Something quick from last night
Tag Archives: Illustration
I’m really tired of seeing people broken up into labels of absolutes.
People are not just “good” or “bad”.
People are not a list of labels.
People are complex, situations are complex.
I know, that makes it a lot harder when you want to just write off everything someone’s ever done as bad – but that’s not how people actually are, and it would do everyone good to stop pretending they are.
I am tired of hearing about the fear people have in putting themselves out there. And it is a scary thing! Putting yourself out there means subjecting yourself to people who want a really good reason to tear you down, who will jump at the first chance to feel “good” by labeling someone else as “bad”.
I reject this. I reject the idea that there should be fear in speaking up and talking about experiences and trying to reach an understanding of a situation.
I’m unhappy to see people spitefully urging others to cut off ties with their friends under the guise of “well, that person’s just inherently bad, so if you talk to them you’re bad too.” That is fucked up. You definitely have the right to let the friend know you don’t want to hear about whoever troubles you, but you do not at all have the right to decide who their friends should be. This includes guilt trips.
Anyway, just try to be more aware of others. Everyone else is a person like you. They might not have the same experiences as you. They might not understand how their words are harmful, or how what they’re doing is wrong. They certainly won’t if you never tell them.
Most people are trying to be good, but they’re going to mess it up sometimes. Try to keep that in mind. Even when people do really fucked up shit, sometimes they are trying to do good. “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” and all that.
Nothing gets solved, no growth happens when you put people into a box from which you’ll never let them escape.
Yes, you absolutely must be careful about people who have tendencies and patterns that are harmful to you. Sometimes people try to overcome those patterns and they fail, and you have to distance yourself from them: that is the sad reality of life. Sometimes though, they can overcome it. But they certainly won’t if the first thing you do is write them off after a fuck up.
Be sincere. Use your best judgment.
What do you think the coven does on New Years?
Some years they stay together, if they’ve gathered for the holidays leading up to New Year’s Eve, I would think at someone’s home that can accommodate a large group or they rent a house somewhere. Whoever is hosting sends out the fanciest invitations, each year the current host tries to one-up the previous year’s card 😉
I’d imagine a gathering would look smtg like this, black-tie affair at times (but they’d bring casual clothes, too):
[^X Henry Patrick Raleigh (1880–1944)]
And they do the stuff they normally do when they gather:
- Coven Game Night where some fool challenges Louis to cards and gets their ass handed back to them, even if/when they attempt to cheat
- exchanging gifts – Daniel and Lestat compete in giving the best gag gifts.
- there’s teasing each other about all the VC books, from the oldest to the most recent “So that ghostwriter of yours-” “DON’T YOU START WITH ME, ARMAND.”
- Sharing pics they’ve taken from their year’s travels
- Watching movies together in fancy screening rooms with couches, blankets, and pillows
- improvised jam sessions for the musicians in the group
- artsy sessions for the artistic ones in the group, although they do invite everyone, and Gabrielle has done a few gorgeous fingerpaintings that Lestat treasures
- dancing to the improvised music or someone DJ’ing recorded music
- BONFIRE and/or FIREWORKS (outside tho!)
- Inviting very special mortal friends over for “drinks,” wherein the mortals are aware and consent to get drunk and then share 😉
- marriage counseling (come on, cabin fever sets in and at least one pairing gets into a fight every time).
- shameless flirting (sometimes causes the fighting that needs marriage counseling)
Other years, they go their separate ways and celebrate NYE on their home territory, or in smaller groupings.
The Illustrated Book of Manners: A Manual of Good Behavior and Polite Accomplishments, 1866
“If the amount of happiness, immediate or ultimate, is increased by any costume, it is right to wear it.”
@gothiccharmschool this is manners-related 😉
I-want-my-IWTV 