#not that anyone has to forgive or forget but this is what everyone always claims to want

[demigod-jack-hearth]

As the original Anon who sent the FIRST ask, I am a male victim of SA, by a woman who has since changed the history by claiming that I SA'd her instead. You calling me a little bitch, multiple times, going into multiple different rp threads to bring it up, and call me a bitch.

I had to leave tumblr for a few weeks.

I was not the second Anon. And even if I were, while I may not have approached in the friendliest way, calling me a bitch for telling you that it's not alright to remove male rape victims

Especially when Circe is a victim of SA, just mot by Odysseus. I agree with some others I've seen. Stop burrying your apology with roleplay, take a few days to think. I'm sorry this is hard on you, but when you use SA as a simple plot line this is what you need to consider.

Look, I don't know whether you really are the first anon like you say you are, but I'm just going to take your word for it and trust you are.

I know I fucked up. I really know that, and I'm sorry that I called you a bitch

I'm not going to try and defend myself.

Like I said in the apology, I know that it isn't enough. I was in a bad place at the time with shitty people, and honestly, I'm still in a bad place (although that might change soon)

Don't take this as me making excuses, because I'm not trying to, and I'm sorry if it seems that way.

But yes, although I was being influenced by shit people, those were still my actions and words that I wrote. There is no excuse for that. There is no excuse for what I did and how I initially handled the situation.

If I could take it all back and start from the beginning, I would. Not because it would prevent backlash, but because it would mean that I would be able to stop myself from making a stupid and idiotic decision

I also know that no matter what I do, no apology will be enough to rectify what I've done. And I know there is no 'forgive and forget' in this situation, and although on one hand I do want forgiveness from people who were affected. I know and completely understand that I don't deserve forgiveness from anyone no matter what I do.

At this point, I've made a formal apology and I've done what I can to rectify what I've done. So there's not much else I can do except receive what I deserve.

Your other point, that I'm "burying my apology in role play" I'm not trying to do that. But for me, roleplay is an escape from my irl life. I'm in a situation where, sometimes, I don't feel that I'm safe from myself.

I know that sounds like another excuse, but it's not, it's just the truth.

I know I need help. I've been told that by several people (friends and people I'm close with) but for me, that's something that's very difficult to receive

Regardless of that. I'm not trying to "bury" the apology. When I began roleplay in early June (I think), it became something that I deeply enjoyed.

However, along with that passion, a problem was created, that I easily became addicted to Tumblr and the roleplaying community. It was not something I did purposely, it just happened.

I've tried several times to try and at least reduce the amount of time that I spend on this app. But every time that I try, I always end up coming back (the most I was able to stop for was 1 day).

I'm completely aware that this is a major issue (and writing it down makes both it and me sound completely pathetic) it's not something I can easily fix, but to start with I'm going to attempt to roleplay less. I'm not sure how successful it'll be, but I'll try

But I never meant to make it seem like I'm trying to hide the apology. Roleplay is just something I can't stop myself from doing.

I'm not going to talk about the other stuff, based on the reason that I've already addressed this in my main apology/explanation, and I don't want to just repeat myself

Because of how this has been worded, I've got the idea that you are someone that I've interacted with before, so I'm just going to tag everyone.

I'm sorry if you didn't want to be tagged

@zariahthewitch @thegroovydaughterofhestia @if-chaos-was-a-boy @the-gods-strange-children @silena-daughterofaphrodite @fabulousdaughterofhecate @weakest-son-of-sun @chaos-pers0nified @neoptolemus-achilles-son @bast-the-best26 @goddess-of-bubblegum @hispanic-child-of-hermes @gaygirldoodles @luck-is-crucial @reyna4ever @vicious-daughter-of-zeus @feral-hermes-child @oopsies-i-did-a-thing @unfortunate-daughter-of-hestia @that-girl-cupid @ariathemortal @love-lightning-forethought @emdabitchass @kaiaalwayswins @champion-of-revenge @i-was-never-sane @clown-energy-skyrocketing @zoe-aura-of-d3ath @itsyourboyezra @lunar-eklipso-r @pink-koi-lovejoy @that-daughter-of-athena @sleepy-as-a-song @smileyalater @gellyhelio @daughter-ofthe-moontitan @demeters-daughter-is-done @the-smart-and-the-dumb-one @trinket-snatcher @southerndaughterofeos @creature-under-ur-bed @burnt-out-bitxhes @cloak-of-ares @heraaaaaaaa @unproblematic-hestia

[stuffeddeer]

hii hru? i have a fic request umm i have this idea thats been sitting in my head for TOO LONG... i need to get it out how would bsd men (your choice) react to a reader who is too nice of a person, basically an ANGEL but seeks love from people who treats them like shit.,,.,. n theyre always like "nono theyre a great friend" (i need to stop doing this though it happens too many times)

ok bye!! have a lovely day!!!!!!

if someone treats me wrongly i will treat them wrongER. i do not start shit but i will End It. i included Dazai, Ranpo, Nikolai, Atsushi and Chuuya :) ive never written for Chuuya and Atsushi but i just kept typing so umm mb!! don’t read the last two unless ur crazy

Dazai would be so frustrated internally. He had been one of those people you give such patience to, and he knows everyone else is only preying that kind nature. He’d subtly try and point out that what they’re doing is bad, but he has always preferred a less direct approach. Threatening. Okay, yes yes, Dazai has turned over a new leaf, but as long as he doesn’t hurt or kill it’s fine, right? Are mild and “empty” threats really that bad? He’d chase away those people easily, helping you to meet others like his coworkers at the Agency or reminding you of the good friends you have and how you should spend more time with them. If you’re the type to tolerate rudeness from others but Not tolerate it when people are rude to your friends, Dazai would lie and claim that these assholes wronged him in some devastating way so you never forgive them.

Ranpo would (metaphorically) hit you upside the head. What do you think you’re doing, letting anyone treat you as less than you are? Not because he cares for you (so he claims), but because you’re associated with him! By allowing these, for lack of a better word, losers to treat you so awfully, you’re taking down his image with you! How would people react if they knew that the greatest detective allowed his friend (..?) to be treated so horribly? That he of all people couldn’t knock some sense into you? He’d huff, reminding you that you’d only need him and the Agency anyway, so why waste your time with such imbeciles 🙄

Nikolai is the one who treats you like shit. He hadn’t originally meant to — not any more than usual, that is — but watching you defend horrible actions from people that didn’t matter made him wonder if you’d do the same for those that do (being him, of course). He’d change at the drop of a hat, doting on you and cherishing you to kicking you out and ghosting you for weeks. But when he messaged you once again, you’d find yourself back on a bus approaching his apartment. Because of course you are, how could you leave Nikolai when he’s been so kind to you? He said he was busy, and what reason did you have not to believe him?

Atsushi would see himself in you but it’d just be a cycle. You’d see others treating him poorly and get angry, and he’d see people doing that with you, but you both would defend your “friends” up and down until exhaustion kept you from continuing. Atsushi is used to being used, so it’s fine, and seemingly so are you, so you’re fine, and it just repeats forever. But, if Atsushi’s options are to hang out with you or those jerks, then you’ll just have to spend more time with him. And if your options are to hang out with him or those jerks, he’ll just have to spend more time with you. The cycle ends, but without any real confrontation, which is how the both of you would prefer it.

Chuuya: your loyal guard dog. If he can’t convince you not to see “those piece of shit, dumbass jerks” ever again he’d tag along. Everything except barking would be on the table - he’d growl when they talked over you or break a finger if he had to. This is the man you want by your side, because he’d fight for your honor when he needs to or take you back to his place for a soothing spa-adjacent bath with amazing scented candles and over the top bubbles, maybe a glass of expensive wine, to unwind and forget it all. Also he’d block their numbers from your phone and threaten them to never contact you again 💀

[hypersudio]

Im sorry for the lack of posts so have some stuff about each of the brozone bros in my Pokemon au(I'm currently working on Bruce's drawing dw)

John Dory

John Dory had just recently turned 18 when everyone split; putting him at 40 years old now.

John has dyslexia and OCD Wich he doesn't like to tell people.

JD went grey for a few years after returning to find branch and his grandma only to assume them dead.

He struggled with alcoholism for a bit.

JD's first Pokemon was a turtwig named Jade.

Jade managed to evolve into a grotle before certian events led to her no longer being with JD.

Before JD left for the neverglade trail he had 5 Pokemon, now he only has Rhonda.

He is very protective over Rhonda and if he can help it he won't do any battles with her.

John could never get over what he did to cause everyone to split up.

He misses all of his brothers but refuses to look for them, believing them all to hate him.

Bruce

Bruce was 16 when everyone left; now putting him at 38.

Bruce's first Pokemon was a panpour named William.

William was given to Bruce by JD when he was 11 as an egg.

When Bruce left Brozone he had two Pokemon, now he has six. (All water types)

Bruce doesn't know if he can ever fully forgive JD for what happened, but also recognizes that hating him forever won't make anyone feel better.

Bruce and Brandy have been happily married for 13 years, dating for 17 years.

For a while Bruce struggled with his body image, but Brandy helped him get past that and now he's happier than ever

Used to be the worst at surfing but will never admit it, claiming he was always a natural

Misses all of his brothers, but feels conflicted about missing JD

Clay

Clay had turned 13 the day before everyone left; now he is 35

Clays first Pokemon was a qbone named Wilbur

Clay vows that he will never forgive JD for what he did

Clay had 1 Pokemon when we left Brozone, now he has 3.

His pokemon are either electric types or ground types.

Clay loves reading so much he tried to teach his pokemon how to read.

Every night he reads his pokemon a bedtime story.

He doesn't like keeping his pokemon in pokeballs.

He misses Bruce the most and sometimes wonders how Floyd and Branch are, but can't bring himslef to go look for them.

Floyd

Floyd was 11 when everyone split up; he is now 33

Floyds first Pokemon was a spirgatito named Rosey

Floyd decided to start a solo career and is now a dark type gym leader.

Floyd only had Rosey when he left, he now has 6 Pokemon.

Floyd has had a few relationships but has yet to settle with anyone.

Floyd has dyslexia as well but unlike JD doesn't shy away from telling people.

After some thinking Floyd thinks he could forgive John Dory if he ever found him again.

He misses his brothers but is too busy to go looking for them.

Branch

Branch was two years old when everyone split, making him 24 now.

As Branch was only 2 when everyone split he didn't have a pokemon.

Branch has only ever had one Pokemon; a sandile named Gary.

However Gary has evolved into a krokorok by the time the brothers reunite.

Branch found Gary when he was building his bunker and ever since then they've stayed side by side.

Gary actually doesn't have a pokeball, he just chooses to stay around Branch, despite his grumpiness.

Branch has a hard time remembering his brothers, and every year it seems he remembers less and less.

Branch however will never forget what John Dory did, but he's not sure he hates him for what he did, just that he left.

Branch has autism and OCD.

Branch also has a fear of abandonment

[eerna]

Ok so I’m not part of the GF fandom and I have only watched a few episodes here and there but I did not know a lot of people hated Mabel. Idk if it’s the same in the whole fandom but at least in the Latin American fandom I have noticed that a lot of people consider her bad and I’m like confused 🤔 because she’s funny and adorable. Since idk much about the show is she actually bad? Or are just people being intense toward a female character as usual?

God people HATED Mabel all over the world :((( It is absolutely the fandom being more unforgiving over female characters while giving a pass to the male ones. There were several main arguments. 1) That she was selfish and Dipper always had to sacrifice for her while she never returned the favor, which is just untrue. Their examples mostly included situations where Dipper was obviously in the wrong and "sacrificed" to show he'd learned his lession, which means we are dealing with people who can't even understand what lesson is a cartoon teaching kids. The perceived rift may be because he is more often the lesson learner than she is, but that is because the show focuses more on him than her. 2) She causes the apocalypse, and people claim it was because she made a deal with Bill to make summer last forever so that no one would leave her. However, they forget she made a deal to add a little more time to summer with BLENDIN, her friend who has time powers, who turned out to be Bill. She would NOT have trusted Bill, and if Dipper didn't hide the rift from her, she would have never dreamed of trading it for anything, either. As for her trapping everyone in the apocalypse dream bubble, obviously she was hypnotized, so idk why anyone even brings that part up as "proof". 3) at the end of the day, Mabel IS selfish, but that is not something that the show ignores, or makes excuses for, since she admits when she is in the wrong. It is a show kids can watch and learn how to deal with their more problematic thoughts and impulses, and it makes sense the characters are flawed. And also she is 12 years old and written like it and Dipper is just as childish, but people forgive one of them while dissing the other.

