#so yes i am being a pedantic bitch now maybe but i do get annoyed when people call ma his grandma. bc 90% of the time theyre

[misspickman]

speaking of kon and family i am generally of the opinion that he never really puts a strict label on any of it because its more difficult than that, and something that is so core to his character is that he never had parents, but i will say its funny* how most people who say this are also the people who, when they see fans or dc call clark kons brother/cousin, cry about how labels make it less meaningful, theyre just family! and then turn around and call ma his grandma. so labels are only bad when clark is called something other than kons father right?

i think theres definitely merit to him never specifying who is what to him in this sense but i also think its kind of weird to refuse to acknowledge that ma and pa are his adoptive parents. like canonically. sure i still dont think its that simple and kon probably wouldnt just start calling ma his mom more than the word ma already implies, but its really obvious how much people HATE to acknowledge this or even consider it maybe even more than they hate it when clark is called kons brother/cousin. yknow like people got SO mad about kon referring to ma as his mom in that (bad) comic i saw people say its Worse than him being in a relationship with mgann..... like okay.... can u elaborate on that.. why is it worse exactly.... oh right it completely negates the possibility of clark being his father. right!

[sur-un-fil]

My entry for the third Nayialovecat competition for chidren's day : Karma is still a bitch!

- There are a lot of people... I didn't think the idea of Fifteen would be so successful, whispers the massive Lost One standing at the back of the room to the little one next to him, arms crossed.

- It's true that, bitter as he is, it's surprising! replies the other a little too loudly, her look fixed on the small crowd of Lost ones sitting or standing in groups chatting, a can of soup in their hands.

- Jane... Be comprehensive. He spends his days with Sammy. ALL of his days.

- I don't like what he's become, Jane grumbles, looking away.

G nods, almost in spite of himself. He doesn't like to recognize sadness in others.

- I know. Maybe this Club will make him smile again? he says in a slightly too cheerful voice.

- G. When he told me about it, he was so tense with rage that if I had kicked him, he would have shattered into little black, hateful splinters.

- But we can hope...

- This is an Anti-Bendy Club, G. How do you expect it to appease him?

G prefers to divert - slightly - the conversation.

- Hm. Besides, I'm surprised he hasn't made an Anti-Sammy Club.

Jane shrugs her shoulders.

- He's smart enough to know that even if we can get rid of Sammy, Bendy will exterminate every last one of us.

- Uh, yes, but isn't that also the case if we get rid of Bendy? If his Lord and lover is ever killed... There'll be bits of the culprit all over the Studio. Bits that Sammy will then pick up, paste back into the ink, reform the guy and start again.

G can't help but shudder as he imagines the scene.

- Again and again and again. And again.

- I don't know. I don't think Fifteen is in any shape to think any further, Jane replies.

- 'Poor thing. He should have let Bendy eat him.

- He says so every day. That's why I can't understand why you encouraged him to set up this Club! This is stupid! We should be taking his mind off his anger, not letting him wallow in it!

- I just want to support Fifteen. If we have to spend an hour every three-quarters of a cycles to meet for imagining  unworkable plans to kill a super-fast demon surely immortal with an overdeveloped sense of smell... I'll do it. And then I tell myself that if he realises that it's unfeasible, he'll stop fantasising and accept his fate a little better...

- Or we can try to hit Sammy on the head until he forgets about Fifteen. That sounds just as plausible to me.

G rubs his forehead as he closes his eyes, feeling a slightly guilty annoyance rising.

- Jane... Are you his friend or not?

- Why am I here and not over a cup of ink, eh? 

But she promises herself she'll stop by afterwards. She'll need it.

- So stop being unpleasant. We will have to do this first meeting without Fifteen, he has not finished his "service" with Sammy. This is good. It's a great opportunity to get things moving in the right direction

Jane sighs heavily.

- ... You're very, very optimistic.

Her tone suggests that this is far from a compliment.

- It has to be. If you give up hope, you give up living! G replies cheerfully, ignoring the sarcasm.

- Spare me your positive slogans. It makes me want to throw up.

