One long bus ride and one night at home later, I've returned. It's nice seeing home again, but I can't wait for the next time I'll see my BF again.

Beyond that, I'm not really sure what to do today. I could work on my RPG some, or do some programming, but I just feel like gaming.

To give the highlights of a long story: Car drivable (thankfully), might need to be fixed, parents made it to and back across the Midwest, and I actually get to live my wishes and stay with  icydraggyvisy within his place.

Until after Saturday, my online presence will be limited. My focus for the rest of the week is to enjoy as much time as I can with my precious Visy.

Might have been foolish to try and make the drive in terrible weather, but, look at it this way.

Walk without rhythm, and avoid the track of the worm. If you walk without rhythm, you'll never learn.

I was going to see my boyfriend after visiting with another friend. Instead, the weather turned unexpectedly bad enough that, well, my attempts to stop for a quick bite to eat ended up with me skidding directly into another car and obliterating my right side headlight. Everyone's panicking here - but that's an understatement.

Current situation: In a hotel room right now, waiting for my parents to pick me up. Hoping the car I crashed is still driveable through the hours long treck from home to where I'm at. I may still be able to see my mate, but I'd have to take the bus back home if I do.

Today, I passed 573 watchers. I knew it was going to happen. Sad that it went to 574 when I woke up, but still. A milestone is a milestone.

Let's celebrate via MAX 300(ft.).

I'll be attending  Fursquared for sure this year, on the weekend of the 24-26th. Since this is a local convention for me, I won't be using a hotel room, instead I'll be opting to attend on all days of the convention, with occassional stops to the nearby food places for lunch or something. I'll be there on Friday afternoon/evening, what with school and all, and will try to be there all day on Saturday and Sunday. Hope to have a fun time there!

I'll be wearing my badges there. If you want to reach me, message me on Telegram at @CurusKeel, improntu meetups are welcome.

When you feel it's looking rather crufty. I had the same basic write-up for about 1-2 years and decided that it needed to be simplified and reconciled into something that more effectively described me. Hope this looks better to all of ya, I'm happy with it.

In other news, college is going pretty fine. Looking forward to meeting my lovely  icydraggyvisy soon, all I can say.

Only a few minutes ago, 2016 finally ended. What an interesting year to be had. Ultimately, as the second year I had in the fandom, it ended on a high note. I felt myself really change for the better - especially since 2015 was kind of terrible at the end.

I do wish that I was doing something else other than reading terrible online fiction that has pretty much completely lost me when I tried to seriously read it. Ah well. What can you do?

Hope you're enjoying your holidays over the winter solstice.  icydraggyvisy suprised me with a brand new 3ds XL, among my other gifts from family and friends (most of them of money - fine by me).

I'm acutally complementing that by buying a bunch of 3ds games day 1 - Phoenix Wright series (what's avaliable on the 3ds eshop), Pokemon Sun & Moon, Monster Hunter Generations, and Smash Brothers. Please note me if you'd want to join in on my 3ds gaming binge.

Again, hope everyone's having fun.

Since it is approaching 2 years from my official debue in the fandom when I write this, might as well write a little on my primary furry community character, Curus Keel.

Frankly, he's myself and has been myself for a while. Even though he wasn't really based on my real-life self at all. Distil him, he's an humanoid D&D red dragon, with a pallette and element swap to my preferred blue and lightning arrangement. His name really was just me mashing together songs from the Bemani series that sounded like they could have formed a name, in fact I wasn't terribly aware of what "Keel" actually meant when making the character. He'll never have a background, unless that background is inherently linked to a mirror of my real-life self.

Curus tends to have so many forms, many of them somehow made to be inflatable. But I love the default scaly self, and have the odd rubber and synthetic form too - one of which I'm actually in the process of commissioning.

But yes, some things to make clear: Don't spell the character's name as Cyrus. Because it's Curus. To remember that, I'd suggest pronouncing the name as Kur-us Keel.

In addition, I have quite a few 'nos in terms of what's acceptable or not. If you're intending to involve Curus in art or writing or whatnot, and you otherwise don't have a good relationship with me already, don't do or include these things with Curus:

* Gore/viscera/death, especially sexualized
* Any matter of bathroom stuff (scat, watersports)
* Gassiness of any sort (flatulence mostly - vore-related burping may be allowed if it fits, ask me about that first)
* Weight gain/fattening
* Diapers - at all
* Age regression
* Sexualized babyfur/hatchling art

If you are intending to use the toymancer variant of Curus ( toymancer-curus), keep in mind that NSFW content is not allowed for that character. Just use my regular form instead if your NSFW work requires inflatable dragons.

