#but the more she uses it the less effective it gets

[seahorsepencils]

THIS. I've been thinking a lot lately about how what often gets labeled as "cringe comedy" in this show is just like, putting neurotypical or neuroconforming folks in situations where we can more clearly see how their indirect approach to everything causes awkwardness and discomfort.

The episode "Kissme" is basically about what happens when society has told you you're not allowed to have a low-stakes conversation with someone about whether you can kiss them. Yeah it was uncomfortable, but it would have been less uncomfortable if the pilot had felt like he could bring it up directly in a conversation. I thought it was cool that Nathan found a way for him to feel safe bringing it up.

The season premiere is similar. I know a ton of people thought Moody's conversation at the end was incredibly cringe, but I thought it was kind of great? He finally had an opportunity to speak openly with his girlfriend about his concern that she was getting hit on by random guys at Starbucks. He explained his perspective on it, and she explained hers. It was probably good that they had that conversation, because it very much sounds like she was getting hit on by that Starbucks customer. I felt like I was watching someone in an effective couples therapy session that just happened to be in the cockpit of a plane. Why have we as a society decided it's cringe or silly to speak directly to someone about your concerns in a relationship?

Even the more distinctly comedic beats of the season feel pretty genuine to me. Like the Sully episode - yeah it was weird and funny how he approached it, but maybe listening to music did help Sully channel his emotions in a helpful way so he could be a pilot who had the capacity to safely land that plane. I was unironically sobbing during the Evanescence sequence; I thought it was genuinely moving.

It seems clearer and clearer with each episode that one of the implicit arguments of this season is that neurotypical polite social norms are exhausting at best and dangerous at worst. I think it's amazing that he's using the topic of aviation safety as a container to explore that, and I love that he's willing to tell serious, vulnerable stories as he does it. And as someone who is tired from decades of masking and dealing with neurotypical social norms and seeing how labor-intensive and oppressive those norms can be for everyone, it's cathartic to see someone creating a show that asks "seriously though, why does our society expect us to keep doing this polite bullshit, when it can literally stop us from preventing plane crashes?" I'm really grateful that the show exists and that he's exploring that topic in his own cool weird way.

quick mid season 'the rehearsal' thoughts

just saw latest episode of THE REHEARSAL and after being a nathan fielder fan for over a decade it is just so beautiful to watch him actually diving into autism and addressing (in his own unique way) his autistic trot. really really moving.

i have loved this season so much and SO relate to his internal conflict in the question of: 'what is it like to be someone who is perceived by the public at large as silly, when you are actually very sincere in your art'. it feels like show is speaking directly to me. enjoying this trot a lot

[elysianightsss]

Vicissitude | Part Three

You always hated intoning. Having seen the way alphas did it so casually, so carelessly like it meant nothing, like it didn’t have any effect on the brain of Betas and Omegas especially. Even as an alpha yourself, you couldn’t bring yourself to command another wolf to follow exactly what you’re asking of them by force. By mind control. It wasn’t right and went against your morals.

It took you weeks to forgive Kyle when he had once intoned a ‘barrack bunny’ to get away from you. A beta who used to love harassing you for being the only woman on the team when you were a newbie. He grovelled and finally earned back your forgiveness with the promise of never doing it again. He and the team made sure they never did it while you’re around knowing how much you hated it.

You were glad you would never have to worry about being intoned, being forced to listen to an alpha’s command purely because of the tone of their voice. It was something you never thought would happen to you and yet here you were subdued all because Simon had intoned you to stay calm.

Your wolf scratched at her bars, whimpering at the feeling but as much as it hurt she willed herself to remain calm all so you could remain calm. You felt numb, like your body and mind had no feeling.

You’d feel less attacked if Simon had scruffed you. You would feel light and happy, and it would be easier to come out of than being intoned. Being made to comply unwillingly while your brain is active and aware of the situation around you. And all you feel is awful and heavy.

Wings clipped, poor omega caged and shackled.

Sitting in the debriefing room, Simon’s large hand on your thigh as you slumped into the cold, hard chair.

“Veil listen to me.” Your Captain muttered not loud enough to startle you but just so you could hear, “I don’t know how this has happened, and we all thought it impossible but you are an omega now.”

You shook your head, eyes burning as tears slipped down your cheeks. Pathetic. Simon’s hand squeezed your thigh, maybe in reassurance? Maybe to get you to speak? You’re not sure and you’re getting too tired to even look up into his eyes to decipher what it meant.

“I know this will take you a while to accept and Johnny is going to work as hard as he can to possibly come up with an antidote from your blood samples. Simon, Kyle and I are going hunting for more of that gas or at least who created it.” This has you perking up.

“You’re leaving.” Your voice was croaky, throat roar from crying. Anxiety thrumming under your skin now, buzzing behind your eyes.

“We are. Johnny is staying behind to look after you and work in the lab.” Simon mumbled, thumb rubbing soothing circles into the fat of your thigh. All you could do was nod. There was no use arguing with them, how could you even dare to?

John made his way around the table and squatted next to you, “Follow me.”

You’d been walking for five minutes and already you were in unfamiliar territory. John escorted you to a part of the base you’d never been to before. Opening a door to reveal what looks like a therapist's office with the big comfy couch, soft blankets and pillows as well as a high backed leather chair opposite said couch. There was a blood pressure machine and a weight and height chart as well as a step on scale in the corner of the room.