- I know you don't mean it.

Jane rolls her eyes without answering. G wraps an arm around her shoulders and leads her to the middle of the room. She suspects that he will call out to the other Lost Ones to start the meeting. She can't help but resist a little, digging her heels into the floor to slow G down. Her friend simply tightens his embrace without losing his big friendly smile.

She will not escape. .............................................................................................................................

- AND THIS IS THE ONLY SOLUTION YOU HAVE FOUND? TOYS? I SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET YOU RUN THIS MEETING! 

- Calm down, Fifteen. There's no point in shouting like that, G told him in a soft voice.

- YOU'RE A FUCKING CARE BEAR AND NOW, YOU'VE CONTAMINATED THE OTHERS!

-  People won't come back, sighs G.

He decided not to take the insult. In any case, for him, being a Care Bear was not a fault. He liked to be a gentle person, caring for others and always optimistic. Why on earth would anyone want him to be bitter and sullen?

But Fifteen doesn't even blink and opens his mouth to bellow again.

- I'M SURE IT WAS YOUR IDEA! 

Jane, a little way off, just listens with one ear while sipping her ink, sitting comfortably in one of the only chairs still standing. She knew that this was not at all what Fifteen meant by "finding a way to have a peaceful life". But left to his own devices, G had done as he pleased. She hadn't even tried to intervene. What was the point? The others had seemed as willing as G. to find a gentle way to avoid being eaten. The idea of killing Bendy (which was much more definitive, admittedly ) hadn't occurred to them. Fifteen would have been mad if he had heard them...

- Well... It's a joint proposal. We all voted, you know? We had to find out exactly what would suit them. They're so different, we couldn't do the same thing... mumbles G, a little embarrassed.

- I KNEW IT! I...

- FIFTEEN!  Jane finally shouts, as a headache begins to pound her temples. QUIET!

Fifteen turns to her, looking as if he wants to shout at her too. A glare dissuades him. He grunts, but turns back to his more conciliatory friend, tacitly accepting his defeat.

Satisfied, Jane takes a sip. At least he'll stop bawling. If she is far from having G's patience, she understands Fifteen. If she were in his place, the Club's crazy proposal would have pissed her off.

- I don't understand how you got to... To this!

- You know I prefer non-violent solutions, but...

- SO IT IS YOU!

- ... you would have been surprised to find out that almost everyone did. Nobody thought of anything aggressive. Finally, we decided together that attempting to soften him would be a better idea. When you think about it, Bendy's not that bad...

- He EATS people!

That's one for Fifteen, thinks Jane, hiding her smile in her glass.

- But he has no choice! And he's doing it very quickly now, with a lot of understanding...

- For God's sake, G! Do you hear yourself?

G suddenly frowns. Which is a bad sign. Slowly, he straightens up to his full height, stepping between the candle's halo and his friend, casting his massive shadow over Fifteen's slightly worried face.

Jane tucks her head into her shoulders. G is an extremely positive and gentle Lost One who can take a lot. In fact, he is so gentle that it is easy to forget that, like everyone else, he has limits. Limits that must not be exceeded...

- Now you will calm down and listen to me carefully. I know perfectly well how pedantic, exalted and annoying Sammy can be. I know that having to spend most of your time doing things you don't like must seem like hell, especially in a place that already looks a lot like Purgatory. But let me remind you of two really important things, my friend.

G's calm tone is extremely firm. Fifteen therefore cautiously keeps his mouth shut. Satisfied by what he takes to be attentive listening, G continues.

- The first is that, painful as it is, Sammy has changed a lot since he... Um. Been seeing Bendy. And even more so now that he has the triplets. If you bothered to talk to him, I'm sure he'd understand and accept your resignation.

Fifteen must be showing his dismay in his eyes because Jane hears G's tone turn to annoyance.

- Or lie, you fool! You could just tell him you'd rather preach to the Lost Ones below. No one will denounce you, and John Dot spends most of his time with them and the little ones...

G's voice then becomes dangerously low.