In conclusion, Mabel we love you, haters can suck it

[gilbirda]

what are your thoughts on watcher’s new announcement?

So.

I've been watching the Boys since they started back in 2016 (i think around that era), and honestly I'm very conflicted about the decision. I've read so much stuff in favor and against the announcement and I don't know if my answer will satisfy you.

I have managed a community and I have the blessing and curse of being somewhat of a Name, experiencing the ordeal of being Known, and I can tell you that 1)you can never please everyone 2)people will always rush to crush you the second you do something they don't agree with 3)people will always twist everything you do with the worst faith in mind and 4)fandom forget very quickly that at the end of the day you are just human.

I think they made a calculated risk based on a purely economical viewpoint. I think they considered their loyal fanbase and how willing people have been so far with spending extra cash to support them — The live shows, the exclusive streams (like the Valentine's Too Many Spirits) and Patreon. How much of their fanbase was the "broke students" tumblr claim they are and how much was people with spending money willing to pay extra for them.

I also think that the decision seem stupid if you look at it from the perspective of "why the hell would I pay $6 to watch such little variety of content?" and that's a Correct Assumption, but Observe — they have been very slowly pulling everyone that made Buzzfeed famous and enrolling them in. Very recently they gathered the Worth It boys, the second show that kind of carried Buzzfeed back in the day (apart from the Try Guys). I think they can't talk about it right now, but the goal is to relaunch Buzzfeed but without ads and without making it the soulless content machine it became. I think their dream and goal has always been making what Buzzfeed could have been with better management, kind of like "If I was the Management in this company, things would have been better" dream fulfillment. That's why they made the direct jump to a streaming service instead of the logical steps of Patreon-exclusive content or even jumping to Nebula like other youtubers. It was never meant to stay one single channel, it was supposed to be bigger.

Is the projection of making a "better Buzzfeed" worth risking this step? Time will tell. I don't know. I personally never cared about anyone except Buzzfeed Unsolved. I still watch Unsolved on repeat. Is my comfort show. Maybe they are overestimating how much people care about other shows not hosted by them.

Although they did hint that "we want shows not hosted by us". This tells me that they are settling down, they want to ramp down a little bit, do the hook with Ghost Files aka Unsolved Supernatural Lite for the streaming service, and once people are hooked, launch more shows by the old-school Buzzfeed people. Won't be as big as a show hosted by Shane and Ryan, but it will still make people feel like they are getting their money's worth.

I would forgive all of this if only they didn't use the excuse of "if we want to do Netflix-level productions we need money". I'm sorry but that means nothing to me. We loved them when it was a powerpoint slide show with 2 idiots in a set. We didn't fall in love with the toys or the trips or the high tech. We didn't fall in love with the fancy animations at the beginning of Ghost Files episodes that they are so proud of. That was all their idea.

I've seen this trend of content creators ramping up their creations to an unsustainable point, completely crash and burn and then having to apologize about having to step back. Then making it the moral trap of an argument that they have been doing their best to bring quality content to their audience, and of course making it impossible to argue against. If you speak up and say "well we never asked you to break your back" then you are ungrateful audience. That's exactly what's going on in here with the Watcher announcement — "true fans" criticizing people who point out the fact that they created this money problem on their own. Is not the fanbase responsibility to cater to a company's bad money decisions. Is not our fault that they decide to scale up their operation to a point they "haven't been making a profit for 2 years". It's unfair that the fans are at each other's throats for daring stepping back and saying "I don't want to be part of this".

I don't think Watcher Entertainment is actively wanting to collapse their fandom like this. I don't think this was a calculated move. But I do think that they are a group of adults trying to make a career of something they enjoy doing. I think they made this move with the perspective that fandom is not end all and they can always rebuild it.

— And that they are planning on making a machine that can work without them, and that requires breaking something in the fans, it requires kicking themselves out of the pedestal fans have put them on. They know they won't be allowed to have a normal life until people stop looking at them waiting for them to say their phrase.

In conclusion I think they made a choice that made sense if they are planning on separating Watcher Entertainment from "The Ghoul Boys" fame, and it makes sense if they are aiming at something bigger than what they've been doing now. Money of course is the goal and the reason presented, but there's a lot that they are not saying and we will not know until it happens.

Until then, it does feel like they have just shot their careers in the foot.

Also I'm salty that I can't join the service because I'm outside the US.

[krikeymate]

For @lastfire427, who requested something special. Found here. Chapter 1/?

Do you think if she knew how easy it would have been to bring Sam home, that it was as simple as her getting hurt, that she would have done something drastic?

Tara's 18 and lying on her bed with a dimming laptop perched on her legs. Amber, freshly 17, is pacing around Tara's room, ranting – once again – about Stab. She doesn't think she's ever heard anyone complain about something they claim to love with so much vitriol as her best friend does. It got pretty old after the first few times… years ago, and Tara’s long since learned to tune it out.

Her mind drifts instead to her sister, as usual. Ok, so Tara's consistently repetitive in her thoughts too, but at least she has the acuity not to bore everyone with it constantly. Amber likes to think she’s so smart, so clever. She’s always trying to appear calm and collected and better than everyone else around her. (Sam never had to try so hard, it was effortless for her.) But here she is, raving about some stupid movie and calling it ‘the death of cinema.’ Secretly, Tara agrees, although she’s sure their reasons differ greatly. 

It's been around four years since Tara last saw her sister, last spoke to her. She thought she’d be back by now. She’d promised. She’s been waiting and waiting and waiting. How much longer does she have to wait? Tara’s tired of it. She’d ask Sam herself if the bitch hadn’t blocked her the moment she skipped town. “I’ll always be there for you,” my ass.

Sam had promised to come back for her. She’d whispered it to Tara’s sleeping – or so she thought – body and kissed her on the cheek, and vanished like a ghost. Tara shouldn’t be surprised; it runs in her blood after all. Being a ghost. Tara’s tired of ghosts too, haunting her home, this town, her own mind. She wants to get out of here, she wants her sister.

“Are you even listening to me, Tara?” 

Amber’s voice cuts through the fog she had settled in, demanding her attention. Amber likes to have attention. “Of course,” she responds, demurely. She especially likes to have Tara’s attention. She resists the urge to roll her eyes as Amber flashes her a smug grin that she thinks is charming. 

She should borrow someone’s phone and call her. Remind Sam that she has a little sister, responsibilities, promises to keep. Maybe she just forgot? Mother’s like that, forgetting she has children. Out of sight out of mind. And Sam’s always been a lot like their mother. Too much like their mother. If she’s still using as much as she was when she left, it’s not so outlandish to believe. Time moves differently when you’re high… or so she’s heard.

Amber joked once that Sam was probably dead in a ditch somewhere. Tara refused to acknowledge her for a month. It had been a hard lonely month, but by the end of it, Amber had been begging for her forgiveness, and she’d ceased talking – bitching – about Sam all the time as well, so it had been worth it in the end. Tara wonders if all these years away are worth it to Sam. She wonders if being reunited will wash away all the years and memories her sister should have been there for, or if it would be bitter, if she’d discover that the memory of her sister was nothing more than a blurry shape behind rose-tinted glasses, that she was just another mother, another father, just another person who couldn’t love Tara. Another disappointment.

Much to Tara’s disappointment, Amber was still going on about Stab.

Tara sighs, closing the laptop and moving it onto the sideboard. “Sounds like you just want them to remake the first movie again,” she jokes, feigning interest. If she entertains it, maybe it’ll be over sooner.

Amber swivels to stare at her incredulously. “You can’t just remake the first movie, Tara! It’s based on a true story! Like, hello! Woodsboro history 101!” Tara just shrugs back at her, already regretting speaking.

As always, Amber is free to do what Tara is forced to hold back, and rolls her eyes. Unfortunately, she then goes on to give Tara an extensive summary of the events of Woodsboro 1996 (and the genius of the first movie), as if Tara wasn’t already so painfully aware. 

The reminder of Sam’s father makes her chest ache. Her continued absence is like an open wound that just won’t heal. Her ribs are twisted, skin torn open to reveal a mutilated heart. Everyone keeps reaching inside the cavern to prod and poke at it, as if they have any right.

Amber’s the worst offender. 

There’s a part of her that delights in Tara’s pain, she thinks; that relishes the opportunity to leave a mark on her that Sam can’t touch. If she stitches her chest closed, if she erases the evidence of Sam’s departure, then it can be like she was never there at all. She’ll have won the weird little pissing contest the two of them would engage in.

It’s a pointless endeavour. If she wants to leave a mark on Tara, she’ll have better luck actually stabbing her. Then again, Amber would probably like that, given the enthusiastic recounting of every death in the movie and how they compare to police reports from the real attacks.

Tara drowns her out again as she begins to talk about some artist she met on Reddit who’s bringing their deaths to life or some shit, and thinks about the last stabbings in 2011 instead. The way Sam had held her close and refused to let her out of her sight. How Sam had kept her in her room, taught her where to hide; in case of emergencies, she’d told her. The knife taped underneath her desk, the bed, in her wardrobe. Sam had known then, about her father, about what it all meant, although Tara hadn’t learnt that just quite yet.

She’d been so terrified of Tara getting hurt, of her becoming another victim to the Ghostface scourge. She wonders if she would still care. Would she still rush home to hide Tara away? Would she still hold her tight with desperation to keep her safe?

Does Sam Carpenter even remember who she is?

[rjalker]

anyfucking way turn your volume down first because I'm shouting.

It's also on Youtube. And iNaturalist.

[Video description: A white hand holds out a wallet with a photo of a plant on it in front of a white wall, and says: "You can look at my wallet for a visual," it then lowers the wallet again, and continues angrily, "But I'm posting this because just now live on Al Jazeera English, Richard Goodstein, a 'democratic political consultant' or something like that, in Washington DC, just said live on fucking television that Palestinian civilians are, and I quote, “choosing to live in harm’s way”, so that means that when the Israeli government murders them, it's their own fault, because they are “choosing to live in harm's way” despite the fact that Israel controls all-- everyone who goes in or leaves Palestine, meaning they literally cannot fucking leave! They literally are not allowed to leave by the exact same fucking fascist government that is murdering them! These are civilians! This is men, women, and children who have done nothing! They are fucking innocent civilians, and people in Washington fucking DC our supposedly democratic Washington fucking DC, are saying that Palestinian fucking civilians are “Choosing to Live In Harm's Way” so therefore, they're not really civilians, they're not really innocent people, they're not really victims, and it's their own fault for, um, let me check my fucking notes here: being murdered! If you fucking support Israel and you support this blatant fucking genocide I hope you-- I hope you have a horrible rest of your fucking life and you live in shame and disgrace for the entire rest of your fucking life. And don't any of you fucking people dare ever claim, ten, twenty, fifty fucking years from now, that nobody knew; “we didn't know what was going on” I-- if you fucking say this fucking, if I'm dead I will come back to fucking haunt you, and if I'm still alive I will fucking kill you. You people are not allowed to pretend that you have no idea what's going on when this fucking is being broadcast live on fucking television. People in Washington fucking DC of our “democratic” fucking government are saying that Palestinian civilians aren't really civilians and it's their own fucking fault for being murdered by the fucking occupying force that has been terrorizing them for fucking decades. Free fucking Palestine. And if you fucking support this genocide, if you support this occupation, you are a horrible fucking person and you should be fucking ashamed of yourself. And if you're like “well no they attacked first blah blah blah” you have no idea what the fucking you're talking about. History did not start on October 7th twenty-twenty fucking three. If you had never even heard of the name Palestine before October 7th 2023 go fucking find some gods damned free fucking documentaries, they are everywhere they are literally fucking free. Go look at the actual fucking history. If you are still fucking defending this fucking and if you are defending Genocide fucking Joe Biden who is literally continuing to fund and support this fucking genocide, fuck you. I hope you have a terrible fucking day. And if you're going to post some cowardly fucking fucking comments on this video I will fucking block and report you. Genocide is fucking always wrong. Yes, even when it is happening to Arab people, even when it's happening to Muslims, even when it's happening to people you don't fucking know personally. “Never again” means now. You do not get to pretend this is not happening because you don't fucking care because they're not white. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. And everyone who pretends this fucking isn't happening, history will never fucking forgive you." End ID.]

