#having fun isn't hard when you have a library card

[mayra-quijotescx]

A WEEK AND A HALF AGO me: oh cool, I can get to this library branch pretty easily. I should put a book or two on hold. me, twenty minutes later: oops well that's probably fine, a few are ILL and those won't get here for a while, plus I'm sure these books are sought after elsewhere- holds page: *displays that I'm first in queue for seven books* me, sweating a little: haha that's probably fine, they have to find them still TONIGHT me: in advance of my library trip tomorrow, let's see what- hold #1: sup hold #2: sup hold #3: sup hold #4: sup hold #5 AND one of the ILL holds: we're both on the way DM yr location me: fuck-

[missmickiescorner]

It's a bird, it's a plane—

It's—

One of the best pieces of pro-library propaganda ever put to animated children's television.

On tonight's episode of "What You Are Looking For Is In the Library," we'll be taking a look at Advocacy—what it is, what it isn't, and who it helps (hint: your local library was made possible by viewers like you 🫵🏽)

Thanks to some great marketing (like you see above) the library—as a global information organization—has been immensely successful in establishing itself as a neighborhood or community landmark...and much less fortunate in being able to convince the powers that be of its continued necessity in the twenty-first century.

From personal experience, I can say that I don't think I've ever not known what a library is. While at a young age, my ability to articulate why the library was useful would be limited to, "because that's where the books are," I can see as an adult that as we move towards a rapidly advancing technological society that has embraced an odd pursuit of anti-intellectualism; the outdated—but commonheld—ideas about what the library is and does unfortunately inform the public about its usefulness. 

Said another way, there is a prevalent misconception that the library is an old building, with old librarians, with old books that nobody reads because we all have cellphones and everything is moving online...that can—in part—be addressed with more advocacy by and on behalf of library professionals and organizations to remind the public of all libraries have been and all they can continue to be in the lives of twenty-first century patrons.

So if a playful bop about the fun of library cards was the pro-library advocacy of the early 2000s, what does advocacy look like over twenty years later? 

We have librarians like Mychal Threets who utilize social media to let people know about what services libraries currently offer; campaigns and protests to see that library's receive proper funding; online information organizations going to bat to fight for the right to provide free access to information and many, many, more—all done in hopes of supporting the center of information services in the community.

To summarize,

What Advocacy Is

Building relationships with the local community.

Showcasing library/information services.

Securing support (of both monetary and non-monetary value) that will enable the library/information organization to continue operating to the best of its ability. 

What Advocacy Isn't

Politically motivated.

Simply about money/funding.

Pointless.

Impossible.

Bibliography

Nemec-Loise, J. (2016). Top Ten Advocacy Myths–Busted!Links to an external site. Children & Libraries: The Journal of the  Association for Library Service to Children, 14(1), 34–35. https://journals.ala.org/index.php/cal/article/view/5924/7497Links to an external site.

PBS KIDS. (2023, August 22). Arthur | SING ALONG: Library Card Song | PBS KIDS [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRTdmmdEuRM

Sweeney, P. “PC.” (2022). Advocacy. In Information services today : an introduction (Third edition., pp. 388–396). essay, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Incorporated.

Staff, B. (2024, February 27). “mychal the librarian” set to collaborate with PBS Kids in Social Media Series. Because of Them We Can. https://www.becauseofthemwecan.com/blogs/the-feels/mychal-threets-pbs-kids-collaboration

NYC’s Public Libraries Call for Reversal of $58.3M in Proposed Budget Cuts  | The New York Public Library. (n.d.). The New York Public Library. https://www.nypl.org/press/nycs-public-libraries-call-reversal-583m-proposed-budget-cuts

Freeland, C. (2024, April 19). Internet Archive Stands Firm on Library Digital Rights in Final Brief of Hachette v. Internet Archive Lawsuit. Internet Archive Blogs. https://blog.archive.org/2024/04/19/internet-archive-stands-firm-on-library-digital-rights-in-final-brief-of-hachette-v-internet-archive-lawsuit/

[preposterousgreen]

Shinra has had Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal participate in various advertising and PSA campaigns over the years.

The only one all three of them were clearly enthusiastic about was a promotion of the Midgar public library system.

[thisisapaige]

i am directly responsible for two library cards that are now in existence so i'm kind of a big deal 💙

[thegreatgildy]

New York Public Library Visual Materials / Lantern Slides / Research Library / Poster 

[nedlittle]

[alt]

having fun isn't hard when you have a library card etc etc

[call-me-strega]

How to Become a Step-Dad in 5 Easy Steps: part 2 (chapter 1/?)