The book shelf to the right of the couch had all sorts of books, some novels but mostly filled with Omegan biology books and how to help a newly present omega. On top of the shelf was a PHD in medicine and a doctorate in Omegan Anatomy and Biology.

You’d put the pieces together but before you could even open your mouth to argue a woman in a white lab coat, pulled over a smart casual outfit and trainers walked into the room. “Oh you’re already here, brilliant.” She was smiley and warm, lush medium length brown hair and dark brown eyes that landed on you after shaking John’s hand.

“I’m Doctor Mandry but please call me Melissa. Captain Price explained your situation and thought it might be a good idea we talk.” She spoke softly, you noticed she was pushing out her beta pheromones to keep you calm.

“My situation?” You glance at John who looks at you sternly, you don’t let her reply, “It looks like you specialise in Omegas and as my file, which I’m sure you’ve extensively read, so clearly states I have been an Alpha since I presented as one and I will continue to always be an Alpha. That’s not something you can change, it’s impossible!” You don’t mean to yell but, the intone is wearing off and first hearing the guys say it and now she is saying it too, you’re…scared.

“Unfortunately it isn’t anymore.” She replies calmly as though you hadn’t just shouted at her two seconds after meeting her. “The gas you inhaled has changed you and you know it.”

“It might have changed how I feel but it can’t change my genetic makeup, my dna, that’s not-“

“But it is, and I’m here to help you come to terms with it and work with you on any feelings you may have that you don’t understand.” Melissa gives you a small smile, it’s one that says, I’m sorry this happened to you but it’s not pity. Though it doesn’t change how you feel one bit.

“No.” You snap. John grumbles out your name but you shake your head, “I don’t want to work through any pathetic little feelings I may have that don’t make sense, I want to go back to the way I was. I’m an Alpha and I will always be one. I will not accept anything else.” You bark storming passed the both of them and all the way back to your room, it’s there you lock the door and crawl into your bed.

So what if you grab more blankets and pillows from the cupboard to put on it, it’s just some comfort to help you sleep, nothing more.

Waking up the next morning was sereal. You had a splitting headache, your muscles ached and felt weak as you stretched. Your mind felt muddled and murky, so unable to decipher your thoughts and feelings.

A little knock on the door had you glaring at the doorknob begging it not to turn…..only for it to turn and low and behold Johnny is stood there with a kind smile gracing his lips.

“Hi Lass.” He greeted.

“Lemme guess the big bad wolf sent you to teach me a lesson.” You raise an eyebrow at Johnny who’s stood in your doorway, blue eyes glancing at the big pile of blankets on your bed before they land back on you. His lips twitching slightly in the shape of a smirk.

“He just wants you to give the doctor a chance.” Johnny begins.

“The quack.” You scoff.

“He thinks it could really help, just in the meantime while they’re out looking for a solution.” He uses those stupid puppy dog eyes that he’s had mastered since his teen years. They melt you into a puddle and so an hour later you find yourself on that annoyingly soft couch opposite the quack.

“I don’t condone any of this.” You mutter loud enough for her to hear, it makes her smirk, amusement clear on her face.

“I know. But I think it’s important to do it.” She replies, rolling the pen between her fingers that’s hovering over her fancy leather bound notepad.

“Fine.” You sigh, “Fire away then.”

“How are you feeling?” She begins, a basic question that’s very difficult to explain.

“I don’t know how to answer that.” You say because it’s true. You don’t know how to explain yourself, it doesn’t make sense to you, how could you possibly explain it to someone else.

“Okay. What about physically? Does it hurt anywhere?” Melissa asks, pen pressed against paper ready for your reply.

“Yes, my body aches as if I’ve been doing too many drills or a really tough workout.” You answer as honestly as you can and she scribbles against the paper. The noise grating on you.

“I would say that’s normal but-“

“But none of this is normal so you can’t say that.” Your hostility doesn’t do anything to deter her, in fact it encourages her to want to break through to you even more than before.

You’re no longer the predator in today’s society. You’re a pathetic, snivelling little prey that is surrounded by danger. You’ve never felt like this. Always on edge. Eyes darting everywhere in search of danger. Of the next thing to worry about. It’s not only something you’re not used to, but it’s also something you hate with a blazing fire. Body burning with fear.

You’d considered scent blockers and pheromone inhibitors on your walk to Melissa’s office but you’d doubt the men up top would give their new little experiment ways to hide from them. You’d figured it out, why suddenly you’re being bundled into an office that clearly had a lot of money spent on it. Sat across an omegan specialist that clearly took far too many notes.

Those notes were going to be ready by the men up top, they would be filed away and used against you in the future. You knew this no matter how many times you were told all this was confidential. She worked for the government, none of this was confidential.

The rest of the talk with Melissa goes somewhat smoothly, though you’re on edge almost the entire time. Thinking about how you’re being perceived, what she’s writing. Your mind spins and spins until you’re exhausted and enough is enough.

Johnny is there on the other side of the door, telling you how the guys have already gone to start searching. You feel a pang in your heart, hearing how they left without saying goodbye. It something you try to push away but it’s like a splinter stuck inside. The skin healed over, letting it fester in your body.