[ohboyhuey]

Hubert ‘Huey’ Duck is based on Huey from Ducktales. He is a 23 year old human, robotics engineering intern, and uses he/him pronouns. He has no powers. Huey is portrayed by Froy Gutierrez and he is taken. Penned by Maximillion.

You're feeling nervous, aren't you, boy? With your quiet voice and impeccable style...

♚:

Well, oh boy! Hi everyone! My name is Maximillion and I'm here to bring my boy Huey to write with all of you! He is simultaneously a Golden Retriever mixed with a Saint Bernard mixed with a Black Cat. He is very studious and smart, a leader but also not of fan of conflict. He yearns for more for himself and simultaneously always puts everyone before himself--especially his brothers--but would do absolutely anything to help absolutely anyone; even and especially a stranger. He's a great friend, perpetually confused by any woman he finds attractive, and is just trying to leave Evermore a little better than he found it.... if he ever manages to actually figure out what and if anything else is out there.

Don't ever let them steal your joy, and your gentle ways to keep 'em from running wild... REFLECTION ♚ :

Face claim: Froy Gutierrez Sexuality: Straight Pronouns: He/him/his Height: 5'11 and a half. (He may be the oldest of triplets, but he is the tallest... by a hair, and he won't let you forget it~) Eye colour: Blue Hair colour: Blonde Piercings: None Tattoos: None... so far.

They can kick dirt in your face, dress you down, and tell you that your place is in the middle; when they hate the way you shine...

Positive traits: Caring, selfless, kind, brilliant, intellectual, strong, confident, leader, driven, calm. Negative traits: Careful, quiet, abrasive, standoffish, lonely, melancholy, possessive, logical, suspicious, jealous, competitive.

I see you tugging on your shirt, trying to hide inside of it; and hide how much it hurts.... HEADCANONS ♚:

A stationary enthusiast, Huey is never without at least one good quality notebook and fountain (or at the very least, gel ink) pen, at the ready, at all times. Often tucked away safely in his leather 'murse' (it's a satchel), he is always ready for every situation.. whether you need breath mints, a rubber band, band-aids... or condoms. "It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it!" - A classic Huey catch phrase. He's got an outstanding record collection, all meticulously organised and on display next to his prized record player. There is an index and legend that marks the genre and spacing by colour coding and artist and album name, and he is immediately peeved if he notices it has been moved, touched, or worse; mishandled (usually by his brothers, who he's quick to forgive but it does get under his skin) Every night before bed, he writes a list of five things he's grateful for in a special journal, to keep himself centred. He knows he's the leader of his brothers and the ones they turn to, so journaling in general is very important to him, and expressing gratitude helps keep him anchored to his core beliefs no matter how crazy their adventures, shenanigans, or life may get. Would sell his soul for a good cheese pizza. Is an insomniac, often up late at night when he can't sleep, tinkering with various projects, working on homework, or even just dreaming wide awake about all of the exciting possibilities of his future. Is scared of leaving his brothers alone to chase what might be out there or on his heart. Is a hopeless romantic in every sense of the word.

Let 'em laugh while they can, let 'em spin, let 'em scatter in the wind... ♚:

Likes: Reading, listening to the rain hit the roof, hanging out with his brothers, puzzles, electronics, robots, dinosaurs, extra hot black coffee, candles, fountain pens, photography, fixing up his old car.

Dislikes: Recklessness, people who don't use their signal to merge while driving, children screaming in the library, cold pastries, the snow, feeling lost, being unable to logically explain how he is feeling or dealing with a situation, the full spectrum of human emotion (...mostly kidding...).

I have been to the movies, I've seen how it ends...♚:

Phobias: Black cats, but only if they are small or don't have both of their ears. Walking under a ladder. Being alone in the dark. Hobbies: Chess, any sort of logic puzzle, coding and programming, tinkering with inventions or electronics, finding a new book to read, organizing his extensive record collection, driving with the windows down.

And the joke's on them.♚:

Aesthetic: Your momma's pride and joy, Golden Boy, Eagle Scout. The older brother. The caretaker. The brainiac. The damaged. The control freak. The hopeless romantic. The lost soul. The lone wolf. The wandering wallflower.

WANTED CONNECTIONS ♚:

Childhood best friend. His 4th brother from another mother.

Current crushes.

Messy ex-girlfriend/situationship.

Students/co-workers.

Literally open to anything!

Thank you all so much for reading! I can't wait to write with you all and plot so many fun things in Evermore! Feel free to hit me up here, or on Discord so we can get things goin'! I might add to/edit/tweak this as we go along, but here is the bare bones of my boy Huey! Can't wait to see where he ends up and how much fun we all have getting there! Later days. :)

[childofchrist1983]

Loving God Almighty and Jesus Christ is not just in what we think to ourselves. We could be the most loving people in our minds, but if all we are practicing is hatred, then we are no better than hypocrites and liars. A person who hates his or her brother or sister in the LORD Jesus Christ is a liar, because though they claim to love God, the actually do not. Loving God is about how you treat everyone around you; not just in the declarations you make about how loving you think you are.

I pray that I nor anyone else will never be someone who is all talk and no action. If there is anyone we are harboring resentment or hatred against, may we ask God to help us release such emotions, for they are not of Him. I desire to love everyone around me, as God so wills of me and all of us. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His almighty power and saving grace. For He alone is able to save us, forgiving our sins and gifting us eternal salvation and entry into His Kingdom of Heaven. It warms my heart to experience the restful peace and presence of His Truth, light and love and to hear the delight and joy in song as He and all of Heaven celebrates my rescue, and it is with joy and thanksgiving that I raise my voice in praise, rejoicing and song to celebrate with Him, and all because of Him. May we all feel the same.

May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world daily. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Holy Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful Lord, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!

[janeeyreheresy]

Rochester the Scoundrel

Mr. Rochester was not to me what he had been; for he was not what I had thought him. I would not ascribe vice to him; I would not say he had betrayed me; but the attribute of stainless truth was gone from his idea, and from his presence I must go: that I perceived well. 

She's not disappointed about his deception, she's disappointed that he's not the man she thought him to be. HE DID FUCKING BETRAY YOU!

At least she has the right idea, getting the fuck away from him, at the long last. She locks herself in her room, alone with her thoughts. It's an agonising time--I do have sympathy for her, for all that I call her a moron and whatnot, she doesn't deserve to be treated that way. She also feels friendless. Nobody has enquired how she was. Adele didn't come knocking on her door, neither did Mrs Fairfax. 

“Friends always forget those whom fortune forsakes.”

The saddest quote of the book.

Soon we find out why. She opens the door and steps out of her room, gets dizzy and almost falls. Rochester catches her--he's been sitting in a chair outside her room. So even if Mrs Fairfax came to check up on her--which I am convinced she did--he would have sent her away. Adele as well. Or anyone else. Probably swear at them too.

And so, Jane and Rochester have a talk. 

Heavens spare my soul.

He asks if she can ever forgive him, and she does so. Apparently she can see the remorse in his face and his love for her in his eyes. Right. Girly turned out to be a lousy judge of character, but whatever. 

Rochester: “You know I am a scoundrel, Jane?” 

Jane: “Yes, sir.”

Still with that FUCKING "sir"!

Forgiveness is a personal choice, so if she wants to forgive him, that's her business. In all the versions of this story that float in my head, I have Bertha forgive Rochester, and his treatment of her was incomparably worse than his treatment of Jane. And he never asks for Bertha's forgiveness. For Blanche it takes a while, but that's because she can't stop being angry about how he treated Bertha. (Oh yeah, I ship the two of them, did I tell you? I call them Antoinette and Bianca. I'm not gonna write about characters named Bertha and Blanche, am I?)

Rochester takes Jane to the library. She had no breakfast in the morning, so that means she's not eaten that day and remember, too, that she had very little sleep. The Roch gives her wine and some food. He is OUTRAGED that Jane doesn't want to kiss him, or perform any act of physical intimacy. He thinks she will not kiss the husband of Bertha Mason. Jane says she has no claim to do so anymore. He asks why and whether it is because he has a wife already. Yes, answers Jane. 

If you think so, you must have a strange opinion of me; you must regard me as a plotting profligate—a base and low rake who has been simulating disinterested love in order to draw you into a snare deliberately laid, and strip you of honour and rob you of self-respect.

But... that... that is... exactly what you have been doing, Edward. 

You know, it's funny. He praises Jane over other women for her character and then acts all hurt when she won't kiss a married man. 

Jane suggests Adele should have a new governess (hinting she will leave), Rochester says he's already arranged for her to go to school. He wants to shut Thornfield Hall, that "accursed place". (What has Thornfield ever done, lol? It's been standing there for centuries without any problems, until you came along.) He says he was wrong to ever bring Jane there, knowing it was haunted. (Except he never did, she came on her own. And it's not haunted. Bertha's not a ghost, she's a real person.) He ordered everyone to conceal the existence of his mad wife from Jane, because he feared he'd never get a governess for Adele if it was known there was a lunatic in his house. (But he was able to get servants? Did they know?)

I possess an old house, Ferndean Manor, even more retired and hidden than this, where I could have lodged her safely enough, had not a scruple about the unhealthiness of the situation, in the heart of a wood, made my conscience recoil from the arrangement. Probably those damp walls would soon have eased me of her charge: but to each villain his own vice; and mine is not a tendency to indirect assassination, even of what I most hate.

So in all these years, he could not have had Ferndean Manor repaired? Is Bertha's current arrangement much healthier? THERE WAS NO WINDOW IN THE ROOM!

"I’ll shut up Thornfield Hall: I’ll nail up the front door and board the lower windows: I’ll give Mrs. Poole two hundred a year to live here with my wife, as you term that fearful hag: Grace will do much for money, and she shall have her son, the keeper at Grimsby Retreat, to bear her company and be at hand to give her aid in the paroxysms, when my wife is prompted by her familiar to burn people in their beds at night, to stab them, to bite their flesh from their bones, and so on—”

As far as we know, Bertha never harmed Grace. Neither did she harm Jane when she came to her room that night. She only tore up the veil. She never attacked anyone else in that house but Rochester. And her brother when he came to see her. 

I will come back to Grace doing much for money later. 

“Sir,” I interrupted him, “you are inexorable for that unfortunate lady: you speak of her with hate—with vindictive antipathy. It is cruel—she cannot help being mad."

I like this. If it wasn't for the fact she previously described Bertha as a beast, using the pronoun "it", I would even like Jane.

This part infuriates me so much, I find it hard to get through it. So Rochester's answer is:

“Jane, my little darling (so I will call you, for so you are), you don’t know what you are talking about; you misjudge me again: it is not because she is mad I hate her. If you were mad, do you think I should hate you?”

Jane replies that yes, he would. To which he recites to her how she has no idea how much love he is capable of and every atom of her is dear to him and if she attacked him like Bertha did, he would still love and cherish her and... 

Refer to my previous posts regarding Rochester's expressions of love to Jane. With friends like him who needs enemies, eh?

Anyway, do you see what I see? Here is Rochester himself admitting THAT IT'S NOT BERTHA'S MADNESS THAT THE PROBLEM. It's that he hates her. It is not because she is mad I hate her. If you were mad, do you think I should hate you?

"Fearful hag" is not a term you use when describing a certified insane person. It's a term scumbags like Rochester use to describe wives they hate.

He repeats he will shut Thornfield and go away. He wants Jane to come with him. Jane is not having it. 

“Jane! will you hear reason?” (he stooped and approached his lips to my ear); “because, if you won’t, I’ll try violence.”

There it is. You got it there, right out of his own mouth. 

Jane sits him down and agrees to listen to whatever he has to say. 

Who cares what he has to say?

Annnnnnnnd--she bursts into tears. It's like a fucking Pavlov reflex with her. Listen to your body, girl, it's trying to tell you something.

He proposes to her that they should still go away to the south of France, where he has a villa, to live as a husband and wife. She'd be referred to as Mrs Rochester--basically they'd fake being married. Jane won't even think of agreeing to that. 

Good to see some sense coming from her for once. 

