the east?" Her accent was unlike that of the locals, so she must have also been a foreigner of sorts.

Luckily, Arcanon answered her and Kithran relaxed, content to be a silent observer if possible. "Greetings to you as well. Indeed, we have have been traveling the roads to the east. The way has been miserable, the weather as hot and wet as ever I have seen it. The strange mists surrounding us seemed to be playing tricks on the eyes and ears, making us see and hear things that weren't there. However, about 2 hours travel from town, we were beset by a group of undead fiends that were intent on adding us to their numbers. We managed to dispatch them without too much trouble, but it makes us wonder if there are more of those creatures about. Have you had any trouble on the roads to the west?" The easy way Aranwen brought up the fiends they had encountered made Kithran's skin prickle, but she deserved to know if there was trouble ahead.

The woman had had no such trouble and as she began to pry into Aranwen's talents as a bladesinger, Kithran focused less on the conversation. The woman's singular interest seemed apparent enough and she was happy to just rest and get a meal in.

((OOC: assuming Kith and Ch'dau are seated beside one another))

Beside her, Ch'dau chuckled to himself and Kithran shot him a questioning look. His attention, too, seemed to be focused on Aranwen and Davena. But evidently they were not too interesting, because he then called over the barmaid once more. “Girl,” he called, hefting his mug and rising to his feet, “a moment, please?" His absence at her side made Kithran frown slightly and scoot slightly towards the rest of her companions on instinct. Regardless, she kept an eye on him as the barmaid led him away through the crowd and away into another section of the inn. Kithran continued to eat and drink, but her movements were slower and more controlled than before. Her ear was trained for trouble. No doubt if anything happened, Ch'dau would cause a racket and she could spring up in response. The inn and the staff seemed friendly enough, but one could never be too careful.

As the party continued their meal and own conversations, Kithran scanned the rest of the inn's patrons. It was not that she was trying to ignore her companions, but by now they were surely used to her 'silent until spoken to' policy. If someone wished to speak, Kithran wouldn't be rude, but she had no intentions of initiating small talk this evening. The unrest from before seemed to have evaporated, but she still caught an occassional glance in their direction. Her eyes moved among the crowd, looking for anyone that might seem a bit off or otherwise strange from the rest of the patrons.

When the battle did begin, Kithran did her best to stay within reach of her companions. The odds were not favorable, but some luck was on their side: their foes were slow, seemingly driven by simple desires rather than deep thought and strategy. But then the mists seemed to clear slightly and her eyes fell on the source of the hideous laughter. Kithran noted the fangs, the superior condition when compared to its companions. Those crooked fangs parted as it continued its giggling and Kithran tightened her grip on her weapons as time resumed its proper rythm.

As the battle commenced, Kithran did her best to avoid attacks and stay with the others. At one point, she watched one of the shambling zombies move to strike Ch'dau and she seized her opporotunity. The cut of her daggers through rotten flesh released an unpleasant odor, but she gritted her teeth and continued the fight. She nodded to Ch'dau, the hint of a smile on her face, before she moved to continue the fight.

In the heat of battle, her focus on her companions proved a bit too forefront. One of the zombies lunged for her and Kithran managed to pull away, realizing too late some of the creature's companions had flanked her. One of them struck her, hard, and Kithran let out a quiet curse. She regained her composure and managed to slay her attackers, losing herself to the rush of combat. A flurry of movement draw her eye and Kithran saw, too late, the giggling fiend attack Ch'dau and Aranwen move to deal with the creature. Momentarily forgetting her strategy to fall back and strike with the others, Kithran dove into combat. Her anger at watching her friend fall victim to that monstrosity and being unable to stop it drove her blades home. She was able to cut down the rest of the shambling enemies, her strikes finding purchase in their rotted flesh.

Before she really realized what was happening, the last zombie was slain and the giggling had ceased. The party was alone with the pilgrims (or at least, what lived of the pilgrims) once more.

Gib and Cedric approached in time, but Kithran brushed off their concerns. She was sore and no doubt the flesh of her back where the foe's blow had landed was mottled and ugly, but no real damage had been done. When they did step aside to tend to the others, her dark eyes searched for the familiar looming furry figure only to meet his. Kithran flashed another ghost of a smile as Gib spoke up.

"I realize that these past days have been stale," he began as he approaches his warrior friends, "but, perhaps, in the future, we might at least strategize a little before rushing into battle. Like we did when bringing justice to those bandits? That would be most appreciated."

