#i think i just need to get out more and meet people via hobbies or interests or whatever

[beskad]

.

[blood-stained-lollipop]

advice for you based on your favourite pasta

Jeff- Are you excited about the When We Were Young festival? I hope Dan and Phil come out with the gay flag and kiss just for you <3. How are your anger issues? Playing your music at volume 100 isn’t a substitute for therapy. Please go hug someone babe, having Jeff as your favorite in 2023 means you definitely need it. 

Ben- I just know you’re funny, like your friends fucking love you. Either play video games or have a creative hobby. Ben stans are literally the best. Probably have awesome taste in music. My advice for you? It’s okay if you aren’t the happy one all the time, you aren’t a robot babe <3

Jack- I get academic overachiever vibes from you, like, you’re smart, and you know you’re smart. You probably read and have a letterboxd account. You’re effortlessly cool, and probably hot, but it’s okay to fail sometimes, you don’t have to be perfect <3

Toby- Hello mentally ill gay people no im jk all of you are mentally ill and gay its the creepypasta fandom lolz. You probably feel like you’re really annoying and cope via having Toby as your comfort character. Either you’ve been in therapy since you were twelve or you need to go. Try and prioritise yourself babe <3

Helen- ITS OKAY TO DO THINGS ALONE!!!!! You probably feel insecure about your lack of friends, or you feel like your social life sucks. Doing things alone is okay, it doesn’t make you a loser. You probably like art, and you’re probably fucking great at it. Don’t compare yourself to anyone babe <3

Liu- Do you have family trauma and/or feel like you’re gonna be alone for the rest of your life? Yeah checks out. Spend more time with people, I promise they aren't all bad. Go pet a dog, stand in the sunshine. Life is great sometimes <3

Jane- psst… it's okay to let your guard down. Idk if you knew that, but here I am telling you anyway. You’re a bad bitch, I know. You’re hot, I know. But not everyone wants to hurt you. Also, stop trying to take care of everyone around you <3

Nina- you probably got/get bullied for being different. I think its hot that you’re different. Sure, you belong in a 2007 scene meet-up and i’m sorry you aren’t there rn, but you have SO MANY secret admirers. Keep being you babe, don’t change for anyone <3

Clockwork- okay i’m just gonna say it. Sometimes being mean to people and pushing them away is a bad coping mechanism. I am saying this because I have the same coping mechanisms. We are the same. Please for the love of god stop clenching your jaw and let your guard down!!! <3

Sally- Either you’re one of the younger fans or you have serious trauma. You can’t go to places or listen to certain songs without wanting to throw up. Your hands are burning from holding onto your inner child so tightly. Hang in there, it’s gonna get better <3

[castielslostwings]

Please help me tell people about my book!

Hi! I'm publishing a book! It's HERE, just in time for Christmas!! It's GAY!! It's romantic!!! It's HOT! It has firefighters and background sapphic romance, and is exciting AF!!!

I'm very excited, too!

Both U.S. domestic and international friends can order shipped Paperbacks from me directly via my Ko-Fi shop (retailers take less of a cut): https://ko-fi.com/castielslostwings/shop Or you can order on amazon directly, this is the only way to get the KINDLE ebook option: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1945687126

Standard EPUB format is available to download directly from me for $1 cheaper than Amazon: https://ko-fi.com/s/2a82c64d56

And WILL be available at other retailers soon!

Here's the thing: I had a pretty solid platform on Twitter, but since Elon took over, a lot of my followers left, the algorithm crashed, and the whole thing might go under. I don't have the same reach on other platforms, so I need some help! Please share this post if you like GAY SHIT and BOOKS and helping indie content creators be successful!!! Please follow me or check out my ko-fi for updates! Thanks!!! Here's my pitch, hope you like it:

"Fire & Ice": The flaming hot queer romance novel where a foray into BDSM helps two best friends find themselves, each other, and what it really means to burn. Summary: "Firefighter Tripp Truett has somehow tumbled into a whole new kind of relationship with his quirky paramedic best friend, Lee, but mutual relief from their high-stress jobs quickly develops into something more. With all the missed signals and crossed wires, can these two ever figure out that they're so much closer to being on the same page than they think?"

**************************************** About the author (info dump ahoy!!!!) :

I'm Robin, sometimes known as Wings! I'm a 36-year-old, queer, autistic, disabled mom of 2 humans and 5 senior rescue dogs, former R.N. & paramedic. I'm a hardcore fangirl and a proud fanfic writer (and reader), and while I know some people will judge me for that, I am not ashamed! I started writing as a hobby after becoming physically disabled and unable to work as an RN. Fanfic gave me an audience and an outlet, gifted me purpose and hope again. Transformative fiction is FUN! It fosters creativity and passion, heals wounds, and makes people happy. If someone wants to discredit me for that, then perhaps they aren't the audience I'm seeking.

Ultimately, I know I'm taking a risk, but since people seem to enjoy my fics, this book is my attempt to try and make ends meet through original fiction! I know some people WILL discredit me. But I'm always about being myself and speaking on what I feel matters: Fanfic should be legitimized as a creative medium. I assure you, friends—the thousands of hours I've spent on my fanworks are as REAL as it gets. The intersection of disparaging fanfic + sexism/misogyny can't be overstated—women (esp queer women)'s unpaid work is often treated as a "hobby," not worthy of uplifting. I'm here to uplift! The risk is worth it—I would have nothing without fanfic & I'm proud. Younger creators shouldn't feel shame about writing/reading fanfic. We should ALL approach it as a legitimate medium. In fact, MOST new media these days is transformative "fanwork" of SOME kind, whether it's inspired by, based on, or outright rebooting existing worlds.

Plus, we queer folk simply deserve to see our stories in the mainstream media and to see the characters we fall in love, identify with, and root for to get their happily ever afters.

TL;DR: I'm keeping my name and history. Hopefully, I'll be successful in original fiction, but if not, I'll still be a fangirl. Please consider supporting me + other creators attempting to dip into original works. Follow or subscribe to my ko-fi for previews, updates, access to my discord community where I share exclusive content, and more: https://ko-fi.com/castielslostwings FIRE & ICE IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH MULTIPLE PLATFORMS! Ko-Fi subscribers will have the option to buy signed copies & merch bundles! The link to purchase will also be posted there first.

A MAJOR thank you to my friends, editors, and to everyone who in my server for supporting and encouraging me to put myself out there and try something new. Love you guys so much. <3 Thank you to @chaoticdean for the beautiful cover. Many more thank yous to come. P.S. If you are reading this and know anyone with a platform who might be interested in receiving a free copy in exchange for promo (only if they enjoy, ofc), please holler at me, I can use all the help I can get!

<3 Wings

[rmd-writes]

Hi!! I always love what you write, so I'm very excited to see whatever this secret project is! But for now I do have a question about beta reading. How did you break into it? For a long time I have thought that I would enjoy doing that for different people, and I like that kind of fine-tooth comb editing work. But I am not a writer myself, just an avid fic enjoyer, so it feels like I can't quite bring as much to the table or meet other authors in a mutual kind of way. And I would never want to imply that an author needed that extra help or anything like that by just cold reaching out to them. Sorry that so much about me haha, I'm not necessarily looking for any advice (though if you had any I would certainly take it) but I am curious about how you got into it and what your experience has been like! Thank you!!

Hi nonnie! Thanks for the ask!

