#brass properties and uses

[stephobrien]

Is your pro-Palestine activism hurting innocent people? Here's how to avoid that.

Note: If you prefer plain text, you can read the plain text version here.

Over the last few days, I’ve had conversations with several Jewish people who told me how hurt and scared they are right now.

To my great regret, some of that pain came from a poorly-thought-out post of mine, which – while not ill-intentioned – WAS hurtful.

And a lot of it came from cruelty they’d experienced at the hands of people who claim to be advocating for Palestine, but are using the very real plight of innocent Palestinians to harm equally innocent Jewish people.

Y’all, we need to do better. (Yes, “we” definitely includes me; this is in no small part a “learn from my fail” post, and also a “making amends” post. Some of these are mistakes I’ve made in the past.)

So if you’re an advocate for Palestine who wants to make sure that your defense of one group of vulnerable people doesn’t harm another, here are some important things to do or keep in mind:

Ask yourself if you’re applying a standard to one group that you aren’t applying to another.

Would you want all white Americans or Canadians to be expelled from America or Canada?

Do you want all Jewish people to be expelled from Israel, as opposed to finding a way to live alongside Palestinian Arabs in peace?

If the answer to those two questions is different, ask yourself WHY.

Do you want to be held responsible for the actions of your nation’s army or government? No? Then don’t hold innocent Jewish people, or Israelis in general (whether Jewish or otherwise), responsible for the actions of the Israeli army and government.

On that subject, be wary of condemning all Israeli people for the actions of the IDF. Large-scale tactical decisions are made by the top brass. Service is compulsory, and very few can reasonably get out of service.

Blaming all Israelis for the military’s actions is like blaming all Vietnam vets for the horrors in Vietnam. They’re not calling the shots. They aren’t Nazis running concentration camps. They are carrying out military operations that SHOULD be criticized.

And do not compare them or ANY JEWISH PERSON to Nazis in general. It is Jewish cultural trauma and not outsiders’ to use against them.

Don’t infuse legitimate criticism with antisemitism.

By all means, spread the word about the crimes committed by the Israeli army and government, and the complicity of their allies. Criticize the people responsible for committing and enabling atrocities.

But if you imply that they’re committing those crimes because they’re Jewish, or because Jewish people have special privileges, then you’re straying into antisemitic territory.

Criticize the crime, not the group. If you believe that collective punishment is wrong, don’t do it yourself.

And do your best to use words that apply directly to the situation, rather than the historical terms for situations with similar features. For example, use “segregation,” “oppression,” or “subjugation,” not “Holocaust” or “Jim Crow.” These other historical events are not the cultural property of Jews OR Palestinians, but also have their own nuances and struggles and historical contexts.

Also, blaming other world events on Jewish people or making Jewish people associated with them (for instance, some people falsely blame Jewish people for the African slave trade) is a key feature of how antisemitism functions.

Please, by all means, be specific and detailed in your critiques. But keep them focused on the current political actors – not other peoples’ or nations’ political or cultural histories and traumas.

Be prepared to accept criticism.

You probably already know that society is infused with a wide array of bigotries, and that people growing up in that environment tend to absorb those beliefs without even realizing it. Antisemitism is no exception.

What that means is, there’s a very real chance that you will screw up, and get called out on it, as I so recently did.

If that happens, please be willing to learn and adapt. If you can educate yourself about the suffering and needs of Palestinians, you can do the same for Jewish people.

Understand that the people you hurt aren’t obligated to baby you. Give them room to be angry.

After I made a post that inadvertently hurt people, some were nice about it, and others weren’t. Some outright insulted my morals and intelligence.

And I had to accept that I’d earned that from them.

I’d hurt them, and they weren’t obligated to be more careful with my feelings than I had been with theirs.

They weren’t obligated to forgive me, trust me, or stop being mad at me right away.

I’ll admit, there were moments when I got defensive. I shouldn’t have. And I encourage you to try not to, if you screw up and hurt people.

I know that’s hard, but it’s important. Getting defensive only tells people you care more about doubling down on your mistake than you do about healing the hurt it caused.

Instead, acknowledge that they have a right to be angry, apologize for the way you hurt them, and try to make amends, while understanding that they don’t owe you trust or forgiveness.

Be aware that some antisemites are using legitimate complaints to “Trojan horse” antisemitism into leftist spaces.

This is a really easy stumbling block to trip over, because most people probably don’t look at every post a creator makes before sharing the one they’re looking at right now.

I recently shared a video that called out some of the Likud and IDF’s atrocities and hypocrisy, and that also noted that many Jewish people are wonderful members of their communities.

I was later informed that, while that video in particular seemed reasonable, the creator behind it is frequently antisemitic.

I deleted the post, and blocked the creator. I encourage you to do the same if it’s brought to your attention that you’ve been ‘Trojan horse’d.

EDIT: Important note about antisemitism in leftist spaces:

While it's true that some blatant antisemites are using seemingly reasonable posts to get their foot in the door of leftist spaces, it's also true that a lot of antisemitism already exists inside those spaces.

This antisemitism is often dressed up in progressive-sounding language, but nonetheless singles Jewish people and places out in ways that aren't applied equally to other groups, or that label Jewish people in ways that portray them as acceptable targets.

If you want to see some specific examples, so you can have a better idea of what to keep an eye out for, I suggest reading this excellent reblog of this post.

Fact-check your doubts about antisemitism.

Depending on which parts of the internet you look at, you’ve probably seen people accused of antisemitism because they complained about the Likud and/or IDF’s actions. So you might be primed to be wary, or feel unsure of how to tell what counts as real antisemitism.

But that doesn’t mean antisemitism isn’t a very real, widespread, and harmful problem. And it doesn’t mean many or even most Jewish people are lying to you or being overly sensitive.

So if someone says something is antisemitic, and you aren’t sure, I encourage you to:

A. Look up the action or thing in question, including its history. Is there an antisemitic history or connotation you aren’t aware of? For best results, include “antisemitic” in your search query, in quotes.

B. Understand that some things, while not inherently antisemitic, have been used by antisemites often enough that Jewish people are understandably wary of them. Schrodinger’s antisemitism, if you will.

C. Ask Jewish people WHO HAVE OFFERED TO HELP EDUCATE YOU. Emphasis on WHO HAVE OFFERED. Random Jewish people aren’t obligated to give you their time and emotional energy, or to educate you – especially on subjects that are scary or painful for them.

@edenfenixblogs has kindly offered her inbox to those who are genuinely trying to learn and do better, and I’ve found her to be very kind, patient, reasonable, and fair-minded.

Understand that this is URGENTLY NEEDED.

In one of my conversations with a Jewish person who’d called me out, they said this was the most productive conversation they’d had with a person with a Palestinian flag in their profile.

THIS IS NOT OKAY.

I didn’t do anything special. All I did was listen, apologize for my mistakes, and learn.

Yes, it feels good to be acknowledged. But I feel like I’ve been praised for peeing IN the toilet, instead of beside it.

Apologizing, learning, and making amends after you hurt people shouldn’t be “the most reasonable thing I’ve heard from a person with a Palestinian flag pfp.”

It should be BASIC DECENCY.

And the fact that it’s apparently so uncommon should tell you how much unnecessary stress and fear Jewish people have been living with because of people who consider themselves defenders of human rights.

By all means, be angry at the Likud, the IDF, and the politicians, reporters, and specific media outlets who choose to enable and cover up for them.

But direct that anger toward the people who deserve it and are in a position to do something about it, not random people who simply happen to be Jewish, or who don’t want millions of people to be turned into refugees when less violent methods of achieving freedom and rights for Palestinians are available.

