Gnomish Citizens Celebration!

So, to address my need to do something BIG and SOCIAL, I decided I ought to try to revive the Gnomish Citizens' council! I mean, it brought me one husband, and maybe another, and lots of friends and good memories and stuff, and TONS of useful contacts. And I'm like, man, that was over two years ago! There must be TONS of gnomes who could benefit from intraracial social contacts like I did.
Anyway! I put together this get together on the shores of Stormwind, and I brought a little food and some fireworks. I was so afraid no one would show up! And at first it was really slow. But then we had like 10 gnomes there! We started off by going in a circle and introducing ourselves, and then we got into a debate about a home for the Gnomish nation! At first people were like, oh yeah, retake Gnomeregan, but then I was like, well, is it better to focus our efforts on that or to support the new gnomish towns like Toshley's Station or the Fizzcrank Airstrip.

So THEN we started talking about building a fabulous new contraption, like a floating ship or something that could be out in the ocean or whatever and totally safe from troggs or undead or any other icky threats! We had a fantastic time discussing all the engineering that would be required to make such an undertaking 100% safe.

The party broke up not long after a shaman brought one of those dancing draenei torches for us to play with. Overall, it was a huge success! Everyone had a great time. I can't wait until I can hold another one!

Midsummer celebrations and vacations!

Well, today the midsummer's celebration was in full swing! Wynni wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and so we decided to meet Pizzy in Stormwind - he had a bit of business to take care of in the Auction House beforehand. After running into Imble and chatting for a sec, we we found him there in the Auction House. Wynni spotted him first and gave him a huge hug. I'm so pleased with how well she likes him. I'm still a little paranoid about her becoming too attached before it's really permanent, but on the other hand, since things seem to be going well, then maybe the transition will be a little easier.

ANYWAY! So after we met Pizzy (and he offered to take Wynni cliff jumping - HOLY. CRAP.) we headed on over to the canals where all the festival stuff was set up. Wynni was TOTALLY amazed by the guys juggling torches and tossing them at the braziers. Then we found the ribbon pole, and I held Wynni on my hip while I spun and danced. She LOVED it. Pizzy tried it, but oh man, that was bad news for him. He looked SO sick. I helped him into the nearby bookshop so he could sit and recover just a bit while Wynni looked at picture books. Poor guy. I hope he doesn't get seasick as easily.

So, he caught his breath and let the world stop spinning a bit, and then Wynni asked us what a kobold was. Evidently, she had found a book on the shelves called "The Little Kobold That Could." (That could do what, I don't know. Maybe he managed to keep his candle or something.) Anyway, I told her it was a rat guy who liked candles, but Pizzy went into more detail, even so far as to imitate one. Wynni just ate it up.

Then he mentioned that sometimes there were spiders in the caves with kobolds, and Wynni FREAKED. So he taught her how to smash spiders, using his hands to imitate one. She thought that was a pretty good game. So that led to a conversation about spiders and bizarre cuisine, and before we knew it, it was time to go to school! Usually Wynni is super excited for school, but today she just wanted to stay with Mr. Pizmo. Aww. We walked her to school, and she asked like a million questions on the way. She even gave Pizzy a kiss goodbye - how sweet is that?

Pizzy and I continued on to Telaar; he wanted to chat about our upcoming trip to Northrend, since he's still paranoid about meeting my family and all. I guess maybe I didn't mention that the whole point of my trip was to be there when Noodler's wife gave birth, because he was all freaking about that. It's not like he has to BE there for that part, gosh. He wanted to know what kind of things he should do up there, what to talk about, what not to talk about, what to wear, etc. The questions seemed perfectly obvious to me, but I forget that social situations can be difficult for him sometimes.

Then he wanted to know what we'd say if they asked about, well, us. I told him I'd say "we've discussed the possibility of marriage but there are no plans in the works at this time." He seemed to like that answer. He fretted for a moment when I mentioned Noodler had met Zandramas, but then I reminded him about how Zan had, you know, LEFT. Then I told the story about how Zandramas accused Noodler of being my secret boyfriend because he didn't think he was my brother since we didn't look alike. Boy, was Pizmo's smile wide!

We made love, and afterwards he asked me to promise that I liked him as much as he loved me. Well, of COURSE that's the case! He told me he just gets worried that I'll get tired of him, and that all good things are supposed to end eventually. I wanted to tell him it doesn't have to be that way, but he had to leave before we could really get into the subject. In time, I guess. Maybe someday he'll stop being so insecure.

A magely odyssey

So, I've been TOTALLY working so hard on learning magecraft and engineering, but I've been really shy to show Pizzy because he's been SO good at both for SO long. But, I needed to learn how to make the Toshley's station transporter, and I SO cannot even kill the netherwraiths with my mage skills right now. So I thought, Pizzy should totally help me out!