Can I just say to start with, that as an avid fic enjoyer, you absolutely can meet writers and other creators in a mutual way! Everyone has a place in fandom and something to contribute. It would be a very lonely world for creators if people weren't there to enjoy what we make (and hopefully tell us what they're liking those things). Personally, I appreciate readers so much and I especially love seeing regular names pop up in my inbox 💖💖

As for how I got into beta reading, it started back when a pal in Schitt's Creek fandom was writing a fic and worried that she was going to lose motivation to write it so I offered to sit in the doc and cheer her on. Please note that my motivation for doing so was entirely selfish because it meant that I had early access to the fic that I desperately wanted her to keep writing 😅 that eventually turned into me beta reading that fic (and all of her fics after that) for her.

I started beta reading more frequently in RWRB - I'd signed up as a beta reader for an event, but around the same time I also got to know other writers via a discord server. Sometimes people would ask for beta readers and I'd volunteer - I'm still a tiny bit dirty that @three-drink-amy snagged the beta rights to bleedingballroomfloor's baseball boyfriends fic right out from under my nose even though she is far better qualified than I to beta read a baseball fic - so much so that she helped me with the baseball scenes in my rwrb lawyer au lol (please know that I love them both dearly, there is no internet beef here).

You say that you don't want to reach out to writers and imply that they need assistance, but honestly, sliding into people's DMs and letting them know that either I'm very interested in X fic that they're writing and would they like someone to beta read it or that I'm available in general to help if they want it because I love their writing is how I've ended up beta reading for almost all of the writers I do that for!! People are generally just thankful to know that someone is interested in their writing! It can be a lonely hobby sometimes and having someone to live in your docs or send snippets to can help balance the need for wanting to talk about your fics with someone or bounce ideas off someone and wanting to keep what you're working on under wraps.

God, this is getting really long, I'm so sorry. I've been rambling and I'm not even sure that I answered your question.

You asked what my experience has been like and for the most part, it's been very positive! I get early access to fics (I often say that my favourite way to read a fic is in google docs 😂), I get to cheer my friends on and sometimes they even trust me enough to let me throw ideas at them and write them into their stories - sometimes I even get to do this without actually doing any editing and that's just as fun. I love beta reading, I think there's something really special about being trusted with the draft of someone's writing and getting to help make it the best that it can be (what that involves looks different for every writer I work with). 💖

And all of that doesn't even touch on how much I learn from the writers I've worked with - it's definitely helped me improve my own writing!

[dropintomanga]

Medalist - The Best Manga (Almost) No One Is Reading

“I want to strongly believe I can do it. I hate how much I know about the no-good side of me. I want to be more like the girl Coach Tsukasa believes in. I want to be someone I can believe in!”

Sometime last year, I was overhearing talk from manga bloggers/reviewers about a certain under-the-radar Kodansha title that deserves more attention. I later found out that it was licensed in the U.S. and also won several awards in Japan. This manga is about a sport that I’m not knowledgeable about (but has gained a lot of attention due to a anime series I’m sure people know called Yuri!!! on Ice!!), figure skating. This past week, I got to read the 1st 4 volumes of Tsurumaikada’s critically-acclaimed Medalist and finally saw what I was missing.

I don’t know a damn thing about figure skating, but I sure as hell know a great manga when I see it. And Medalist is just that.

Medalist focuses on the journey to become a competitive figure skater in Japan through the eyes of a child and her coach. The main character in question, Inori Yuitsuka, is a 5th grader who’s noted to be bad at everything in life so far except ice skating. However, she skates in secret as she has little access to skating rinks and she’s also considered to be “too old” to start competitive training. It isn’t until she meets her future coach, Tsukasa Akeuraji, that her life changes. Tsukasa had aspiring dreams to become a pro figure skater, but wasn’t able to due to starting at a later age. He becomes depressed over life due to not achieving anything significant in his figure skating career. When Tsukasa meets Inori, he realizes that she’s the same as him and decides to help her realize her dreams of becoming a pro figure skating medalist no matter what.

The art in this series is incredible. The figure skating scenes are well-done, but what really shines are the character interactions. Inori won the Magademy 2023 award for best female character and I can see why she won. She’s a kid who’s trying her damn best to challenge her insecurities via her passion for ice skating. I can’t help but be moved when Inori says something important to get her point across.

Tsukasa is a relatable character to those who feel lost at their hobby. As someone who feels like they started “late” for a competitive interest where it’s best to start young, I get where Tsukasa is coming from. This applies to my now-daily interest in Japanese mahjong. I’m well-past the general demographic (18-34) for the game in the U.S. as I started playing at the age of 38. There’s obviously certain barriers (mostly life responsibility-related), but I recently experienced the joy of helping a beginner get through a game in-person. I think, like Tsukasa, I want to at least help the next generation of mahjong players get started and find their paths to become better players.

Inori and Tsukasa’s relationship is amazing and well-written. Every great athlete needs a coach to bring out the best in them. However, if the coach/athlete relationship is based on how much an athlete wins, it will not go well. This becomes complicated when it comes to coaching children. With the exception of Inori being a 5th grader, Medalist focuses on aspiring 3rd grade figure skaters who are, for the most part, level-headed. But they all have personality quirks that can get in the way of achieving greatness. This manga does a great job in illustrating the coach/athlete dynamic when it comes to very young children. It’s something I don’t see in most media.

One of my favorite moments is in Volume 2 where Inori boldly tells her mother that she will get 1st place in a preliminary showing at a major cup and attempt techniques that appear to be hard for her. Inori’s mother didn’t really approve of Tsukasa getting her daughter into the world of pro figure skating at the start. But once she saw Inori look like an absolute gem in the making on the rink, she laments that she never thought of Inori’s feelings out of a fear of being hurt inside. I don’t know about any of you, but in my experience, my mother told me not to push myself so hard because of my mental limitations. She has told me not to try super-challenging jobs due to my depression. I think maybe she was trying to make sure she didn’t get hurt by my struggles and look like a bad parent to others. Part of it was also my own fault since I looked at the labeling I was prescribed a bit too seriously. 

So yeah, seeing Inori’s mother know that Inori can actually do something meaningful with her life got me emotional. I do feel that some parents are really overprotective over their children and what they should be doing in life. I don’t blame them because failure over things that aren’t the norm will always be scary. Plus, not every dream will come true. Yet I know what every child wants from their parent is to believe in their ability to become whatever it is they want to be/do and that they’ll have their support no matter what. I wish more parents opened their eyes enough to see that.

I could go on and on about Medalist, but I’ll stop here. This is a fantastic series to read for anyone interested in relating to ambitious children and being there for them in realistic ways. Medalist is a bold story that details what it takes to create a winning environment for children, parents, and the communities around them. 

[valiantkittenstarfish]

I have OPINIONS about Splinter's parenting so here we go I guess?!

I see a lot of people use a lot of extreme measures to try and explain Splinter's distant parenting and I just don't think it's really necessary? Here's my two cents on the matter..

It's pretty obvious that Splinter was very present in the turtle's lives up until the series began as seen in the (extremely cute) turtle tots flashback from "End Game".

Splinter was clearly doing more than just meeting needs and did his best to fulfill their wants and whims as well. But then you get moments like in "Turtle-dega Nights: The Ballad of Rat Man" that shows that Splinter also clearly doesn't spend a lot of time with his children now.

Splinter: And so handsome too. When was the last time we did something together?

