#maybe i'll remember now

[commarogue]

idk even know what the list is but tell me about SO YOU MARRIED A PINNIPED or i will expire thank you for ur service ily

ok ok i suppose you have more than earned it considering how often i've crowed at you about this one, and i do actually have the opening drafted out!

2. so i married a pinniped (cn: death of aging parent, talk of death of parent in the past) modern au attempt at a black comedy wherein brienne comes home to get her dad settled in a senior home except whoops nope he's dead and shenanigans ensue from there:

“The last O’Tarth, now,” one blue-hair nodded sagely, crushing the bones of Brienne’s hand between her own veiny ones. Brienne found herself drawn downward, yanked to the face of a woman who disregarded manners and politeness as allowed by her age. “You’ve spent quite enough time on your quest to save the bloody mainland, certainly. Time to come home now, isn’t it? Find you a nice young man—or woman, of course, I don’t judge. Just someone to help you look after your family’s legacy. Make up for lost time?”

Brienne heard herself croak out some noncommittal reply before Asha, preceded by dissipating cigarette smoke, ushered the mourner on into the living room to leave Brienne holding a warm loaf of probably another zucchini bread. Everyone was emptying out their gardens—what luck they could do it into the O’Tarth household.

The last time her dad’s house was this crowded, Brienne remembers there being less bread. Fewer people, too, for her mother had been an outsider, and they had never recovered her body from the water. Everyone on the island loved her father. Everyone here had probably asked him for something at one time or another. They all probably had experienced her father’s generosity whether they consciously knew it or not. Lucky, and ungrateful.

She thanked another face she wished she couldn’t remember, and followed their eyes down to where she was indenting the loaf such that it seemed to be sprouting a ribcage between her fingers. It gave a hollow thunk as it landed on the top of what used to be her father’s dining table until Asha had dubbed it “Condolence Carb Mountain.”

Her mountain, now, though hopefully not for long. Maybe she could foist the mountain off in the sale as well. Everything goes, complimentary funeral loaves non-negotiable.

An immaculately dressed woman passed through the hallway beyond the arch on the other side of the mountain, followed by her partner, equally immaculate and so entirely out of place here on the island. Here, you dressed for the weather and for pragmatism. And you did so a couple decades behind the mainland, as trends and fashion trickled slowly past the bluster of the bay if at all.

Brienne regarded her own too-big dress pants and wrinkled blazer. Those were her father’s as well. Her own were floating somewhere in that bay. It had been an acceptable loss, before. She wasn’t supposed to have seen anyone. Her dad wasn’t supposed to be dead.

“That crown moulding,” the woman said, loud even as she made her way deeper into the house, past the living room where the viewing was taking place.

“I know, but hush.”

“It’ll have to come down.” Come down?

“Babe, we should have waited for the realtor.”

Brienne bumped the table on her rush into the hallway, sending a plate of cookies plummeting to their carpetty deaths. As she called out to redirect the couple disappearing up the back stairs, the doorbell and subsequent dirty looks from old women gossiping under the pretense of mourning silenced her. At her elbow, Asha sucked her teeth.

“Who’re they?”

“Buyers,” Brienne said. “I forgot about the showings.”

“Holy shit you’re selling the house?”

Her dad wasn’t supposed to be dead, she wasn’t supposed to be here, and the house wasn’t supposed to be her problem anymore. She was supposed to have been back on the ferry to Stormsend by now, her father safely set up in assisted living where he would be less likely to get himself into more trouble. Where he wouldn’t be breaking any more hips or terrifying neighbors he didn’t recognize off of public property. She wasn’t supposed to be eating up two days’ worth of time off dealing with every person who lived in Evenfall who expected that she’d finally be moving back to Tarth.

She was supposed to never have to come back to Tarth again.

The back door opened and a voice commented on the smell of baked goods. Asha swore like she was excited.

