#gozha

[guy60660]

Marta Gozha

[figureskatingfanblog]

Today was the final day of competition at Skate Celje.

David Sedej of Slovenia competed solo in Senior Men's.

Anastasia Gozha of Ukraine and Jana Horcickova of the Czech Republic won the Senior and Junior Women's events, respectively. Matteo Marchioni of Italy won the Junior Men's event.

[kenialmeidaa]

Photo by Olia 💙💛 Gozha on Unsplash

[joshlistens]

I wrote fiction for the first time in forever.

This one’s for you, @bace-jeleren.

Characters featured include Bace’s fanwalkers Megumi and Grii, as well as the debut of my fanwalker, Gozha. Megumi and Grii appear with permission. Thanks to Bace for being an inspiring figure in the M:tG Tumblr community.

TW: physical violence (not on Megumi). Grii gets a little bit of her Grii on when she meets Gozha.

Duets

Gozha smiled in a way that he hoped was reassuring. “Look, I know my request seems ridiculous—”

“It is dramatically unsafe, sir—”

“—and it may seem like a rather prosaic, proletarian, possibly even precocious use of your pyromantic prowess—”

“We don’t want to choose how people worship, sir, but this is just—”

“—but I came all this way—”

“The distance you’ve travelled is immaterial, sir—”

“—and I would really quite like to eat these deliciously spicy peppers while they are infused with elemental flame.”

The Regathan monk stared at him.

“And stuffed with this cheese I acquired from a terrific little town near Jhessia.”

The monk still stared.

“Pyromantic peppers. It’s the obvious next step in hot food. You could make it a business." 

Silence.

"I’m prepared to make a very large donation to your temple if you allow this hagiography to heat.”

The monk thought for a moment, then stepped back. "Please, come in. I suppose if nothing else, the Abbess may be entertained by your request.”

“Thank you so much!” Gozha beamed, and proceeded into the hall. Good. There was always a chance the holy types would see his horns, red eyes, lavender skin, and generally demonic countenance and take it as an opportunity for some smiting. He hated that. He’d spent more than thirty years as a fencer and duelist in Valor’s Reach before becoming a commentator and journalist on the sport, while his clerical opponents had usually spent about two or three years across the piste from a training dummy. It’s never fun when the “demon” wins. 

“Sir, are you alright? You keep scratching at those scars.”

“No, I’m fine. You’ve got quite the calm countenance, though. I usually unnerve people.”

"We are… used to strangers here at Keral Keep. In fact, there is another visitor who you might be able to help us with. You are azra, yes? From a place called Kylem?”

Gozha’s eyebrows shot up.

“Did it hurt when you lost most of that one horn? I’ve never known someone with horns, or who’d lost one, to ask.”

He paused. “If my mouth still moves after I pop those pyro-peppers, I’ll tell you the tale." 

"Fair enough.” The monk folded his hands within his robes. “I ask because our visitor comes from Kylem, and you might be able to assist her. She is quite young, and in distress.”

“… Are you alright? I look like several people fought me for their souls and won. I’m not the type to have cherished children in my charge.”

"Well, if I may—you have traveled across many different realms solely for the experience of putting peppers infused with literal, actual fire in your mouth. You have more dueling scars than I have summers, you have more gray hair than I have hair, you are clearly far too busy to shave, and if the way you move is any indication you are either a swordsman or a dancer of some skill.”

“What if I’m both?” Gozha grinned.

“Then I will begin developing my powers of prophecy as well as pyromancy. Regardless. You remind me of the Abbess in many ways. You’ve got a reassuring way about you, despite,” he waved at Gozha, “all this." 

Before he could ask what that meant, the monk continued. "Anyway, our charge is here in the mess hall, and hopefully calm. I’ll leave you to her and go ask after the Abbess.”

“What’s your name, by the by? I’m Gozha.”

The monk smiled beatifically. “I’ve learned not to give my name to your type. Your enemies tend to follow you, and I don’t need more ruckus.” He moved off down the hall.

The duelist watched the monk proceed through shaft after shaft of light from the windows, finally at a loss. 

“Excuse me mister, are you from Ky—GOZHA!”

A tiny soratami cannonball launched itself into his legs. Gozha was nearly bowled over by the impact.

“Hey… you!” he grinned, as he desperately tried to recognize the child he found himself hugging. “It’s great to greet you! How’ve you been?”

He had misjudged—she wasn’t happy, she was sniffling and crying. That wasn’t a happiness cannonball, that was a comfort-me cannonball. “I can’t go home,” she said. “Can you help me get home?”

