EPTMaybe it'll be interesting, or maybe it'll be dull. But at least it's a happy sign that even now we have strong enough bonds in our clans to meet up, even when most members are new to one another. Meaning, we're not friends of old living out nostalgia, but a mix of both new and old!
Thursday
I'll just get to it! It started a bit already on Thursday, when GruGloG[ReV] came to sleep over at my place (I'm Incomplete[ReV]). But before we went to "sleep", we went out for dinner:
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/JY8Hj9l.jpg)
GruGloG[ReV] drinking his ~11 Euro beer. It's not fancy, it's just purchased in Norway.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/70LBUKJ.jpg)
I tried simply smiling, but then got a bit mixed between different smiles, and then I turned out to have crazy eyes. I'm totally not crazy! I mean it!
Friday
Friday came along and we picked up Quail[ReV] at Flesland Aiport, where the sign doesn't exactly help you confirm if you've actually come to the right place.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/4vs1aoe.jpg)
GruGloG[ReV] and Quail[ReV]
And as planned, we met up with the two brothers, BaD[ReV] and SkRiK[ReV] at the ferry, where SkRiK got a woman to take the picture for us. At first we were kinda just standing there awkwardly since we had still just recently met, so she asked if we didn't like each other. Since we stood so far apart and such.
We got closer together, and inspired by her taunt I went on to caress GruGloG's chest for the picture. Only, I was too late. So I simply caressed him, and now my arm looks really weird on the picture.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/Tg3dUFa.jpg)
BaD[ReV], Incomplete[ReV], GruGloG[ReV], Quail[ReV], SkRiK[ReV]
On our way, we also had to wait a bit in queue, due to a traffic accident. We promise that we didn't cause it in any way! We are also happy to announce that no animals were harmed during the accident, only people.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/gaWrzq1.jpg)
We did some slight shopping to ensure the essentials were in place, however my parents had already bought in some food as well. Including some frozen pizza. People looked around a bit in the house, but it took about 2 minutes until people identified the table upon which our computers would be standing, and where most of the sour smell of sweat and farts would stem from:
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/EnDxFuL.jpg)
Quail's keyboard got an extra thumbs up!
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/cs4IbZ4.jpg)
And since we couldn't wait to play until the food was ready, I graciously fed BaD[ReV] as he was playing. Quail[ReV] is a grown girl and was able to eat all on her own!
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/gJumIqn.jpg)
Saturday
We got up, and essentially hopped right onto our computers and got to gaming. Well, BaD got up well before the rest, and then we came trickling one by one and settling down. We had 2 stationary computers, 2 laptops, and then there was Quail's little stone tablet which she turned on, failed to do anything with, and was never to be seen again. But it turned out quite well, as we are old (except Quail) and could take turns relaxing/playing.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/57APKbK.jpg)
SkRiK[ReV], GruGloG[ReV], Quail[ReV], Incomplete[ReV]
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/PcM7DVq.jpg)
The two brothers and rivals, BaD[ReV] and SkRiK[ReV]
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/gY6TEOd.jpg)
I may be manner, but I'm NOT happy!
As the dust settled, only the diligent Quail remained playing, working hard on perfecting her builds using the fantastic Macro Alone-map (which I recommend anyone to use!). BaD was observing which tricks she had up her sleeve, as they had a lot of matches against one another over the weekend.
Meanwhile, GruGloG and SkRiK were having themselves a calm game of chess.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/eWTzZD0.jpg)
Macro Alone
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/nPrQjnh.jpg)
Macro Together
Having had our collective fill of gaming, we went out for some grocery shopping, inclduing ingredients for SkRiK's infamous vegetarian lasagna. And since the weather was so nice, we also stopped by the harbor to enjoy some ice cream and talks of cricket, the commonwealth, soccer, and why we shouldn't talk about any of it and stick to starcraft instead.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/OMoCGEf.jpg)
From the left: My Name is Ear...I mean SkRiK, Mid-laugh-ice-cream-eater-Incomplete, Shy-like-a-Korean Quail, and our very special BaD
And then the sugar wears off...
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/IxFdmai.jpg)
While the others were napping, Quail and I went for a walk up the mountain/hill. It was just a 10 minute walk to find a nice and peaceful place to relax, get some fresh air, and enjoy the view. We decided that it was too nice a place to not visit, and that we should badger the others to join us. We found them by their computers and had them tag along to the very same spot we had just been.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/6Zza4wE.jpg)
Then we went back to eat SkRiK's lasagna, and get some more gaming done. 2v2, 3v3, FFA, 1v1, micro maps - the whole package! And of course a lot of happy bad mannering one another as we always do!
Sunday
As usual, BaD got up well before the rest and went for a morning walk, before eating breakfast. He always had scrambled eggs made ready for us when we got up, and the coffee can was full of hot coffee for the taking. He also took a lot of pictures of the surroundings, and I wanted to share a couple of them:
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/piselOL.jpg)
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/r0zBgj5.jpg)
Fun fact (?) about the goal on the lawn there: My father welded it for us when we were kids, as we'd play soccer all day long. We usually used empty acid cans (used for the grass the cows eat), but he wanted to make us something special and so he made that. We've had it for like 20 years or something, now.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/mUnVML4.jpg)
Above the sea of fog.
Quail went early, as she had to bus across the country. But not until she and BaD had had their final game. They played quite a lot over the weekend. I'm not quite certain what the score was in the end, but I did observe a lot of rather fun games to watch!
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/ijmps9I.jpg)
After she had left, and SkRiK and GruGloG had gotten out of bed, the final four of us played some 2v2s. Or at least, we tried to play 2v2s. We were plagued the entire weekend by my parents' horrible router trouble, leaving the Internet situation to be quite poor. Despite them having fiber. Then I hopped into the shower, and when I got back the others had not only packed their things, but they had also cleaned up the place. They had done the dishes, emptied the dishwasher, and put dirty back into it. They had taken their sheets of their covers.
It made me think that "yup, these are truly my clan mates - good people, the whole lot of them!".
A final pause on the terrass, before the journey to each our respective homes:
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/zy0C3MO.jpg)
I promise BaD is alive and just sunbathing here. We did not kill him.
And that's it!
As somewhat of a closing statement, I just want to say how proud I am of all my clan members, and how happy I was to be able to meet them. This is the first of many more gatherings, as I want to get to meet and know them all! For being people who've never met in real life, I felt like we had a very nice and relaxed atmoshpere, helping each other and simply making some room for one another.
I would also like to thank my parents for letting us borrow their house for the weekend. When I asked them to borrow it for a clan gathering, my mom's immediate response was something along the lines of; "Oh, how exciting! Which weekend is it? I'm sure it'll be fine, but just to be certain". They bought in extra food to make sure we were fed, made the beds for us all, and in general made us feel like home. They even stayed away until Monday, just to make sure we got the most out of the weekend.
I dearly love my parents, and I dearly love my clan mates. And I hope it's been enjoyable for anyone of you to read through this and to watch some pictures.
Starcraft is still very much alive! Our bonds grow stronger, and we'll keep building for a brighter tommorrow.
ReV fighting ~
Sincerely,
Incomplete[ReV],
thankful clan leader