Here is part 1, lore

Edit: ao3 link now here

They do go to a library in this chapter so there are a lot of references to books in this chapter. I've read some but not all of them so I can say anything about their quality more than as things that I thought sounded interesting in theory. A lot of the stuff at the library was inspired by my own experiences with public libraries.

~~~

Step 2: Get to know them

Within the next 4 months Jason ran into Danny several more times. Each time becoming more and more enamored with the young man. It was hard not to when he saw how kind and hard-working he was.

~

The first time he ran into Danny after their first meeting he actually ran into Ellie first. Well, technically she ran into him but that's beside the point. But if you were gonna get technical about it he heard her little giggles before he saw her.

He had been at the library during some of his downtime to peruse some books and relax. The life of a vigilante crime lord isn't a very peaceful one, go figure. That's why Jason liked taking some time to himself every once in a while whether it was to have tea with Alfred, hang with one of his friends or siblings, or in this case visit Gotham Public Library.

Sure he could've gone to the Manor Library or gotten something online but the Manor was pretty far from the Alley and preferred having physical copies of his books rather than a computer or tablet. Electronics just didn't have that nostalgic book smell or the soft touch of a well-loved page.

Going to the library also came with its own perks. For one, he got to visit Barbie at work. It was always nice to see her as they had this unspoken solidarity between them. The atmosphere was also a plus. There was just something special about being able to be completely solitary yet still have this special connection to the other patrons. Seeing the old man enjoying a novel with his wife, the book club that met on Sundays, the haggard office worker winding down on the weekend with a graphic novel, the young woman teaching herself sign language, the teens goofing off while they were supposed to be studying, a mom reading The Kissing Hand to her kids, all of the various people here for various reasons; all of it made Jason feel like he was a part of something bigger.

He was currently browsing a display of LGBT+ books for young adults that the library had put up for Pride Month. '"Cemetery Boys", "Aristotle and Dante", "You Should See Me in a Crown", "Six of Crows", "Boyfriend Material", "Red, White, and Royal Blue", "Carry On", Oh- "The Song of Achilles" that sounds interesting?'

That’s when he felt a small chill pass behind him. He initially dismissed it as a draft from the air conditioner, but soon after he heard the sound of excited giggles nearby. He didn't think too much of it assuming it was another kid on their way out of the children's section. However, something niggled in the back of his head that this particular giggle was one he was familiar with.

That's when he felt something collide with his leg. He looked down to see a small child with a head of glossy black hair in a red beanie glomping his leg. Suddenly, the child looked up and beamed at him. Jason's eyes lit up with recognition and he laughed.

" Hey there munchkin, how are you?"

Ellie continued to smile, releasing her hold on his leg.

" I'm doing really good Mr. Jason! Daddy told me he didn't have any work today and he said we could go anywhere we wanted! First, we went to the bodega a got these really big breakfast sandwiches! Like really really big! Like the size of my face and we shared! And then Daddy took me to the park and it was really fun! I saw a squirrel there but it ran away before I could pet it! And then we came here and Daddy said we'd make me a library card so I could get whichever books I wanted. He read Oh The Places You Will Go and Where the Wild Things Are to me and then they were gonna have story time and Daddy looked tired from the park so I told him to read one of his space books and rest while I went to story time like a big girl! When story time was over I looked around and saw you so I came over to say hi and thank you for the cookies and food because daddy says we should always say thank you when people give us gifts!"

Damn, the girl sure had one hell of a motor mouth on her. It seemed she and Danny were in the middle of a father-daughter day. It brought a smile to his face to see that she was well taken care of, but based on her very informative rambles, it seemed they were taking care of each other.

" Why don't we go say hi to your dad, huh Elle?"

The young girl gasped, "That's a great idea! Then Daddy can say thank you too! And then you can read with us and come to our house for dinner! Daddy kept saying how he wanted to make something for you too since you made us the-, the- uuh... luz-on-ya and cookies!"

" Whoa there munchkin, how about we just start with hi?"

Ellie nodded with a determined look on her face, she wrapped her little hand around his pointer finger and pulled him along to the semi-secluded corner of the children's section. Sitting there in an armchair next to a small pile of books was Danny, who seemed to be out cold, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy slipping from his fingers.

'Aah he must be tired from moving in and probably from working too' Jason thought to himself. A smaller voice in the back of his chimed in with its own two cents. ' He still made time for her. He took her out and is spending the whole day with her even though he's tired. He's a good dad.' That's when he made up his mind not to disrupt Danny's nap and let him get some rest before he had to tackle the rest of his father-daughter day with his hyperactive six-year-old. He placed a hand on Ellie's shoulder, stopping her as she was about to shake Danny awake, and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

" It looks like you were right about your dad being tired. How about we let him rest for now and I'll say hi another time? Besides I wouldn't want to interrupt your daddy-daughter day now would I?" He started to guide her to a different portion of the library quickly forming a plan, "Hows' bout we do something I think you'll like? Did you know sometimes they bring puppies and kitties into the library?"

The young girl gasped, " REALLY!"

" Yeah, sometimes puppies and kitties can help people who are feeling sad or nervous feel better. They also help teach kids how to act nicely and quietly so that they don't scare animals by letting them read to a puppy or kitty. I can help you sign up to read to a puppy or kitty today if you want? Then afterward, you can go tell your dad and he'll be really proud of you."

The young girl seemed so excited by the prospect that Jason worried for a second that she might explode.

" That's a great idea Mr. Jason! He'll be so proud of me and he'll bring me again! And I'll get so good at not scaring animals that the squirrels in the park will let me pet them! Then, Daddy will be so impressed that he'll let us get our own puppy and Cujo can come live with us!"

