It’s 6PM. You’re sitting in a booth in The Last Straw Diner, half a sandwich and most of a milkshake sitting in front of you, momentarily forgotten in the midst of a perfect view of the sun setting over Anyport Harbor. The firm red plastic of the bench doesn’t feel a day older than when it was installed, but the music idly humming from the jukebox sure does. Momma Swine gives you a smile as she walks by, leaving a small pile of plates for Pop to attend to after he’s done cleaning the glass display loaded with fresh pies. The Cantles are a few tables over, going head-to-head on the games printed on the menu. Young Cal giggles over his word search successes as his mother Alina confidentially misspells “prestidigitation” over and over again. A cool breeze from an oscillating fan tickles the back of your neck. Summer isn’t quite here yet, but you can already see the boardwalks setting up their lights even from all the way over here.

10PM, a few days later. You’ve got amazing seats in Major Stadium, watching the Leftfield Wrong Horses face off against the Plotsburg Ad Hawks. Leftfield quarterback Mitt E. Gator makes a mad dash toward the Ad Hawks’s defense, who can’t really do much against a nine-foot-tall reptile “excuse me”ing himself through a ten-man pileup. Popcorn and confetti rain down from the stands above as he scores the game-winning touchdown seconds before the clock runs out. The screams from the stands erupt like a sonic boom. You and your fellow citizens wave and cheer, making faces at the nearest Plotsburgian you can find. It’s all in good fun, and you relish it while you can; these teams are playing basketball tomorrow night, and Mitt is terrible at basketball.

11AM later that week. You’re in a bathing suit wandering the beaches of The Spits. The sand is warm and the water is crystal clear, the smell of brine mingling with smoke from a cook fire. Somewhere in the distance you can hear a plane taking off from Handyman Hanger, or the Redline Trolley making a stop behind you in the Coconut Falls Retirement Community, or a piece of heavy machinery collapsing in on itself at the Straight & Narrow Technical University. But you’re far away from that, and those are someone else’s problem. The hubbub of the city is drowned out by the crash of the surf and the slothful plucks of a banjo, the elderly skunk fussing with it inviting you to occupy his second hammock while he dusts off his singing voice.

Late nights watching performances at The Powderkeg Circus. Early mornings picking through fresh finds at The Bizarre or meeting friends at Morning Joe’s. Scuba diving in Mainstay Bay and finding pirate treasure or making friends with a kraken. Shopping for a new outfit in Thorough Fare before being swept into a ridiculous competition the town is hosting in Encore Plaza. There’s always laughter in the air and music on the corners. It’s home. It’s where you belong.

That’s Leftfield. That’s what it is, to me.

A lot of people see Duino as violent, and dangerous, and an ever-present threat. And- well, he is, honestly. He’s that in spades. But to me, something that defines a cartoon is that conflict is opt-in. The characters we see getting into ridiculous situations either go looking for trouble, or when trouble finds them, they have a hand in making things much worse. And, if Duino’s status as a “freelance antagonist” is any indication, that’s by design. Naturally, things are stale if there’s no one to stir the pot, and for that purpose Duino and Smacky are spoons sprung to life. But trouble here takes rainchecks and sometimes calls in sick. It has a way of finding you, but it doesn’t always have to. Life in Leftfield is cartoony, but in the ways that can mean its hectic and zany, it’s also saccharine. Bright. Colorful. Silly for the sake of being silly. It’s an escape from reality, because troubles with weight have no place in these winding streets.

People often jump to the idea that being a toon is purely chaotic. That it’s exhausting, overwhelming, and oftentimes severely painful. I’ve seen people depict it as suffering; that being a toon is akin to being tortured by the cosmos, never knowing a moment of reprieve. And my heart aches at that notion. The reality we all inherited is fraught with so much of that already. Do we need to let the one we’re creating together have it, too? A story needs to have stakes and conflict to be interesting, obviously, but a lot of the time, I’m not interested in a good story. I’m interested in a good day.

