✧ Broken ribs suck. You don’t just “walk it off.” Breathing hurts. Laughing hurts. Existing hurts. Characters with rib injuries won’t be doing heroic sprints.
✧ Concussions aren’t instant naps. Dazed vision, nausea, dizziness, maybe even personality changes, but they’re not going to collapse neatly like in the movies.
✧ Blood loss is sneaky. It’s not just about dramatic pools of blood. It’s dizziness, confusion, and the body getting cold as circulation tanks.
✧ Adrenaline lies. Someone can take a serious injury and not feel it until the fight’s over. That “I didn’t realize I was bleeding until later” trope? Very real.
✧ Twisted ankles are brutal. One bad step and suddenly running is off the table. Even walking hurts like hell. Perfect way to ground a chase scene.
✧ Burns linger. Even small burns hurt more than most people expect. Blisters, infection risk, constant pain, it’s not just a cool scar later.
✧ Dislocated shoulders = useless arm. Characters can’t keep swinging a sword or firing a gun. They’re basically fighting one-armed until it’s fixed.
✧ Shock is a thing. Pale skin, trembling, rapid heartbeat, and eventually disorientation. A character might not even realize how bad their wound is.
✧ Stitches aren’t magic. Getting sewn up is painful and recovery takes time. They’re not instantly battle-ready after a needle and thread.
✧ Scars tell stories. Some fade, some don’t. Some stay sensitive forever. Don’t forget the aftermath when the wound becomes part of the character.
It's obvious that I'm adamantly opposed to the idea that Darcy does not deserve Elizabeth's good opinion/love, doesn't deserve his happy ending with her, is generally inferior to her, whatever.
I will say, however, that there is someone who has a good opinion of him that he does very little to earn. I think you could make a much better argument in that case that he doesn't really deserve it. And yet it's so endearing:
[Mrs Bennet:] “Mrs Long told me last night that he [Darcy] sat close to her for half an hour without once opening his lips.”
“Are you quite sure, ma’am? Is not there a little mistake?” said Jane. “I certainly saw Mr Darcy speaking to her.”
“Ay, because she asked him at last how he liked Netherfield, and he could not help answering her; but she said he seemed very angry at being spoke to.”
“Miss Bingley told me,” said Jane, “that he never speaks much unless among his intimate acquaintance. With them he is remarkably agreeable.”
-
Jane's reaction to Wickham's story:
“Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion. My dearest Lizzy, do but consider in what a disgraceful light it places Mr Darcy, to be treating his father’s favourite in such a manner,—one whom his father had promised to provide for. It is impossible. No man of common humanity, no man who had any value for his character, could be capable of it."
Jane passing on Bingley's account:
"I am sorry to say that by his account, as well as his sister’s, Mr Wickham is by no means a respectable young man. I am afraid he has been very imprudent, and has deserved to lose Mr Darcy’s regard."
Jane after Wickham's story becomes common "knowledge":
Miss Bennet was the only creature who could suppose there might be any extenuating circumstances in the case unknown to the society of Hertfordshire: her mild and steady candour always pleaded for allowances, and urged the possibility of mistakes; but by everybody else Mr Darcy was condemned as the worst of men.
Jane after Elizabeth tells her about the Hunsford proposal:
She [Jane] was sorry that Mr Darcy should have delivered his sentiments in a manner so little suited to recommend them; but still more was she grieved for the unhappiness which her sister’s refusal must have given him.
Jane is so sad about how sad Darcy must be!
“His being so sure of succeeding was wrong,” said she [Jane], “and certainly ought not to have appeared; but consider how much it must increase his disappointment.”
Jane's response to hearing the truth about Wickham:
What a stroke was this for poor Jane, who would willingly have gone through the world without believing that so much wickedness existed in the whole race of mankind as was here collected in one individual! Nor was Darcy’s vindication, though grateful to her feelings, capable of consoling her for such discovery.
