#if not more neglectful than frederick

[overheard-at-camp-half-blood]

Because the way people talk about Annabeth’s parents pisses me off, because they will always label Frederick as the “bad” parent and Athena as the “good” one, but both kind of suck.

[kp777]

By Frederick H. Decker

Common Dreams

Nov. 29, 2023

National news media often broadcast misinformation when discussing the debt of the United States government, erroneously targeting Social Security as the main culprit whether intentionally or from genuine ignorance.

The coverage of the federal debt by news media generally considered credible often mirrors, unfortunately, the falsehoods heard from Republican lawmakers in blaming Social Security as a major driver of the federal debt. Such misleading news coverage was embedded in a recent segment aired during the week of Thanksgiving on the PBS NewsHour, which is an hour I watch regularly to typically be informed by sound journalism. But in the segment at issue here, I witnessed misinformation broadcast to the public that could shape public opinion into thinking, quite erroneously, that Social Security needs gutting because it is the culprit increasing the federal debt. It isn’t.

This particular segment on the federal debt on PBS NewsHour was introduced on Tuesday November 21 by coanchor Amna Nawaz stating how the “U.S. government remains open this Thanksgiving week, thanks to a temporary funding deal Congress passed last week.” But when that temporary funding starts expiring in January, Nawaz added, “conservatives are signaling they won’t pass another funding deal without addressing a bigger issue, the swelling U.S. national debt.”

Then coanchor Geoff Bennett and correspondent Lisa Desjardins, standing before a screen with varying charts, discussed the growing interest paid on the federal debt. As Desjardins put it, “just the interest on our debt is so large [in the past year] that it is almost [the size of} the entire Department of Defense budget.” That statement may be true, but that was not the punchline of the segment.

Social Security hasn’t reduced available general revenue nor been the reason why politicians are not funding programs for younger constituencies.

The NewsHour segment ended mirroring the Republican Party’s mantra that Social Security is the major driver of the federal debt. As Desjardins concluded “the three largest drivers of the debt are in reality” Social Security, Medicare, and interest on the debt, with each in the chart displayed indicated as accounting respectively for 21.2%, 12.9%, and 10.5% of total federal expenditures. Desjardins added, “Really what’s happening here is Congress is not addressing the big drivers of the debt at all.”

In a recent piece with misinformation embedded in its title alone, “Why We’re Borrowing to Fund the Elderly While Neglecting Everyone Else,” columnist Catherine Rampell also implied that borrowing to fund Social Security benefits will, as she wrote, “continue to crowd out future spending obligations in years ahead” on programs for the young like “pre-K, or child care, or paid parental leave, or a more generous child tax credit.”

One problem in such depictions exemplified by the NewsHour and in Rampell’s article is that Social Security, specifically, is funded almost exclusively by its own revenue source. Not by borrowing, as Ms. Rampell implies without providing supportive evidence for that contention (because there isn’t any). Nor funded by general revenue as likely many believe when seeing typical charts on federal spending (like that shown in the segment aired on PBS NewsHour) that include Social Security expenditures, which are not at all funded by general revenue but, rather, by its separate targeted payroll and income taxes.

Actually, as I have written about previously, Social Security is today the entity owning the most debt, $2.7 trillion in Treasury securities (Monthly Treasury Report, Table 6, Schedule D as of October 31, 2023). More than the two foreign governments owning the most U.S. debt, Japan today owning U.S. securities valuing $1.1 trillion and China with under $1 trillion.

Surpluses in Social Security revenue by law have to be invested in U.S. securities. And revenue surpluses have over the years been the norm in the program. Thus, Social Security for years, in essence, funded the debt with its surplus revenue, not caused it.

Social Security hasn’t reduced available general revenue nor been the reason why politicians are not funding programs for younger constituencies as Ms. Rampell alludes to in her piece. Tax cuts during the Trump and Bush administrations, however, did help do that. Growth in deficits and debt, as analysis by the Center for American Progress indicates, has largely been driven by those tax cuts. Tax cuts reducing general revenue applicable to programs like the earlier expanded child tax credit that, before expiring, lifted more children out of poverty.

The Social Security program has nevertheless, according to reports by the Board of Trustees overseeing the program, recently incurred shortfalls in its dedicated revenue stream. In 2022, a 4% shortfall noted in the trustees’ current report (Table II.B1, page 7). And those recent shortfalls have been met simply by just cashing in some U.S. securities the program acquired over the years with revenue surpluses.

But true enough, within current parameters of the program, the trustees predict the program’s reserves (i.e., securities) will be depleted by 2033. Then relying solely on Social Security’s separate tax revenue, it is predicted only 77% of benefits due will be payable. That’s not being totally broke, but it would have an adverse effect on the income many elderly depend upon.

Raising the Social Security retirement age to purportedly reduce costs also has adverse effects that, as I discussed earlier, the Congressional Research Service among others have outlined. For one, among those of lesser means who also on average have lower life expectancies, increasing the retirement age would reduce their lifetime Social Security benefits collected disproportionately relative to reductions among higher income earners with typically longer life expectancies. Increasing the retirement age would, furthermore, disproportionately harm those retiring early due to work-related health impairment suffered most prevalently in blue-collar occupations.

A different option some propose to increase revenue is eliminating the cap on the income subject to the Social Security payroll tax. In 2024 the limit on income taxed will be $168,600. Income above that limit would not currently be taxed.

However Social Security is made solvent for the future, one thing is quite clear. Social Security has not been the reason for incurred and increasing U.S. debt.

[connabeth]

i have to say, as cute as the percabeth heart to heart in the intro was (although upsetting that it didn’t happen in the zoo truck and percy doesn’t find out about how athenian reproduction works mid-labyrinth), r*ck is once again giving frederick FAR too much credit and diverting all the blame to annabeth’s stepmom. ‘my father treated me like a gift until he met a woman who saw me as a problem so i ran away’ like first off, she IS a gift, and secondly, only a father who never made his daughter his number one priority in the first place would be complacent in the emotional abuse inflicted by his wife. his full heart was never in it because, at the end of the day, a baby he didn’t consent to showed up in a golden cradle on his doorstep. both frederick and his wife are awful, neglectful parents and with the way annabeth does understand that her father loved her (in his own kind of detached, antithesis of sally jackson way) and was maybe decent enough pre-stepmom, i feel like the way the conversation is set up is to give percy the room to later on encourage annabeth to reconnect with her dad, however undeserved. it always rubbed me the wrong way how much her home situation was undermined at points in the book and how annabeth went back to being close with her dad by the post-hoo era despite years of neglect. BUT…

percy hearing all this and later understanding why annabeth places as much faith in her mother as she does, and not belittling her for it, was very sweet and shined a light on the kind, empathetic part of percy we’ve been missing thus far. annabeth HAS to believe that athena will protect her because who else does she have? percy, on the other hand, doesn’t believe for a single second poseidon will protect him because he knows his mother as his protector and when has poseidon ever protected her? and to see the distraught expression on annabeth’s face and the guilt on percy’s face when she realizes percy sending medusa’s head to olympus embarrassed athena enough to punish her 12 year old favored daughter to a likely death…i’m losing my mind!! athena abandoning annabeth despite her unwavering faith juxtaposed with poseidon showing up for percy despite his complete lack of it…insanity!! and the way percy was so ready to throw himself in harm’s way thinking ‘there’s no way my dad will help but idc i’m not letting annabeth die for me’ by tricking her and pushing her down the stairs without hesitation like the reason he initially picked her on the quest for…true cinema. annabeth being willing to do the same so percy and grover could escape despite knowing she’d lost her mother’s support…so true to her character. her teasing him about asking dumb questions and having friendly banter and him saying he’d rather fight by her side than his dad’s as a parallel to what annabeth will hopefully tell him on in the zoo truck and then annabeth warning him he’s about to call her a friend…i will say this episode was short as hell and the action sequences are still not as extensive or climactic as i hoped, but i believe it did more justice to percy and annabeth’s and the larger trio’s dynamic a lot more than past episodes.

[ohtobealady]

October Prompts

8: Honor

This is inspired by @ladyrosse ‘s cardgame request. Honor - (in whist) an ace, king, queen, or jack of trumps

Robert sighed as he flipped over another card. Three of spades. He surveyed the short lines of cards he’d laid on his bed tray and found he had nowhere to place it—no lonely four of hearts or four of diamonds, no orderly stack of spades resting at the top. He sighed, again, and drew a new card from the deck.

King of hearts. He frowned. Well, he had needed this card but he had no free space to lay it.

“Oh, bloody hell,” he muttered irritably, and Robert drew another card.

He peered up from the new card as the door pushed open, and then he smiled as her face peered around the door.

“Hello, darling,” Cora smiled, and Robert felt all-at-once relieved and envious. She had on her thin summer coat, her gloves, her hat; she moved to him and kissed the top of his head, and she smelled of fresh air and sunshine. He pouted.

“How are you feeling?” She asked with a second kiss, this time to his temple, and he shook his head.

“As if I’ve entered some ring of hell Dante neglected to mention.”

“Oh,” a third kiss—to his cheek—elicited a tiny spark of warmth, “it can’t be so bad.”

“It is.”

Cora’s lace glove pointed at the cards arranged before him. “Your seven of clubs can go here.” And she walked, then, to her dressing table. Robert dropped the cards he held and watched her.

“How is everyone?” he asked as she pulled her gloves from her hands. She glanced at him in the mirror. He continued. “Frederick and Beatrice? I suppose they’re well.”

“They are,” she answered, and he watched, still, as she took the pin from her hat and removed it from her head.