- And the second... I don't want you to forget that under any circumstances, I could never plan, cause or allow another person's death, do you hear me? NEVER!

With that last word, G's tone is so intense that Fifteen shrivels up in front of him.

- Even Joey's? he asks anyway in a tiny voice.

G shakes his head as he straightens up. If he'd been wearing a suit like he did when he was human, he'd probably have smoothed his shirt or absentmindedly tightened his tie.

- It's not the same. In his case, it would almost be like doing a good deed. But don't change the subject!

Fifteen flinches.

- You will accept the Club's decision WITHOUT grumbling and you will take an ACTIVE part in it. We will need your sewing skills. That way you'll be able to see that even the worst situations can be solved with a positive attitude.

- But...

G stands up without paying attention to this feeble attempt at protest. It's no use trying to be right anyway when G takes that tone. Jane tilts her head back to finish her ink, convinced that G is going to take Fifteen with him, willingly or not. - You'll see, it'll be quick. All we need is three of Bendy's cuddy toy and three tape recorders.

She vaguely hears Fifteen grumbling as she greedily licks the last of her ink. Lowering her arm, she finds G standing in front of her.

- Oh no, she says, backing up in her chair, clutching her empty glass to her chest.

- Oh yes, replies the Lost One in a quiet tone, holding out a hand as big as a pot lid towards her.

A second later, G, glowing, walks out of the room. He carries a dishevelled Jane over his shoulder, who spits out every swear word in her vocabulary, gesticulating in vain. Fifteen follows, shuffling along, arms crossed and face sullen.

- Everything is going to work out for the best, you'll see! says G in an energetic tone, both to convince the other two and himself. .............................................................................................................................

-MUUUUUMYYY! DAAAADYYYY!!!

There is a sound of wet running in the hallway and almost immediately the door swings open.

Sammy stands up on one elbow and gropes for his mask, while Bendy doesn't even move. The light splashes on his dark face and he blinks, disturbed. He manages to make out Bendy Jr's small face raised towards him. He smiles at once and puts down his mask to reach out and caress his cheek. Curiously, his son seems to be holding something, but Sammy is still too sleepy to pay attention.

-Shh, kids. What's going on? Is everything okay? he asks in a low voice. 

Henry Jr. puts the candle on the floor and the light stops dancing, allowing him to see better. Sammy wonders vaguely what time it is, as his triplets trample their blanket bed to join him. It's early, of course. But it's always too early when your little ones wake you up screaming.

Sam is the first to arrive and snuggle up to his father. Henry Jr. sits on his lap smiling broadly and Ben, after kissing him on the cheek, nestles against Bendy's back a little ways away. They all have a cardboard box in their hands.

- What is it? asks Sammy, his eyebrows already furrowed.

- We found them outside the door! exclaims Henry Jr. in a high-pitched voice, wiggling around, clearly full of energy and overexcited. We heard a noise this morning and went to see. There was no one left, it was all dark and empty, but there were these things. It's got our names on it, Dad!

- Gift! exclaims Sam in delight as he shoves his box under his father's nose.

Sammy gently pushes his son's little hand away so he can examine what he's so vigorously handing him. It's a simple cardboard box, one of those that held paper, cut to form a cube that closes. And on one of the sides it says "For Sammy Jr, from the  B.F.C". The box is light, but when you shake it a bit, it makes a soft, squishy sound. It seems completely innocent, but Sammy is wary. Their little family doesn't have only friends. His throat tightens because he hates to hurt their feelings, he tilts his shoulders a little - as if that will help him when his babies cry - and begins in what he hopes is an authoritative tone:

- I don't know what it is about, kids. Maybe it's not safe to...

- There's nothing dangerous in it.

As always, Bendy's deep voice sends a soft warmth through his empty chest. The demon continues without turning around, only reaching back with one arm to briefly caress Ben's head.

- I would have smell it. They can open it.

-YEAAH! the little ones scream.

The carton almost disappears as the children eagerly tear it apart. There are still pieces falling down when Sam gets up shouting:

- Cuddly toy! Cuddly toy mummy!