The feeling stayed with you all throughout lunch with Johnny, the whole time you were sat watching his analyse your blood in the lab, all throughout dinner and even now as the tv played in the common room.

Johnny sat next to you on his phone, his thumb scrolling and clicking on the screen. Unbeknownst to you he was looking at nesting equipment websites.

Titsi was an amazing omega comfort shop, it was the most popular out of all the chains. It was not only online but had thousands of shops all over the world. It sold, soft and rough nesting blankets; all different shapes, colours and sizes. It sold stretchy clothes so they didn’t rip when people turned into their wolf forms. Clothes for new pups and toys.

And lucky for Johnny the spring sale was still on. He scrolled down to the nesting blankets, clicking the softest category. It's at this point he realises, he doesn’t know your favourite colour. It makes his cheeks burn with embarrassment and he feels shite that he’s never asked you before. He stores that question away to ask later, but in the end he picks a nice neutral white. He imagines it all messy on your bed with the other blankets and other comfort items he plans to get you.

He purchases the biggest size on there and pays the extra few quid for next day delivery, the money is nothing to him but he hopes the blanket is everything to you. He hopes you add it to your nest the second he gives it to you but he doubts that will happen. He just prays you don’t reject it.

Johnny pushes his phone into his pocket feeling like he’s accomplished something today after failing to come up with any results in the lab. He hated the sad look on your face when he had no good news for you. You’d sat so patiently and didn’t complain once. Unconsciously Johnny lifts his hand and begins stroking your hair, petting you. It has your shoulders tensing up but the constant soothing movement soon makes you relax. Your eyes fluttering shut as you relax back into Johnny’s warmth.

“Such a good pup.”

Tags | @aldis-nuts @gazsluckyhat @evans-dejong @bearyark @tinythebunni @aicileh @camcvpidd @muraaaaaa @missborntodiex @whyevry1takethenames @blurbsssss @averytiredfanfictionwriter @thatinypine

[sometimesoliloquy]

😭😭😭 I am devastated!! Apologies if you’re burnt out on talking about nick, but I have no one in real life to debrief this mess with.

I think what’s most frustrating to me is that actually, a lot of the plot was valid and necessary to be resolved between nick and june, but the way the show runners framed it / nonsensical dialog lines made it all so horribly wrong.

Nick giving up mayday plan feels like an obvious outcome in that OF COURSE he isn’t super human and can’t get June out of every dire situation unscathed. I do truly believe that nick did not think the jezebels would be killed, and so it’s frustrating that they frame it as nick being selfish and giving up jezebels to save himself.

And I would even say, it is in character for June to snap at him with harsh words (which she doesn’t fully mean), but it’s SO annoying that they make nick just say, yeah I’m just trying to survive I’m human. No mention of him also trying to keep June safe, when she was literallly sitting in his car in the driveway when this all went down. They give nick no space to actually explain what’s gone down since the water park which June is oblivious to

And then to have Laurence say he can’t believe June ever trusted him?? LOL like wtf. This guy has flipped sids more than anyone! It was so irritating to have all these characters immediately be like well duh he’s a nazi.

And ep 9 was obviously horrible. I could almost justify Nick getting on the plane and having a tragic death. But they make him say he joined the “winning side”??? Literally wut. It sounded like a joke. And then to have him say June asked him to leave multiple times. Like I’m sorry, but it’s just not true. June never “chose” Nick and frankly wanted him in Gilesd to help her various pursuits. And TBF nick could have chosen to leave on his own accord and never did, but let’s not rewrite history to say he’s been pro Gilead the whole time

I wish they made him more melancholy / sad boi accepting his fate on the plane vs. mustache twirling villain they tried to pull off last minute. Could have said something like “I have to protect my family” and “I thought about running away w her so many times but it was a pipe dream” or something like that. It would’ve at least felt true to the character we’ve SEEN over 6 years (not what we were supposed to have gathered behind the scenes based on creator interviews, lol). Still awful and tragic, but at least would feel more realistic and less out of left field.

I’ll wrap this up given it’s become a short novel haha. My apologies this is so rambly and long but I have so many feelings. Thank you for this space to vent :) wishing you the best during this trying time!

Hi Anon😞 I'm so sorry you're feeling devastated, I completely understand, I am reeling also. And thank you for the well wishes, too. If there's one good thing, it's nice to know we have this little online community where we can vent and feel our feelings together. I hope my short novel back can help us continue to process together.❤️‍🩹

I completely agree about Nick and the Jezebels situation--he fucked up there, this is true, but what's insane is the questioning of his motivations, her sudden apparent doubts of "I guess I don't know him at all" because he made a bad miscalculation trying to not get himself killed and minimize the damage (the only casualty, in his mind, would have been the badly planned out Mayday plot). He told her he never thought the women would be killed and it's like she doesn't believe him(?) because she says "you sacrificed all those women to save yourself" (or something). As much as I hate him not vehemently defending himself more though, I do think that is very in character for Nick.

And I think was completely realistic that sooner or later him continuing to be June Osborne's personal Gilead errand boy was going to catch up to him and have some devastating effects, either for himself or others (in this case, both). Ironically it was his love for June that ultimately killed him but it wasn't even in a remotely satisfying way that could have given the loss a little dignity and meaning. It's just tragic that June can't realize (or at least can't accept) her own culpability in the women's deaths (don't even get me started on all the other deaths she's complicit in over the seasons).

