I'm happy to officially announce that my next big radioplay adaptation is going to be of my own short story Fox News. And I'm very excited for it! :D I haven't exactly been quiet about this, and if you follow my Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/RahneKallon), you'll see that I've talked about it quiet a bit, and you may even recall I made a journal or two on FA, stating my intentions for it, but I figured it was time to make my official announcement that I actually am doing it, along with some little details.

So, yes, this is officially the next voice over project I'm working on, and pretty much the most important thing to me, voice over-wise, right now. It means a lot to me especially because it's my own short story. I never expected this to become my most popular story, and I don't even think it's my best story, let alone as good as some of the Ian and Jamie stories, but I'm very happy that so many people have read it and enjoyed it, and I'm especially honoured that it was nominated for a Coyotl Award. It means so much to me that you guys appreciate my work this much.

I've got a release date in mind, and I'm thinking early September, because I'd like to have it done before I head off to Rainfurrest.

I'm also very happy to say that  wolly (Shay), voice actor/director/writer of Bitter Lake is going to be voicing Alley Robin. I'm seriously excited for this, because I honestly can't imagine Alley being voiced by anyone else. Shay's got the perfect, smooth, sexy voice that I imagine Alley having, so it was a pretty easy decision. Also, go watch Bitter Lake. Just sayin'. Any fan of voice acting or fursuiting should watch that film. It's truly a fantastic achievement what those guys did within our fandom. Those guys went through more hell with Bitter Lake than I went through with Cruelty.

Really, I think this adaptation was always going to happen. Out of all the stories I've written, this one is probably the most dialogue driven (which makes sense, doesn't it?), and dialogue is what really drives a radioplay. I also like that this should be fairly easy, because Fox News only has four characters. That's it. Four characters. Cruelty was a much bigger story, with a lot more characters, but Fox News is a pretty tight-night thing, with two main characters, a supporting character, and one minor character. Like I did with Cruelty, I'll be taking the same duties as director, editor, producer, voice actor, and all that fun stuff.

I'd also like to say that up to this point, I've had a lot of time to grow and learn how audio and voice overs work. There's so much I could have done better in my previous stuff, and having learned all that I have, I feel like I have a chance to make Fox News something great, and I really do hope that it's something you all enjoy, whether you're a fan of the story itself, a fan of my writing, or a fan of my voice overs at all. I want to bring these characters to light, and have fun doing so.

So, yeah, we're totally doing this. Look forward to September and hearing Aiden and Alley, and that crazy interview that took place!

So, a new awards venue in our lovely fandom has become a reality, thanks to the hard work of the Furry Writers Guild, and I think that's a wonderful thing. It's called the Coyotl Awards.

I never expected this to happen, but to my biggest surprise, Fox News was actually nominated and appeared on the final ballot! I am truly shocked and overjoyed to see it ANYTHING of mine on there, but also to see the diversity of authors and publishers on the ballot, as well. I think it's a great showcase for what the literary part of our fandom has to offer, and I'm truly honoured to be among on the ballot with them.

Moving on, I've got a special announcement and some... release dates...concerning a few special things coming up that I'll be revealing soon, so be on the look out for that.

I'm a wolf with fox obsessions.

Anybody who knows me knows I'm a HUGE fucking Mass Effect fan, right? I mean, after all, I made this - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5780733/

When Mass Effect 2 came out, I proudly championed it as the best video game I had ever played. Period. So you KNOW I was fucking excited about Mass Effect 3!

It's taken me a long time, but I finally beat it! All those days spent without my wonderful 32 inch LCD screen came to an end when I returned home, and thus I promptly slapped this bitch into my Xbox 360 and immeeeeeesered myself! It was epic, it was amazing, it was... a very emotional journey filled with all kinds of tragedy and consequences we've come to expect from Bioware with this series. Bloody job well done. I loved it. :) I mean, dude...I cried a couple times. When's the last time a video game ever made you cry? Seriously. Think about it.

I do have a couple gripes with it, though. Like how it's trying to be Gears of War now (by the way, Mass Effect 3 is actually trying to be Gears of War 3). A lot of the gameplay, combat, and a couple other things about ME3 feel a little pretentious, because it really IS trying to echo the gameplay of Gears of War in many aspects. Especially with the multiplayer. Furthermore, the in-game cutscenes have this dynamic that also make it feel like Dead Space. What the fuck?

These are only small gripes, though.

The multiplayer was actually pretty fun. Believe me, it's really fun. It's Horde Mode light (from Gears of War...) and getting to play as a Turian Sentinel is the most badass thing you will ever do in a video game. Hah! You know I love the Turians... And playing the multiplayer can have a powerful effect on the single player, too. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on your perspective. It worked out for me, so I was pretty happy.

The biggest surprise about the game, for me personally, was the music. Jack Wall, the composer of the first two Mass Effect games had no involvement in ME3 and was replaced by Clint Mansell. I initially thought this was a fucking terrible idea, because I especially loved the music of ME2. But I'm very happy to say that Clint's music for ME3 blew me away. That was gorgeous music, especially for some of the more emotional scenes. Plus, the way it's all edited is just...perfect to capture and fully punctuate the emotion of pretty much every scene in the game. And the voice acting is just as stellar as ever. That's no surprise there.

I guess my biggest gripe with the game is that you didn't get to play alongside most of your teammates from Mass Effect 2. Most of them are off doing other things and stuff. That's a shame. And *SPOILER ALERT* I couldn't romance Garrus. FUCK. THAT. SHIT. But, you know, I can fix that... because... I make my OWN voice overs all the time, sooooo... there's nothing stopping me from, say, creating my... own... Garrus romance... >.> Yeah...

Anyway!

Ultimately, the biggest question for me is whether or not Mass Effect 3 is better than Mass Effect 2. And...I...honestly don't know yet. It's still fresh in my mind, so it'll take me a while to figure that out. I'm sure other people already have their own opinions, but my opinion is not influenced by anyone else's. I think what I think and I feel how I feel based entirely on my own experience of these games and of this series/franchise as a whole. And regardless of whether or not Mass Effect 3 is better than Mass Effect 2, I CAN say, with unwavering certainty, that it's the best damn video game series I've ever played to date, and I'm very happy to say that. I don't feel any other video game franchise comes close to Mass Effect, and ME3 is definitely a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Just my personal opinion. I hope the rest of you enjoy it as much as I have.

