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The first three tests (Microbiology, Anatomy, Funeral Directing) went incredibly well. The one we had on embalming on Friday... not so well. Fortunately, I'm not the only one.
Our very first test was on the history of embalming, and wow, is there a lot of history. Who invented the Trochar? Who got caught photographed embalming in the Civil War and made it so that we have to get licenses? Who invented embalming fluid? Who was the first black embalmer?
Professor M must've known we were worried, because he trolled us gewd with the first test. I kid you not, these are some of the items in the "match the name to the things" part of the exam:
"Discovered Capillaries"
"Invented the Trochar"
"Father of embalming"
"Father of modern embalming"
"Embalmed Lincoln"
"Did none of these things"
And then this one: "Derp's Catacomb is named after him" with Joe Derp and William Derp right next to each other as options in the names column.
The first black embalmer was a man named Prince Greere. The other class had that as a multiple choice question. With the other answers multiple spellings of Greere, including "Green". I could practically see the trollface/rage comic spawning from that. I'll probably make it one.
I finally got around to inviting this girl that sits on the other side of the room and wears a black and white striped scarf all the time into our studying group, and it wasn't scary at all. She's incredibly cute and (get this) about my height, maybe even a titch shorter. Aquarius, too. It's always Aquarius.
These situations don't come up much, but they're annoying if I think about it too much. It's like... she's cute, but who cares? I can't really do anything about it because (and this is hard to explain), there's nothing to be done about it. Sure I know what other people would do.
"Tell her you think she's cute."
Why?
"Maybe she'll go out with you."
But I don't want to go out with her.
"Why not?"
I'm not interested, it would cut into my alone time, I'd have to talk and tell her things, she'd probably expect me to want to kiss and stuff or hang out outside of class.
"Thought you said she was cute."
She is! Very!
"So don't you want to do something about it?"
I... what are my options?
"Ask her out."
I'm really, really not interested in that.
"What would you do if she asked you out? Hypothetically."
Get really uncomfortable and feign oblivion and make up an excuse as I did so, but be glad that this means we're friends.
What can you do? Nothing. "My blood type is B. There was a lady in a red coat on the subway today. I think you're super cute, and it's a lot of fun, and that makes me really happy." Those are all the same when I say them, but people have reactions of various types to the last one.
"I wish you were asexual, too, so we could be asexual aromantic together." I can't even explain that to you guys, and I'm laughing about how it can't be explained! "Well... that's when we say to each other 'wow, you're cute, I like you' and then we never, ever, ever talk about it again or acknowledge it, and hardly talk to each other, but we leave each other unsigned little general notes and maybe a few times a year for no reason tiny inexpensive gifts for no reason. We never say thank you for these, we merely express our delight as though the other isn't there (but they probably are listening). To put it in the most blunt of terms bordering on crass and a bit overstated, we don't date anyone at all, but we're not dating each other a little less than we're not dating everyone else in the world." Think Dwight and Angela from The Office seasons 1-5, but subtract the sex and the cute name calling. Torrented that show and have been watching it lately before bed. I especially like the whole not-looking-at-each-other-to-talk thing.
What can I do but keep it to myself? For everyone's sake. It's common courtesy to do so.
Our very first test was on the history of embalming, and wow, is there a lot of history. Who invented the Trochar? Who got caught photographed embalming in the Civil War and made it so that we have to get licenses? Who invented embalming fluid? Who was the first black embalmer?
Professor M must've known we were worried, because he trolled us gewd with the first test. I kid you not, these are some of the items in the "match the name to the things" part of the exam:
"Discovered Capillaries"
"Invented the Trochar"
"Father of embalming"
"Father of modern embalming"
"Embalmed Lincoln"
"Did none of these things"
And then this one: "Derp's Catacomb is named after him" with Joe Derp and William Derp right next to each other as options in the names column.
The first black embalmer was a man named Prince Greere. The other class had that as a multiple choice question. With the other answers multiple spellings of Greere, including "Green". I could practically see the trollface/rage comic spawning from that. I'll probably make it one.
I finally got around to inviting this girl that sits on the other side of the room and wears a black and white striped scarf all the time into our studying group, and it wasn't scary at all. She's incredibly cute and (get this) about my height, maybe even a titch shorter. Aquarius, too. It's always Aquarius.
These situations don't come up much, but they're annoying if I think about it too much. It's like... she's cute, but who cares? I can't really do anything about it because (and this is hard to explain), there's nothing to be done about it. Sure I know what other people would do.
"Tell her you think she's cute."
Why?