I’m not going to pretend I’m some end-all, be-all arbiter on the nature of toon fiction. People have different interests and intents, and even grander than that, different methods of escapism. And if your fiction is more indulgent or mournful or sadistic or whatever, I hope it brings you joy! But this is mine, and I pour myself into it because it means a lot to me. I’ve made jokes like “I don’t have a fursona, I have a municipality” but it inches closer to the truth every time I name another business or city road.

Leftfield is my happy place. I’d recommend taking time to create your own! But I’m always happy to let people visit mine.

It's almost here!! The happiest, slappiest day of the year!!

There's a whole SUITE of slapstick nonsense happening tomorrow, and you gotta know about it!

At 6:30 EST, it's PIECHO on  tiltlongtail's channel! > https://youtu.be/kU6g7N4_zQM <
At 6:45 right after, it's SPLAT METER on  gale_frostbane's channel! > https://youtu.be/Pa46yYU3GdU <

And then at 7, I'll be going live on Twitch with a live & virtual version of PIE THROWING 101, the panel I've given several times at various cons but never had the foresight to record! I'll also be doing a watch-along with various slapstick skits I've been involved with over the years for some behind the scenes, and maybe playing some pie-themed games as the night goes on! It's gonna be silly and fun!

> www.twitch.tv/duinoduck <

...also I stream on Twitch now! I think I mentioned that somewhere, but I do that every Monday and Friday! It would mean a lot if you came by and said hello!

3/14 only comes once a year so make it count!! Let the pie fly and the mess commence!

 PlotsburgPress

Twice in the past month, I have had someone I've known for years be shocked to discover I'm a writer. I can absolutely understand why, as I never really advertise the fact. So: this is me, doing that!

If you like cartoon violence (and I know you do, you're watching me on FurAffinity), I'd really appreciate you giving my fiction gallery a look! I almost exclusively write about misfortune befalling toons in various flavors, but there are some slice-of-life and fanfiction pieces mixed in there for color. (It really is 95% toons getting hurt, though- I can't get enough of that.) I am also trying to open commissions every few months, with my current batch being nearly completed and another set to open this summer.

It took me a long time to figure out how to make writing "fun" again, and a few stylistic experiments coupled with a prescription for antidepressants turns out to have been the winning formula. I'm still not as consistent with output quantity as I'd like, but I'm really pleased with some of my recent stories. And if you like the wacky cast of characters I post art of here, but want to know more about them- great news! They're usually the ones kicking people's butts!

It'd mean a lot if you gave my work a read. Thanks, y'all. <3

 PlotsburgPress

Whenever I can't sleep, I go to my happy place.

It's cold. I can't see six inches in front of me because the snow is falling so hard. Icy wind rushes into my nostrils and down my throat, numbing me from the inside and out simultaneously. All I can do is clumsily stumble forward, slipping and sliding, falling into a brightly lit doorway that seems to come from nowhere. And a familiar voice grumbles "took ya long enough."

Smacky helps me to my feet, snickering as I shiver like a pair of chattering teeth. His house is warm, and bright, and the blizzard on the other side of the threshold seems a million miles away as sensation returns to my feathers and beak. "Thought ya'd never show up," Smacky elbows me in the ribs. "C'mon, it ain't a party without the guest'a honor!"

Further inside, my whole cast is waiting. Maisey's robotic arms are making a mess of the kitchen and Parker is gingerly trying to clean it all up. Rainer and Mitt are perched in some armchairs, talking about the latest football match between the Wrong Horses and the Retcons. Smacky shuffles past me to pick up his banjo, joining Melody as she effortlessly glides along the keys of a piano. Each one greets me in turn, gives me a hug or a pat on the back or an affirmation, and invites me into what they're doing with enthusiasm. There's delicious food, an assortment of games, a projector with the finest cartoons ever filmed, and all the time in the world.

Sometimes, characters I haven't gotten a chance to introduce are there. Sometimes friends stumble in from the cold with me, and I like to imagine their characters there too. It's a party, after all- the more, the merrier! The one constant is that it never fails to make me smile.