Ch'dau and Aranwen's apologies followed quickly, Kithran keeping her own response to herself. The dull throbbing in her back might sharpen her words unnecessarily and bickering would do no one any good. Kithran again looked to her kazari companion as he came to her side. She stiffened slightly when he reached for her, but allowed the strange embrace. Had one of the others tried, they might have been able to see just how sharp she kept her blade, but Kithran had a soft side for Ch'dau. “I’ll not leave you at such a disadvantage, again, either, little kitten,” he purred softly enough for only her to have heard, “I owe you more than this, yes?”

"It was not so terrible," Kithran shook her head at his concern. "I'll have a nasty bruise, but I am here, yes? I should worry more for you. That creature's attack..." She trailed off and her gaze fell to his injured arm. A deep scowl came over her features. Kithran said no more on the subject as she felt uncomfortable expressing her worry when their other companions could overhear, but her expression remained troubled.

"I am glad the effects were not permanent."

At this, she turned her attention back to the pilgrims and the leader's conversation with Gib. Three days' travel. Kithran doubted they would make it, given the extent of their injuries and their three dead companions in the dust. Aranwen took up the questioning from there, pressing the pilgrim leader for more answers. Kithran was not surprised when the man began to lose his composure. Uncomfortable with the sobbing, Kithran was suddenly very interested cleaning her blades. She caught Ch'dau's departure and considered distancing herself, but remained as she knew what would come next.

"These men will die without blades to protect them," Kithran noted, her voice flat. The words held no disgust or worry; rather, she stated it as fact. "They have already died."

She replaced her daggers in their holsters and folded her arms across her chest, her eyes slowly sliding over each of her companions before cutting in the direction Ch'dau had stormed off in. "There will be guilt if we allow them to leave without protection."

((OOC: I also assume there will be some discussion. Kith has said about all she will unless directly addressed.))

Lots of practice  Would love to see your doodles sometime if you ever wish to share!

I've got a sketch for Kith in the works---if this party lasts, I may try my hand at them 

Thank you for the compliments! I do enjoy it, it's wonderful when others can enjoy what I create as well

I mentioned sharing some of my art and work here, figured it would be nice to share my Tumblr link! This particular blog is art & character exclusive so you will notice it is mostly original characters or commission work. I don't do very much fanart unless I'm heavy into the fandom or paid for it, but who knows? I am also open for commissions if you wanted to talk about that, feel free to check out my chart (which you can find on my blog) or shoot me a PM

lilsmolfoxdraws.tumblr.com

Also featuring some of my recent work that I am loving (I may update as I have more I enjoy and wish to share/spamvertise if we are cool with that):
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If Gib is keeping tabs on Kith, she's going to try and attack with him (since I assume he is also the closest). She'll want to stay in close reach but try and time her attacks.

Offensively speaking:

-Tandem. She's going to try and strike along with another. AKA, if Gib strikes, she is going to try and strike

-Flank or rear attack. Kithran does best ducking and stabbing/slashing to try and get under blades or reaching arms.

Defensive:

-If Kithran gets grabbed, all holds are off. Both daggers aimed at throats or the soft of bellies, anything to shock or get herself dropped. She'll bite, she'll claw at available eyes or mouths, she'll scream. She's not going to go quietley.

By some far-off God's grace, the approaching group turned out to only be a ragtag group of human men. Kithran kept her guard up, but let out a small sigh of relief.

The leader of the group--a man bearing a stringy, dirty beard--called out as they approached. "Block not our path! We cannot tarry here, not with what stalks this road at night. We seek the blessed shrine of Lysora in the Taverton wood; we dare not stop, lest we never reach it." His voice sounded as though he gargled glass. Kithran wondered when the last time this man and his companions had had water was, but he fixed the group with a baleful gaze and continued: "You would do well to be off this road come nightfall. They are coming. They never rest!"

The collective groan that went up sent the hairs that had begun to settle on the back of Kithran's neck standing up again. What monstrosities waited for nightfall? Surely the man's warning had something to do with the sounds, the shadows, the unease the mist had brought with it. It couldn't be merely coincidence.

Gib spoke up: "Sir. Kind sir. Who are They and pray tell, what has befallen you? What should we be prepared for? Please, stop and share your knowledge with us that we may not fall prey to the unknown of which you infer."

Kithran didn't expect the man to reply, so she was surprised when the scraggly human actually answered. "As bad as they are, the laughers are so much worse. They are cunning, and merciless." For a brief moment, his eyes met Kithran's. Instinctively, her hands grasped her weapons. "And they seek the fairer sex... we have lost brothers, but all of our sisters were taken by them."

Comforting. It seemed that whatever peril lied after nightfall would have particular interest in her. Despite wanting to appear as collected as ever, Kithran took a small step in Ch'dau's direction. She could defend herself, but it wouldn't hurt to have her monstrous companion at her back should trouble arise.