“I suppose Fred’s off somewhere, enjoying the glorious days of summer.”

He heard her grunt of a laugh and a small part of him delighted in the way she rolled her eyes. “The grass is always greener, you know.”

His eyes followed her as she stood to take off her coat and came to sit beside him, near his feet.

“I’m not sure Fred would like to trade places with me. He rather enjoys food.” He paused as she took up the cards from the tray. “And wine,” he added in a soft groan, at which his wife shook her head.

“Well, I like you well.” She was looking at the cards, squaring the corners of the deck. “And not in a hospital bed.”

He hummed, conceding the argument with some reluctance, but with love for the way he’d heard the sincerity in her voice.

“Now,” she was shuffling the cards, “what shall we play?”

“Hand of poker?” he smirked up at her. Cora narrowed her eyes.

“I won’t have my bedroom smell of cigars, thank you.”

He laughed. “Very well. German Whist, then?”

“Alright,” and she began to deal. “Thirteen cards, isn’t it?”

He nodded and watched the way she quickly dealt them out. He watched, too, the way she stood and made herself more comfortable as she put the deck between them, tucking a knee upon the bed. A quick image of her from years and years ago flashed in his mind, and his chest tightened sweetly.

There she was, lovely as ever, and here was he, an old man with a new scar marching across his soft stomach.

“Hearts are trumps,” she said, and she looked up at him.

He laid down a card, she did too, and he took the trick.

They played a few more tricks in silence, Robert glancing up at his wife and finding her prettier and prettier, sweeter and sweeter, until at least he felt the words—I love you—gather on his tongue.

No. He swallowed them down. This too much resting, too little solid foods, it was making him irrationally emotional. And he knew his wife. She wouldn’t know what to do with any of that.

He cleared his throat. “Do you know, this version of the game, of whist, is also called Honeymoon Whist.”

“Oh?” She smiled at him, and she played a card. “Why’s that?”

“I don’t know,” he answered. He took up the trick. “But considering the name, I thought you’d find it amusing.”

“Amusing?”

“Yes.” He chuckled a little. “Honeymoon whist.”

She was quieter than he thought she should be, and suddenly he realized she didn’t remember. “Cora. We played whist on our honeymoon.”

She blinked at him.

“On the train,” he rested his wrist in the tray, he was sure showing his hand. “You do remember, don’t you?”

She smiled, her brow furrowed, and then she shook her head. “Did we?”

“Yes!” He nearly shouted. He looked back at his cards and selected one to play. “Honestly, Cora, I wonder about your memory—“

“—in Italy?”

“Not in Italy, no!”

She put down a card and took the trick. “I don’t recall—“

“—in Scotland. Or rather on the train up to Scotland.” He put down a card. “Do you really not remember?”

But when he brought his eyes up to her again, he could see that she did.

Her crooked smile. Her bright eyes. Her tilted head. “Oh,” she said quietly. “Our wedding night.”

“Yes,” he arranged his cards. “Our wedding night.”

“I remember that you let me win.”

“Nonsense,” he laid down a card—king of hearts. “You didn’t have any help from me.”

“Yes I did.”

Robert looked up at her, at her even quieter voice, and found her smiling at him.

“I had plenty of help from you.”

The pink smile she wore felt contagious, and the corners of his mouth tickled upward as he thought of that night thirty-five years before. How young they were, embarrassed and fumbling about. How tender and rose-tinted it all seemed now, nights and nights and nights of marriage softening the sharp corners of that evening.

“We helped one another,” he grinned, his cheeks warming as he watched a small blush rise in his wife’s cheeks.

She nodded, and, reaching his free hand out to the tray, he chuckled softly when she took it in her own. “Yes. We did.”

“And, we will continue to help one another, won’t we?”

She extracted her hand from his, and she pushed the the trick he won towards him. “Yes.” He loved the way her eyes sparkled when she cocked a brow. “Though, you have at least two more weeks before any of that, thank you.”

He laughed at her, unguardedly and, for the first time all day, happily. “That isn’t what I meant,” he lied.

And Cora only glanced up from her hand at him, smirking behind her cards.

“No,” she lied, too. “Of course it isn’t.

[kehlana-wolhamonao3]

Cissy's sister!

This one is quite an AU of Blue Castle!

Basically, I wanted to explore how different would Valancy be if she was born as Roaring Abel's daughter and how it would influence her relationship with Barney. I like her involvement with the Stirlings too much though to give it up, so I made up a Roberta Stirling who eloped with Abel, had a short, tempestuous marriage with him and died giving birth to Valancy. He hires a wet nurse for her, married her soon after and she in turn gives birth to Cissy, so while they are half-sisters, only Valancy is related to the Stirlings.

Here is a very rough draft of the beginning:

The fact whether Valancy herself should be accepted as part of the Stirling clan had remained a hotly debated issue since the day she was born and her mother, Roberta Gay nee Stirling, died in childbirth. Roberta, ever a rebel among the staid and utterly respectable Stirlings, fell passionately and disastrously for the handsome, wild Abel Gay, a carpenter, blasphemer and a shameless town drunk, and eloped with him to the horror of her family. Their marriage, filled with volatile quarrels mixed with passionate reconciliations, lasted little above a year before it met its tragic end. During that time, Roberta had been considered dead by her relations, but her actual death while leaving behind a baby complicated the matter. Should the Stirlings recognise little Valancy?

“She’s a daughter of that sinner Abel Gay,” pointed Isobel Wallace nee Stirling distastefully. “Can it be expected that she’ll grow up into anybody we want to have associated with our family?”

“It’s extremely doubtful,” agreed gravely James Stirling who, at thirty, was already reputed to be very clever and was therefore the clan oracle—brains being none too plentiful in the Stirling connection. “Especially considering how easily her mother abandoned all decency in marrying him.”

“Roberta made her own bed,” Benjamin threw in his own agreement. “She should have expected that no child of such union could ever be recognised by us as kin. Roaring Abel’s daughter!”

“But Roberta is dead,” interceded Frederick, always the most soft hearted of the siblings, as was well known. Amelia, his bride of not yet a year, sent him an exasperated look. She had no pity for Roberta, whose scandalous elopement completely overshadowed her own marriage into the Stirling family which took place two weeks later. Nobody talked about a boring union between Amelia Wansbarra, determinedly respectable in face of her own father’s eccentricities, and the second youngest son of Jacob Stirling, when they could gossip about the elopement of the groom’s sister instead. Amelia didn’t forgive Roberta for it yet and she didn’t think she ever would. “The child is blameless, whatever her parents are guilty of. And as for her upbringing, do we really intend to leave the poor newborn baby to be brought up by Abel Gay? Surely people would talk about that.”

That hit a string with his family, as he predicted. The Stirlings feared and hated nothing more than a scandal – the main reason for their immediate cutting off Roberta – and the thought of being talked about as heartless and neglectful for refusing to take care of Roberta’s orphaned child didn’t sit well with them.

“She is our niece, whoever her father is,” acknowledged Herbert reluctantly. While he wasn’t as soft as Frederick, he was known for his abhorrence of conflict, a rare trait in the connection. “And Abel hardly has the means to take care of her properly.”

“The baby probably won’t last long anyway,” sniffled Mary, Wellington’s new wife. “I’ve heard she looks sickly.”

“Poor little lamb,” said Cousin Georgiana softly. Widely considered a hopeless old maid at thirty four, her opinions never carried much weight within the clan, but everyone was used to having her around. “Motherless from the day she was born!”

The Stirlings shifted uncomfortably. It was all well and proper to cut off the fruit of sin, but it was a bit harder when reminded that this fruit was at present a days old baby.

“We can’t ignore the child’s existence,” announced Jacob Stirling, the patriarch of the clan, ending the discussion. “It would be different if Roberta was alive – she made her own bed, as Benjamin rightly said – but her death changed things. This baby is half Stirling and she will be regarded as such. We can’t allow her to grow up in poverty and squalor unbecoming of the family. We would fail in our Christian duty.”

“But who is going to take her in?” asked Isobel with a frown. “I can’t – I have my boys to think of.”

“Well, it can’t be me,” said Herbert matter-of-factly. “I’m a bachelor.”

He had his sights set on Alberta Monroe, the most beautiful girl in the province, but since he was still working on climbing the ladder in the timber company he’d started to work for recently and his chosen bride was just sixteen, he did not expect to marry any time soon.

“Of course nobody considers you,” said his mother with an eyeroll. She was a thin, strong woman, with a long wrinkled face and sharp grey eyes which were still able to scare any of her seven remaining children into submission, even self-important James and vicious Isabel. Roberta was the only one who dared to rebel against her, but Roberta was dead now. “It’s obvious that the care of the child should go to a married couple.”

The married among her children – James, Benjamin, Isabel, Wellington and Frederick – looked at her in apprehension of hearing her verdict.

“I and your father can’t be expected to take such a responsibility so late in life,” stated Ruth Stirling firmly. “Especially since Mildred is still under our care. Isabel, as she just said, has two young children of her own; it would be hardly kind to burden her with another baby, especially a sickly one as this one is rumoured to be. I don’t think Benjamin’s father-in-law would welcome Roaring Abel’s child under his roof and we don’t want to spoil your relationship with him, Benjamin.”

Benjamin, who was a clerk in Mr Frost’s general store and, after marrying his boss’s only daughter, had reasonable expectations of buying into the business and inheriting it in its entirety one day, nodded sagely at that.