You guys REALLY love those DoDeDo pics, eh? :P

Hey guys,

First and foremost, I want to apologize for the extreme lack of output I've had recently. And I know some of you are gonna feel this is silly to even think about, but the fact is I haven't actually uploaded a story, let alone anything of my own creativity since mid February. It's literally been over a month. The thing is, I'm REALLY busy these days; I'm working on four large stories, in addition to trying to finish my script for m Fox News adaptation. To top it off, I've got a VERY important deadline to get something done that I think you're all gonna like. That, in particular, is a big thing for me, and I can't afford to mess up. So yeah, with all that...It's a lot of work, and as a result, the consistency of my output on FA (and SoFurry) is starting to suffer, and I apologize for that. I don't want to keep you guys waiting with nothing new to see in the mean time. Makes me feel bad, like I'm... wasting people's time or something. But I assure you, I am working hard to get these things done.

It's particularly frustrating, because I wanted to take a quick break from the longer stories to write something short, sweet and simple for you guys to check out in the meantime, and it turned right into another story of my average length. Which is par for the course as a writer.

I really want to try to get something done and uploaded before this month is over. I really, really do. But with all the work I'm doing, it's a little difficult.

In other news...

I never got around to talking about going to Furry Fiesta last month, but it was a lot of fun (not as fun as FC though). I got to go fursuiting again thanks to the extreme generosity of  khyle letting me borrow one of his fursuits, which was so much fun. This was my second time fursuiting, after  artica had let me borrow his own suit for FC a few times. Now, I've been to three furcons, suited at two of them, and first off, I wanna say cons are so much fun. I love everything about them; the people, the panels, the dances, the energy, the excitement, the enthusiasm, and it always reminds me of just how wonderful this community is, and how happy I am that I'm a part of it. FC 2011 was my first con, and one thing that made the con so great, among other things, was a particular fursuiter named  kiswara, otter fursuiter. The guy was crazy fun, with so much energy.

I know fursuiters get a lot of flak sometimes but you guys really don't know what it's like to fursuit UNTIL you've actually put on one. Really. Once you get into one, everything changes. That's all I can say. Fursuiting the two times that I did (in different suits) was some of the most fun I've HAD at a furcon! And that's no joke. This is coming from someone who once said, "I'll never fucking get a fusuit," and, "I don't see the appeal of them." Consider me changed.

So, with all that, and a lot of hard thinking and encouragement from friends, I decided that I wanted to get my own fursuit of Rahne. :) And not from just anyone, but from  scribblefox /  onefurall. In my opinion, they make the best suits in the fandom (or at least my favourite), and I looooooove what they do. Seriously, their stuff is just amazing. And they're the only suit makers in the fandom whose stuff I consistently like with  latinvixen /  mixedcandy coming in second.

One of my suiter friends is good friends with Scribble Fox, and I told him all about what me wanting to get my own suit made by them. I showed him my character and everything. He says Scribble would totally love to make a fursuit with Rahne's hair; apparently he loves taking on new challenges and hasn't taken on a character like that before, so it'd be something new and different from him to do as a suit maker. This got me pretty excited. :-D

So, yeah! Look forward to seeing a fursuit of Rahne in the future. Being that I've fursuited at two different cons, I couldn't be more happy to make this move.

By the way, speaking of fursuiting...  rukis was at FC this year, of course, and believe it or not... for those of you who've been following Red Lantern (or if you've heard my trailer ), there's this light blue shirt that Amon usually wears in the graphic novel, seen here - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/5694185/ and here - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/5816836/ - It's a beautiful shirt, isn't it? I own that shirt. :D I commissioned Rukis to make that shirt for me, because I thought it was gorgeous, and.... she did. :) It's quite big, but I absolutely love it. Funny story -- the shirt was literally shedding and she had to fix it. :P Ask her about that.

But not only that, she also made Luther's big, navy coat, seen here - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/5232059/ and here - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/5309253 - and well... she let me try it on, and.... wow. I felt... powerful. :O I thought it was fitting, since voiced Luther in the trailer, and it really felt authentic! That coat is incredible! And most hilarious about it is that it actually fit me perfectly. Like it was just my size. X3 Rukis also has a Luther fursuit (which I haven't seen in person), so if you're ever at a con, you should try to catch her wearing it and the coat, because that coat is seriously epic.

So, yeah, fursuting. I love it. And I now make it a point to wear Amon's shirt whenever I go fursuiting. I'll always bring it to a con with me.

So, yeah, that's what's going on now. Just wanted to let you guys know what was happening with me, and what I'm doing. Very excited about getting my own fursuit, still working out, and I promise I'll try and upload a story before this month is over. :)

Hey, guys,

So one thing I like to do when writing or reading is listen to some music, particularly music that fit the overall themes, feel or some of the scenes of the story. I spent a lot of work on Black and White in February, and listening to music made it all the more fun for me to write, especially when I'm listening to the kind of music that Ian and Jamie would listen to, themselves. So, if you'll are interested, here's my music playlist for that story:

Foo Fighters - Aurora - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE8dOSNq7UI - For the Valentine's Dance scene (this is the song Ian and Jamie dance to during the Lakeshore dance)

Jason Mraz - I'm Yours - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkHTsc9PU2A&ob=av2n - For the revelation scene after the dinner at Sea Grill (where Jamie finally tells Ian how he feels about everything Ian has done)

Ultra Nate - Free (Jason Nevin's mix) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G57peVa7eI - For the dance at Caper Tails at the end of the story (this is the song that plays in the gay dance club that Ian and Jamie go to at the end of the story)

These are the songs I constantly listened to when writing the story, and I had a great time. Hopefully you guys will, too. If you haven't read the story yet, I encourage you all to give it a read, as I currently consider it my strongest story. Furthermore, if you're a fan of Ian and Jamie, then you'll probably be delighted, because this story gives the most in depth look at their relationship that I've written thus far, so I like to think any Ian and Jamie fans will find it to be a real treat.