“Want me to kick them out?” Asha said, and Brienne got the distinct impression she would be granting her a most fervent wish.

“No.”

“No?”

“I need to get this over with.” She needed to get back to her life, back to Winterfell. Delaying the house viewings would be another day before she could get home, more lost time, would feed the island’s gossip that she was back. Back-back.

“How?”

“I’ll get the door, can you—?” But before Brienne could finish her question, Asha was a shark after immaculately-dressed albacore. It didn’t make sense; the realtor was supposed to have met her this morning so she could turn the keys over before the scheduled appointments.

“But the advertisement said this was an open house?” The potential buyers on the porch regarded Brienne with suspicion as she informed them they were double-booked. Fair, she was actively hiding a dead body from them in her living room. Brienne stepped into their line of sight, though it was obvious they had already seen her crowded living room. Why hadn’t she drawn the drapes?

They grumbled minimally but retreated to their car to wait. The notification drawer on Brienne’s phone stared blankly back at her—despite her father’s passing it seemed the island’s charms remained intact. Had she known she’d be on Tarth for this long she would have brought her old pager. At least then she’d have had some kind of warning from the realtor.

From inside the house came a startled shriek and the murmur of a group of people remarking disapprovingly to each other, followed by heavy hurried footsteps. Three figures emerged in a rush through the front door, two looking alternately like they’d seen a ghost and then vomited, and Asha after them doing a decent impression of the kind of teacher who lets you stick your finger into a socket to teach you a lesson about electricity.

“You’re sick,” the first spewed at her as Brienne attempted to apologize. The second looked like they were holding more vomit in.

Another car pulled up. It was the couple from the porch. The tall one rolled down their window: “Can we go through now?”

Once they realized the viewings would just keeping piling up, Asha parked herself on the porch, a wake-cum-open-house bouncer directing people this way and that.

“Open house or open casket?” turned into “House or body?” turned into “Shopping or mourning?” and eventually Brienne stopped caring. She smiled her most welcoming smile at potential buyers and frowned her grieving frown at people who still called her Little Bri and told her how proud her father had been of her, even though she ran away.

endless wips meme!

[heartorbit]

the star you've longed for

[accirax]

🌟🍬🤖🎈Congrats to Wonderlands x Showtime for finishing their 4x4!🌟🍬🤖🎈

[levemetal]

Day 2: Timeloop / Xiao Qi and Jiu Ge

I am cringe and I am not even free

Feel free to reuse this idea but 24 hours are not enough for me to finish an entire comic. I could have taken the simpler prompt but nOOOOOO timeloop is too tempting. Past me why are we like this

[dorothywonderland]

I started doodling greek gods, it's over for me. I have to accept that I'm officially addicted to epic the musical

[queenlucythevaliant]

So

They finally let me rearrange the religion section at The Bookstore after I spent several months complaining about it. By and large, I'm content with the job I did, but I still have some quibbles with the titles we stock.

Here is a selection of books that we apparently have:

Book about how to understand and love your child who smokes pot

Book about how to get a woman to trust you again after you cheat on her, written by the same author as the one about children smoking pot (what is this guy's life???)

A book called "Raising Prophetic Kids" that I was sorely tempted to buy as a gag for my parents

Prosperity Gospel book that claims to teach you how to become an ultra-rich CEO by following the example of King Solomon

Several dozen fringe eschatology books that are categorized by the publisher as "theology and Christian history" (I did not put them there)

"Inspirational" romance novel about Potiphar's wife

I Am Second book that catapulted me straight back to 2013

Book about spiritual lessons you can share with your horse

Amish harlequins

And two books written by my grandma's prayer partner's husband, a man who gave my parents terrible pre-marital counseling and was generally a pretty big hypocrite. That one was kind of a jump scare lol

[mickules]

Ummm… so even whilst making this I got another call from a childhood friend to travel up to Scotland and I'm actually packing right now…

I honestly hadn't planned to go basically radio silent at the end of 2023, it was simply a case of too many things, too little time and my own avoidant personality and my unbridled optimism when it comes to agreeing to things without factoring in the fact that I am but a man and not a MACHINE, and require adequate rest.

