#m9 archives

[mini-minish]

characters i want to put in a jar and shake violently (+ potato harvest version)

[edelgarfield]

i don't think essek ever actually decided to join the Cobalt Soul, I think Beau just dropped by Caleb's house unannounced to ask for a ride only to find Essek home alone and just went "eh, you'll do."

when someone asked who he was Beau is like "this is Seth, a new archivist" like what are they gonna do, tell her she's wrong? clearly you misplaced Seth's admission records. you should really be less sloppy, you're making us look bad.

& then it's a slippery slope to "hey essek I need you to stop by the archive in port damali to pick something up, I'm banned again" and then random archivists are asking him for favors bc he's smart and he's friends with expositor lionett and much like m9 accidentally stole a ship, Essek Thelyss accidentally becomes a Cobalt Soul Archivist.

[its-your-mind]

Tbh I??? Really love these Bell’s Hells Company Retreat Activities???? Bc like. It’s not like any of them have been overly cagey this whole time, or actively hiding big secrets from each other. (someone at some point mentioned how BUCKwild it would have been to watch the M9 try to play What The Fuck Is Up With That within the first ten episodes of c2, with all the shit all of them were hiding and how much their early relationships were based on a mutual understanding that no one would expect each other to bring up the past unless it became a danger - the only one who ever poked that particular bear was Beau with Caleb at the start when she traded access to the Archive for the reason why Caleb gets fucked up by fire, and that private conversation shaped their relationship for the rest of the campaign BUT I digress.)

Nothing anyone confessed during the Honesty exercise was… a surprise. The only one who hadn’t shared the entirety of his past (that he remembered) was Chetney, and his was never the past that felt like a threat - that revelation was more along the lines of FCG’s type of “tell me about your family trauma so I can fix you” line of questioning.

The truths the Hells offered up to each other… they were significant (Fearne, I was disappointed in you for being afraid of your power), and scary (deep down, both Delilah and I kind of want the shard), and hard to say out loud (even on the nights I bunk up with one of you, I feel so lonely), but critically, so little of it was surprising. No one was sharing anything earth-shattering about their pasts or previously unknown plans for future betrayal.

And during the Communication exercise - none of them - Chetney, Imogen, Ashton, or Orym - doubted that their directors were leading them the wrong way. They listened, and paid attention to instructions, and didn’t try their own path because they felt like they knew better.

And then during Trust! The part that should have been the hardest!! All of them were obviously distrustful of each other, shooting around stressed looks, sending familiars to dive-bomb to check for flesh, but like… none of them actually turned on each other. None of them ganged up, or broke off, or stood in opposition - they were wary of each other, and they got the task done.

So… it didn’t really lead to any huge shifts in the dynamic. But that was never really what they needed! The Hells have trusted each other since the beginning, and even when they’re actively having to fight each other, it’s always with a desperation born from a place of concern. They really do care for and love each other. I don’t think any of them, if they sat down to think about it, truly believed that one of them was going to betray the others.

But they haven’t had time to sit and think about it. They have been actively fighting the literal end of the world since like… ep 45 (first irl Ludinus sighting/convo). The apocalypse happened. Has been happening. For thirty episodes now. They spent a good chunk of that time apart from each other, and then the rest of it desperately reaching out to anyone with more power than themselves to beg for their help.

So yeah! It’s not a big surprise that they’re all bottling up a lot of their own shit right now! There aren’t that many personal issues that feel like they deserve more attention than the literal end of the world.

It was inevitable something was going to give. And since Ashton’s shit was up next for dissection because they had a past that brushed up against the Primordials? Of course they were the one whose internal lockdown broke first. And of course when it did, it physically shattered Ashton, too, right along those same fault lines where Milo put them back together the first time. It’s so good that they had friends who were there, past and present, to make sure none of the pieces got lost. To put them back together.

We watched Laudna break down right after, specifically because she was back home, in this place where Delilah had first tortured and killed her, where she had lived as a wraith haunting a castle. Delilah had been slowly picking the lock on the cage the Hells had forced her into, and Ashton’s “betrayal” was the last tumbler Delilah needed to snap into place to break the lock in Laudna’s mind. And her mind shattered, fragmented in the same way it had been after she was first brought back as Delilah’s vessel. How beautiful that it was Laudna’s love of children and her desire to make Ashton a gift (meant to be part insult, “because you’re a child,” and declaration of her care for him, “I like children.”)