“Maybe!” No duets, now. This was serious. He kneeled, brushing her tears away. Black eyes. Where had he seen a soratami child with black eyes before? “Where’s home?”

“You were there! You were there for two whole days one time with Daddy and three other people! You never left the bedroom, though. And there were lots of bottles. And noises. I heard—”

“You heard us having fun, yes, the way consenting adults do,” he hastily interrupted her. “And there were many bottles. I remember now, Megumi. I didn’t know you could planeswalk!" 

She nodded. "Mommy and Daddy took me on lots of trips. But then the one-eyed lady came and almost killed me with her sword… a-and I had to get out.” She twisted the bottom hem of her shirt between her hands. It was stained with tears. “I can’t go home, though. I need to go home. Can you help me?" 

"Well, maybe. I’ll try. Come over here.” He took her hand and led her to one of the mess hall benches. A half-eaten meal sat on a plate nearby.

“Listen carefully, Megumi. When you planeswalk, you have to sort of… aim yourself for where you’re going. It’s not an exact science. Can you do that? Can you aim yourself at home?”

She shook her head. “I’m trying! But every time I try it doesn’t work. And I don’t wanna try again because it’s safe here.” Those big black eyes squinted at him. “You need to shave.”

“… Yeah, you’re Wren’s kid alright.” He rested his chin in his palm and looked at her. “Which means you’re Kuro’s kid. Which means you’ve probably got a plan all worked out, am I right?” He winked.

She nodded happily. “Yup! I’m going to wait here. It’s safe here. And they know what planeswalking is, which means other planeswalkers might come here and help me go home. Like you!" 

"Like me, yes.” He smiled. An awful feeling was brewing in the pit of his stomach. “You’re sure you can’t, kind of… ” He made several small, useless gestures. “… aim yourself? If you think really hard about home, does that work?”

“No.” She scrunched her face up like she was concentrating. “No. She might still be there with her sword. It's too much. I'm too scared.” She looked up at him. “Can you hold my hand?" 

He swallowed hard. "No, Megumi, I’m sorry, I can’t. It doesn’t work that way for me." 

She started crying, as he knew she would. Poor thing. 

"Hey, hey now,” he said, out of his element. “It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. Here,” he pulled the plate of half-eaten food over, “have some dinner. Food always makes me feel better.” He tried to smile. 

She pushed it away. “I tried that. I don’t like it.” She sniffed. “It’s too spicy." 

He pushed his sudden spark of joy aside. "What does make you feel better?" 

"I like when you do duets,” she murmured, looking up at him. “They’re so clever.”

“Well, what a wonderful wish we have here!” he grinned, his mind racing. “Whereupon a wee wayward wanderer waits and wants for what? A wild wyrd of weird words and wanton whimsy! What fun!”

Megumi giggled. “So many! Aren’t there just supposed to be two at a time?”

He winked again. “Can a blarney bairn blame me for boosting her beautiful bunny-ears with the best benificence my booming baritone can blast?”

She giggled again. “No, she can’t!” Despite himself, he began to understand Wren’s choices a little more.

“I can!”

Gozha spun, which put his jaw in perfect position for the incoming punch. He saw stars and darkness. He heard Megumi scream, but it was cut short by a rush of warm air. 

Someone grabbed his collar, pulled him off the bench, and threw him up against a stone wall. He could feel a foreign fear start to steal through his chest. Terror magic.

“You know, there’s one thing I never understood about you, Gozha,” a snarling female voice said. “Why do you always alliterate?”

“Like that?”

“Shut up.” A single, huge hand gripped his lapels and lifted him several feet in the air. The fear magic was making his vision tunnel – all he could see was one enormous, furious eye and some cheekbones. “Why do you do those irritating ‘duets’? Call and response. Everything’s an alliteration. Like you don’t have anything interesting to say.”

He tried to muscle down on the cold fingers of terror magic working their way through his heart, but they gripped harder, paralyzing him. “Maybe I just don’t want to tell you all the tantalizing tidbits. ,” he said, desperate. “Maybe I save all my curious curios and glorious gossip for when you’re gone." 

"Filthy azra,” she growled, letting go. He collapsed to the ground. He barely felt her enormous boot as it crunched into his ribcage. "Where did she go?”

“The wee wanderer? Whither and whence.” He forced out a tremulous laugh and spat blood. “If you try, I’m sure you’ll trip over her. But I’d rather hinder than help, frankly.”