The pilgrim shook his head and announced their departure, his group continuing their way away. Kithran's eyes were trained on their retreating forms. A giggle broke the mist and was quickly followed by more. Her hands tightened now and Kithran pulled her blades free when the screaming began. "Lysora save us, they have come!"

Whatever the pilgrims had encountered, it seemed to be ripping them apart. Kithran's knuckles were white as she scanned their figures, looking for the cause. There. A shape, dark and unknown, darted amongst the pilgrims. They scattered in terror, continuing to scream. As Kithran moved to step closer to her companions, Ch'dau let out a roar. "Lysora be damned, it is Rrowl you need!" And with that, whatever protection Kithran might have wished for from him was gone as the kazari went charging towards the apparent battle. Aranwen was alongside him, both focused on whatever was attacking the pilgrims.

Kithran swore. There went Gib, charging to combat as well. Could they have not at least spoken a handful of words of strategy? The pilgrims warning still echoed in her mind as she hovered with the casters for a moment, deciding. Then she gripped her daggers tighter and darted forward, worries be damned.

"Remember their warning!" Kithran hissed loudly, falling into step behind their front line. "I am not ready to be snatched away just yet."

She tried to get exact eyes on their enemy, determining how many and which posed the most risk to herself. Ideally, Kithran intended to strike in tandem with whichever of her companions engaged in combat closest to her. She did not have the raw strength the others may possess, but if one of her companions went high and distracted their enemy, it would give Kithran a chance to go low and attack from the flank.

Despite the cool expression she nearly always wore, Kithran was not a fan of the weather. Although the half-Sylvari had not voiced her discomfort, her gait was stiff and she occasionally reached up to tug at the collar of her shirt in an attempt to try and let a breeze against her skin. She could certainly have dressed in lighter colors, but Kithran made that sacrifice in case she needed to bleed into shadows. The drizzle did little to alleviate her aggravation. In fact, it only set her more on edge as the wet footsteps and dripping raindrops fought to drown out the world.

The mist made the hair on the back of her neck. It was hard to tell if the shadows that bounced off it were real or a manifestation of the heat and stress of travel playing tricks on her. When Kithran continued to notice them and began hearing strange sounds as well, her hands found her way to the daggers hidden amidst her belts. Her fingers tapped the hilts as if to reassure her that they were still in place. If this mist did bring trouble, Kithran wanted to be on guard now before it was too late.

Upon rounding the bend, Kithran spotted the travelers ahead a moment before Arcanon's call for a halt and she stilled. Her hands remained hovering near the hidden daggers, close enough to draw but not so obvious as if she still held the hilts. If the group ahead meant no trouble, it was no good to scare them. And if they were bad news...

It would be best to get the drop on an enemy, yes? Kithran took a slight step from behind the two in front of her, her eyes trained on the figures ahead.

Ya beat me to it, Ody

*a round of applause for the beautiful poem*

I would put Kith behind the "fighter" types, perhaps on the side of party so it's easy for her to slip around and flank. Kith is a dual-dagger wielder, so she'll be better in strategic combat rather than rush-and-charge. She's also fairly tall (5'10") but relatively slender and dressed to blend into shadows; eyes and hair are black. I may actually have some art soon if we want to really visualize.

I put her bio in the recruitment thread if you want to give it a peek. If anyone wants to collab on a specific meeting/relationship/what-have-you, feel free to shoot me a PM! Otherwise I'm going to assume she is quietley friendly but reserved

I am planning to post sometime this evening

I wanna go on record and say I have never run from bunnies. I have, though, been raised by a Player Killer---so forgive me if I am a bit cautious

First of all, the decision to run was the smartest decision to my character at the time! No one else had to retreat with me!

And my recent characters have become quite fearless. I'm enjoying characters that can cleave giant spiders or sneak up and slit throats

The older members will already know me, but a re-intro thread may be nice. I figure I will be here consistently seeing as I threw my hat into a new campaign.

You can call me Emily Aleine, I go by "Ali" here or Princess if you want to suck up  I am the webmaster's oldest daughter and have been raised on DnD and all things nerdy. I may actually be sharing some of my art here and there as I work as a freelance artist/writer now and enjoy character illustration (particularly if they are MY characters).

Feel free to drop a message if you want to say hello or if you have an interesting game going and feel I may be a good fit. I've played 2e, 3e, 3.5e, and most recently 5e in DnD; I enjoy fantasy and horror-based games. I'm also up general nerdy chat

Aaaand that's about it. You'll see me around *insert non-existent finger gun emoji*