I may revise this later, but I hope this gets the idea across.

After reading Shannon Applecine's excellent tabletop RPG history, Designers and Dragons, I hit upon an interesting idea that has really gone underexplored. This one is inspired by Wolfgang Baur's Open Design, which used a loosely similar model.

Basically: What if I start up commissions for personalized tabletop game modules/adventures? These adventures will ultimately be freely released to the public for people to use. A potential commissioner can come to me with what they want to see, and I can work with them by providing plot, background, progression, monsters, and a satisfying conclusion. I am willing to work with any setting and just about any game, but I can also do system agnostic work with guidelines to be adapted to the system you want to play.

For a commission price, does something in the ballpark of $25-60 work, depending on how complicated the idea is? Prices are not final and can change, I would charge extra for a system that I don't currently have or am unfamiliar with. Have a feeling I'll get requests for Ironclaw/Jadeclaw (don't have either) or Hc Svnt Dracones (do have) as opposed to more mass-market RPGs, but that's the consequence of advertising here.

What I won't do: Fetish-specific adventures. I tried writing for fetishes, I don't feel it's a good use of my time and I'm generally not familiar with the methods of writing required for that. I don't really care about going further with that.

Any thoughts on this? Any takers?

I don't want this to end, but it really does have to at some point. Thousands of furries, a fraction of which I knew beforehand, chose to come together and have a lot of fun. I sure did, meeting and greeting people that I wanted to see in person for a while. Of the ones that I really did enjoy seeing again and again, I'd say they were  Mallikeet,  Takumori, chromamancer,  Darius-Kei,  Goolashe,  2chaotic,  Cyrin,  Bloodhydra,  DragoMike  saxxonpike, and so many others that I'm probably not remembering right away. And thank you a whole bunch for providing the room,  Stormkern.

I picked up several things, namely badges from  jacfox and  suk0tto, both of which are nice for my collection, as well as the omnibus edition of Ursula Vernon's Digger. Funnily enough, the publisher of that was at MFF, and I'm contacting that to gather interest in my own writing hobbies.

However, and this is something I didn't realize at first, but this con was damn expensive even just to grab food. First time foolishness, but if I want to go again I'd at least want to make my food budget $60-$140 because the prices of food around the con are jacked up. Ideally, every night I'd be having the $8 single serving deep dish pizza and be done with it, but I do want to go out too, and that takes a toll on food prices. Breakfasts have been pricey too, the buffet is at least $21, and other options with a drink are not that much left than that. Should have made tea in the room to be honest, but still. I was usually paying $15-20 a meal. Thank god for protein bars. I feel like a $300-500 budget is more in line with the convention as a whole.

To boot, I really feel like I should take  IcyDraggyVisy with me for following furry conventions. I do want him to be there with me, but because he currently doesn't have a job, he relies on family support. At worst, I could end up having to budget for $600-1000 base for the con alone, and that's assuming there are two others that can share the price of the hotel stay with the two of us. That amount of burden on myself is plain unhealthy and restrictive, and it's something I'd rather contribute to a long-term investment (like a suit or a computer upgrade).

Frankly. I really want to go to MFF again, but to be honest I'd have to make the choice of going completely by myself (not something that I really want to do), have others contribute to our overall cost (not something I think would happen), or pay out the nose so that I can have my partner with me (that just feels wrong).

So, in place of this, we're aiming our sights towards more low-key and local conventions. Fursquared is definitely possible for me thanks to the easy access, but given that I haven't really been preparing for it, doing it on short notice for Visy is something I'm not sure will happen, most likely his presence there rests on if he can stay within my house (doubtful, haven't physically met yet). It doesn't help that, due to my current college schedule, I may have to miss a class or otherwise go to the first day real late. We'll have to see to be honest, through I'm thinking it's just going to be a me-thing.

Another convention that I'm thinking of is IndyFurCon. Not only is that closer to my partner, but it is in August of next year, well ahead and gives me plenty of time to save up. I also got word of the prices beforehand of it, and it looks like that the two of us will really only need about $500 total between both of us to fund it, perhaps even less than that. I'm not sure who else would be there that's not otherwise from the Midwest area, but it looks damn promising. Perfect first place to meet up too.