I've talked about this before, but when I grew up, I tried to do so in a hurry. All I ever wanted was to be taken seriously, and I ignored a lot of things I perceived as juvenile to do it. So I didn't watch any cartoons, read physics textbooks instead of comics to try and seem smarter, and pursued writing because I thought it was a "mature" hobby. I would only ever be a ninja for Halloween, because the thought of expressing myself beyond an all-black set of coveralls terrified me. I was petrified of being perceived as anything but serious and shrank as much as possible. If that sounds unlike me, it sure as heck was! I thought I had to keep my interest in comedy and silly things a secret. So after the daily grind of pretending I was an astute grown-up, I would go to bed dreaming about getting whisked away to Toontown.

Shortly after I became a teenager and this conflict of who I was vs who I believed I needed to be came to its pinnacle, I found the furry fandom. And I dove in, headfirst, never looking back. I had been holding back a floodgate for over a decade and the dam burst into rubble, never to be repaired. I roleplayed. I joked. I made friends, real friends, for the first time ever. And after getting a solid grasp on Me, The REAL Me, I started making friends- making them myself, in the form of my characters. Some I adopted, some I adapted, some I created from whole cloth, all with the help of artists and other talents I've been blessed to be surrounded by. Each one has an aspect of myself I've wanted to express, or explore, or share, and it's why I've come to have such high self-esteem. Because They are Me, and I really, really like Them.

If you've ever wondered why I talk about my characters so much, or have so many, and always seem like I want more, it's because for a long time, escape was the only way I had to express myself. And it still brings me great comfort to imagine a group of wacky cartoon animals going about their wacky lives, creating problems for each other and solving them in a timely fashion. Getting into arguments or slugfests or prank wars and staying the best of friends at the end of it all. I would never expect anyone to have to love every single member of my cast, or even have interest in more than one or two. After all, they're made for me, first and foremost! But I just want to thank you all for showing interest in the things I have to say. The reason Leftfield and Plotsburg exist is so I have a place to escape to before I go to sleep at night, and the reason I enjoy talking about toon antics or roleplaying when time allows is because I love being able to bring people with me.

They're more than just characters to me. They're my imaginary friends. And they can be yours, too.

I’ve been making a dedicated effort to be more open about the things I like way too much. So, to that end:

Y’all. I freakin’ LOVE null toons.

“Null” has a broad definition in kinks, getting applied to stuff like rubber drones or massive bulges. And more power to the folks there for that, but it’s not my flavor. My taste in null is strictly with smoothness- flat, featureless curves between the legs. “Toon shapes” is a more general term that I think gets the point across! I really, REALLY like toon shapes.

I like to look at em, I like to see them highlighted in poses, I like when they’re erogenous zones that can be rubbed or prodded to get toons all wound up. I like that it can be SFW or NSFW depending on context and intent. I like to talk about them and RP them and daydream about them. It’s oddly specific, sure, but odd and specific are two things that define me in spades.

And ironically, while I’d like to offer some more concrete definitions and examples, it’s hard to pin down precise criteria for what makes an ideal null spot. I love toony art in general, but it takes a lot of abstract factors to line up for a good one to get depicted. From what I can see, it’s rarely done on accident (and the people doing it on purpose, I salute you).

Nullvember has been a good excuse to fixate on this design element, and I hope you’ll join me in celebrating. If you don’t got it, flaunt it!

Ever realize you've been saying "what a week, huh" every three days for the better part of a year? Yeah, me too.

Overall, things for me, personally, are pretty good. I made some important life changes a few months ago, both for the sake of my health and my living situation. All have had a noticeably positive impact, which is inspiring me to make more. Aura and I celebrated our eighth anniversary in March and I love him more every day. And I have some upcoming trips to Connecticon and a brief weekend out in Nevada that are going to be a much-needed break from it all.

What's "it all?" I'm glad you asked!

