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[Owlbread]

Unless you snore.

I do unfortunately. That's a shame.

[kaijyuu]

Welp, things blew up while I was asleep. O_o

Nice job, Sky. After all, your consciousness was the one thing keeping everyone stable. :I

That would be an interesting idea for a story: Reality is linked to one person's consciousness, and every time they sleep the world degrades into madness for a few hours.

Close enough.

[Vector]

I would like it very much if other female B12ers would post here and share their thoughts. I know I'm not the only girl here and it's hard for me to convince the mob of guys here that I'm not just the exception to the rule.

This has been very emphatically not my experience, but you certainly aren't the exception to the rule.  I don't know that most women are as scared as you are.  I think a lot of them decide to cover it over, internally.  I know a lot of them are just plain angry.  People have all sorts of different reactions.  Your reaction isn't irrational in the least.  I think that I'd be scared, too, if I were going through what you're experiencing.

It's sad also that men keep on trying to explain that it's a compliment.  First of all, no, and second of all, those of us who have managed to escape basically get the persistent message that we're completely undesirable.  It feels like street harassment is pretty much the litmus test.  You're attractive if people harass you, and otherwise you're the low-hanging fruit for people who are usually intimidated by women.  "There's so many better options out there but I'm going for you because you're unattractive enough that I think I might have a chance."  Or, you know, "All your features are ugly but your beautiful spirit helps your looks."

I don't get told "wear tighter clothes and you'll look so much better."  I get told "yeah, you're going to have to settle."  Or, alternatively, "You don't experience misogyny.  You experience being unattractive."  Or that I don't count as a woman.  I get that one a lot.

Here's another female secret that doesn't get shared often: Those of us--the ugly ones--trade street harassment stories like badges of honor.  "Look, we're not hopeless.  An unattractive stranger shouted at us that they wanted to fuck us, if only once.  I was asked for my number, if only once."

I get laughed at by women or used as an ego trip and ignored by men.  It's to the point now where I know not to go with any female friends if I want to find someone to date, because I'll be the comic relief.  Women also seem to be very comfortable with trying to steal my boyfriend when I'm sitting right there.  And they're usually fine with it, too.  Also with their male friends joking all up and down about how unattractive I am.

And you know what?  I'm quite charming when I feel like it, and really fucking smart, and funny.  It really sucks that people will treat me like this, because there's nothing actually wrong with me.  I'm just flat-chested and not given to losing control of myself.  That is literally it.

Anyway Sappho, I don't mean to steal your thunder.  The situation sucks for everyone and it feels so often like there's just no way to win.  I'm sorry about those assholes treating you like that, and I'm sorry there's nothing you can do about some of it.  I'm just... yeah.  I'm sad enough about how these things keep going that I'm having a hard time articulating myself about your situation.  I felt sick reading your post and was really scared it was going to turn out even worse than it did.  And I won't give you advice, since I think other people have got you covered.  That is really fucking awful, all around.


I've been having nightmares again.

[Rose]

My phone died.

[Owlbread]

I still can't believe Patrick Swayze's dead.

[misko27]

That there was a entire argument on this forum that I didn't notice makes me sad. I mean I spend all day here, and yet something so basic as arguing people in threads I spend a lot of time checking passes me by.

[Descan]

Wait, people think Vector is unattractive?

I would totally cuddle her and watch terrible movies with her. If, you know, I was attracted to women. Not sure how good "Gay dude likes you!" is in terms re: attractiveness, esp. considering I like androgynous guys and you said something about flat-chested-ness? But I mean, you have my slightly tarnished stamp of approval!

* Descan stamps "DESCAN APPROVED" on Vectors forehead.

I don't know what those people are talkin' about, Vector. Er... Not talkin' about, I guess?

Stealing your boyfriend literally right in front of you is kind of like the dick-move of dick-moves.

edit: i've been reading too many of frumples posts

[Bauglir]

It is... really hard to do proper justice to non-magical awesomeness in roleplaying game rules. Not coming up with stuff to do, mind you. Coming up with the terminology. Magic is easier to write for because it's easier to bullshit, but when you desperately need a word for "The act of fighting as a member of a phalanx" and no amount of grammatical contortion will let you get around that, it's problematic. I can't even come up with a word for "non-magical" that doesn't sound insulting (mundane, etc) or have unintended implications (natural, etc).

Also, I'm sad that many people let attractiveness define their perspective of other people's worth. Doesn't help the "hot" people or the "ugly" people. Just makes people feel shitty because a small part of who they are is all anyone talks about. That Vector is quite pretty, for example, is an immutable fact that I am stating for the record, but it does not mean that pointing this out addresses the problem in any meaningful way. I think. Not meant to start an argument with Descan, by the way.

It also means that being widely acknowledged as pretty does not address the problem, either, since it tends to create unwanted attention and a feeling of "I'm valuable only for my looks".

[misko27]

It is... really hard to do proper justice to non-magical awesomeness in roleplaying game rules. Not coming up with stuff to do, mind you. Coming up with the terminology. Magic is easier to write for because it's easier to bullshit, but when you desperately need a word for "The act of fighting as a member of a phalanx" and no amount of grammatical contortion will let you get around that, it's problematic. I can't even come up with a word for "non-magical" that doesn't sound insulting (mundane, etc) or have unintended implications (natural, etc).

Also, I'm sad that many people let attractiveness define their perspective of other people's worth. Doesn't help the "hot" people or the "ugly" people. Just makes people feel shitty because a small part of who they are is all anyone talks about. That Vector is quite pretty, for example, is an immutable fact that I am stating for the record, but it does not mean that pointing this out addresses the problem in any meaningful way. I think. Not meant to start an argument with Descan, by the way.

It also means that being widely acknowledged as pretty does not address the problem, either, since it tends to create unwanted attention and a feeling of "I'm valuable only for my looks".

Something along the lines of the word "Secular", but for magic instead of religion? Hmm. Common, ordinary, antimagic, amagical, Physical, earthly, mortal: Those are the words off the top of my head. Also, while wordiness is a problem, remember that the most fundamental axiom of the English language is "Be clear". If you must use two words to describe something, it's just what you have to do. Wordiness can be unavoidable.

[Descan]

I'm not saying "oh no vector you have worth you attractive shh shh there there."

I'm just saying "Why would people say you are unattractive? THIS CONFUSES THE DESCAN."

I'm not trying to buoy someones self-esteem, I'm saying that I'm confused on why people would think a certain way.

I will fully admit though, that I have trouble with the whole, imbalance between how I view men and women in terms of what I think about first re: intelligence, attractiveness, personality, and what I focus on if they're a smart yet "ugly" person. STILL WORKING ON MYSELF GUYS.

[Bauglir]

Right, yeah, it's just that it's a very common thing to immediately go for physical attractiveness when complimenting or consoling people, but it so often misses the point, even when it sounds relevant. That's not what you were trying to do, I think and you say, so I don't want to come off as calling you out, you just reminded me of something that had occurred to me earlier. Also working on yourself is the absolute best thing you can do, I say as a man in absolutely no position to hand out advice or judge what is best in life. >_________>

RE: Wordiness
Yes, but when you've got "Berserkergang" as a category, followed by "The Act of Serving as Part of a Phalanx" as the title for the next, things look pretty weird.

[Gentlefish]

Phalanxing.

[Bauglir]

That's only slightly more respectable than Phalanxery.

[Descan]

To be in a Phalanx.

or Being in a Phalanx.

Still wordy, not as wordy.

[Gentlefish]

Phalanxalicious.

Phalanxitude.

Phalanxious.