Especially coming off several years of having to plan around elective procedures, it's been my habit not to say 'no' incase I don't have the option later. AND in that vein at least I do have cause for celebration as I'm completely discharged as of this last procedure!

I managed to get a little thing, albeit late, for "almost Christmas", but it looks like2024 is going to be just as busy - at least until I can get myself back in order.

I still have so many wips and comics in the back of my cranium I am BEGGING to get onto the page; but what I'll probably do when I'm back is a little poll- to see what yous might like to see (I think? I have that functionality?)

I know I'm exptremely lucky, I've had annual leave I've needed to use up and good wonderful friends who I've been able to see (plus full sick pay which is a LIFESAVER) But also all of yous - I see comments and likes and messages (yes I DO, even tho my reptile brain fails me when it comes to REPLYING - my eternal apologies) and I'm so grateful!

Thank you so so much and looking forward to the New Year!

[addicted-to-the-knife]

I think it's very important that we bring back this inherent understanding that actors are also just some fucking guys (gender neutral)

[julissart]

First time drawing Kaya? Most likely

I loved her new outfit but, since we don't have official colors, I just went with the vibe

My OP Fanart Masterlist here

[whitestnoise]

[front-facing-pokemon]

[screwpinecaprice]

I woke up feeling like I was crying to sleep when I wasn't??? And my dream was about Mei from Turning Red riding a snow sleigh. Um There's nothing sad about that??? Lol

Anyway, the warm up sketches. The colors were added in Medibang. It was pretty fun, might do that technique some other time. My body still refused to recover from being bummed out throughout the day so I did house chores instead of commissions. 😅 Will try again tomorrow.

[welcometogrouchland]

Batman #149 by chip zdarsky is mostly unremarkable, but I'm really fascinated by how it makes a great case for 'good' endings not saving 'bad' stories*. Because there's a lot of interesting concepts in this issue (bruce having to deal with his rapidly aging and decaying clone making him think about his own life, re-establishing a 'nest' so to speak for his family after pushing them away, etc) but bc of the OOC slog that came before it, almost every moment w/ the batfamily comes off as unearned and disingenuous imo.

Like, everything with Damian is the perfect example in this. Because in isolation it's...fine. admittedly it's a missed opportunity to not go deeper into how Damian would feel about a clone of his dad who tried to kill considering Damian's relationships with clones of himself (the heretic rejects and respawn) or with former enemies who wanted him dead but who were manipulated and/or brainwashed (like suren and maya).

Zdarsky doesn't go into any of this but you could maybe excuse it as the issue not being about Damian. However, coupled with the previous bizarre characterizations of Damian in 147 and 148, it ends up not being fine- instead it starts to feel...icky how Damian (who, despite often being drawn and written as white, will never have his connection to the non-white al ghuls forgotten and will always be effected by racism even when not portrayed as a poc) is constantly written as overly violent, uncaring and narrow minded in this run. Coupled w/ trying to recanonize the morrison origin for Damian it's like. OH this is badly written and laden with subtle bigotry, sick**

That's me going into detail on it with Damian but it's applicable to other things in this issue- the way Cass, Steph and Duke have all been ignored or turned into jobbers makes their inclusion in the 'family' here feel hollow instead of satisfying. Bruce proclaiming that Zur was still a part of him and he needs to accept responsibility for his actions (when it means taking in clone son) wrings hollow when just last issue zdarsky was bending over backwards to separate Bruce and Zur bc otherwise the Jason thing would get really awkward. Ends are achieved through means that feel hollow or strange. I'm at my destination but damn why'd the bus have to do all that???