As always, you can check out the story here - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7402017

And if you haven't seen the drop dead sexy illustration of Ian and Jamie getting dirty (heehee) in the shower, courtesy of  nimrais, then...y'all really need to look at that. Take a look here - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7456620

By the way, there's a reason I say, "This is the song that plays" instead of, "This is the song I listened to." Let's see who can figure out why. :)

I'm happy to say that my story Fox News is being featured on the Bad Dog Book Club. You can check it out here - http://baddogbookclub.com/reading-2.....llon-as-read-b - being narrated by  toonces, who also joined me and  osfer for a collaborative reading of my earlier story Carnal Shock.

And with that, today is also the last day to nominate stories for the Ursa Major Awards. I've made two journals about that already, so hopefully you guys already know what I'm talking about, but if you don't, take a look here - https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3197845/

I'd also like to take a moment to talk about Fox News as a story. It's unlike any of my other stories that I've written, it's kind of a weird one, it's not really about romance or relationships (like most of my stories), and despite the obvious pun, it's not trying to be very political or make a real political statement. Fox News is about one getting the chance to do things he never thought he'd do, things he only dreamed of. Simply put, it's about one guy trying to prove he's capable of running his own segment. It's a serious story played with a very light-hearted and humourous tone. It's not supposed to be incredibly realistic either, because it's pretty outrageous, but that's the whole point; it's supposed to be wild, crazy and fun.

I thought it'd be clever to really put the "Fox News" pun to some effective, good use. Like go for something no one would think of. At the same time, I've always wanted to write a story that I could use as something of a forum to talk about writing gay erotica. a story that talks about writers, a story that talks about being a writer. So when I came up with idea of the main character interviewing a well-known author of gay erotica, I thought it was perfect. On that note, this is not the first time I've written about Alley Robin; the first story he was featured in was called Hope in Earnest, which hasn't been posted, but it was essentially a sequel to an early story of mine called The Heart's Content, which was written for ROAR, and their theme that year was 'celebrity'. My characters Kees and Silren were already celebrities, but due to the context of the story, I had to come up with some more, and that's pretty much how I came up with Alley Robin, Nathan Taylor and Kory Wimmer (names that you'll constantly hear in Ian and Jamie's stories).

I love Alley as a character, because he's just all over the place. He does a lot of things that aren't very realistic, he's outrageous, he's wild, he's very extroverted, he's outgoing, he could do anything and everything he wants, and he won't apologize for it. He's almost the kind of guy I wish I could be ("I wish I was that fox"). Just like the actual story said, he really is a 'firecracker'. Plus, I LOVE silver foxes! By the way, for all of you who follow my stories with Ian and Jamie, Alley Robin is one of Jamie's favourite writers. However, Ian doesn't care that much for him, and before Dance of Pride, Ian probably wouldn't have liked Alley as a person very much. Alley's personal success as a writer in the context of my Lakeshore Universe is partially inspired by  kyell, but personality and attitude-wise, Alley is really in a league of his own that transcends most of the characters I've written about. For example, whereas Kyell Gold is very modest and humble about his success as an author, Alley isn't and doesn't try to be. While Kyell might have inspired Alley's success, Alley isn't like Kyell, and I don't want him to be, because I enjoy creating and writing about new and interesting characters, but I don't enjoy writing about people, because I feel that's a lazy shortcut out of actually creating new characters and giving them personalities of their own (this is also why I write very little fanfiction).

When it comes right down to it, Alley Robin is an uapologetic faggot and writer, who's gonna do and say exactly what he wants. And he's a silver fox, because silver foxes are goddamn sexy. But he is not perfect; he'll say a lot of things about writing that even I don't necessarily agree with, but that's just how he is and how he thinks. But, he's wild, crazy and fun. He doesn't hold anything back, and he doesn't let anything stop him, and that's what I love about him.

Now Aiden Kitley is the 'everyman', trying to overcome his obstacles and trying to prove he's good enough to get what he wants. Because, in the beginning of the story, it's clear what he wants, and it's established early on what he has to do to get it. Fairly simple. And even though he's got this huge admiration (and attraction) to Alley Robin, Alley's wild, unpredictable nature and personality proves more of an obstacle for him, but also encouragement. Alley keeps flirting with Aiden and hitting on him, encouraging him to be honest about his attraction. That's why the whole "What am I supposed to do?" feeling looms over the middle of the story, and I like that, because you have to wonder if Aiden's going to compromise himself, and if so, how much, and that adds tension. At the same time, you get to hear Alley talking about why he writes gay erotica and a bit about what it means to him as an author (as well as being a gay fox), and that's fun, because it allows me as the writer to get my own thoughts out through my character. And all the talk about gay sex between two gay foxes keeps the anticipation up for the inevitable, upcoming sex scene, where they both just let it all out. And through it all, Alley helps Aiden loosen up. Literally and figuratively.

It's at this point where people should understand that this story is not about relationships, and that it's not like my other stories, partially for this reason. A friend of mine (who is familiar with my work) initially complained about that, because he really wanted to see a solid relationship develop between Aiden and Alley (that's usually what happens in my stories), and I had to tell him that that wasn't the point of the story, because that's just not what this story's about. Alley and Aiden aren't supposed to be boyfriends or anything, and the story is really meant to be about Aiden doing what he needs to do. The outcome of the story is silly, fun, and all over the place but it's supposed to be. When you have a title called "Fox News," you should immediately expect to have realism thrown out the window, because the point is that it's supposed to be silly and fun, and that's what I wanted to do with this story.

And I'd say that's about it! I never thought the story would get as big as it has, but I had a ton of fun writing it, I'm glad it got published, I'm extremely happy for that sexy illustration by  keovi and I'm glad so many people have read it and enjoyed it. I appreciate that a great deal. And once again, I hope you guys nominate the story in the Ursa Majors, along with any of my other stories you may like. :)

And as always, you can read the actual story here - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/6867750/

So I haven't particularly kept quiet about this on Twitter, but I haven't exactly announced it on FA either. I'm going to Furry Fiesta this weekend. It's going to be my first time there, as well as my first non-FC con. I'm pretty excited. :D

Q: Where are you staying?
A: At the main hotel

Q: When will you be arriving and leaving?
A: Friday afternoon, because I'm an idiot, and then Monday night, because I'm not an idiot. ;D

Q: Who will you be rooming with?
A:  howlietigerpaw and  tsuneshikoi

Q: Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
A: Probably wandering around all over the place and hanging out with friends

Q: What/where will you be eating?
A: I have no idea! I've never been to Dallas before. I imagine it'll be wherever  teiran,  fuzzwolf or  savrin thinks is good. :)

Q: Will you be having a room party?
A: Not that I know of

Q: Will you be drinking and/or getting drunk?
A: Hell yeah! Bring on the Baileys and Amaretto!