MFF did give a very positive thing to me though, and that's a staged plan to "suit" as my character, long term and short term. I'm heavily considering commissioning a custom kigu from  Lemonbrat of my dragon self so that I can be Curus in a cute and relatively affordable way. From then on, I'm thinking I'll hit up  Takumori and start work on saving up for a elaborate and somewhat "out there" Curus fursuit - one that I want to have with a moveable jaw and OLED eyes as I've been particularly enamored with them from  Chromamancer's own head.. As well, I might end up getting a rubber suit from that guy, either fully inflatable or perhaps rubbery in some other fashion. Admittenly, that's really up in the air, as part of me thinks we'd be both happier with a dedicated fursuit over a fetishy rubber thing, but only time will tell.

Even if it seems fiscally unlikely right now, I would love to go to MFF again, and I would love to bring my mate. This time around, I want to organize a room of our own, and better fiscally manage myself and others. But I won't be that unhappy if I end up having to skip next year, I'm just hoping for the next year afterward.

I'll miss the diverse bunch of people that I've just met in person, to be left again with screens between us. If we can make this happen again and again, then I'm all for it, and I hope each time afterwards is better than the last.

I'll miss all of you here, for who knows how long...

Edit: Ok, thought about it a bit more. I'm thinking that I'll throw this in to my regular rotation of conventions. Visy is OK with not coming along for now, I feel this is too much fun to completly skip.

In 2017, I'll plan on going to MFF, Fursquared, Gamehole, and Indyfurcon (with Visy). Wish you all an happy post con-time. Going to throw myself right back at college again.

I'm 20 in November, this usage counts, right? And as people have already sent me a ton of well wishes (and one porn doodle, oddly enough), it only comes natural to say...

Happy hatchday.

Where are you staying?
At the Hyatt (same hotel as the con)

When are you arriving and leaving?
Late afternoon (approx 4-5 PM) on the 1st, leaving the morning of the 5th.

Who will you be rooming with?
 bashade,  hornetv2, and  stormkern

Who will you hang out with during the convention?
Who knows, I have a lot of people on my "to see in person" list. However, I'm pretty open.

Where will you be for most of the con?
Probably in the tabletop gaming places, or wandering around the convention center.

What is the best way to find you?
Use my Telegram or Twitter accounts (both @CurusKeel)

Any panels I'm attending?
Not sure, I had a few that are on my mind, but they are optional. They are missing an opportunity by not having a dragon dedicated panel though.

How tall are you?
About 5'7" in person.

What do you look like?
Brown hair, European looks, glasses - probably best to look for my badges to identify me.

Will you be suiting?
If I had a suit, I would.

Are you in a relationship?
Yup, as shown on my profile page.

Can I talk to you?
Of course! You may want to message me on Telegram, I tend to speak quietly.

Can I touch you?
Maybe, I'd prefer touching others first.

Can I visit your room?
I'm generally open to it within reason, but please check with my other roommates.

Can I buy you drinks?
Soft drinks or water only, and I must be with you in person when you buy it or otherwise have the drink in an untampered sealed container. I'm not picky, but I most prefer Sprecher's or other craft root beers if they are available.

Can I give you stuff?
Fine by me.

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
I prefer to do this with people I know as friends first.

Are you nice?
I try to be. Not sure how well it's working.

Will you be going to parties?
Any that are relevant to my interests. Especially tabletop gaming, balloons, inflatables, rubber, whatnot. Please let me know if there are any that you think I'd like.

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Just say my name and follow standard social etiquette.

Can I come with you for food/drink/etc.?
No reason not to. Just be aware that I will not pay for anything you buy, don't come with expectations of free drinks/food/whatnot.

Can I take your picture?
Ask me about it first, so I know.

What are your goals for the con?
Meet new people alongside those I've seen only online. Otherwise I'll be hanging out and having fun.

I'm feeling better about myself now that I've had the day to go though. Trump might not be as inconceivable a choice after all, and he isn't absolutely unredeemable for that role.

In fact, if he continues to be stubborn against corporate lobbyists, that's genuinely good for the state of America and the world. Lobbyists are the biggest cause and continuation of our socioeconomic problems, so give them the cold shoulder.

Anyway. Stay safe, don't let political differences get to you. I'll be returning to what I do best.

"Our poor people are burning in the sun.
They ain't got a chance, they ain't got a chance.
I need a gun, 'cause all I do is dance.
'Cause all I do is dance."
- Gorillaz, Dirty Harry

I'm worried for the safety of those who want to express themselves. Those unusual crop that form the backbone for the world - all the help they can get is well worth it in this toxic political environment.