"Maybe she'll go out with you."
But I don't want to go out with her.
"Why not?"
I'm not interested, it would cut into my alone time, I'd have to talk and tell her things, she'd probably expect me to want to kiss and stuff or hang out outside of class.
"Thought you said she was cute."
She is! Very!
"So don't you want to do something about it?"
I... what are my options?
"Ask her out."
I'm really, really not interested in that.
"What would you do if she asked you out? Hypothetically."
Get really uncomfortable and feign oblivion and make up an excuse as I did so, but be glad that this means we're friends.
What can you do? Nothing. "My blood type is B. There was a lady in a red coat on the subway today. I think you're super cute, and it's a lot of fun, and that makes me really happy." Those are all the same when I say them, but people have reactions of various types to the last one.
"I wish you were asexual, too, so we could be asexual aromantic together." I can't even explain that to you guys, and I'm laughing about how it can't be explained! "Well... that's when we say to each other 'wow, you're cute, I like you' and then we never, ever, ever talk about it again or acknowledge it, and hardly talk to each other, but we leave each other unsigned little general notes and maybe a few times a year for no reason tiny inexpensive gifts for no reason. We never say thank you for these, we merely express our delight as though the other isn't there (but they probably are listening). To put it in the most blunt of terms bordering on crass and a bit overstated, we don't date anyone at all, but we're not dating each other a little less than we're not dating everyone else in the world." Think Dwight and Angela from The Office seasons 1-5, but subtract the sex and the cute name calling. Torrented that show and have been watching it lately before bed. I especially like the whole not-looking-at-each-other-to-talk thing.
What can I do but keep it to myself? For everyone's sake. It's common courtesy to do so.
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no subject
Date: Monday, January 23rd, 2012 02:28 am (UTC)From:And it took me two days to ask her to marry me.
And the first time she said "try again later."
because although I have near-pulitzer grade linguistic skills in the textual format, out loud? With spoken words? "Glub-glub-derp? Buh?" (gestures with ring) (GF looks at moi blankly, then looks pointedly at hands. 'which finger is said ring supposed to go on, lad?')(what finger does the bloody engagement ring go on? Panic! Panic!) "bnuh?"
("um. you did just say you loved me only a week ago. Do try again in a few months?")(crushed. broken. shattered.)Luckily, she called up the next day, and gave me the chance to ask again. and said yes. (XXXXXD)
Now, as to how we actually managed to end up going out in the first place...
A mutual friend introduced us. I had almost been going out with the friend. We met at a New-years Eve party. we played risk,she crushed us all, i offered to rub her feet. My hands are still my best feature, in her regard.
I freely and sincerely regard myself as the luckiest man in the world, or at least in the five-state upper midwest, to have ended up with her.
no subject
Date: Monday, January 23rd, 2012 02:39 am (UTC)From:And haven't you been married long enough to have a kid in college, too? Still baffled at what a grown-up you are.
Makes sense why you like some of the RP Shananegoats that you do. Hoboy. Good thing I'm too busy learning something really tough for anatomy and can't tell you about the shyte going down in Morsa-Fortesorio (e-mail RPG).
no subject
Date: Monday, January 23rd, 2012 02:45 am (UTC)From:Oh, she's amazing. :)
Um. he's about 17 1/2. College next year. :o I ... I switch between geezer and maybe not-so-old.
? Which parts? Or are you referring obliquely to my being a silly romantic? :D
M-F... Sounds Renaissance Italian? Or possibly west Balkan... Hmm.
tease.
;D
no subject
Date: Monday, January 23rd, 2012 02:50 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: Monday, January 23rd, 2012 03:01 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: Sunday, February 16th, 2014 06:35 pm (UTC)From:Wait. Wasn't she bitchy and controlling? Oh IIiiiiiii see. Running her down won't get you anything in this case.
Or are you referring obliquely to my being a silly romantic?
Yep, we've seen you're a real sweetheart.
no subject
Date: Sunday, February 16th, 2014 08:25 pm (UTC)From:No, seriously, just tell me who you are. If you have an LJ, you can use that to PM me if you don't want anyone knowing your business. If you don't have one, you can e-mail and tell me. I think I deserve an explanation, seeing as how this is my livejournal. If you're alright with making comments in public, then you should have no problem telling me why you're making the comment, please and thanks.
Edit: Especially if you're going to be using bookfase. Otherwise, I'm going to consider this a troll job. ... I'm not angry, just... I mean Facebook. You understand why I'm inclined to be wary of your comment, don't you? I mean Facebook...! The new MySpace of the intertubes.
no subject
Date: Monday, February 17th, 2014 03:20 am (UTC)From:I'm a friend of a friend, it would seem.
