#I have to go do my laundry now.

[al-n-cartoons]

I did not, in fact, do school work.

“Hey, Al, what’re the relationships in A Story Told?”

Excellent question!

Ben’s in an open relationship with Ed. Ben is either pan or bi (undecided) whereas Ed is demiromantic and asexual.

Ben is quietly omnigender but prefers he/him pronouns. He will use any pronoun or gendered title he can fit into a pun or joke. He started leaning hard on his masc attributes after someone implied to him that he was too obviously Not Cis-Hetero (this is pre-gay-marriage America).

Ed is proudly agender and uses kit/kits pronouns. Kit is alright with people using they/them on kit and is willing to join Ben in the closet when around Ben’s family and coworkers.

Ed comes from somewhere wherein gay rights are a given and kit thinks the political sphere Ben comes from is philosophically archaic.

Ben and Rex are two buds with massive competitive streaks and spend a lot of their time together bantering. Sometimes they fight or bicker but at the end of the day, they have each other's backs. They try dating for a short stint but Rex realizes he’s heteroromantic so the two omit romance from the picture.

Rex and Ed don’t click. At all. They respect one another and care about a lot of the same people, but their friendship is heavily reliant on the two not interacting too much.

Danny and Ben are on friendly terms and find allyship in each other. However, both identify the obvious conflict of interest in being around one another too often (as it’s a risk for Danny’s identity being discovered). They come to play a fake game of cat and mouse where Ben, someone seen by the public as a clear hero, presents as a faux nemesis to Phantom, whom the populace view to be a menace. In actuality, this is an act of cunning as it allows for Danny to more easily escape and hide in plain sight. Ben also gives Danny (et co.) advice on avoiding attention and preventing discovery.

These two sometimes spar together for the heck of it.

Side note: Danny is genderfluid. Her predominant pronouns are “he” and “it” but they use different ones all the time.

Ed and Tucker are buds. Tucker helps Ed figure out modern technology, Ed explains alchemy, the two are a menace to all things creative.

Ed and Sam are also buds. These two spend most of their time together grieving the recklessness of their boyfriends (save for Tucker, who doesn’t spend his time being shot at).

Sam, Tucker, and Danny are obviously a wholesome, mutually supportive polycule. I dare you to defy me.

Ben and Sam can get on one another’s nerves but generally get along.

Rex and Danny don’t know one another too well but eventually become long distance friends.

Tucker and tech are a match made in heaven, obviously. With Ben’s funds and Rex’s resources, Tucker begins making more gadgets and is slowly catching up on the Fentons.

Tucker goes on to use the loophole of Anything on Ed Remains to create a group chat across their bundle of realities. Ed hates having to unearth the secret of Using a Touch Screen but enjoys having infinite access to Google Maps.

Ben and Rook start out on iffy terms but eventually become amicable…? Their relationship can best be described as an uneasy truce; Ben isn’t the all powerful, extremely professional partner whom Rook was promised and a partner and full time internship isn’t something Ben had been told he was getting until maintaining them was suddenly expected of him.

Rook begrudgingly realizes that he’s been tasked with babysitting what turned out to be the human equivalent of an adolescent, superpowered though Ben may be.

Ben tries to establish boundaries with Rook or otherwise just refuse the partnership outright but (1) is unable to work alone and (2) feels bad for ditching Rook.

Max and Ben: Max assigned Rook to Ben because he doesn’t want Ben to be left alone in Gwen and Kevin’s absence. He’s worried about Ben’s emotional wellbeing and social development and his best solution is to give Ben someone who can watch his back when on the field (and generally keep up with him).

Max is disappointed when Ben initially rejects Rook and tells Ben that he needs to be more responsible.

Ben and Lucy are somewhat estranged and generally don’t interact too much. When they do, they have fun, but there’s an underlying awkwardness the two can’t shake.

Ben and Gwen are estranged and in denial about that fact.

Ben and Sunny were never close but start to find themselves venting to one another about their woes. Sunny is considered a bad influence and she does bring out aspects in Ben that his family find undesirable, but it’s the most honest relationship Ben has in his family (or from his reality) so the two continue chatting together on-and-of.

After Ben eventually leaves (dude runs away), Sunny is the only person he keeps in touch with.

Ben and Verdona: Ben doesn’t have “the spark” and thus Verdona is uninterested in this grandchild. He makes some good jokes, that’s nice.