Donnie: Let's see. 278 days ago. You said Hi Purple to Raph.

So which is it?? Well I think the answer is pretty simple. Splinter interacted with the boys whenever they came to him for something. Splinter did not actively seek out time with the boys but was more than happy to help them with whatever they asked for. As tots the boys would have had more needs and therefor Splinter would have spent far more time with them. But as the boys got older they grew more independent and self sufficient so the interaction between Splinter and the boys dropped off. The boys came to Splinter less often and Splinter was able to enjoy uninterrupted television for longer.

This whole situation is powered by Splinter's tragic past that he coped with via escapism. Television became Splinter's escape from reality. Which is why Splinter is more than willing to fulfill the whims of his children. He wants them happy but almost just as importantly he wants the boys distracted. He is more than happy to put in the effort to fulfill one of his children's asks, need or want, if it has the pay off of more uninterrupted escapism. It makes Splinter feel like he is still being there for his children but also maximizes his time away from reality. I don't think this went as for as being dissociative though, Splinter would still present as needed for his boys.

I would describe Splinter's parenting as a form of "bare minimum parenting". Splinter does not invest his personal time into the boy's hobbies and skills beyond what they come to him for. He cares for them but his escapism is just as important to him. Is it neglect? Yes, I would say so. Is it abuse? That's a bit more complicated I think. But Splinter's acknowledgement of his shortcomings shows promise that there was supposed to be some pretty good character development down the line.

Either way I do feel like this is a much more simplistic, as well as realistic, way of describing Splinter's parenting dynamic. It still acknowledges that Splinter wasn't a great parent but avoids both the extremes of "dissociative depression to the point of abandonment" as well as "blatant child abuse". This also prevents the cliche parentification of Raph since Splinter was still fulfilling the role of parent.

Anywhizzle, I'm not perfectly eloquent but I hope this explains my thoughts on the matter in some capacity. I should also clarify that this is more of an observation on the canon universe than anything else. Thaaanks~!

[anghraine]

One of the things that some people seem to ... not realize about mental illness/disorders/conditions/psychopathology/whatever you want to call the brain weasels is that "symptom of a disorder" does not mean utterly divorced from typical human experience.

It seems really common for people to indignantly denounce a given symptom being considered a symptom of a disorder because "everyone does that" or "that's common, actually" or whatnot, regardless of evidence for the symptom being associated with disorder X.

But there are some major issues with this.

[This predictably ended up long and personal and rambling. I am what I am!]

The first is that symptoms of disorders are quite frequently behaviors or ways of thinking or whatnot that most human beings will do at some point, in some contexts, and what makes them "disordered" is when they occur in unusual contexts, or much more persistently than is usual (especially if these unusual contexts/persistence are disruptive to the person or those around them), or are similar but much more severe or intense than is usual.

For a straightforward instance that most people do get: the overwhelming majority of human beings experience fear and/or anxiety at the prospect of certain social situations. Being anxious and stressed about a major work meeting, say, is not at all unusual. But if you generally feel that level of stress at the prospect of interacting with other people in any context and spend your life in constant fear and dread, that's often a sign of clinical anxiety. That is, it's not unusual for a person to experience fear at various points; it's the pervasiveness and severity out of proportion to what it's about that are unusual and likely having a very major impact on the person's relationships and quality of life.

Additionally, most disorders are not diagnosed via a single symptom. My visceral hatred of direct eye contact, for instance, contributed to my autism diagnosis—noticeably avoiding eye contact or experiencing profound discomfort around it is a very common symptom of autism. But that alone does not an autism diagnosis make. Sometimes people are just shy or unaccustomed to looking people in the eye or have some other reason. But that doesn't make it irrelevant to autism when it tends to be particularly prevalent and particularly persistent and intense among autistic people.

Also, sometimes a symptom is a "normal" thing people do taken to a much greater extent than is usual. Lots of people have hobbies, lots of people are intense about them, but the level of fixation associated with some conditions does have to be fairly extreme compared to how most people are, which is why "well, lots of people have hobbies" is a rather silly criticism of hyperfixations being part of diagnostic criteria.

I've been thinking of the latter point lately—not just with respect to hyperfixations, but the inability of many people to grasp that "thing lots of people do, but more" can be a significant symptom of a broader mental condition.

Like, going back to autism, I've often seen allistic people get very aggressive and indignant about something they see as "normal" being in any way associated with autism. There was a post going around awhile ago talking about autistic people navigating social situations via conscious, rigid sets of rules, and one of the people in the replies lost their shit at the idea that this could be a diagnostic symptom (even though rigid adherence to exact rules or systems is particularly common with people on the spectrum and our social issues contribute to reliance on rules) because "everyone does that."

I mean ... firstly, no, plenty of people understand social "rules" more intuitively and don't have to think through them with as much deliberation as autistic people frequently need to. Neurotypical people often are more able to understand where rules can be bent and more comfortable with exceptions and inconsistencies where, to many autistic people, rules can be more like fundamental constants of the universe (and inconsistencies can be much more actively upsetting!).

An example that a friend of mine and I can now joke about: a few years ago, we went to an academic conference in Orlando, FL, where we were both presenting papers. A major tornado suddenly struck while we were out touring the city, and we had to run to the nearest substantial shelter. The streets in our area were largely deserted and we were running towards a large sports goods store when I came to a very abrupt halt.

My friend: what are you doing?!

Me, pointing at the crosswalk sign: It says don't walk.

My friend: There is a TORNADO and nobody is here.

Me, in my late 20s: But it says don't walk.

And it's like ... I'm sure there are allistic people somewhere who might think that way and autistic people who could adapt to the basic reality of the situation more easily than I could. But for my friend, this was very much an "Elizabeth is autistic for real" moment because of the way that rules operate in my mind—even when I intellectually know that sometimes they need to be broken for the sake of something more important, there's some part of my brain that cannot deal with the reality of that.

Or, say, I never have the time or energy to keep my living space as orderly as I prefer, but I have at least managed it with my clothes closet, in which all my blouses, skirts, and dresses hang in a specific order based on the color or main color for prints of the article of clothing (white -> grey -> blue -> green -> yellow -> brown -> red -> purple -> black). Allistic people sometimes do this, too—but when my foster sister was sent to hang up some of my clothes when I was living at home in my late twenties again and didn't hang them up according to my color-coded system, it felt a bit like my mind was melting and I was very deeply upset out of all proportion to the situation (but could only see that in retrospect).

That's the sort of thing that came up when I was getting diagnosed with autism—not because all autistic people are that way or because no allistic people are that way, but because that kind of thinking if not that specific scenario is associated with the spectrum and affects my life more pervasively than any single incident or description really conveys.

Last example of what I'm talking about, and the one that brought this to my mind this week: the other day when my mother's family arrived and I was helping her prepare dinner, there were about four conversations happening at once between different relatives, lots of different sounds and smells, and my mother was distractedly rattling off everything she needed. I'm very easily overstimulated, cannot multi-task (this is why I can't drive!), can't remember lists, and struggle to deal with most sensory input, period.

So I was standing in the kitchen with my brain sort of shorting out and my aunt (not the terrible aunt I've mentioned, but my uncle's wife) starts asking me how she can help me do all this stuff while this clamor is going on around us. This was like ... autism special hell and I was trying to get across "I just need to do these things one at a time by myself, but there are a lot of distractions," but I couldn't string the words together even though I'm highly verbal on paper, in a controlled environment. My aunt just kept asking what I wanted her to do and I kept getting more and more upset and inarticulate to her bewilderment, which my mother finally noticed.