Jane still vicariously suffering for Darcy:
“Wickham so very bad! It is almost past belief. And poor Mr Darcy! dear Lizzy, only consider what he must have suffered. Such a disappointment! and with the knowledge of your ill opinion too! and having to relate such a thing of his sister! It is really too distressing, I am sure you must feel it so.”
Jane even points out that Darcy's general behavior and demeanor never struck her as all that bad:
[Elizabeth]: “There certainly was some great mismanagement in the education of those two young men. One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it.”
[Jane]: “I never thought Mr Darcy so deficient in the appearance of it as you used to do.”
Elizabeth keeps so much of her relationship with Darcy hidden through the later novel that Jane doesn't have reason to say much about him, but after their engagement, Elizabeth worries about her family's response:
she anticipated what would be felt in the family when her situation became known: she was aware that no one liked him but Jane
When Elizabeth tells Jane about the engagement, Jane is shocked and baffled. Elizabeth assures her of her change in feeling, and adds:
"But are you pleased, Jane? Shall you like to have such a brother?”
“Very, very much."
Jane continues to be worried that Elizabeth doesn't really love Darcy and wants details that she eventually does receive.
“Now I am quite happy,” said she, “for you will be as happy as myself. I always had a value for him. Were it for nothing but his love of you, I must always have esteemed him; but now, as Bingley’s friend and your husband, there can be only Bingley and yourself more dear to me."
Yes: Darcy is more dear to Jane than her father, mother, other three sisters, friends, and four uncles and aunts.
As for Darcy, he certainly likes and respects her. He describes her in the letter as amiable, cheerful, engaging, and explicitly excludes her from his criticisms of the Bennets. Back at Netherfield, he's noted as ignoring Miss Bingley to be polite towards Jane, and after his own engagement, he points out Elizabeth's care for Jane as early proof of her own goodness. Jane is one of only three characters he refers to by their first name alone by the end of the book (the others are Elizabeth and Georgiana).
So it's not that he doesn't appreciate her in his own way. I actually think the quiet rapport between them is really cute even though Jane is the person who suffers the most for Darcy's mistakes. But damn, Jane.
Considering that Bingley clearly loves and respects Darcy, I wonder to what extent this is founded on Jane getting to see Darcy through Bingley's eyes a bit. Like, in all their conversations getting to know each other, Bingley's travelling companions would be a natural topic of conversation, so I can imagine Jane coming away from that first ball with a strong first impression of Darcy as "Bingley's Reserved But Beloved Friend".
Honestly, I think it's more that Jane relates to him a little. She sticks up for him pretty much immediately and pretty strongly—before she knows Bingley well at all—and, if anything, it seems Caroline's account of him is more of a factor than Bingley's.
But overall, I think that while Jane can be led astray by her extreme candor (in the older sense), she has pretty decent instincts behind it all and simply feels a rapport with him. They have quite a lot in common, despite their obvious differences, and I think there's a level at which Jane feels it and doesn't find it difficult to relate to this composed, deeply private, often smiling but quite reserved man whose motives and history and feelings are wildly speculated on and treated as public property. I don't think she's completely thought her way through it, even by the point where she's saying she's going to love him more than her parents and other sisters, but she feels it.
The big painful irony is this is that while she is correct that Darcy is misjudged not merely for being abrasive and arrogant (which he sometimes is), but for many of the same reasons that Jane herself is misjudged, he's one of the people who misjudges her for those very things and his misjudgment in particular has a much more negative effect on Jane's life. Even so, he goes out of his way to be clear that he respects and likes Jane as a person, he insists that his altered judgment of Jane's feelings for Bingley late in the novel was not due to just adopting Elizabeth's take but on his own re-evaluation (with rather clearer eyes), and she's the only person in the whole book other than Georgiana and Elizabeth whom he ever refers to by their first name.
This doesn't negate his mistakes or the kind of sad irony of them, but I think it does signify that the rapport and solidarity Jane feels with him isn't just in her head or just an expression of her extreme generosity or tendency to side with a community underdog, but something real and mutually felt and significant that Jane was correct to register from early on.