And Fearne… Fearne almost broke down after them. Slamming the hammer down next to Ashton’s head over and over and over, screaming at him, wandering away through the city, sleeping alone in the woods… She saw the cliff’s edge coming. That’s why she asked them if they could stop at her Nana’s first.

Because she needed it. And the rest of the Hells say, “Why? Do you think Nana Morri can help us in this?” And Fearne says, “Well, I don’t know, but…” And Imogen says, “Do you need it for you?” And Fearne says, in a small and shattered voice, “…yes.”

And that’s the end of the discussion.

They go home, to a place where they are safe and have time, for the first time since Ruidus was locked in place.

And so they have time to be Honest - and they are. Fearne likes to watch them all and play with their hair while they sleep. Orym has thought through how he would neutralize them if he absolutely had to. Ashton thinks it would be better for him to be dead than for Fearne to be hurt. Imogen is scared to face her mom. Laudna dreams of leaving this behind. FCG is jealous of the people around him with a heart, because they have possibilities he doesn’t. Chetney hasn’t settled down once in 400 years because he’s scared he’s cursed to drive away any family he has.

Behind all of this - I want to know everything about you. I need to make sure you don’t hurt each other. I would sacrifice myself to keep you from pain. I don’t want to choose between my blood and this family we’ve built. I want you all to be safe. I want you to pursue happiness. I don’t want to lose you.

And then, Communication - follow along this path. Listen to my voice. Keep calm, keep quiet. Stay the course. I will keep you safe. Keep walking, keep walking, and… you’re there, honey.

And finally, Trust. Two of them are going to be replaced by fae beings bent on preventing them from completing their mission, and they have to complete this task without letting the infiltrators stop them. Okay. Let’s all stick together. Keep eyes on each other. Wait for the doppelgängers to give themselves away somehow. Do you remember these small, banal details about our mutual history? There’s a possibility that action you took was malicious, but I know you well enough to know that might have been a mistake you made on your own. Here, I’ll walk into traps to show that I’m not going to stop you. I’ll get out of your way and take out the threats. I’ll be eyes in the sky and send my familiar to poke you to test if you feel like you should. But nothing you’re doing makes me see you as a real threat - just the possibility of one. I trust you. I trust in you. I trust myself to know enough about you to identify if you’re doing something differently than normal.

And the result of those exercises? No new information, but maybe some things that we all had lost track of amongst the chaos. I am not shocked by your Honesty. I know deep down that I can rely on your Communication. I do Trust you. I know you. I care for you. I know you care for me, too. Even when I have doubts, even when you fuck up, even when things break bad and you make the wrong call…

We are a team for a reason, and no matter what we said in the beginning, it is not just out of necessity or convenience. Are we a bunch of fucked up, broken people? Absolutely. Are we going to continue to fuck up? Probably. Does that change how we feel about each other? No. Never. As long as you’ll have me, I’ll be here, fighting alongside you. Helping you up when you stumble. Offering a shoulder when you need to cry. Standing over you to protect you if you fall. Laughing with you in good times, kicking ass for you in bad. This is our family, damn it. It is strange, and broken, but it is ours, and it is good.

[spottedenchants]

Relationship: Essek & Yasha

Additional Tags: POV Essek, Post-C2, Demi Essek, Touch-Starved & Touch-Averse Essek, Essek Overthinks, Fluff, Drow Can Purr, Intimacy, Holding Hands, Hugs, BG M9 & Essek, BG Essek ~ Caleb, BG Beau/Yasha, Communication, notable discussion of things like: Declarations Of Love, Languages and Linguistics, Kryn Dynasty Culture & Customs, Queerplatonic Relationships, Complicated Relationships

Words: 10.4k

Summary:

“Yasha, you-.”

She raises her brows, curiosity blooming plain by the tilt of her head.

“You asked me…”

Preemptive regret and baseless fear both weigh down his tongue. Light, what is he doing.

Essek takes a breath, rushes. No turning back.

“You asked me, a bit ago, if I love him. Caleb.”