My mother: Oh, oops, she's having an autism moment, all this is probably overwhelming, right?

Me: I—

My aunt: Haha, that's not autism! I'm overwhelmed too!

This kind of thing happens to me all the time. The moment that anything about me or someone like me is attributed to being autistic, allistic people rush to insist that it's not really an autism thing, it's normal, they experience the same thing, even when they very obviously don't experience it in the same way.

I'm sure my aunt was overwhelmed in her fashion. But it didn't interfere with her ability to form sentences. Yet she was watching me struggle to string words together, what came out was a garbled incomprehensible mess, the whole family knows I have a formal diagnosis and it's been generally known in the family that I'm autistic for over ten years, and yet the idea that this might be affecting my thinking or behavior in any significant way is something that allistic people often find somehow offensive, even when they like or love me personally.

And, yeah, lots of allistic people are at a loss for words at some point or other, but that doesn't mean it isn't particularly significant for autistic people. Things like severity, pervasiveness, disruption to quality of life matter, not only the extremely simplistic assumption that any and all symptoms of mental disorders must be wholly separate from random people's assumptions about what is "normal."

[lafcadiosadventures]

Madame Putiphar Readalong. Book Two, Chapter XXII:

The banality of Evil

detail from James Gillroy's A Voluptuary Under the Horrors of Digestion

From Villepastour’s Castle to Putiphar’s lair we go. Patrick jumps to and fro like a pawn in a board game. No time to catch his breath from the intensity he just endured at Gave’s, he is already on his knees, kissing the hem of Putiphar dress, once again ready to kiss more of her, in order to get her not to deport his undeserving friend Fitz-Harris, who Putiphar affirms, should be more than happy to be set free (let us bear in mind that the man, despite his many flaws, had only sang a stupid song) He gives her what she wants. He needs all the powerful friends he can get (is he thinking also of asking her help in securing his position on the musketeers/clearing his slate?). The chapter is for now, almost a perfect refelection of Chapter XIX, but it skillfully lets reader expectations down. Those expecting another eroticosymbolist scene between Patrick and Putiphar, with the poetry of the kiss and Patrick’s both skilled and naif manipulation, will be disappointed: we are given something diametrically opposed to that. Farce.

Madame Putiphar is in Petrus eyes, the de facto queen of France. As Patrick comes to his appointment, ministers are leaving after a meeting with her, her desk full of maps, plans, treaties, etc. What is the actual king of France doing? Cooking.

The ridiculousness of the situation is evident. The man who is supposed to be the most powerful in France sends his mistress to do his work while he’s all messy, dressed as a cook (a typically femenine and proletarian occupation, even if cuisine was Alexandre Dumas’ hobby, he was seen as super extravagant for cooking for his guests)(If inversion of gender roles seem to be completely positive when it’s Debby and Patrick having qualities traditionally thought of as pertaining to the opposite gender, or the narrator remarkably stating the feminine education has only improved Patrick, the inversion is completely ridiculous and negative here)

After Pharaon’s farcical intervention (calling out for his beloved Pompon, dressed as a cook, not at all sure if the political council was over yet, not at all surprised at assuming Pompadour is with a lover, delighted at the prospect of her trying his eggs, proud at his subjects revering and recognizing him even while dressed as a kitchen boy (“emasculated” and de-ennobled too) we get not only a parody of the King, but a high parody of Patrick (we are not used to see the narrator mock his protagonists. But, just look at this:

“As soon as Patrick was outside, thick tears ran from his eyelids! sensitive and great, he had been shaken all the way to his entrails, seeing what had been done to his King.  And his heart broke, and his tears doubled, when as he crossed a gallery adorned with paintings, his eyes met Louis IX and Charlemagne!” (tr. via @sainteverge ) )

Patrick seems to embody here a parody of a belief many contemporary to Borel royalists held: that the olde monarchies were a lost golden age, and that monarchy fell because of bad execution (basically what Janin says in his review, defending la Pompadour from Borel’s “attack” only to condemn Louis XV, claiming the people didn’t like monarchy because it wasn’t done right to them!)(there is a right way to do monarchy according to those guys, you just have to look at people like Louis XIV, a big fave who Borel doesn’t mention, Charlemagne, and I guess Louis IX)

However, even if the narrator had not mocked Patrick before, he had always had elements of a Candide/Justine type of character. He’s the naif hero who still believes in the world as a lawful place, that the laws of the status quo exist for the greater good (despite hating imperial England’s domain of Ireland) still believes in the natural good of the crown and the church, only to be brutally disillusioned.

But back to the King and his de facto Queen. These are the people who manage the fates of an entire nation? This is how much attention they pay to matter of the state??? This are the super-villains who could snap the lives of our heroes out just like that if they wanted to? As in other romantic novels (can’t help of thinking of the Vautrin novels, where his mental and physical strength can do very little -on occasion!!- against the more inept and gray employees of the state who are his opponents) the personal qualities of the heroes can do very little against social roles, and sometimes their opponents are far less than them, and yet they will win. Patrick is an epic poem of a main character both in his qualities and his appearance. And his opponents are so terribly prosaic. So banal. So base. Completely devoid of poetry. They live to eat and fuck, and avoid work (Pompadour seems more serious about handling the state to be fair). And yet they are antagonists not really because of any personal qualities, they are as regular and vulgar as can be. But they wield tremendous amount of undeserved, unearned power, in louis’ case he only had to be born, and Pompon is the fruit of royal favoritism. Having them be like this really brings the point home -whether Borel agrees or not with the idea that the monarchies of old were better- that this isn’t about a single bad king, this is about power being inherited by people who have no calling/ability or interest to govern. And this prosaic couple can and will crush the lives of better people than themselves.

[edenfalling]

Fifteen Questions for Fifteen Friends

Tagged by @thatgirlnevershutsup

are you named after anyone? Nope! My parents specifically went out of their way to avoid giving either child a family name (though in Nick's case that was only managed via creative spelling). They did wind up making some classical mythology references, but I think that was accidental rather than a deliberate theme. I am also not named after a celebrity despite what A LOT OF PEOPLE assumed when I was a child. (*)

when was the last time you cried? I dunno. I don't tend to cry dramatically, but a handful of tears at an emotional moment isn't surprising.

do you have kids? Nope.

what sports do you play/have played? I played soccer in high school (badly). I also took years of swimming and gymnastics lessons, though I never competed in either activity. I was bad at gymnastics, but I probably could have done pretty well on a swim team. (I talked my swim coaches into letting me be an assistant teacher for pre-schoolers instead of swimming competitively, which I think was much better for my mental health.)

do you use sarcasm? When it feels appropriate.

what is the first thing you notice about people? ...Probably their height, if we meet in person? Or vocal pitch/timbre. Typing style if we meet online.

what's your eye colour? Brown :)

scary movies or happy endings? This is a false dichotomy and I refuse to engage with it.

any talents? I used to be a good singer and a good enough oboist that I took private lessons for a couple years, but I am woefully out of practice. I think I write pretty well too, but I haven't been doing that much for a few years either.

where were you born? New Jersey. You wanna make something of it?

what are your hobbies? Reading, writing, miscellaneous art stuff (lately cross-stitch and paint-by-numbers projects). I keep a bunch of houseplants, and occasionally dabble in outdoor container gardening. Currently I'm into the NY Times crossword and their Spelling Bee game, as well as virtual mahjong solitaire, but which particular puzzles/games I am into varies with time.

do you have any pets? Tragically, no, but someday I will have a dog! ...Or perhaps a cat, if I can get some allergy shots and buy one from a less allergenic breed. Or maybe some fish, or a snake, or... look, I enjoy animals. I just don't currently have enough free time to adequately meet the physical and emotional needs of a dog, and other pets would require more prep work.

