#inverted relativity falls

[blackchrysalys]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Gravity Falls Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dipper Pines & Ford Pines & Mabel Pines & Stan Pines, Dipper Pines & Ford Pines & Stan Pines, Ford Pines & Stan Pines, Fiddleford H. McGucket & Ford Pines & Stan Pines, Jesus "Soos" Alzamirano Ramirez & Stan Pines, Minor or Background Relationship(s) Characters: Dipper Pines, Mabel Pines, Stan Pines, Ford Pines, Wendy Corduroy, Pacifica Northwest, Jesus "Soos" Alzamirano Ramirez, Fiddleford H. McGucket Additional Tags: Notfic, Gen Work, Family, Alternate Universe - Relativity Falls, Alternate Universe, Dipper Pines and Grunkle Stan Bonding, Adult Dipper Pines, Dipper Pines Needs A Hug, Ford Pines Has Issues, Young Stan Twins, Older Dipper Pines and Mabel Pines, Adult Dipper Pines and Mabel Pines, you know the basic premise of relativity, Older Characters, Mabel Pines Goes Through The Portal, Dipper Spends 30 Years Fixing The Portal, YEAH i did it THAT WAY AROUND, random segments of story as a fic Series: Part 4 of My Not-fics: A Collection Of My Rambly, Lazy Writings. That Are Sort-Of Fics, But Not., Part 1 of Inverted Relativity Falls. Summary:

You know how everyone has their own version of Reverse Falls? Well, I have one of those as well, haha, but right now what I'm saying is: my version of the AU where the Pines twins swap places (Grunkles for Mystery, I think its called Gravity Rises? Anti-Gravity??? I can’t remember damn [it's Relativity Falls]), yeah, I have little bits of dialogue written for that... if only I could draw… anyway, here's what I've got.

----------------------------------

Mabel: I dunno, Dipper…

Dipper: Come on. We need scholarships. Our parents can’t afford two full rides to college.

Mabel: It feels kinda… fraud-y, though.

Dipper: Think about it this way, hey - those rich kids pay their way past exams to a full ride, this is no more unfair than that. Just levelling the playing field. They’re cheating at life - you’re just opening up opportunities.

Mabel: True…

Dipper: Anyway. Nobody gets left behind, right?

Mabel: Haha. Yeah. Who’s to say I won’t leave /you/ behind? [punches his arm, with a smile.]

Dipper: Hah. Very funny.

Mabel: Thanks, bro-bro. Awkward sibling hug?

Dipper: Awkward sibling hug.

[onioety]

I can’t get the Relativity Falls au out of my head, so have some sketches!! Somehow inverted roles, but many characters have their own story peculiarities to fit their personalities. Obviously, Stan and Ford take Dipper and Mabel’s original role (but there’s not a strict Dipper-Ford, Stan-Mabel role swap, just strong parallelism).

Fidd’s going to be their friend, around their age (considering if he’s gonna work at the MS or not) and Bill somehow takes a role similar to Gideon’s. Likewise, Gideon will taken Bill’s role in the form of the star of telepathy. I considered keeping Bill as the og Bill but my self-indulgent ass wanted him to interact with Ford and the other kids and imagine him having a ‘’’’’’normal’’’’’’ childhood.

Ah yes, instead of Waddles, Stan has a pet possum named Splinters👍🏼

Anyways!!!! Time to draw their adult counterparts and more characters! I’ll probably post another post yapping about all their backstories later on 🙂‍↕️

[catboybiologist]

The Beast has been dropped off at a relative's house for the summer, where he will undoubtedly be spoiled beyond belief.

As I've mentioned before, he has an inverted summer/winter hibernation cycle, so he'll probably barely be active until Oct/Nov or so. The lack of substrate and current enclosure are temporary until that time.

I plan to greet him again in the Fall with a new, permanent enclosure- the current plan is to make a 5''x6' ventilated space under my bed. My bed has a partially lifted frame and is about 4 feet high, which is a somewhat awkward height- but I think this'll be a good use for that space.

But I guess this is bye for now. Sleep tight, lil buddy.

[longwombraider]

SVMP 145 SPOILERS!

I HAVE SO MAMY THOUGJTS LMFAOOOO first of all like TOUMA BEING A DAD??? cracked me up 😭 also I think mahiru's mum was the woman at the door peeping out, and goddamn does Mahiru take after her !!

ALSO SAKUYA IS?? ALIVE?? like human right????? wtf 😨 does that mean his sister didn't jump? or did he not jump??? All the eves/human characters in this alternative timeline seem to have a happy ending (except for Nicco, rip to him, but WHAT?? how did bro die wtf😭😭 rizzler had to get nerfed😞) (I also hope this means the subclasses are alive still like Oto🥲 maybe she got her revenge against that director and didn't commit suicide)

also seeing tsubaki and kuro be so silly together and on the same team (I think) is SO refreshing and so cute like YES HOLY SHIT finally something cute and a bit light hearted (despite the dire situation)

And Hugh?? was the one carrying Kuro??? NGL I might be dumb but was it only Kuro/Tsubaki that came from the current timeline into this "mirror world"?? because how tf did every other servamp have a new eve/their own life but tsubaki and Kuro seemed so displaced + Hugh was carrying Kuro's cat form ?? And lily is nowhere to be seen as of now too

But greed team being together is so cute 😭 Apart from Licht's inverted streak, he still looks relatively the same, albeit a bit older imo. But they're so cute!!! They look like best friends ngl lol how are they getting along so well in this mirror world 🤭🤭 (bfs!!!!!!)

I was also laughing my ass off at Mikuni with the crow servamp 😭😭 bro is soo leaning into the theatrics and drama of having the dark feathers falling around him lol (Poor Tsurugi tho💀🙏)

This was all from the top of my head so I might've missed things but also this whole world, despite seemingly so perfect and happy, seems a bit..? unsettling?? like it isn't right. maybe because we know that Mikuni was the one that did some god knows what ritual to open this mirror world so it could be a fantasy/elaborate fake world for all we know.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Ah, I just meant that I thought Armand seemed comparatively secure in Dubai, compared to Paris or San Fran! But it's all relative lol. He's not "secure" by normal standards, I agree.

But yes, I can't wait to see him in s3! We know he'll be crucial in the TVL flashbacks, but I hope we catch up w/ him properly in the present. In the end I'd love to see him reflect, heal & grow to some extent (not "redeem himself" obvs, but maybe earn some forgiveness from the other characters) but even if we get there it'll be a long & messy ride. And I suspect he'll fall apart completely before he puts himself back together. I can't fathom Armand fans who woobify him entirely & pretend the "beige pillow" is all there is to him when his complexity is what makes him fascinating! Nice Guy Armand was always a wildly unrealistic fanon expectation but was also very boring!