Stop peeing beside the toilet, people.

[perseidlion]

Streaming in Kaos

Well, it happened. I can't say that I'm surprised that KAOS has been cancelled by Netflix. I am a little surprised at the speed at which it was axed. Only a month after it aired, and it's already gone.

That has me wondering if the decision to cancel was made before the show even aired. We have to remember that marketing is the biggest cost after production. If the Netflix brass looked at the show and either decided (through audience testing, AI stuff or just their own biases) that it wasn't going to be a Stranger Things-level hit, they probably chose at that moment to slash its marketing budget.

That meant there was pretty much no way that KAOS was ever going to hit the metrics Netflix required of it to get a season 2.

What makes me so angry about this (other than the survival of a show relying on peoples' biases or AI) is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you decide before a show is ever going to air that it won't be a success, then it probably won't be. If you rely on metrics and algorithms and AI to analyze art, you will never let something surprise you. You'll never let it grow. You'll never nurture the cult hits of the future or the next franchise.

Netflix desperately needs people behind the scenes that believe in stories and potential over metrics. Nothing except the same old predictable dreck is ever going to be allowed to survive if you don't believe in the stories you're telling.

The networks and streamers have a huge problem on their hands. They need big hits and to build the franchises of the future to sustain their current model (which is horribly broken.) But people have franchise fatigue and aren't showing up for known IPs like they used to. The fact that Marvel content is definitely not a sure thing anymore is a huge canary in the coal mine for franchise fatigue. People aren't just tired of Marvel, they're tired of the existing worlds both on the big screen and the small one. Audiences are hungry for something new.

It is telling that the most successful Marvel properties of the last few years have been the ones that do something different. Marvel is smart to finally pull out The X-Men because that is a breath of fresh air and something people are hungry to see more of.

There's pretty much no one behind the scenes (except for maybe AMC building The Immortal Universe) that is committing to really taking the time to build these new worlds. Marvel built the MCU by playing the long game. That paid dividends for a solid decade even if it's dropping off now. That empire was built not with nostalgia for existing IP (don't forget the MCU was built with B and C tier heroes) but with patience. Marvel itself seems to have forgotten this in recent years.

Aside from that, I think people really want stories that aren't connected to a billion other things. That takes commitment on the part of the audience to follow and to get attached to. People WANT three to five excellent seasons of a show that tells its own story and isn't leaving threads out there for a dozen spinoffs. We're craving tight storytelling.

KAOS could have been that. Dead Boy Detectives could have been that. So could Our Flag Means Death, Lockwood and Co, Shadow and Bone, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Willow, and a dozen other shows with great potential or were excellent out of the gate.

If you look at past metrics, you only learn what people used to like, not what they want now. People are notoriously bad about articulating what they want, but boy do they know it when they see it. Networks have to go back to having a dozen moderate successes instead of constantly churning through one-season shows that get axed and pissing off the people who did like it in a hamfisted attempt to stumble on the next big thing.

The networks desperately need to go back to believing in their shows. Instead, they keep cutting them off at the knees before they ever get a chance because some algorithm told them the numbers weren't there.

[the-griffons-saddlebag]

⚔️ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺! War Pick of Backstabbing
Weapon (war pick), rare (requires attunement) ___ This war pick features a brass hand holding a silvered knife. Its blade and pommel create the weapon’s sharp and blunted ends, respectively. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. If you have advantage on the attack roll and hit, the target takes an extra 2d6 piercing damage from the attack; you can deal this extra damage only once per turn. If you’re a rogue, you are proficient with this weapon, it has the finesse property for you, and the extra damage is considered to be Sneak Attack damage. If you score a critical hit against a creature with this weapon, the target must also succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by you for 1 minute. While it’s charmed, the target regards you and your companions as friends. On its turn, the charmed target uses its action to attack any creature that’s hostile toward you or your companions. The target can repeat the Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The effect ends early if you or your companions harm or threaten the charmed target. ___ ✨ Patrons get huge perks! Access this and hundreds of other item cards, art files, and compendium entries when you support The Griffon's Saddlebag on Patreon for less than $10 a month!

[saturndigital]

Stanley Pines as a Lord of Fortune from Dragon Age! Part of my Veil Falls AU

Design notes:

Shan'vel Aenadahl, Warrior Reaver, Member of the Lords of Fortune

Shan - Old, Vel - ship/vehicle, Aenadahl - Pine tree

Does not have Vallaslin (wishes he could have gotten it)

Wears Orlesian attire to confuse people about his true background

Took Stanford's name to keep running the "Shack" but isn't 100% trying to pretend to be him as he is well known by other lords

Uses one of Ford's elven artifacts as his cane, doesn't know what it does (currently)

Wears a necklace Ford left behind after being pushed into the Fade, unknown to him if it wields any magical properties

His brass knuckles are from his time in Rivain

Side note: I do want to do a more proper "Lord of Fortune" outfit for him later down the line, but that'll have to be when Veilguard releases and I get my grubby hands on that artbook LOL

[pfhwrittes]

have a chunk of tradie!141 for your reading pleasure.

it's fuckin' pourin' down, has been for the last 3 days and the forecast ain't getting any better. thick, claggy muck sucks at the soles of simon's boots, threatening to pull 'em straight off his feet as he crosses the quagmire to slip into the portakabin-cum-office where he knows his skipper'll be.

price is fumin' under his hard hat, his ancient brick of a phone glued to his ear as he barks out demands to whichever poor sod is gettin' an earful off the boss today (probably nik, who straight up refused to drive onto site, stating bold as brass that the wagon would get bogged down, fuck the delay, captain. i'm not hurting my girl for your timetable).

with a disgusted snort price throws the offending phone onto the cluttered desk sending a sheaf of papers careening onto the floor.

"fucks sake, riley. what d'ya want?" price growls out in his direction and simon just lifts a battered eyebrow at the tone. no point gettin' his knickers in a twist over weather but price has always thought himself better than acts of nature and god himself.

"told the lads to put the tools down and go 'ome."

if looks could kill, simon would be buried in a shallow grave under the portaloo. price's face is as stormy as the sky rumbling ominously outside.

"well tell 'em to pick them back up, for fucks sake! we've got a fucking job to do here, simon." price snaps, his patience well and truly gone and it isn't even dinner time by simon's watch.

simon's hi-vis jacket creaks forebodingly as he straightens up.

"no."

there's a beat as simon squares off against his skipper, the unstoppable force of john price smashing against simon's immovable iron will. simon's known john a long fuckin' time and he'll play dirty to keep the crew safe if he has to. john's seen him walk off jobs for less.

price sighs noisily, ruffling the ends of his moustache.

"right then. who're we losing?"

"gaz can't work with the humidity, ale and rudy can't paint if gaz ain't finished the plaster, don't trust soap not to fry 'isself, and flash is sat in the van dryin' out." simon counts off on his fingers.

price's eyebrows hike up to his hairline at the mention of the plumber's apprentice.

"'s matter with flash?"

simon chuckles at the memory of flash covered head to toe in mud after an unfortunate tumble.

"debuted 'is mud-wrestlin' career f'r us."

price snorts out an amused sound and shakes his head. poor sod'll be miserable for the rest of the day without any spare kit to change into.

"right, go on then. tell 'em they can fuck off for the day." price reaches for his abandoned phone, probably to tell the client, some jumped up property developer-slash-social media wanker, that the job's been delayed by the shit weather. (simon doesn't envy him in the slightest, last time he met her she looked him up and down like he was scum and he was tempted to "accidentally" score the side of her flash car with the end of a length of 22mm copper pipe.)

simon offers price a nod and turns towards the door of the 'kabin, hooking the flimsy hood of his jacket over his head.