Jason winced, perhaps his plan had been a tad too effective. Single parents had a hard enough time keep themselves afloat while looking after their kids, a pet was extra expenses and another commitment to devote time and effort to. Pets were usually out of budget and out of question for anyone living in or near the Alley.

Well, he'd cross that bridge if he ever got to it. For now, he focused on getting Ellie signed up to read to Charlie, the old St. Bernard that was at the library this today. He and the trainer, he squinted reading her name tag, Amanda, supervised the session. Jason would be lying if he wasn't endeared by the sight of a young girl reading Dragons Love Tacos very enthusiastically to a dog nearly twice her size.

" It's nice to see a young father spending time with his daughter."

'I agree' Jason thought before realizing Amanda thought he was Ellie's dad.

" Oh- ah no I'm her -," Jason quickly made up his mind on the least creepy excuse he could find, " -babysitter. Although, her father does make a lot of effort spend time with her."

The dog trainer flushed and apologized for her mistake but Jason waved her off saying it was no big deal. Silently, he wondered how often Danny got time to himself. When he realized what he was thinking he raised an eyebrow at himself before dismissing it as worry for a young parent and wondering how he divided his time to be able to take such good care of his daughter.

Ellie was saying her final goodbyes to Charlie when he got a text from Alfred reminding him he had promised to meet him for tea and some chitchat. Once Ellie returned to his side he let her know that he had had fun seeing her today but that he had to go spend some time with his granddad and that he'd have to say hi to her dad another time. She accepted this with a surprising amount of maturity for a 6-year-old but made him pinky-promise that he'd definitely spend some time with the both of them next time they saw each other. Jason happily accepted and sent her back off to her dad before heading over to the tea shop he and Alfred liked to meet at.

" It is so nice to see you again Master Jason. I'm happy to see arrive in one piece. Usually when you are delayed it is due to some rather -ah, unfortunate hold-ups," Alfred greeted him. He returned the smile, sinking into his seat across from Alfred, ready to unload.

" Not this time Alfie, though it is a bit of a story."

" One I'm sure you'll be pleased to tell me all about," he challenged, raising an eyebrow. Jason just shook his head and chuckled.

" Sure thing Alfie."

~

The next time he ran into Danny and Ellie he was at the grocery store.

Jason had been examining a piece of zucchini when he felt a light, cool breeze quickly followed by the sensation of someone walking past him. A lean figure came and stood nearby inspecting the squash. Jason glanced up, having registered a new presence, before doing a double take. A small grin graced his lips as he spoke,

" Well hey there neighbor, didn't expect to see you today."

Danny looked up, slightly startled before he saw that it was Jason. He smiled back and returned his greeting in a warm tone.

" Hey neighbor, I didn't expect to see you either. Honestly, I was hoping we wouldn't meet till I had made a batch of my family's signature fudge to give you as a thank you when we returned your dishes for the food and for looking after Ellie that day in the library."

" Ah~ the little munchkin told you bout that did she?"

" She was pleased to inform me about how she was learning not to scare animals and how Mr. Jason was sooo nice and even pinky promised to spend some more time with her." he teased.

Jason flushed slightly, his hand coming up to the back of his neck,

" Oh yeah, I hope I didn't overstep my bounds there. She just seemed so excited."

" Yeah, that sounds like my little spitfire!" he chuckled fondly. He took a deep breath and continued. " Well if you don't have anything else going on tonight I'd love to have you over. Ellie has really been looking forward to seeing you again and I can whip up some fudge that you can take home with you if you stay for dinner?" Danny seemed to flush at his own forwardness before rushing to continue, " I mean- not that you have to, especially if you're busy! I just- thought it might be nice to get to know my neighbor, especially since Ellie seems to like you so much! But-"

Jason, who had just finished processing the dinner invite, interrupted before Danny spiraled deeper into his nervous rambles. He place a hand on Danny's shoulder to get his attention and spoke,

" Sure. I'd love to come over Danny." He smiled, puffing up his chest, “ Besides, I have a pinky promise to fulfill.”

Danny returned his smile with a laugh, giving Jason's shoulder an embarrassed shove. Jason grinned at having successfully made the other laugh. The two stared at each other for a beat, coming down from their high of making each other laugh, before flushing and looking away. A look of realization passed over Danny's face and he turned to speak to Jason again.

" You probably have your own groceries to finish and put away. How about you come over around 7:30? I can have the fudge cooling in the fridge while we eat, oh which reminds me, you’re not allergic to anything are you?"

Jason smiled back. "7:30 sounds great Danny and no, no allergies as far as I’m aware, though I’m not particularly fond of most shellfish."

“Well alrighty then I’ll see you at 7:30,” Danny confirmed with a smile and rushed off to continue his own shopping.

And that’s how Jason found himself standing outside the Nightingale residence in a casual maroon 3/4 sleeve tee, a dark denim jacket, and some of his nicer trousers with a bouquet of flowers he put a frankly embarrassing amount of thought into. He figured bringing more food wouldn’t be appropriate since he was a dinner guest, dessert wouldn’t fly either as Danny had claimed he’d be making fudge, and wine didn’t seem appropriate with a 6-year-old also in attendance.

‘Come on Jason, it’s just a casual dinner with your neighbors! Normal human interaction, nothing to be nervous about! You can do this!’

Jason took a breath and knocked on the door. He heard a pitched squee followed by a “it’s him daddy!” come from behind the door. Unconsciously, Jason smiled as he heard the door unlocking. As it opened he was met with a cool breeze from within the apartment and the sight of his two neighbors. Danny was in a pale, moss green apron, smudged with what appeared to be powdered sugar, over a pale blue button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and cuffed jeans. Ellie was dressed in an interesting combo of pink crocs, neon green leggings, a sparkly, powder blue tutu, a white shirt with glittery black script declaring her “Daddy’s little princess”, a denim jacket embroidered with flowers and vines on the back and sleeves, and a plastic tiara with a big purple gem in the middle fixed atop her signature red beanie.

“Hi,” Danny greeted a bit breathlessly. His young daughter stood in front of him beaming up at Jason.

“ Mr. Jason you came!” She bounced excitedly on her heels before launching forward to hug his leg. She tugged at his jacket before pointing to her own, “Look! We match!”