A few months ago I confessed I wanted to attempt to use Twitter less, in response to the site making massive steps in the wrong direction. That plan met with mixed success, because as it turns out, it's hard to stop utilizing a site that I've become so reliant on. (Mastodon has been a pleasantly contained alternative, and while I have reservations with it, it's a good enough life raft: https://fursuits.online/@MainMandarin)

The interesting side effect this shift in enthusiasm has had, however, is even though I'm still posting regularly, I have given significantly less of a damn about the quality of what actually gets published. Twitter was the main outlet for my comedy, and garnering a following there while honing my approach to humor was win-win. Now, with people scattering to the wind and residency on the site uncertain, that appeal is crumpled into a ball and tossed out the window. So I'm not constantly crafting jokes in the back of my mind like a social set list, and instead blurting out whatever flashes into it.

What's that mean, in brief? I have been talking a lot more about the characters I want to smooch.

That might not sound like much. But it's a LOT for me.

I'm asexual. That, I'm confident in. The human body or things closely approximating it? Nah, no thanks. The vast majority of NSFW material does nothing for me, and I tend to browse with filters on because I don't care to see it. I'm a toon to my core. But I've been trying to explore the limited assortment of topics that do pique my interest, and having any element of that be public-facing is still so foreign. I'm trying to allow myself to be weirder, if only in moderation. Some friends have experienced this in real time during an RP, and I can only thank them for bearing with me. I'm primarily a goofy cartoon character, in all things, and I can assure you I've got zero plans to change that being the energy I bring first & foremost. But if you catch me talking about some risque topics, or spot some art of my characters out there with themes that seem outside my depth, bear with me- I'm learning!

And in the spirit of learning: the whole tumult and dissipation of community has made me think a lot more about this community and my place in it overall. I turned 30 a few months ago, and that means I've been a furry for nearly half my life. (Duino is getting close enough to being able to apply for a learner's permit, which is horrifying. Imagine him behind the wheel? Terror.)

It's no secret the fandom has ballooned in popularity in recent years, and a lot of the social spaces I've witness are full of teenagers or people in their early 20's. Which. in and of itself, is awesome! I'm glad we've built a place where younger people can express themselves. The resulting arguments on the "right" way to be a furry are less so, but that's going to come along with any community that gets sufficiently diverse. (If I can insert one lukewarm take on a topic I see discussed daily, it's that I think poodling/exposing skin while suiting looks lame and, to me, defeats the purpose, but I have absolutely no ability to enforce that standard on others. If you have a safety concern or otherwise find enjoyment in a way I do not, do what feels right. I have no desire to argue this point beyond that, thanks.) My thoughts have been on what I can do for this community, especially because my main outlet (Twitter jokes) is falling by the wayside.

And ultimately... I'm not sure yet. I've done a lot of self-experimentation and discovery over the past year, and I still very clearly have more to do. The answer I keep landing on is that I need to remember how it is to love creating for myself first, and then sharing that with others. I've got a couple ideas- tabletop RPG modules, stand-up comedy routines, fursuit skits... And most of all, writing.  plotsburgpress has gathered more dust than I'd like, and I'm trying to come up with ways I can make the process less stale for myself. I don't want stuff that'll "do numbers." I think that's behind me. I just want a few people who will love it as much as I do. I want to enjoy the Making, not solely the Posting.

The most common question thrown around furry spaces lately seems to be "so where are you moving to?" And my dude? I don't know. For the time being, I'm just going to be Around.

My Telegram and Discord are both duinoduck, should you ever need to find me. But I can only reiterate, as a man much better at the internet than me once said: "Coward. I will never log off."

And if you're not, let's fix that!

Whoa, a text field without a character limit? Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner?! (I’m still gonna try to be brief though, you got places to be I’m sure)

The situation with Twitter can only be called an “implosion” and I have to admit it deeply saddens me. Bad wrap that it has (and deservedly so, in most cases), I’ve enjoyed my time there immensely. And embarrassing as it is to admit, I’ve put a lot of time and care into my activity there. I’m good at Twitter. Marketing is a skill of mine and I happen to be an expert at marketing myself. Being vain’ll do that.

Still, even if my experience was better than most, I could stand to not be so actively glued to it. This past Saturday I decided to force myself to not post for a few days, and in the 36 hours since I’ve had five different instances where a mildly interesting thing happened and I instinctively reached for my phone to make a joke about it. My core thought processes are wired around Posting. That… should stop.