I think what hurts the most about this character ending is that June couldn't bring herself to fight for him, not even a little. She was really about to say "fuck Hannah, fuck Luke, fuck everybody" and run off with Nick in 6x06, and now she can't even give him the tiniest bit of grace for his fuck up, the tiniest benefit of the doubt about his intentions, even after having time to cool down and process (even Rita, who doesn't know him as well as June, was able to do this and see him for the good man he innately is).

Because it's one thing for June to be devastated and angry, but it's a whole other for her to completely stop trusting him for good over this--trusting his motivations, his loyalty and his true character. To say "you're just like them". And the thing is, she does still trust him on a deep, implicit level, at the very least with her own well-being, or she wouldn't have been ok driving back with him and pissing him off.

Nick's line "she asked me to give it up many time" or whatever was just their blatantly lazy attempt at saying "See?? She tried, she really tried to get him to leave so many times! He says it so it must be true!" So that we can feel that his death is "deserved" Except the thing is it's not true, because we never saw this.

The only comments remotely anything of this nature were in s5 when she asked why he didn't take Tuello's deal to eventually come to Canada (with his wife…while she “has Luke), and their mutual mentions of "running away together", which were clearly always understood by both of them as an impossible day dream (at least until 6x06).

She never said "I want you to leave this awful place that makes you complicit in awful things". Never says "I would choose to be with you but I can't because of what and where you are". Even in episode 6 it was him asking her to leave, not the other way around. You can't just put words in a character's mouth that haven't been evidenced at all in the show and call it a day, that's horrible writing.

I agree that it's in character for June to react harshly, lashing out emotionally. We've seen her do this before and then come back to him with more softness and understanding once she's had time to process. One could argue I guess that in this case there just simply was not the time or opportunity, but I don't think that's the case. Even if she wasn't in such close proximity to him at the wedding (or couldn't find a safe way to get him alone/get a message to him), she could have gotten in touch with him through Lawrence, through Mark, she's always had her ways to get ahold of him when it was for something she wanted.

But she didn't. She watched him obviously performing at the pulpit, watched him like a hawk at the reception and must have seen how miserable and alone he really was, how heavily he was drinking. She had to have also remembered that she had to ask him several times what was wrong the last time she saw him. That he literally clung to her like a drowning man. And in all of this she never reached out, never tried to make up or help. One could argue that Nick should have found his own way out, his own motivation to leave Gilead, to give himself that opportunity to be a better man.

But think about it, how many times over the seasons has June been mentally and emotionally under water, and Nick was always, always been there standing by to pull her back up, even at great detriment to himself (like for instance having his very own child bride forced on him by a jealous Serena and Fred when he suggests she be concerned about June's mental health).

She knows he has imposter syndrome, poor self-image, and he may not be able to do it on his own. He needs a push, a helping hand, from the one person he always listens to. If she knows him at all she should know that he can't truly believe he's a good man who can leave Gilead and be better without her reassurance this is true.

And now, she sees him in the worst mental state she's ever seen him in, crushed by the weight of his Gilead life and her rejection, knowing he wants to leave because he just asked her to, knowing his allegiance is not truly to Rose or to Gilead because he was ready to give it all up, leave it all behind... and she can't be bothered to--or else is so angry and hateful that she doesn't want to--reach out a hand to him as he is drowning, metaphorically gasping for air. It's really so sad. She lets him eat the cake (ok fine, he'll have a little nap). She also lets Rose eat the cake, when she must have known it could potentially cause complications for the pregnancy (come on, I know we were all speculating about it).

And of course then comes the final blow--she can't even bring herself to save his life as he unknowingly boards the plane. There were no commanders outside, no guards. She was hidden and he paused. There was obvious opportunity for her to get his attention. And she chooses to let him die. And unlike Nick with the women at Jezebels, she knew full well what would happen.

Why?? Was she still so angry at him for his mistake that she wished him dead? Maybe she was pissed he didn't drop everything once again to risk his life and come to her rescue at the gallows (which I actually do think was a bit OOC but I mean he was kind of busy seeing that June put his wife in the hospital possibly losing the baby! It seemed like he maybe didn't even hear about the hanging until afterwards. I'm sure his father-in-law would not have wanted to tell him and possibly have him trying to fuck up his vengeance).

But no, I think the implication is supposed to be that June doesn't say anything because she doesn't trust Nick not to alert the commanders to her presence, and ultimately the bombing plot. Maybe this was what we were supposed to think about why she didn't try to give him a message at the wedding too.

The implication is that she sacrifices him to serve the larger purpose of the revolution, and I guess we're supposed to feel proud of her that she did the "right thing" and feel sorry for her that she "had" to make that choice? (Sorry, no).

And after everything they've been through, it's absolutely unbelievable that she should hold this level of distrust in him, to think that he would really have her killed. It's not as if he went screaming to Wharton the second she told him the Mayday Jezebels plan just for funsies or because of his loyalty to Gilead and Wharton. He was backed into a corner and did the best he could to try and get himself and her out of it, and she knows that.

So yeah, in my eyes she kills him, she murders him as concretely as if she stabbed a knife in his chest or put a bullet in his brain. She started the job when she threw him away like the dirt on the bottom of her shoe for the same sin she has committed countless times, continued stabbing that metaphorical knife as saw him struggling at the wedding, and finally finished him off at the airstrip.