“Neither would it be wise to upset dear Mary’s father or indeed dear Mary herself mere weeks after her wedding,” continued Mrs Stirling. Marrying Mary Elliot was undoubtedly Wellington’s biggest achievement – Mary’s family was the richest this side of Port Lawrence – and making things difficult in his marriage was the last thing anybody in the Stirling clan intended to do. “Which leaves us with James or Frederick.”

James grimaced. The thought of taking in a baby – an offspring of his wild sister and the notorious Abel Gay no less! – didn’t sit well with him. He might have caved in for the reputation of generosity and benevolence it would give him though if his wife, a timid, pretty little thing, didn’t interject on the matter.

“Oh, let us take her, James!” she pleaded, her blue eyes imploring. “I’d love nothing more than to take care of a baby and since God hasn’t blessed us with one yet…”

She trailed off, seeing the clear refusal in her husband’s face even before he spoke.

“We can’t possibly do that, my dear,” said James condescendingly. “You have to think about your health first. It’s too delicate – much too delicate – to handle such a huge burden as a baby.”

Alice looked like she wanted to protest, but she didn’t, of course. He trained her better than that. James barely restrained a pleased smile at her deferring to his wisdom.

Nobody tried to quarrel with James or defend Alice; this was not how things were done in the Stirling clan. All eyes turned to Frederick and Amelia instead. They’ve been married for a year already, but didn’t have children of their own yet. Amelia was the only daughter of Amos Wansbarra who was neither rich nor completely respectable; there was no need to take into account neither her own nor her family’s opinions. And everybody knew that soft hearted Frederick could be talked into it.

As it turned out, they didn’t even have to talk him into it – to the horror of his wife, he volunteered.

“Of course Amelia and I will take her,” he announced cheerfully. “We have enough space and I dare say that Amelia would welcome something to do while I’m at work.”

Amelia stiffened at the implication that she didn’t have enough to keep her busy even without taking in the baby of a woman she disliked and a man whom she abhorred, but she didn’t dare to quarrel in the presence of the whole clan. Her position in it was still too tentative for her to risk it. She forced herself to smile.

“Of course,” she said with much less convincing enthusiasm. “We’ll do our best to bring up this girl as a good, obedient Christian.”

Everything agreed upon, the only thing which remained was to communicate the matter to Abel Gay, which they promptly did after Roberta’s funeral.

Abel laughed in their faces.

[webtoon-related-tournaments]

FINALS!

Leland is the father of the three male leads

he pit his sons against each other competing for his affection, neglected his wife and youngest son, gaslit and manipulated his eldest sons into repeating the cycle of abuse with their own fiancées and is now trying to publicly humiliate his best friend because he wasn't there in his time of need twenty-five years ago or something

BUCKLE UP THIS MAN IS AWFUL basically he has secretly been in love with his best friend Jack for years now but Jack fell in love with a woman called Leelathae and Leland has never gotten over that. He has also never forgiven Jack for not being there for him at his parents funeral (i don’t remember why Jack wasn’t there but it was probably something to do with Leelathae). He decides to marry a girl called Isolde to make Jack jealous (which doesn’t work because Jack does not return his feelings) who he later becomes abusive towards and keeps in the dark on all future evil plots by placating her with expensive desserts. The evil plot in question is to have his three sons marry Jacks three daughters. When the plan eventually falls apart he literally TORTURES his children. Like he hangs Blaine and Lance upside down in a dungeon over a LAVA PIT and makes them do CHIN-UPS and throws Frederick into a massive PIT and just LEAVES HIM THERE. He eventually frees Blaine and Lance but only so that he can take them to the Pastel Palace which he is planning to INVADE so he can FORCE the princesses to marry his sons AGAINST THEIR WILL.

Yui is the mother of Kousuke and the stepmother of Nol/Yeong-Gi.

well let's see... 1) drugs her own son and refuses him doctor-prescribed healthcare 2) neglects and abuses her stepson 3) threatens to kill her own husband when he's no longer useful to her 4) tried to blackmail the main character and to have her sent away from town for no reason other than liking to play mind games 5) covers for a sex offender and helps him trap more victims 6) threatened her nephew to have him fired and disbarred (well the equivalent for doctors) if he looked too deep into her son's health history and I'm pretty sure I could find a 7 or even an 8 if i looked closer but that will be a good start

Insanely manipulative, to the point of apparently straight up drugging her son for possibly multiple years???!! Constantly lying to her family to turn them against each other. Even with her 'precious' biological son she repeatedly ignores his boundaries and encourages his worst behaviour, apparently seeing him as little more than a puppet she can use to gain power.

[kingedmundsroyalmurder]

Blue Castle chapter 24 and 25

Cissy is the daughter the Stirlings wish Valancy had been. Pretty, sweet, meek, innocent in the ways of the world, eager to please and quick to forgive. Someone who would do as she was told and look pretty in church without outshining Olive. And, of course, Cecilia Stirling would have had no need to go out to work, and thus never would have met her child's father.

I'm struck in particular by the juxtaposition of these two passages:

From chapter 24: " And I—didn’t know—some things. I didn’t—understand. Then his father came and took him away. And—after a little—I found out—"

Back in chapter 11: " Poor Mrs. Frederick was almost in a state of collapse. She had believed—or pretended to believe—that Valancy still supposed that children were found in parsley beds."

Cissy was raised by a single father who knows perfectly well how sex works, to the point where it likely doesn't even occur to him that people aren't just born knowing where babies come from. Her other main influence was her church community, made up of people who, one assumes, do not talk about these things publicly, and certainly not to Cissy Gay. It's implied that Cissy's mother, had she lived, would have (or at least should have) taught her these things. Clearly she never learned on her own, until it was too late.

Valancy, meanwhile, knows perfectly well where babies come from, to the point where she's embarrassed to even think about wanting them. Wanting to be a mother is perfectly respectable, even laudable for a woman in Valancy's position. Wanting the process of becoming a mother is most certainly not. It's not said where Valancy learned about sex and how it works, although my vote is from Olive, who has had boyfriends and been engaged.

So meek, innocent Cissy Gay might well have been better tolerated by the Stirlings than odd, never quite fitting in properly Valancy. (Cissy would, most likely, have been utterly crushed by the Stirlings in a way that Valancy never quite was. But then again, Olive wasn't. Maybe a Cecilia Stirling who was pretty and clearly had some marital prospects because of her looks would have been treated better by the extended family, if not Mrs. Fredrick and Cousin Stickles.) And, in contrast, Valancy might well have thrived as Abel Gay's daughter. Without discounting the impact of Abel's neglect, Valancy is clearly more outspoken than Cissy, and stronger willed. She grew up in a stifling and domineering society and the second she got out she not only knew her own mind but had no fear speaking it. If she'd been left to raise herself, I think it wouldn't have taken the promise of imminent death to set that part of her free.

I have AUs in my head now. Moving on...

Other thoughts about these chapters --

I did a little bit of research into the Canadian turn of the century education system back when we learned about Olive's engagements. She graduated from college at 18, and from what I could tell, it seems like College was for students roughly 15-18ish. So if that's correct and college is the word LMM uses to mean high school age students, with University being for 18+, then Cissy's young college student would have been a teenager. Probably 18 or 19 at oldest, possibly (likely?) younger.

And Cissy went to work at the hotel "4 years previously". At 25 or 26 at time of death (since she's three years younger than Valancy, who just turned 29), she would have been ~21 at time of boyfriend. So probably older than the boy.

Given that, it's likely that the boy was probably just as surprised and horrified by the pregnancy as Cissy was. I can't even be mad at him -- he screwed up and tried to make it right by offering to marry her and Cissy turned him down. Just a bad situation all around.

Even just reading about Cissy's funeral makes me furious. No wonder Valancy hated it ad Barney refused to go.

"her slanted eyes smudged with purple" -> Another purple mention. Is LMM subtly foreshadowing that Valancy has no intention of going back to her mother's house?

[dentiststoothfairy]

HAPPY ANON HELLO HI! this is my first time requesting an x reader so may I please ask for sfw Antonio fluff 🙏 reader can be gender neutral :)

[🎀🦷 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚋𝚒𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝. 𝙸 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚊 𝚋𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚏𝚞𝚗 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜! 𝙴𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝!! 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚕𝚘𝚕]

🎻 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐨 🎻

𝐱 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐒/𝐎

The sounds of perfect music haunted the halls of Oletus Manor. It was a day off for both Survivors and Hunters, and an expected truce came as no one likes to work on their days off... Even sadistic killers chasing after their prey.

Settled in an empty ballroom, nestled politely on a clothed chair... You paid no attention to the composure who was complying a magical piano piece, to you? He was simply backdrop for the beautiful violin that was being played by the equally beautiful violinist.

His thin features never dropped their focused smile as the notes soared through the air like birds with the beat of their wings. He could tell that your eyes were on him, which only caused him to focus harder.

Antonio, your beloved, was an extremely talented musician... But one of your most favorite things about him was his drive to improve. I mean.. Who else would make a pact with a demon in order to play a symphony?

To the untrained ears, there was no room for that. He had already became a master at his work. However, to him and him only... The climb never ended. His constant reaching for the stars was nothing short of... Inspiring and mesmerizing.

His sharp smile never dropped, nothing was more encouraging than the adoring eyes of his significant other. Even though this was just a practice with this Frederick fellow, he suddenly felt as if this was a single person concert.

And that it became. Frederick's music faded out to Antonio (who became increasingly frustrated that this duet was becoming more of a solo with just accompanying piano...) and his partner.

You met eyes for a moment and your suspicions were confirmed. He was getting lost in the moment and his vision was clouded.

It was nice to know that you meant so much to him.