Houseplants require much less investment.

how tall are you? 5'3"

favourite subject in school? Y'know, I actually liked all of my classes? At least when the teachers weren't complete wastes of space, and even in those cases I generally still enjoyed the subject. I like learning things. The world is absolutely fascinating -- who doesn't want to know more about it?

I think if you'd asked me around age 16-22, I would have said chemistry, but it's harder to keep up with chemistry when you're not actively in the field so my most enduring interest is probably history. (If you'd asked me at age 6-15 I am pretty certain I would have said math. I still do love math, but again, harder to keep up with when you're not actively in the field.)

dream job? I'm pretty happy with my current job(s), but if they paid twice as much I sure wouldn't say no!

I tag: @wordsforrain, @longroadstonowhere, @ickaimp,@violsva, @asukaskerian, @curlicuecal, @branch-and-root, and anyone else who wants to participate. (*)This will be less confusing if you remember that Elizabeth is my middle name, not my legal first name.

[professionallydeadinside]

I'm sorry in advance because I have this horrible habit where I'll have something I really want to talk about but I'm too ashamed(?) to talk about it to anyone so I'll send it in an anonymous ask to somebody who I don't really even talk to. OK MY BATMAN OC (you don't need to know a lot about batman for this [I don't think] don't worry) he is still in the works but his name is Wilhelm Bjørnson. He came to Gotham when he was 14 as a foreign exchange student from Norway for a schooling project for gifted/exceptional students in the foster care system, which he entered after his parents committed a double "suicide".

He was a big big big history buff, specifically from the 14th -17th century but set that aside to pursue what he was raised to be a "safer and more stable" career than a historian, a doctor. He excelled in his studies but this also re opened his fascination with, to put it bluntly, blood and guts. Over the years this fascination grew into more of an obsession as he'd see how a living body of a lab rat could handle the malpractices used in history, more specifically ones used during the bubonic plague. And this is where I start to get ashamed. In med school, he meets Dr. Jonathan Crane (a.k.a. Scarecrow, a doctor/college professor obsessed with fear who attempts to cure humanity of unnecessary anxieties and phobias via and intense fear hallucinogen. His experiments are shut down due to malpractice so he becomes bitter and uses his drug, or toxin, to terrify Gothamites and make them see all of their greatest fears rather than to help people. Back to Wilhelm.).

Him and Crane become almost a mentor/apprentice relationship as Crane shows him that he can use human subjects to further his research as long as it's "in the name of science", like he does. Wilhelm takes this about as well as you'd imagine and begins to see how a body reacts to things such as leeches being intentionally attached or blood letting on a minor scale and even the occasional vivisection after exposure to a disease. When Wilhelm graduates and becomes a real doctor he's forced to put down his hobby. It's maddening for him. He reverts back to animals he finds in alleys to hold him over, but when he sees on the news that his ex professor and dear friend, Dr. Crane, has been arrested for gassing the narrows and sending them all into hysterics, he's pushed past his breaking point. He pays Crane's apartment a visit and borrows some fear toxin from him, which he uses on some guards to break Crane out of Arkham. After that he begs Crane to, once again, let him be his understudy.

Crane says yes after some convincing and he makes himself a costume consisting of a crow-like plague doctor mask (I know it's inaccurate to the time period, I like to imagine that because of his friendship and loyalty to Crane he uses it anyways because it strikes more fear into victims and also plays off of his crow theme) and an all - black outfit to match that I won't go into detail with. Wilhelm takes up the persona of Night Terror, the dedicated and loving companion to Scarecrow. He assists in Scarecrow's plots for mass hysteria and, when given the chance, enjoys singling out his own victims to purposefully infect and then use extremely outdated medical procedures on. Eventually, he and Scarecrow sort of accidentally adopt a son together that is also an oc of mine if you'd like to hear about him to lol sorry for this long thing

ANON I FEEL THAT SO HARD ACTUALLY WAKJFGH Sometimes if I want to talk about an oc I'm kinda embarrassed about I type out a message as if I'm talking to someone and just send it to myself wasdfggf

ANYWAY- I love him!!!! I love the plague doctor costume and also how he basically begs Crane to let him apprentice because he wants to experiment on people again asdfghhgfd And hell yeah tell me about this kid they kinda adopt I wanna hear about him too!!

[shytastemakerthing]

Hii ! Could I get a twisted wonderland matchup ? I would like a romantic one (Sorry for my grammar English isn't my first language)

So I'm an intp 4w5 and that's all I know because I don't remember anymore test that I took when I was bored 😅 (I have a memory of a goldfish)

For apperance I'm curvy and rlly pale. I have dirty blonde hair that I can't put in place and look like a witch. I love gothic fashion and refuse to wear anythinv that isn't black, white or purple. I wear glasses and I'm almost blind without them.

Uhh so for my personality (It's going to be a mess I'm sorry in advance) I'm bitchless and I tend to stay in most of the time in my room. I have some friends in school but not much. My hobbies are drawing, painting and sewing. They all require patience but somehow I got none. I also have anger issues (my entire family has). My friends sometimes call me a granny 'cuz I don't have most of the popular social media (besides insta but I only have it to post my art and they don't even know I have it). I daydream A LOT I think It's called maladaptive daydreaming and I'm almost sure I got it 'cuz of my lonliness. I have headphones on 24/7. I'm a good student but studing so much makes my mental health go brrr. I love working during the night and I'm more productive. During the day I'm sleepy and tired. I hate working hard and go by the rule work smarter not harder. I used to put off a lot people because I was so strange and awkard- I still am but I'm working on that.

Have fun and I love your works !💖

A/N: Hello and thank you so much for your request and your kind words! I do hope that you like your match-up! Enjoy!

Tw: None

I match you with..........

Idia Shroud

No one knows more about spending all of your time in your room like the Ignihyde Housewarden. Literally, he goes to class via a magical floating tablet or has his little brother go in his place. Look, Idia knows pretty much all he needs too anyways and besides, there are far too many chances for him to run into an NPC the second that he exits his room. No thank you.

Due to this, it was a little hard to actually meet him let alone getting into a full on relationship with him. With his reclusive nature and the similarities that you share in never leaving the room (I am the exact same way), it took a couple of months before you both encountered face to face, in the dead of night, not thinking that either of you would run into someone..... both of you were very much wrong.

As soon as Idia made it back to his room, Ortho 100% could tell that something happened as soon as he saw his big brother, and after hearing about his run in with you? Cue Ortho as the wingman for the both of you.

Now, once in a relationship with Idia, you get to see more of his 'outgoing' side. Namely, his outbursts towards the idiots in his online games. Idia is sarcastic, insanely so. So to finally see this side of him that almost no one has ever seen, it's both endearing and amusing.

Now, it's canon that Idia can draw, meaning that he does draw with you from time to time. Now, he has moments where he is more nervous to show you what he's made, but hearing your praise is enough to finally make him crumble and show you. If there is more praise? Now his hair has turned a vibrant shade of pink.