PERSONAL STUFF:

Q: What is your gender?
A: Male

Q: How tall are you?
A: 5'7'

Q: If I approach you, will you chat with me?
A: Absolutely! I love talking to and meeting people! By all means, come up to me and I'll talk your ears off. :)

Q: If i see you, how should I get your attention?
A: Yell out "Rahne"? (pronounced Ronnie)

Q: How many furry conventions have you attended?
A: Two so far. FC 2011 and FC 2012

Q: Do you own a fursuit?
A: I don't, but I'll be borrowing  khyle's fursuit. :)


PERMISSIONS:

Q: Can I hug or snuggle with you?
A: Depends on how well I know you. :)

Q: How can I find you?
A: Send me a message on Twitter or a note on FA. I always check both. :)

Q: Can I buy you drinks?
A: Hell yes please!

Q: Can I look in your sketchbook?
A: I don't have one

Q: Can I draw in your sketchbook?
A: Maybe!

Q: Can I take your picture?
A: Hell no. Seriously. I don't like pictures.



MISCELLANEOUS:

Q: Do you do do free art, trades, commissions, badges?
A. Nope. I'm a writer and a voice actor, though. Maybe I'll trade you some vocal stylings for money. :P

Q: Do you have a table in the Artist Alley / Dealer's Den or a panel in the Art Show? If so, what are you selling?
A: Nope

Q: Do you plan to volunteer?
A: No way. I can't imagine working at cons. I'm there to have fun, not work. XD

Q: What's your goal for the con this year?
A: Well, certainly to meet  osfer, buy Science Friction and get it signed by  kyell Finally meet  savrin and hopefully hang out with them,  rekkie,  sairo,  fuzzwolf,  teiran,  khyle,  howlietigerpaw, or  tsuneshikoi or anyone else. Really, just have fun. :)

Hey, guys, just putting out a friendly reminder about the Ursa Major Awards. :) And once again, for those who don't know, the Ursa Majors are the furry fandom's very own chance to recognize excellence in its own field, whether it be from short stories, novels, graphic novels, magazines, published illustrations/covers, etc. Just wanted to let you know that the nominations are still open until February 29th, and like a lot of furry authors, I'd be overjoyed and extremely happy if any of you guys decided to nominate any of my stories. :D As a furry idol of my mine said, this is really the only venue that us to recognize creators in the fandom for their works, and it's a real boost for a creator to see their name up there on the Ursa Major's, and while I don't realistically expect to win, it'd be wonderful to get nominated at least.

And it's important that you readers and connoisseurs of furry fiction know that you are allowed to nominate FIVE different things in every category of the Ursa Major's. So, if you have five different short stories that you really enjoyed from five different furry authors, you can nominate ALL five of them! If you guys feel so inclined, go here - http://www.ursamajorawards.org/nominations/ - enroll, if you haven't already (CHECK YOUR SPAM MAIL FOR THE ENROLLMENT KEY), then login and fill out the ballot categories. :D It's so easy and fast, it's unbelievable, and it makes authors like me and everyone else feel really appreciated and waggy. :)

Once again, here's the list of things I've got eligible for nomination (from 2011):

For Best Short Fiction:

* "Blissful Tension" (or it's second version) by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, January 2011)

* "The Heart's Content" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, February 2011)

* "Carnal Shock" by Rahne Kallon (Bad Dog Book Club and FurAffinity, February 2011)

* "Striped and Spotted" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, March 2011)

* "Blinded Troublemaker" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, April 2011)

* "Leap of Faith" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, May 2011)

* "Walking on Clouds" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, June 2011)

* "Red Lantern: The Golden Tryst" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, June 2011)

* "Snowfall" by Rahne Kallon (Rocky Mountain Furcon Conbook and FurAffinity, June/August 2011)

* "Bang to the Beat" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, July 2011)

* "Push for Silence" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, September 2011)

* "Lightshow" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, October 2011)

* "Golden Presumptions" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity and Anthroview, October/November 2011)

* "Fox News" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity and Tales of the Neon Phoenix, November 2011/January 2012)

* "Trust Among Otters" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity and Tales of the Neon Phoenix, November 2011/January 2012)

* "A Slippery Catch" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity and Tales of the Neon Phoenix, December 2011/January 2012)

* "New Year's Kiss" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity December 2011)

And here's what I have for Best Dramatic Short Work or Series:

* "Commander Shepherd Visits the Citadel by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, May 2011)

* "Unsheathed Challenge Story A by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, July 2011) and you can also check out  kmhirosaki's story here - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5283743

And for Published Illustration, I hope you all take a look at  sidian's lovely illustration of my story Golden Presumptions. And for Magazine,  summercat's Anthroview is also eligible.

There's a link to every thing I released, so if you wanna check any of them out again, go ahead. :) And as I said before, you can nominate for five things in each category (or even change/modify your vote), so I encourage you guys to take advantage of that. :D I've got a whole bunch of stories eligible, but if I had to narrow it down to a few, some personal favourites of mine are Walking on Clouds, Fox News, Trust Among Otters, A Slippery Catch, or Red Lantern: The Golden Tryst.