I only really have opinions on this latest arc of zdarskys Batman bc it's the one I've read the closest (bc I'm a hater, masochist and avid follower of even the bad damian storylines) but it's not saying great things.

Bc zdarsky can do one thing good in this book, and it's write Bruce and Tim. And yet this entire story, whether of his own volition or editorial mandate, includes other characters who aren't Bruce and Tim, the fabric starts to unravel in very telling ways.

(p.s, I think pennyworth manor is an interesting idea but I feel like in execution it's just gonna be 'bruce living in a house haunted by the memory of the people he couldn't save' but with a different dead guy this time. Illusion of change and whatnot)

*whether or not the ending is good is up to you ofc, as is your opinion on the proceeding arc! I saw some ppl complain that the ending was too "WFA" for them, which I get even if I dont think it'll literally be the same premise. If anything it's probably a lead into the new tec run. Likewise many ppl who aren't in the weeds of Damian and Jason characterization liked the previous arc! But I have my opinions and rest my case before the bench

**disclaimer, I'm white and portrayals of bigotry in comics are complicated and subjective, but I am basing my point here off what other poc comic fans on socmed have been saying about 149. Also the "sick" is sarcasm incase that wasn't obvious

[sciderman]

I swear I have read your big post regarding Peter Parker's neurodivergence and why it is best to avoid labelling him, but he definitely has a weird brain

Can't find it and feel kinda sad about it cuz I deeply related to it

i know exactly which post you're talking about and i can't find it either! i've raked through my archive, and it's just - nowhere to be seen. i think tumblr eated it (it happens.)

really, tumblr's search functionality is so so useless, i don't know what to tell you. there are plenty of keywords i can search to find it that post, but the search functionality actually just does not work!

undiagnosed audhd-addled peter parker, my darling, my light, my life, my everything.

i think peter parker's such an interesting creature to write, because a lot of people will point to a certain behaviour about him and say "this is an autistic thing, right?" but a lot of those behaviours are actually, in my head, tied to certain traumas in peter's life too.

people say "oh, the food thing, peter's a picky eater because he's autistic" and yes, absolutely. but also it's tied to his trauma with his parents.

peter gets overstimulated, and yes, it's an autism thing, but also he was bitten by a radioactive spider and his senses are dialled to 11.

it's a similar case i've found for myself, too – where a lot of friends i have kind of diagnose me because i have autistic traits, but actually - i'm hesitant to claim the label or pursue diagnosis because, actually, i know where these certain behaviours come from, and they come from certain traumas. there are events i can pinpoint in my life and say "yep. that's where this behaviour comes from."

so - i think there's a lot of overlap between trauma and autistic traits. the brain is very complex! i think the reason for that overlap is maybe as simple as the fact that people with autism and people with trauma are both doing the same thing - developing behaviours to protect themselves or soothe themselves. so - i think it's nice to be able to see a character like peter parker, who may or may not be autistic, but recognise behaviours in him and see yourself in him.

people who go undiagnosed for whatever reason - people who are really good at masking - so good, in fact, that they have no idea they might be on the spectrum - everyone and anyone at all can look at peter parker and recognise themselves. because i think we discredit the thought that every single brain does the same thing! develops certain behaviours in order to survive. every brain has that same software - we've just all been faced with different hardships that we need to overcome, and that's were all the differences come in.

autism is a spectrum, i guess - everyone falls into it to some degree. and i think events in your life probably push you along on it. but i don't know, i didn't study brain science. probably what i'm saying is very stupid and uninformed. of course there's brain chemistry involved. but i know people in my life living with autism and certain events in their life have exacerbated certain behaviours or made coping with it a lot more difficult. so maybe trauma is a catalyst.

[willowser]

okay last thing and i know this is easier said than done and i think it's less of final end point and more of a continuous journey but once you let go of your shame and embarrassment over the things that make you happy, you'll have a lot more fun

[ghostygenetics]

day 2. i call this one: "shapes."