But he didn't even hear the angry slam of keys next to him by a very neglected French boy.

[loominggaia]

razzek

If this doesn't end in 100% Itchy, those pollsters are lying. XD

niittinaatti

I'm gonna go with Morbus, putting your crush's wife in a coma and trying to persuade him into having her euthanized is pretty hard to forgive

kid-az

Boy do I regret not picking Morbus after remembering just what happened in Love Poison….. Skel is an ass but atleast he wouldn’t do THAT!

aveture

Ah I forgot about morbus and the love poison. Can I change my answer to that?

kid-az asked:

No joke I actually really loved Morbus as a character until Love Potion. After that all I want is for her cats to leave her and be adopted by better people and her being unable to find a cure for her outwards appearance being (Half) as nasty as she is on the inside.

-- -- --

These are all good points! I think in the name of fairness, we should have a break down of each candidate's most punch-worthy actions...

Itchy: "Allegedly" fucked a goat, burglarized homes, mugged people at knife-point, calls people slurs, assaulted an elderly person unprovoked, various peeping-tom behaviors, straight up murdered a dryad once, stole a horse from a soldier.

COUNTERPOINT: He has poor impulse control due to brain damage, some of these behaviors are not really his fault. Once he understands what he's done wrong, he usually feels bad and tries to make up for it. Usually. He's very capable of love and empathy for others, he just doesn't show it at the appropriate times.

Lukas: Murdered his own mother, is verbally and sometimes physically abusive to his crewmen, almost axe-murdered his best friend while drunk, victim-blamed a crewman who was sexually assaulted, tried to goad Zeffer into suicide and then hired an assassin to take him out when he refused.

COUNTERPOINT: Lukas acts the way he does due to immense trauma, and he's fully aware that his behavior is unacceptable. Recently in the series he has expressed remorse and taken steps to become a nicer, more empathetic person. He takes full responsibility for the pain he's caused others and doesn't make excuses for it. He is ashamed of his nasty behavior and is trying to understand why he acts the way he does, so that he doesn't keep repeating his mistakes.

Gwyneth: Cheats on, takes advantage of, and abuses her "husband" Brogan, extremely greedy and miserly, regularly insults people for no reason, flirts with married women and tries to break up marriages.

COUNTERPOINT: Gwyneth has endured the horrors of retail for decades. 'Nuff said. (Just kidding...In reality, she was kidnapped by slavers and quickly learned that the world is brutal and unforgiving, so she fears showing any sign of weakness or tenderness towards others. Bad experiences in her life have hardened her. She was probably aloof to begin with, but the experience of being kidnapped kind of "broke" her emotionally.)

Skel: Racist, misogynistic, classist, arguably transphobic, almost abandoned his crewman Jeimos in a hostile territory, verbally abusive to his crew and everyone around him, general asshole behavior.

COUNTERPOINT: Much of Skel's bigotry is hypocritical, and it's apparent by his contradictory thoughts and behaviors that he's quite mentally ill. His actions are much kinder than his words, and he performs these kind actions in secrecy, as if afraid to show any kind of "weakness" in front of others. Much of his hostile behavior is due to untreated mental problems.

Frederick: Literally stole candy from a baby, physically assaults people (including his own father) to get what he wants, acts arrogant and defiant, bullies others for fun.

COUNTERPOINT: Frederick is young and most of these behaviors are a result of bad parenting on his father's part. As he grew into his teens, Frederick started realizing this behavior wasn't getting him anywhere in life and promised to change. He has shown gradual positive changes ever since, though he does still slip back into his bullying ways from time to time.

Morbus: Neglected her son in favor of her career, abandoned her family, sold harmful drugs for decades, fetishizes and sexually harasses male satyrs, acts sexually aggressive towards Che, verbally abuses just about everyone, poisoned Philippa into a coma out of jealousy, forces her pets to live in her nasty hoard, generally snotty, selfish, and rude behavior.

COUNTERPOINT: I think it's obvious that Morbus is very, very mentally ill. This woman has been spiraling into Hell for over a century, completely untreated, and all the fumes from her alchemy career probably didn't help. I think some of her behavior is just due to her shitty upbringing, and she probably is a bit of a selfish bitch at her healthiest. But I also think her more extreme behaviors are the result of sickness and trauma that were left unchecked for way too long. To her credit--and this is a big deal imo--she does display some empathy and usually rights her wrongs eventually...granted, she'll reach the point of nearly killing someone before she does, but tends to shape up at the very last minute and save them from herself. She also apologizes for her actions once her conscience beats her over the head hard enough, showing that she's not a total psychopath. Morbus is undoubtedly a despicable individual, but it's hard to say how much of that behavior is really within her control. She gives the impression that she's been fighting a horde of personal demons all her life...and she's not winning.

With all that said, if you haven't voted yet, you still have 6 days to do so! ---> Poll Here <---

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[igotsnothing]

sims get to know me tag!

I was tagged by @aurorangen, who has one of the sweetest Postcard Legacy Challenges going on. I'm always struck by how pretty her game looks, how vibrant her screenies are--and Robbie's little angry face wins the internet. Thanks for the tag, friend!❤️

1. What’s your favourite sims death? Dying of laughter. I did not expect it at all and when it happened I was struck by the irony. One moment of hilarity=tragedy. This damn game!

2. Alpha CC or Maxis Match? I like Maxis mix. If I love the cc, it doesn't matter.

3. Do you cheat when your sims gain weight? Nah. If the sim is active and enjoys exercise, it might happen naturally.

4. Do you use move objects? I don't think I could play without it.

5. Favorite mod? MCCC, WonderfulWhims, Pose Player + teleporter, Stand Still in CAS so I don't lose my mind with the occults hissing and spellcasting and howling.

6. First expansion/game/stuff pack you got? This will surprise NO ONE: VAMPIIIIIRES!

7. Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing? Like aLIVE because in my head it's like, "We are going LIVE!"

8. Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? Oh, that's a tough one. I don't think I have a fave. I love Lou Howell, Morgyn + Caleb, Hester and Frederick, my starcrossed lovers, even poor little neglected Finn...But recently I've been having a lot of fun with Lawrence and Julian.

9. Have you made a simself? No. That would freak me out a little. I'm weirdly and irrationally superstitious (I know, I know...).

10. What sim traits do you give yourself? Bookworm, creative... goofball

11. Which is your favorite EA hair color? It depends on the sim and the hairstyle, but I do like dark brown.

12. Favorite EA hair? Again, it depends on the sim. I do find the loose side braid very flattering on most sims, though.

13. Favorite life stage? YA because more gameplay options become available and you feel like you have time to start things properly.

14. Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? It depends on my mood, but I do like coming up with scenarios complete with sims and elaborate locations. I guess I'm in it for the storytelling?

15. Are you a CC creator? I made two band t-shirts in simlish. I'd like to make more but I got lazy haven't had time lately.

16. Do you have any simblr friends/a sim squad? I have this fear of bothering other people that is quite ridonkulous because this is social media and it's all about community. So far, everyone has been so nice, though! And there are several simblrs who have been especially kind, supportive, and fun/interesting to interact with!

17. What’s your favorite game? In the Sims franchise? Sims 4. (Otherwise, my other obsessions are Geralt of Rivia and Corvo Attano...and kicking Solas' arse someday)

18. Do you have any sims merch? Nope

19. Do you have a YouTube for sims? No

20. How has your “sim style” changed throughout your years of playing? Until earlier this year, I played The Sims off and on. I always found decorating relaxing. But then I tried out Pose Player, which led to wanting to share my screenshots, which led to creating a simblr, and then discovering Reshade, and Blender, and editing in PhotoShop...It's been so much fun learning about all these things...All because I wanted to try something different in my gameplay!

21. What’s your Origin ID? It's not worth checking out.

22. Who’s your favorite CC creator? OOOF! Have you met my Mods folder? It's organized chaos. I love ALL the creators because they make this game so much more beautiful and fun! I'd have to say that the creators I have the MOST cc from are Felixandre and Natalia Auditore (like, Natalia is my shepherd and I shall not want...)

23. How long have you had a simblr? I started this simblr at the end of March. It's fairly new-ish.

24. How do you edit your pictures? Sometimes just Reshade, sometimes a little Photoshop action, sometimes a bit of both.

25. What expansion/game/stuff pack is your favorite so far? Other than the obvious, I really like Paranormal and Cottage Living.

26. What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next? I don't know, but I'm on board with the people who said they'd rather see improvements and fixes to what already exists. I mean, watching my sims walk past the kitchen sink to wash dishes in the bathroom is painful.

Who is gonna get tagged? Here are some folks I haven't seen as much on my dash (Tumblr algorithm wreaking havoc) and have been missing: @smok3inm1rrors, @silentsundown, @mlady-mimsy, @agena87, @magicofsimplestories, @m0n0lithical and anyone else who might be up for this❤️

[daeificatio]

women fear me fishermen love me - a bro story | team verdane, byleth & frederick drabble

With no equipment, almost no money and in a land he had no knowledge about, this truly was a pickle. But sitting around and wallowing in worries wouldn’t improve their situation, so Byleth decided to act quickly. During their short reunion, the professor decided to check out the shore and the docks while accompanied by Frederick, a Knight of Seiros.

Now, the choice was strategic, very much so.

The first thing Byleth noticed once they made contact with the townspeople after they seemed rather wary of some of them. Part of him understood why- after all it was a small town and they all had hailed from a different continent, but it could still cause them issues. In particular, the professor noticed how he was one of those who wasn’t seen with the most comfortable gaze by the locals.

