To be fair to MWT, it was an act of self-defense. I, uh, kinda made the first strike.
Gather round, mutuals, followers, random passersby and I shall tell ye the tale. It started innocently. There was a lovely post going around.
[ID: A screenshot of a tumblr post by relevanttosomeone-inactive that reads, "look all i want in life is a matching hardcover set of the queen's thief books a this really too much to ask". Below that ninedaysaqueen has made an addition to the post that reads, "50th anniversary edition? 😁" End ID]
And then I decided to do some snark.
[ID: The same tumblr post from the above image, but there is a third comment added by OP that reads, "Ah, that would be just in timd for the release of the next book." End ID]
What wit and japery! Said with all the confidence a person who has multiple stories that haven't seen an update in years. Surely this is fine and my favorite author in the entire world will not see the goof I just made at her expense.
.......MWT saw the goof I made at her expense. (Almost a year later.) Whoops.
[ID: The same post as the above two images. There is a fourth and final comment by meganwhalenturner that simply reads, "😠" End ID]
Something something do not offend the gods.
But it was a little too late for that.
Next thing I knew, I was getting a lot of asks and messages telling me to check Megan's tumblr. I checked Megan's tumblr. She had decided to fight back:
[ID: A screenshot of an image post reblogged by MWT. The image is black-and-white art by tumblr user jon-carling of a skeletal person in a dress holding a cup-telephone up to their ear. The cup is connected by string to another cup held by the devil, who is speaking into it. MWT has added the caption, "I think the name is throwaninkpot. Do I need to spell it out for you?" End ID]
I'll be honest, I've never been fully sure how to parse that. But--the actual devil giving a skeleton my name? Not a lot of positive interpretations there. Still, I wasn't complaining. Y'know, not to be like "Megan could step on me (or chop off my hand) and I'd thank her", but, I would. And I did start it first.
And, after all, she did keep her promise:
[ID: A screenshot of a comment made by OP, that reads, "That's fair. {strike font} If it makes any difference, I'd happily wait fifty years for a book from you." Below that is a comment by meganwhalenturner that reads, "It's not going to take fifty years! I promise! (I do realize . . . this is a low bar.) ~mwt" End ID]
It hasn't been fifty years.