Carl and Ben: After Verdonna left the family because her children didn’t have “The Spark”, Carl set out to have his own ordinary family of perfectly ordinary people. Carl’s desire for normalcy bleeds out in his expectations for Ben’s extracurriculars, academic performance, social life, self expression, etcetera. When Ben turns out not to be normal in terms of a learning disability (severe ADHD), Carl is rather understanding. At first. He decides that, if his son isn’t academically talented, sports should be the way to go. Ben is okay at them and rather enjoys soccer but, for some reason, he just can’t seem to last as long as his peers. He runs out of breath faster and never seems to catch it. His chest often hurts from the heavy humid air but maybe he can be a good goalie?

Carl instills the ableistic mentality that disability is inherently shameful and that they are something that must not be discussed openly. It is okay to have a disability and to need medicine so as to be normal, but one cannot let others onto the fact that he isn’t normal.

Ben comes to develop early onset bipolar, Carl helps Ben figure out a good treatment regimen (medically supervised). Then Ben comes to be the bearer of some intergalactic megaweapon that turns him into aliens??? And Carl can’t get the thing off??? Then Ben says he’s anemic??? What- No, those are a few steps too far, stop it.

Ben does not magically stop being a public figure. Also, his blood doesn’t care about keeping up appearances (much to Carl’s chagrin).

The two progressively drift apart over the years.

Sandra and Ben have a somewhat similar relationship as that between Carl and Ben, emphasis on the somewhat. Like Carl, Sandra believes it is important that her son be normal. Unlike Carl, she believes that her son is a perfectly healthy, perfectly happy person because why wouldn’t her son be? He doesn’t need pills or doctors, those are just wastes of money that change her son from what he truly is.

When young, newly-diagnosed-with-ADHD-Ben doesn’t have the reaction to Adderall that Carl hoped for, Sandra cemented her belief that the pharmaceutical industry is a scam (and an accusation that she’s failed as a parent).

Sandra leans hard on alternative treatments; sports, yoga, herbs, herbal supplements (not from pharmacies ‘cause big pharma).

Sandra takes Ben off of his mood stabilizers (and then Ultimate Alien happened).

Did I end on a bummer note? I think I ended on a bummer note. Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… Drew Saturday basically adopts Ben? Ben starts seeing Dr. Holiday and gets back into a good regimen for maintaining his health? Ed punches abelists in the face with his metal fist? Enter funny tidbit here?

[crabsnpersimmons]

may we see the boy after you finish your laundry (i believe in you, you got this) 👉👈

YES

THE LAUNDRY IS DONE

AND THE BOY

IS HOME!!!!

HE'S A BEAUTIFUL BABY BLUE!!!

and here's how his light looks:

waaaay better than the preview on the site 😂 he looks more turquoise in real life (i tried to tweak the colours to match)

and here he is with Sunny!

baby bois 💖💛💕💙💖💛💕💙

[lkblackham]

Hello to all five of you, it's time for another

🌻 WIP WEDNESDAY 🌻

And today I've got so many things to share, hope no one's brain explodes. It IS pretty awesome stuff.

Firstly, some progress shots from my beloved fan comic No Time To Apologize:

Lots of shouting in these pages. Except for Solas, who only shouts about ABHORRING BLOOD MAGIC. I want to try and get ten pages done before the end of March. Hopefully it works, okay if it doesn't. It would just be nice to have a complete short story comic to show off, since my current portfolio is roughly..... four years out of date. Also, I enjoy this way more than my thesis. Which I'm also working on. Definitely. Forever.

Speaking of complete, here's a sketchy lil painting I did after reading The Gifts of Elgar'nan over the weekend - specifically this chapter from the Pieces of Mind fic:

Guys, this fic. This fic did things to me. It's not just a great fanfic, it's legitimately one of my favorite pieces of fantasy writing I've ever read. It's so loving and tender while also not glazing over the dark fantasy edge that has always been a part of Dragon Age.

(Also, yes, I know that's not the writer's Rook, but as I played a Shadow Dragon Rogue elf on my second playthrough, and there aren't any physical descriptions of Rook in the fic beyond the fact that they're female and an elf, I couldn't help but picture my Rook. So. Yeah. Hope that's okay 😐)

Plus, it has copious amounts of Dorian Pavus in it, which I felt was greatly lacking in Veilguard (still love it, but we gotta acknowledge the flaws, and not having more Dorian was a serious, gaping flaw, I'm sorry).

Okay, that's me done for the day. Thanks for stopping by. Love you, mwah. 😘

[bennetsbonnet]

I think it's so interesting how little we are given in terms of descriptions of the characters' physical appearances in Pride and Prejudice, and yet countless readers have nonetheless formed very decided opinions about what each character might look like. For example, dark-haired Mr Darcy, blonde Jane and brunette Elizabeth.