I'll take DM however I can get it atp, but I kinda hope the 'chase' happened in the 70's/80's when Daniel was human. My ideal scenario would be for a version of that demented human/vampire romance play out in the past, then having them reconnect in the future & figure out a new - but still insane - dynamic now that Daniel's grown into himself as a person (& is also a vampire now lol). But I'm sure it'll be great however they do it!

I'm sure of that as well.

MY ideal DM scenario is half / half: chase and relationship in the past, and inverted chase (aka Daniel haunting Armand) and then relationship in the present :))) - I think Daniel going after Armand and the dynamic then especially in contrast to back then could be hugely interesting!!

But in any case, I do think that Armand will be a big part of s3 - past and present. I mean, they already hinted at him having "his say" in the teaser!! There's... some kind of in-universe belief-wars going on!! I bet it will be hilarious as well as grating :))) And yes, I also hope for a loooongggg and messy ride, and a lot of jarring and (also) hilarious and/or needy encounters.

These relationships are so difficult and messy - and I love it that the show is not shying away from that. And so I am... ultimately... looking forward to it all being messy as hell :))))

[dollsahoy]

Ever since thrifting a vintage heavy Bundt cake pan, I have, probably understandably, increased the amount of Bundt cakes I make

and I recently realized the recipe I use is pretty much just quick bread, but baked in that fancy pan

This makes me happy, since quick breads were where I started with baking, and I am at the point were I am very comfortable swapping and improvising ingredients for them. Quick breads are extremely forgiving.

So , if you ever find yourself in possession (or potentially in possession) of a Bundt cake pan, remember that you can use it to make cute things with relatively little effort

just be very sure to grease (I use spray oil) and flour (I have a small mesh strainer that I fill with flour and tap over the pan) every angle and curve of the pan's interior surface before adding the batter; once it's baked, invert the whole cake-filled pan onto a plate and walk away until you hear the floomph sound of the cake naturally releasing from the pan and falling onto the plate on its own*

Very satisfying process

*I once tried letting the pan cool before inverting it, because I felt like the whole "large plate + cake in two pound pan" combo was too awkward and heavy to flip while handling it all with hot mitts without risking me dropping everything, and the cake flopped out as soon as the pan was rotated past 90°. Most of it landed on the plate. So now I invert the cake onto the plate as soon as it's out of the oven, no need to try to keep the plate against the pan while flipping the whole shebang.

[eggonicayto]

Heyo!!

I’m bored, and I’d love to receive drawing requests!

Depending on what it is, it could be a small doodle, or a full blown rendered piece!! Depends how I’m feeling.

MY CURRENT INTERESTS ARE;

- Poppy Playtime (specifically the Smilling Critters + SC AUS)

- Doki Doki Literature Club

- Super Mario Bros. (I’m hyperfixiated on the Koopalings rn)

- The Loud House (don’t laugh)

- Five Nights at Freddy’s

- The Amazing Digital Circus

- Sailor Moon

- Animaniacs

- South Park

- Gravity Falls

(More will be added here as I get into more fandoms.)

AUS THAT I LIKE FROM THESE MEDIAS;

[POPPY PLAYTIME]

- Frowning Critters

- Problematic Critters

- Reborn Critters AU

- Randomized Critters

- Dadaphant (the one where Bubba is a father)

- The Endsville Critters (The one that takes place in the 1920’s)

[THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS]

- Inverted AU

- Sibling AU

- Family AU

[SUPER MARIO BROS.]

- Human Koopalings AU

- Orphan Koopalings

[GRAVITY FALLS]

- Relativity Falls

- Drifting Stars

- Twin Swap (Dipper and Mabel personality swap)

[FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S]

- Rebornica AU

- Affinity AU by Mobox87 (I do NOT condone her actions, I’ve just grown an attachment to her characters due to them being a huge part of my childhood. They’re mine now.)

- Dayshift At Freddy’s

- The FNaF Movie

— — — — —

So, yeah, if you’re interested in any of these, then submit a request!! :)

-FRENCH TRANSLATION/TRADUCTION FRANÇAIS-

Allo!!

Je m’ennuie, et j’aimerais recevoir des demandes de dessin!

Dépendant du sujet, sa peut être un griffonnage minuscule, ou un pièce rendu complet!! Sa dépend comment je me sense.

MES INTÉRÊTS SONT;

- Poppy Playtime (spécifiquement les Smiling Critters + des universe alternative des SC)

- Doki Doki Literature Club

- Super Mario Bros. (J’suis hyperconcentré sur les Koopalings)

- The Loud House (me moque pas.)

- Five Nights at Freddy’s/Cinq Nuits à Freddy’s

- The Amazing Digital Circus

- Sailor Moon

- Animaniacs

- South Park

- Gravity Falls

(Je vais ajouter au liste au temps que je développe un nouveau intérêt.)

DES UNIVERS ALTERNATIVE DES MÉDIAS QUE J’AIME;

[POPPY PLAYTIME]

- Frowning Critters/Les Critters Refrognée

- Problematic Critters

- Reborn Critters AU/UA de Critters Renaître

- Randomized Critters/Critters Randomizer

- Dadaphant (l’un que Bubba est une papa)

- The Endsville Critters (L’un d’année 1920.)

[THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS]

- UA inversée

- Sibling AU/UA frère et sœur

-  UA de famille

[SUPER MARIO BROS.]

- UA Koopalings humaines

- UA des Koopalings orphelines

[GRAVITY FALLS]

- Relativity Falls

- Drifting Stars

- Échange de personnalité (un UA ou Dipper et Mabel échange leur personnalité)

[FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S]

- Rebornica AU

- Affinity AU par Mobox87 (Je ne soutien pas ses actions, c’est seulement que j’ai developer un attachement à ses personnages au cause qu’il jouait un gros rôle dans mon enfance. Ils appartient à moi maintenant.)

- Dayshift At Freddy's

- Le filme de FNaF

— — — — —

Alors, si tu est intéressé en quelque chose (n’importe de quoi) dans cette liste, m’envoie des suggestions/idée!! :)

[bounderbibaker]

+WARNING ME MINOR+

Name: Bounder | Allegro

Aesthetic:

Neon Green Outline (Represent Code and Changes to Inverted Colors of whatever is behind it when he’s not in the Anti-Void)

Clothing \ They all have Vibrant red Line Running Across them

Thin Sportswear Jacket, with hood

Full Head Helmet/Face Guard

Black Cargo-Pants + Utility Belt + Heavy Duty Boots

Physical Appearance:

Head: One of their eyes are Completely gone and the other is cracked in two as it’s made of magic

Body: They are missing parts of ribs and a few ribs are just floating in place from magic

Arms + Legs: Slight Fracturing that is filled in by Red Code Lines

Bonus Things:

Items

Hoverboard (Like the one Marty Mcfly uses)

Looks like Floppy Disk when closed

Weapon: Khopesh

Diary(-ies) and Glitterpens (Has all the Colors)

Details

Can only write and read in Wing-Dings

Fluent in Tem-Speak

Inability to word

Christmas = Christ Miss

When he is sleeping he makes Crow Sounds

Absorbed Child who had a soul made from Perseverance and Kindness in equal parts.