So, we met up in Shattrath, and we flew to Telredor and started riding through the marsh. It was so TOTALLY my luck that it was POURING rain. Like, oh man. So soggy. The mushrooms couldn't even stop it. And naturally, today was the day I picked to wear a white blouse. I mean, not like it's anything he hasn't seen before, but STILL! Anyway, Pizzy was kind enough to point out a couple gas clouds so I could experiment with my new mote extractor - and I TOTALLY managed to suck some water out of the air! How cool is that?

Next, we totally had to go through this disgusting, spider infested cave. It was so gross, and all my spells kept totally bouncing off them. But Pizzy totally blew them all away. Very chivalrous! He helped me through the ravine up to Toshley's station, where we met a gnome named Smiles O'Byron. He taught me how to make the transporter... and Pizzy said he'd give me the materials! How sweet is that? He's so good to me, oh my gosh.

So, we continued onto Netherstorm, and I totally summoned that wraith, and he was SO not ready for it. It totally kicked BOTH our butts. We got him on the second time, though. After that, we were basically done with our errands, so we figured we could just chillax. (Note to self: wear wide brim hats more.) We flew out to that boat that's off of what used to be the coast of Kirin Var and just spent some time watching the sky. He was acting SO twitchy, though. I don't know what's with him lately.

We went inside, and he told me about how proud he was of my tinkering accomplishments. And I mean, I'm glad he's proud and stuff, but while tinkering's kinda fun, it's just not IT for me, you know? I really prefer to do something where I'm with people, you know? And it's been so weird ever since I stepped down from the Tower. It's given me more free time to care for Wynni, and to learn magery and tinkering... but it's just not the same, you know? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love extra time with my daughter, but it just feels like something's missing.

And Pizmo blanched at all that, and I mean, it's not like I'm all OHAY MARRY ME NOW. Just... I don't know. I need a conduit for this energy. I'm not necessarily obsessing about him, but he's freaking out as if I were. Why was he being so TWITCHY today? I asked him what his deal was, and he was like, nothing, it's just a little weird. WHAT'S a little weird? I mean, for the love of Gnomeregan, he's the one who's been encouraging me to be brutally honest this last month. So I'm like, kay, FINE. I can just shut up and bed you right now if that's what you want.

THAT obviously wasn't the right answer either. he just sighed and was like, look, can we just cuddle together like folks do and enjoy being together? And I was thinking, no, I want to know what your problem is, but at that point, I didn't want to press it anymore. So we cuddled up and spent the night there. And it was nice. I felt so comfortable with him there, especially knowing that I was lying there because I wanted to be and not because my brain just shorted out again.

I don't know what's going on with him. I have a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach after how he was acting tonight, but at least it ended well. This dating stuff is too complicated.

LOTS OF DEAD THINGS

So, we, the officers of Totally Raiding, Inc, decided it was time to get a little time travel under our belt. Some of us had already fought at the Battle of Mount Hyjal, but we decided to go back and do it AGAIN because Nozdormu's main squeeze had some serious info about Infinite Dragonflight things going on. So, we thought we'd lend a hand. It was totally crazy! All these undead started pouring into the Alliance base camp, and we'd have to kill em fast because more were on their heels. And then we met the lich... RAGE WINTERCHILL!
He was a TOTAL PANSY! Even though we had never ever seen him before, we totally smacked him down like he was one of the lackeys in the previous waves. So AMAZING.

So, we kept hanging out at the Alliance camp, as MORE and MORE undead flooded into the area - banshees, abominations, necromancers, crypt fiends, you name it! And then, we met a DREADLORD who was totally orchestrating all this undead activity: ANETHERON!
He was a total wuss TOO! Or rather, should I say, we were TOTALLY AWESOME AGAIN! I mean, he's all flinging carrion swarms and frost novas and infernals and stuff at us, and the very first time we lay eyes on him, KAPOW. Dead dreadlord.

So then Jaina's like, we're good for now, but you better go help my honeybuns Thrall! So we go up there with the undead raging HOT on our heels, and we get up to the Horde camp! And it's totally insane, cause we have gargoyles and frost wyrms zapping us from above, and all the same stuff that we met before. And then came in a DOOMGUARD - KAZ'ROGAL! And we're like, OK, whatever, we can give him a poke, even we have NO idea what's up with him. And before we new it, he was DEAD TOO! (No nifty picture because by that point, I was bowled over and celebrating too hard.)

So, there you have it! Totally Raiding Inc, the craziest, superest, amazingest army EVER!
I'm so dang proud of us!