Perhaps the ideas we hold about what the characters might look like are reinforced by some of the most famous adaptations (although the 1940 adaptation has a blonde Elizabeth and brunette Jane!)

The way we variously imagine Mr Darcy is a matter I find especially intriguing, given the only description of him in terms of physical appearance is:

'Mr Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien*...' * a person's appearance, especially the typical expression on their face (x)

But is then said that, after discovering the extent of his wealth and consequently being biased in favour of him, the ladies pronounced him as a 'fine figure of a man' who was 'much handsomer than Mr Bingley.' However, both of these descriptions are quickly retracted when his manners provoke disgust, and he is then said to have:

'... a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend.' (i.e. less handsome than Bingley)

Apart from these descriptions in the third chapter, Mr Darcy's appearance is largely left up to the reader's imagination; with a few exceptions when his expressions are described (such as when encountering Wickham and during the first proposal in Kent). Perhaps that's what makes him such an enduring character... he's tall, handsome, rich and holds himself in a noble manner, from there go ahead and project whatever you want! That's pretty appealing.

Although I enjoy many onscreen interpretations of Mr Darcy (with my personal favourite thus far being 1995) I still imagine him differently when I read the book. For me, 1995!Darcy and book!Darcy are two different entities entirely. I don't picture Colin Firth in my head or hear the lines in his voice when I read the novel. (I still largely love the portrayal of Darcy in the 1995 adaptation; although I wish some scenes were ever so slightly different, but Colin Firth looks so good while doing it that I find it easy to forgive him!!)

To me, book!Darcy is a lot smilier when he speaks to Elizabeth than 1995!Darcy; plus I feel like he has quite a soft, deep voice (though he can make it plenty powerful and full of haughtiness when he wants to) with a rich tone. My Darcy is also at least 7ft tall, and has a slightly more colourful wardrobe with some nice deep blues and rich reds in there. I am fully onboard with him having curls, that works for me... but I also like to imagine him with lighter eyes (perhaps green) and more freckles too, for some reason! Perhaps because I imagine he enjoys spending time outdoors.

Anyway, I don't think there is any one thing that has made Darcy so appealing to so many people over the centuries, he's kind of a perfect storm; nor do I think there is any inherently 'right' or 'wrong' way to imagine him.

Let your imagination run wild, it's what Jane Austen would've wanted :)

[jonsaremembers]

in light of certain frosted sheets remarks, remember that some laundry will always be an expression of love.

[cheruib]

i look kind of cute today which means im also immune to feeling sad today 👍

[rickjonesy]

really entertained by the idea of 2003 bruce and rick going out everywhere with bruce forgetting he still has his lab coat on and mostly wearing blazers and sweaters otherwise and rick dressed like a 90s grunge teen whose clothes are always worn out and thrifted

[omtai]

paramore was right im always running out of time

[bas-rouge]

Okay went to Petsmart tonight and puppy was a hellion!!!!!! It went like

> my shift ends at 17:30, puppy starts screaming in crate at 17:25

> I clock out at like 17:40 because I have a project damn it

> take puppy outside obviously he has to poop

> puppy won't poop

> okay it's 18:00 we need to buy kibble

> starts screaming halfway through the drive to Petsmart

> pull over at a park where there is a cop, a car with all the doors open, a random dog roaming on the creekside, and a flattened squirrel

> puppy won't poop

> okay the vibes here suck we're going to Petsmart

> puppy screams the whole way there

> get out of the car

> puppy pees like three times

> PUPPY WON'T POOP

> stand in the parking lot awkwardly for 15 minutes because I know puppy will poop inside if he doesn't go out here

> puppy poops

> proceeds to act like he's never been worked with a day in his life as his reign of terror begins in my local Petsmart

[pitconfirm]

whenever I get out of a period of darkness and start feeling normal again I’m like Wow. I Really Was Not Having a Good Time

[abirddogmoment]

Mr. Laundry went home a couple days ago and I already miss his squishy face.

[monstersandmaw]

Lein is my beautiful chaos son and I'm actually thoroughly enjoying revisiting his story.

[snezus-christ-risen]

They’re making us come back to the office to be more productive and have a presence so just to be spiteful I’m going to be a less productive and miserable presence.

[platypusisnotonfire]

well.

I'm 30.

[adamarks]

Doing big things today (making stew)

[skyloftian-nutcase]

I hate when my body and the weather conspire together. I didn’t want to sleep all day 😔