He absolutely loves your gothic fashion style. He has money, lots of it, and now he has someone to spend it all on. Idia is on online shops all of the time looking for the next thing he can get for you that fits your aesthetic quite well....... would you be interested in cosplaying for him? For his eyes only?

Overall, there are times where he still doesn't think he deserves you, but the more that he sees you camping out in his room, or just hanging with his little brother, he can't help but smile to himself, finally happy that he has someone just like you in his life.

[flakytartart]

Box split FAQ (Who, What, When, Where, Why + How)

Who are you?

Hi! I'm Flaky, a hobby artist that likes to buy merch of my favorite characters (mostly from Danganronpa and Persona 4/5). Nice to meet you if we haven't already interacted! :J

What's this post about?

There's a new piece of Danganronpa merchandise available for pre-order on AmiAmi - Key of Love keychains!

You can buy a single keychain at random for 1,210 JPY or the complete set of 16 for 19,360 JPY. Buying an entire set gives you 1 random photo card as a bonus.

I preordered 3 full sets (THH, SDR2, and V3) to collect my favorite characters and will be left with 39 extra characters. Because of that, I put together a box split/sales post in the hopes of getting rid of the extra!

I'm charging $8 USD for each keychain + shipping ($6) and taking payments via PayPal and Venmo. Photo cards will also be available for reservation (keep reading for more info).

When...

...do the keychains come out?

Preorders are expected to release/ship out sometime in February 2024. I'll start sorting/packing when they get to me.

...do we have to pay for our claims?

As soon as possible please! After you send in your claim, I will calculate and send your total along with my Paypal link/Venmo username via DM.

Where will you ship to?

I'm located in the US so I'll only be selling/shipping domestically. :0 I don't know how much shipping to other countries would cost and it makes me a bit nervous to deal with that so I'd rather not attempt anything. I'm sorry.

Why are you doing this? (And why should I trust you?)

I think it's a pretty good deal for everyone! You get the exact keychain you want for a decent price, you help me (not really) break even, and I don't have to own 48 keychains. Hunting for merch can be difficult/pricey, plus I've always wanted to organize a box split. I'm pretty much selling these at a loss but I think it's worth it even if just one person gets what they want! If these don't sell here or on Mercari I'm most likely gonna pass them out for free at our local anime convention next year.

As for trusting me - I understand if you don't or are nervous. I really am just some dude on the internet. All I can say is that I have good standing as a seller on eBay and Mercari, am very serious about handling other peoples money, and that your information (emails, names, address, regular things I'd need in order to send stuff to you) is 100% safe with me. :] 👍

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Okay so you've made it this far -

How does this work?

Well! This is my first time doing this so the main post is mostly based off of how shsl-box-split runs their splits (+ throw a bit of Harpys_ on IG in there too). They're both incredibly wonderful and friendly so I highly suggest checking them out!

I am one person doing this alone so please be patient with me during this process. Basically, it'll go something like this:

Decide on what keychain(s) you want + what photo cards you'd like to try for.

Send me an ask containing which characters you want (I will not post your message, it's just to help me see who claimed what first!) as well as your preferred payment method (Paypal or Venmo). Claims are first come, first served.

I'll DM you to confirm your claims, total, and send either a link to my Paypal or my Venmo username. Please do not claim keychains if you cannot immediately pay for them.

After payment is received, I will update the split post with your username and log down relevant information into a separate spreadsheet. At this time you are free to send me your shipping address (recommended) or wait to send it at a later time.

We time travel wait for the February 2024 release date!

Shortly after the keychains get to me in February, I will begin sorting and packing. Before sending anything out, I will message you one last time to confirm that your claims and address are correct (or ask for your address if you haven't already sent it).

I send off your package using USPS! It arrives at your mailbox! Boom, transaction complete! :D

About photo cards...

Each set comes with one random photo card. Every character will have 3 slots and you are allowed to reserve one photo card for every keychain purchased. Reserving a photo card does not guarantee that you will receive one. Some examples: You buy one 1 keychain and reserve a Hajime photo card - if any of the sets come with Hajime, he's yours! You're the last (third) person to reserve Hajime's photo card. You will only get him if - by some miracle - all three bonus cards are revealed to be Hajime. You claim Hajime, but the photo cards are of Makoto, Kaede, and Shuichi. You will not receive a photo card with your order. Your best bet is to reserve characters that don't already have reservations or to reserve different characters (if purchasing multiple keychains). I don't think there'll be duplicates, but for the sake of covering all bases, 15 slots are available for reserving photo cards.

This split will be open until the sets arrive at my door. If you need to pull out of the split, please, do not contact/start a dispute with Paypal or Venmo. Let me know what's up and I will send back your money. No shame, no judgement.

If for whatever reason my preorder is cancelled, something comes in damaged, etc. I will send out an explanation message + offer refunds to those affected. I do not give out refunds if your package has already been shipped.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

And that's...pretty much it! Thank you for reading this incredibly long post lol. If you have any questions please let me know! :J If you're interested in joining the split, feel free to see what's available here.

[disco-elysium-via-polls]

3. "I've got a *premonition* this missing scientist is connected to our main case."

KIM KITSURAGI - He sighs. "I sincerely doubt it. Still, I suppose it won't hurt to keep an eye out."

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Oh, thank you officers, truly. I'll be right here if you come across any sign of Morell."

Task gained: Find Morell, the Cryptozoologist

2. "So your husband is some kind of scientist?"

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Oh yes," she says with a pinch of pride. "A zoologist -- a *crypto*zoologist to be more precise."

"What is cryptozoology?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "It's a pseudo-science that attempts to legitimize *research* into mythological beasts and urban legends." The lieutenant sounds unimpressed.

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "That's one opinion, yes. And people are entitled to their opinions..."

KIM KITSURAGI - "My apologies, ma'am. I did not mean to undermine your hobby."

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "It's not a hobby, dear. It's a *sub-field* of zoology, one specializing in animal species that are so exceedingly rare that many assume them to be *extinct* or even *fictitious*..."

"Searching for such species -- called *cryptids* -- is difficult and often thankless, and frankly, many scientists are too lazy to do it. Universities these days are rarely interested in supporting *real* research."

EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - She's completely internalized her husband's struggles. They are her own.

3. "Tell me more about Morell. Looks, character, your relationship…"

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Oh dear... I'm not sure where to begin..."

"What does your husband look like?"

"How long have you been married?"

"I think I have all the information I need. Let's move on."

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Hmmm. Well, his expression is slightly grumpy, but his eyes are always bright and curious, like a small boy's. And his palms are quite coarse from all the field work, but he's quite gentle..."

EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - It's always a challenge to describe the person you know best in the world.

"Let's try again. If I were trying to meet him on the street, what would I look for?"

"That's good enough. Let me ask you something else."

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Oh! Well, he's a bit shorter than you but with a larger frame. And he has longish white hair -- usually a bit uncombed, you might say *wild* even..."

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant pulls out his notebook and begins jotting down the woman's description.

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "One other thing -- he'll likely have all kinds of *field gear* on him, even if he's not out in the reeds. You know, just in case."

2. "How long have you been married?"

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "We'll be celebrating our *sixteenth anniversary* this autumn." Her smile is soft. "Not the most numerically satisfying anniversary, but I like the less obvious milestones even more, somehow..."