Hardly a novelty to him, but upsetting all the same. At the very least in Fódlan he knew why he was called the Ashen Demon- in here…he didn’t know why they seemed to fear him. Was his appearance and mannerisms truly that unsettling? It was hard to tell. Perhaps this land had an entirely different culture of behavior that he had yet to understand. Regardless, Byleth wouldn’t allow himself to think too much about his condition. There was no good from self commiseration, much less in a situation like this.

But it was that wariness by the locals that led him to choosing the docks. Although he was an ex-mercenary and his social skills were pitiful, if there was one thing Byleth was more or less used to was interacting with gruffy, seasoned and roughed older men. Mercenaries, guards, soldiers, sailors and fishermen were all common figures he’d come across throughout his life under Jeralt’s Mercenaries, so here he felt more comfortable. And, of course, the presence of Frederick did help.

"I neglected to introduce myself," he said, apologetic. "My name is Frederick."

Byleth knew that the big guy was faculty- well, not quite faculty, but one of those Knights of Seiros. He had spotted him here and there before, but never talked with the man. "My name is Byleth." A pause. "Nice to meet you." Be polite...the girl in his head quipped every now and then. "...most fishermen seem to have left already." Less people to talk to, but less eyes on them. "Sailors are easier to talk to. I think."

Byleth has had almost no bonds formed in his 21 years of life, but he still acknowledged the good that came from tagging along someone you can at least trust with your safety. Frederick seemed by all means a good, loyal man. A good companion, which only made the professor more confused once he noticed the locals seemed even more wary of Frederick than of him. The docks were already rather empty- most fishermen had already left as it was midday, coupled with Frederick’s presence…it was difficult to approach.

"I would agree with that," he said. "Let us find a sailor and ask first if we are the only ones shipwrecked. I... worry for the others I was traveling with."

"...me too." He wasn't particularly close to anyone on that ship but many of them were his students and colleagues all the same. He needed to know if they were okay.

No sailors or fishermen seemed keen on giving them any attention other than stink eyes- that if they didn’t just flat out turn their back to the duo. It stung, to be unwelcome in such a blatant way, but Byleth took it in stride. If they couldn’t approach anyone to talk, then they could at the very least find other means to draw attention. His first idea was to fish and see if they could sell their catch to someone, hopefully the deal making it easier for them to communicate and also getting them some coin. After all, they were short on money…and they had to pay the inn.

And then of course, because nothing is ever supposed to be easy in this damned world, everything in this town seemed rather pricey. The fees of the inn already had Byleth doing a low whistle deep in his mind, but now the prices to buy and rent fishing supplies…a net was well over the amount the professor and the knight had together. The rod wasn’t too cheap either, and it didn’t really seat well with Byleth busting their gold this early with fishing supplies.

Not when they could use what their mothers and nature gave them: arms.

Arms were, my all means, for free. Byleth had two of them. Frederick had two of them.

In the end, a plan was formed. Frederick bought a bucket with plenty of bait. He’d give Byleth some of it and he’d attempt to grab a fish straight out of the water with nothing but his bare hands. The looks of absolute shock from the locals didn’t go unnoticed by the professor, but he couldn’t care less- right now they had a priority.

Roll D10= 1, no fish!

Roll D10= 5, almost!

Roll D10= 5, catch!

Their first catch was a small one that nearly escaped, but Byleth managed to grab it at the last second. In his eyes any catch was a good catch, he wouldn’t let himself be discouraged.

…much less considering how fun this was. Even though his face was very much blank and his eyes were transfixed on the water below.

Roll D10= 2, no fish!

Roll D10= 3, no fish!

Roll D10= 5, almost!

Indeed, fishing in these waters was truly more difficult than in a lake or river. It wasn’t often that Byleth got to fish like this at the shore, but it was an experience nonetheless.

Roll D10= 8, catch!

Another small one, not much different than their previous catch. They still had plenty of bat and plenty of time. Though it wasn’t visible on his face, Byleth truly was enjoying this. Sure, the entire situation was less than ideal- being trapped in this continent with no equipment, almost no money and almost no information of where to go and how to traverse these lands, but this specific moment was fun. Standing fully clothed at the shore with a trusted companion, getting to fish in the good old raw style. He was genuinely enjoying this moment. The professor was very much quiet, but he wondered to himself if Frederick would be willing to fish with him again like this sometime in the future.

Well- that was the future. Right now he has to focus.

Roll D10= 10, a big one!

Particularly when he felt something pull at his arm with quite a bit of force. It was no small fish trying to tear the bait off his grip- no, this was a truly, truly big one. Byleth instinctively wrapped his arms around it to try to subdue it, but it was quite obvious that he couldn’t do it alone. “Frederick, help.” 

It would go like any other unarmed hunt, except trickier considering how the fish was in its element and if their grip were to falter, it would readily escape. With no sword or dagger with him, they’d have to knock the fish out with their bare fists if they wanted to get it out of the water.

Byleth punches Fish! Roll D20= 10 Fish HP= 3.5 Byleth HP= 9 Frederick HP= 9 Frederick punches Fish! Roll D20= 17 Fish HP= 2 Frederick HP= 8 Byleth punches Fish! Roll D20= 16 Fish HP= 0.5 Byleth HP= 8 Frederick punches Fish! Roll D20= 12 Fish HP= 0 Frederick HP= 7 Fish has been captured!

It was, indeed, an experience. Byleth had been confident that they’d be able to subdue the fish thanks to Frederick’s muscles- he was a big, strong guy, so it was only natural that he’d be able to knock the creature out with a couple blows. Although both men did get jostled around by the fish, they came out of the water drenched and victorious with a massive fish on their hands. And their act wasn’t at all ignored by the locals- as soon as Byleth regained his bearings and looked around, he spotted some fishermen and sailors staring and whistling at them.

The fishermen on the dock actually seem a bit impressed by this spectacle. Most of them stopped what they'd been doing to watch you both thrash around in the shallows, but the size of the fish is what really gets them. One of them whistles at you as you drag it ashore.

As they drag the fish to shore, Frederick looks down at their prize (as well as the other two small fish Byleth had caught), and then frowns. "All right. What do we do with these now?"

Byleth was pleased- even though it didn't quite show on his face. They managed to get a really big one. "The fishermen seem impressed as well. We could try to sell them." Or...perhaps, try to spark up some conversation.

Frederick nodded, and picked up the fish so it would not drag on the ground. "Ah. Point the way, professor."

Felt weird. But this was no time to hesitate- if they were open to communicate, then the professor would take the chance. Although the fishermen still seemed wary of Frederick’s presence, their view of Byleth had apparently been slightly improved. Though feeling a bit put off by his companion being rejected still, the professor approached the fisherman.

One of the fishermen seems pretty impressed by Byleth's catch, though his compliments aren't forthcoming. He'd been in the middle of tying up his own boat when the whole fight had gone down, so he'd seen most of it. He nods toward the fish left with Frederick. "Not bad. We thought you were crazy diving in like that. Still do, honestly. But I guess crazy gets you something nice once 'n a while. What's your name? Never seen you here before."

Seeing how the fishermen seemed more open to talk now, Byleth decided to take the chance. Leaving the big fish with Frederick, he stepped up to talk with the man. "The lack of a rod or net won't hold me back. If I need to use my hands then so be it." He pushed some wet hair away from his face. "My name is Byleth. Me and my big friend came here by boat from another land but got shipwrecked because of a storm."

"That guy?" The fisherman glances toward Frederick, skeptical of the use of the word "friend." "Well, I'm short a man this week. I can give you a real rod if you wanna fill in for 'im. I'll pay ya too. Though if you wanna catch things with your hands, I won't stop ya either." With that, he holds out his hand. It's ruddy, with calloused palms. "Name's Ramin."

"Yes. He's big and looks scary, but he's very strong and kind. His help is very valuable." If he could find a way to get those people to change their view of Frederick to be a more positive one, he'd try- even though he pretty much only got to know Frederick now. As for the job...it could work for their situation. He could aid with rent, and this would get him a way to communicate with the locals and get information on this land. "Deal." He took off his wet gloves, revealing pale and skinny hands- but calloused all the same, to shake the other man's. "Good to meet you, Ramin."

Ramin still seems unconvinced on the topic of Frederick. He leans in close just in case he’s in earshot. “I’ve seen men like him before. You’d be wise to cut your ties sooner than later. Bad luck will follow you otherwise.” He straightens back up and gives Byleth’s hand one final shake. “What’re you planning to do with your catch, friend?”

That was strange. Frederick didn't look like a bad-luck type of guy to the professor. He looked like your average knight-dude if anything. "Bad luck? What do you mean?" Byleth kept his voice down, slightly tilting his head to the side in an attempt to showcase clearer curiosity and compensate for his blank stare. "Me and my friend were thinking about maybe it in the market."

"Just be on your guard around people like him," Ramin says with a stern eye, and that seems to be the last he'll say on the topic. Suddenly he brightens and thumbs Byleth on the chest with the backs of his fingers. "How 'bout you sell it to me? I'll pay ya better than those misers in the market. Even found something nice on the beach earlier that might interest you."

"...I see. Thanks for the warning." Not wanting to push his luck and undo the progress he had made in communicating with the fisherman, Byleth let go of the topic even though it still bothered him. Again, Frederick just looked like any other knight in his eyes. "What do you offer for it?" One dark brow slightly arched in interest at the 'something nice on the beach'. It could be nothing...but it could be one of their missing equipment. Who knows.

"Come here." Ramin motions for Byleth to follow him over to his boat. He steps down into it, the vessel rocking slightly as he does, and then drags a weighty shield out from under the seats in the back.