So, with the nominations closing on February 29th, again I encourage you guys to go participate in the Ursa Majors if you haven't already. And if any of my stories DO get nominated, to show my appreciation...I think I'll do a little something extra special for you guys. We'll see. But yeah, go out there, nominate, and above all, have fun! :3

So, it's that time of the year again, where many furry creative types go out and shoot for our wonderful Ursa Major Awards! In case you don't know, the Ursa Majors is the furry fandom's chance to recognize excellence in its own field, whether it be short stories, novels, graphic novels, etc. It's basically like having our own Hugo Awards. :) If you're not familiar with the process, this is how it goes: From now until February 29, you can fill out the nominations ballot and suggest your favorite works from 2011. Then on March 15, official the nominees will be announced, and the final voting will open. The winners will be announced at CaliFur this year in June. It's very simple; you go here - http://www.ursamajorawards.org/nominations.htm - and enroll, if you haven't already (which is VERY fast and simple), then login and fill out the ballots with your choices. :) See? Simple, quick, and it literally takes less than five minutes. :D

So, if you have a favourite story or novel, comic or graphic novel, published illustration, etc, that was released in 2011, by all means go and vote for it! This is the only venue that allows people to recognize the furry fandom's creators and the creative work that they put out, so please, show your love and support. :) And one thing I really want to stress is that you can vote for FIVE different things in each category! So, for example, if you want vote for one of  kmhirosaki's short stories, that's great! But you can ALSO vote for one of  tempo321's short stories, or even my own! That's fantastic, because it allows you to vote for something from MANY different authors (or creators), not just one. :3 So take advantage of that!

I've got a lot of eligible things for 2011, and if any of you would feel so inclined to nominate/vote for me and make me a very happy/waggy canine, here's what I have eligible in the Short Story Category:

* "Blissful Tension" (or it's second version) by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, January 2011)

* "The Heart's Content" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, February 2011)

* "Carnal Shock" by Rahne Kallon (Bad Dog Book Club and FurAffinity, February 2011)

* "Striped and Spotted" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, March 2011)

* "Blinded Troublemaker" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, April 2011)

* "Leap of Faith" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, May 2011)

* "Walking on Clouds" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, June 2011)

* "Red Lantern: The Golden Tryst" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, June 2011)

* "Snowfall" by Rahne Kallon (Rocky Mountain Furcon Conbook and FurAffinity, June/August 2011)

* "Bang to the Beat" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, July 2011)

* "Push for Silence" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, September 2011)

* "Lightshow" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, October 2011)

* "Golden Presumptions" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity and Anthroview, October/November 2011)

* "Fox News" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity and Tales of the Neon Phoenix, November 2011/January 2012)

* "Trust Among Otters" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity and Tales of the Neon Phoenix, November 2011/January 2012)

* "A Slippery Catch" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity and Tales of the Neon Phoenix, December 2011/January 2012)

* "New Year's Kiss" by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity December 2011)

And here's what I have for Dramatic Short Work or Series:

* "Commander Shepherd Visits the Citadel by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, May 2011)

* "Unsheathed Challenge Story A by Rahne Kallon (FurAffinity, July 2011) and you can also check out  kmhirosaki's story here - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5283743

And for Published Illustration, I'd encourage you all to go take a look at  sidian's lovely illustration of my story Golden Presumptions. For Magazine,  summercat's Anthroview is also eligible.

And that's all for me! There's links to every single thing I released, so if you feel the need to catch up on any of them, go ahead! And as I said before, you can vote for multiple things in each category (or even change/modify your vote), so do to take advantage of that. :D Support the fandom's creators, go vote and have fun! I honestly don't expect to win, but it'd be nice just to be nominated, you know? :) That much, I'd love. I know I have A LOT of stories eligible, but if I really had to narrow it down to a few, some personal favourites of mine are Walking on Clouds, Fox News, Trust Among Otters, A Slippery Catch, or Red Lantern: The Golden Tryst.

Thanks to anyone and everyone who nominates and/or votes for me, and thank you for supporting our fandom's creators. :) As always, have fun, and keep writing and reading!

FC was pretty awesome this year! I'm pretty late doing this, but here we go.

Wednesday, I was in San Francisco to pick up  ezwolf and  tigertom from the airport, and from there we traveled back to San Jose to the convention center. It was wonderful getting to know them, and apparently my amazing English accent made Tom feel right back at home like was in England. :P So we eventually arrive at the Hilton, and due to the staff being a bunch of fucking idiots, apparently EZ had somehow reserved TWO rooms instead of one. And there was nothing they could do about it; they couldn't refund him, or reverse it, nothing. So, he graciously gave the room to me! :O I was surprised, because I was just gonna go back home for that day, but I'm very happy I got to stay at the con. He really is a fantastic guy. My own room was actually in the Marriott.

So, Thursday comes around, and I'm downstairs checking out of the Hilton, and I immediately run into  kyell,  kyofoxtrot, Tealfox, and  fuzzwolf Just randomly running into Kyell like that was kinda surreal, but it was great seeing him and Fuzzwolf again! It's always a pleasure to talk to those guys, and it was my first time meeting Kyo (who I've always thought was cute) and Teal. :) After that, I went over to the Marriott to get situated, and eventually hooked up with my roommates,  artica (after forgetting to give him my number),  summercat Nynevah, and GreenReaper.

Also, I'm going to be honest about the new venue here. Having FC at the Convention Center fucking sucks. The Hilton is an awful hotel, with outrageously stupid staff. The Marriott is decent hotel (only decent, nothing more), but the convention center is too spread out and having to trek between both hotels (to meet up with someone) is extremely inconvenient, especially if you're in fursuit. Most of the programming/events/panels were in the Marriott and the Marriot's side of the convention center, and that was great, but I still would have preferred the Fairmont. Seriously, I LOVED the Fairmont hotel; I thought it was the perfect venue. FC 2011 was also my first FC, so it's really grown on me. It was a spacious hotel with plenty of room, and it didn't feel cramped like the Marriott. Also, having another event going on at the same time as FC (well, two events) was stupid. I didn't like that at all. Even worse, the Marriott apparently charges you a $200 security deposit when you get your room. In my case, I didn't have an extra $200, because I was SPLITTING the cost of my hotel room with all of my roommates, so I had to ask Artica to cover that. This is really fucking inconvenient, and the Fairmount NEVER did this crap. In addition, the Marriott also charges you the first nights fee if and when you RESERVE your room, which is also stupid.

