#on a related note if you squish bugs for being bugs fuck you if youre going to kill something then at least do it for a purpose you asshole

[mantisgodiveblog]

Pretty much how we'd thought, then! Though this does answer a handful of our questions. Not purely monogamous! We'd ask how the piercings work when you have multiple partners, but we have already had this question answered by a dearly trusted source, and so we trust that polyamorous people putting their earrings in a chain is real & true. We are also: Looking at Odile's response of this stuff not being for her.

Oh, huh, we hadn't noticed before, but they do all wear earrings, don't they? All of the party members except for Siffrin and Odile, that is. We doubt that pierced ears are, specifically, a bonding earring thing - we doubt Bonnie is bonded to just about anyone at this point unless bonding earrings also have platonic meaning, and considering how Isabeau opened that, we don't think that they do, unless he's committed the horrendous crime of forgetting a major purpose of Bonding Earrings whilst giving the cliff notes version of it. Amatonormativity being a plague as usual, of course. But we'd expect ears to be pierced fairly young if earrings are that important to folks.

Tragic! The Star Reversed has committed a social blunder. However could this have happened? At the very least, we're gaining information, so it's not wasted.

We would love to know the cultural context for this evolving, honestly, but without full context it might be a bit of a chicken-egg issue. We'd expect that the book might have some information on the history of the practice, and whether you would've originally been piercing your ears specifically in preparation for a bonding earring, or whether earrings were just already a significant presence in Vaugardian culture and the bonding earring tradition grew from that ground.

It's the immediate squick reaction, it seems. She'll get over it later, maybe, but she'll probably feel Weird about it later unless she spends some time working through whatever her underpinning issue with the concept is. Probably requires some "why is this thing I've grown up with suddenly so gross to me" type thinking and working out how she wants to route this particular flavor of thought, because unfortunately, winding up in a space where a major cultural element of the place that you live is immediately repulsive really isn't going to be Fun, and recoiling from that every time you think of it is gonna wind up in some very maladaptive places.

You've got to think about it and figure out how to deconstruct that thought. Work out the whys of why you feel that way, and work out where you're going to take that. If you don't spend the time to detangle your kneejerk reactions and work out the underpinning logic and emotions, then you're going to be far more vulnerable to running into spots where you'll massively overreact to things that don't really matter due to your own horrendous little combinations of neuroses and proceed to make an ass of yourself.

Everyone's got bias, and everyone's got their own little combinations of brain wrinkles. Unfortunately, if one does not know oneself, then oneself may make oneself a huge ass on a basis that they can neither justify nor fully explain, and that will suck for all people involved. Whatever reasoning lives in your brain may be perfectly logical to you! It may not, unfortunately, be perfectly logical to those around you, and this is why it is important to know what sorts of landmines you have lying around.

We, for example, have Very Strong opinions on biological determinism, the way that people treat the terms of "evolution" and species being "better" than each other, and fantasy universes where people will arbitrarily assign inborn anthromorphized traits to random animals or people such as deciding that something is always "born pure" or "born evil" or such. This is because we have spent entirely too much time researching animal behavior and biology, and we have a number of Personal Hangups that we will not be getting into here! Being aware of this does not stop us from strongly disliking these things and being likely to make an ass of ourself if they get brought up in just the wrong way, but it does help us avoid situations where it may be relevant! We have a relatively long fuse, but it does have an end, and if you start implying that highly specific cultural concepts are inborn in some way we will encase you in a brick of concrete until you do enough self-reflection to consider maybe not saying that.

More verses: close enough to the first that we can probably still count them as "same as the first", but, like, technically verse 1 only hit the first floor, and we got crushed by a boulder, and loops take way more than one thread to cover on average so calling these threads "verses" would be inaccurate on this count, too, and... actually, on second thought, this metaphor may have gotten away from us. It's the liveblog. We're doing more of it again.

(Part 27 is here)

We are starting this thread, of course, with getting a key. And also considering to ourself if this is a point where we should tag as Act 2 spoilers or if we're still too early in the game for that. Considering how slowly we do things, it might not be, but this late into Loop 3... ehh, we'll figure it out, we guess. That's the last point of interest in the library, regardless, so now we can move on.