“I know,” the huge, muscular woman said, crouching down. “You’re Gozha. Washed-up old fencer. A coward. Eking out money writing about the games at Valor’s Reach. Probably living on a pittance in some tenement somewhere. So much for the old glory, huh?” Her voice took on a taunting, terrifying, childish lilt. “Aren’t all planeswalkers supposed to be great wizards? Where’s your magic, huh? What’s your special talent?”

“Swordsmanship and shit-disturbing.” He smiled through the blood starting to cloud his vision and the icy hand on his heart. He could barely see. “You’re wasting time. The wee wanderer’s ‘walked three or four more times by now. Better go catch her. And pray her parents and I don’t fetch you first.”

“Excuse me, did you require the services of Keral Keep in some fashion, or did you wish to continue abusing our guest here?”

The huge woman snarled and stood. “I will kill you!” she growled. “I will kill you in a way that makes your brothers weep to hear your name." Seeing that she was three full heads taller than the monk, she advanced on him. Her smile was a terrifying thing. "What is your—”

She was interrupted by a slim lance of flame that pushed itself through her sternum in the blink of an eye. Gozha hadn’t even seen the monk make a gesture with his hands. The cyclops woman screamed and vanished, with other, fainter screams chasing after her. The icy hand around his heart let go. The lance of flame became smoke. In its place, the air seemed to grow colder, almost biting. 

“I don’t give you people my name,” said the monk. He looked at Gozha. “Are you alright?”

Gozha grunted.“Yes.” He stood. “I spoke with your… guest, before we were interrupted. She left, but she’ll be okay, hopefully soon.”

The monk helped Gozha over to a bench. “That is good to hear." 

"That’s a good trick, with the flame, there. Very quick. I’m impressed.”

“It has proven useful,” said the monk. “It’s easy to get rid of your kind. The first lick of flame, the first hint of true danger, and you vanish, off to somewhere safe.” He eyed Gozha. “But you stayed. Why did you stay?”

"Had to give the little one time,” said Gozha carefully. Cracked ribs ground against his lungs. “I’d never met the big one before, but I know her type. She likes pain and she’s easy to provoke. Keep her talking, give her something to punch or kick, and she’ll take all the time in the world to do it.”

The monk regarded him for a long moment. “I see I was right to compare you to the Abbess.” He stood up. “I’ll make sure a room is prepared for you and a healer ready. The Abbess isn’t here today, but she’ll likely return soon. And by then, we’ll have mastered the proper techniques for imbuing your peppers with Regathan flame.”

Gozha grinned around the blood. “So you won’t refuse my request.”

“It is a ridiculous request.”

“And 'dramatically unsafe’, if I recall.”

“Which means the Abbess should enjoy it a great deal,” said the monk. “Goodnight, Gozha. Meditations begin at six bells tomorrow. I will see you then.”

“Goodnight… ” said Gozha, trailing off. He still didn’t know the monk’s name. Nor, for that matter, where Megumi went.

But he did a good thing today, and he was going to taste those delicious peppers soon. And that would have to be enough for now.

[bocekcicek]

[gamesatwork]

Episode 343 - Walking to Mordor

Episode 343 - Walking to Mordor: Manual quantified self accounting of walking to Mordor, Raspberry Pi + LEGO, Doom port to checkboxes, beer management flight simulators, Ask Delphi and oh so much more!

Photo by Olia Gozha on Unsplash Manual quantified self accounting of walking to Mordor, Raspberry Pi + LEGO, Doom port to checkboxes, beer management flight simulators, Ask Delphi and oh so much more!  Andy and Michael M get start off this week’s episode with an important question: does one simply walk to Mordor?  They receive a resounding answer of ‘yes’ if you’re looking implement a…

[bace-jeleren]

I imagine it's going to be a real trip for everyone who's met Megumi (save for, like, Gozha)- who has told pretty much everyone that her mommy is a necromancer and her daddy is a vampire- when they actually meet her parents. Like, everyone has their preconceived notions of what to expect when they hear "necromancer" and "vampire" but a lot of them are probably on the edgy, dark side of things. But then you actually have Wren, who has the biggest "fuck me" energy that side of the multiverse, and Kuro, who is the very embodiment of "sweet cinnamon roll". Like, nothing would set anybody up for that.