-

AKA the Xhorhas kids talk about talking about love

Prompt fill for @quinn-of-aebradore

Read on AO3

[gorgynei]

★ ace, they/he, 18, autistic, transsexual butch werewolf

𓃦 this is my critical role + werewolves + general misc blog. art is under my art tag

𓃥 want just the art? my art blog is @acentrics. my neocities portfolio also archives my work

𓃥 lots of spoilers on this blog for critical role (tagged #cr spoilers, #vm spoilers, or #m9 spoilers, or whatever else with varying levels of consistency)

𓃦 on thursdays (and sometimes other days) i liveblog critical role for four hours straight. be warned. all tagged #lb and usually #cr spoilers

website, bsky, INPRNT, commissions (closed), more links

[letomills]

Download all (big archive): Mega or Download separately: Momma Lisa: SFS | M9 fat TF: SFS | M9 fat AF: SFS | M9 fat EF: SFS

These are the 233 medieval and fantasy dresses from part 1 converted for Momma Lisa AF-EF and Melodie9 fat TF, AF & EF. All have fat morphs, all have preg morphs except Melodie9 fat EF. Polycount: 3,260.

The recolors are available either standalone or repo'd to the Maxis-size AF dresses from part 1. They're BSOK'd (my usual legacy BSOK, not mfBSOK'd).

Previews under the cut.

Not all 233 recolors are shown, please refer to part 1 to see them all and read details about where I got them from and what I edited. Credits for the original textures go to iamliz13, Sherahbim, Morganna, Meshy, Nabila, @mrs-mquve, Van, Bethgael, Almighty Hat, @berylliumsims, Arthelope and @12raben.

AF-EF Momma Lisa ↓

~

Melodie9 fat AF ↓

~

Melodie9 fat TF ↓

~

Melodie9 fat EF ↓

~

I feel like I checked everything multiple times but this is a lot of files and I may have missed something so let me know if you see anything wrong.

I'd like to make part 3 about M shapes, then I have medieval undies/sleepwear and outerwear to fix up and convert for all those shapes too. Big plans but limited time and enegy, sadly, so no promises as to when all of that will be out.

[shadowgast-recs-weekly]

Hidden Gems: A Shadowgast Rec List

This week, we have one of our recurring themes: fics with fewer than 150 kudos! Check under the cut for fourteen amazing fics that you might have missed the first time around:

Ocean Blues by Vailee (3836,General)

Warnings: None

On a remote island, Caleb meets a merman named Essek.

Reccer says: The description of merman Essek with his fins and tail is very adorable.

Breaking Inertia by futureshieldmaiden (31096,Teen)

Warnings: None

A time loop fic where Bren has to work with the Shadowhand Essek Thelyss to straighten out time.

Reccer says: There's a lovely slow burn between the two, and I like the plot develops - with a couple of twists along the way.

flurries by quinn_of_aebradore (1381,General)

Warnings: none

Caleb and Essek visit a night market

Reccer says: It's extremely sweet and soft, with a warm and cozy wintertime feel to it.

the start: wings to chase the sky by mllekurtz (TheKnittingJedi) (2662,Teen)

Warnings: None, but note that the other part of the duology has its own tags! (calamity fic)

Part of a duology of an Age of Arcanum AU where Caleb and Essek are prestigious wizards of Avalir. A getting-together ficlet.

Reccer says: Mlle is so good at writing the shadowgast getting together, and it's fun to see the wizards in this lavish arcane world.

in the blood by VexedVixen (11075,Mature)

Warnings: None

Vampire!Essek rescues an injured Caleb and brings him to his towers in Rosohna. Caleb is them offered a job by Essek - a job that includes donating some blood.

Reccer says: The worldbuilding is so cool! Always nice to see a good vampire AU.

A Thousand Words, Unspoken by soot_and_salt (3150,General)

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings (technically, but it's not a dark story)

Caleb runs a YouTube channel where he films himself restoring paintings. The latest one to come in is a portrait of a beautiful drow man.

Reccer says: If you're familiar with the story of Pygmalion and Galatea, it's a little like that.

you're the only light i've ever known by glossolali (1463,Teen)

Warnings: None

After their bath, Essek combs and plays with Caleb's hair. Caleb enjoys himself.

Reccer says: It's very sweet and tender. And like the author says in the end note, it shows how Caleb has changed and healed over the course of campaign 2.