We are avoiding the Cursing book in the classroom this go-round, though we're still investigating everything else. In the meantime we are, of course, calling Loop. We've already investigated the library, actually! You'll find that your advice is unneeded! We are, as they say, "on the ball", and also listening to gossip about disappearing islands that were apparently quite close to Bambouche. And also how to run from our problems. Perhaps this is vengeance on calling for advice that we don't need in situations where we already know precisely what to do. If so, let it be known that we still do not intend to stop.

Not much new dialogue here, for the most part, but we got Siffirn to open the Bonding Earrings book, finally!

Finally, we are permitted to learn about bonding earrings! And it only took the witnessing of a single body! And one bout of our teammates writing fanfiction about a frozen person directly in front of their face! A fair trade-off, if you ask us.

…ah. It seems that we've forgotten: we can lead a horse to water, but we are still, regretfully, beholden to the whims and emotions of our current vessel.  Siffrin, we cannot stress this enough: we have, quite literally, all of the time in the world. It will not kill you to read a few dry academic books. For our sake, if nothing else.

No, don't cop out on us. Tell us the details, Isabeau. We would love to know precisely what happens here in as much detail as you can possibly give us. We've got time. Though it's probably not terribly polite to start destroying dashboards in our leading post.

[theoriginalspike]

for the weird ask thingy how about 1-98? so yes all of them please!

I’m gonna put this under a read more so that it’s not insanely long but thank you for allowing me to overshare because that’s literally all i want in life

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

coffee mugs, if i see one that i like, i usually buy it or think about it for a really long time. 

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

lollipops

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

cotton candy, i can’t stand the smell or taste of bubblegum

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

on most of my report cards i was a pleasure to have in class but has trouble actually turning in homework

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

either soda bottles or glass cups

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

i love the aesthetic of formal but i prefer boho/preppy 

7. earbuds or headphones?

earbuds, headphones squish my head

8. movies or tv shows?

movies 

9. favorite smell in the summer?

honeysuckle

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

being goalie for handball

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

peanut butter crunch clif bar

12. name of your favorite playlist?

summertime

13. lanyard or key ring?

keyring

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

watermelon jolly ranchers

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

fahrenheit 451

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

cross legged or leaning to the side with both feet tucked up next to me (only in a chair/on the couch though)

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

either birkenstocks or my bean boots

18. ideal weather?

slightly cloudy, breezy, and between 60 and 75 with a dew point under 55

19. sleeping position?

any position but on my back

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

i like a notebook, my fingers try to type too fast for my brain so i make a lot of mistakes and i need lines otherwise it slants all over the page

21. obsession from childhood?

i used to collect guitar picks. i have too many

22. role model?

my friend kelsey. she never let anyone’s opinions of her shape who she was. she did what she wanted and was such a free spirit. 

23. strange habits?

left goes first. if it’s makeup, my left eyebrow, lashes, contour, blush, anything goes first. left shoe goes on first, left pant leg, left shirt/jacket sleeve. left first or it feels wrong. 

24. favorite crystal?

i love amethyst because it’s purple.

25. first song you remember hearing?

probably american pie by don mclean.

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

swimming

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

honestly stargazing. getting all bundled up and lying in a bunch of blankets is great. there no humidity to make the stars hazy and on a really clear night it’s beautiful.

28. five songs to describe you?

perfect - anne marie, devil’s in the canyon - the strike, orpheus - sara bareilles, rainbow - kacey musgraves, vienna - billy joel

29. best way to bond with you?

talk to me about music, animals, what you find beautiful or peaceful.

30. places that you find sacred?

any mountain top, the chapel in the pines at camp, fields of wildflowers, any waterfall.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

my black dress with big red roses and my black and white stripe heels with roses. 

32. top five favorite vines?

oh shit the tampons one, the no yelling sock, the souls of the innocent, bagel boys, that was majestic

33. most used phrase in your phone?

i have wtf set to automatically replace with what the fuck and i probably use that daily

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

i always have the cropp metcalfe jingle stuck in my head

35. average time you fall asleep?

on a work night usually between 10:30 and 11:30 but weekends its closer to midnight

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

probably those creepy u mad? and sad face drawings.