"oi, riley. you better not have stuck flash in my van."

"nah, stuck 'im in with soap and gaz. i ain't gettin' that shit on our seats."

price's barking laugh follows simon out the door into the pissing rain.

[strawberryblondebutch]

If you are a visibly disenfranchised person in America (by race, gender, sexuality, physical ability, or any other definition) and are worried about violence carried out in the name of sycophants, I would strongly recommend arming yourselves.

Brass knuckles are not illegal at the federal level, although many states have their own laws. They work in two directions: the brass rings increase the injury you do onto someone else, while the palm grip redistributes the kickback so that you're less likely to break your own fingers. Kevlar gauntlets, like the ones I wear for motorcycling, help with the latter more than the former.

Switchblades are becoming increasingly legal on the state level thanks in large part to an EMT lobby -- carrying a collapsible blade is helpful when your job involves cutting people out of their seatbelts in vehicle collisions. They come in two types: side-loading and out-the-front. OTF is triggered faster in an emergency.

In both cases, remember that most things are only illegal if you get caught. The issue comes in states where the sale of brass knuckles or switchblades are illegal, which makes them harder to acquire. If you can find a way to send a care package via a reputable courier, you should have no problem transporting across state lines. (My OTF blade came to PA nestled between a pair of sneakers.)

Handguns are easy to purchase in just about any state. Check your state laws to see whether you need a permit and/or to register your firearm to conduct a sale, but unless you're a convicted felon, the process is fairly straightforward. Always hold a handgun with both hands and practice at the range until you're confident in your aim and your stance.

Long guns are not going to be particularly useful on the street. You're unlikely to get the distance from your target to maintain your accuracy. They're more useful for standing your ground on your own property.

Bows are my favorite weapon to handle, but I would not recommend them for protection. It takes years of practice to fire them accurately, and you need space both to draw back the string to your ear and to fire at a distance. Arrows need a certain amount of momentum behind them, snap shots don't really work. Entry-level bows are cheaper than entry-level guns and that's the only edge I will give them.

General advice:

Put spikes anywhere you don't want people grabbing. Wrists and shoulders are the most obvious places. Punks don't just wear them for decoration!

Slip-resistant boots help you hold your ground in a tussle, and most come with an additional benefit like a steel toe or impact-resistant material.

When aiming with brass knuckles or bare fists, aim for the nose and the cheekbone. Both break easily and cause a shockwave of immediate pain that will make your attacker retreat.

Aim for center mass when possible with any type of puncturing weapon. It's the biggest target with the most important organs.

If you are put in a headlock, the thigh has both sensitive nerves and the femoral artery, and it's probably the most available target to you.

Strangling someone might seem like the nicer option, but it's the most dangerous for you. You need at least 10 seconds to strangle to the point of unconsciousness, during which your hands are both occupied and you can't defend yourself as well. Always go for an immediate, painful injury that will disrupt your attacker's attention.

Any protection - body armor or weaponry - is better than no protection. My motorcycle armor was designed to keep me from breaking every bone in my body in a crash, but the way it redistributes bludgeoning force also helps against baseball bats and batons.

Most people are not as prepared to receive physical violence as they are to dole it out.

[oonajaeadira]

Okay, who wants to hear about today's moment of magic?

Long story under the cut.

So the SO and I are getting married next month. It's really not a big deal, we're literally going down to the courthouse with @feathersandfoxtails and another bestie on the anniversary of our first date, signing the papers and doing an at-the-counter ceremony. We've been together for 14 years and own a house and a dog together. When it comes to loving and pledging our lives to each other, it's something we've grown into and we choose each other every day. Our families know we're good for life, so there's really no reason to spend a bunch of money on a ceremony. We've got everything we need, we go on "honeymoons" all the time, and we're both theater people, so it's just another event to plan and stage manage and produce and honestly, we'd both just rather put on another show with that cash than have our moms get nuts about invite lists and catering choices.

ANYWAY. With 2025 looming and all the uncertainty it's bringing, I just want it to be official in the eyes of the state so that's never a question. This dude goes up to the cabinland by himself and builds cabins 7 feet off the ground and runs chainsaws and such. If he ends up in the hospital, I don't want to be turned away from holding his hand through an amputation, you know? He's the most honest, trustworthy, good-hearted man I've ever met (if not sometimes frustratingly stubborn about being right all the damn time), and we share the same taste in just about everything. He's an inch shorter than Pedro with shoulders just as broad and eyes just as brown and a good mix of Frankie and Pero and Din and he puts up with my weirdness and I'm not letting him go.

So at one point he asks me if I'd like a ring. And I said no, mostly because I have a million rings and I like to switch them out and I'm not going to be taking up a good finger with one ring forever. My ladybits may be monogamous, but I'm not forcing that on any of my fingers. (That came out wrong. Oh well.) Besides, he's in carpentry. He doesn't like jewelry, much less wear it.

"I would for you," he said.

Cue melting.

But. Also. Another unnecessary expense. (Also, in true mischief fashion, I want to keep the marriage a secret just to see the looks on people's faces when someone like my nosy aunt's like "when you getting married?" and I can say, "oh, we are. Anyway. Pass that turkey...")

And that was that. Until I saw the script they walk you through at the courthouse.

At first glance, it's pretty short, literally an exchange of "do you?/ I dos" and exchange of rings and signing of the certificate by all the parties. No changes allowed, no vows, no "you may kiss," just cut and dry, like 2 minutes tops.

*record scratch* Exchange of rings. No changes. Aw hell.

Cue my online auction addiction. Did I mention that I have an online auction addiction? Surprise! There's a lot of lakeside property in Minnesota and rich folks come and go, passing on or downsizing or whatnot, and there's always fun estate sales going on, which is where I get a lot of my instruments and fun witchy supplies.

Literally the day I read that marriage script and was wondering if I could just fish out some rings from my jewelry box to suffice, this auction came up:

What you are looking at are two antiquities, Viking-era brass rings circa 850 - 1050 CE, the gold plating is pitted and old, but they've been restored and preservation-sealed. I did a lot of research on them and the company that they came from (as well as digging up info on antiquities/museum relations and dealers that may come in handy for a Thief fic at one point), and they're the real deal.

The sizes weren't listed (they were packaged in conservation envelopes, the box is mine) and so I lowballed a bid and was surprised that nobody outbid me. That never happens.

I told the SO that I'd won them and he's like, cool, how do you know they'll fit? I said I didn't. They're not meant to be worn. We use them for the ceremony and then shadowbox and display them nicely. If they don't really fit properly, that's okay, they're only there to fulfill the script. I'm not really getting a fancy dress or anything like that, so we might as well have one little piece of magic on the day. I just thought ancient Viking rings would be cool because he loves history and I've got me some Scandinavian blood and Viking thighs.

But y'all. The magic continues. Because I picked them up today...

And they fit us. Exactly. I'm kinda freaking out about it.

Even my atheist SO looked at me and said, "Hot damn. It's like it's meant to be."

Damn straight, boyfriend. Damn straight.

[anim-ttrpgs]

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy October Patreon update is live!

This one comes with an all new updated character sheet too!

You can get this update right now by subscribing to our patreon, but itchio beta fans may have to wait a few more weeks or a month. The itchio beta won’t be updating until I finish the complete monster overhaul which could take a while.

Here's the changelog

Copy-editing Progress: Thoroughly copy-edited up to p. 247.