Those are my only real gripes, though. Aside from standing in the registration line for 3 hours. After getting my registration, the rest of the con went pretty well. On Friday, I went to the Dealer's Den and met up with/said hello to tons of people, including  rukis who finally gave me Amon's shirt! Yes, I now that blue shirt that Amon wears in the Red Lantern graphic novel - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/5694185/ - It's beeeeeaaaaautiful. :D Also, bought Sixes Wild from  tempo321 (my awesome fellow author who loves Golden Retrievers), got him to sign it, bought Pendant of Fortune and Bridges from Kyell Gold, got him to sign those, met up with  keovi, who is delightful as ever, and she signed my copy of Bridges and Tales of the Neon Phoenix, while I, in return, signed her copy of Tales, too. I still can't believe she asked me to sign that; I was really, really flattered, honoured, and blown away. It's always a pleasure to see her. Also, saw  blotch and bought Nordguard and SCRATCHES VOLUME 5! :D This is easily the best Scratches they've put out thus far! Also, Kenket is still a sweetheart as always. :3 I also love saying hello to Heather Bruton and Dark Natasha; they're some wonderful ladies. Also met Myenia for the first tie, who is beeeeaaautiful and very sweet in person. I got this awesome folder from her. And I got Sidian to sign my copy of Sixes Wild: The Bluff, while Shinigamigirl signed the actual novel. I signed several more copies of Tales (and Anthroview) as well, and after an initial struggle, they started selling very well on the last day. Also got to hang out with  tsukikitsunetanuki who is aaaaalways awesome. :D

Throughout the con I got to hang out with and/or meet lots of new people, including  buckhopper,  lace,  pdawg  nitroshep MattPanther,  fluffyfennec, Elion, Teiran, Shiuk, Graveyard Greg, Sabretoothedermine, Fenrir Sabre, Evolus, Tazel, SunTattooWolf, Evauk, GoGoWolf, Erro, Khyle, Ticer, Streak, Sardonis, FoxFur, and...there's just far too many people for me to even remember. One of the biggest honours, though, was meeting 2 The Ranting Gryphon. FINALLY! I've been a fan of this guy for yeeeeaaaaars, and meeting him finally was almost surreal, but we hung out and chatted throughout the con for a good while. Not only that, but I also chatted and hung out with Uncle Kage! Being a fan of his, too, it was a tremendous honour to be in his company (he bought me a drink!), and he's such a funny guy. I saw both of their shows on stage, too, and... I really have to say, I haven't laughed THAT HARD in a long time. Honestly. They were amazing on stage. Those guys really made my con experience complete this year.

It was also great running into Not Tube and Watts Martin again, and I FINALLY met Jakebe! I was happy about that, too! I also met  blender! I didn't think I'd get to meet him, but I'm glad I did. :D He's awesome and gorgeous in person. :3 And I met and hung out with  Sparf for a good while throughout the con! He is aaaawesome! I really enjoyed his company, though I wish I could have gotten some of those cookies! >: And I can't believe this, but I actually got to chat and hang out with  rikoshi a bit. I also bought Thousand Leaves and got him to sign it, too. That really made me happy, because he's one of the writers in our fandom that I really, really look up to and aspire to. So it was a pleasure just to be in his company, too. It was nice seeing Kit Silver again, too; I ran into him several times. He's also a great guy. I chatted with Kyell Gold several times throughout the con, and that was wonderful, too. Kyell's a really amazing guy, and he's fascinating in person. One thing that really, really made me feel good was when he said, "And congratulations on getting published." I didn't even know what to say; hearing that from him made me feel...validated. Complete, even. It's my hero congratulating me on my publications. It really did make me feel...validated, like all my hard work has paid off (I like to think so, or I wouldn't have gotten published), but hearing him say that...makes it all the more real, I think.

I went to some of writing panels with Kyell, Rikoshi, Watts, and Tube, and learned a lot, and, of course, the LIVE UNSHEATHED PODCAST! K.M. Hirosaki shall forever think of Jar Jar Binks in 3D, now. I think the best panel was the Adult Furry Fiction panel with Rukis, though; thaaaaat was hilarious. :D I would have loved to have been on that panel; I have quite a lot to say about adult furry fiction myself. It was awesome, though.

After several recommendations from several artists, I went to the Art Show. It was pretty cool, because it was my first time being there. I eventually found Blotch's stuff, and was just looking at all of it. And then SURPRISE, KENKET APPEARS, giving me a heart attack! She had this huge grin on her face, too, which was funny. Like "Hah, I find you looking at my poooorn!"

I also met and hung out with Matthew Ebel for a bit, and that was a major honour. He's incredibly down to earth, with an awesome personality. I also went to his concert, and seeing him perform live was... oh my God. It was magical. It was beautiful. Simply amazing. But then I had to go to the Bitter Lake premier that I'd help set up with EZwolf. They FILLED the entire room, and we were surprised! It was my first time seeing the movie, and holy shit, it was amazing! I think all furries, and especially fursuiters, should see the movie! You guys KNOW I'm deep into voice acting, just as I am with writing, and I'm telling you, SEE THE MOVIE! Hopefully you'll like it. :)

I also hung out and went fursuiting with  runtt (Mathew Ebel's drummer), and I can't remember the last time I talked about music at length with someone. He knows his stuff! And yeeeesssss, I went fursuiting with him! Artica let me wear his Artik (male character) suit twice during the con, and that was an awesome experience. :D And nooooowwwwww, I want a fursuit of Rahne, made by Scribble Fox. :3 He's my favourite suit maker, hands down.

I also managed to do quite a bit of dancing at the dances, too, especially the Dead Dog Dance, though that was nowhere near as epic as the Sunday Dance on the main stage.

All in all, FC was a wonderful con this year! I did a lot more stuff than I did last year. I just wish it could have still been in the Fairmount, because I really love that hotel, but I still had a great time, and I look forward to going back next year. :3

Stolen from  lace. :P

Arrival and Departure:
Arriving Wednesday Afternoon, leaving Monday evening.

Staying at
San Jose Marriott (Even though I live in San Jose, I don't think you can really get the full con experience unless you stay AT the con!)