A weird day on Mount Hyjal

So, after last week's time traveling adventure was so successful, we thought we'd head to the Caverns for something a bit more... relaxing. We were both in the mood to enjoy each other's company, and we decided to go back to Mount Hyjal and find a nice cozy spot by the Well of Eternity. We set off down there on the back of a dragon. Pizzy was pretty annoyed that they wouldn't let him buy their gemmy designs, but he perked up when he saw THE Jaina Proudmoore in her 10 foot tall glory.
We found a nice looking pond in between the Horde and Alliance camps, and even though it was a couple waterfalls away from the ACTUAL Well of Eternity it was still totally sizzling with the arcane. Pizzy's skin is still hypersensitive, though, even in the past, so we found a good tree to sit under, and I put up an umbrella just in case. And then he ACTUALLY changed out of his battle gear - that seriously NEVER happens. I wish he would do it more often - he really shouldn't hide his body behind all those robes and everything. Mmm...

Anyway! So, I'm heading up to Northrend in a couple weeks to help with the birth of my first niece or nephew! I dunno if they'll let me actually midwife, but even if not, I can totally cook and clean and otherwise do whatever I can to ease their transition into parenthood. And I was totally thinking, dude, Pizmo should SO come along! I mean, then he'd get to meet the only family that I really have left, and we'd have a couple weeks to experiment with the whole "living together" thing, which ought to be enough to satisfy his worry.

So, I asked Pizzy, and he's like, wouldn't that be kinda weird for you to show up with some guy they've never met before? And I'm like, well, I've totally told them all about you in letters and stuff, and when I was up there for Winter Veil, I could not stop talking about you. He was SO surprised by that. I mean, I dunno WHY - I've been giddy as an apprentice for the last 6 months; this journal is hard evidence that he's the only thing I ever think about anymore.

Anyway, so then he started coming up with all these reasons to freak out, like "what if they find out about my criminal past" or "maybe they have some other guy picked out for you." OK, so, I guess the first could be a little worrisome, but come on, they live in freaking NORTHREND. I mean, Britta's family hasn't lived in Ironforge for a couple generations. It's not like they're going to inherently KNOW what happened, you know? And as for the second, COME ON. I'm capable of leading armies against the greatest threats the twin worlds have ever known but I'm not competent to pick out my own spouse?

And THEN he's like, holy crap, you didn't tell them we're "doin' it" did you? And I'm like, for the LOVE, who discusses their sex life with their BROTHER? And he's like, they're gonna think I'm totally taking advantage of you, and they'll talk about it in whispers in the kitchen, et cetera, and I'm like, whatEVER. Yeah, they'll probably draw conclusions if I bring you along, but who cares? If my brother is going to marry a DWARF then he CERTAINLY can't say anything if I choose to sleep with a handsome, intelligent, successful, GNOMISH man, now, can he?

Then Pizmo's like... dwarf? Um. I guess maybe I didn't mention that. So then he starts fretting about THAT. At first he was making sense, sort of, but then he's like, there's gonna be STONE in our bedroom and the stone's gonna tell the dwarves about all the sleep we didn't get. ARG. So I'm like, look, no one's gonna come chat with the stone right there, and it's not like it's going to get up and walk away, so seriously, CHILL.

Finally, I told him, look, you're obviously worried about what my brother and his in-laws are going to think about us being intimate, so if anything happens, I'll just tell them I seduced you, so then it's totally MY fault, K? And he's like, serious? And then the whole mood changed, just like that. Isn't it amazing how quick that happens? Just a word, a touch, and we've gone from freak out to make out.

But then, just as quickly, it changed again. As we were getting amorous, he pinned my hands above my head as he kissed me. Now, I've really been OK with a lot of things - it still amazes me how easily we were able to begin making love - but I could feel that panic setting in when he did this. And at first he wouldn't even let me up, which of course caused me to panic even MORE. Then I finally twisted free, and he was just MORTIFIED as he realized what he had done.

I forgave him pretty quickly - I mean, I love him, I trust him, and I know he would never, EVER force himself upon me like that. And, I mean it's not like it's something totally bizarre and out there - every couple dabbles a little bit in play-domination - I mean, why do you think succubi are so successful? It's just... something that I can't help but react to, you know? And I wish I could have said something to him, rather than just wriggling like a greased pig.

Ironically, I was trying to soothe him more than the other way around. He was just absolutely beside himself; I forgot how sensitive he can be. I promised him that one mistake, especially one he was so repentant about, does not make him a horrible person. None of us our perfect; no one has all the answers. We just have to keep trying our best.

He was worried that I'd think on it a lot after we parted, and I'm not going to lie - I mean, I really do need to decompress anytime I have a panic episode like this, no matter what the cause, you know? I don't want to be jumping like a coiled spring next time he reaches for my hand. But that doesn't mean that Pizmo is anything less than a good man. The events of today don't change that - in fact, they strengthen my conviction that this is so. I don't know what my brother will say, but you can totally be sure that I'll be defending this point with every bit of furor I can muster.