CHAPTER 1

Additions to the What is Eureka For section

Changed comforting factors and exacerbating factors for Composure rolls to be +/-2 instead of +/-1 so they make a real difference.

New snoop

Changed the font of the section headings in the Ticking Clock section. Let us know what you think of these headings compared to the other headings, because we are considering changing all the headings to be like this.  

Better clarified some stuff about how Ticks work when an adventure starts at some random time of day.

CHAPTER 2

Gave a proper name to the Wealth modifier attached to certain homes and vehicles, it is now called the Property Modifier(PM).

Lowered the price of firearm ammunition by 1WP

Lowered the price of desktop computers by 1WP

Lowered the price of cameras by 1WP

Combined various hand tools into one entry on the item lists and moved them to Misc.

Made hotels something that is prepaid in WP similar to food budget. 

Made Large Apartment less expensive and Tiny Apartment more expensive

Moved Baseball Bat and Axe out of Weapons and into Misc. 

Changed how Food Budget works.

Removed Net Skill Limit mechanic entirely

Edit to the duration of the bonuses for Femme Fatale

Changed Ninja Trait to a +2 bonus instead of +1

CHAPTER 3

Changed the name of Chapter 3 to “Dangerous Situations.” We are planning to put all the combat and other dangerous stuff into one chapter called “Dangerous Situations” and merge combat, chases, etc. into one thing rather than splitting it up and having it in a bunch of different chapters.

Made it so that the Speed mechanic works with Theater of the Mind as well, and removed that other awkward mechanic with rolling Athletics for how many turns it takes for a character to cross a large distance. 

Complete restructure of the way the mechanics for movement and action are explained, as well as defining things as both Movements and Actions. 

Created a Chapter 2.5. In the future when we are ready to shift the chapter numbers, Chapter 2.5 will become the new Chapter 3 and the current Chapter 3 will become Chapter 4. Chapter 2.5 currently houses the statistics of weapons and other combat items. The plan is that a first-time reader will read the weapon statistics in Chapter 2.5 before they read the combat rules in Chapter 3, which will inform the way they understand Chapter 3. 

Changed damage value and special attributes of pepper spray. 

Made brass knuckles do 1 penetrative damage. 

Made stun guns do 2 superficial damage.

Made it so that bulletproof vests do protect against 1-damage weapons. 

Moved and rearranged like everything from chapters 3-6. 

Close range bonus for guns is now +2 instead of +1

Simplified Stopping Power rules (the actual way it works has not changed, we just rewrote it so that it gives the same mechanics in like a tenth of the word count)

Separated open-faced helmets and full-face helmets, and made it so that wearing a helmet along with body armor gives a -1 penalty to incoming attack rolls. 

“Single Load” is now called “Internal Magazines”

Shotguns at extremely close range now have similar stopping power to a rifle, but at 5-10 yards they still have their double stopping power. 

Changed how Rate of Fire works for guns. Just making it a number instead of distinct actions. 

Made it so that Quick Cycling affects basically all guns except automatics, meaning characters with high Firearms skill can now fire semi-automatic pistols at 3 bullets per Action.

Streamlined Stabilization. It is no-longer a roll and instead a penalty that worsens the more bullets are being fired at once. 

Made Bipods give +2 Contextual bonus instead of +1 to single stationary targets.

Changed Reactions and made them more broadly applicable and usable as a rule.

CHAPTER 7

Added “Psychological Warfare” mechanic. 

CHAPTER 8

Clarified that gorgon blood does not heal gorgons.

Changed the way that monsters interact with Composure and their Tiers of Fear during the act of preying on other people. Instead of just ignoring it or having a bonus (i somehow left both of those conflicting rules in and no one told me), a relevant Composure roll is still made when a monster eats someone, but they do not lose Composure points from it even in the event of Partial Success or Failure. This keeps the narrative benefit of a Composure roll to show the monster’s emotional state, but without making hunting numerically pointless.

Finished the complete fairytale witch overhaul. 

Made the Close Combat bonus for superhuman strength be just +1 for the vast majority of instances. The only exception is wolfman forms. They get a higher Close Combat bonus because their transformations actually make them bigger and taller and this helps a lot in Close Combat.

Reduced Athletics bonus of Incredible Strength trait to +2. 

Merged the Alt. Witch with Mage, and made Mage a Misc. supernatural category instead of its own separate thing. This is going to be a really messy transition for chapter 8 so please bear with us. I am making a brief run though the chapter to clean up the biggest discrepancies this change creates, but I probably won’t get them all until the editor and I have time to actually go through and copy-edit it. 

“Mage” is now its own trait, and what were previously called “mage traits” are now called “mage powers”. Mages now have between 1 and 6 mage powers as part of their mage trait, with worse composure rolls the more powers they have. 

When they engage in their True Nature, monsters now have a chance to recoup some or all of the Composure they lost as a result of using their powers to hunt prey. 

[shannonsketches]

still re-reading through the dragon ball trilogy manga and just cracking myself up about how Vegeta has this very Visible Famous Corporate Wife and has probably had to go with her to events,

and I've always really enjoyed the underrated trait that pre and post breakdown/identity crisis Vegeta is very in his element lying to people and being maliciously compliant and snarky and my hot take is that the Freeza Force is probably also very corporate and political when you get down to brass tacks

so just imagine with me the wildly unexpected comedy of Vegeta getting hauled to one of these things thinking it's going to be aWFUL only to find it is terribly familiar and he knows exactly how to operate in this space, actually, but because he is An Alien who used to work as A High Ranking (Self-Described) Thug for an Intergalactic Dictator and you can't just Say That -- he's just having the time of his life playing 'what can I say without saying it' like:

Corporate Partygoer: Oh, you're Bulma's husband! She said you retired quite young?

Vegeta, just going along with whatever Bulma lied about: ...Yes.

Corporate Partygoer: Wow, you must have done very well for yourself! What did you do for work?

Vegeta: ...Real estate. :)

Corporate Partygoer: Oh, how lucrative, no wonder! Private?

Vegeta: Commercial. Surveying, acquisitions, that sort of thing.

Corporate Partygoer: Wow, so like property negotiation deals?

Vegeta, about to get dragged away by his wife: Hostile takeovers, mostly—

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for stealing jewelry and a few other items from my hoarder aunt?

This was a few years ago now, I wanna say maybe 2018? My dad has two sisters, Z and K. K is married to a hoarder and has some hoarding tendencies herself so their house and particularly their garage is a mess. Not biohazard levels of mess but for sure just dusty, dirty, and stuffed with with ancient unusable garbage. K and her husband don’t have any kids, they’re both in their mid-70’s and both are in pretty poor health, so Z flew down from Florida and asked my father and I to come help clean. We agreed and came down for a day.

I have a weird relationship with my aunts. K took care of their mother until she died, and until she died my father would be at his sister’s beck and call. He would frequently abandon his own family to go help K and his mother. I don’t blame him for this, he wanted to help his sick mother, but I do blame K for using him as free labor. He built the house K is hoarding in, destroying his body in the process. Now that I’m an adult I don’t really speak to either aunt, like I had no contact with Z since Z’s second wedding in 2013. K is much closer location-wise but I don’t speak to her either because she’s just kind of off putting. The last time I spent time with her we went shopping and she kept telling me stories of her miscarriage and how annoying her husband is and pointing to someone and loudly asking “you think that’s a man or a woman?” Like I understand we are family but K and Z are as close to strangers as family can get to me. This doesn’t even cover my mom’s opinion of them and their treatment of her. Both Z and K have a history of manipulation, deception, and are both very vindictive and ignorant. She hates them both to the point of paranoia. My sister and I have a similarly low opinion of them both, but we both are more tolerable, myself especially.