It’s difficult. I haven’t talked about it much outside of a few close friends, but 2022 thus far has been an incredibly tumultuous year for my personal life. This past February through May is the lowest I’ve ever been, period. I’d rather not divulge details, but trust me when I say I don’t make that claim lightly. Having quick access to my friends and connection and jokes during that time is a big part of what got me through it, but it’s also made me realize how many eggs I’ve placed in that particular basket.

So where am I gonna be? Still there, hopefully less. Here, hopefully more. Probably trying to wiggle into more group chats or niche online spaces, as at the end of the day all I really want to do is roleplay as a silly duck and get into goofy, cartoony, slapstick-heavy, and possibly flirty situations. (And if that sounds like your kind of thing, drop me a note!)

Being online is a strange thing. And I could stand to be more obscure for a while- maybe it’ll force me to pick up my writing habit more routinely, as I’ve been completely ignoring it. But I’ll always be around in some capacity.

As a man much better at Twitter than me once said: “Coward. I will never log off”

Hey folks!

I know, you probably forgot I existed on this site- I would too!

A couple years ago, I stopped uploading to FA because I'd moved to other social media websites, and in so doing wanted to curate a more organized gallery. I wanted something that looked a little more "professional," as well as something that could organize my ever-growing cast of characters better. I've had some luck with things like Toyhouse, but my primary place of sharing art for the past few years has been Twitter, which is one of the worst gallery options out there. FA's been a pretty successful home for my writing over on Plotsburg Press, and given that, I figure it's not a bad idea to keep my content organized in one place.

Granted, in the past couple years, I've gained a whole bunch of art, and a couple new characters besides. Rainer's account isn't going anywhere, but going forward I'm not gonna worry about organization/separation and I'll just be posting whatever I feel like here. It also likely won't be in a singular massive art dump- heck, I don't even know if I'll do it frequently! But I still wanted to say hello, and that I'll be gracing your inbox again, and that I hope you've all been well!

Haha. Splat! Now THAT’S marketing. Let’s hope this leads to a LOT more pies being thrown on the front page, please.

Also, hello! I’m still here, sometimes. If you ever want to chat, feel free to drop me a line!

Howdy, y’all!

I’ve been taking writing commissions more and more lately, and finally have a place they can all live!

 PlotsburgPress

It shouldn’t be a shock that slapstick and cartoon antics are my favorite thing. Writing is my second passion, and so I’m endeavoring to create a place they can live in harmony. I’m currently open for small commissions over there, and would appreciate y’all checking it out!

I still check FA regularly, but haven’t been using this account because it felt odd to post things others had made for me. This account is by no means changing, either! I’ll still leave this gallery as it is for future generations.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the funny pages!
https://www.furaffinity.net/user/plotsburgpress/

Heya, folks!

I don’t post much on FA anymore, but I wanted to make a more concise set of other places where I’m more active:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MainMandarin

Tumblr: http://duinoduckfanclub.tumblr.com

Telegram: I have one, but prefer to know folks before sharing it with them. Should you ever want to talk about anything at all, I encourage you to send me a note here or a DM on Twitter- the inboxes are open for a reason!

I still check this site frequently since there’s a large swath of great cartoon content abound, so I’ll always be in earshot. Thanks for reading, and stay silly!

Wow, I recently hit 1000 watchers here, which is nuts! Thank you all for your support, that's freakin cool. Really, I mean it when I say your support means the world to me, and I value the attention to a degree that could be considered troubling by modern psychologists.

Unfortunately, I don't update this gallery much anymore. But, I have set myself up in some other places, if you'd like to review fabulous duck-based content:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MainMandarin
Tumblr: http://duinoduckfanclub.tumblr.com/ <- PICTURES OF MY CHARACTER ARE HERE (and set to post a few new ones weekly, indefinitely!)
Other Tumblr: http://mainmandarin.tumblr.com/ Wanna see where I steal all my jokes from? WELL,
Telegram: I use it every day! Note me for info or leave your name in the comments, and please pardon me if I don't feel comfy sharing my info should I not know you very well.