3. "How did the two of you meet?"

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Via a dating agency, I'm ashamed to say. I was looking to get back into the scene after recovering from my accident, and he'd just divorced..."

"We hit it off and, well, here we are." She smiles wistfully.

REACTION SPEED [Easy: Success] - She's skipping over some important parts... perhaps you'll find out more later.

4. "I think I have all the information I need. Let's move on." (Conclude.)

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "I hope I've been useful."

4. "Tell me more about this *rare insect* your husband is looking for."

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Oh, sweetie, it's *fascinating*..." She catches herself. "But I shouldn't bore you with entomological minutiae."

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant gives you a sideways glance.

"No, I want to hear about the insect."

"You're right. I don't have time for insect facts right now. Let's talk about something else."

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Well," she hesitates. "It's a *phasmid* technically, but..."

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - Oh yeah. Here comes the *interesting*.

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "... where other phasmids imitate sticks or leaves, this one's a living *reed*. It disguises itself among the reeds here on the Insulindian coast."

"Hence its name: The *Insulindian phasmid* -- perhaps you'll end up co-discovering the phasmid with us, officers?" She looks you in the eye and nods thoughtfully."

KIM KITSURAGI - "I knew it. "The lieutenant sighs. "We're gonna be chasing made-up insects with *cryptozoologists*."

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "It's not made-up, officer, I can *assure* you."

"It's simply *elusive*, so much so that most establishment zoologists doubt it exists at all."

"What makes you think the phasmid is around here?"

"So... is it dangerous?"

"Is it valuable?"

"Does it have cool powers?"

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Well, some teenagers making out in the reeds saw one. They didn't know what it was, of course, but there was a brief article in a local newspaper. About their encounter with a *ghost insect* that looks like the reeds. Gary sent us the clipping."

"So a newspaper clipping is all the evidence you have?"

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Of course, most phasmid sightings turn out to be *false alarms*, but their description matched the Insulindian phasmid *perfectly*, and they didn't even know what they were looking at!"

2. "So… is it dangerous?"

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - She chuckles to herself. "Not at all. Why else would it hide itself so carefully?"

3. "Is it valuable?"

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Oh, I doubt it. No one gets into cryptozoology for the *money*, sweetie."

4. "Does it have cool powers?"

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Yes! It can blend in almost *perfectly* among the reeds." Her face lights up at the thought of it. "It's how it's stayed hidden all these years. Centuries even."

5. "Okay. What's so *special* about this stick-bug then?" (Move on.)

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "Oh dear, I'm afraid I'm not explaining this very well. It *is* very special..." The woman's face flushes with embarrassment.

"Morell can explain it all much better. I wish you could hear him describe it. Then you'd understand, I'm sure."

5. [Suggestion - Medium 11] Maybe you could convince her to tell you about some *cool* cryptids?

+1 Has the green ape pen.

SUGGESTION [Medium: Success] - Sometimes, the most charming thing you can do is be *reasonable* in your requests.

"Could you tell me about one, just *one* more interesting cryptid? The Insulindian phasmid was great."

LENA, THE CRYPTOZOOLOGIST'S WIFE - "I suppose you could use a break, and I could use a distraction..."

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant throws you one of his *looks*. "*One* cryptid -- like you said. One. This can't turn into some kind of cryptid extravaganza. We have things to do."

[askaalaska-vdeppressed]

Kids and Coffee Dates Ch:6

Masterlist

Group Chat Name: Nosy Little Brothers (And Spouses)

Y: He’s leaving now and he looks…. Decent

S: What does ‘decent’ mean?

Y: Like he’s not in stained jeans and an old college tee-shirt. He’s… presentable

Yennifer and Geralt were sat in Vesemir’s car, parked behind a few bushes. They used Vesemir’s car as it was the most common among the groups. The pair both donned sunglasses and casual graphic tees. Hoping that straying from the typical black attire would help them blend in more. Geralt’s hair was in a beanie for the same reason. The duo watched as at 4:45 Eskel’s bike rolled out of his driveway.

G: In pursuit

L: Aren’t you driving?

S: We’re stalking a man. This is no time for morals.

L: Did you seriously respond to me via the groupchat? Your in the kitchen???

Y: It’s you’re and stop it you two.

L: she started it.

Wee Lamby has been removed from the chat

Wee Lamby has been added to the chat

L: Not cool >:(

As Yen looked up from her phone they pulled into the parking lot of Ciri’s elementary school. The gates being open and the yard now filled with booths and trucks.

“I lost Eskel in the parking lot. Do you know what’s going on here?” Geralt pulled the car off to the side as he spoke.

“Yeah it’s a craft fair for some of the local artisans. We approved it at the last school board meeting before summer break. Do you know why Eskel would want to come?”

“The food?” Geralt shrugged his shoulders before thinking a moment. “That or he wants to get something for the crocheting he does in secret that he doesn’t want us to know about.”

“Eskel crochets?” Yennifer looked quizzically up at Geralt. A small staring contest ensued before Geralt broke the gaze and commented

“You didn’t hear that from me”.

“Well that would explain why he got all clammy about what was going on at the table.”

Geralt abruptly put the car into gear.

“Good mystery solved, now we can go home”

“Wait, wait aren’t we going to go find and him and see what he’s getting?” Yennifer turned in her seat to Geralt, arms crossed over her front. Geralt pulled into a spot on the far side of the lot before sagging his shoulders and letting out a sigh.

“Yen I don’t like this. This whole following Eskel business. If he wanted us to know he would tell us. “

“Says the man who knows about his secret hobbies.”

“I found out about that on accident and I just” Geralt took another deep breath before letting a hand fall down on the steering wheel. “I just feel like this is betraying his trust.”

“Well fine you don’t have to come in with me. But as far as I see it he kept the truth from us and I want to see what was so important that he felt the need to do that.” Without giving Geralt room to reply Yennifer exited the car and took a brisk pace toward the entrance.

After about 30 seconds of grumbling, and a loud—or at least loud for Geralt- “Goddamn it” aimed at no one in particular, Geralt clamored out of the car after Yennifer.

Y: Eskel’s at a craft fair at the elementary school.

L: Kingston or Willow’s Peak?

Y: Kingston.

G: We lost him in the crowd, we’ll let you know when we have eyes on him again.

S: Keep look out for anything that might be cute décor wise. The dining rooms a bit bare.

Yen and Geralt walked into the fair, trying there best to stay in the crowds. Occasionally stopping to look at, and maybe even purchase, a few items. After about half and hour they found Eskel again. Sat on a bench by himself.

G: We found him.

L: what’s he doing?

G: he just kinda sitting there.

S: What do you mean?

G: I mean he’s just sitting on a bench by himself sitting there, he’s not even look at this phone.

L: what is he looking at then?

Y: Wistfully staring off into the distance is what he’s doing.

The pair found a bench across the way, behind a vendor to sit on and watch. Having a decent view of Eskel while being mostly hidden behind people and the vendor’s set-up. Geralt was about to speak up when a nudge to his arm put his focus back on Eskel. A woman was now sat next to him. Some sort of fair food on her lap. They both picked at the paper basket as they talked. Eskel seemed very engrossed in the conversation. It wasn’t long before the food was gone and the two got up to leave. Eskel and woman taking each other’s hand before walking the opposite direction of Geralt and Yennifer. As they made off a smile was retained on Eskel’s face the entire time.