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

i prefer a suitcase but not a huge one

38. lemonade or tea?

it has to be sweet tea if it’s iced

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

lemon cake. lemon meringue pie is never the right sweet/tart ratio

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

my senior yaer they locked the boys and girls bathrooms in the science wing because the boys were setting off axe bombs and the girls were smoking cigarettes

41. last person you texted?

my friend corinne

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

yes

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

yes

44. favorite scent for soap?

citrus. it just smells cleaner

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

i’m a sucker for fantasy

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

i have a couple of dresses that are stretchy but too short to be acceptable (imo) for public wear

47. favorite type of cheese?

i love mozarella

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

i’d be a peach

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

it’s chaos, be kind

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

probably just weird shit from camp

51. current stresses?

mmmmmm job hunting, packing for camp, cleaning

52. favorite font?

i can’t remember the font name but it’s like old typewriter letters

53. what is the current state of your hands?

i need to paint my nails and cut them

54. what did you learn from your first job?

that people are really fucking dumb and don’t read the fine print on their coupons

55. favorite fairy tale?

the princess and the pea

56. favorite tradition?

we always do a big pancake dinner on mardi gras

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

dealing with my hair’s natural curl pattern, and i’m gonna have to get back to you on the other two

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

i can braid hair really well, i can cook without a recipe, i made the highest swim level as a camper in 6 weeks my last year as a camper, i’m really good at cat’s cradle

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

“absolutely not”

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

i don’t watch anime so i have no idea

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

“war is war and hell is hell. and of the two, war is a lot worse”

62. seven characters you relate to?

radar o’reilly, arya stark, dumplin’, carol danvers, eleanor shellstrop, wayne and daryl from letterkenny.

63. five songs that would play in your club?

gas pedal - sage the gemini, gasolina - daddy yankee, despacito - luis fonsi, bitch better have my money - rihanna, and only nicki minaj’s verse from monster

64. favorite website from your childhood?

neopets or i think it was whitesheepblacksheep but there was a site that had a maze game that was set to the music Orpheus in the Underworld

65. any permanent scars?

my right foot from being born c-section, right shin from a staph infection, left wrist and left foot from ganglion cysts, and my chin from a golf club

66. favorite flower(s)?

all of them EXCEPT for the flowers from bradford pear trees. fuck those.

67. good luck charms?

not really

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

oh god there was a grape juice my friend brenda had me try and it was just so tart it tasted like it had gone past expiration.

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

i can tie and untie a hair tie with my fingers

70. left or right handed?

right handed

71. least favorite pattern?

i hate herringbone and houndstooth

72. worst subject?

the only math i breezed through was geometry

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

i really like potato chips and grape jelly

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

like a 6 or 7. unless it’s mouth pain then like a 3 at most. 

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

probably 7 or 8? i can’t remember but i DO know that my mother kept all of mine and my siblings baby teeth

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

potato gratin is amazing

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

succulents

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

coffee from a gas station specifically sheetz

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

oh god my school photo. my license photo i look like i WILL kill the photographer

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

jewel tones

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

i use both interchangeably 

82. pc or console?

i play internet games which is as far as i got with gaming. although i do really want a game cube so i can play monkeyball

83. writing or drawing?

writing

84. podcasts or talk radio?

podcasts

84. barbie or polly pocket?

i have 2 pollypockets still and i refuse to give them up

85. fairy tales or mythology?

mythology

86. cookies or cupcakes?

cookies

87. your greatest fear?

i really don’t like the dark lmao

88. your greatest wish?

mmmm i’m honestly not sure

89. who would you put before everyone else?

barack obama

90. luckiest mistake?

not checking the weekend of my brother getting married and lucking out that i bought concert tickets for the weekend before

91. boxes or bags?

bags

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

fairy lights

93. nicknames?

libby, libs, libster, “ms. teaguerson” is one i’ve gotten from a couple of kids i’ve subbed for, any version of elizabeth at this point.

94. favorite season?

fall 

95. favorite app on your phone?

i just downloaded a crosswords app and it’s fantastic

96. desktop background?

the sky being absolutely BLACK during an afternoon storm right before a big event at camp

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

i think 8

98. favorite historical era?

i really love the clothes of the 40′s