He laments that she doesn't understand why he says he's not married (repeating that won't make it true, Edward), when he realises that Jane, of course, has no idea about the circumstances of his marriage. 

And thus concludes Part 1. It's time for the prequel.

[leonstamatis]

spots to kiss lyke/es 5

5. on the temple

The Jade Moon isn't a happy place, Lyke thinks. If he felt like being objective, he'd add that it's not really an unhappy place, either. It just sort of... is, with its grand architecture and unseen captain and threats to stay below decks on random days of the week. The rest of his crew seems content enough to enjoy the trip, as though everything in Sapodilla never happened.

Unfortunately, Lyke has a harder time forgetting. The skin on his face and hands still stings if he moves too suddenly, burns still just a little raw, and when he sleeps, he hears the sounds of human sinew strung up on a violin. So he's not really feeling all that objective, at the moment, and it's hard to see the Jade Moon as anything other than time wasted.

He plays cards. He plays a lot of cards, in fact, and he goes back to his room and argues with Tombow, and he leaves his room and argues with Duvall, and he goes to the sanctum to argue at Ateirka'kaal, and...

Well. Today, everyone is too busy entering a dance competition to argue with him at all. It should be a relief, probably, but instead... Lyke is something close to disappointed.

But whatever. He can swallow down the bitterness with a mouth full of a drink he can't remember ordering, and when Es drops into the seat next to him, he can even smile at her.

"Someone's having fun," he says, holding back the sarcasm in much the same way he holds back the howling, aching part of himself every single godsdamned day.

"Forgive my bluntness, but I can't help noticing that you aren't," Es shoots back. "This is a party, Lye Lychen. Live a little."

Es is beautiful. Lyke is aware of this in much the same way he's always been aware of beautiful things; he often finds himself pressing his nails into his fingertips to avoid stealing away a scrap of lace or a hairpin, just to hide it away in the folds of his cloak. Today, though, it's beyond that. She's very nearly radiant in the emerald light of the ship's dance hall. Her cheeks are flushed from spinning around with anyone who offers her a hand, and errant strands of hair float around her head as though suspended in water.

"Don't I get credit for being alive at all?" Lyke asks. As if to prove the point, his skin burns when he turns to look her in the eye; he can't help wincing.

Es hums. She looks him over with careful, calculated consideration that would put a microscope to shame. "I suppose that's fair. We can't all claim to have fought a god and lived."

Lyke presses his lips in a thin line. "She wasn't a god yet when we started."

"Sure," Es says. "Take the compliment, though."

The drink in his hands is nearly empty. That doesn't seem to matter much to Es, though, who takes it from his fingers and tilts the glass back to claim what's left. Lyke tries not to stare at the long line of her throat in just those brief moments, but he can't look away from the way she wrinkles her nose and shakes her head after.

"You don't like it?" he asks.

Es' mouth twists to the side. "I think I'd prefer something a little less... floral."

"You might want to have a word with the bartender, then, because this one is named after you."

"What?" Es glances at the bar in disbelief. "Why?"

"They're a heritrix, I think? They said they'd heard about what you did in Sapodilla and wanted to commemorate the whole thing." Lyke watches as Es' face falls into something more contemplative, a brief dip in the nonchalant facade. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Me?" Es looks back to Lyke. "Yes, I'm... I think I'm all right, at least. This," and here she gestures to the dance hall, the people spinning in their bright clothes on the hardwood, the food and drink on the table in front of them, "has helped quite a bit. I've been writing, too, and... I think I'm enjoying an opportunity to focus on more frivolous things, for once."

Lyke's eyebrow lifts of its own accord. "I can't say I get it, but I'm glad it's helping."

He's never been fond of being the wet blanket. Lyke knows he's better off when he feels he has something to move toward, a next item on the checklist that can pull his mind off whatever happened last to wake the guilt in his chest. But there's nothing, here, no next project or item or distraction. It's just him, a backpack full of stuff he shouldn't have, and a town in burning ruins on the horizon behind them.

"You ought to try dancing," Es says. "I've heard it's a great distraction, particularly with a talented partner."

Lyke snorts. "I feel bad for anyone who has to buddy up with me, then. But hey, maybe a broken toe is a good distraction, too."

"I'm sure that won't be a problem."

"Right, because you're so--"

Es moves quickly and with the kind of confidence that only comes from hundreds of years of lived experience. She stands from her chair and pulls Lyke along by the wrist -- avoiding the worst of his burns, he notices, although he's not sure if it's intentional. Even as he starts to protest, she pulls him along to the floor behind her with a steady determination.

And then she turns to face him, and she places one of his hands on her shoulder and holds the other between her fingers, and nods.

"I can lead, if you'd prefer," she says, tilting her chin up to smile at him.

Lyke sighs, resigning himself to the fact that this is happening whether he likes it or not. "No, no. I can handle it. Watch your toes, though."

As the music starts up again in earnest, he leans in to press a quick kiss to the side of her forehead.

"Thanks."

"Shh. Focus."

[itsfpx]

Phoebe Naar is based on Flame Princess from Adventure Time. She is a 26 year old fire demon, Rage Cage employee, and uses she/her pronouns. She has the power of fire manipulation. Phoebe is portrayed by Sarah Gustafsson.

it felt like the world was stacked against her since birth. her power being so destructive and intense that it outshined her father at a young age. she was too young to even know she was being exiled until she was brought back and put into the lantern prison that she would learn to accept as her home. how was she supposed to cope with the fact that her own father wanted her dead? how was she meant to exist when everything else around her wanted her flame to die out? it was a maddening upbringing.

there was also the fact that her father was pure evil and convinced that she was too. it was hard to overlook his claims when all she ever seemed to do was bring pain and destruction. she spent years in the lantern she was trapped in festering her anger, hardening her heart, and even though she could not fully harden it, her emotions were so off-balance that it only led to more destruction once she was out.

emotions. they were the bane of her existence and the only thing she knew about herself. she expressed them freely, letting the world burn around her even when she knew better because controlling herself has always been her biggest battle. she isn't the type to just let things go or not demand to be heard so when she is angry or hurt, everyone knows it. unfortunately those always seem to be her main two emotions.

she used to dream of a brave knight marching into the fire kingdom, standing up to her father, and whisking her away to better things. so when finn came into the picture she really thought all of that was going to happen. their connection was intense and foreign, so new and so pure but so, so, fragile. she put her all into him and trusted too easily and when he hurt her it cut deeper than anything she had ever known despite her trauma. her emotional outburst was so intense that any progress she had made to show she was more than an evil princess backfired and instead of putting in a fight, she exiled herself. if she was as evil as everyone around her was telling her, then she was going to make sure no one would ever see her again.

isolation wasn't so bad because it was a familiarity she was used to. when she was alone, she was safe and everyone around her didn't have to carry her burdens. it might have slowly ate at her, but she was strong and she wasn't going to let it dull her flame. she was alone, but she was free to live in peace.

phoebe can admit that she doesn't fully know what had gotten into herself when she decided to search for finn and jake with the others. she felt ooo shake, knew in her gut it was about finn, and just...reacted like she always did. ending up in evermore was a wildly confusing experience. not only did finn and jake just not remember her or anyone but she was once again trapped against her will. her body might not have been made of pure flames anymore but the fire inside of her was blazing as brightly as ever. all she could do was try to make the best of being a prisoner in this strange town that was absolutely nothing like anywhere she had ever been before.

at the same time....she wasn't in ooo. no one knew of the flame princess that destroyed everything she touched. she had a chance to start over, for the slate to be wiped clean. it was bittersweet to come to terms with. on one hand she could finally prove that she wasn't evil at heart and that she could do something good for the world but leaving everything she knew behind meant forgiving and forgetting and she was not the type to do as such. so much rage and anger and heartache burned in her every time she saw finn in passing, but she did her best to avoid him for the sake of her fresh start.

making connections with people is incredibly hard for her. she can be calm but her moods still swing so violently sometimes that sometimes she is harsh before she can control herself. she doesn't let other people really touch her in fear that she will accidentally hurt them despite her new body having a much cooler temperature. she's still hot to the touch and full of conflicting emotions, but she's doing her best to make friends and live her life.

she doesn't really sleep much. every time she falls into any kind of deep sleep she dreams of her father or of his voice whispering evil nothings to her until she destroys everything in her path. she runs on energy drinks and countless errands to keep her mind busy.

one of things she has found that really seems to keep her level-headed is music. she likes all kinds but really gravitates to rap music. she finds it fun and likes to write her own (but she would never ever share any of that with the world).

the rage cage feels like her home more than the little shab of a place she has for herself. a place where she can just unleash her feelings out and get praised for it? sounds too good to be true but it is real.

she is still trying to get the hang of things in evermore. her terminology is already bad because of how sheltered she was but now that she's not in ooo it's only gotten harder to keep up with slang or how society works.

she never really did food-food before, but now that she needs it, she kinda loves it. everything she eats is spicy to levels that should not be considered safe, but it's so yummy!

if there is two things phoebe cannot tolerate under any circumstances it is being made fun of or lied to. she will happily confront anyone with a fresh thirst of blood the moment she catches anyone doing either act. she doesn't think that makes her a bad person. she's been lied to and treated shitty her entire life, so sue her for not wanting that energy around her.

as much as she loves the rage cage, she wonders if it's enough sometimes. the fire burning in her loves destruction and while destroying a room is fun and safe...that fire always craves more. she's been doing a good job at keeping it down for now but...she wonders how much longer she can.

[anthonybialy]

Indicative of Vindictive

We will all get along once those who want to exist in a different way are destroyed.  It’s figurative, sort of.  Vindictiveness as a guiding principle is not the reflection of kindness practitioners think they’re flaunting.  The utter lack of forgiveness inherent to the most loving humans makes perfect sense.  Just ask them.  Liberals are never wrong about what they claim, as that’d make them delusional frauds.

Bloodthirsty predators who remorselessly look for violators of groupthink to demonize think Christians are cruel hypocrites.  The fact that itself is hypocrisy may amuse you, but don’t giggle unless you want to be sentenced, as well.

The party of compassion seeks souls to consume.  The fetish of taking down violators of pushy doctrine fuels hunters for what’s next, namely more hunting.  The cycle self-sustains as long as there are violators.  Don’t fret, as standard-creators work tirelessly to create new standards.  Make sure your tweets don’t presume the genders of dogs.

In an era where muggers run cities that would look too decayed for Batman movies, don’t commit the worst crime possible, namely being impolite in texts. Nasty remarks in private conversations are of course unacceptable and also not a justification for permanent banishment.  If nothing else, consider the precedent personally.  If you’ve never said anything boorish in conversation with inside references that could be misunderstood to outsiders, congratulations on unabashed lying.

Struggle sessions are the only entertainment some comrades get.  We’re all in this together except for those who’ve been ostracized.  Self-appointed legal practitioners are supposed to pretend not to enjoy it, which is why they didn’t go the traditional route and attend law school.  All that reading is so bourgeoisie.

Glee at tearing down those deemed offensive brings tremendous joy, which is why unofficial prosecutors are constantly on the sharklike prowl for defendants.  It’s not just that their ideology requires always seeking offense: the constantly bothered actually embrace victimhood.  Please keep thinking people are the gender they were born and that masking children harmed them without stopping the virus, as they need targets of animosity to engage in order to feel love.

Forget a trial.  And the sentence is always life.  The trial process has been streamlined for efficiency.  Social justice lunatics who think our court system is rigged against anyone they deem oppressed don’t believe in anything extraneous like the accused presenting a defense.  Fiends who text something off-color can’t just feel bad for crossing a line: they must be kept from being employed ever again.  Finding work while Joe Biden is president becomes merely even more unlikely.

Measured responses are for haters.  It’s not to excuse crummy thoughts by accusing everyone else of committing the same offenses to note punishment should be proportionate.  Claiming extralegal judges are too harsh is of course an offense worthy of permanent ostracizing.  Democrats who think arresting actual criminals constitutes cruel oppression don’t accept appeals from monstrously regressive offenders who still buy Harry Potter Lego sets for children.

People at their worst moments shouldn’t be allowed to avoid gloating, according to the accepting.  These modern times sure feature the epitome of love.  Preserving inarticulate ranting for eternity is not supposedly how social media works. Posts designed to be as impermanent as gossamer are carved in stone on the cliff overlooking the city.  Getting one’s worst tweets tattooed is the logical punishment.  Find an artist who’s skilled at applying scarlet letters.