No longer a Papyrus as his code has changed from Absorbing a Human Soul

Once a Year every year Bounder goes up to the Omega Timeline and shows off all of the New Reset buttons he has taken that year to Core!Frisk

He isn’t allowed in so he’s Passive Aggressive over it

Experiences

Bounder has Visited Horrortale several times as he’s pulled towards it for it’s violent tendencies expecting there to be a Genocide route, but it’s the same horrendous AU it’s always been.

Bounder has Fought several people from Horrortale but never kills them. He dislikes what they do and how they are, but doesn’t care.

His Goal : To prevent the Resetting of all other AUs | Anti-Hero

Characterization:

Nickname: Karasu Satsujin

Height: 7’2” | Width: 2’3”

Weight: 400 lbs (Base) 180 lbs (Midknight Raven)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Age: 25 Years Old

Gender: Male

Pronouns: Genderfluid | A/Fuckin/Problem

Physical Disabilities:

Partial Blind-ness | Mostly Cannot see things clearly unless he’s completely focusing himself to see that thing

Most things just look like color blobs

He can see things as long as he or his magic is directly touching them | If indirectly then it’s only a couple inches

Constant Numb Feeling in his Lower-Half

Sometimes his Lower Body just gives out and he can’t feel it

Physical Strengths:

Relatively Good Reaction Times | Only this good due to them having to have fought other people in different AUs

Strong: Bounder is very strong and actually surpassed Undyne in his AU

Stamina: Bound is relatively fast and can run for quite a long time, he chooses not to as to not exhaust himself.

Bounder has the ability to use his Glitching to his advantage which he can (Currently) glitch objects from predetermined Locations into his hands/area near him

Weaknesses:

Has to take time and energy to use just one of the Magic Types

To use just his Monster Soul’s Magic he has to focus hard

He cannot see people when his ranged magic is touching them so Range is fuckin Hell for him

His Spine is severely Damaged | He is still able to walk and move around normally with significant grace, but this is only due to his Perseverance and Kindness enabling him to move and fold as such | When it wears off randomly for short periods of time he will topple over and fall

The Kindness and Perseverance can wear off Randomly for Intervals of 5 seconds

Favorite Things:

Food: Cobbler | Blueberry Cobbler is Fave <3 

Drink: Cherry Limeade | Anything Fruity

Enjoys Consistency in Things

He enjoys wearing cutesy things and stuff, including Cat Ears

Likes to Bite Others

Disliked/Afraid of Things:

Cats | He just is scared of cats because they give off Inconsistent Vibes

Doctors and Therapists | Bounder doesn’t trust any one who is directly a doctor and/or therapist, he will actively have all of his weapons out around him as he makes sure they stay within 6-9 feet of him, no closer or farther as he doesn’t trust them.

List of Adopted Children;

Tea | @10beanie01 - Tumblr 

[madaman0]

Anatomy tips? I love your art style sm and I cANNOT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DRAW MUSCLES I’M SOBBING

Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate it. There's a lot to cover when talking about anatomy overall, so i might make another couple posts out of this to give everything better coverage. But we'll start here.

First, I wanna back up from "muscle talk" for a second.

Generally, I think anatomy in the context of muscles or definition isn't super important when you're just starting out. Muscles are nice sure, part of my art style is that I draw them very often lol, but putting a bunch of muscles on a poor framework of a human body can be a bit counterproductive. Lipstick on a pig yk.

I think learning proportions first is the best step for long term anatomy learning.

It's easier to apply things like muscles, contours, definition, etc. to a human body when you have the correct proportions down i.e. it's easier to bring muscle to a body that can hold already hold a pair of ribs lol.

Proportions of the body is such a wide topic. There's so many tips and tricks that go through my head when I draw, it bakes itself into your brain after a bit. But you have to be careful to not fall into super strict notions of how the human body holds those proportions. My body is different from your body is different from an example body right.

The body types you see on my account mostly fall under the Mesomorph range. Mesomorphic bodies tend to have wider shoulders relative to the hips and waist making a sort of rough "inverted triangle" shape [I exaggerate this].

| Credit to boneytobeastly.com for this example.

For drawing Mesomorphic men [in general], the shoulders are around 3x the width of the head from ear to ear. The pecs are slightly bigger than the head. The shoulders and back hold a lot of mass and funnel pretty sharply into the hips, making our "triangle."

I think getting a good grasp of these proportions and principles is vital to starting out anatomy study. If you want to draw these big, muscly men, Mesomorphic proportions are a good place to start. [But understand the other body types listed can support muscle and build as well. You shouldn't discredit those body types and exclude them. Mesomorphs are just the most "cliche" idea of a muscular body, and it's a safe enough beginning point].

Study references, ideally real world bodies, to understand what the general principles are. And if you start getting comfortable there [applying these proportions, forming these bodies comfortably, etc] and want to move on from fundamentals to aesthetics, you can start looking to your fellow artists and see how they break down these concepts in their own unique way. See how that inspires your own creative direction. Add that muscle lol.

Hope this helps.

[lgctaeha]

「 ❀ 」  ━━ ˗ˏˋ CASTING CALL ! ( Legacy Studios ; Q4S3 )

Heyo! As mentioned by the manager post, Batter Up ! is back for it's third and final season! This trimester Taeha isn't limited on the number of threads she can have so let's go for all four episodes! You already know the drill, she's in need of four lucky guests in total! If your muse would be interested in a little baking fun, give this post a like ( or comment the episode you'd like to claim ) and I'll whisk myself your way! See what I did there?

˗ˏˋ Synopsis:

Welcome to Taeha's disaster bakery! In this YouTube variety show, Taeha invites her guests to a friendly bake-off where the recipes are made up and the taste doesn't matter ( although it probably should - ). In each episode, Taeha and her guest will go head-to-head on a short baking challenge. Winner of the challenge will receive a gift card for free pastries at the Legacy Cafe, while the loser will get caked ( i.e., a cake smash to the face ).

*ooc note: due to my chronic slowness ( ty to everyone who's been a guest so far your patience is unmatched ;; ), i've decided to do this last season a bit differently! threads will be kept relatively short, and each thread will start at a different time during filming ( meaning one lucky guest will finally get a chance to give taeha a good ol' cake smash!