With a smile, Jason got down on one knee and offered the flowers to her, “ And what an honor it is to match with such a beautiful princess! Please, accept these flowers as a token of my goodwill m’lady!”

“Thank you!” The girl giggled, accepting the bouquet and scurrying back into the apartment. Jason watched her go with a smile. He then turned his gaze to look up at Danny who watched the whole interaction with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. He met Jason’s gaze and smiled.

“Why don’t you come in too my good sir,” he teased, holding out his hand to help Jason up. Jason smirked at the opportunity Danny had unknowingly presented him. He took Danny’s hand but made no move to get up. Instead, he ran his thumb over the other man’s knuckles and slowly brought the hand closer to his face. He glanced up once more, teal eyes connecting to icy blue ones.

“Of course my dear king,” he whispered. His breath dancing over Danny’s hand, his lips ghosting over his knuckles. Maintaining eye contact, the kneeling man placed a gentle kiss on his knuckles, watching a beautiful red flush bloom upon the young man’s face.

‘His hand is cold. His fingers have the beginnings of callouses on them. It feels like his hand was made to fit in mine. This feels right’

Jason is snapped out of his reverie when Danny clears his throat. He coughs into his other hand while trying to hide his blush, averting his eyes in embarrassment. He doesn't withdraw his hand however, allowing Jason to continue to hold it. Jason took that as his sign to get up before this got too awkward.

He rose from the ground still not letting go of the other's hand. The pair stood there for a moment with their hands intertwined, as if a message was being passed through their tingling palms. A charge filled the air with an exhilarating tension. The kind you feel before trying something unfamiliar and new that, unbeknownst to you, will become your favorite.

“So, uh, let’s head in then?” Danny said, slowly withdrawing his hand from Jason’s, almost as if he was reluctant to do so.

“Let’s,” Jason replied and the two turned into the apartment.

Danny had Ellie show Jason to the bathroom so he could wash up as he set the table. He had made grilled squash, a macaroni and beef hotdish, and some Greek salad on the side. The three of them sat at the table making some small talk ( how are they liking it in Gotham, how did the rest of daddy-daughter day go, does Jason have restaurant/activity recommendations, would he like to see Ellie’s favorite model airplane, etc.) and laughing with each other over horrible dad jokes and Ellie’s antics.

Jason could feel his chest fill with an almost unbearable warmth. He would’ve sworn it’d have melted him from the inside out if it hadn’t been accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of joy and desire. The traitorous little whisper in his head returned to comment on how much he’d love to be a part of the Nightingale’s family.

Soon enough it was time for Ellie to head to bed and Jason to head out, lest he be late for patrol.

“Here, I can clear off the table while you put her to bed.”

Danny rushed to stop him despite the young child koala wrapped over his torso. “Oh, you really don’t have to do that. I can-”

“Relax your highness, let me take care of this while you put the princess to bed.” He gave Danny a kind look, hefting up the dirty dishes. Danny returned it with a grateful look and turned to go put his daughter to bed. Over his shoulder, Ellie looked up sleepily and weakly waved one last time saying “Goodnight Mr.Jason” in a small voice.

Jason smiled gently at her and replied, “Goodnight princess.”

He then turned back to his task of clearing the table. Moving the dirty dishes to the sink and the serving dishes to the counter. He figured he’d get started on the dishes while he waited for Danny to return. He let his mind wander as he covered a plate with soapy suds. Danny and Ellie seemed like a good pair of neighbors. He doubted they’d cause him any trouble and if they ever unintentionally did, Jason found himself thinking he’d find it rather easy to forgive them. The two were both so welcoming and full of life. They made Jason feel so happy and peaceful tonight. They welcomed him into their home and made him feel as if they enjoyed his company and wanted him around for more than just a cursory “return the favor” dinner. ‘As If he belongs there. With them.’ The little voice returned, prompting Jason to reel in his thoughts. He’s only known them for what? Two weeks? These weren’t the type of thoughts he should be having at this point. He tried to rationalize it telling himself he just missed the domesticity of family dinners like he had when Catherine was in a good stretch or like he had with Bruce, Dick, and Alfred as kid when they were all getting along. He made up his mind to attend one of the bi-weekly family dinners at the manor coming up. It’d be nice to see the little demon brat, big bird, and nerd bird again now that they were getting along like actual brothers.

“Oh! Jason you didn’t have to do that!” His train of thought broken by Danny rushing over to protest him doing dishes. “You’re a guest! You really didn’t have to-”

“It’s okay Danny, I wanted to,” he reassured the fussing young man who pulled him away from the sink. The young man responded by pushing him out of the kitchen and telling him to grab his jacket before turning back to grab something from the fridge.

And there he stood in the doorway, 20 minutes after he had intended to leave, still saying goodbye. Danny pushed a familiar Tupperware container into his hands, which recognized as the one he had given them lasagna in, now full of dark squares of fudge sprinkled with a bit of white and green on top.

Danny smiled as he handed him the sweets. “A family recipe with my own little twist on it,” he winked. Jason gratefully accepted, wishing the young man well and agreeing that he hoped to see the other again soon. And with that, Jason rushed off hoping that he wouldn’t be late for patrol.

~ Later that night Jason returned to his apartment, exhausted. He chucked his helmet off onto the bed and stumbled to his kitchen. He pulled open the fridge in search of something to eat when his eyes landed on the fudge his neighbor had given him. He pulled it out and grabbed a square, giving it a sniff before biting in. His eyes widened at the taste.

The fudge was, well fudgy, but not overly sweet. It had a richness of dark chocolate and a sweeter note from the white chocolate chips mixed in. There were also candied orange peels mixed into it which gave the fudge a bit of chew and acidity to break up the richness. The fudge was topped with pistachios adding a nutty, earthy flavor to the experience. He’s sure that if Martian Manhunter ever tried these he’d accuse Jason of giving him hard drugs. But what Jason liked most of all was the quality only homemade food and family recipes passed down over generations have. He could practically taste the amount of love and thought that went into this fudge.

Jason smiled to himself finishing off his square and decided the save the rest for later. He headed off to bed with a peaceful smile on his face and a warm, full, feeling in his chest.

