So Embarrassing When I Forget Im Checking Someone's Blog And I Start Scrolling Through And Liking And

the big three questions of media analysis: what the author wanted to say, what they actually said, and what they didn’t know they were saying

This is a neutral post

Feel free to stop here and rest before journeying to the posts below.

“I’ve been on the other side of dying for a very long time.”

“You mean the wrong side?” Derina’s voice teases and then leans in closer to murmurs, “This one’s much more fun.”

Her voice drawls on the last word, and Laila retorts, “Is that your plan? Die, resurrect, seduce an innocent man to depths of the ocean?”

“Hardly. You’re not a man, Ms. Kivris, or innocent for that matter.”

By the spirits, she’s an incorrigible flirt and probably responsible for a dozen stereotypes about sirens. Laila leans back to look at Derina better, the blood in her face running hot and keeps her mouth shut. She doesn’t trust her tongue enough right now.

The corner of Derina's lip curls up knowingly, her eyes wild and tipsy as they focus on her. Laila wets her lips and whispers, “What are you playing at?”

“Just a dance. We’ve got plenty of time until Marty kicks us out.” Derina tugs her hand but makes no motion to get up, brushing her thumb across Laila's knuckles.

How to tell if you are emotionally abusive

I feel we talk about signs of abuse from the victims standpoint but not from the abusers standpoint. In order to stop emotional abuse and recognize when we engage in unhealthy behaviors I made this list.

Do you react to important people in your life by ignoring them completely and not acknowledging their presence? Especially if they do something you don’t like?

Do you feel that your partner/friends/family members are the cause of your bad moods or frustration?

Does your partner/etc “do things the wrong way”?

Do criticize your partner/etc for being unreliable or a bad person?

Do you feel you have to constantly overlook your partners flaws in order to be around them?

Are you frequently accused of being “moody” or “hard to please”?

Do your partners complain that “nothing they do is good enough?

Do your partners appear to avoid you when you are angry or upset rather then comfort you?

Do you negatively comment on their intelligence or appearence? Either in private or in front of others.

Do you blame them when someone goes wrong?

Do you ever use phrases like “I could just hit you right now” or “I”m so mad I could punch something”?

Do you ever punch walls/throw things in front of your partner/etc?

Do you leave during fights and not inform of where you are going and when you will be back?

Do you behave the same alone with your partner that you do if you were in front of your friends or in public?

Have you frequently accused your partner of being too sensitive?

How often is your partner praised and complimented by yourself?

Do you think your partner spends too much time with friends and family?

Do you feel your partners friends and family are trying to drive you apart?

Do you actively comfort your partner when they are upset or angry even if you don’t really understand why they feel the way they do?

If your partner brings up a behavior that bothers them do you respond by discussing how to change it or do you respond defensively?

Do you have difficulty apologizing?

All of these things are abuse tactics. Obviously even the healthiest of us will do these sometimes but if any one becomes a regular habit that’s when the problem starts.

sometimes you need dialogue tags and don't want to use the same four

Those Who Betray Death

‘I was poisoned by my daughter,’ the woman tells Death. Her lips are bloody, her words choked out, past rattling lungs. Chintz teacups on the table—half-full of Oolong tea—are just out of her reach from her body on the floor, curling her body in a fetal position. Mara isn’t looking for sympathy, but Death gives it anyway.

It replies with the smile of an exhumed corpse of a nun—distantly kind past the grave. It has heard this story before, and this isn't where the story ends.

Death knows endings well but listens. You poisoned her ears first, it does not croon, corrupted her serpent tongue, then her greedy mouth. The human venom is poisonous to its own kind. She hears the truth anyway. Denial has no use in Death.

It bends low at the waist and kisses the woman's paper-skinned knuckles, tasting life's flesh and the faint pulse that precedes its domain—jackrabbiting at the touch. She is scared.

Once an empty hand, now not, Death holds a withered spider-lily in its hand, flourishes it out to her like magician at a child’s birthday party. Her daughter has left long ago. No one will be here to help, which is why Death is. A tear drips down her crow’s feet etched permanently around her eyes as she looks upon the flower with wonder.        

As she grasps the stem and pulls it close to her chest, she asks, ‘Have you ever been betrayed?’ What an odd question to ask a god-like entity, she thinks.

Death kneels in front of Mara—hardly the first of her name or the last—and sits cross-legged, like you would on your childhood friend’s bed at a slumber party. It replies matter-of-factly, ‘Yes.’

When it picks her up, it’s head lingers in the direction of the cups. It lowers its head as if to look at her; she can’t see its eyes, so she cannot be sure, but she gets the sense that is the answer in itself. Her lips and fingernails turn blue to match her eyeshadow.

‘I know the time to collect each being. That is the promise made at the beginning of each beginning. I do not like those who hurry me,’ Death curls the corner of his top lip in half a sneer and half a snarl, ‘but never mind that, I will see them soon enough.’

That is the last thing Mara hears before her pulse fades, suspending her in Death’s domain.

autochthonous (adjective)

The writeblr side of my dash is pretty inactive, so please interact with this post if you're an active writing blog! My main is over at @brw, so that's where follows will be coming from :)

[Image ID: The Destiel confession meme edited so that Dean answers 'There's a petition to ban conversion therapy in the EU' to Cas' 'I love you'. /End ID]

If you are a citizen in the EU please sign this petition:

eci.ec.europa.eu

European Citizens' Initiative

Give your support !

- Silas Denver Melvin @sweatermuppet, Grit Poetry Collection