Break Me, Mend Me by Kaiannae (21835,Mature)

Warnings: Depiction of depression and self-sabotage, CNC if you squint, borderline force feeding if you squint.

Caleb's self-loathing is rearing its ugly head and he is spiraling out of control, pushing his friends and chosen family away, isolating himself from those who care about him and attempting to sabotage everything good in his life. Eventually, Essek decides to do something about it. He knows that nothing mundane like talking would be of any help, so he offers Caleb what the human thinks he wants: punishment, atonement, debasement, a way to quiet the vicious voices in his head.

Reccer says: BDSM as therapy, sort of, getting into Caleb's head for the character study, aftercare for the masses, doms and subs alike.

Silver Couches To Recline Upon And Ornaments Of Gold by soot_and_salt (3242,Teen)

Warnings: None

Essek, unable to leave the tower he resides in, finds a cat on his balcony. He soon discovers there is more to this cat than he could have ever imagined.

Reccer says: It is a fairy tale au and I am a big fan of fairy tales.

Let the River Carry You by Operafloozy (2983,General)

Warnings: none

Essek knits something for each of the Nein

Reccer says: It's very sweet and thoughtful, and I love the description of the patterns

in vaults and cherished amber by allinna (4406,Teen)

Warnings: none

At the Vurmas Outpost, Essek receives some well-deserved love from Caleb and the M9.

Reccer says: it's a sweet, comfy fic that makes you smile! what more would you want.

born from beauty by hanap (2375,Explicit)

Warnings: None

Caleb and Essek have a conversation about their respective experiences with gender and what it means to feel at home in one's body, after which Essek shows his love for Caleb's body by giving him a blowjob.

Reccer says: I resonate with both Caleb and Essek's experiences of gender in this fic, so it was a lovely experience getting to read how much the two of them love each other's bodies that are so similar to mine.

if only I could see your face by lakrisrot (3399,Explicit)

Warnings: Can read having a sex-negative to sex-neutral POV character

Caleb spends some time with Essek after the Transmogrification fails. They end up more intimate that expected.

Reccer says: This fic offers a very intriguing look into Essek's mind as an asexual/demi person. I very much enjoyed that.

And two recs for

the hole in the stone by MinnesotaBruja (13243,Teen)

Warnings: Animal/Pet Death

Shortly after the end of campaign 2, Essek takes a position as a lighthouse keeper on a remote island north of Eiselcross. The fic is comprised of his letters to Caleb.

Reccer 1 says: Essek cares for chickens while living on the island and I find it extremely sweet. Reccer 2 says: Beautiful, heartbreaking, so very well written you will most definitely cry and it's worth every tear!

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. And hey! Don’t forget to leave comments and kudos for the lovely authors!

Check out the previous Hidden Gem Recs Lists here [1] [2]

Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week's theme is Time Travel/Time Loops!

[bureau-of-mines]

4 of my favorite custom masks that I've worked on, there are others but these have the most time and effort put into them.

"Sugarloaf" modified PMK-2. Parts from several different countries and companies, custom lenses cut by @goatsludge, lots of development. Haven't really touched it in the last 4-5 years though.

US Bureau of Mines TAP M3A3-11-7A Diaphragm mask. Based on an experimental mask seen in the Ft. Leonard Woods archive, it's essentially an M3 series diaphragm mask facepiece with a custom filter angletube and some other parts swapped around. The filter is a 1990's M11 made by MSA solely because some places were still using M9's instead of M40's for TAP gear loadouts.

"Hungarian 71m". Most of the effort with this mask was in the damage control required to convince an older Hungarian collector that it wasn't real, and a younger Hungarian collector that I wasn't trying to scam an old man.

Black and Blue MM-1. What do you do when you have a box of sky-blue Avon PS-10 filters? Do up a mask to match. Still one of my favorites. Probably due for a repainting though.

[almayver]

rules: choose five six (I cheated yeah shh) of your favorite characters from five pieces of media as options and let your tumblr pals decide which one suits your vibe.

Thanks, @jojotichakorn for tagging me! I picked all the ones that have made me go "me" (Don't think too hard about it) (Also they don't make enough traumatized sad pathetic female characters huh) And they are all way cooler than me anyways. But also if you think of another character do tell, love to be perceived.