~~~

I tried very hard to balance out the dialogue and description as well as to not make it too long winded and keep the story moving so please let me know what you guys think. I love receiving feedback so if there is anything you want to see more or less of let me know. I’m also open to suggestions of where Jason should run into our father-daughter pair next.

If anyone's interested here is what the bouquet was comprised of: apple blossom- preference, basil- good wishes, white camellia- you're adorable, goldenrod- encouragement/good fortune, violets- watchfulness/modesty/faithfulness

I actually looked up a real fudge recipe so that I'd have and easier time describing it. You can find it here: https://www.midwestliving.com/recipe/candy/creamy-rich-pistachio-tangerine-fudge

[anxiouswizardart]

Having fun isn't hard when you have a library card

[alphabetcompletionist]

having fun isn't hard when you have a library card

ABCDEFGHI L NO RSTUVW Y

19/26

[mayra-quijotescx]

library services win: due to overwhelming demand, we (amalgamated fans of The Locked Tomb within Harris County Public Library System's service radius) effectively peer-pressured them into acquiring four additional copies of Nona the Ninth AND GUESS WHOSE TURN IT NOW IS

[call-me-rucy]

Beginning by the beginning (3)

(Almost there! Almost up to date!)

Miles rides his way to the trap, because we as readers can see it's a trap. This is stellar storytelling because we know something is gonna happen but not what exactly so it makes you even more invested.

"But he'd known that would be part of the game when he'd demanded to play." Possible reference to the title. Although in all chances this was written before the book was titled. Either way, I like it!!

Let me tell you, "Miles almost dies drowned in slow-quick-sand" was not in my bingo card for this book. Then again, this is McMaster "Here's a horseback chase in my sci-fi book" Bujold. I do not really have a bingo card for this book, it'd be pretty useless I fear.

Metzov. It'll take a bit for me to remember his name but I'll get to it eventually, specially if he insist on being an ass to Miles. And also women. "Miles wondered sourly if the general would then agree that a woman armed in a technological war might as well be a man."

Miles spoke through his teeth, words jerked out as though by pliers. "Would you have preferred the interview you'd be having right now if I'd permitted myself to freeze, sir?"

Ouffffff, that's some great great dialogue. See, this is why I love Miles.

"He'd simply have to avoid Metzov as much as possible for the next six months." <- Sounds like something that will go very wrong to the point of being funny on a reread but I'll have to wait to be sure.

And thus we are up to date! Because otherwise this post will be shorter than the previous two, I'll add here some fun facts about when I started reading this series:

I say that I'll eventually remember Metzov because one of my first thoughts when reading "Shards of Honor" was "Man, I have to remember this book's title because it I have to search it by its Vor-whatever saga name, I'll never be able to find anything because it's so hard to remember". Cut to me now knowing by heart pretty much all the Barrayaran family trees that have been explained so far. (Though I still sometimes confuse Vorhalas with Vortala but that's the only thing).

This all was because I took the books out the library randomly, I had never heard of this series before but hey, it was sci-fi and the cover looked pretty. (I've come to know that this series isn't really graced with covers as cool as it deserves but here, see? This one was cool enough to pull me in).