The city and family here are still as open as they were, but elsewhere? I may have to clam up, even about the furry community that's a core part of my pride.

Remember when I used to dance? Man, all I want to do is dance.

As I write this, I'm winding down on my time at the local tabletop convention, Gamehole Con. It was a rush to say the least. Though I didn't see many in this community there, I felt like my time was well spent. I have a special piece of art from there that I'll upload soon.

Hard to believe that next month will be MFF - or MWFF as people are calling it. I'll have plenty of time for this, and I'll try and mingle with those also staying there - a lot of people that I want to see in the flesh would be there.

I am rooming with  StormKern,  Bashade, and  HornetV2 in the Hyatt. Will have my badges, including the new one from  jacfox in public, so I should easy to spot even without the suit.

There isn't anything like a convention to get the spirits up.

Here's the link. For the toymancer inflatables that are still in plans - what are the preferred poses for them?

If any of you know about Monte Cook and Bruce Cordell's The Strange tabletop RPG, I'm extending an open offer to be a player for any game (tabletop, virutal, whatnot) running using that system and setting.

Very specifically, I want to run Curus Keel as an agent of the Estate, the main organization handling issues within fictional recursions. The blue dragon you see here will be the character's primary form in any recursion that allows it, while in Earth he'll be a loose mirror of my real-life self.

My tendencies to bounce around settings and generally be a bit of an outsider to them reflects the tendencies of an Estage agent, and well.. this is one of the only narratives that would really make Curus a fitting character.

Let me know and spread the word if you know anyone who wants to run The Strange.

Seriously, never thought I'd go this far when I started out. I'm glad for the overall interest and community, and would love to see it grow further from here.

Thanks to all of those who watched me so far, and thanks to those who watch me after this. This is very much appreciated.

This is as much a reminder for myself as it is for others. From now on, I will be in complete saving money mode. All the money I'll save up will be going towards MFF, my suit, and my computer upgrade. With work, hatchday, and Christmas coming up in the span of only months, I want to keep my distractionary purchases to a minimum.

From here on out, the only other purchases will be for essential gas and food - not distractions like games, which I have a ton of already. Civ VI was my major purchase in that regard, so I want to recover from that and make sure I have enough to have a wonderful new year.

In the meantime, I've opened up a rotating Amazon wishlist for birthday/christmas - purchases for any or all of those are much appreciated. Here it is for your purusing.

To get the 25th Anniversary Edition physical release of that game.

$10 (or $15 after tax) extra from the digital deluxe edition, includes that and physical goods - why the hell not? Thankfully got wind that this was still active before this went out of stock.

Although there's no better replacement for Furaffnity's mass community, I've been considering the alternatives other people have used. Weasyl looks good but doesn't have much community, Furry Network I completely lost interest in, Deviantart isn't that useful for me at this point - what else? Well, thanks in part to  Neko-maya informing about the existence of SoFurry, I'm joining there and making this a secondary, if hopefully growing presence for myself.

Join me here, will ya?

On the weekend of November 4-6 I'll be at the Alliant Energy Center for Gamehole Con. Although that is a tabletop gaming convention and I'll be spending most of my time actually playing those games, I'm open for meeting others that are going there - send me a message my way and we can likely work something out.

In addition, I'll be going to MFF 2016 for the month afterwards and will try and mingle with others of all sorts here. Hoping to see a ton of the furry community in person for once.

It's 12:25 AM as I'm writing this. The schoolweek has just ended, and I know I have an interview early tomorrow to wake up early for. I want to sleep, but at the same time my mind is thinking about the wonderful world of dragons, inflatables, tabletop RPGs, and the story that mixes those up. I really hope that I get a more consistent job, I have the hours to spare and the desires to have more than the few that I'm earning.

And the people. Visy I still want to keep in touch with, I want to make sure he and I are comfortable even on the days where we don't have much to talk about. If anything, I'd want to rest in his coils, both of us playing our 3dses together, perhaps in a multiplayer Smash game.. one can dream of that in a commission.

But there's something else weighing on my mind. There is a person I do need to talk to. I was once at odds at him, but time morphed as he and I slowly lost the real reason that put us at those antagonistic odds in the first place. Some of you may already know who I'm talking about.. and I'd say not to mention the identity of that person in public. I want to be a positive influence for him over time.

I want to sleep. I have to sleep. This will not be the disaster that was last year.

It's a rare time to have both your watchers and the people you're watching line up in a perfect symmetry of the Konami number.

Wonder what I should do to celebrate that...