Tagging the usual suspects tho I think some of you already got tagged but as always no pressure!

@wangxianinventedromance @perfectlypeachbear @awkward-imp @alan-apologist

@volcaniclily @friendly-jester @claratyler

@dr-lizortecho @contributingtothechaos @spcecowboyyy

[burningdarkfire]

today’s WIP wednesday is a little taste of a little taste ... i’ve had this longfic “the m9 never have their inciting incidents” AU idea in my head literally forever and this snippet comes from a short oneshot glimpse into what that world might look like:

Ikithon didn't have Annexes, not in the traditional sense, but he had—people, of some sort, who showed up at the Archives or met with the Expositors on his behalf. Beau had met with Bren and his little cohort twice, and apparently that was enough for Dairon, who assigned her to meet with him again without a second thought. 

"You two get along," she'd said, which was probably code for you're just fast enough to hit him before he gets up to anything too wizardly, and she'd turned back to her little notebook with a frown deep enough that Beau groaned and went off to sulk alone. 

[putschki1969]

Wakana  New Album『Sono Saki e』 Rapid-Fire Full Album Listening Event

Wakana is live-streaming a “Rapid-Fire Full Album Listening Event” on her Official YouTube Channel. It's Wakana’s wish to listen to all the songs together with the fans. The event will be moderated by Takumi Fujita. While listening to the 11 songs recorded for the album, Wakana will share her thoughts and a few anecdotes from the recording process. Edit: Oh no, they made the video private. I had hoped they would archive it T_T I replaced it with the “Butterfly Dream” MV.

Initial thoughts:

M1. Butterfly Dream: Still not sold on the song (especially not as a leading track) but I am feeling more favourable towards it today. Maybe because my mood is better XD Or maybe because I finally got to watch the full MV. Waaahh, I am obsessed with it. M2. Rapa Nui: Wow, the song lives up to its title. A refreshing sound. Although it’s more Celtic than Polynesian. I am digging it, especially smitten with the verses. I can imagine the chorus will grow on me after a few more listens.    M3. 標(Shirushi): Hearing the rest of the song again makes me appreciate it more. I just have to be in the right mood for this, then it is 100% going to make tear up.   M4. 希望(Kibou): The type of ballad I adore. Instant favourite.   M5. 殻(Kara): Great vocals. Never been a huge fan of the Spanish guitar but I am liking the arrangement. It works for Wakana. Reminds me a bit of “Tsubasa” which is not a bad thing I guess. M6. そのさきへ～(Sono Saki e) ~Interlude~: Can never say no to a lovely piano arrangement. Still not sure why we needed it but oh well XD  M7. KEMONO feat. Shin'ya Kiyozuka: Oh no T_T This is absolutely NOT what I had hoped for. Getting flashbacks to some of my more recent Keiko song reactions. I wish it wasn’t the case but every cell in my body is literally rejecting this type of song.    M8. 明日を夢見て歌う(Asu wo Yume Mite Utau): To think that my initial reaction to this was rather lukewarm and now it’s one of my favourites XD  M9. Flag: Still solid.  M10. そのさきへ(Sono Saki e): It’s quite nice with beautiful vocals but the chorus doesn’t have enough oomph for me. One part of the verse sounds a bit like “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas so I was hoping for a similarly epic chorus. Alas, it’s a little bland :-( M11. あとひとつ(Ato Hitotsu): So happy to have a clear and pure studio version of this.

Tweet 1 & 2 by Wakana | Instagram post by Wakana

[uispeccoll]

#VoicesFromTheStacks

Emily Martin

Emily Martin is a book artist and an instructor for the University of Iowa Center For The Book. She earned a Master’s of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Iowa in 1979, and began her career as a book artist at this time. The earliest published works on her website date back to 1978 and 1979, during her time in the MFA program.

Martin joined the staff of Center for the Book at the University of Iowa in 1998. She teaches classes on bookbinding, papermaking, and artist’s books.

She has published more than 90 artist books, first under the press press name Naughty Dog Press (named for her Jack Russel Terrier, Gomez) and then under her own name. These books include completely original works and artist retellings of Shakespeare’s plays, including Hamlet and King Lear. The University of Iowa Special Collections and Archives holds copies of 57 of Martin’s books, with several pictured here. 