˗ˏˋ Episode 1: Spooky, Scary, Spatulas ! ( guest: @iseullgc )

With Halloween right around the corner, this episode is all about treats! They'll be creating spooky-themed cakes, that must incorporate at least 2 candy treats, like gummy worms and candy corn, while making sure they avoid a few tricks along the way! ( where you come in!: taeha and our guest have begun the challenge only to find that staff have left a few tricks for them - playful things like a ghost painted on the back of a mixing spoon, jello eyeballs in the fridge, or creepy music playing each time a certain cabinet is opened )

˗ˏˋ Episode 2: ...Honey, I shrunk the cake ! ( guest: @lgcgyuri )

In this episode, Taeha and her guest must create three-tiered miniature cakes using kid's cooking toys. The person who makes the tiniest, bite-sized cake wins! ( where you come in!: taeha and our guest are midway through the challenge when she realizes that she may have turned her mini oven up a bit too high... and forgot to remove the plastic spatula )

˗ˏˋ Episode 3: Oven's Turned Upside Down ! ( guest: @lgcryan )

In this episode Taeha and her guest must create an upside down cake, and no pineapples are required! Their cakes must have an element that looks inverted, like an upside down animal, an overturned teacup, or even a whole cake defying gravity. The person with the most unique cake, takes the win! ( where you come in!: taeha and our guest have finished their cake designs and are waiting for the staff to judge - oh, no. is your cake falling?! )

˗ˏˋ Episode 4: Jingle Bell Bake ! ( guest: @lgchxneul )

Inspired by Taeha's favorite time of the year, in this episode Taeha and her guest will be getting into the holiday spirit by decorating cakes made to look like Christmas trees! Let the most festive cake win! ( where you come in!: our guest has won with the most intricately designed cake - earning themselves a gift card and the opportunity to give taeha a nice icing beard better than Santa Claus' himself )

[polygonyall]

Did some of those Opposite of Canon WC character prompts. Some Lore for them under the read more

Dandy / Dandeliontail, Opposite of Darktail

Born to Smoke and Onestar. Onestar decided to take him in when Smoke's two-legs abandoned both of them

Very kind and hardworking but extraordinarily squeamish, always feeling like an outsider intruding in despite being relatively well-liked.

Despite many offers from Smoke, he refused to leave Windclan, feeling loyal to his clan and wanting to prove to them that his father didn't make a mistake in bringing him in.

Saved his father from drowning after he hit his head during a violent flood. He nearly died and the experience traumatized him causing him to disclose how he truly felt to his dad.

He left Windclan on amicable terms and returned to being a kittypet under the name of Dandy.

Brightstar , Opposite of Bluestar

A Riverclan leader not fondly remembered by history for her inaction against Brokenstar and her treacherous deputy Lynxfang.

Would have been a better leader in less tumultuous times but her fear of making mistakes like her predecessors and enemy Thornfang stopped her.

She died with many regrets, personal regrets such as not allowing herself to fall in love with Timberheart and Leadership regrets like not fighting against Brokenstar taking her territory.

Cypressshine , Opposite of Willowshine

Passionate and bright, she loved everything about being a medicine cat from healing to interpreting omens.

It all changed when she gained her full name, she became sullen and withdrawn, no longer believing in Starclan.

Her mentor had a crisis of faith after Hawkfrost confessed his manipulation of signs and used that as blackmail against her. However, Cypresspaw had inspired her to regain that faith in Starclan and dig herself out of that dark time, something she was extraordinarily proud of Cypresspaw for doing.

After being named Cypressshine, Mothwing privately disclosed to her what had happened with Hawkfrost and how much Cypressshine meant to her.

Cypressshine was devastated that Starclan would allow such a thing to happen to her mentor. That a rogue in clan pelt could be allowed by her ancestors to do that and cause so much suffering without intervention.

Outraged, she denounced Starclan on the spot, only wanting to heal and refusing to engage with the Moonpool. Disgusted with Starclan's actions.

Brighstar was the first one I did and you can tell i got tired of the opposite names thing SUPER FAST lol.

Funfacts while drawing these guys:

Brighstar's design was inspired by me taking official art of bluestar and putting it through a color inverter

Dandy has vitiligo

I went on the wood database, saw Willow was a hardwood so I looked up a softwood as a counterpart. I know super creative of me

[fanby-fckry]

Raze Ref Sheet

Introducing my edgy Fallen angel OC! 12 year old me would be proud. :,)

Reference Pics:

Picrew – @/milqueandtoast

Picrew – @/Potato Lord

Picrew – @/thereisteainmyshoes

Content Warning: Self-harm (not-detailed), self surgery (not-detailed), canon-typical violence and murder

Basic Info:

Name: Raze Pronouns: It/its (but won’t correct anything other than she/her) Gender(s): Agender, boything, nonbinary, transmasc, transneu Gender Expression: Butch, masc Sex: FTX Orientation(s): Bi-angled aroace, bi-sensual, bi-aesthetic, bi-queerplatonic, romance-oscillating, sex-averse, kink-favorable Species: Fallen Exorcist/Fallen angel Age: 20’s (biologically), 50’s (chronologically)

Appearance:

Distinguishing Features: White feathered wings with patches of light red resembling bloodstains; black claws and black fingers Hair Color: White Hair Texture: Straight; brittle Hair Style: Side shave (right), hair goes down a little past its shoulders Eyes: White irises with dull red scleras Skin: Very light grey, almost white; black claws and fingertips Face: Square jaw; sharp cheekbones; crooked nose; large eyes; thick eyebrows; sharp teeth and lopsided smile Body Type: Relatively thin with wiry muscles; flat chest; boxy/androgynous frame Height: ≈ 5’5” Scars: Top surgery scars; multiple scars on arms and legs of various sizes (all from angelic steel blades) Body Modifications: Septum piercing, multiple ear piercings in right ear Clothing: Black, backless, sleeveless turtleneck; black, men’s jeans; black, angelic steel-toe boots; silver chains on its belt; two sheaths for angelic steel daggers, one on either leg; angelic steel arm-guards on both forearms, hidden under black fabric; black leather choker with an inverted pentacle; aroace rings (black ring on right-hand middle finger for ace, white ring on left-hand middle finger for aro)

Backstory:

Once a formidable Exorcist, Raze Fell when it killed one of its comrades during an Extermination.  It had a reputation among angels for being “difficult,” and often fought with other Exorcists, including its superiors; it generally avoided Winners. Its destructive tendencies extended to self-injury, and it discovered that angelic steel can cause permanent damage to Exorcists after one of its self-inflicted wounds scarred. Its decision to kill its comrade was impulsive, but it was fairly sure the damage would be permanent.  The two Exorcists had fought before, and Raze certainly harbored a grudge against her.  Once the deed was done, Raze opted not to return to Heaven, knowing there was nothing for it there. It found Heaven boring and restrictive, anyway, and disliked most angels—especially Adam. Damnation was an escape from a gilded cage, and it regrets nothing. After Falling, Raze shed the name (and pronouns) Adam gave it, and chose to name itself after the destruction it harolds.  It no longer identified with its Heavenly nature or femininity, and embraced inhumanity and gender nonconformity. Through some experimentation with self-expression, it began making alterations to its body, including piercings, top surgery, and testosterone shots, as well as growing out its hair, except for one side which it keeps shaved. Some changes were simply a natural result of long-term exposure to Hell.  Its halo dropped, its wings changed colors, its teeth sharpened, and its fingernails morphed into claws and changed colors, claws and fingers turning black.