I also didn't realize "Lois" was a mostly exclusively female name and then had an "Oooooooh, that actually makes a lot of sense" moment when I finally became invested enough to google the author. Canon FMA fan moment, anyone?

I'm a disaster xD

Anyways, this concludes the recap part of the live blog so from now on the posts will be actually live, shorter and more random, all still in this same tag. (Also, if you followed me just for this you may want to silence the professor layton tag, I'm really annoying about those games). Cheers! <3

[fullofgutsndopamine]

See That Space In Your Head (And I Want To Fill It In)

or; the board game au

tw: cursing

look, it isn't the most nerdy thing you've ever done.

And you aren't proud of it-you aren't sure if that helps or not-but moving into a new town, in a new city- a new state, halfway across the country-known for its cold, dark and long winters well-you had to make friend somehow.

And he was so fucking persistent on Facebook too.

The posts neared non stop, always to the top of the group, right above people always posting the new fox sighting and where it was heading.

The first post was innocent enough.

Still need new members for the board to death club! we meet every other wednesday in the heart of the library.

the only comments under were spam and people looking for directions to the library. charlie didn't comment back to either.

The next post was two days later:

board to death meeting wednesay where we finally find out who's the best. come join us. Thornhill Library @ 6pm!

it's the last post that borders on pleading that makes you comment.

board to death. Thornhill Library. Newbies definitely not invited or encouraged.

look, you can sense the sarcasm in it but the way he's been posting nearing every other day for people to join his club but won't elaborate on what it is or anything besides the fucking name is making your chest boil with rage and your fingers take over across your keyboard before you can stop it

maybe, just maybe telling people what the club is would help and make people join? I dunno, just a thought.

you submit it before you can question that it's too sarcastic, too rude, not a way to make friends in this town-you're wrestling with the idea of deleting it before anyone can see it when your phone bings with a facebook notification.

it's him.

hm. thought the name alone would give it away. join us wednesday and see what we do :-)

bastard.

you weren't planning on going.

planned on leaving the conversation there, letting it die but the idea of it was killing you and you found yourself lacing up your shoes and slipping a coat over your shoulders to brave the Chicago cold before you could stop yourself.

the library was on the only busy street, which figures, and parking was a nightmare almost turned around about five times before you reminded yourself you were just stopping by-haven't gotten a library card yet and while you're here you might as well see what this silly club is about

as you park and enter, a death grip on the envelopes in your hands to get the stupid card, you notice how busy it is. And how incredibly loud it is.

The librarian behind the desk doesn't seem bothered by it either, talking at a loud volume with someone else behind the desk.

you lose the confidence you had, sliding the bills into your back pocket and slinking off to what you think would be 'the heart of the library'

it's not hard to find, fortunately

or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it.

a small group of people stand around a table stacked high with board games and who you think would be the lead stands next to it, hands on his hips.

it takes you a second to recognize it's charlie from the facebook post. he’s laughing with the small circle around him, his glasses are crooked on his nose but if it bothers him, he doesn’t make a move to adjust them. he wears a bright green shirt with a periodic table on it that says i have fun periodically and truly, that’s all you needed to know about what was happening.

you almost have to stop yourself from turning around and leaving but the conversation stops you-

"Yeah well Monopoly ends marriages but none of us are married so who fucking cares?"

"It's a figure of speech, you idiot." someone says back, pinching the bridge of their nose.

They're short next to charlie, a mess of blonde hair that's uncombed.

"Look," he finally holds his hands up in surrender, “i’ll-“

his eyes flash to you.

"well," he smirks, "hello there."

Your face is bright red before you can stop it and you try to wipe the look off your face-

"You're part of the facebook group, right?" charlie steps forward, the smirk high on his face, produces "The one who didn't know who we were?"

The blush is replaced by annoyance.

"What kind of name is board to death that meets in a library?"

he shrugs, crosses his arms over his chest:

"I dunno," he says, the smirk never leaving, "Probably a board game club."

you can't help the oh that escapes from your mouth and his friends behind him are laughing and you want to disappear.

"Right." you shrug, "guess i know now-" you turn to leave and he's at your elbow.

"Hey," his voice is high and comforting, is trying to make it quiet so it’s between you two"Stay and play a game. I was just kidding."

and you feel so fucking dumb like it's so obvious now, and you want to disappear-

"Seriously," he says, "Stay. nothing makes me feel better than beating Nick at Life. Really, whatever you're going through, it'll make it better."

you hesitate and before you can turn around, tell him no, he's pulling your elbow: "come on, i promise. and if it sucks, you can leave."

you obey, sitting next to charlie as he sits with this smile on his face, his face now pink like he's embarrassed as he fumbles with his glasses.

"charlie," he offers his hand, "nice to finally meet you."

you hesitate and shake his hand, introducing yourself as well.

"nice to meet the facebook menace himself," you finally ease up, "ready to lose?"

and it's a big statement, especially considering you've never played and you don't know him, but he leans back into the seat, his shoulder brushing yours as he smirks:

"Bring it on."

[fixyourwritinghabits]

NaNoWriMo is around the corner and if I’ve fully moved out by then I think my goal is 30k words (1000/day) to prep for actually getting into writing habits.

I just need to learn to channel some of my ideas into the act of writing lmao.