Pictured above: A day at the beach (N7433.4.M364 A54 1995), My own Kickstarter campaign (N7433.4.M364 M9 2012), The house detective (N7433.4.M364 H68 1999)

Her work can by found in various colleges, universities, and art museums across the United States, as well as the British Library, Biblioteca nacional de Chile, Iraq National Library and Archive, Meermanno Museum in the Netherlands, Tate Britain in London, and Jack Ginsberg Centre for Book Arts in Johannesburg, South Africa (just to name a select few).

Martin has two recent projects of note. The first is an exhibit called Centering the Book, opening in early 2024. Centering the Book is a survey of the Center for the Book’s faculty, students, and alumni. Martin is also beginning a Cicero Research Fellowship at the Newberry Library in Chicago, looking at their collection of 16th century science books and contemporary artist books focused on science. The working title for this project is Navigational Tools for the Wilfully Lost. 

Come and see Martin’s work at Special Collections!

[new-age-cassandra]

why don’t we talk about that time the M9 got banned from almost every Cobalt Soul archive in Wildmount? tbh one of my favorite C2 moments.

[anubisisms]

looking glass

rating: mature archive warnings: chose not to use category: gen fandom: critical role (campaign 2/mighty nein) relationships: lucien & mollymauk, mollymauk & the m9, cree & lucien, lucien & the m9 major tags: au, molly and lucien are twins, mollymauk has a different backstory, past child abuse, slavery, no somnovem chapters: 1/4

Molly was already uncomfortable when the tabaxi threw herself into his arms and called him by a name that wasn't his. But he figured he could bluff through the conversation and be on his merry way with the Nein. Until she said something that froze the blood in his veins: "Your brother has been looking everywhere for you." (Or, Cree imparts a vastly different story to Molly and the Nein, and it changes everything he thought he knew about his life before.)

So I promised myself I would write some CR fic,,,,and I did! Any other Mollymauk and Lucien enthusiasts out there, accept my humble offering of a twinvelles AU 🙏

[sylvanfreckles]

Further wishlist for M9 animated. Things I definitely want:

-montage of the tunnel to Xhorhas that's just Caleb dryly announcing the time with various other members threatening him

-"Empathize"

-Beau accidentally clocking Caleb in the face at least once to represent Marisha's danger zone

-Marion Lavorre singing

-Fjord being menaced by smaller and smaller turtles

-"There'll be time for that later"

-"I killed my whole family, I'll throw you under a bridge"

-just one smash-cut to Yasha shaving Caleb with her great sword

Things I think could be left out to shorten the storyline:

-The skull of the assassin being sold to the Stossmans. I think the Gentleman could have just as easily obtained it for Vance/Obann in disguise, or it could have been stolen from an archive or something

-Nugget (sorry). Professor Thaddeus can maybe stay just for the laughs, but I don't want to spend time on a pet that's just gonna get fridged

-Not cut necessarily, but I think Labenda and Hupperdook could be combined (although of the two I think Hupperdook adds the least to the overall narrative).

-the first mission for the Gentleman. Adding "the king that crawls" would just complicate things, I think. So either cut that or the heist in Zadash to reduce the time spent there to focus on other things, and the heist might be more important to the big picture (at least parts of it)

-the moorbounders (same reason as Nugget)

What am I forgetting? I feel like I'm forgetting something important...

[captainsparklefingers]

Six months before the release of Uk'otoa, Kingsley and Jester have a talk in the cargo hold of the Nein Heroez.

(A story about nightmares, memories, identity, and virtue names)

----

So I heard it's Mollymauk Week? And that one of the options for day 3 (today) is Threeleaves?

Well this isn't exactly that. But. Well. I've been sitting on this for a bit (mostly because I wanted to actually get something else written first so it wouldn't be like a year before I post anything again)...and I just decided, what the fuck, why not.

I'm trying to work on a series of loosely connected Kingsley oneshots focusing on the first year of his life (six months before the m9 Reunited two shot, and six months after), and I've not been working on them in any particular order with a loose plan. This isn't directly related to my other 'lets write about King and his identity!’ story, That Which We Call a Rose (which can be found here in case you're curious: https://archiveofourown.org/works/36535615 ), but it touches on something I mentioned in there. It's not required reading.

Anyway. It's sort of crap but I hope people at least don't hate it.