But, that's reminders done. I moved in with  aurafox about a month ago and we're busy setting up an ideal toon pad, as well as rocking a recent promotion at my job. Life's good right now, and I am VERY cute. I hope all of you are doing well too!

What's going on in YOUR lives?

MFF was radical! It was a great con with great people and I can't wait to do it next year!

I still use Telegram for my primary means of communication! If you ever want to shoot the breeze, send me a note and ask for it!

Twitter is also a thing I use a lot! It's MainMandarin! My jokes are funny, I promise!

Also as of MFF, I'm the proud owner of a fursuit made by  thefuzzfactory! It looks great, because I am great! https://twitter.com/MainMandarin/st.....95824094007296 Fursuiting is hard and exhausting but a bunch of fun! I'm never uploading pictures here again though, so if you want to see them, BAM Twitter is right there!

I hope you all are doing well, and thank you for reading!

I'm gonna be there! Are you gonna be there? Tell me about it and maybe we can be there, together!

What's going on, FA? Tell me all about your wildest cartoon fantasies.

I use it a lot. Y'all should give me yours so we can also hang out and be cool.

What's up, y'all?

Crazy week, right?

You've seen a hundred of these journals, you know the score.

I'm not really active on any website anymore except Twitter. https://twitter.com/MainMandarin If you want to see anything I do, chat, hang out, whatever, that's the place to get me.

Another place I am: https://beta.furrynetwork.com/duino/
Also this I guess: https://www.weasyl.com/~duino
Art of me: http://duinoduckfanclub.tumblr.com/
Talk to me: Telegram, Skype, Discord available upon request

I don't want to delete this account, since it has a lot of good memories. And I get that running a website has got to be hard. But I just want to hang out with friends and not suffer through massive outages every few months.

I hope y'all are doing well. I just needed to make a post to confirm that yeah, I'll always be around. Hit me up if you need me.

Hello!! Boy FA sure still is around, huh? I'd like to remind y'all that if you need me, I'm way more active in a list placed over here: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/7418240/

But, as long as we're here: what's up? Tell me about yourself. Leave a comment, send a note, whatever. I've been playing a lot of Overwatch and I'm forcing myself to take a break to be a LITTLE social.

Want to see artwork of me that I've commissioned more recently? Boy do I have good news for you: http://duinoduckfanclub.tumblr.com/ (seriously, new art IS posted here, and it's set to post two pictures a day indefinitely. This is the new hot spot for all my wacky hijinks I KNOW y'all love
!)
On Tumblr already and want to see me reblog content from people who're funnier than me? Bam: http://mainmandarin.tumblr.com/

Got a Twitter? Want it to have about 30% more suplexes? Of COURSE you do! https://twitter.com/MainMandarin

Got Telegram? Hey, me too! Ain't instant messengers great? (though I only give the name out with permission, it's not hard to guess)

I'll still check FA, so comments and notes are as always a way to reach me. But its primary use was as a gallery, and thanks to some Tumblr editing I have one that looks a lot better and I can more easily keep updated. I'll always be around, that you can count on. But it's important to let folks know they have options in where they want to see ya.

Hey y'all! MFF was amazing and I'm getting that journal off my page with something short.

-I'll be at ANE in Boston this month, volunteering and hosting a panel on Pie Throwing Sunday afternoon! Y'all should come, it's gonna be a great time.

-I'm still working on a job hunt after the last one unfortunately didn't work out commute-wise. Got a few leads but we'll see what happens!

-As always if you need to contact me, my Twitter is MainMandarin and my IM service usernames are available upon request. Or just send me a note, do whatever it is you do.

No one reads through these, but the ten minutes I spend on this means MFF is ten minutes closer! Wahoo!

Stolen from  blimpwolf

Where are you staying?
The Hyatt!

What day are you getting there?
Thursday around noon, all goes well.

Who will you be rooming with?
 koebi,  kingdomfiend, and the boy,  aurafox

Who will you hang out with during the convention?
The bros listed above, plus a myriad of other wacky folks and toony peoples. Plus whoever wants to see my rare public appearance, I guess!