- What? says the aforementioned mother. Machinically, he lifts Ben up so as he not to crush him when he turns around. He settles him against his stomach to be able to see the presents. The little one hugged the cuddly toy enthusiastically. Sam is also happy, but Henry Jr. looks a little disappointed.

- I would have preferred a little pirate ship, he mumbles as he looks at hiscuddly toy . He finally drops it to sulk in his father's arms. But when the cuddly toy hits the ground, a voice exclaims with a constrained air:

- We love you!

Sammy tilts his head to one side.

- The voice sounds familiar.

The fact that the cuddly toy can talk is instantly appealing, and to all three this time. Henry Jr hurries to pick up his, while Sam stares at it, delighted, and Ben frantically searches for the switch in his cuddly toy Bendy .

The real Bendy is the only one who doesn't seem thrilled by the presents.

- I don't know how I'm supposed to take it, he says thoughtfully, looking at the little replicas of the character that he was supposed to embody.

- I don't think it's an insult or a bad joke, my lord. They weren't going to send us an ugly B.I.T.C.H. cuddly toy, or the canine abomination that lives near the music department. Those are the only ones suitable for children of a Go...

Bendy glares at him and Sammy doesn't finish his sentence. He shrugs contritely, as if to say, "Sorry. It's the usual. ".

- They like them a lot. That's all that matters, he says with a smile.

- If you say so. We'll still have to find out where they come from...

- Yes, but I'm sure that... Wait a minute. Ah! I knew I knew that voice! exclaims Sammy, making his lover flinch.

He grabs Sam's cuddly toy, which starts to whine. After pulling his son into his arms and whispering a " Wait, Daddy's watching something " to soothe him, Sammy pulls the little Bendy close to his face and starts the recording again, listening carefully.

- It's the voice of Fifteen!

Bendy frowns.

- Who?

- The second Lost One to join our chur... Discussion group. The one who always seems to have something bitter in his mouth.

- Ah, yes, that one... answers the demon without having any idea who it is. Sammy gives the cuddly toy back to his son and then looks at his children with tender eyes.

- These gifts are obviously from him. It's so nice of him!

- Humf, say Bendy, happy to see his children so pleased, but can't bring himself to call anyone "nice".

Let's not exaggerate.

Sammy seems so delighted by his disciple's devotion that he almost claps his hands.

- I think to reward him, I'm going to give him more responsibility. It will be a lot more work for him, of course, but I'm sure he'll be very happy. What could these gifts be, apart from an unquestionable mark of faith?

And Sammy turns away to play with his children.  As he looks down, Bendy notices a small piece of paper folded in half. When he opens it, he finds it written: "Gift from The Bendy Friends Club , a new Lost association. Our motto: We're so nice, so don't eat us! Hope you enjoyed it, sincerely, B.F.C". 

- They're getting clever, aren't they... he whispers to himself while his eternal smile widened further.

...

The end.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

so since being chosen to never know peace until i know everything about academia nuts, i’d had this thought like hang on, was that one book we read in class in like 3rd grade about a quiz bowl team?? with uncertainty because i’ve never really known what the hell it is and still really am not sure, i understand it now as sort of extracurricular jeopardy but somewhat wilder

so anyways i re-looked it up and yes newberry book the view from saturday is about a quiz bowl team. just for fun here’s the scattered lore i picked up from that book and have never forgotten

i remember it was kind of edgy for us at the time b/c it mentioned brastraps in the beginning and someone says “bitch” as in dog and the one character gets the weird insult “i am a ass” written on his backpack (foreshadowing another connection to will roland) and changes it into “i am a passenger on spaceship earth”

learned what b&b’s are from this, but didn’t quite understand it, i’m still not sure i understand what it is except that it’s like staying at a hotel except it’s also someone else’s house

something about sea turtles

it explains zaftig and i never forgot

cat pawprints on wedding invites and they turned it into a thing like they’re special now and you get a prize

the ol “these separate stories about the individual characters become interrelated, representing how their lives merge overall and the group unifies”