"How 'bout a trade?" He shows Byleth the shield. "Caught this in one of my nets earlier, but I don't have a use for it. You look like you've seen a few fights. Might come in handy."

Byleth follows Ramin into the boat, seemingly at ease though his eyes carefully watched his surroundings. Ramin seemed like a fisherman like any other, but one could never be too trustful considering how this was an unknown land. His attention however was caught by the sight of the shield being held up- he had seen this before, at their boat. It belonged to that one young Blue Lion girl. "I'll take it." Any recovered equipment was already progress. "You're a good dealer, Ramin. Thank you." He offered the fisherman his hand to shake.

Byleth has acquired the Iote’s Shield!

As soon as the teacher made it out of Ramin's boat with the shield in his hands, his shoulders almost unnoticeably dropped in relief. Behind focused cobalt eyes and a pale blank face, Byleth was actually slightly nervous throughout the entire exchange. During his entire life it had always been his father Jeralt who was in charge of those situations- that or some other man from the merc band, but never Byleth. Instead, he’d always stand back and watch as deals were made, still too young and too inexperienced both with people and words to try it himself.

And now…he did it. By himself, without his father being there to give him a push or start the conversation for him. Byleth didn’t consider himself a spoiled child, perhaps sheltered in an odd way at best, but social situations still gave him a chill down his stomach and a burn on his chest that he could only assume would be the replacement of a thundering, anxious heartbeat if he had one. Well, he was able to at least return to his companion…or rather companions, seeing how a young girl from their group had joined Frederick, with good news.

At a steady pace, Byleth returns to his companion- well...two companions. A young girl with green hair that he had spotted in their boat before had joined Frederick. "Hi." He greeted the two, then turned to Frederick. "I talked to the fisherman. I sold the big fish to him because he had this...shield. This shield belongs to a student from our group, the small one with red hair. This means most of our equipment is most likely underwater or scattered around at the beaches." He paused, then a glimpse of disappointment manifested in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I tried to tell them you weren't a scary person, but they didn't budge on their opinion." He knew how bad it felt to be feared and avoided by others all too well, so he truly felt bad for Frederick. "Well, we can always fish again. We have plenty of bait." He turned to the small girl. "Want to help us?"

Frederick frowned just a little, but didn't want to press Tiki. Dragons were such strange beings, and he would have plenty of time to think about the how and why of her age later. Instead, he put a hand on the back of her head, patting a little like one might a small child. "See? He said we can fish again," he said as an attempt to placate her. He looked up at Byleth and offered a confused expression. "Why do they think I'm scary? Should I speak with them? I mean no harm."

"I don't know. I tried to press but he just didn't budge." He curled a finger under his chin for a moment, before shaking his head. "I don't think it's wise. Most are afraid of you, but some could get violent. I don't want you to be attacked." He looked back at the young girl. "It's okay. We can fish more. We can catch another big one."

He picked up the bucket of bait and looked into it. "We could definitely attempt to catch more... perhaps then, you and Lady-- I mean, Tiki," he corrected. "Could I attempt to sell them? We do need to pay for our rooms... and food. And of course, supplies as well. Unless we wanted to look for our lost weapons first, which might also be a good idea. I've lost both my lances, I'm afraid."

Though she was distraught over the loss of her fish, Tiki slapped her face to pump herself up, nodding when the suggestion for another fish to be reeled up was offered. "I would love love another fishy! Then we can use it to feed everyone! Share food to make friends and be happy after what happened." Jumping down from Frederick's shoulder, Tiki smiled wide at the professor and the knight despite her swollen eyes. "Then once we are done, we can find everyone's weapons again!" Throwing her hands up wide and gesturing at the sea. "Ban-Ban said the best fish is caught earlier after all!" She insisted.

The professor looked between the two of them, then at the shield in his hands. It was slightly grimy with dirt and algae, but his judgment wasn’t wrong- it truly was a piece of their equipment and by the looks of it, it seemed like someone’s prized possession. Though he didn’t know the shield’s name or history, he knew it belonged to that one red haired young girl, Maria.

With blank but not unfeeling eyes, he nodded at their promise to fish again later and do something about their catch, maybe a nice big meal for everyone. It seemed like it could be fun. The girl in his mind made a quick comment- about how she had never seen him consider something ‘fun’ outside of training and fishing with his father.

For once, the comment wasn’t the sassy type he’d usually ignore. Assuming the warmth he felt in his chest was the beginnings of hypothermia, the professor moved on to at least take the shield back to its owner.

[overheard-at-camp-half-blood]

Athena is an Awful Mother- Yes, Even in the Books

As a child of Athena myself, and as a professional Athena hater, I am honestly shocked at how many people think the show itself made her bad, when to me she was always this bad. The books kind of gloss over the stuff she does, and we’re expected to believe she’s one of the “better” godly parents.

I also think that because most of us read these books when we were 11-12, we didn’t quite actually understand the fucked up shit she was doing, but as I get older, the more I question alot of the the decisions she made as both a parent and a “wisdom goddess.”

Because, yeah, a lot of the decisions were straight up horrible. Like, I don’t think you guys understand that there is more issues to her specific brand of neglect, than most of the other gods.

Spoilers for the books below! Also, this will be talking about Athena in the books, not Greek Myth Athena.

I think my main issue with Athena has always been the way her children came into existence. Because children of Athena are born from thoughts in her mind, born to mortal men she admires. Now, as a child, this didn’t seem as bad, because I didn’t understand the complexities of parenting. I still don’t, but I know a bit more from having friends and peers who have children.. and now I see several issues with this.

First, it’s the idea that even at the beginning, she sees her children as commodities. Her children were made to be “gifts” for men, who she admired. And the messed up part, is based on Frederick’s reaction to Annabeth, she doesn’t actually have enough conversations with these men to know if they’re ready to be fathers. And the fact that men getting their PhDs is something she admires… I’m willing to bet a lot of these men aren’t (getting a PHD is already hard, but add a baby on top of that?!?!).

I still think Frederick’s neglect is his own fault, but to say that Athena cannot be blamed for choosing to have her, and then not even being sure if the man she had her with - who had no choice in the matter- even wanted a child? Yeah, that’s fucked up.

But Athena doesn’t even really care.

And I think that’s what bothers me in particular about Athena’s neglect. Is that she had a choice to have not have the children if she wasn’t going to raise them. She chose to have them, whether or not the men she liked even wanted kids.

But she had them anyways- because, again, she sees her children as a commodity.

Now this isn’t to say she has no redeemable qualities. She helped Annabeth find her way to Camp Half Blood. She gave her that invisibility cap. But here’s the thing- nearly every godly parent is seen helping their children in some form or another, or giving them gifts.

Even the bad ones.

Ares is probably a worse godly parent than Athena… but he still gave Clarisse her spear. Zeus turns Thalia into a tree to save her. And idk, I still feel like we all hate Zeus and Ares as parents.

That being said the Mark of Athena… that is what really confirms every negative thought I’ve had about Athena. That she sees her children as commodities and nothing else. Because as much as we love to try to explain it away by saying that it wasn’t actually Athena, it was Minerva… still Athena. Different form, maybe, but it is implied that these gods hold the same beliefs, so this is something that Athena thinks WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

Annabeth refuses to kill the Romans, and then her mother proceeds to call her nothing and disown her. Because again, Athena sees her children as commodities, nothing more. They are gifts given to men. They are resources for her to use to fight her battles- and this whole scene becomes worse when you considering what she was trying to get Annabeth to do-

To find the Mark of Athena, a quest so many of her children have died on, and yet she proceeds to keep sending her children on these quests. But she doesn’t care how many of her own children die on this quest- her pride is more important.

[gviral]

WILLIAM BIRKIN: RELATIONSHIPS

tw for mentions of child abuse, neglect, and nonsexual grooming

here is an unfortunate documentation of william birkin's significant relationships. he's always been incredibly isolated as both a product of his upbringing and a result of his environment, so it comes as no surprise that there are very few people he's ever been remotely "close" with. throughout his entire life, william has always been surrounded by people significantly older than him, which made it difficult to form lasting bonds - and as a result, it is difficult for him to socialize.

agatha loretti-birkin (mother): william always was a momma's boy. at least, he tried to be. he sought her approval often despite her cold attitude. she struck him occasionally, oftentimes leaving him wondering what he did wrong and why his mother didn't love him. for a long time he believed he simply didn't work hard enough to deserve it, and that is partially what inspired him to thrive academically. his mother is responsible for a lot of things, including his lack of self esteem and poor emotional regulation.

frederick birkin (father): wholly uninterested in forming any sort of meaningful relationship with his son. william was more like an inanimate object, some prized possession to be added to an already long list of achievements. he put no amount of effort into raising william, and simply expected the child to worship and obey him (obedience has remained a constant theme throughout william's life. it's something that's always been expected of him, which is why he has difficulty functioning on his own). dr. james marcus (mentor): william never looked up to marcus, exactly, but he was always a bit of a suck-up upon his initial recruitment in order to ensure that he would earn a high position at the company. it was easy for marcus to take advantage of william's naivety and desperation for approval. though marcus never abused him, their relationship was decidedly inappropriate for teacher and student, as marcus attempted to foster somewhat of a fatherly dynamic between them. the man gave him more attention than his real father ever did. as a 15/16 year old, will did have some modicum of respect for marcus, but that dwindled over time until eventually marcus was assassinated.

albert wesker (close friend): his close but emotionally distant friend. for a time they were unhealthily codependent on one another, being that albert was william's first real friend (and vice versa). though marcus attempted to start a rivalry between them, william and albert simply... clicked. they got along too well, sharing interests and accomplishments and bouncing ideas off of each other extraordinarily well. the relationship between them was born more out of boredom and a desire for more intimate connection than real love. at the end of the day, albert couldn't fulfill william's needs, and william couldn't fulfill his. there is a special place in will's heart for albert, but the two of them grew distant as al moved departments and their work kept them apart. annette birkin (wife): love at first sight - at least in will's case. there came a point in his life where he simply resigned himself to the idea that he would never find love, but upon meeting annette, he became almost instantly attracted to her. most importantly, he felt he could relate to her. both young and bright and never really fitting in anywhere else. of course, will being will, he dealt with his attraction by not dealing with it at all and avoiding her at all costs - at least at first. but once they were officially together, he fell fast and hard. it didn't take him long to propose, and while he doesn't regret marrying annette nor starting a family with her, he absolutely did rush into marriage + fatherhood. he felt very pressured to move things along as fast as possible.

sherry birkin (daughter): the light of his life. william loves his daughter, but was horribly unprepared to raise a child - especially considering he was a father at 24. he was very young, and often still behaved like a child himself. he does care for sherry, but he was never able to truly grasp how terribly he'd been neglecting her until it was too late.