So we arrive and we clean, Z and I working together to throw away a bunch of shit and my father worked on installing a new dishwasher. I stumble upon this gorgeous hanging lamp that looks like a large full moon. I text my mom about it and she flips. “That’s mine,” she says, “your father and I found that on the side of the road one night when we were first married.” So I load it into my dads car because it’s so pretty and it belongs to my parents. “Hey, you better ask if you can take that” Z says and I flat out tell her that it belongs to my mom. She shrugs and we continue to work. I find another really cool set of hanging lamps and a solid wooden lamp base carved to look like a gazelle that probably belonged to K’s husband’s parents and I took those too, with no input from Z.

These items weren’t lovingly packed and carefully stored away. They were sitting in plastic bins stuffed with dozens of boxes disintegrated plastic gloves and tools that were more rust than anything else. Towards the end of the day we discover some jewelry boxes and I take those inside to go through with K. A lot of it was junky costume jewelry but there’s some incredible pieces including a pair of 14k gold hoops that look like rams heads, a cool brass ring with an enameled signet with the Sagittarius archer, and a huge silver heart pendant. I carefully set aside the items that I would like to take home and K didn’t say anything, either because she didn’t notice or didn’t care.

Finally when we got home I showed my mom all of the cool stuff I found and she kind of scolded me, saying I should have asked to take this stuff and I brushed it off by joking that this was payment for my cleaning services. She was very happy that I rescued her moon lamp though.

I’m wearing that chunky silver heart pendant today and am thinking about it again. K doesn’t have any children so the only people who would ever inherit this junk would be either myself or Z’s kids, but Z’s daughter is no contact with Z and Z’s son lives on the other side of the country. We own the property that K lives on, pay for the taxes on it and pay for the maintenance on it all without charging K anything, so even when she and her husband die my family is going to have to clean it anyway and I can assure you I would be the only person who would actually want to sift through the garbage to find cool stuff. I feel like I saved this stuff from the landfill. I wear the jewelry I took, we have that really cool gazelle lamp displayed in our living room, and my sister said she was going to use the hanging lamps I brought home for when she has her own home. But of course I technically stole all of it and for sure will not be giving it back, even if she noticed it’s missing. AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[stephobrien]

Is your pro-Palestine activism hurting innocent people? Here's how to avoid that. (Plain text version)

I kept getting "needs pt" tags on the original post, so here's the plain text version:

Over the last few days, I’ve had conversations with several Jewish people who told me how hurt and scared they are right now.

To my great regret, some of that pain came from a poorly-thought-out post of mine, which – while not ill-intentioned – WAS hurtful.

And a lot of it came from cruelty they’d experienced at the hands of people who claim to be advocating for Palestine, but are using the very real plight of innocent Palestinians to harm equally innocent Jewish people.

Y’all, we need to do better. (Yes, “we” definitely includes me; this is in no small part a “learn from my fail” post, and also a “making amends” post. Some of these are mistakes I’ve made in the past.)

So if you’re an advocate for Palestine who wants to make sure that your defense of one group of vulnerable people doesn’t harm another, here are some important things to do or keep in mind:

Ask yourself if you’re applying a standard to one group that you aren’t applying to another.

Would you want all white Americans or Canadians to be expelled from America or Canada?

Do you want all Jewish people to be expelled from Israel, as opposed to finding a way to live alongside Palestinian Arabs in peace?

If the answer to those two questions is different, ask yourself WHY.

Do you want to be held responsible for the actions of your nation’s army or government? No? Then don’t hold innocent Jewish people, or Israelis in general (whether Jewish or otherwise), responsible for the actions of the Israeli army and government.

On that subject, be wary of condemning all Israeli people for the actions of the IDF. Large-scale tactical decisions are made by the top brass. Service is compulsory, and very few can reasonably get out of service.

Blaming all Israelis for the military’s actions is like blaming all Vietnam vets for the horrors in Vietnam. They’re not calling the shots. They aren’t Nazis running concentration camps. They are carrying out military operations that SHOULD be criticized.

And do not compare them or ANY JEWISH PERSON to Nazis in general. It is Jewish cultural trauma and not outsiders’ to use against them.

Don’t infuse legitimate criticism with antisemitism. By all means, spread the word about the crimes committed by the Israeli army and government, and the complicity of their allies. Criticize the people responsible for committing and enabling atrocities.

But if you imply that they’re committing those crimes because they’re Jewish, or because Jewish people have special privileges, then you’re straying into antisemitic territory.

Criticize the crime, not the group. If you believe that collective punishment is wrong, don’t do it yourself.

And do your best to use words that apply directly to the situation, rather than the historical terms for situations with similar features. For example, use “segregation,” “oppression,” or “subjugation,” not “Holocaust” or “Jim Crow.” These other historical events are not the cultural property of Jews OR Palestinians, but also have their own nuances and struggles and historical contexts.

Also, blaming other world events on Jewish people or making Jewish people associated with them (for instance, some people falsely blame Jewish people for the African slave trade) is a key feature of how antisemitism functions.

Please, by all means, be specific and detailed in your critiques. But keep them focused on the current political actors – not other peoples’ or nations’ political or cultural histories and traumas.

Be prepared to accept criticism. You probably already know that society is infused with a wide array of bigotries, and that people growing up in that environment tend to absorb those beliefs without even realizing it. Antisemitism is no exception.

What that means is, there’s a very real chance that you will screw up, and get called out on it, as I so recently did.

If that happens, please be willing to learn and adapt. If you can educate yourself about the suffering and needs of Palestinians, you can do the same for Jewish people.

Understand that the people you hurt aren’t obligated to baby you. Give them room to be angry. After I made a post that inadvertently hurt people, some were nice about it, and others weren’t. Some outright insulted my morals and intelligence.

And I had to accept that I’d earned that from them.

I’d hurt them, and they weren’t obligated to be more careful with my feelings than I had been with theirs.

They weren’t obligated to forgive me, trust me, or stop being mad at me right away.

I’ll admit, there were moments when I got defensive. I shouldn’t have. And I encourage you to try not to, if you screw up and hurt people.

I know that’s hard, but it’s important. Getting defensive only tells people you care more about doubling down on your mistake than you do about healing the hurt it caused.

Instead, acknowledge that they have a right to be angry, apologize for the way you hurt them, and try to make amends, while understanding that they don’t owe you trust or forgiveness.

Be aware that some antisemites are using legitimate complaints to “Trojan horse” antisemitism into leftist spaces. This is a really easy stumbling block to trip over, because most people probably don’t look at every post a creator makes before sharing the one they’re looking at right now.

I recently shared a video that called out some of the Likud and IDF’s atrocities and hypocrisy, and that also noted that many Jewish people are wonderful members of their communities.

I was later informed that, while that video in particular seemed reasonable, the creator behind it is frequently antisemitic.

I deleted the post, and blocked the creator. I encourage you to do the same if it’s brought to your attention that you’ve been ‘Trojan horse’d.

EDIT: Important note about antisemitism in leftist spaces:

While it's true that some blatant antisemites are using seemingly reasonable posts to get their foot in the door of leftist spaces, it's also true that a lot of antisemitism already exists inside those spaces.

This antisemitism is often dressed up in progressive-sounding language, but nonetheless singles Jewish people and places out in ways that aren't applied equally to other groups, or that label Jewish people in ways that portray them as acceptable targets.