(I think it works especially well in the original book, because both are more distinct and nuanced there; Jane is intelligent, strong-willed, and stubborn in the book along side her sweetness and extreme optimism, and Darcy is more witty and composed—rather than neurotic or brooding—and more vulnerable and principled than he's generally represented as, so while they do have major personality differences, the gap between them is not as vast as it can seem in a fandom context. When Darcy talks about being 23 and wanting to believe Wickham was sincere about changing his ways, it's pretty easy to imagine a younger, more idealistic Darcy whose Jane-like personality traits hadn't been sanded down as much.)
Shallan: Jasnah hates me now because I robbed her and is just taking me along with her forever because of some unknowable reason probably she definitely thinks I’m bad now 😞
Jasnah: *wrote to her mom to tell her about Shallan, came up with a plan to help Shallan’s family even though it would help her enemies, talked up Shallan to her mom to a point where her mom thought it would be a good idea to have Shallan marry into the family and started the betrothal process (but left enough room to back out in case Shallan doesn’t want to get married), got worried because hasn’t seen Shallan in five minutes and decided to sit on deck with her even though she clearly wants to be inside, told Shallan that she thinks the magical beings have brought the two of them together and they need to be together now because fate or whatever (she’s the worlds most prominent atheist btw)*
Inspired by our friends at Rapid City Public Library (link goes to TikTok). Music only - sound not needed.
[Video Description: A librarian with glasses wearing a polo shirt and shelving books answers an unheard question from someone offscreen. His words are inaudible but the caption reads "The librarian wearing the cardigan and glasses will be able to help you."
Video cuts to an information desk where four librarians wearing cardigans and glasses are working. They all turn and wave as four more librarians wearing cardigans and glasses pop out from behind the desk and wave. The librarian from the beginning walks on screen and puts on his own cardigan. And waves.]
Music credit: George Street Shuffle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Kaladin would love to be the guy on the weather channel that they make stand outside in the hurricanes and tornadoes and snowstorms and report on how nobody should be standing outside right now, look how fucking wild the weather is!
"Excuse me?" Branch didn't even realise he had spoken until Poppy looked at him in shock. Honestly he had been quite happy trying to accept the all too familiar feeling of greyness that had settled over him.
But hearing this Troll trying to switch the blame over to Poppy, trying to blame everything on Poppy.
It was like Branch just shattered threw glass.
"Pop ruined everything? Are you joking?" Branch continues as he slowly walks across the dark stage vaguely aware of Poppy following behind him.
"Pop wasn't the one invading are homes and leaving destruction behind. Pop wasn't the one spitting on our music and forcing us to changed. Pop wasn't the one who forced sub-genres to go go to horrible lengths just at the small chance to save their music. That was you." Branch declared firecly and for once Poppy was letting him speak.
"Oh right I'm going to listen to a Pop boytoy." Barb spat back her face a scrunched up in a firce glare.
"You blame Pop for something that happened generations ago. Something that you yourself just tried to do. You're just like them." Branch shouted before he scoffed and shook his head.
"I've experienced so much music on this adventure. All of it was so different but that's what makes music amazing. Differences do matter and you tried to take away from us-"
"Listen here Pop troll how about you go back whatever hole you lot came put of! You've already destroyed our music-"
"No Barb. If anyone destroyed music it's you." Branch declared causing Barb to step back in shock. She swallowed hard as she looked around the arena, the grey miserable faces all around and it felt like the silence was swallowing her up.
"Also I'm not a Pop troll. I'm just...me." Branch said softly as he turned to look at the person who was his whole world.
"Music is just too beautiful for me to stick in box." Branch admitted causing Poppy to smile softly.
Suddenly a small light glowed causing the two to look at Branch's chest. Softly beating away a rainbow heart glowed from Branch's chest.
As Branch blinked in shock a loud beating thump echoed from the speakers. Looking around Poppy and Branch spotted Cooper in the crowd a microphone held against his chest where a pink and purple heart glowed softly.
Bobbing his head Prince D quickly picked up the beat and started beat boxing a tune as a green coloured heart appeared on his chest.