Currently:

Raze lives a transient lifestyle, wandering the seven Rings without calling any of them home.  It seldom makes friends and often makes enemies.

Personality:

Volatile, impulsive, destructive.  Prone to violence, both towards others and itself.  Easily bored.  Earning its loyalty is near impossible, but if you manage it, you will never get rid of it.

Abilities:

Enhanced strength and reflexes

Skilled with multiple weapons (daggers, swords, spears) and hand to hand combat

Regeneration and accelerated healing (from injuries not made by angelic steel)

Night vision (tapetum lucidum)

Flight

Multilingualism (English, Enochian, Tongues)

Voice:

Raze has a strong, somewhat rough, androgynous voice with a higher pitched, cackling laugh. It can switch tones quickly, from distant and condescending, to sadistic and manic, to dark and threatening.

Music:

Leitmotif: TBD Song-Style: An unholy combination of folk, country, rock, and alternative Singing Voice: Strong, powerful; generally in alto-tenor range, but can hit some impressive high notes; can be very animalistic when singing: growling and howling when the mood calls for it. Dance Style: Dances like it fights (idk; I’m not a choreographer)

Fighting Style:

Angelic steel daggers deal slash and stab damage

Occasionally bludgeons opponents by kicking them with its angelic steel toed boots

Can use other weapons and fight hand-to-hand, but prefers daggers and boots

Uses its angelic steel arm-guards to block attacks

Prefers to parry or block over dodging

Uses flight to improve mobility and gain advantage against non-flying opponents

Quick, rough, unpredictable

Fights dirty; doesn’t pull punches

Misc. Facts:

Raze was created by Adam using the rib tree method.

Raze gave itself its piercings using angelic steel needles

Raze preformed its own top surgery using angelic steel, after several practice runs with non-angelic tools; the non-angelic surgeries were subject to regeneration, but the final project healed roughly the way it would on a human

Its halo fell off on its own shortly after Falling; sometimes a dark/shadowy version of a halo is visible above its head while fighting or emotional

Raze likely would’ve been expelled from Heaven for infighting and disregard for authority. I once likened its Fall to “…being a few writeups shy of getting fired, and deciding to stab your least favorite coworker, steal a bunch of office supplies, and flee the country about it,” and I stand by that.

I know Hellaverse characters don’t have ears unless they’re animal ears, and Raze’s design does, but I like humanoid ears, ok? 😭 It wouldn’t have ears in the Hellaverse style, but if I ever draw it, it’s getting ears.

[serendark]

About my tags on that "You seem really odd and your blog intrigues me. Do you want to have philosophical conversations or perhaps talk about fictional characters?" post I just reblogged: My Gravity Falls fic list at the moment is something I upkeep on a personal Discord server, originally so I could find them again later easier, and also because I didn't want to 'lose' them, I suppose. I thought of it as a list of my favorite fics, but it ended up just turning into fics I liked a lot in general or found otherwise noteworthy, rather than being my most favorites. I have marked out a relatively small section of my top favorites of all the favorites I've read, though, and a sort of secondary tier for my top favorites that aren't that high.

I have it organized into categories and subcategories and everything! It's actually gotten so long that I've deemed it no longer sustainable to keep organizing on Discord, so I started assembling a Google Doc for them. I've only gotten a few of the fics transferred over there from Discord though; it's kind of a tedious process and will take more time so I've been procrastinating, haha.

The categories and subcategories are as follows! Note that these can be pretty arbitrary, loose, and/or based on vibes, haha. Oh, and the overarching categories like "Sea Grunkles" and "Canon-Compliance / Mid-Canon" count as places for fics to be, too! They don't have to just be in the subcategories. For example, I have "Elemental" by Voidfish and "Saltwater" by interlude simply in the Canon-Compliance tab rather than being further organized into any of the subcategories since these fics are about moments across characters' lives, thus don't really sort into specific time periods particularly cleanly. "A Mariner's Guide to the Unexplained" by mariezies, "A Steady (Heart) Beat Goes 1, 2, 3, 4" by JackyRubou, and "Ever-newer Waters" by dorbee are all simply under Sea Grunkles since they're more about the Grunks in a general sense post-canon, or the situation they're dealing with isn't an Adventure, exactly, which is where I'd put them dealing with anomalies. There's a lot of overlap with categories and subcategories, so I think of them more as "what does the primary focus of the fic seem to be about" and focus on vibes. Like I said, arbitrary and loose! I haven't really read any Reverse Falls stuff yet, so I don't have a category for it, among other AUs I'm sure I'm missing. Billford - Pre-Betrayal - Post-Betrayal

Sea Grunkles - Adventures - At the Mystery Shack - Introspection / Repairing Bridges - Mental Health / Trauma - Amnesiac Stan-Related - Nightmares

Post-Canon - Bill's Theraprism - Post-Weirdmageddon Woes - Piedmont - Holidays - Amnesiac Stan-Related

Canon-Compliance / Mid-Canon - Summer 2012: Before Ford - Summer 2012: After Ford - Portal Era - Ford's Portal Adventures - Researcher & Mullet Pines 80's Era - Stan Twins Childhood

Canon Divergence - Summer 2012 - Portal Era - Researcher & Mullet Pines 80's Era - Stan Twins Childhood ----- Ford Leaves Home With Stan AU / Hobo Stans AU / Homeless AU ----- Stan Re-Enters Ford's Life during Backupsmore AU

(I should probably move those two into the misc. AUs section for consistency...?)

Portal-Related AUs - Portal Mabel / Drifting Stars ----- Relativity Stars AU ----- Grifting Stars AU - Portal Stans ----- Blind Faith AU ----- Bounty Hunter AU - Reverse Portal ----- Portal Stan - Other Portal AUs

Other AUs - A Better World - Ghost Stan AU / Ghosts - Journal of Missing Links (JOML) / Grim AU - Mystery Trio AU ----- Frankenstan AU - One and a Half Stans (1.5 Stans) AU - One of Us AU ----- Reverse One of Us - Relativity Falls AU / Inverse & Inverted Falls - Timestuck / Timetrapped AU ----- Reverse Timestuck AU ----- Twins in Time AU ----- Misc. Time Shenanigans

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Hi BPP, How will I know when the implosion begins? Is there an inverted yield curve for fandoms? Point form answers are are acceptable! Happy D-DAY!! 💜💜

Thank you for all the work you’ve put into this blog. It’s been a super interesting and enjoyable part of SM for me!

***

Hi @babyyourelemonade

An inverted yield curve for fandoms! Now that's a brilliant idea. I'd personally pay to contribute to funds for research on that topic honestly. And it could have implications outside of fandom too, such as for whole countries since many fandoms now work like splintered political communities more than anything else. I imagine it would be an upgrade to the theory on what caused the fall of Rome, or something like that.