If you want to see some specific examples, so you can have a better idea of what to keep an eye out for, I suggest reading this excellent reblog of the original post.

Fact-check your doubts about antisemitism. Depending on which parts of the internet you look at, you’ve probably seen people accused of antisemitism because they complained about the Likud and/or IDF’s actions. So you might be primed to be wary, or feel unsure of how to tell what counts as real antisemitism.

But that doesn’t mean antisemitism isn’t a very real, widespread, and harmful problem. And it doesn’t mean many or even most Jewish people are lying to you or being overly sensitive.

So if someone says something is antisemitic, and you aren’t sure, I encourage you to:

A. Look up the action or thing in question, including its history. Is there an antisemitic history or connotation you aren’t aware of? For best results, include “antisemitic” in your search query, in quotes.

B. Understand that some things, while not inherently antisemitic, have been used by antisemites often enough that Jewish people are understandably wary of them. Schrodinger’s antisemitism, if you will.

C. Ask Jewish people WHO HAVE OFFERED TO HELP EDUCATE YOU. Emphasis on WHO HAVE OFFERED. Random Jewish people aren’t obligated to give you their time and emotional energy, or to educate you – especially on subjects that are scary or painful for them.

@edenfenixblogs has kindly offered her inbox to those who are genuinely trying to learn and do better, and I’ve found her to be very kind, patient, reasonable, and fair-minded.

Understand that this is URGENTLY NEEDED. In one of my conversations with a Jewish person who’d called me out, they said this was the most productive conversation they’d had with a person with a Palestinian flag in their profile.

THIS IS NOT OKAY.

I didn’t do anything special. All I did was listen, apologize for my mistakes, and learn.

Yes, it feels good to be acknowledged. But I feel like I’ve been praised for peeing IN the toilet, instead of beside it.

Apologizing, learning, and making amends after you hurt people shouldn’t be “the most reasonable thing I’ve heard from a person with a Palestinian flag pfp.”

It should be BASIC DECENCY.

And the fact that it’s apparently so uncommon should tell you how much unnecessary stress and fear Jewish people have been living with because of people who consider themselves defenders of human rights.

By all means, be angry at the Likud, the IDF, and the politicians, reporters, and specific media outlets who choose to enable and cover up for them. But direct that anger toward the people who deserve it and are in a position to do something about it, not random people who simply happen to be Jewish, or who don’t want millions of people to be turned into refugees when less violent methods of achieving freedom and rights for Palestinians are available.

Stop peeing beside the toilet, people.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Forget-Me-Not 2

Warnings: non/dubcon, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Loki

Summary: You return to your childhood home to put the past to rest.

Part of the Backwoods AU

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

You spend the night on the couch. You don't go further than the bathroom. You can't bring yourself to check her bedroom or the one you left behind.

You go out to get your bag and change in the yellow haze glowing behind the faded curtains. You check the time. Jan is expecting you in an hour.

You emerge into the dewy morning and tramp down to ground level. You get in the car, reversing out without looking back at the dingy house. The final farewell can't come soon enough for the slanted walls.

Jan is out in the yard, hammering a pineboard as you drive down his lot. His white hair curls with the sweat beading on his skin. He stills the hammer and wipes his forehead as you pull up. 

You get out as he greets you in the way all the villagers do. A manufactured friendliness that cannot erase their true judgement. They smile in face just as easily as the mutter your name under their breath. You mother harboured little good will in Hammer Ford and blood is sacred here.

“Sorry to hear,” he says.

“Matter of time,” you shrug dismissively.

“Isn't no way to come home,” he shakes his head and coughs into his fist, “walnut,” he points the hammer over his shoulder, “like ya said.”

Walnut, like the dining table. Where she sat and drank herself into that box. You nod and follow him over to the casket. The hinges are brass and the finish is rough. What does it matter? It's just going into the dirt.

“Got cash,” you say. Jan doesn't deal with the bank, everyone knows that. Funny the little things that stick with you.

“Thanks,” he accepts the bills as you count them out. So much for a rainy day. The sun shine bright as if mocking the grin affair beneath its watch. “I'll have it taken down to Norn's.”

“Yep,” you agree, “she's there.”

You head out without further niceties. Neither of you uphold those. Better to say what you mean and nothing else.

You get to the property line and idle. You turn away from the woods. You're not ready to go back yet. 

You stop by the church first. Father Oswald sits with you to discuss the ceremony. You'll say a few words at the grave site. You don't think anyone would come to a wake. You don't want them to.

You set off again, still reluctant to retrace your steps. You drive to the spare core of the village and park outside the library. You cross the street and peer in through the window of the bakery. It wasn't there when you left.

You venture inside and peruse the sweets behind the glass. You order a black coffee and a cinnamon bun. You pay the woman behind the counter, vaguely familiar. You're certain she was a few years behind you at school.

You sit and pick at the glazed dough. You don't have much of an appetite. You don't feel much of anything. You're just wading through, try not to get lost in the tide.

You sip the coffee. Bold but rich. Not bad. Better than the instant powder gone stale in your mother's cupboard.

The door opens and shuts, several times over as you stare at the table. The city taught you apathy. You don't let the noise bother you.

The chair across from you slides out and a figure plants themselves on the seat. You raise your head, your vision narrowing to make sense of their features. You turn your head to gaze out the window as Loki blows over the top of a mug. 

You slide out your phone, a defence mechanism. Still no reception. You put it down and keep your attention diverted. He clears his throat and taps his toe next to yours.

“You know, I do have an important matter to discuss with you,” he says.

You don't react. You know that's what he wants. That's why he showed up the night before. He undoubtedly insisted on being his clan’s representative.

“You've sent your condolences.”

“Mm, yes, but that isn't what I mean,” he traces his finger up the handle of his mug. “The house.”

You lower your brows and keep your eyes beyond the window. The village moves slow as ever. Not like the endless flow of the city streets. There's no where to hide here.

“My father has an offer. The property has value.”

You check your cup, almost empty. You swig the last of it. You stand and gather the cup and unfinished dessert. You put the porcelain on the counter and toss the cinnamon bun on your way out.

The door doesn't close behind you. He's following you. Your heartbeat piques. In an instant, you're hurled into the past. You're running through broken twigs as he snickers behind you. You ball your hands as your breath hitches.

You cross the street without looking, only just dodging a bumper. You go to your car, fumbling with your keys. Before you can stick them in the slot, there's a snare around your arm.

You spin and shove Loki off of you, biting down on a shriek. You glare at him and point the key at his chin.

“Not interested.”

“My father will give you more than the bank,” he counters. 

“Don't care.”

He sniffs and quorks his head, “is this because I never called?”

You choke on a scoff. You turn and ram the keys in the slot and twist. You open the door as you step around it. The edge hits him as you swing into the driver’s seat.

“The house is worthless. The bank will give you pennies for the land.”

“Go tell your daddy you failed,” you sneer and yank the door shut, hitting the lock with your fist.

You start the engine without a glance in his direction. You pull put as he barely avoids getting his toes run over. Just as ever, this village belongs to the Odinsons. They won't have to pay the bank much to get what they want but you will never sign your name next to theirs.