Mode of Transportation:
Bus and rail, courtesy of San Jose :P

Rooming with:
 summercat, Nyneava,  greenreaper, and  artica

Major Plans at the Con:
Catching some panels (I won't be giving any this year), hanging out, socializing, drinking, a bit of fursuiting, eating, and indulging in some of those carnal pleasures we all love. :3

Who Will I be with:
Lots of people! Likely  lace  pdawg  artica  rukis  ezwolf  whyteyote  buckhopper  straydog  elion  tsaiwolf  shiuk  fenrirsabre  teiran, and anyone who wants to hang out with me or talk to me, really. :)

Fursuit(s):
Artica's actually gonna let me party in his fursuit for a while! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4346141/

Attending Parties:
Maybe. I'm not sure I'd do well in parties. I'm very shy and nervous in real life, yet NO ONE ever believes me when I say this!

How best to find me:
I'll probably be all over the place. Look for the Hispanic wanker with dark glasses and semi-spiky hair. Or send me a note on FA, or message me on Twitter.

Drink:
Of course! If you're lucky enough to see me drunk, you might get some amusement.

Smoke:
Nah, I've never smoked. I hear hookah is pretty cool, though.

Hugs:
I'm always up or a hug. :3 Be mindful of your hygiene, though.

Talk:
Definitely! I'm always up for a chat. :) Come and say hey, and I'll talk your ears off.

Art:
My 'art' is writing, voice acting, and directing. :) If you really wanna see something, maybe I'll do voices for you. :P

Do you do trades?
I'll trade you two minutes of silly voices or $20. :P

Do you have prints/Cds?
Nope, but Summercat and  tsukikitsunetanuki will have copies of Anthroview and Tales of the Neon Phoenix for sale in the Dealers Den and Artist's Alley, which has some of my stories, so you can check those out. :3

What is your gender?
All male, honey! :3

Can I touch you?
Maybe. :) Ask first.

Can I buy you lots of drinks?
Absolutely! I'm a big fan of Baileys and Blue Moon. :D

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Hugs are always nice! Maybe snuggle if I feel comfortable enough. :)

How tall are you?
5'7"

You look pissed off out of suit can I come up to you?
I'm very unlikely to be pissed off at a con. :P And if I am, come up to me anyway, because I could probably use the company. :)

Are you nice?
I try to be!

Are you cliquey?
I probably am a little bit, but I'm also a social butterfly! I'll wonder the con meeting plenty of new people.

If I see you, how should i get your attention?
Shout out Rahne (Ronnie), tap my shoulder, introduce yourself... shouldn't be too hard.

Are you fursuiting?
Yup! I'll be wearing Artica's fursuit for a while - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4346141/

Can I ask ya to dance with me during the dances?
Probably. Again, I'm really shy in person, especially when it comes to things like dancing. I might go with ya, but it might take me a while to get into it, depending on who you are.

Can I take a picture of ya?
NO! I can't stress this enough; please don't take any pictures of me. Seriously. I look like a tosser, anyway.

Wanna cuddle at the con?
If I'm comfortable with you, sure. :)

Can I steal ya away for *censored*?
*Smirks* Try your chances and ask.

What do you like sexually?
I'm a switch, baby. But for some reason, I usually end up bottoming more often than not. I like people who are also versatile/switches

How do I ask you to have sex?
Just ask. :P Or text me or message me on Twitter.

Do you have fursuit sex?
Nope. One, I don't own a fursuit, and two, I wouldn't use it for that. :)

Why all the sex related questions?
Cause I'm unabashed...and because I stole this from Lace. XD

What is the best way to contact you?
Text me/note me for my number or message me on Twitter.

Hope you all have a good time at FC this year!

So, some wonderful news to start off the new year. :) I've gotten six stories published in two new furry magazines/anthologies by  summercat called Anthroview and Tales of the Neon Phoenix. Some of you may recall that he also published my story Golden Presumptions in the first issue of Anthroview, along with this amazing illustration by  sidian! So here we are the second time around! Six stories, illustrated by  keovi,  nimrais,  jailbird, and  tsaiwolf (Nimrais and Tsaiwolf illustrated two stories each), with a couple covers done by  tsukikitsunetanuki. Six stories, including three all new Ian and Jamie stories that have never been released, one of which I very strongly consider to be my best story to date. :)

I'm excited! They're being released next week at Further Confusion, so be sure to swing by and check them out and/or pick up a copy! I'm attending the con, and I'll happily sign any copies if anybody wants me to. :)

Here's  summercat's own journal with more details - http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3065075/

Wow, this has been a freaking crazy year it's been. I actually moved out on my own and settled back to the Bay Area where I used to live (wondering if that was a bad idea after everything that's happened to me, now). Most of the year for me was filled with writing. Lots of writing. I even got some stories published! Seven of my stories got published this year, actually. Some of which haven't been posted to FA, yet. We'll be making some announcements about that later. :)

Voice acting and directing kinda fell by the wayside a bit, but I still got a couple things done this year. Curiously, for anyone who's ever thought I couldn't carry voice over adaptations of, say, my own work... check out the narration and dramatic reading of my story Carnal Shock that was done by me,  osfer and  toonces over on the Bad Dog Book Club. Some people don't know we even did that. :O Check it out here! Edited by me, too. :) I was pleased with the result (though I still think some things could have been better).

I think most of all, I'm happy with how fast my writing has improved. I like to think I learn with every new story that I write, and being that I write fast, well...I guess it works out. I mean, getting 7 different stories published speaks for itself, I think. But I've still got plenty to learn, and I look forward to learning and growing as both a writer and a voice actor. :)

I do want to say thank you to everyone who's supported me and/or been a fan of my work thus far. For example, I never dreamed I'd have over 1600 watchers! Thank you guys so much! And thanks for all the comments, faves, and feedback on my work, too. I wasn't always partial to criticism in the beginning, but in growing as a writer, I've learned to accept it and use it to better myself and my writing. :) So I appreciate that, too.

I can say that the first week of 2012 is gonna be pretty spectacular, because I'll finally be posting something that A LOT of people have been asking me about. I look forward to that, as well as the other big plans I have for 2012, writing and voice acting-wise.

I do have a lot of regrets this year, though. A lot. I won't get into them here, but safe to say, I probably could have standed to move a little later than I did. But live and learn.

Anyway, to close out the year, here's my final story of the year; a little something with Ian and Jamie - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/7132374

Here's to an awesome 2012. :D

https://youtu.be/ooWIoSwEsZo

I want a rentboy (male prostitute) for Christmas.