I think I'm alone (mostly) in my opinions on the fandom imploding, and I don't want to talk much about it because I genuinely hope I'm very wrong, and because I don't have a lot of evidence to back up why I feel this way, so there's little point in going on about it.

But you've asked so I'll be brief:

Personally, I think the implosion has already started lol. The moment the fandom decided that taekookers were someone else's problem and should only be ignored, the seeds for implosion were already set. In my opinion. Think about Larries and the 1D fandom. Shipping is one thing but as I've said before, there are theories unique to taekook shipping that are inherently subversive to the very idea of BTS, and all it takes is someone crazy enough to do real damage. But that risk was somewhat contained so long as BTS was active and things were predictable. After the 2022 Festa Dinner and the fandom now experiencing Chapter 2 where so much is now unpredictable, where indulging in competition between the members is more permissible, the control on that risk has reduced somewhat. Solo stans, akgaes, and toxic shippers are like an immuno-virus that weakens from within because they're just as passionate and involved as regular fans, they're just twisted enough to prioritize their desires over everyone else, including the members they claim to stan.

The second problem is ARMYs. Lol. Specifically the ARMYs who have tied BTS's worth to the records and titles they hold, because those are the people most likely to do stupid shit when they feel threats to those records are imminent. At some point in 2021, I noticed when people would discuss what BTS means to them and to the industry, they'd just rattle off only records and accomplishments as if that was it. Before then, at least in my experience, people would talk about the lyrical impact of BTS's songs, they'd talk about the stylistic choices made in this or that album that relative to the other albums out at the time, and so on. There's nothing wrong with gloating about BTS's records because frankly that's the only thing that shuts up some antis. But it becomes a problem I think, when those records become the primary reason you think BTS have the status and caliber they have, and you’ve tied it to a central part of your identity.

Because records will always be broken.

And in Chapter 2 that is nearly guaranteed to happen. So the ARMYs who make that both their identity, and BTS's, will expose BTS to even more ridicule than they would've faced otherwise and will be disproportionately affected. If another group gets a Grammys nomination this year for example, or *gasp* actually wins the award next year, lol just pack it all up and give it to God. It will be bloody in these purple streets. Because too many ARMYs have tied BTS's worth to their achievements and only heightened the risk for implosion before 2026.

I've got a few more reasons but I've already written enough, and like I said I don't have much evidence for what I'm thinking anyway. But I suggest anyone who calls themselves a fan of BTS, reflect sometimes on why they're a fan, why they spend time in fandom spaces, and think about how to build real, honest community with people here while trying not to take too much personally.

[pebblysand]

for @nosebleedclub october prompt #11 - "lawyer's office". i did write this yesterday, just horribly later posting ^^. .

lawyer’s office

. 

They fill up the room that morning, the way young people always do. Hands shoved deep inside the pockets of washed out, baggy jeans, long torsos awkwardly hunched forwards, cotton jumpers with uneven strings peeking out at the base of their sternums and hoods thrown back like inverted necklaces around their shoulders. T-shirts with large logos and GAA colours. There is a pile of crumpled bank notes tossed against the scratched, ageing mahogany desk in front of them, hazardously left to die between the three-inch-thick Sweeney file and a copy of last year’s edition of Blackstone’s Civil Practice. They have emptied the full contents of their wallets, including the packaged condom one of them hastily hid back within the folds, a loud cough turning his cheeks red like a sleety, winter day.

‘That enough?’ Liam finally dares to ask. ‘We counted it up, should be about 120 -’

They can sit down, start at the beginning. The money will be a problem for later.

‘Well, it’s our landlord,’ another boy starts. He is short and broad, the nose of a boxer. 

‘Yeah, he’s a cunt -’

‘Ah, stop -’

‘Alright, yeah. I’m just saying. So.’

It’s a house-share. Cabra, up in Dublin 7, six people crammed into the old bones of a brick-layered former two-up-two-down. There is an ageing extension, one that’s falling apart, and the foxes eat the mice in the back garden at night. ‘Now, your man, right? The one on the second? Well, he broke the floor of his ensuite shower, we’re not sure how, but -’

‘Probably shagging that girl who’s been - you know the one with the -’ another bearded one interrupts, miming large half-circles over his chest -

Liam shoots him a look. This is not the right place. In the silence that follows, he takes over from Shorty - his voice is softer and more cautious. Embarrassed to be here, almost. ‘Well, anyway. He’s not paying his end of the rent, so our landlord won’t fix it. Until he pays, right? But then every time he showers - well. It, like, proper rains in our sitting room, so -’ He smiles a little, shy. There is a moment of collective contemplation at the difficulty of this conundrum, at the relative guilt of consulting a lawyer behind the other one’s back, too. There’s probably a reason he’s not paying rent. Liam further adds that he tried to talk to their landlord, threatened him with going to the PRTB, but got laughed at in response. ‘Said he’d kick us out to do the renovation works. Fix the shower, then find twenty Brazilians willing to sleep on bunk beds and fill up the place, €500 a head, you know? So, I suppose we were wondering if -’

The young lad eyes the money again, nodding at it like it’ll respond. When he looks up, his gaze is pleading. ‘Anyway, we were hoping you could, you know, write a letter or something?’

A law degree is the right to use big words on expensive stationery. 

.

Liam’s been here before, of course. He is familiar with the décor, the exhausted shelves that line the walls, the yellow glow of a banker’s lamp on winter afternoons, when the sky is too dark outside and the rain lashes against the windows. There is a faux-persian rug that frames the centre of the office and the lawyer replaced it once, back in the day. Perhaps, because of the old English setter that used to sleep in the corner and scratched it, and scratched it, and probably peed on it too many times. Perhaps, because of the dark stains that cups of tea and coffee had made over the years, or because of the vomit of a baby. This isn’t the kind of general practice that facilitates yearly visits by tracking heights or flu shots, but it is still the kind of general practice that watches people grow. Decades apart sometimes, the space in which they all happily go on to live their lives, but Liam’s crawled on the floorboards during appointments before, and as a teenager, he played on his tablet with his headphones blasting in the waiting room, dragged by parents who were worried sick, and often didn’t know what else to do with him.  

The first time he attends, he isn’t even born yet. Playing football against her ribs under the soft curve of a rounding belly - she is a beautiful young woman, Louise. The brightest, kindest of blue eyes - pale skin and warm freckles on her skin, long blond hair that is definitely bleached but sure, you can’t have everything. She works as a secretary in an office - it is the early 2000s so probably pharma or tech or something - they don’t call her a secretary, she says, but an assistant. Her mother likes it. ‘Not that it’s any different,’ she corrects, polite and a bit shy, her fingers crossing over her stomach. She is small and thin, a stark contrast with the baby she carries. ‘It pays well, right?’