What are they hiding?  Unofficial judges should be asking themselves.  It’s not the defenders but the accusers who are suspiciously obsessed with excluding humans for sins.  Utter vindictiveness is surely healthy, but perhaps accepting apologies would appeal at least for personal incentives.  Mob participants never think others will turn on them. Context is suddenly crucial when you’re the one who didn’t update your pronoun spreadsheet that morning.

There should be no offense in truth.  The fact facts spur outrage sums up humans in general and ironically intolerant Americans specifically.  The existence of absolute standards won’t stop tireless amateur investigators from seeking to violate it.  Their foes stick with biology, which those who profess to be scientific declare to the the apex of cruelty.  The vitriol aimed at defendants who point out our best present understanding is surely a reflection of rational thought.

Destruction of dissent embodies true open-mindedness.  It’s a sure indicator of security when people and principles can’t be challenged.  The refusal to even let the objection exist ensures unity.  Those who claim to believe in science get it philosophy wrong, too.

Daring to note that the federal government’s top scientific agency is still part of the federal government will get objectors excluded.  A federal imprimatur means their proclamations are infallible.  A federal stooge’s inability to be incorrect is central to their religion.  Challenging their pope is a crime that will get you damned.  Ruining your mentions is their issued penance.

Adherents who think charity must be mandated are always on the lookout for theocracy.  Worshiping their own cult is the exception to their condemnation of faith.  Loving thy neighbor is their particular church’s worst heresy.  Doctrine is far more capricious than the average religion.  Demanding compliance despite logical objections is central to all coercion-based beliefs.

There’s not much universal love or any at all.  It’s remarkable how profoundly uncharitable adherents are to anyone who suggests even the slightest disagreement or an off-color joke.  Woke juries specialize in ruling what’s not funny.  The unwillingness to giggle or move forward aligns with a lack of calm thinking.  Noticing patterns is a cruel unofficial crime.

[pigefox]

11/30/2012 ... 11/30/2022

It’s been ten years.

Let’s see how we compare.

2012

2022

What’s wrong with you right now?

I have fallen and I can’t get up

Work in seven hours, and I am awake.

Are you mean?

can’t do mean 

Sometimes. 

What movie did you last see in the theater?

I think it was Dark Shadows…

I couldn’t even say.

Do you think that you’re a good person?

Sometimes… though I’d like to believe everyone has a good person in them.

We’re a work in progress. 

Do you like to hold or be held?

It really depends… xD I like to hold when I know it’s appreciated, and I can say that much is true.

To hold.

Are you listening to music right now?

The Honey Trees - “Love and Loss” on my lullaby playlist. ^u^

Silence. It is midnight.

Is there something that happened in your past that you really hate talking about?

Humm… I keep a lot to myself, but there’s a lot of things I don’t like talking about.

I talk a lot about the past nowadays. But there are still some things I keep to myself.

Has anyone ever told you that you have pretty eyes?

Nope… xD

One person, and it made my heart soar.

What do you want in your life right now?

I just want to keep living… to keep enjoying things. I want to be happy and healthy… :)

To do better.

Do you think skydiving would be sweet or terrifying?

For  one who’s horrified of heights, probably terrifying… but in an exciting kind of way. xDD

Terrifying.

Are you currently missing someone?

Every now and then.

Yeah.

Smoke or drink?

Smoking: never. Drinking: not something I’ve tried yet, but I feel like I need a reason to do it.

No smoke. Yes drink. Not my best moment. But, I’m cutting back.

Are you smart?

Smart has a broad meaning… smartass maybe. :P

All circumstantial.

Waiting for?

A bunch of things. But I’m a patient person.

A lot of things to just figure themselves out. But I know I need to do my part, too.

If you could own a non-traditional pet, what would it be?

One of these beauties.

Dragonflies.

Do you find it easier to forgive or forget?

To forgive. You can’t just forget something. It’ll always be there. Sometimes, it’s better to hold onto things you feel like you need to forget. Lessons of learning.

Neither are easy. Neither are necessary.

Would you ever stay with someone just because you didn’t want to break their heart?

I follow my own heart. I know what’s best for me.

Are you sad?

That’s a reluctant yes, but that’s all based on feeling. I know the most important person in my life has to be me, but that’s such a hard concept to grasp sometimes.

You know, change my mind. No. I wouldn't.

Not so much anymore. I’ve been very hopeful and happy lately. ^u^

2012 KiM was a fucking liar.

I’ve been sad, on and off a lot this year. But it’s not like it was before. Sadness is temporary.

What’s a sure way to catch your attention?

A kind smile, and a tireless spirit. Music in the air… maybe a feather or two. xD A lot of things catch my attention…!

It always helps to bring some food. Or a bird. Free plants are nice.

Would you marry just for money?

Never. But I hear happiness has a certain wealth all its own. :)

I know people answer yes to this question. And man. That’s just sad.

Do you dream in color or black and white?

I dream however my brain wants me to dream. xD

Color. Always color.

Often take surveys?

Sometimes. I find them fun! :D like little personal interviews…!

Not nearly as much as I claimed to. This is the first in a good, long while.

Do you write poems?

I used to.

I write whatever is on my mind nowadays.

Do you get along with your parents?

From time to time with mum. We have our share of arguments, but we come back in the end.

Our relationship is like a broken switch. Sometimes works. Sometimes doesn’t.

What do you do when you’re sad?

I think about the things that make me happy. I listen to music, and draw things. I go for walks, and sometimes talk to people (depending on the kind of sad). Sometimes, I just need my time to work things out with myself. A sad KiM is a sad sight.

I lay on the floor and stare at the ceiling. I go shopping for plants. Go for a drive, listening to music at an aggressively loud volume. Cry about it. Ambush my friends into getting food with me. Typical stuff, you know.

7 things in your bag

Empty bank envelopes. XD … my phone, PSP, pencils, some mints, my bandanna, and a sketchy pad!

Bank book. Pen. Wallet. Probably $20 in change. Phone. Lotion.

things you do when you’re really stressed:

Depends on the kind of stress. If it’s an inner stress, I might go and let it out to a friendly ear. But most of the time, I’ll shut myself out and keep myself occupied.

Change the hair. Go for a drive. Listen to some good music, and veg out.

Can you watch scary movies alone?

I can hardly do scary things alone. Dx I have a horrible paranoia that just overruns my thought process… though sometimes, I find myself watching scary game walkthroughs alone, unintentionally.

Oh, absolutely not. 

Do you like to keep the peace or be confrontational?

It really depends… I can be an idealist at times, but I find myself more of a realist in most situations. When confrontation needs to happen, I typically let it. I prefer peaceful resolutions over it, however.

Peace is preferred, but I’m much more temperamental than I used to be.

Do you keep secrets well?

There is no benefit in telling secrets to anyone.

More often than not. The secrets I do tell are the ones that need to be said. Ones that will bring harm to someone if it’s not.

Would you tattoo someone’s name on your body?

I think it might be a little weird… but I guess I don’t know. xD probably not…

Absolutely not.

Do you like beer?

I don’t know yet? XD

Did.

Is it okay for guys to wear pink?

Why not?

You can tell this was a question of its time.

Do you still watch cartoons?

Of course!

Of course.

What movies could you watch over and over and still love?

Any and all Miyazaki films~

I can’t say for sure, I hardly watch movies. I love slice of life though.

Afraid of heights?

Terrified. xD

Not really. Vertigo is a pain in the ass though.

Are you patient?

Patience is golden.

Sometimes. It wears thin in some situations.

What is the hardest thing for you to say?

Goodbye. (tied with “no, I will not [insert answer to obligatory question here]”)

Goodbye.

What do you want to receive on your birthday?

I appreciate whatever I’m given. But I prefer time spent over things.

Good company, and good memories.

What makes you frustrated?

My lack of motivation sometimes.

Not knowing what the answer is.

Who will you turn to if you have a huge prob?

I often times keep to myself… but sometimes friends, and mum.

My best friend. Always.

In a relationship?

Nope.

I'll never tell.

Do you cry a lot recently?

I used to. But not anymore.

Whenever I need to.

How many kids do you want to have?

I’m aiming for one right now. Girl or boy, either one will make me happy. :) I wouldn’t mind twins so much…

I don’t think kids are on my radar at the moment... but I suppose you could say, if the time calls for it, I want to adopt two.

Would you take a bullet for someone?

Yes.

Yes.

Do you think you have made a difference in anyone’s life?

I feel that everyone can make an imprint on the life of another, whether it is realized or not.

I know that I have.

Say something about your love life.

Art… music… we’re good. ^u^

It is just what it needs to be.

Are you a warfreak?

A what?

If the insinuation is... someone who is obsessed with war... then no, no no.

What do you have to do before you sleep?

I typically go and look back on my day… and think about happy things. ^u^ get any drawings out that I have in mind… listen to my lullaby playlist, drink some water… snuggle up in my blankets… and sleeeep~ :3

Align the energies. Meditate. Think about my day. Think about the next day. Reflect. Breathe, stretch, relax. Close eyes. lol.

Will you donate organs after you die?

I don’t know. I don’t think about it.

Cremation, baby. Throw me in a meadow. Make me into some pretty wildflowers.

Has anyone gotten on your nerves lately?

Mmm… nope.

Oh, absolutely yes.

If you’ll go on a date, what would you like to do?

Ahh… I don’t know. I think having fun should be first and foremost! I’m not an overly romantic person… I don’t think. xD but I guess I don’t know yet.

In actuality, more than likely just a lunch or dinner, and some kind of activity, even a walk or something. I’m... lowkey.

But in my make-believe imagi-verse, I’d want to travel somewhere new, and get lost somewhere.

What would be the best partner of a good cup of coffee?

I’ll pass on the coffee and go for some tea… and with the tea comes the muffins!

I forgot 2012 KiM was a coffee-virgin.

A sweet n’ tasty snack.

Have you ever stayed up all night while drunk or high?

Uh… no. XDD

Sweet summer child...

Drunk, for sure. 

What makes you laugh no matter what?

A lot of things. XD I think the real question is what doesn’t make me laugh no matter what…

The Game Grumps. Fat birds. Silly dogs. 

Do you think it is bad to have sex at your age?

22?

… No. XD

32?

... n o ... 

Will you get married?

I’ll admit that I didn’t see it as an option before… but some things have changed my views on it. I wouldn’t mind. Having a family would be nice.

I refuse to answer this question.......

Would you change yourself for the person you love?

Honestly, I opt out of changing myself to fit the ideals of others. But if it’s something that would benefit me as well, then I’d go for it.

No. Because... the person I love would probably not want me to change.

What do you tell yourself when times get hard?

Smile! :)

You’ll be okay.

have you started a horrible rumour about somebody?

Never.

Never. Still going strong.

have you ever done hallucinogenic drugs?

No.

I’m going to say no, but who actually knows anymore?

have you ever been too drunk to remember a certain night?

Nope.

No. I remember everything.

do you think your future will be a good one?

Let’s see if the stars work in my favor. ^^

Time will tell.

Do you think you were raised well?

In some aspects, yes. But I want to strive to be a better person.

Nah. I grew up in a toxic household. And I know now that the good person I am today, is a direct result of me trying to do better.

If there was true love on one side of the street and a million bucks on the other, which one would you pick?

I hate questions like these… true love doesn’t just sit on the side of the street!

I’d just keep walking. Money won’t follow. But true love just might...

If your parents got divorced and you had to pick mom or dad to live with?

Well, considering this already happened… and considering my mum has been my best and only support, mum.

I mean, now, with everything I’ve learned since... I’d rather live alone. And I do love my mum dearly. I’m just at the age now where... it would be nice to be independent.

Do you think you know the meaning of true love?

I don’t think anyone really does. Even when you’re in love… even when you marry, and have a family… I don’t think it’s really something anyone knows. But I believe once you find yourself happy, that’s when you’ve reached the state of “true love”. :)

Still learning.

Do you wish someone was with you right now?

Sometimes. But I don’t want to just be with anyone. I want to be with someone who wants to share their heart with me. I’m not one to push myself for the wrong reasons. If that were the case, I’m better off alone.

... I’m pretty sure I read this question wrong.

At this very moment, do I want someone to be with me? 

Yeah.

What time did you go to sleep last night?