really don’t remember that much about the quiz bowl part of it all

oh the one guy Nitpicks it’s also how i learned that word, i liked the rhythm of it too

i say the one guy like i don’t remember his name is noah gersham

i remember that b/c one of the projects we did in class was design a tee for our faves and i didn’t exactly have a fave but i picked noah b/c the one guy ethan seemed too much like he was supposed to be all serious and worthy of our sympathy and the same with nadia honestly and so that annoyed me....and then the guy julian was just super nice so that seemed too easy. i was going for contrarian and subversion here so i was like i’ll take the dorky guy nobody else will choose and me and one other person picked him

plus probably he was vaguely relatable because some annoying know-it-all nerd who hangs out with old people? i didn’t care about school or whatever but my only thing was supposed to be being smart and also i preferred being around adults / older kids than my age peers and when you’re in elementary school idk how else to justify this than “i know things? does this amuse you?” and maybe try to tell snarky jokes, idk, is that what older people do? plus if i was nervous i’d try to be cool and collected but the ol “took it too far in the other direction” probably and all i know is i annoyed my sister’s friend/s and annoyed my mom’s family friend who was kinda hilarious and a bit of a mess but nice but unfortunately when i was like 14/15 i found out he considered me like, bookish and snobby or something, which is funny b/c i’m always a dumbass going ham in reality, but i wanted him to like me so i swung too Cool n Snarky probably and anyways oh well. the fact is like, was this character really annoying? probably a bit, but he was like, 10, and probably so was sometimes i and i was like 8 or 9. nitpicking: is it now evolved into me just choosing to be intensely Analytically Critical when i feel like it? who knows. anyways i also chose the character i figured was least easily likeable just b/c a) hey i mean relatable idk i was in the loser circle since pre-k and b) like, i don’t want a character to be totally abandoned when there’s only 4 choices. being nice. he wasn’t so bad

i don’t remember the bit about the tea like is on the cover much, or what it all has to do with saturday, but i think maybe the quiz bowl team met for tea on saturdays. idk

the other book i remember us reading as a group is the van gogh cafe. we also read white fang and our teacher really like wolves idk

i feel like i picked up a weird amount of vocab that i remember is from this specific book. would that i could remember more of what that vocab is, though. i also don’t remember much of the quiz bowl answers included in the text.

oh the “tip” = “t.i.p.” = “to insure promptness” but i don’t think that etymology’s real

never mind!!! i’ve just found these bits from the book and i don’t think noah gershom’s annoying i think he’s funny. but probably he would be considered annoying anyways with his facts and sorta-pedantics. he’s learning things and by demanding adherence to Rules and well-structured arguments he’s challenging the adult world’s rules and logical-arguments which are often just facades to justify their authority, all while playing by the rules that the adult world’s claim to authority is by virtue of superior logic. subversive. i stan. for real i think he’s fun

now that i think about it i tend to side with characters who i don’t think are taken quite as seriously by the narrative and/or other characters all the time. i’m here to appreciate you

oh god i was about to say earlier that another reason i didn’t care as much about ethan or nadia is that there seemed to be some weird romance going on and that also puts me off and eventually annoys me, but then i saw something saying like one of their grandparents is married to the other’s grandparent, so i was like well i must be wrong, but no actually i was right. this is too much like academia nuts

well in conclusion: another book about a teacher taking interest in precocious kids and this positively impacts their personal lives: the kids individual personal journeys bring them to share intertwined personal journeys and like, learn things and shit. and they get friends because they are friends with each other. anyways this is always So That Was A Fuckin Lie

the only journey we’ve gone on here is i’ve remembered / confirmed that noah gershom is my fave, and i think that’s nice. i’d take a pic of the ancient tee i made and still had but i left it at my parents house

i know for a fact that the front said “Fact:” with cat pawprints overlapping...i also drew the cat...the calligraphy pen / inkwell.....little badges on the arms that just said “nitpick” over and over within a circle and i believe this was in purple

they won the quiz bowl too in case you didn’t guess