She saw Nick drowning and never reached out, made zero effort to try and convince him to pull himself out of this hell and join the right side--may I add she extends more courtesy in this manner even to Wharton of all people, with her fairly lengthy speech to appeal to the "better man" in him episode 9. And she doesn't even lift a pinky to save Nick as he boards that death plane, another action he was finally driven to because of her. The father of her own child. A man she claimed to love. He went to battle for her time and time again and she refuses to fight for him back when he is the one in need.

It was just so unnecessary, so senseless, so cruel, And really tragic (but not even in a beautifully tragic sense). At least he is finally free of Gilead, and from June's transactional and very conditional "love", which as I recall one Mr. Commander Lawrence once aptly quoted: "fucks people up". At least he was right about that. May Nick Blaine's poor sweet tortured fictional soul (and may we) find peace.🙏💔❤️‍🩹

[lilolilyr]

For day 22 of the May Trope Mayhem event by @duckprintspress, another ficlet in my Bering and Wells fake dating series! For @purlturtle, who suggested today's prompt for the ship :)

This part is <1k, and in total we're at a wordcount of 1.5k now! All parts are rated G, no warnings apply.

~

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3:

"Helena? What's -" Myka stops at the landing and suddenly realizes why Helena stands frozen in place, looking utterly perplexed.

"...artifact that somehow turns you into an irresistible pet owner?"

Myka groans. "I don't have a better explanation either, but how does that fit in with the rest of what's been happening?"

Helena shrugs. "At this point, either Artie's worst fears are coming true and there is an artifact collector in town, or we will only understand the actual effects of the artifact once we snag it. Now, let's look at this little guy -"

"Or if someone finally talks to us and - wait, Helena, what are you doing?"

Anxiously, Myka watches as Helena slowly approaches the iguana in the corner of the bathroom.

"Well, we can't leave the little guy all alone just because its owner has suddenly lost all interest in him and has run screaming! We can put him up in our spare bedroom."

The reptile's dewlap inflates and it looks agitated, quickly moving its head first this way then that, and if Myka is reading reptilian body language in any way correctly, she doesn't believe that it is trying to make friends with Helena.

Myka tiredly rubs the back of her hand over her eyes. "Do you even know how to take care of an iguana? We should just call animal control and -"

"No!"

Both Myka and the iguana flinch at the loud sound, and Helena backs a way a little and hunkers down to look small and less aggressive to the animal.

"Look, we do both believe this to be artifact related, don't we?" Helena continues quietly and starts to slowly shuffle forward again as the iguana has calmed down. "Anwen was happily telling me all about her pet when we saw her last, you can't think that she would naturally start to be afraid of it. So, hopefully, once the artifact is bagged, we will be able to return this fellow to her and no-one has to be the wiser. You don't want to risk her losing her beloved Kazul to the animal social services just because she was whammied, do you?"

"Fuck, you're right," Myka groans. "ASPCA wouldn't give a pet back to someone who has been so neglectful. Well, shouldn't we grab a cage or something to move him? Uh, her?"

"I haven't seen a cage... Wait, can you tell her gender? I have to admit, I'm not as well versed in reptilian biology as I would like to be right now."

"No, just - Kazul, that's a dragon from a children's book, she's female so I thought - Helena, be careful!"

Helena has reached Kazul and is petting the big reptile's flank. "See, we are going to be fast friends - oh!" The iguana nimbly clambers up her leg, and Helena winces when the claws pierce the fabric of her trousers and dig into her skin.

"Yes, I can tell you're best friends already," Myka says drily, trying not to show how relieved she is that Helena isn't getting attacked by a ten pound reptile, nor how adorable she thinks Helena looks with the iguana in her lap - they are alone right now, so she can't use the 'playing their married couple role' excuse. "I guess I'll go look for a pet carrier bag or something..."

~

Part 3 of ? • more W13 content • web link • Ao3

The OC Anwen of course named her pet after Kazul the dragon king in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles! Check them out if you don't know the books, they're a super fun fantasy series, not just for kids.

My W13 tag list, lmk if you want on/off the list: @lavendelhummel @jesstrel @viharistenno @adhdannieedison @lesbianlovelife @tryingthisfangirlthing @tunsun44 @wibblywobblyida @wellvak

[musubiki]

does coco ever bring up the kidnapping to tease taffy?

I DIDNT THINK ABOUT THAT BUT IT WOULD BE AMAZING IF SHE DID!!!!!!!!!!! taffy says anything along the lines of "dont do that" and she goes "or what? gonna kidnap me?"

(bonus points for the rare times where taffy doesnt back down and gives her A Look™️ and says "Maybe." and cocos brain short circuits for a second)

[cloudbends]

IM ACTUALLY IN TEARS . WERE GETTING THERE

[unopenablebox]

ugh i'm trying not to be a dick to my mom, who suffers enough. but i cannot believe she's decided to go in on "desecrating flags is a bad look for anyone" re: the student protests like a) that's obviously not the principle you're actually using to decide who and what to criticize here b) it's not desecrating a flag to take it down and replace it with another flag c) every time my parents say shit like this it makes me feel like maybe i alone retain memories of my family's beliefs and experiences during the bush administration, which is bad because i was like six at the time

[gibbearish]

am finally back home and can say without a doubt that i am just fundamentally not built for long distance travel however the train was much nicer than planes

[fungi-maestro]

The Question #5 (1987)

[sysig]

I’ve been had!