2:30AM.

12:30AM.

Would you consider yourself to be spoiled?

Never.

I am very fortunate to be where I am today. I spoil myself when I can.

Did you sing at all today?

Today and everyday! ^_^

Everyday. And that will never change.

[fellthemarvelous]

this is literally nothing but me rambling and nonsensical in some places because i started typing out what i was thinking but then my thoughts were coming faster than my words so please don't judge me for a random idea

Do you think the reason that Bo-Katan can't seem to hold onto the dark saber is because she can't connect to it?

Remember how Sabine had connected with it once she opened up about her family?

Bo-Katan cannot let go of Satine's death. She never got a chance to prove herself to Satine. She refuses to talk about her at all. It's why we don't know what's going on in her head and why we shouldn't just assume that Bo-Katan is feeling nothing.

She's a Mandalorian. They are closed off. She's a pro at hiding her pain and her guilt. She is trying to figure out how to rule the same way that Satine did, but she has probably always felt inferior to Satine.

I mean I know I'm probably way off, but it's a fun idea to consider.

Family is very important to Mandalorians, but maybe Bo-Katan looks nothing like Satine because she is her half-sister? And one of her parents was not a Mandalorian? Someone with red hair (literally no other Mandalorian stands out until she meets Sabine).

She wants to rule Mandalore but knowing she is responsible for the actions that ultimately ended up not only with Satine dying, but losing saber to her enemy and an outsider, who then used it to murder her sister in front of the man she knew Satine had loved all her life. That's why she helped him. And the fact he realized she was Satine's sister just before leaving, and offering her his condolences even though she was responsible for what happened to Satine.

I think Sabine (there is a reason Sabine and Satine are similar) helps because she is very similar to Satine. And the fact that Sabine named her weapon The Duchess (after Satine but with a twisted purpose).

Bo-Katan can't claim the dark saber until she comes to terms with what happened to Satine and forgives herself for failing her sister. And then Sabine shows up with the dark saber and wants to give it to her because she sees Bo-Katan as the rightful ruler since Satine had ruled it before. But the sword is heavy and when she holds onto her guilt she is fighting it.

She can't see herself as worthy until she tells someone the truth. The only time she allows herself to break down is when she is wearing her helmet because no one can see her face. She considers herself to be an enemy of Mandalore because she was responsible for the fall of Mandalore. She can't forgive herself because it cost Satine her life and that was all the family she had left. Bo-Katan is the only one left.

She can't successfully connect with the dark saber until she lets go of the past.

Because everyone forgets. That saber was built by a Jedi. The first Mandalorian ever accepted into the Jedi order. Then a bunch of terrorists got hold of the dark saber somehow and it kept being used for darker and darker purposes.

Once Bo-Katan accepts her history she will be able to figure out how to lead her people forward. Her sister spent a year with a Jedi so she learned a lot from him. Sabine knows Ahsoka and they were part of the rebellion until Ahsoka "died but didn't die". But they had Ahsoka is common.

It's like meeting her sister all over again because Sabine is fighting to protect the galaxy since meeting people who accepted her even though she was unsure of herself considering her family betrayed her because of the fact that she is the one who created The Duchess. She accepted responsibility and her family never stopped loving her even though she made a terrible mistake.

And the thing is that she always loved Satine. And Satine always loved her, but Satine found her way while Bo-Katan never found hers. Ahsoka proved her loyalty to the galaxy when she left the Jedi Order. Her convictions will always be "help anyone you can" and not just one side.

She will be able to rule Mandalore once she allows herself to move on and focus on getting Mandalore back to what it once was. Ahsoka and Sabine will probably be the ones who ultimately help Bo-Katan accept her past and allow herself to move on.

They are still making a Bo-Katan series, yes??

[bluepenguinstories]

Duck, Duck, Goose Issue #7

Nemesis sat on her bed. Her date was tomorrow, but all she could think about was the meeting she had with Trey Cherry. Nothing he said had been untrue, at least as far as she could tell, and she did want answers, but…

She fell back, grabbed her pillow, and screamed into it.

Things were going well with meeting this Gracie person that she could for a moment forget the reality of who she was and what her father had been.

Nicole Clemens knocked on the door to see what the commotion was about.

“Come in,” Nemesis groaned as she set the pillow aside.

“Everything all right?” Nicole asked.

Nemesis sat up. She could have said that she was fine and that it was just a false alarm, but she didn’t.

“Should I have been born?” Nemesis asked with not a hint of humor on her face.

“What do you mean, hun?”

“I came from violent origins. I know what my father was: he was a very bad man, did many violent things. He was a part of a system which took many lives, and in the same process, his life was taken by a member of that same violent system. Knowing what he was and what he did, am I supposed to mourn him? I loathe the things he had done. And yet he had me. I don’t understand. Why would you bring a life into the world when you cared so much for human lives, yourself?”

Nicole shook her head.

“I can’t claim to know what his motivations might have been, but the fact that you exist at all is something I consider a blessing,” Nicole tried to reassure Nemesis, in spite of how little reassurance it actually was.

“I hardly spend time with you. I hardly spend time with Eleos, either. I do care about people, but I don’t even know how to show them that I appreciate them. I’ll make token gestures, then go back to keeping to myself. And I want to be a force for good, I want to help people, I just don’t know how other than through violence. It’s terrible, it’s always been, and I’m pretty sure I make more messes than I’m ever able to clean up.”

“But you have helped people as well, that I’m sure. And even if you fail, don’t go thinking your efforts are wasted,” Nicole waved her finger, then thought to add, “I’m the one who taught Eleos that to love is to forgive. She may have taken the lesson literally, but I’m glad it got through to her. Truth be told, I’m much like you: quick to anger, holding in a great deal of bitterness toward the world, and having trouble forgiving people.”

“You?”

“Yes,” Nicole nodded, “it doesn’t show because I take a great deal of effort to be gentle anyway. Before Eleos came into my life, it was tough. I lost my husband and moved here to try to forget about it all. It hasn’t been easy, and I don’t think it will be. For people like you and I who have trouble forgiving others but love anyway, I think that’s special in its own way. I don’t really think that loving means forgiving, nor do I think you need to love or forgive everyone. Teaching Eleos that was my selfish way of countering my own cynical worldview. But to you, it might do well to think of yourself as someone who can love, even when you can’t forgive.”

“Ha,” Nemesis cracked a smile, “I don’t really know what you’re saying.”

“That’s okay. Encouraging words are hard enough as it is, especially when we’ve never been that close, as you already mentioned,” Nicole chuckled, then left the room.

Nemesis was left to sit in her room again and thought it over.

“Nothing has to change,” she decided, “I am myself more than I am anyone’s child. I can exist for my own sake. I’m not him, nor am I that Rhea woman, or anyone else in that bloody company. I won’t allow myself to be a killer.”

Those were some pretty big words, but it did nothing to prepare her for tomorrow. As she fell back onto her bed, she smiled and then opened her eyes wide in a panic as she thought:

I’ve never been on a date before. I don’t have a clue on how to prepare.

Gracie and Nemesis met up at the local nature park for their date as they hiked along the hills and trails. This time around, Nemesis made sure to be careful and not fall down any of them, not that they were very high up to begin with, so she figured she was safe either way. While walking along, they conversed.

Nemesis had on a red fleece sweater with a pair of black slacks and she slicked her short, red hair back. That was the best way she could think of to look ‘nice’. Gracie wore a thick, turtleneck cardigan and baggy sweatpants. Neither of them really paid much attention to what the other wore.

“Hey, do you think we should hold hands?” Gracie suggested. Nervous, Nemesis looked around. There was no one else on the trail.

“Um, I don’t know? I don’t think we’re at that stage yet…” Nemesis replied.

“Yet, you say,” Gracie chuckled and grabbed Nemesis’s hand. The redhead’s face turned redder than the dead sea. Gracie looked over at her date’s face and smirked while asking, “you don’t mind, do you?”

“No. Not at all,” Nemesis replied while looking away.

“Good!” Gracie grinned while swinging their hands around. Nemesis thought she felt sweat building up in her palms. Sure, fighting bad guys and rescuing people was nothing. But this? Nothing could have prepared her for such a situation.

Further down the trail, the questions began:

“Where did you go to school?” Gracie asked.

“Lilypad High School. It was a private, all-gay school.”

“Really, now? I just went to boring old Back Back High.”

“It wasn’t that exciting, to be honest. I just pretended to be gay to protect my sister because I was worried about her being bullied. In the end, she turned out to be fine, and my purpose for being there fell flat.”

“Oh? So you’re not really gay?”

“Well...maybe? I never gave it that much thought. I just figured I’d pretend to be a lesbian it seemed easiest for me to fake. I’ve never really had much in the way of feelings for anyone...save for you, that is.”

“There you go, makin’ me feel special and all. If only I had thought to apply to that high school. I could’ve probably wrote a whole thesis on how amazing it is to like both men and women. Then we could’ve met each other much sooner.”

Nemesis looked up at the sky. At first, she thought, wouldn’t that have been nice? Before recalling how things went just the day before with Trey Cherry.

“I don’t know if you’d have liked me then,” Nemesis admitted, “I was known for being kind of violent. I had a reputation for beating up bullies.”

“If anything that just makes you sound cooler.”

“I’m afraid that’s about the extent of my coolness. I’m pretty chill nowadays.”

“So is it wrong if I want to date you?”

“Date me? Like what we’re doing right now?”

“Like...be a couple.”

“You’d be okay with that after just one date?”

Gracie shrugged, one hand still locked in with the one beside her.

“If may have been fast, but if I made up my mind, that’s that. No takebacks.”

“You don’t have to take it back,” Nemesis shook her head, “but can I take some time to think it over?”

“Of course! And ‘no’ is always an option, as well. I may be bummed, but I’ll live.”

“Even if you’re bummed, I’ll still be honest with you. I see no reason to lie. I just haven’t given it much thought yet and I think I ought to do so. Maybe another date would help, too?”

“Sure, name the time and place.”

“Any time works for you. And maybe something simple, like the mall? We could get lemonade and watch a movie?”

“Sure! And I’ll steal snacks from the nearby candy store and sneak them into the theater!”

“And I’ll help you do so,” Nemesis added, while thinking that Gracie was joking.

They soon parted ways after returning to the entrance of the park. Gracie rode off on her motorcycle and Nemesis just watched until she faded from view.

As the sun set, Nemesis took to the trails and hid in them. Sure that no one else had seen her, she transformed into her armor and soared into the sky. Upon landing on a high enough rooftop with a chimney she could hide behind, she contacted Mac.

“Hey Mac. I don’t know what to do,” she began, “I just had my first date and Gracie said she wants us to be a couple. I feel like this is going too fast but also I’m probably going to end up saying yes. Anyway, I don’t know what I should do, you gotta help me.”

After a few seconds, Mac’s voice came in the form of an audible groan.

“Way to rub it in,” he replied.

“I’m not rubbing anything in! I’m telling you what I just went through!”

“I haven’t even told Raclette I like him – I don’t even know if he likes guys – and here you go stumbling into a relationship on your first date. I should at least consider myself grateful you two haven’t kissed yet, but knowing you, I can’t rule anything out.”

“No. We haven’t kissed,” Nemesis found the statement odd, “but we held hands. That’s something, right?”

“Oh my god. Just stop talking.”

“Fine,” Nemesis huffed and crossed her arms together before moving on to a different topic, “do you think Raccoon Woman will strike next, or do you think the emerald was enough to satisfy her? I still wish I could get that emerald back and return it to the museum, but maybe at least it was stolen for a good cause. I’m hoping she doesn’t need to steal again, but if she does, maybe I can talk her out of it and help her with whatever she’s going through. What do you think?”

“What did I just say?” Mac asked in turn.

“I’ve changed topic!” Nemesis argued.

“You may as well be talking about the same person!” Mac fired back.

Their second date at the mall wasn’t long after the first. They met at the food court, and true to their word, visited the nearby candy store. Nemesis paid for their candy, as in her own words, “I’m not about to steal when I can just pay for the both of us.”

In spite of that, Gracie grabbed a chocolate bar off one of the shelves when no one was looking.

After stopping for some lemonade at a nearby kiosk (Nemesis bought a hard strawberry lemonade, while Gracie got herself a chocolate hazelnut lemonade), they made their way over to the theater. Before they could make it there, though, Nemesis ran into Dike and Eleos, who also happened to be on a date.