Okay here are my slap down quick dash rules on how to prepare for NaNoWriMo. These rules assume the following things:

1. You have one project to work on. 2. You have a finishing goal in mind. 3. You will stick to a due date, even if that's not Nov 30th.

Have a lot of ideas? Pick one. - Look, I know. I know. You've got all these ideas. They're all shiny and interesting and fun. But if we're sticking to one project, with the goal of finishing that project, you need to devote the entire month to doing that thing.

And yeah, this is going to suck sometimes. It's going to be real hard not to reach for one of those other shiny ideas just because you can't slog your way through this scene. However. The best way to use NaNoWrimo as intended is to stick with your strongest story idea all the way to the end.

You have no ideas? Find one. - How do you exist. Just how. Okay, fine. You want to write, you just don't know what. Use a plot generator, write fanfiction with the intend to revise it later, grab an outline and get to work. If Tamsyn Muir could get her start in Homestuck fanfiction, you can too.

Have only vague ideas? Hammer that fucker down. - Get down whatever you can. The characters you want to use the most, the events you'd most like to happen. Your idea will likely change a great deal as you write, and that's okay. Just get down whatever specifics you'd like to start with.

You don't know how to take structured notes? Write anything down. - Character names, descriptions of places, scenes you want to happen, etc. Slap them on sticky notes and paste those to a big board. Keep them in a notebook and highlight the ones you'll need the most. Take that notebook with you wherever you go. Embrace being one of those weird writing people.

You don't know where to start with the plot? Sketch out vague story goals. The big fight, the romantic kiss, whatever you desperately want to get into this book. The beginning truly doesn't matter, you will undoubtedly change it in the future, but simply starting with 'John wakes up and his house explodes' gets you out the door. Who gives a shit about the middle, you can figure that out as you go. Having the big climax would be nice, but if all you can come up with 'Alex and Bad Guy fight', then you have a goal to work toward.

Worried about getting stuck? Switch to the inner journey. Sometimes forward-moving plot isn't going to happen. Mapping out your characters inner flaws, wants, and needed changes can get you whole chapters of introspection. You may have to cut that later, but any writing that gives you better understanding of your future finished book is writing worth doing. In figuring out plot goals, don't neglect character goals.

You should also think about:

Use materials you like. I buy special pens from Japan because they're the only brand that doesn't smear on my left-handed ass. I like thicker index card over flimsy ones. Invest in good tools that will help you focus, but don't break the bank for untested methods. Scrivener will only help you during NaNoWriMo if you know it's effective to your writing. You don't want to spend several hours trying to learn how to use it once November starts.

Book out that writing time now. If you build writing time into your daily schedule ahead of November, it won't feel like hitting a wall when you devote that time to writing on 1st. Get up earlier (I hate thing part, but it works). Block spoilers for shows you won't have time to watch. Save those unfinished books and art projects as 'rewards' for after NaNoWriMo.

Check out those writing spaces ahead of time. See if your local library has a quiet corner - and if not, they may let you book a room for a group writing event. Find the cheapest cafes that will let you linger the longest. Clean out a spot in your room or house that you'll be able to focus in the most.

Shit will happen. The world will conspire to keep you from writing. School assignments will be due, family emergencies will come up, you'll have several bad writing days in a row. I see a lot of people quit in the second week because they've 'fallen behind' and won't ever catch up, but reaching your word count is not the goal of NaNoWriMo. The goal is to keep trying to reach that deadline every day for a month. No matter what gets in your way, you'll always end up with more than you start with.

[burning-academia-if]

Hi! I just finished playing the update, and I loved it!

I had my highly coveted Lars content, and I couldn't be happier about it. I just ADORE the interactions with him! And I must admit I laughed out loud about the interaction during lunch, where he took some food from MC's plate, and the MC could do the same. It's funny how I didn't even interpret it as annoying him, but just as some sort of... well, exchange. Somehoe, that scene was surprisingly cute to me. And Nevio's reaction was so priceless!

I'm also very intrigued by that customer who left my MC her card at the end of the chapter... so mysterious!

The only character I have a hard time "dealing with" (sort of) is ??? because they make me pretty uneasy because of the whole "stuck in MC's head" thing. At least, I'm glad we can actually have a very reluctant MC who just doesn't want to interact with them!

Now, because I liked Nevio a lot, and because I'm on a Lars romance playthrough, I NEED to ask... Will we get to see Nevio's reaction to when MC and Lars actually enter a relationship? And if we don't or if it isn't too spoilery to share, just WHAT will the reaction (or his thoughts) be? I'm so curious!

That aside, I had... well to be fair a bunch of coding errors. I'll list them all here!

This one isn't an error, but when going with Rhea to the library in chapter 1, would you consider making it so picking the option "You'd be fine. You'd go in" would add to the courage stat? I've noticed it doesn't while the second option does. But that one doesn't fit my MC since it's too hostile.

In chapter 2 when going to the first class and Scout asks "Mind if I sit here?", the answers feel as if she asked if the seat is empty or something rather than what she did ask, which makes it so the answers don't really fit the question.

In the same scene, some stray code: "The haze had rendered your memory of the place almost dreamlike, a moment suspended. It had to have been The $hname."