They are just little guys

[goon-account]

torturing myself just to get a little fuckin png sometime in the future 🥰 #justgirlythings

[musubiki]

hello! quick question, i know this is very soon after you posted the comic of young lime trying to bully mochi, and i’m sorry if a question like this has been asked before, but when mochi sees the candy bits and is able to recognize what spells they could be used in and the effects they have, is that from studying magic a lot or is it like a natural identification ability/instinct that she has? thank you!! i hope you have a good day :)

oh thats a great question actually!!!! it comes from studying!!!!

as a kid she was already trying to be a very diligent witch-to-be!! she would spend a lot of time with her mom while she was making spells, so between reading a lot of spellbooks + hanging out when her mom was making potions + wanting to be like her mom, shes good at spotting things that could be used in spells even from an early age!!

(that being said, as a kid she still messed up a lot on the right ingredients. shed bring home random items and be like "I got us spell ingredients!!" and tiramisu would be like "Oh!! Thanks sweetie!!" and didnt have the heart to tell her that whatever she brought home was some useless piece of grass or something jkldj)

[silverwhittlingknife]

comics are super-contradictory on what the pit does, but YEAH, i'm 100% with you, OP. it should have bad consequences!!

if you want some of the lazarus pit stories that skew more toward the ominous side, i think some good comics to check out are

batman 243 (first comic to introduce the lazarus pit)

lost days (backstory for jason's resurrection)

resurrection of ra's al-ghul (dick & tim fight over whether tim should experiment to see if he can use the lazarus pit to bring back his loved ones)

I do not care about what canon says, pit "madness" exists to me. Not because I need an excuse for Jason's violence and the murder attempts on his family, but because, from a storytelling point of view, you need your immortality bath water to have some consequences for your heroes to not use it every tuesday. You want death and injuries to still matter, it is silly for your characters to be worried about each others' health when they can just take a dip in the magic green goop and be back in one piece without side effects. Which is literally what is going on now in the comics, with the batkids dying and immediately being resurrected with a sip of the forbidden green smoothie. Like, what's the point than? You're going to tell me the tale of a man who created a symbol from his grief, only to give him some magic goop that can make him and his loved ones immortals without drawbacks, and I'm supposed to believe he would refuse that power? That he would not have dip Jason himself the moment the kid died if there was no consequences? Nuh uh. Like, I can understand a "immortality is against nature" as the simple reason why your heroes would be against using it, BUT when we are talking about a child that was murdered, it's not really immortality to bring him back to life, so it doesn't work.

Immortality must have some aftereffects so your heroes can understand the attraction to its use, but the cons are too much for them to actually do.

[ketchuppee]

During the 2008 recession, my aunt lost her job. Her, her partner, and my three cousins moved across the country to stay with us while they got back on their feet. My house turned from a family of four to a family of nine overnight, complete with three dogs and five cats between us.

It took a few years for them to get a place of their own, but after a few rentals and apartments, they now own a split level ranch in a town nearby. I’ve lost track of how many coworkers and friends have stayed with them when they were in a tight spot. A mother and son getting out of an abusive relationship, a divorcee trying to stay local for his kids while they work out a custody agreement, you name it. My aunt and uncle knew first hand what that kindness meant, and always find space for someone who needed it, the way my parents had for them.

That same aunt and uncle visited me in [redacted] city last year. They are prolific drinkers, so we spent most of the day bar hopping. As we wandered the city, any time we passed a homeless person, my uncle would pull out a fresh cigarette and ask them if they had a light. Regardless of if they had a lighter on hand or not, he offered them a few bucks in exchange, which he explained to me after was because he felt it would be easier for them to accept in exchange for a service, no matter how small.

I work for a company that produces a lot of fabric waste. Every few weeks, I bring two big black trash bags full of discarded material over to a woman who works down the hall. She distributes them to local churches, quilting clubs, and teachers who can use them for crafts. She’s currently in the process of working with our building to set up a recycling program for the smaller pieces of fabric that are harder to find use for.

One of my best friends gives monthly donations to four or five local organizations. She’s fortunate enough to have a tech job that gives her a good salary, and she knows that a recurring donation is more valuable to a non-profit because they can rely on that money month after month, and can plan ways to stretch that dollar for maximum impact. One of those organizations is a native plant trust, and once she’s out of her apartment complex and in a home with a yard, she has plans to convert it into a haven of local flora.

My partner works for a company that is working to help regulate crypto and hold the current bad actors in the space accountable for their actions. We unfortunately live in a time where technology develops far too fast for bureaucracy to keep up with, but just because people use a technology for ill gain doesn’t mean the technology itself is bad. The blockchain is something that she finds fascinating and powerful, and she is using her degree and her expertise to turn it into a tool for good.

I knew someone who always had a bag of treats in their purse, on the odd chance they came across a stray cat or dog, they had something to offer them.

I follow artists who post about every local election they know of, because they know their platform gives them more reach than the average person, and that they can leverage that platform to encourage people to vote in elections that get less attention, but in many ways have more impact on the direction our country is going to go.