How can I find you?
I'll likely be sitting at tables and benches peoplewatching a lot. I'll be the angry ginger with a backpack who's glued to his phone.

Are there any panels you might be attending?
None in particular, unless someone recommends something.

Are you attending any stage or public performances?
Maybe Dance Comp if I'm awake for it.

Will you be suiting?
Not likely! Comes with the "tall 'n big 'n needs glasses" body type.

Which suit(s) are you bringing?
I have a new hoodie that's really nice. That counts, right?

Do you draw?
Oh, no. No no, not at all.

Are you taking commissions or trades?
I'll talk smack about you on request. You can also buy my company with food.

How old are you?
22.

How tall are you?
6'1"

Can I talk to you?
Of course! Just expect me to talk about myself a lot.

Can I touch you?
High fives are sick. Everything else needs to be discussed.

Can I visit your room?
If you can make it through the DEATH MAZE. (also if I know you and schedules permit)

Can I buy you drinks?
No one reading this is gonna try to buy me drinks, come on.

Can I give you stuff?
Only if it's not ticking.

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
The only embrace I'll be handing out are Stone Cold Stunners.

What’s your goal for the con this year?
See a bunch of cool folks, pie some nerds who've been asking for it, and maybe try suiting if it works out. Otherwise just have fun!

Are you nice?
As much as my online presence denies it, yes.

How long are you going?
I leave Monday around noon.

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Shouting "DUCKO" or "DUINO" is, while embarrassing, effective. More traditional greetings also work.

Where will you be most of the time during the days?
Probably attached to someone's side and tagging along for wacky adventures.

What/where will you be eating?
I'll be throwing my name into a lot of other people's food orders. That's what's up.

Can I take your picture?
So long as you get my good side.

Can't wait to see you nerds there!

And despite having slept very little in the past two days I feel VERY awake. What's going on, guys? Let's CHAT and HANG OUT. Also, if you're gonna be at MFF or ANE and want to say hi, let's make plans for that! I'll be at both and have a more or less wide-open schedule.

Now if you'll excuse me I need to keep downing all this soda so my life force maintains its level of power.

I got back from Connecticut earlier today after FurPoc 2015, ready for a nap and bedbug-free. As far as a brief report goes, the con itself was a fantastic time. From a short but fun surprise party for Teddy on Thursday, to a couple slapstick tutorials for a friend on Friday, to room hopping and lots of take-out and alcohol with all sorts of folks on Saturday. Sunday I barely left the Super 8 since most of the con had wound down and I wanted to enjoy the private space, and today I drove home at 80-90 MPH on average because the MassPike is awesome to cruise down.

Seeing people I hadn't seen since ANE was a real treat. I love all those guys and it's rare we get to actually hang. Even if it was in passing, if we saw one another I've got nothing but love for y'all. I was mega reclusive this con but thanks to those who forced me to come out. You did me a big favor. <3

Right now I'm gearing up to start a new job the week after I get back from MFF. It's gonna be a rough start, since they wanted me to come in the week of the con, but we managed to work it out. I'll be working in an investment advisory agency as a shareholder correspondent to start, which is a fancy way of saying I'll be doing routine customer service and recordkeeping. Not the most fun job, but it'll pay well and they're interested in bringing me on full time after my temp stint, which is amazing.

Otherwise I'm looking for stuff to fill the gap during November, playing a ton of Splatoon and cutting back on commissions and snacks to save up for bigger life purchases. With all the cons happening I gotta be a bit more frugal, but it's all for good reason. Overall I'm in a really good place and couldn't be happier.

And once again, if you read all that, I appreciate you taking the time to check in. As bad as this website can be I'm still thankful for it. If any of y'all ever need anything, don't be a stranger. And know I'm way more active on Twitter: MainMandarin. Telegram is also a thing if that's your bag, and you can even shoot me a note as need be. I'm here if anyone needs me for anything. That's how it goes.

Now if you'll excuse me, some terf needs inking.