[the-griffons-saddlebag]

🛡 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺! Aegis Grimoire
Armor (shield), very rare (requires attunement by a wizard) ___ This leather shield looks like a leather-bound book with brass fixtures. You’re considered proficient with this shield while you’re attuned to it. The shield has 5 charges and regains 1d4 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨. While holding this shield, you can use a bonus action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast one of the following spells from it: “antilife shell” (4 charges), “mage armor” (1 charge), or “protection from energy” (2 charges). When you cast this version of “mage armor” on yourself, it also reduces the damage you take from spells by half. 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝘼𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙗. While holding this shield, you can use a reaction when you make a saving throw against a spell cast by a hostile creature to expend any number of charges from the shield. For each expended charge, you gain a +2 bonus to the saving throw. You can decide to use this reaction after making the saving throw, but before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. If the number of expended charges was greater than or equal to the level of the spell, you automatically succeed on the saving throw, and the shield’s cover flings itself open to reveal the large pages behind it. When this happens, the spell is inscribed in the shield’s pages using a magical cipher that can’t be understood or transcribed, and the cover slams back shut. The spell remains inscribed until you finish a long rest, until you inscribe a different spell with this property, or until you cast the spell from the shield using its normal casting time (no charges required); the cover flings itself back open when the spell is cast from the shield, and the paper becomes blank once more. Otherwise, the book remains closed and can’t be opened. The spell is cast from the shield at the same level in which it was originally cast, and it uses your spell save DC, spell attack bonus, and spellcasting ability modifier. ___ ✨ Patrons get huge perks! Access this and hundreds of other item cards, art files, and compendium entries when you support The Griffon's Saddlebag on Patreon for less than $10 a month!

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Spider-Punk x Black Cat: Punk!Cat Headcanons

Yes, I'm doing this. Every Spider-Man needs his Cat.

First of all, they'll be the first to tell you they are not dating.

If you ask, they'll both say 'We hate labels'. It's their thing.

If Hobie is the king of all things anti-facist then Felicia is the monarch of rage fueled feminism and anti-capitalism

Hates all things classist, racist and sexist and has a 'k!ll your local rap*st' patch on her battle vest

And her weapon of choice is spiked-out brass knuckle claws

Hobie towers over her (like he does everyone), but Felicia's ten times louder and twice as confrontational. Felicia in any universe talks bold with no filter, and Punk!Cat is that turned up to eleven

Which is probably why she's on vocals in the band

She has a mouth like a sailor and an accent as thick as Hobie's, so mixed with his slang, their conversation are literally British-dipped jibberish

Her style sits on the border of old-school punk and trad goth. She's usually in all black and white, compared to Hobie's red and blue, and sometime her domino mask is swapped out for trad goth style eyeliner

The motives align more than any other Spider-Man, at that makes things a lot easier.

Hobie loves a girl who can do a little direct action, and his anarchist beliefs align more with hers than any other Spider-man.

Though they did have to get over the fact he's an anarchist and she's a communist (she constantly says to him 'i dont believe in private property')

Of course she likes to steal, and she's real good at it

To most Spider-men this would be annoying, but Hobie actually finds it fairly impressive.

She steals things for him constantly, and he keeps every single thing she gives him. Lots of times they turn out to be useful, especially in his builds

Punk!Cat steals shit from museums to return objects back to their native countries and defaces pieces from racist, sexist artists

Steals from banks to handover the money to grass-roots resistance movements

And since Hobie is one of the only Spider-men to hate cops (blue laces people) he's always there to happily protect her from the pigs

She's still herself, but a bit different than most Felicias

Every Felicia is a little 'not normal' about Spider-Man, and Punk!Cat is the same, but approaches it from a different angle

She'll call Hobie a hero only because she know it bugs the day lights out of him

But unlike a LOT of Felicias, Punk!Cat outright hates Spider-Man merch and imagery

She thinks it's incredibly exploitative of Hobie and everything he stands for.

And she hates their totalitarian J.Jonah more than anything because if theres one thing she hates, it's misinformation and propaganda

Although most Fe's love their jewlery like no other, Punk!Cat takes another slight deviation -

Punk!Cat knows that things like diamonds, pearls, and gold has been used as items of oppression for literal centuries. Instead of a taste for items of bougeois lust, Felicia is much more into punk jewlery

She loves everything pinned, spiked, and covered in soda tabs. Her hero uniform is covered in chains, and even her canon 3-claw grappling hook is replaced with a heavy chain and hook she fashioned herself. Scavanged, of course.

She's really close with Gwen and Pavi

Community outreach is everything to a punk, ya'll

Her and Gwen get along immediately. Felicia is never one to be quick to jealousy and she accepts Gwen with open arms.

Gwen turns up to Hobie's universe distraught and homeless.

She teaches her about squatters rights and how her and Hobie keep a roof over their heads, always made sure she had toiletries and someone to talk to, because she knows what it's like to have a strained relationship with your dad

Pavi takes to everyone quickly, but when he and Felicia are together, it gets LOUD

The Spider-Society hates her

And Felicia and Hobie love it

Hobie had no idea how controversial dating Felicia would be. Not for band fans, but for all the other Spider-people

Turns out, Felicias aren't very popular with the Society

The both of them thinks it hilarious

They tell him Spider-people are suppose to be with their MJ's. That's how it's meant to be.

Dating a Felicia or saving a Gwen is an anonmaly waiting to happen.

But neither of them care, and if anything, that only eggs them on. If everyone thinks they're 'bound' to breakup eventually then thats even more reason for them to stick together.

Hobie has absolutely made Felicia her own watch

One which she uses to crash the Spider-Society every now and again

Because of this, Miguel hates her and Jess is just so done with the both of them

Even if Hobie and Peter.B are in no way close, Peter seems to be the only adult in their corner. As a Spider-man that didn't have the most conventional story with his MJ, he's more than supportive of Hobie and his unconventional story with Felicia. He figures if he and MJ can make it work, so can they.

Her and Gwen bond over the awkwardness of being variants of the dead or ex-girlfriend of most of the Spider-society, and how Spider-men see them because of it

And when it's time to take the Society down, she's the first in line (after Hobie, Gwen, and Pavi of course)

[thedepthsoffandomminds]

Episode three - Dead men's secrets

You sit at Charlie's bedside, his small hand in yours.

"Nurse Hatty, could you listen to his chest, I'm sure there is something wrong?" You ask the head nurse. She puts down the sheets in her hands and walks over, picking up a stethoscope. The cold brass makes the boy flinch.

"you may be right. Give me a moment I'll fetch the Doctor." She darted off.

"It's okay Charlie boy, the doctor is coming." You reassure him.

Jack was there swiftly, listening to his chest and checking his pulse and temperature.

"He shouldn't be dying." Jack sighed. You stand and round the bed coming to his side, taking hold of his arm.

"Is there nothing you can do?" You ask. Jack's eyes dart to your hand.

"Here comes Princess Witch Face." Hetty whispered. Your sister came rushing up to you both.

" Doctor, can I see you in the morgue?" Jack followed her pulling you along beside him having scooped your hand into his elbow. The morgue was a sight you had wished you would never see and the smell was just as bad. Belle darted around grabbing up a cloth from one of the bodies.

"The cloth was on his wound and the infection's gone. Look. There."

"The what?" Jack asked.

" The cloth. Had carbolic acid on it. Look, no rot." Belle repeated.

"Right, so...?"

"So, I've done some reading, all night, actually, and there was a chap called "Pasteur"."

"Pasta?" You laugh at the confusion in his voice.

'Pasteur." You repeat the name.

"Like, French pasta?" Jack joked.

"Discovered something called "germs". Microbes. Causes fermentation in wine." Belle explained.

"Right. Except, we're not making wine." You calrify.

"But then, Lister..."

"Who?" Jack interrupted.

"Lister at Edinburgh Royal connected microbes to infection. So, if fermentation and infection are caused by an organic property rather than spontaneous generation or miasma..." Your sister went on.

"Is there a translation of all of this?" Jack looked back at you.