All of this to say, there’s more than one way to do good in the world. Social media leads us to believe that the loudest, the most vocal, the most prolific poster is the most virtuous, but they are only a piece of the puzzle. (And if virtue for virtues sake is your end goal, you’ve already lost, but that’s a different post). Community is built of people leveraging their privileges to help those without them. We need people doing all of those things and more, because no individual can or should do all of it. You would be stretched too thin, your efforts valiant, but less effective in your ambition.

None of this is to encourage inaction. Identify your unique strengths, skills, and privileges, and put them to use. Determine what causes are important to you, and commit to doing what you can to help them. Collective action is how change is made, but don’t forget that we need diversity in actions taken.

[sophiamcdougall]

You're a reasonably informed person on the internet. You've experienced things like no longer being able to get files off an old storage device, media you've downloaded suddenly going poof, sites and forums with troves full of people's thoughts and ideas vanishing forever. You've heard of cybercrime. You've read articles about lost media. You have at least a basic understanding that digital data is vulnerable, is what I'm saying. I'm guessing that you're also aware that history is, you know... important? And that it's an ongoing study, requiring ... data about how people live? And that it's not just about stanning celebrities that happen to be dead? Congratulations, you are significantly better-informed than the British government! So they're currently like "Oh hai can we destroy all these historical documents pls? To save money? Because we'll digitise them first so it's fine! That'll be easy, cheap and reliable -- right? These wills from the 1850s will totally be fine for another 170 years as a PNG or whatever, yeah? We didn't need to do an impact assesment about this because it's clearly win-win! We'd keep the physical wills of Famous People™ though because Famous People™ actually matter, unlike you plebs. We don't think there are any equalities implications about this, either! Also the only examples of Famous People™ we can think of are all white and rich, only one is a woman and she got famous because of the guy she married. Kisses!"

Yes, this is the same Government that's like "Oh no removing a statue of slave trader is erasing history :(" You have, however, until 23 February 2024 to politely inquire of them what the fuck they are smoking. And they will have to publish a summary of the responses they receive. And it will look kind of bad if the feedback is well-argued, informative and overwhelmingly negative and they go ahead and do it anyway. I currently edit documents including responses to consultations like (but significantly less insane) than this one. Responses do actually matter. I would particularly encourage British people/people based in the UK to do this, but as far as I can see it doesn't say you have to be either. If you are, say, a historian or an archivist, or someone who specialises in digital data do say so and draw on your expertise in your answers. This isn't a question of filling out a form. You have to manually compose an email answering the 12 questions in the consultation paper at the link above. I'll put my own answers under the fold. Note -- I never know if I'm being too rude in these sorts of things. You probably shouldn't be ruder than I have been.

Please do not copy and paste any of this: that would defeat the purpose. This isn't a petition, they need to see a range of individual responses. But it may give you a jumping-off point.

Question 1: Should the current law providing for the inspection of wills be preserved?

Yes. Our ability to understand our shared past is a fundamental aspect of our heritage. It is not possible for any authority to know in advance what future insights they are supporting or impeding by their treatment of material evidence. Safeguarding the historical record for future generations should be considered an extremely important duty.

Question 2: Are there any reforms you would suggest to the current law enabling wills to be inspected?

No.

Question 3: Are there any reasons why the High Court should store original paper will documents on a permanent basis, as opposed to just retaining a digitised copy of that material?

Yes. I am amazed that the recent cyber attack on the British Library, which has effectively paralysed it completely, not been sufficient to answer this question for you.  I also refer you to the fate of the Domesday Project. Digital storage is useful and can help more people access information; however, it is also inherently fragile. Malice, accident, or eventual inevitable obsolescence not merely might occur, but absolutely should be expected. It is ludicrously naive and reflects a truly unpardonable ignorance to assume that information preserved only in digital form is somehow inviolable and safe, or that a physical document once digitised, never need be digitised again..At absolute minimum, it should be understood as certain that at least some of any digital-only archive will eventually be permanently lost. It is not remotely implausible that all of it would be. Preserving the physical documents provides a crucial failsafe. It also allows any errors in reproduction -- also inevitable-- to be, eventually, seen and corrected. Note that maintaining, upgrading and replacing digital infrastructure is not free, easy or reliable. Over the long term, risks to the data concerned can only accumulate.

"Unlike the methods for preserving analog documents that have been honed over millennia, there is no deep precedence to look to regarding the management of digital records. As such, the processing, long-term storage, and distribution potential of archival digital data are highly unresolved issues. [..] the more digital data is migrated, translated, and re-compressed into new formats, the more room there is for information to be lost, be it at the microbit-level of preservation. Any failure to contend with the instability of digital storage mediums, hardware obsolescence, and software obsolescence thus meets a terminal end—the definitive loss of information. The common belief that digital data is safe so long as it is backed up according to the 3-2-1 rule (3 copies on 2 different formats with 1 copy saved off site) belies the fact that it is fundamentally unclear how long digital information can or will remain intact. What is certain is that its unique vulnerabilities do become more pertinent with age."  -- James Boyda, On Loss in the 21st Century: Digital Decay and the Archive, Introduction.

Question 4: Do you agree that after a certain time original paper documents (from 1858 onwards) may be destroyed (other than for famous individuals)? Are there any alternatives, involving the public or private sector, you can suggest to their being destroyed?