[hardsadness]

Photo by Olia Gozha on Unsplash

[space-pics]

On 30 November 2018 an International Space Station astronaut took this photo "of glaciers in the Kunlun Mountains of Central Asia. South of the glaciers lies the partially frozen Gozha Co, one of hundreds of lakes on the Tibetan Plateau." Top is south, bottom is north. Photo credit: NASA [5568x3712]

[photos-of-space]

On 30 November 2018 an International Space Station astronaut took this photo "of glaciers in the Kunlun Mountains of Central Asia. South of the glaciers lies the partially frozen Gozha Co, one of hundreds of lakes on the Tibetan Plateau." Top is south, bottom is north. Photo credit: NASA [5568x3712]

[marinalaboum]

gozha

[figureskatingfanblog]

Today was the third day of competition at the Skate Celje and the first day of competition for Juniors and Seniors.

Anastasia Gozha of Ukraine and Jana Horcickova of the Czech Republic lead the Senior and Junior Women's events, respectively. Matteo Marchioni of Italy currently leads the Junior Men.

David Sedej of Slovenia is competing solo in Senior Men's and Novice competitions also took place.

[entertainmentnerdly]

On 30 November 2018 an International Space Station astronaut took this photo "of glaciers in the Kunlun Mountains of Central Asia. South of the glaciers lies the partially frozen Gozha Co, one of hundreds of lakes on the Tibetan Plateau." Top is south, bottom is north. Photo credit: NASA [5568x3712] via /r/spaceporn http://bit.ly/2Wr3KQo

[joshlistens]

Gozha details, while I spin my wheels

Sort of aimless as a creator right now while a bunch of Things are Happening™ in my real life, so to tide you all over and stem the voice in my head telling me to Make Something™, here’s a brief Gozha description and bio.

Gozha is an azra somewhere in his ‘50s. He has light lavender skin, red eyes, salt-and-pepper hair of whatever length entertains him lately, and a slim build. He’s missing most of his left horn—it’s cut off about three inches from the stump. The right horn spirals back from his forehead normally, and has a gold ring pierced through it near the tip. He has numerous dueling scars, mostly on the left side of his face, along with various worry lines and laugh lines. Infamously, he always forgets to shave, so he constantly has silvery stubble built up. His friends usually take this opportunity to ask how he can be so good with a sword and so poor with a razor. He always laughs.

Speaking of which, he has a wry grin and a dry laugh, and moves smoothly and deliberately, like a dancer. He’s horrible with money, horrible with impulse control, and has no idea what to do around children. He is indolent and sometimes hedonistic. Food and alcohol are huge motivators for him—he will absolutely planeswalk somewhere just to try an exotic new dish, especially if it’s spicy. He might even planeswalk to two other planes to get the perfect wine and cheese pairings for it. He’s cis male and uses he/him pronouns, but is excited by and supportive of all gender expressions. He can tell when people have put the work in—or the fighting in—to be themselves, and he lets them know. Who he’s attracted to varies by the week.

Perhaps his most noticeable trait outside of his scarred, demonic appearance is his tendency to speak in “duets”—most of his statements will have two words roughly alliterated together. “Calm countenance”, “whither and whence”, and the like. This is not a magical curse upon him, an ancient tradition of azra culture, or whatever story he tells you this week. He did it one time to mess with a nosy noble at a gala dinner while he was still a superstar duelist at Valor’s Reach and it became A Thing™. He started doing it in call-out speeches and challenges at the arena, and continued doing it when he became a columnist and entertainer after retiring from the sport. He will either increase or decrease the number and consistency of alliterative words depending on how much he wants to entertain (or irritate) the people he’s with. He rarely does it when things are serious.

He spent more than thirty years at Valor’s Reach, disarming both crowds and opponents with equal aplomb. His retirement came by surprise, and perhaps under something of a cloud—people suspected gambling debts, but nothing was ever proven. He resurfaced some time later and took up the pen, writing columns on the latest events at Valor’s Reach for publications around Kylem and speaking at various appearances. He retains some semblance of fame or notoriety, though not as much as when he was actively competing.

[kanyes-astrophysicist-cousin]

On 30 November 2018 an International Space Station astronaut took this photo "of glaciers in the Kunlun Mountains of Central Asia. South of the glaciers lies the partially frozen Gozha Co, one of hundreds of lakes on the Tibetan Plateau." Top is south, bottom is north. Photo credit: NASA [5568x3712]

[the-world-travelers-blog]

On 30 November 2018 an International Space Station astronaut took this photo "of glaciers in the Kunlun Mountains of Central Asia. South of the glaciers lies the partially frozen Gozha Co, one of hundreds of lakes on the Tibetan Plateau." Top is south, bottom is north. Photo credit: NASA [5568x3712].