"We can cure infection with carbolic acid." Belle finished

"This might save Charlie." You say with hope.

"The acid we use to treat sewage?" He looked between the two of you.

"Exactly. Look at the cloth line." She pointed to the corpse on the table. Jack looked closely at it, how the infection seemed to have begun to heal before he'd died.

"Hmm. We need to cut him open and see whether your cloth's stopped the rot beneath the skin." He announced.

"Clearly. I've never cut a man before." She states looking at the scalpel he offered.

"You can't hurt him any further." He smirked, handing the scalpel to Belle, "wait, y/n are you okay staying here for this?" He asks. Both Belle and you smile.

"I am not squeamish, Jack." Settling yourself on the stool across the room. Jack looked between the two of you.

"The two of you are something else." He sighed. The pair worked easily to open the corpse and peer inside. Curiosity took over you and you walked closer.

"This is how it all works. Somewhere in there is how we think, and feel and love. And die?" You say, Jack looks at you. Belle does not miss the adoration in his eyes.

"It is so much more than plumbing" she pulls his attention back to the job.

"No rot." She says triumphantly.

"Let's test it on Charlie." You suggest.

"No, wait." Jack stops you both. " What these... What did you call them?"

" Microbes." Belle reminds him.

" Right. How do we know they exist?"

"We postulate. Based on the symptomatic presentation..." Belle began to explain.

" Words. Use words." Jack huffed

"We can't see them, but we know they're there." Belle matched his tone.

"So, you want to kill invisible bugs with an acid usually used to treat raw sewage?"

"Yes."

" And your only proof of this, so far, is from some books and this corpse, which can't feel any pain." His words deflated your excitement.

"I've read all about this. Trust me." Belle implored him.

"The boy is dying." You say.

" No, except I don't! But I might, given more time and with further proof, but I just had to teach a procedure that a half-drunken teenage apprentice could do blindfolded."

"Yes. And the shock of an acid burn might kill him even quicker."

" Do you care about him at all?" Belle asked.

" I care very deeply. Find a way of making carbolic acid work without injuring him, then you can use it on Charlie. Until then, the answer is very much "sod off." Jack marched toward the door.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" Belle turned to him.

"I do apologise. Sod off, Milady. And I speak to everyone like this." He went to storm from the room.

"Jack?"

He sighed turning back to you.

"I'm sorry." He held his hand towards you and you took it following him into the main corridor.

"She can do it." You say to him.

"If you believe in her, then so do I. Maybe you could help her with it?" He suggests.

*_*_*_*_*

"It's too strong. It's still too strong." Belle sighs. She had covered the kitchen table with a number of dead pigs and carbolic acid. You had been watching her for hours as she worked.

"Where is the coconut ice?" Fanny asked looking at the mess

" I think it's under the pig. Could I borrow one of your arms?" Belle spoke absently.

"Of course not. Will you two ever stop with these experiments and look for husbands?" She said annoyed.

"I'm sorry Fanny, my sweet little sister. Take your Mr Smales and your ladies to the ice shop." You say handing your purse across to her.

"Oh, thank you Sister. That is very generous of you." She turned and rushed her friends out.

Happy to be alone Belle went back to her experiments as you watched. After a few more hours the pigs no longer burned so she decided to try it on human skin, pulling her dress up.

"No, you need your legs. Try it on me." You say.

"y/n I can't."

"I'm the eldest, you do as I say." You lift your dress up and put your foot on the chair, revealing the skin above your knee. Holding her breath Belle poured the acid onto your leg. It hurts instantly, burning you. Trying not to scream you rush to the sink and place a cold cloth over the burn. It didn't help you needed more help so you ran outside where an ice bucket was standing. You grab it up into the cloth and rest the ice against your skin. Belle followed you seeing her sister playing with her perfume bottle.

"I have an idea." She says, the two of you rush back to the house. Grabbing another perfume bottle from Fanny's room.

*_*_*_*

You had left Belle to continue her experiments with the acid and rushed into town to find Jack. You wanted desperately for him to have faith in your sister's work. The sun was beating down on you and your leg stung below the cotton of your bloomers. You had already been to the hospital and been told Jack was out so you were walking the streets searching for him. Hope was leaving you until you spotted him amongst the crowd in the market. Not too far away you see Darius stepping onto an orange box. He announced a chance for a contender to fight against Aputi.

The Doctor turns away, as the large man begins to pursue him. Thinking quickly you rush towards him.

"There you are." You say loudly.

" Lady y/n, Please let me escort you." He takes your hand and places it around his arm.

" Are we going to talk about the enormous man pursuing you?" You ask, glancing back at Aputi.

" Er, no. Let's not."

"And you're hurt. Here, come on." He pulls you into a side alley and drops down in front of you. Without thinking he begins to pull up your dress. The shaky breath that leaves you makes him look up, "Sorry, is this all right?" He asks.

"Right. Belle has had a breakthrough with the acid." You announce

"Clearly. Look, your dress is dissolving." He points to the broken silk of your skirt. "Oh." You press on the wound without thinking, flinching at the pain.

" I don't see how else you'd fix it." You say. With a nod he rolls the material up and uses a salve from his pocket. With two fingers he rubs it on to your skin, it's stings at first but as he rubs the pain lessens. You both look at each other. The intimacy of the moment catching in your throat.

"Belle knows how to stop it burning." You say trying to steady yourself as he raises to his full height.

"She can test it on Charlie when it's ready. I trust you." He whispers before darting away, leaving you flustered.

Belle missed dinner that evening, you made excuses for her feeling unwell; knowing for well she was at the hospital. You hoped little Charlie was doing better with the help of Belle's acid. You had already decided you would visit first thing in the morning. As you sat around the table your father was talking about the payload being stolen, something clicked in your brain.

Part four

[heartfullofleeches]

I miss Vendetta and D.Kay so much 😔 I know you haven't talked about them in a while, but would it still be okay to still request something for them?

PLEASE DO! Requests for characters help me use them more. I absolutely adore Vendetta and D.Kay, but they don't get much attention in the inbox so they fade from thought until they come back to beat me with a baseball bat-

A little info on both-

Vendetta is a magical boy with an extremely short temper and brass knuckle gloves as his tool of choice. Got kicked out of his group after realizing the monsters they fight were once humans transformed by grief/misery and beating the shit out of someone's bully who drove them to take their own life. He now works as a bouncer for various clubs and keeps the magical stuff as a side gig. Does more damage than help most of the time, unless his darling is involved. Really only does both jobs just to get away with breaking shit/hurting people until he meets them.

He acts like nothing phases him, but deep down he his terrified of the world around him. Not for himself, but for his darling. Vendetta genuinely doesn't care what happens to him or other people. Making the city a better place for them is what truly makes him feel alive more than any drug or petty destruction of property ever could.

-

D.Kay is an android from a company assigned with the task of making their owner happy - whether they want to be or not. Severe sadness/anger is seen as a disease and those labeled as Downers are to be executed by the bots as well. D.Kay's Darling in the fic they were introduced in was wrongfully labeled as a Downer - a mistake that was later fixed without their knowledge as D.Kay lies about their status to them to stay by their side as a permanent happiness enhancer

D.Kay also has the personality of the founder's son - D'Angelo. An energetic and carefree guy who died early on. D'Angelo's personality often combats with the violent nature programed into the code of every murderbot which is what D.Kay actually is, but due to D'Angelo's influence they are allowed to work as a normal smilebot just like the others. Their name is a joke on the word decay as beneath their smiley face mask is a synthetic human face lacking skin since the bots can take over the lives of Drowners after termination.