She wants it to stop, though. Wants to know if they can sack her if she says something to HR. ‘The other girls won’t talk,’ she adds, rolling her eyes. ‘I mean he’s doing it to all of us. It’s not just me.’ There were the comments and the jokes and the ‘accidental’ gropes - he even tried to force himself on her in his office once, kissed her and shoved his fingers inside her pants. She was too scared to do anything - thank God his boss knocked, interrupted, she caveats again, shaking her head quickly at the memory. Since then, she’s managed to avoid him. ‘He won’t look at me now, anyway,’ she shrugs, smiling and caressing her belly again. ‘Not with the baby.’ 

She wants to make sure she’s protected. It’s what her friend told her, that they couldn’t let her go until she’s back from mat leave. ‘He won’t even have us close the office on our own, says there needs to be a man present at all times to supervise, that we’re not capable.’ Louise bats her eyelashes quickly and blows her nose into a tissue. ‘Oh, you’re very kind. I don’t think there’s a need to go to the guards for that, honestly.’ Her mouth forms a laugh but no sound comes out. It may very well be a criminal offence, but getting the police involved? It’s not like her, and they have much more important things to deal with, surely. He’s just an arsehole. ‘I suppose I don’t want it to start up again when I’m back though,’ she sighs. ‘And, for the others, you know?’ 

She answers questions carefully, dutifully. She has the facts down and has made note of the dates and of the emails, and yes, she thinks there may be CCTV in the corridors, at least. She doesn’t know what the retention period is. And, no, she has not told her husband about this. ‘He’d just be raging. Can it stay between us, please?’

She has a charming smile, Louise. And a law degree, sometimes, pays for the welcome sound of silence rather than that of the advice.

.

He is injured when she reappears, a few years later. It is 2004 or 2005, by then, and he is hoisting himself up the stairs on crutches out on Merrion Square. She is holding the door open, politely shaking hands, and yes, she is still working at that same job, she confirms, chit-chatting as he labours up. This isn’t the right time or the right place to ask what happened with HR and it turns out that a lawyer’s office is rarely one of finished stories. Moments in life are stacked like bricks, like files on shelves, and the spines list client numbers rather than names, themselves always a secret. 

She is crying proper, this time around. Was so scared when the hospital called. Their son, Liam, is crawling on the floor now, bright red hair and freckles - four-years-old and vroom-vroom-cars-I’ve-a-blue-one-and-a-yellow-one-did-you-see-that? He pets the dog, slow and gentle - Charlie’s an old man, you know? Darren almost died, Louise explains. She speaks low and covers her mouth, constantly throwing looks back at the floor behind her shoulder, trying to convince herself that her son isn’t listening to them. Darren, on the other hand, is silent and mellow. He looks down, uncomfortable on the faux-leather upholstery of the chairs that face the desk. His legs extend, then retract - once, twice. He massages his knee. He does construction, he explains in a grunt. A wall fell on top of him. He’s fine. ‘Stop it,’ Louise snaps. The doctors weren’t even sure he’d walk.

They’re saying it’s his fault, now, though. The company. They’re saying he wasn’t wearing the proper equipment. ‘No one does. It’s a joke,’ he groans. They just don’t want to pay. 

There are norms specific to personal injury in those types of circumstances, apparently. A question to answer as to the burden of proof, too. Do they even have proof? And: do they have to prove Darren wasn’t wearing the equipment, or does he have to prove that he was? It’s probably lost somewhere within endless volumes of workers’ regulations. In terms of public policy, it’s hopefully the former. It would make sense. That could be looked up. 

‘Well, we don’t want to burden you too much,’ Louise smiles, sniffling. She is holding her husband’s hand like a lifeline and he is stiff in his posture. They don’t have the money to be too much of a burden, it turns out. They were doing so well, so much better than the generation before theirs. The boom of the Celtic Tiger years and a delusional belief in trickle-down economics - they had a nice house and a baby, and they were thinking of having a second, eventually. ‘I’m obviously still working,’ she adds, now, swallowing, ‘but Darren’s on benefits and with the mortgage…’

It’ll be okay. Something will be arranged. The trainee can have a look. If there’s something, a no-win-no-fee route is always a possibility. It is a route that will not be preferred by the short, balding man who comes in once a month to grumble at the office books and pick up VAT receipts, but maybe that man was just born sad, who knows? The conveyancing side pays well, people down in Sandymount have too much money on their hands. Darren agrees. When he’s better, he’ll come back to incorporate his own business, maybe. He leaves smiling. She nods and sighs at the same time. 

Go on, look after yourself, yeah? A law degree isn’t a medical one. 

.

There was some money in the settlement. Not much but it covered the bills and the physio appointments, and Darren was able to pour the rest into the launch of Roddy’s Construction Ltd the moment the painkillers allowed him to stand up straight again. They couldn’t eternally survive on Louise’s salary and it gave him something to do other than sit on the couch, drinking cans and wallowing. They were happy for a bit, until 2008 rolled its ugly head around, that is. The equity became negative on everybody’s lips and within two years, Roddy’s Construction Ltd was forced out of existence. It was 2011 and their child was ten and in the lawyer’s office again, the clerk passed around an old Game Boy for him to wait. Louise’s tears were now dry as she signed the papers on the desk with a tight smile. ‘Well, I suppose at least this will allow us to keep the house a bit longer, right?’

Her mother died. Breast cancer, it turns out. There was €43,752 in the estate, which her brother in America is graciously letting her have in full. ‘He’s, er -’ Louise presses her lips together. Has aged a little, soft lines on her forehead and her hair cut to her shoulders. ‘They don’t need it,’ she states. ‘He and Lauren, they’ve - they’ve done quite well for themselves. Even with the crisis, it’s -’ She shakes her head again. There is a hint of irony and something else in her voice when she suggests: ‘Maybe I should have gone to America, do you think?’

Darren isn’t with her today. He didn’t believe it was necessary for him to attend anything past the funeral, and even that, he probably only attended because the notice on RIP.ie announced there would be a gathering at the pub afterwards. He has lots of friends there. The owner, in chief, maybe because her husband keeps the business running. Holds the walls with his presence, like a pillar on the stools at the bar. No, she’s being mean. He’s tried to take on a few odd jobs in a meat-packing factory near his parents’ in Drogheda a few months back. But: his knees are killing him and Louise says she feels guilty sometimes, with her functioning limbs and all the things she can’t understand; he is frying his brain cells with weed to make it stop. Maybe, oops, she shouldn’t have told the lawyer that. ‘I dunno how he pays for it,’ she lets out. ‘It is what it is, you know? Thanks, anyway. For the will and everything, I mean.’

She grabs her son’s Cars backpack off the floor by the entrance and they get a move on. With another tired smile, she closes the door behind her. 

A law degree is the sigh that follows. 

.