Yennifer whipped her head to look at Geralt. He responded with confused sputtering before she yanked her phone out of her pocket.

Y: Eskel is on a date. I repeat, Eskel is on a date. This is not a drill people

L: A date? Like what kind of date?

Y: Like November 2nd.  Duh dumbass like the romantic kind of date.

S: How could you tell?

G: When he was sitting there a woman sat next to him. They shared some food then got up and skipped off into the sunset holding hands.

L: Are you sure is it was like that Ger? G: You should’ve seen the look on Eskel’s face. It was DEF like that.

Geralt put his phone down and saw Yennifer gathering her things to get up.

“Where are you going” Geralt looked puzzeled.

“To go follow them.”

“Oh no we’re not. We’re going home” Geralt stood up and grabbed the bags from Yennifer’s hands.

“What are you doing? I thought we went over this.”  Geralt didn’t turn back as he walked the path toward the parking lot.

“Geralt!” Yennifer was right behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Geralt let out a sigh before setting the bags down and turning toward Yennifer,  bending slightly and placing his hands on her shoulders.

“Honey listen to me, you know as well as I do that Eskel hasn’t been the same since the accident. He doesn’t go out, he doesn’t talk to anyone outside the family, hell… trying to get him to go out for his own birthday is like pulling teeth.” Geralt sighed and looked down a moment for starting up again.

“Tonight on that bench has been the most alive and happy I think I’ve seen him in, well I don’t remember when. Eskel clearly doesn’t feel confident with this relationship yet or he would have told us. If us being here ruined this for him and pushed this woman away. If we ended up shaming him back into isolation. I..” Geralt let his hands fall and stood to his full height, eyes downcast.

“I could never forgive myself.”

Yennifer huffed a moment and bit her lip before sighing.

“Alright fine, but after we pick up Ciri you’re buying us ice cream.”

A small smile cracked on Geralt’s face, and he let out a small laugh.

“Deal”

[helga-heason]

Letter #13

Dear Selina,

Unfortunately it’ll be another short letter here - I have meetings left and right with several people. I’ve got Gotham PD, Gordon, Bella Reál, the Joker, and possibly the Riddler if he can calm down for five seconds. Apparently he’s been having a few issues with Arkham staff and keeps trying to break out of his cell. I’d say something is coming - and, I mean, it probably is - but I think most of this is just agitation and deflection. Arkham aren’t the nicest to their prisoners.

I decided to meet Tim Drake again at the diner the other day. He was oddly punctual, though I guess people like him don’t really have much in the way of hobbies or occupations. I managed to get Alfred to keep Robin at home, via the power of food distractions and an annoyingly jingly bell.

I made more of an effort to be present in the conversation, though mostly stuck to ‘mhm’s and ‘yeahhhhh’s here and there. I found out a little more about him, that he likes cats and dogs and all animals inbetween, that he’s an acrobat and once stole a man’s liquor licence somehow. I told him I have a cat named Robin, and he laughed. “You named your cat after a bird?” he asked me. Yes, I answered, because she has a thing about bringing feathers back and there’s a feather mountain in the cave. I gave the kid the address to the cave and one of my many emergency numbers, telling him to find or contact me if he needed help. … Yep. We both have a thing for strays. I blame you for this.

Speaking of the feather mountain - there is a mountain of feathers by the Batmobile. Robin likes storing them under the damn thing, so every time we drive off anywhere, they fly out everywhere, like cherry blossom petals but… Feathers. Robin has also taken to greeting me at the entrance of the Batcave on the rare occasion I manage to leave without her noticing, meowing insistently and sitting in my food as punishment for leaving her. She’s very annoying at times, but god, I wouldn’t have her any other way.

Well, Gordon’s probably waiting. I hope you’re well.

Yours, always,

the Bat(man) - and Robin the cat.

[hotmouthofgod]

Advice Nobody Asked For From a Person With No Skin In The Game

If you’re a player:

Continue monetarily supporting creators via donations as best you can. Consider targeting your donations to folks with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or other barriers that may prevent them from pursuing traditional work. 

Yes, there are plenty of money hungry fucks in this community who are thoroughly showing their asses right now. There are also folks who are justifiably nervous about potentially losing vital income. I personally think monetizing hobbies is a bad fuckin idea and that doesn’t change the fact that losing income gets significantly scarier the closer to the poverty line you are. As someone who’s been hovering around that line for years, I can tell you even 50 extra bucks a month can make a huge difference. If you see someone struggling, support them. 

If we want more harmony in this community, we can’t succumb to an us vs. them mentality. Some creators make enough money for dinner at the end of the month and some make bank. Some genuinely need that money and others probably don’t. Some have mobility within the workforce and others don’t. There’s room for all of this in discussions on this policy. Absolute thinking is a quick road to conflict and division.  While some people are being shits and deleting all their CC out of spite, others who relied on this for income may be forced to take a break from creating to find other means of work. Imo it’s pretty easy to tell who has to take a break for life reasons and who’s just stomping their feet because they were only in it for the money (the feet stomping ones tend to be pretty loud lol). Prepare for the possibility that some of your faves may not have the ability to continue making content at the same rate and don’t be a dick about it. Don’t put pressure on them to meet your demand, whether you’re offering donations or not. 

If you can’t donate, make sure you show appreciation. Reblog your faves’ posts, send them words of encouragement, go easy on the personalized requests, BE PATIENT WHEN WAITING FOR UPDATES. Whether paid or not, creators are providing you with content that enhances your gameplay, and quality content deserves appreciation! 

For the love of fuck stop posting weird call-out lists like we’re 16 years old on tumblr dot com in 2012 lmao just use your brain and the report form when you need to. Some creators have relied on this money to survive and some are greedy little shits. If both names are on the same list, consider working on your discernment. The tried and true trifecta - report, block, and keep it moving. I swear it works every time. 

If you’re a creator: 

I don’t have any hard data to back this up, but my prediction is that those who can afford to continue supporting you will do so. Don’t panic yet. This isn’t the end! Again, I don’t think it’s wise to monetize hobbies if at all possible but if you’re absolutely set on it or feel it’s your only option rn, consider what you can monetize without violating the policy. Can you offer sliding scale or donation based tutorials or polls for CC? I’ve seen a lot of commission based artists run contests where they pick a random person who’s recently donated and create a quick art piece to that person’s specifications. As long as you’re offering the CC for free immediately upon release, this may be a viable option for you (but I’m not a lawyer so don’t quote me lmao). I’ve seen artists offer things like speed paint videos on their Patreons too, so that’s another idea. Get with your homies and get creative!

Be honest with your supporters. Do you need help with medical expenses? Are you worried about losing money that was helping feed you or your kids? If people can help, they will. And if anyone gives you shit after you’ve been vulnerable, remember the block button is your friend. 

Consider whether your skills may translate to other freelance work. I don’t know the first thing about 3D models, but I’ve heard it’s possible to create them for money! Check in with your friends and see what may be available to you. 

Draw boundaries. If you have to quit or slow your roll on creating to find other work that pays the bills, do it and don’t feel guilty about it. Nobody knows your situation but you. 

Don’t expect anyone to sympathize with your all-caps diatribe about how the entire community is full of entitled assholes who owe you their coin for all the work you decided to do of your own accord. If you don’t enjoy making CC for fun, don’t make it. If you need to find other work, do it. Just don’t subject us to an incoherent rant while you do it lmao