“Well, look who it is,” Dike said first.

“Hello big little sister,” Eleos greeted.

“Who are these two? No, let me guess: bullies from your old high school?” Gracie asked.

“No, not at all. The one with the big poofy hair is my sister, and the other…” Nemesis glanced at Dike, “my sister’s girlfriend.”

“And who might you be?” Dike leaned over and asked Gracie.

“I’m Gracie Palms. We’re about to see a movie. Actually, this is our second date.”

“Aww, what a cute couple you make,” Eleos fawned.

“Oh, actually, we’re not a couple yet,” Nemesis corrected.

“Yet, she says,” Gracie joked.

“But we might be soon, so look forward to that. Maybe,” Nemesis shrugged and took a sip from her lemonade.

“You know, back in high school, Nemesis was something of a delinquent,” Dike brought up, “she seems to be fine now, but I often worried about her getting into trouble.”

“Oh, she still will,” Gracie joked, “if I change my name to Trouble.”

“I don’t get it,” Nemesis commented, then took another sip.

“But yeah, she told me that already. How she used to beat up bullies. It sounds so noble,” Gracie held both of her hands over the side of her cheek and declared with a great admiration.

“Maybe her intentions were noble,” Dike admitted, “but I’m just glad she’s not out there picking fights on the streets like some kind of vigilante. That could have really gotten her into trouble, or worse, seriously hurt.”

“A vigilante? What, like Goose Woman?”

“Oh, don’t remind me,” Dike rolled her eyes, “it’s getting scary out there what with some random woman in armor running around.”

“What, like it wasn’t scary before? What with all the organized crime, militarized police, buildings catching fire due to poor oversight on the developers. Not to mention all the robbers and thieves. If anything, it’s admirable that she’s trying to do something,” Gracie came to Goose Woman’s defense.

“What do you think about all this, Nem?” Dike asked and turrned to the tall redhead.

Crap. I was hoping they wouldn’t pay attention to me, Nemesis thought.

“This is some pretty good lemonade,” was the best reply she could come up with.

“Yeah, but what about Goose Woman? What do you think about all that?”

“Huh,” Nemesis looked around at the three women beside her, “honestly, I don’t really pay much attention to that stuff. But do you really think she looks all that like a goose?”

“I don’t think that part matters so much,” Dike shook her head, “but what about if you were to run into this Goose Woman? Wouldn’t you be scared that she might hurt you?”

Nemesis took another sip of her lemonade.

“I don’t think I have to worry about that,” Nemesis replied.

“Why’s that?”

“Because I’m more likely to hurt myself doing something stupid than I am coming face to face with some random figure in a suit of armor,” she explained, then went right back to sipping her lemonade.

“Oh, and when it comes to actually helping, I hear Goose Woman fails more times than she succeeds. Especially with this new masked criminal, Raccoon Woman. Apparently Goose Woman has failed to stop every single one of that raccoon’s heists.”

“Yeah, but I’m sure she’ll succeed eventually! I believe in her!” Gracie rushed in to defend Goose Woman once more. “Who cares how many times she’s failed? She only has to succeed once to stop that Raccoon Woman, right?”

“I don’t know,” Nemesis spoke up, “does she really have to stop Raccoon Woman?”

“What? You want Raccoon Woman to keep stealing?” Dike asked, and Gracie looked just as confused.

“Well, that’s not what I mean...more like, what if she’s able to figure out why it is Raccoon Woman is stealing in the first place? That way, she could help Raccoon Woman and then get her to stop stealing on her own, because she wouldn’t need to anymore. Wouldn’t that be better?”

Both Dike and Gracie blinked a few times.

“Sounds like you’re defending a criminal,” Dike tilted her head.

“Maybe I am. Stealing is bad, sure, but I don’t think Raccoon Woman is bad just because she steals. And being a vigilante is a crime too, isn’t it? I’m just thinking, wouldn’t it be better to try to figure out why someone commits the crimes they do and improve their conditions rather than just punishing them? Because I don’t think simply punishing solves the problem.”

“Hun, that’s really sweet of you, but what if this Raccoon Woman just steals for the hell of it? Or maybe she just sees shiny objects and can’t help herself? Or her main reason is just ‘I wanna be filthy rich’?”

“I don’t know,” Nemesis shrugged and admitted, “but it would be nice to at least try and figure it out. Is it as simple as that or is there something else? Then again, if she wants to get rich, there could be something behind that, too. Like, does she want to improve her living conditions because of how much of a struggle it is to get by? I don’t know, but it would at least be nice to try to figure it out.”

“Wait. No. I actually agree with you,” Dike found herself surprised to hear the words coming out of her mouth, “I’ve wondered these sorts of things, too. Like, is it really justice to punish someone for a thing we deem wrong, but not do anything to improve the conditions which led them to do said thing in the first place? For me, violence is not justice, no matter who does it or the reason why. But how do we counter that when the city’s brand of justice is run on violence? It ends up feeling like nonviolence is complacency and that’s not what I want either.”

“Huh. You didn’t strike me as that kind of person,” Nemesis pointed out, “back in high school you were just like ‘let someone official deal with it’.”

Dike nodded.

“To me that was the most diplomatic thing that could be done at the time,” she admitted, “and I still don’t really know how much I could have done different back then. I was constrained both by the environment as well as my lack of knowledge. I still don’t approve of the things you’ve done, but you did raise a fair point with how sometimes things need to be addressed immediately. I just didn’t want to have to rethink things because...it’s what made the most sense to me. It may not have been right, but it’s what I knew best. But now it’s like the more I realize it wasn’t right, the less sense everything else makes and now it’s like I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

“You’re telling me...I still don’t know what I can actually do to help others. I still want to, too. I’ve just been stuck.”

“Ahahaha,” Dike let out nervous laughter, “well, on that note, I wonder what Goose Woman would say to all this. She seems like she has it all figured out, even if I don’t agree with what she does.”

“She’d probably say, ‘this is some pretty good lemonade’,” Nemesis replied, then took her last sip before the cup went empty.

“It really is, huh?” Gracie added, then finished hers off as well.

“We’ll have to check it out sometime, won’t we?” Dike looked over at Eleos.

“Yeah! Right after we smell them sticks!” Eleos declared with her fists in the air.

“Oh, right. She wants to go check out the incense store,” Dike explained. “We better be off, but it was nice meeting you, Gracie.”

“Likewise!” Gracie was about to wave off when she noticed how big and bouncy Eleos’s hair really was. “Hey, before you two go, can I pat Nem’s sister’s head?”

“Sure!” Eleos agreed with a big smile.

Gracie knelt down and gave a couple of pats on Nem’s sister’s head, which flattened her big hair in the process, only for it to bounce back up.

“Wow, that’s one thing I can cross off my bucket list,” Gracie remarked.

“You have one of those?” Nemesis asked.

“Not physically, but I got some things I’d like to have happen,” Gracie replied. Both date goers waved the other off before Gracie and Nemesis made their way over to the theater, hand in hand. Even with their lemonades gone, the two of them managed to smuggle in a horde of snacks, enough to last both of them the full duration of the movie.

Two hours later, they walked out of the theater.

“Wow, I’m still holding back tears,” Gracie said while wiping her eyes.

“I don’t know. Seemed rather trite, if you ask me,” Nemesis replied.

“It’s not about the story! It’s about the emotion! When Garcon said to Merde, and I quote, ‘to me, you are like the moon colliding into the sun and causing a supernova’, I swooned.”

“Yeah, I don’t get what that was about,” Nemesis admitted, “sounds like gibberish.”

“It’s romantic! You can make anything romantic if you say it in a sweet way!”

“Oh. Hm,” Nemesis put her hand on her chin, lost in thought, then puckered her lips and tried to imitate a suave voice, “you are like if cat litter and grape soda were put into a blender.”

“Ew, ew,” Gracie laughed and shoved away Nemesis’s mouth as Nemesis leaned in, “I’d kiss you but I don’t want your breath to taste like grape flavored cat litter!”

“I’d kiss you, but this is a crowded mall and…what if I try and end up bonking your head instead?”

“Only one way to find out, huh?” Gracie winked and pulled Nemesis by the arm through the mall.

“Where are we going?” Nemesis asked.

“I don’t know!” Gracie laughed, “I’m just ready to make out already! There’s bound to be somewhere we can go!”

Nemesis laughed along. This is crazy, she thought, but couldn’t help smiling regardless.

They didn’t stop running even when they were out into the parking lot. It wasn’t until they reached a nearby park with a large tree that they stood underneath and under the covers of the tree’s branches and pressed against each other. Nemesis brushed aside Gracie’s hair, while Gracie wrapped her arms around Nemesis’s neck and they embraced for a kiss.

“So? What’s your answer?” Gracie asked after slowly pulling away, arms still wrapped around Nemesis.

“Hmm...another date wouldn’t hurt,” Nemesis replied.

“You do know that we can keep going on dates after we’re girlfriends, right?”

“Yeah, but I want to make sure I’m absolutely certain. In other words, I want a dinner date.”

“Really now?”

“Yeah! Just like when Merde took Garcon on one of those candlelight dinners! Like, one of those fancy places that you need a reservation for!”

Gracie burst out into laughter, then let go of one arm and poked Nemesis on the nose.

“Deal. I mostly work during the daytime, so name an evening you’re not busy, and we’ll go.”

“Really?!” Nemesis backed away and had a grin. She was sure that if she had a tail, she would have been wagging it.

“Yeah. If that’s what you want, I’ll make it happen.”

A few days later, Nemesis went to visit the abandoned factory. She had meant to visit since the last time she ran off, but it was exactly because of how things ended off that she avoided doing so.

“Hey old man!” Nemesis cupped her hands and yelled. “Trey!”

Nemesis paced about.

Should I just go home? He’s probably not here, she thought.

However, as she was about to turn to leave, Trey emerged from the entrance and rubbed his eyes.

“What do you want, kid?” He groaned.

Nemesis turned to face him and noticed bags under his eyes.

“Have you not been sleeping enough?” She asked. Damn it, this isn’t what I meant to say to him, she thought, but couldn’t stop what had already been said.

“Opposite. Been doin’ nothing but sleepin’. Not that that’s anything new for me. Haven’t been out much lately.”

“You never leave this place?”

He shook his head.

“Sometimes I go out to the nearest convenience store and pick up some bourbon and some snacks. I don’t like to venture much. Gets me into trouble. Too old for that nonsense.”

“I...see?” Nemesis was a little confused, but shook her head and changed the subject, “look: I came here to apologize. Last time, I ran off. I took things hard. I should have seen it coming, and I just didn’t handle it very well. You’ve done a great deal to help me, and I appreciate what you’ve done.”

“Eh, don’t mention it,” he scratched the back of his head, “I was the one who offered to find out in the first place. You didn’t ask for it, you just accepted my offer.”

“Ha…” She scratched the back of her head as well.

“To be honest, I almost made the same mistake your father did,” Trey said while pulling a phone from his pocket.

“You have a phone?”

“Why does that surprise you? You really think I’m destitute or something? Whatever, that part’s not important,” he clicked on the gallery icon on his phone and held it up. On the phone was a picture of an infant wrapped in cloth.

“It’s a baby?” Nemesis asked.

“Yeah, was a baby at some point. She’s a few years older than that now, I reckon.”

“Huh. I didn’t know you had a kid.”

“Technically two,” Trey held up two fingers as if to make a peace sign, “but the other one was already born before I entered the picture from a previous relationship the mom had.”

“Huh. You never struck me as the romantic type,” Nemesis commented with wide eyes.

“Ha! Yeah! I surprise myself sometimes!” He walked back and sat upon one of the steps leading to the entrance. “You know, falling in love’s kinda bullshit, but I just couldn’t help myself with that woman.”

“Yeah…” Nemesis went to sit beside him, “moms sure are something. I’ve got this friend who’s got a hot mom, but anyway, I don’t mean to interrupt.”

Trey side-eyed Nemesis.

“You had better not make a move on my ex if I tell you about her,” Trey warned.

“I make no promises,” Nemesis smiled.

“Right. Well, her name was Rosie Palms and –”

Nemesis spat out and burst into laughter.

“What kind of name is that?!” She was dumbfounded.