Liam is fourteen, now. They’ve left him outside again, though for once, this is ostensibly about him. Perhaps, he should be here. ‘You’ll talk to him, right?’ Louise pleads. ‘Please -’

‘What the fuck will the lawyer talk to him about?’ There is the voice of outrage in Darren again, his arms thrown up in the air. ‘I’m the one who should be giving him a fucking lecture, I’m his father -’

‘Yeah, and where the fuck were you? Countless times I tried to ring you -’

She was the one who had to get the bus to pick Liam up from the Garda station, last night. Their little baby boy. Got caught trying to nick a bunch of Canada Goose puffer jackets off a shop - the two older kids he was with were held up for the night. Liam being younger, though, and it being the first time - the guards weren’t stupid, for once. They called his parents rather than a judge, and -

‘I was fucking busy.’ Darren is defending himself. The best defence is always attack, that’s what they say anyway. ‘And, it’s you - you’re too kind to him. Always buying him shite he can’t pay for -’

‘He’s in school. He’s fourteen -’

‘Well, I worked when I was fourteen -’

‘Well, you certainly don’t work now -’

She is being unfair, he claims. He and his friend Darragh are opening up a new car repair shop down in Rialto. She easily clocks off at six from her cosy corporate gig every day, but he has things to do. Their son gets arrested for stealing now, and what’s next? She is too lax with him. That scene she made the one time (one time!) he dared yell at Liam. Boys need discipline. What’s next? Selling drugs?

‘Oh, and you wouldn’t want the competition in the house, would you?’

He storms out. Leaves her alone to silently cry again on the chair with the squeaky plastic leather that has scarred overtime. It’s okay. The officer on speakerphone echoing in the lawyer’s office confirmed they wouldn’t be pressing charges. There is no need for her to worry. She apologises. Shouldn’t have said that. Not here. She insists (insists, insists and promises) that Darren doesn’t sell drugs, she just said it like that. There is silence. Darren hasn’t been employed or had a successful venture in years. They’ve managed to keep the house. They’ve got a new car, a Mercedes that roared down the road when her husband took off just now. Neither he nor Darragh know how to fix cars, and everyone knows the kind of crowd that hangs around in Rialto. She works as a contractor for Facebook now, reviewing flagged content for days on end on a computer screen. It pays €24,000 a year. They required an undergraduate degree on the job posting, which she faked on her CV, and she’s been scared they would find out ever since. 

A broken, teary smile as she reaches for the tissues on the desk again. She has calmed down. It’ll be alright. A law degree on the wall doesn’t turn an office into a police station. Actually, perhaps the opposite. 

.

It is somewhat inevitable. It funds most of the small, general practices around the world, after all. She says: ‘It’ll be amicable.’ There is a pause. ‘I hope.’ 

Louise came alone this time. Liam is in school. She does not need the tissues, she is grand, thanks, jokes that she has grieved already. The lawyer’s office is the bearer of bad news: they will have to live separated for four years before the divorce is pronounced. Many people don’t know that, it’s an odd quirk in the law, the state finding it hard to cut off the many, winding tentacles the Catholic Church has wrapped around it for centuries. It sucks the blood out of people and families. Louise smiles. They at least got gay marriage last year, didn’t they?

Liam is living with her, she explains. They found a small one-bed in the Liberties. She sleeps on the sofa. ‘I’m applying to work for Facebook proper, now,’ she smiles. Hopefully it’ll pay more. ‘I love him,’ she explains. But she got married at nineteen and had the baby at twenty and didn’t think it would be this hard. ‘Maybe, didn’t think at all,’ she admits. ‘He’s a good kid. He was just a bit stupid for a while. Acting out. He’s been doing better since we left home, since it’s just the two of us. He doesn’t want to see Darren anymore, I -’

Her friends tell her it’ll be fine. She is thirty-five. She is still so young. There is irony in her voice again when she says: ‘Maybe I’ll meet someone, right?’ She doesn’t sound like she means it. She sounds like she wants to be left alone. She nervously toys with her wedding ring, still at the base of her finger. ‘I loved him,’ she declares, then. ‘I love him. I always felt that if I left, I was abandoning him. He changed. After the accident, you know? Or maybe I did. I can’t save him. He doesn’t want to be saved, I don’t think. D’you remember when we first came to you? When we bought the house back in 2000?’

It was an easy purchase and conveyancing is always a good way to rope new clients in. They got the lawyer’s address off of Darren’s sister, back then. The seller loved them. They made a good offer, had stable jobs and a decent interest rate. He worked in construction and she was an assistant. They’d found a property they liked in a gentrifying residential area in Drumcondra. He was from Kildare and she’d grown up in Meath. They’d met through friends in the city. Were just about to get married. Her ring was big and shiny and showy, even if it was just moissanite. He wanted people to know - see - that he loved her. He took her on a trip to New York that winter. 

‘There’s someone else I think,’ Louise admits, then. Another pause. Her bright blue eyes look up again. ‘I don’t know. I don’t want to know.’ She shakes her head. ‘He is begging me to stay.’

She doesn’t. She gets herself a decent lawyer and she doesn’t stay.

.

Liam is nineteen now. His friends file out of the office in a concert of jokes and playful shoves, an army of bikes locked around the streetlamps outside.

His mam’s good, he nods, once. Moved out to Bray a couple years back and she likes it there. Has set up a small shop that sells artisanal jewellery and does the markets. He hasn’t seen his dad in a while, but on the phone he sounded alright. Got in a bit of trouble with the guards a few years back, but - ‘It is what it is, like.’ There is not much else to be said; this is watercooler conversation, not the real kind, and the lawyer’s office isn’t a doctor’s office, and it also not a therapist’s. The lawyer’s office focuses on Family law, Criminal Law, Employment Law Disputes, Personal Injury, Wills and Probate; it says so on the website. A law degree is not one that saves anyone, it’s just a prism through which to watch hundreds of lives go by. 

Liam’s lips curve a little further to one side; he bites his lip with something daring in his gaze. ‘I’m doing law. In college, you know?’

And, perhaps, the landlord will fix the shower. At the very least, right?

[clatterbane]

'Tis truly the season. I ran across those kid-sized fleecy items while actually looking for some more warm soft items to cocoon myself in until roughly June. No Pikachu robe for me, sadly enough.

Currently debating whether I should risk trying one fleecy sweatsuit combo that comes as a set. Looks comfy enough at a bit of a savings--but even in men's sizes I know there are going to be some serious fit compromises involved if I do not buy tops and bottoms in different sizes.

Putting it somewhat kindly, my general body plan falls very firmly into the "inverted triangle" category. If the top fits through the shoulders and chest, pants in the same size are going to be physically falling off. I have quite literally had too-big britches fall down around my ankles in the middle of the grocery store, when my hands were too full to grab at them as they started their descent. Men's pants sizes are much better at accommodating None Ass, but the aggravation and humiliation limiting factor is still the waistband size.

I know it is unlikely to end well if I try at least one S-M-L size up from what I would normally guesstimate for the pants fit. Yet, I am frugal enough that I am over here seriously considering it anyway. 😒

Not exactly a huge fan of H&M, btw. But, when in Sweden... (And looking for relatively inexpensive clothes.)