[navxry]

Update

Hello everyone, I'm back from my week long break! As of writing this, I feel better from it (at least with binging other shit while I couldn't use Tumblr or Discord), but I did come to a realization while I was away.

(utc, rambling abt Genshin as a whole and my feelings + current status)

I realized that I don't enjoy Genshin as much as I used to.

I think it's been eating at me for a while, because for the past few months, I never felt happy with it anymore. It wasn't as prevalent, I think, it was almost like a nagging thought which I brush off with talking to others involved in Genshin.

That was just how it was. A nagging thought. A thought I knew I can ignore.

But then life hit me with a massive curveball, and I started to feel like shit.

I enjoyed other fandoms when I left it for months- I used to hate Twisted Wonderland, actually. I got burned out and didn't want to touch the game anymore, so I took a 2+ months long break and came back and enjoyed it more than I ever could have.

The same went to IDV. I dropped it during Frederick's season, and came back 2 - 3 seasons later (months) and I am back in that rabbit hole again.

Those games kept me company for a while in my week long break. And because of it, that made me realize that I felt the same as I did to them on Genshin.

And it also made me realize that I just stuck around with Genshin for others; for my friends' sake because they're involved in it and I didn't want to ruin it for them.

My mutuals all love different games but some are into Genshin, and I don't want to drop it because I'd feel bad. It feels less of me liking the game and more "I only stuck around because my friends do" type of thing.

Honestly, it felt like shit. I don't enjoy the game as much as I used to, but back then, I felt like it was affecting me personally and on a negative scale. Not even doing the things I loved helped in making me feel less negative.

I did my best in making others happy, but by doing so, I neglected making myself happy. It affected how I look at things, and although I knew that, I didn't try to rectify it or stop it because I am too much of a doormat to do so.

Even roleplaying Genshin with my friends didn't help, because I felt like I'm entertaining them than myself. Despite taking a rain check on roleplaying to regain interest... It didn't work, and I felt more and more like I'm just there for the convenience of others.

I thought me saying that I'm there as an enabler for people is a joke, but now? It felt less of a joke. And it isn't anyone's fault but my own, because I'm well aware now that I am too scared to put up boundaries.

I was on a really bad headspace back then, and I didn't felt happy at all. It felt miserable and I just needed a break, but much like a clingy ex in a relationship that felt like Titanic, I couldn't break out of it.

So, after much long deliberation and thinking... I took a week long break.

It was a bit difficult because time felt slow when I did the first few days, but I was fine playing other games and doing other things. I even went out a few times just... Walking while listening to music. (Zombies Run is a good app ngl, but fuck the membership.)

And slowly, I found myself feeling better and happier- without thinking of Genshin and especially for my mutuals that would be angry if I left.

As of right now, though, the irrational shit left... Well, some of it, anyway. I still feel like it, but now its not as bad. It's much more manageable, which is great. But sometimes, it gets to me- though, it doesn't bother me anymore now that I had a week of a breather.

In that regard, I'd like to make one thing clear:

I will be on an indefinite hiatus on Genshin Impact as a whole.

This means I will no longer do content for the fandom or other shit with mutuals, too.

This also means that as of right now, I will not be roleplaying Genshin for the time being- selfships or not.

Maybe once in a blue moon I will, but I found myself feeling like I don't enjoy the game as much as others do, or even the memories I made before my break being as pleasant. Is it selfish? Maybe, maybe it is.

But for the sake of my own health, I'd like to make it clear and I don't want to beat around the bush about this anymore.

I also want to make this clear that this also affects my mutuals, too.

If we're roleplaying Genshin, those threads will be on hiatus, and I will not open any new ones.

Personally, I don't know if I'll ever get back to the game. I found myself happier with other franchises, and I think that's the one thing I feel sad. At the cost of me dipping from certain things, I come back and feel much more happier with them when I come back.

But I suppose its for the best.

If its for my sake and my happiness, I will be disassociating myself from the fandom.

Will I still support content creators on this fandom? Yes. I'm actually planning to open up an RB blog that's just me rb-ing people's content on Genshin: both SFW and NSFW.

But will I be involved in it with or without my mutuals? No. As of right now, at least.

Lastly, I want to make this clear: this isn't made to target anyone in specific. I want to make this announcement as a blanket rule of sorts for everyone, even me.

Maybe I will come back sooner or maybe later. God knows when I will, but I find myself happier with other games. Other games that don't feel like a trainwreck to deal with, yknow?

Thanks for reading, lads. And as a last reminder from me:

I will not be associating myself with Genshin Impact and will be on a break. This means any sort of content creation WILL be put on hold, and I will also stop roleplaying Genshin Impact or any AUs associated with it.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

more deconstruction of "normal" as an obfuscating curtain around supremacy & its concomitant oppression more more!! (an interview by george yancy with subini annamma abt DisCrit, the intersection of disability studies & critical race theory)

some excerpts:

"These scholars were naming the ways ableism animated who we center as the “normal,” and how we draw boundaries around that conception of normal, and punish those outside those walls. In schools, we seek out youth we position as “abnormal” and try to cure, segregate or funnel them out of public spaces."

"Those intellectual ancestors, both those who have passed on and those still with us, created a space for DisCrit to recognize that racism and ableism are interdependent, that they depend on and inform each other. That is, if racism is the ideology for situating specific people in subordinated locations, then ableism is how that goal is achieved — by situating the learning, thinking, and behaviors of Black and Brown people as “less than” and “inferior.” Racism and ableism are mutually constitutive because they need each other to survive; whiteness needed to “other” Black and Brown people, and did so through ableism. Both CRT and DS scholars and public intellectuals left space for us to do this work; to seriously consider how racism and ableism inform one another and are normalized, not aberrant in society. DisCrit uses specific tenets to build on this conceptual foundation to name how, in a system of white supremacy, anti-Blackness and settler colonialism, whiteness defines the normal and desired individual; and positions all Black and Brown folks as abnormal."

"I know you’ve engaged in a discussion with the brilliant T.L. Lewis, and they have described how mass incarceration is a disability justice issue. So I’ll focus on how mass incarceration is a racial and disability justice issue because it targets disabled Black and Brown youth specifically. In other words, age does not protect disabled Black and Brown children because they are not imagined as innocent (what Black women and other women of color scholars, such as Jamilia Blake and Thalia González, have named as adultification) and they are also imagined as hyper-strong and aggressive. Instead, disabled Black and Brown kids are targeted and punished because of their disabilities. Moreover, Black and Brown youth are disabled by prison conditions, which cause trauma. Family separation through incarceration — whether in the name of rehabilitation, child welfare or mental health care — are all forms of punishment for perceived deviance. The abuse and neglect in these systems is well documented. We lock up what we are afraid of — if justice is what love looks like in public, then mass incarceration is hate institutionalized. And in the worst cases, our babies die in these hate-filled cages, babies like Cedric “C.J.” Lofton, Loyce Tucker, Cornelius Frederick, Gynnya McMillen, Elord Revolte, Andre Sheffield, Robert Wright, and more unnamed babies. Or they die while being rounded up to be put in these cages like Ma’Khia Bryant, Tamir Rice, Iremamber Skyap, Adam Toledo, and [others]. Mass incarceration is a racial and disability justice issue for Black and Brown disabled youth because it targets and creates disability, all while trying to eradicate their power and resistance."

"Moreover, disabled Black and Brown girls are experiencing higher rates of these negative outcomes than their nondisabled peers. When these disabled Black and Brown girls are abused by the system and their stories become public, their disabilities are often erased. We imagine them as what scholar Michele Goodwin discusses as “too intersectional,” when their disability or queerness is viewed as something to disassociate them from, trying to cleave their identities into something closer to the norm. Yet, this misses the fact that these Black and Brown girls are being punished because of their disabilities, and that disability labels and laws are not protecting them. We must recognize that Black and Brown disabled girls are not broken, our systems are broken. Carceral geographies threaten Black and Brown disabled girls. We must respond by loving Black and Brown girls in their full humanity."