On the page where we meet Nevio, he calls the MC "infamous" and uses their full name, but on the next page (at least if MC is optimistic about the whole thing), Nevio asks them their name and the game considers he doesn't know it.

If agreeing to lunch when Nevio asks and being honest when Lars asks why (my MC accepted because he thought it would be nice to get some answers), I get a strange error where it seems there is an interaction missing at the start of the page, and a bunch of weird stuff after (and the whole exchange is disjointed):

If refusing to entertain ??? by the end of the chapter, and if they are set to male, I get this: "It would be nice to know why the two of you are connected, and what his deal is with wraiths, and just who he are. But you're not sure if it's worth whatever he want." - both with "who he are" and "whatever he want", the verbs are not properly accorded. Same a few lines lower: "With that, he vanish again"

During the closing scene with Lars and Zoe, I have this: "He hadn't been surprised when they'd refused to take hold of one of the death-touch items. Survival instincts overtook anything else. He'd gone through so many ghosts and wraiths, he no longer felt anything. He knew that wasn't the case for everyone. It was the fear of a new world. It meant he hadn't really had to deal with them. It also showed they had a brain, at least." I believe this is about MC? But not only my MC is male (in regards to the first sentence), but also my MC didn't show reluctance in picking one of the objects - he just did without any fuss (picked the "sure, fine" option during that segment) because he had to. And well, my MC has been very brave overall, so it seems a bit strange in general for Lars to be thinking about his fear and all of that.

Hope that helps!

Fixed all of them!

I'm glad you liked the Lars scene, I really enjoyed the friend/romance options with him lol they were a lot of fun. I also rather like Nevio! I don't think him and Lars are too close for him to comment on it.

And you'll see more of the mysterious customer in chapter 4!

[rebuke-me]

@ last ask game... gonna ask the obvious one: jupiter? (also maybe all of the worst girls)

FANTASTIC i'll do them all :3

jupiter

Realistic :

jupiter plays the acoustic guitar because she was part of her church's band but can't really sing.

While it may not be realistic, it is hilarious :

she had a MASSIVE crush on rarity from my little pony when she was a kid, but refuses to admit it to anyone.

Heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends :

the first time she felt the hands was after her first queer thought. she woke up covered in scratches from hands that weren't hers, because she thought that she had to punish herself.

Unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own :

jupiter's secretly a big book nerd, but she pretends she isn't because that would ruin her whole athlete image. she usually has an audiobook in her earbuds when she's allowed to have them in. she really likes ya fiction and has a secret library card so her mom cant see that she's listening to secular media.

venus

Realistic :

she wears chapstick religiously, and always has a stick in her pocket.

While it may not be realistic, it is hilarious :

venus had a MASSIVE eminem phase when she was nine and can, in fact, rap all of his discography with ease.

Heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends :

when she was a kid, she wanted to be a pastor. then she realized that she couldn't ever do that, for a variety of reasons. she did cry about it. she hates the fact that she feels like a part of her is always going to miss the idea of that, of fitting in properly, even if the dream was stupid, looking back on it.

Unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own :

she's the one of group west that has the dirtiest mouth. she's usually muttering some incredibly creative expletives under her breath.

neptune

Realistic :

she has a septum piercing that she flips up into her nose when her parents walk by.

While it may not be realistic, it is hilarious :

she's the stage manager for her theater club at her school and is a HUGE stickler for the rules. she can and will fuck up your shit if you don't listen to her.

Heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends :

she never cries. she physically can't do it, it just kind of stops before it gets going. she sometimes tries really, really hard to properly do it, staring at herself in the mirror, telling herself terrible things to try and make herself cry. she never can, and it just makes her feel worse.

Unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own :

she's the most sheltered of the three. she pretends she isn't, but the only non-religious thing she's ACTUALLY consumed and didn't just get the references through cultural osmosis is, unfortunately, harry potter. so most of her childhood was full of religious media. girl has never seen spongebob.

[fern-hounds]

Osrí: Where life goes, so should you! Joined the Vigil and it shows. Always headfirst into helping others, you never have to worry about dull moments. To travel the world, explore, and chase adventure are all on your to-do list; and the sun's only been up for two hours. Boundless freedom to do anything, go anywhere, and drink in what life has to offer. But at the end of the day home is where the heart is, and to be by your side through the night is where you'll find him.

6'3 (191 cm) ⟡ Ranger ⟡ He/Him

Ostír: Act with wisdom, but act! Whisper agent, but keep that a secret. More reserved than his brothers, he might come off as being the shy one. He's confident with making decisions, but you notice he's more of a wallflower around you. Tends to linger by and quietly dotes. He'll pick up things like your favorite drinks and books without you having to mention them, and is a notorious gift giver.

6'3 (191 cm) ⟡ Ranger ⟡ He/Him

Oisín: All things have a right to grow! In the Durmand Priory, having fun isn't hard when you got your library card. Your ideal date is info dumping about animal and plant facts to each other. His golden retriever energy and boundless optimism is what probably won you over, and you know it. Tall, sweet, and always ready to brighten up your day with some good news, just like how you brighten his day when he sees you.

6'3 (191 cm) ⟡ Ranger ⟡ He/Him