"Those are my sons making music." Queen Essence beamed in pride as purple hearts appeared on their chests.
A clicking beat with a angelic hum soon joined the twins and a quick look showed Branch had joined the boys causing them to smile.
Delta Dawn was quick to join in, stamping her hooves and clapping her hands to the beat as an orange heart glowed through her top.
Soon everyone in the stadium was joining in with their own music, different coloured lights shinning through the darkness.
Then it went silent.
"Queen Barb can't take away something inside us." Queen Essence stated firmly making it clear who she blamed for this mess.
The funk Queen smiled as she looked around before looking back at where Poppy and Branch stood together their hands clasped tightly.
"Because that's where music really comes from." Queen Essence finished as King Quincy nodded in agreement.
"It started with the strings but now it comes from us." He grinned causing the Techno Trolls to started signing a together softly.
"Yeah! It comes from our experiences!" King Trollex cheered as his blue heart glowed brightly.
"Our lives!" Delta Dawn called out with a grin.
"The love we have for others." Branch pipped up as he gazed at Poppy was a smile.
"And our cultures." Queen Essence finished with a proud smile.
Poppy gazed around in shock as she saw the different colour hearts that filled the stadium.
All different but all standing together despite that.
"Look at that, Bard can't take that away." Poppy whispered before she took a deep breath and smiled at Branch.
"You were right Branch. Differences do matter. I should have listened to you." Poppy said sorrowful causing Branch to shake his head as he cupped her cheek softly.
"You were right too Poppy. We can be together, we are all trolls despite ours differences." Branch correctly causing Poppy to giggle as her heart glowed bright pink.
She then closed her eyes, took a deep breath and pulled up the familiar feeling that had hidden deep outside.
"Let me, hear you, SING~"
----
Queen Essence approached Poppy after everything calmed down. The pink troll was watching her boyfriend, cue mental squeal, talk with the reggaetron and kpop trolls.
"You know it's been a long time since I saw genrefluid troll." Queen Essence admitted causing Poppy to jump with a squeak.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Poppy laughed as zhe forced herself to pay attention to the other Queen. It was hard though as Hickory had approached Branch.
She hoped Branch understands the situation Hickory had been in, he sure understood the other bounty hunters well enough.
"You're blue friend, Branch was it? I thought he was a Pop troll but it seems like I was mistaken." Queen Essence spoke as she tilted her head towards Branch.
"You were?" Poppy questioned as she thought back to the concert she then remembered that Branch's heart had been different.
"Mmm. Your Branch is very special. He has the ability to blend in with the other genre with ease. That's a very rare talent." Queen Essence explained with a smile.
Poppy's eyes widened in shock before she grinned and looked back to where Branch and Hickory were sharing a laugh together.
i’ve stopped trash talking comic sans after learning the font is actually one of the only dyslexia-friendly fonts that come standard with most computers and i advocate for others doing the same
In the event that you would like to continue hating Comic Sans, other dyslexia-friendly alternatives include Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, Century Gothic and Trebuchet.
Random fact: Verdana is one of the few fonts which was specifically designed to be as easy to read as possible, even at smaller type sizes. It was designed this way for use on screen, but the same principles apply in print too. This is part of why some Universities use Verdana as their default font for documents.
There’s also a dyslexic font designed especially for dyslexic people to read.
You can install on your tablets, laptops and browers etc, so not only can you change things like documents into it, you can change websites into that font as well!
For computer reading, when you mix up lines of text, there’s a web browser app called Beeline Reader. It looks like this
The colors are also customizable, to an extent and while I don’t have dyslexia, I have adhd which makes reading large amounts of text harder and this helps A LOT.
Beeline reader also has a built-in setting for changing the font to the OpenDyslexic font, so not only will it help with tracking via the gradient color changes, it can alter the font to help without a second app/extension. I use both together and it’s wonderful!
«"Fue sólo cuando alcanzó una edad avanzada que el hermano menor finalmente se quitó la Capa de Invisibilidad y se la dio a su hijo".»—Ignotus Peverell pasando la capa a su hijo