I want to end with what you envision as hope. Like W.E.B. Du Bois, I am not hopeless, but I am unhopeful regarding the racist attitudes, racist practices, racist habits, racist ideologies and racist structures within the U.S. This includes how racism toxically lives intramurally or extramurally, and this includes how racism functions through ableism — or conversely, how ableism functions through racism. This is another way of saying that racism exists within every nook and cranny of U.S. society. I can’t begin to express how angry I feel as I write about racism and other forms of injustice. This anger is not misplaced, and it has its place. You’ve worked as an educator in both youth prisons and public schools. You’ve been able to observe directly how forms of discipline negatively impact girls of color, how they suffer under panoptic surveillance and pathologizing discourses. I can only imagine that they have internalized such racist and pathologizing forms of captivity. How do you find hope in what you do without being seduced by a neoliberal sense of hope that fails or refuses to think critically about systems of racism and pathology? Does anger help?

"For Black and Brown people, our anger is the antithesis of white supremacy and ableism that centralizes docility and compliance masquerading as kindness and civility. I draw from Audre Lorde who wrote about the uses of anger and Brittney Cooper who writes about eloquent rage. Lorde describes the power of our anger when it is focused with precision on the systems that harm us. So, I try to focus my anger on dismantling those systems, like the abolition of youth prisons, and all prisons. I draw from Mariame Kaba who reminds us to practice hope regularly; I practice hope by being in relationship with disabled Black and Brown youth, many of whom are being pushed out of public schools, and/or are currently or formerly incarcerated. I work to support our community as we labor in violent systems. We can create a world that is less violent, more humane, and even joyful. I believe in abolition, so my anger and hope are rooted in the ways I show up, I experiment and fail, and keep showing up to be in community with Black and Brown disabled youth. And those Black and Brown disabled youth are constantly pushing me to be more radical, to develop a clearer abolitionist imaginary. That is hope.

Hope is recognizing how our fights are all connected and cultivating solidarity. The attacks on trans that are so prevalent right now are built on ableism, misogynoir and white supremacy. Therefore, we must be in solidarity with our queer and trans siblings. One study found that 20 percent of youth in detention centers identified as queer and trans: 13 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls. Eighty-five percent of these incarcerated queer and trans girls are girls of color. Trans and queer youth of color often stay longer in family policing systems (known as child welfare) and juvenile incarceration systems, increasing the likelihood of negative impacts of both systems. Queer and trans Black and Brown youth deserve our solidarity and our protection. These same systems are harming Black and Brown disabled kids; our struggles are connected, and liberation means fighting together. Solidarity, the kind where we recognize our common fights and allow our differences in oppressions and experiences to inform our resistance, is what gives me hope.

Also exciting is the work of my contemporary colleagues and earlier career scholars, public intellectuals and activists who are also thinking critically about race and disability while not stopping there, like Jamelia Morgan, Mildred Boveda, Hailey Love, Maggie Beneke, Jenn Phuong, Tami Handy, Adai Teferra, Ericka Weathers, Sami Schalk, Jina B. Kim, Therí Pickens, Liat Ben-Moshe, Kay Ulanday Barrett, Keah Brown, Akiea Gross, D’Arcee Charington Neal, plus a whole host of students who are doing it better than us. They are thinking with less binaries and more interconnected systems. They are more radical and hopeful. And those of us who are developing a sharper analysis because we are listening to them, filling in gaps of our work we missed the first time around. I wanted a theory that centralized the lives of Black and Brown disabled youth, and DisCrit is what grew. DisCrit isn’t the best theory, it’s the one we created when we needed something better. We have always said we want to see it expanded and pushed until its borders break open and something better is born. That’s the beautiful thing about theory, it must continually evolve. As long as we are listening to Audre Lorde and focusing our rage with precision, our theory will evolve to meet us in the moment."

[the-one-where-casey-watches-tv]

Frasier episode 3.13 "Moon Dance"

I came to the 90’s sitcom scene for Friends, but I stayed for Frasier. More specifically, I stayed for Dr. Niles Crane. The best episodes of Frasier are the ones that open with Kelsey Grammer casually ducking out to visit Frederick for a few days, not to be seen for the next half hour while Niles quite literally trips over himself for Daphne. I don’t dislike Frasier as a character, but he’s a lot. He’s yelly and condescending and he’s been around for so long that it’s nice to have a breather from him every now and then. And the rest of the Crane clan has no problem holding their own. The sign of a truly well-rounded cast of characters, when Frasier returns to bookend these episodes, I find myself thinking that I can’t believe how much has happened since he left.

             “Moon Dance” is one of these episodes. I’ve seen it more times than I could count, and every time I find myself shocked that it’s only 22 minutes long; it really is an emotional rollercoaster. Frasier deftly ducks out to take Frederick to Williamsburg in the cold open, yet it doesn’t feel at all offbeat to find Niles in his apartment in his absence- in fact, he’s here to bemoan his lack of a social life. Niles and Maris have separated, and he’s become privy to rumors and photos of Maris seeing other men. Martin, honestly an adorably patient dad, suggests Niles put himself out there and have some more self-confidence.

            The next day punctuates Niles’ extremely social circle: he’s already in the living room when Martin, Daphne, and Eddie return from a walk. He’s practically giddy when he asks his dad if he’s free on Saturday.  Martin can barely get out his “yeah, why?” before Niles blurts out “well I’m not, I have a date!”. He’s taking an acquaintance, Marjorie, out to their social club’s annual dance (“rumors persist about her husband’s death, but hey, a date’s a date!”). Considering it’s the catalyst of the entire episode, the subject of dancing comes up incredibly naturally- of course it would never consider to Niles that he might actually have to dance at this dance (“Maris always hated public displays of rhythm”), and of course Daphne would offer to give him some lessons. Everything that happens in this episode makes for great TV and it’s also really just exactly what all of these people would do.

David Hyde Pierce has said that he didn’t expect anyone to like Niles, but he just has that extra ounce of innocence and integrity that earns him my sympathy when Frasier doesn’t. The dancing lessons start out harmlessly, not that Niles could be anything but. At first, he’s not even having that good a time: “this is boring, yet difficult” (the one-liners just keep coming and they’re too good not to highlight). But of course, after a couple drinks he can’t get enough of this quality time with Daphne. While she runs off to get another CD, Marjorie calls, cancelling their date. Martin apologizes to his son but heads off to bed before he can see Niles, tempted by the close contact of the samba, neglect to tell Daphne that he no longer needs the lessons.

The next day Martin is properly confused, then concerned, when Niles has bought several new CDs for that night’s dancing lessons. In a quick aside, Martin tells Niles that he’s “sticking a fork in the toaster” by spending this intimate time with Daphne, which is instantly met with “well my muffin’s stuck!”. But when Daphne is back in earshot, Niles does the right thing and tells her about the cancelled date. Of course, his strength can only hold out for so long when Daphne offers to go to the ball with him herself. There’s no dishonesty in the situation anymore, and besides, she says she would have a great time.

Cue Frasier’s timely return from his visit with Frederick on the night of the dance. He’s his usual unpleasant self, announcing to Martin that he’s still on vacation and doesn’t want to hear a word from his family until tomorrow. The good news: he’s the butt of this joke, as the doorbell rings and Daphne, dressed to the nines, runs to answer it, excitedly declaring that her date has arrived. Of course, it’s Niles and the two head out, arm in arm, with Frasier’s jaw on the floor. Who could explain the situation? Certainly not Martin, who’s been forbidden to speak to him for the night.

At this point in the story, we’ve had some fun with Niles and Daphne, and Frasier has returned to bookend the episode. It could end here, and I’d feel satisfied, but we still have to go to the dance! This is when the silly and whimsical takes a turn for the emotional and poignant. Niles and Daphne arrive at the dance to many an apologetic look and anecdote about who has recently seen Maris where and with which attractive man. But soon, Daphne pulls Niles onto the dance floor and the fruit of their labor is on full display.

They take it one step further by attempting a tango, something they never worked on at home, but which Daphne insists Niles will love- after all, their bodies have to touch the entire time. Caught up in the heat of the moment, Niles declares that he adores Daphne as he twists and spins her around the dance floor, which at this point is all theirs. He claps a hand over his mouth as soon as he says it, but Daphne responds that she adores him too. Shocked but clearly elated, Daphne and Niles finish what has become an award-winning dance, and even share a kiss on the lips before landing in their final pose. This must be it, right? They danced, they shared some powerful words, they kissed, and it all happened so naturally.

Niles is visibly blown away from the electricity of the moment, sitting down and barely even able to get a word out. They talk giddily about how everyone there was watching them, when Daphne revels over the fact that not only is Niles a great dancer, he’s also an impressive actor. The wind is kicked right back out of Niles’ sails as Daphne explains that they were doing a bit, going the extra mile to get Niles his street cred back amongst his peers. Niles lets this sink in, then, physically and emotionally drained by the most loaded tango I’ve ever seen, decides that it’s time to go.

When Daphne makes a quick run to the bathroom, a female acquaintance approaches Niles and gives him her card- in case he ever wants to go dancing again. Niles is very civil with her and is flattered by the offer, but when Daphne returns, he leaves the card on the table with no intention of taking it with him. Yet, as they make for the door, Daphne praises Niles for stepping out of his comfort zone tonight: “and to think you almost didn’t come. It’s a shame when people let fear stop them from trying something new.” Niles is struck by this, and excuses himself to return to their table and put the woman’s business card in his jacket pocket. In a layered closing line, Niles holds his arm out to Daphne; “I’m ready now”.

I think of this episode so fondly, and it is such a sound reminder that sitcoms can have depth, substance, and heart. And it did it all without its title character! Any time I want to think, laugh, and feel, all in 22 minutes, Frasier is my go-to. And I haven’t even gotten to say anything about the queer undertones that impact the entire show without ever being brought to the surface, so I’m sure I’ll be back another time with much more Frasier.