So! For FC 2012 should I get another badge of Rahne? Or should I get a badge of Jamie Readon, my Golden Retriever character?

For the record, here's a few pictures of Jamie (with Ian) if you don't know what he looks like:

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6194779/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6218418/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6789920/

Jamie's also featured in my stories Leap of Faith, Walking on Clouds, and Golden Presumptions. Y'all already know what Rahne looks like by now (at least I hope you do), so I shouldn't have to even show any refs. But what do you guys think? A badge of Rahne or a badge of Jamie?

It's no secret that a lot of my stories have sex in them. Probably 80% of my stories do. So with that, I pose a question.

Is it better for stories to have longer sex scenes, such as the scenes in Walking on Clouds, Lightshow, and Red Lantern: The Golden Tryst?

Or is it better for stories to have shorter sex scenes, such as the scenes in Fox News, Trust Among Otters, and Bang to the Beat?

Or! Should the length of a sex scene depend on the story itself?

To that end,  kyell's story In Between has an extremely short sex scene, and it might very well be the hottest thing I've ever read.

So, what do you think, fellow writers and readers? How do you like your sex scenes in furry fiction? :) I'm curious! Don't be afraid or ashamed to share your thoughts!

I want to make an audio adaptation of my story Fox News. :D

Remember this? - http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2644962/

I told you I was going to do it. I told you. :P

And now, here it is, Fox News, done what no furry author has done before - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6867750
Enjoy! :3

So, here's a question for the watchers.

If I decided to Rahne's hair style/hair colour... what would you all like to see on him? Simple question, what kind of hair style and/or colour do you envision him with? I'd love to know.

Spreading this cool new meme started by  rukis :)


- What sort of artist would you most identify yourself as? -
Writer

- What would be your secondary identity? -
Voice Actor, definitely. Or voice artist in this case, because it's the same thing. Also, directing, editing, and screenwriting.

- What forms of art do you dabble in, but don't excel at? (Keep in mind, this could change!) -
Singing, for sure. I love to sing, and I've been told I have a great voice, but I don't personally think I'm all that good. :P

- How would you describe your 'style'? -
Contemporary (mostly) homoerotic fiction. Not all of my stuff is gay, though, obviously.

- What medium do you favor most? -
Open Office

- What are your favorite subject matters? -
Relationships, education, sci-fi, fantasy, sports, gay romance, gay issues, sex, artists, writers

- What are your least favorite subject matters? -
Proooobably mystery and horror, and maybe comedy. I have no interest in mystery or horror writing, whatsoever, and I'll only try comedy here and there.

- List your Artistic Strengths -
Character arcs, building relationships, portraying romance, descriptions, tension, sex scenes, conflict

- List your Artistic Weaknesses -
Comedy, descriptions (yes, descriptions is something I'm both good and bad at)

- Which of the above weaknesses would you most like to see improve? -
Descriptions. Like I said, it's a double-edged sword for me; sometimes I'm really great with it, sometimes I'm not, but I'd like to be a lot better. Additionally, I'd like to become a better director, too.

- Adult Content. . . yes/no? -
An unapologetic YES! Seriously

- Adult Subject Matter you favor? -
Male/Male (but I still do male/female from time to time)

- Schooling/Training received in the arts? -
Several writing workshops, challenge exercises, and a fantastic mentor

- Schooling/Training you'd still like to have? -
A degree in theatre/acting and/or writing/literature. Writing and acting are my two favourite passions, and I'd love to get as much knowledge as I can in both fields.

- Would you consider yourself prolific, or a 'quality over quantity' sort of artist? -
I'd say prolific with an emphasis on quality. No matter how increasingly prolific you are, your work still has to be GOOD. I'm a firm believer in that.

- Would you considering yourself a Fine Artist, or a Commercial Artist? -
As of recently, I'd say Commercial, but I like to think it's a mix of the two.

- Where would you like to be in five years? -
Oh, wow. I'd like to have all four (and more) of my planned novels published, along with several more radioplays and audio adaptations under my belt, and my furry web (audio) series up and in circulation. I'd love to be doing this kind of stuff for a living, too.

Recently, I got a second publication under my belt.  summercat's new anthology called Anthroview is a new magazine, almost in the same vain of HEAT, with some fandom articles, reviews, and a story (with a lovely illustration by  sidian) written by me, called Golden Presumptions. And to make things even better, it's a story with Ian and Jamie from Leap of Faith and Walking on Clouds. This particular story takes place from Jamie's perspective.

I finally got the okay to post the story, and here it is for your reading pleasure. :) - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6778794/

"Friends & family of Athus Nadorian aka Brian Dyer

On Tuesday the 11th of October 2011, Athus was involved in a severe car collision that ended his time here with us. The 29 years of his life were filled with amazing stories, incredible adventures and outstanding creativity and talent. He shared his love of life, affection for others and sense of humor with many wonderful people. In memory of Athus and his special life, his closest kin have created a website for others to share their experiences with Athus as well as share photos and artwork. An email address has been established to send your wishes in to be posted on the site athus@athusnadorian.com. Thank you for your kind words, love and support through all of this. Remember to love life, hold your friends close and have a little fun - Athus wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Please visit the site we have established https://www.athusnadorian.com and use the email address athus[at]athusnadorian.com to share your wishes to allow time for his closest kin to mourn peacefully. "

Reposted from  narse's journal here - https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2813220/

You may have seen tons of journals floating up about this already, but...well, I don't even know what to say. For those of you who don't know,  athus was a furry artist and one of the  baddragon crew. He recently passed on Tuesday, due to the aforementioned crash.

I'm still at a loss for words here, even as I type this...

Athus and Narse were both friends. My time spent hanging out with them, and the rest of the Bad Dragon guys was part of what made Further Confusion 2011 (my first furry con) such a wonderful time. We hung out, we talked, they even consoled me about an issue I had. They were all so much fun and wonderful to hang out with, especially Athus. All of them vibrant and cheerful, just like you should be at a fur con. And seeing these two guys as close as they were when I saw them was just wonderful.

I was looking forward to seeing all of them again at Further Confusion 2012... but it's going to be painful not seeing Athus there. I still can't believe this happened.

But more than anything, I want to wish Narse well, and hope that he and the rest of Athus' loved ones make it through this okay.