Absolutely not. And I would have hoped we were past the "great man" theory of history. Firstly, you do not know which figures will still be considered "famous" in the future and which currently obscure individuals may deserve and eventually receive greater attention. I note that of the three figures you mention here as notable enough to have their wills preserved, all are white, the majority are male (the one woman having achieved fame through marriage) and all were wealthy at the time of their death. Any such approach will certainly cull evidence of the lives of women, people of colour and the poor from the historical record, and send a clear message about whose lives you consider worth remembering.

Secondly, the famous and successsful are only a small part of our history. Understanding the realities that shaped our past and continue to mould our present requires evidence of the lives of so-called "ordinary people"!

Did you even speak to any historians before coming up with this idea?

Entrusting the documents to the private sector would be similarly disastrous. What happens when a private company goes bust or decides that preserving this material is no longer profitable? What reasonable person, confronted with our crumbling privatised water infrastructure, would willingly consign any part of our heritage to a similar fate?

Question 5: Do you agree that there is equivalence between paper and digital copies of wills so that the ECA 2000 can be used?

No. And it raises serious questions about the skill and knowledge base within HMCTS and the government that the very basic concepts of data loss and the digital dark age appear to be unknown to you. I also refer you to the Domesday Project.

Question 6: Are there any other matters directly related to the retention of digital or paper wills that are not covered by the proposed exercise of the powers in the ECA 2000 that you consider are necessary?

Destroying the physical documents will always be an unforgivable dereliction of legal and moral duty.

Question 7: If the Government pursues preserving permanently only a digital copy of a will document, should it seek to reform the primary legislation by introducing a Bill or do so under the ECA 2000?

Destroying the physical documents will always be an unforgivable dereliction of legal and moral duty.

Question 8: If the Government moves to digital only copies of original will documents, what do you think the retention period for the original paper wills should be? Please give reasons and state what you believe the minimum retention period should be and whether you consider the Government’s suggestion of 25 years to be reasonable.

There is no good version of this plan. The physical documents should be preserved.

Question 9: Do you agree with the principle that wills of famous people should be preserved in the original paper form for historic interest?

This question betrays deep ignorance of what "historic interest" actually is. The study of history is not simply glorified celebrity gossip. If anything, the physical wills of currently famous people could be considered more expendable as it is likely that their contents are so widely diffused as to be relatively "safe", whereas the wills of so-called "ordinary people" will, especially in aggregate, provide insights that have not yet been explored.

Question 10: Do you have any initial suggestions on the criteria which should be adopted for identifying famous/historic figures whose original paper will document should be preserved permanently?

Abandon this entire lamentable plan. As previously discussed, you do not and cannot know who will be considered "famous" in the future, and fame is a profoundly flawed criterion of historical significance.

Question 11: Do you agree that the Probate Registries should only permanently retain wills and codicils from the documents submitted in support of a probate application? Please explain, if setting out the case for retention of any other documents.

No, all the documents should be preserved indefinitely.

Question 12: Do you agree that we have correctly identified the range and extent of the equalities impacts under each of these proposals set out in this consultation? Please give reasons and supply evidence of further equalities impacts as appropriate.

No. You appear to have neglected equalities impacts entirely. As discussed, in your drive to prioritise "famous people", your plan will certainly prioritise the white, wealthy and mostly the male, as your "Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin and Princess Diana" examples amply indicate. This plan will create a two-tier system where evidence of the lives of the privileged is carefully preserved while information regarding people of colour, women, the working class and other disadvantaged groups is disproportionately abandoned to digital decay and eventual loss. Current and future historians from, or specialising in the history of minority groups will be especially impoverished by this.  

[ambrosiagourmet]

Every time I revisit chapter 86 and the events right after the group talks Marcille down, I'm always struck by this bit here:

In particular, how similar it is to this:

The Winged Lion ate the same desire in both of them, more or less (I'm sure there are some nuances in both flavor and intent, but they are clearly similar things here). The Lion basically used this technique to kill Thistle, and for Marcille it was... not insignificant, but something she and her friends overcame without even fully realizing it was an obstacle.

I feel like this is another small piece of the story that shows how important support and love are - in navigating mental illness, in dealing with abuse or addiction, or in working through any other similar struggle that can be read into the Lion and his eating of desires.

It almost feels like Marcille was able to borrow the desires of her friends. She loves them and she trusts them, so even when she didn't have a desire to free herself from the Lion, the care they had for her well being still mattered to her.

It's the same thing later, with her hair.

She isn't able to notice the way her messy hair is making things harder, let alone do anything about it. But when Chilchuck points it out and then braids it back for her...

It's better. She likes it, things are easier now. Even though it isn't a desire she can feel for herself, it's not something that doesn't effect her. And because her friends care - because they know her well enough to notice the difference - she is given the chance to have a preference and to ask for their help.

We can obviously see some parallel ideas here with Mithrun and Kabru as well, but I'd also like to point out that Thistle gets this grace, too. Thistle, who had no one to help him up once he lost his will to resist, or to encourage him to find new desires once the Lion ate them all.

Thistle says he doesn't need anything, anymore...

But he is given an apology anyways.

It is not a kindness he desires. It is not a kindness he is able to ask for.

But it is a kindness that helps. It is a kindness that matters.