“It’s a beautiful name!” Trey argued, “and she’s a beautiful woman. We met at a pier. I had just finished with a lengthy assignment at the time, and it really took a toll on me. Well, not to say it was the first one to do so, nor would it be the last. She was feeding the seagulls french fries and I happened to watch those rats with wings fight each other over the last fry. It was so amusing that I almost didn’t notice the woman leading those seagulls on.”

“This is one weird meet cute,” Nemesis commented.

“Anyway, there was a food stall near the pier, and I reached into my pocket. Usually, I’d have enough cash to buy several mansions. That particular day...I must have blown ‘em all on several lifetimes worth of stupid things, as all I could afford was a large serving of fries. I ended up tossing most of my fries to the seagulls, too, which in hindsight makes no sense, seeing as I must have been pretty hungry and just wasted my food. She saw that I had done the same thing she did, we laughed as we tossed fries into the air and made those rat bastards work for their food.”

“That’s oddly cute, in a way. Don’t know what kind of way, though. So what happened? Why aren’t you guys still together?”

Trey put his palm over his face and chuckled.

“Did you not hear me? I almost made the same mistake your old man did. I loved her, I loved her kids, and they were good people. But I couldn’t just leave my job and risk their lives like that. At the same time, there’s no rule about not having a family when you’re a janitor. So I thought I could just do both. For a while, it seemed to work, y’know?” Trey shook his head and snickered, “but I’d be gone for long periods of time. I’d go out to strip clubs and bars as a way to cope with the things I’ve done. I’d cheat, I’d gamble away my money, and I’d walk out the door without a moment’s notice. I loved her and the kids, still do, but...I couldn’t just quit my lifestyle.”

“Wow. That’s pretty shitty. You couldn’t just tell her what your job entailed? Or have been honest at all? And I get being stressed, but why not go to her? Why do all those things?”

“Because I’m stupid! I mean, would a smart person have gotten into a relationship in the first place with the job I had? Probably not.”

“But I mean, you’re good at finding information, so you’re not that stupid. You just make bad decisions.”

“Eh. Finding things out don’t take smarts. She couldn’t take much more of my antics, so she left me and moved away. I don’t blame her one bit. I know I’ve done some shitty things, and the best thing I can do now is stay out of everyone’s way.”

“Man...I don’t know what to say.”

“Ha. It’s fine. That’s life, y’know?”

“I wonder what my mom was like,” Nemesis thought aloud.

“She must’ve been some special broad to make your old man abandon his job like that.”

“Hey! I’m the daughter of that ‘broad’!” Nemesis yelled.

“I’m just tellin’ the truth! Even I had some sense about me not to quit my job. What was his excuse? What did she say to convince him?”

“Maybe he just wanted to stay there to raise me. Ever thought of that? What I wonder now is where my mom went after all this time. I have memories with her, but in them, she only appears as a shadow. When I try to think about how her voice sounded, all I hear is my own. I don’t know what it means.”

“Do you want me to find out who she was for you? Or where she might have gone to?” Trey offered.

“No. Please don’t. If I ever find out, I’d rather find out for myself. Why did she walk out? How much did she know about my father’s past? I don’t know the answer to either of those questions, but if at all possible, I’d rather she tell me if I’m ever to meet her.”

“You’re pretty damn optimistic, huh?”

“I don’t know. Hopeful, maybe? But that’s not the same as optimism. If anything, I’m sure whatever answers are out there, they aren’t the kind I want to hear, nor are they the helpful kind. But I’m hopeful that they’re out there, and that I can find them, nonetheless.”

She walked away after that. He snickered, but didn’t utter another word.

Back at Don Treble’s mansion:

“Exactly what I feared would happen,” Trevor Treble sat in his chair, glum over the news. All over online, reports were in about a thief wearing some raccoon costume stealing precious materials. His arms shook as he agonized over what other messes could form from Goose Woman’s influence. “This is exactly the type of thing I wanted to prevent.”

He reached for the nearest iguana, which happened to be resting in one of his desk drawers. As he stroked the iguana, his nerves eased.

“What seems to be the problem, Don Treble?” Forte, the don’s trusty assistant, asked.

“It’s that damn Raccoon Woman. She’s out here making a mess of my precious city and it’s all that Goose’s fault!” Don Treble slammed his fist against the desk and the desk shook, causing the iguana to crawl out of the drawer.

“Never fear. Our team has been hard at work inventing a counter measure,” Forte reassured his boss.

“You mean…?”

The assistant nodded.

“We call it ‘Mezzo-Forte’,” Forte unveiled and a projection of a large cannon device in the shape of two elbow macaroni noodles displayed on the nearby wall.

“Perfect,” Don Treble smiled. “The next time those two animal women meet, we’ll strike them both at once!”

“Yes, my don,” Forte took a bow and exited the room. Once his loyal assistant was gone, Don Treble kicked his legs above the desk.

“Still, I must thank you, Goose Woman. If not for you defeating Maple Man, I would have never been able to send one of my guys over to the prison and kill him,” Trevor Treble smiled, “ah, well there’s only so much thanks I can give out. After all, you vigilantes and people who wear animal costumes...all need to know you place.”

For several nights, there had been no activity from Raccoon Woman. That was, unless whatever she had stolen in the last few days had gone unnoticed. Every night she could, Goose Woman perched down on the rafters above, hidden in shadow from the guards and security cameras. Nothing.

That wasn’t true: she had noticed an uptick in security, more than likely due to the actions of Raccoon Woman. Really, she couldn’t blame them for that. She only blamed herself for not being able to stop her last time.

Tonight was different:

For some reason, there were no security guards in sight. No lasers. She even checked one of the cameras, only to find that it had been shut off.

Is this her doing? But she hadn’t done such a thing the last time, Goose Woman pondered.

“Mac,” she opened up the communications, “this is strange.”

“Hi strange, I’m Mac,” replied Mac.

“There’s no one here. All the cameras are off. No lasers. What gives?” Nemesis relayed, ignoring Mac’s comment.

“Huh. That is strange. Do you think it’s Raccoon Woman’s doing?” He suggested.

“I thought of that. I just don’t know. Last time I confronted her, the lasers did get shut off before she appeared. And she used those tranquilizer darts on those security guards. But the guards and lasers were still there. Not to mention, the cameras were on that time. The last few days, they’ve ramped up security. But now? Nothing.”

“I...don’t know what it could be. But I have a bad feeling about this. Like it’s a setup. Proceed with caution,” Mac warned.

“Will do. Thank you.”

They ended communications and Goose Woman continued to look around the area. Off to the side, far below her, she saw a shadow flipping and doing cartwheels toward several display cases.

It’s her, Goose Woman thought.

She descended and followed Raccoon Woman from the shadows. As Raccoon Woman approached one of the display cases, which held a turquoise necklace inside, Goose Woman made her presence known.

“Finally you show up,” Goose Woman greeted, “you know, I waited every night for you and you didn’t show.”

Raccoon Woman turned before she could reach the glass case and stared at Goose Woman with a smirk.

“That’s a little creepy, don’t you think?” She joked. “Sorry you felt stood up, hun. I haven’t needed to come out for a while.”

“So I’ve noticed. What made you change your mind tonight?”

“My girl wants an expensive date,” Raccoon Woman replied, then turned her attention back to the case. As she reached out, Nemesis brought out her spear and tossed it toward the case. Raccoon Woman’s metal claw was smacked away and Raccoon Woman shook her wrist. “Ow. That really hurt.”

“Sorry. I should have asked if you liked it rough first,” Goose Woman joked back.

“Oh, that’s good! Real good!” Raccoon Woman rubbed her palms together and clapped.

“What can I say? I learn from the best.”

Raccoon Woman flung herself at the case, but before she could pull the case away, Goose Woman rushed forward and shoved right into her. Raccoon Woman slid back, but she remained standing.

“There are no guards out tonight. Cameras are off. Is this your doing?” Goose Woman asked.

“I wish I could take credit,” Raccoon Woman replied, “but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t grateful.”

“Then isn’t it fishy? I suggest running off. Go home. No girl is worth this much trouble.”

“But the heart begs to differ,” Raccoon Woman said before flipping forward several times and launching herself into the air where she did a flip, all in hopes of grabbing the glass case and taking off with the necklace.

However, this time, Goose Woman grabbed onto Raccoon Woman’s arm that she was about to land on and held her away.

Raccoon Woman kicked herself off from the plate on Goose Woman’s torso and freed her arm. She managed to do a flip just over Goose Woman’s head and landed behind her.

“You’re...not making this easy tonight,” Raccoon Woman commented while short on breath.

Now’s my chance, Goose Woman thought.

“What do you steal things for?” Goose Woman asked.

“Huh?” Raccoon Woman tilted her head.

“Why are you doing all this? Going after these rare artifacts?”

“That’s none of your business,” Raccoon Woman’s smile lowered.

“Please. I want to help you,” Goose Woman begged.

“Sorry to say, but I never asked for your help,” Raccoon Woman shook her head before sprinting toward Goose Woman with her claws out.

Goose Woman grabbed her clawed hands with her own palms and kept Raccoon Woman in place.

“If there’s anything I can do –”

“There’s not!” Raccoon Woman shouted.

Behind Raccoon Woman, at the other end of the museum, Goose Woman heard a rumbling sound approaching.

“How much is that necklace worth?” Goose Woman instead asked, feeling the pressure as the rumbling grew louder.

“About five hundred dollars,” Raccoon Woman said.

Damn. This girl really must be troublesome, Goose Woman thought.

“Let go,” Goose Woman commanded.

“What?”

“I’ll give you the cash, just take it and run!” Goose Woman urged as the wall on the other end crumbled while a large, metallic object crashed through. Noticing the danger, Raccoon Woman nodded. Goose Woman got the cash out of her pocket and handed it to her.

Four beams of energy fired in their direction as both women leaped out of the way in opposite directions. The blast shattered the glass cases and the items they held inside. The wall that stood behind the cases tore down and disintegrated into dust.

“Mezzo-Forte!” Shouted a man in flannel with a deerstalker cap and a large grin on his face. He had earmuffs over his ears and a rifle in his hands while seated in a recliner that was attached between two curved pillars which had beans both on the top and bottom ends.

The top-left pillar turned toward the running Raccoon Woman and charged up its beam to fire, but Goose Woman leaped into the air and punched the top of the pillar away and the beam shot off to the side.

I just hope she’s okay, Goose Woman thought.

The top pillar at the other end turned toward her and shot out its beam. She floated out of its way and took cover behind the pillar she had punched away. With his rifle ready in hand, Mezzo shot at Goose Woman. She too was knocked back and the blast, while bringing damage to her armor, was hard enough that she dived down and had a nasty bruise underneath her armor.

“Ha. Not so tough now,” Mezzo gloated.

It was only in an instant that one the pillars fell, followed by the other one. Goose Woman had pulled out her secret sword from the back of her armor and stabbed into the rods connecting each pillar to the seat in the middle. First with an upward slash on the left side, then again on the right side.

As the pillars on each end collapsed, Mezzo fell to the floor. He was saved by the very one he tried to kill: Goose Woman, as she caught his collar and held him up while she descended to the floor.

“Please don’t hurt me! I have a wife and kids!” He begged.

“Then promise you’ll quit trying to kill people,” Goose Woman growled.

“Deal!”

She let go of him, and as she did so, he hit her upside the head. It wasn’t hard enough to even make a dent, and she caught his rifle in her hands and flung it over her back.

“You don’t really have a wife and kids, do you?” She asked. He backed away while she advanced toward him.

“What’s it to you?” He scowled. Even without a weapon, he showed little fear.

“Because if you did, you would quit this job. Or, you would stop seeing them. Either way, working for some madman like Don Treble is only putting them in danger.”

“Heh,” he smirked, “so you figured out my employer?”

“You tried to kill me before. It didn’t take much to recognize you. I won’t kill you, nor do I wish to hurt you. So I ask: would Don Treble kill you if you quit your job?”

“Fat chance.”

“Then what will it take for you to quit?”

“Can you promise to pay as well as Don Treble does? Can you promise a steady income, a retirement plan, health benefits, and the works?”

“Well, no…”

“Then we have nothing to discuss, do we?” He grinned, then lowered his sleeve and a smoke bomb dropped onto the floor and filled the museum with smoke. When the smoke had cleared, the sniper known as Mezzo had disappeared.