Maybe a friend of a friend of a friend, I'm not sure. In any case, I don't know you directly, but I do know some people the scum sucking lowlife I commented to has known. Or annihilated. Choose your word.
I might /get/ cranky at you should you tell me he's /not/ a scum sucking lowlife, however.
You mentioned down a ways in reply to Nevermore that you have heard 3 different accounts of what a disgusting excuse for a human being he is, and nothing from him. Have you made any attempt to contact him?
Because I can tell you, if someone had accused me of these things, and it was a gigantic, horrible misunderstanding, or a smear campaign, or an out and out lie, I would be doing whatever I could to disprove it. Obviously people would have the option of not believing me, but I'd be /trying/.
Then again personality disordered shitbags like this can and will say /anything/ and even on some level convince them selves that it's true. So there's that.
no subject
Date: Monday, February 17th, 2014 04:09 am (UTC)From:I'm not saying your feelings are invalid. What I'm doing is showing you what it looks like from over here. I'm wary of things that come from the FB base because you know what it's like there. People coming from there to LJ... what I mean is that my experience with FB is that it's a place where people post pictures and snippets of conversation that are over within days whereas LJ discussions tend to last. FB seems to be a place for flash-in-the-pan emotions because things move so quickly over there and nobody gets any time to think. So stuff tends to be less thought out and more "gonna act on my emotions and anger right this second". It's a lot more... emotional thought, not thoughtful emotion. I'm just letting you know what it looks like from here.
't being
Date: Sunday, February 16th, 2014 08:46 pm (UTC)From:Isn't it that you can't say anything good about feelings?
So which is it? Can't be all these sweet words were... oh what's the word I'm looking for? FAKE?
Dude. Your friend here says he's both asexual and aromantic. Which means HE'S NOT INTERESTED IN YOU YOU FUCKWIT.
Bet he was willing to RP a little smut for ya' though, wasn't he?
Oh did we mention he's a HE? S'pose it doesn't matter, so long as they'll pay attention to you and tell you how wonderful you are.
Re: 't being
Date: Sunday, February 16th, 2014 08:51 pm (UTC)From:And while I adore comments on my LJ (really I do!) would you mind if I ask who you are? And if you have any comments on my actual post, that'd be great. Do you RP? I do. Love it, in fact.
Come on, we're all friends here. And, you know, it's my LJ and stuff, so... it'd be nice if I got a li'l comment, too.
Edit: We RPed over LJ, though. I used my Undead Ramona Quimby zombie and he played Beezus. But she was only interested in hunting down and killing her freshly undead sister. Wasn't very erotic, I can promise you that :D
no subject
Date: Sunday, February 16th, 2014 09:01 pm (UTC)From:What I can tell you, is your buddy here has made shit tons of enemies and walked all over an equal number of people. If you don't know anything about it, then consider yourself lucky.
The rot he's spouted to people and the people he's spouted it to has developed quite a cult following. I had to see this particular installment, for myself.
If it wasn't erotic, it had to be the other thing: You know, the one where he writes exactly in your style and eventually tries to take over your character. There really was no Option C with this lovely piece of work.
no subject
Date: Sunday, February 16th, 2014 09:43 pm (UTC)From:Yeah, I know of... the troubles. Well, I know of one friend who has had them anyway.
I don't know about the other thing. I'm hhhhhincredibly strong-willed when it comes to RPG, and super protective of my characters. I consider him the one-person fandom of the RPG I have with my RP-BFF G. He wrote tiny snippets of fanfiction for us, but that's all I consider it- fanfiction. See, G has been gone about a year now with Troubles of her own (not related) and I've missed her a lot. Talking to Barrie felt like talking to a fan. Nothing he said struck me as taking over, but, I don't know, that's just this person's lone experience. It was different with me because my RP with G is beyond fortress-level and nobody could infiltrate it if they even tried.
I suppose I'm a different case completely. So I have no room to judge either of you, and I wouldn't either. Did you know that during funeral arranging, a lot of hostility in families comes out? All sorts of people come to the funeral director saying all sorts of things. I believe that it's my job to listen to everyone and sincerely believe them, but in the end, I'm here to bury you, not judge you. So I'll listen all day, I promise, but I'll never try to change your mind about anyone because that'd imply that I think your feelings are wrong. I don't know all the details in this story, but I'm not going to deny you your feelings because I have no idea what you went through.
no subject
Date: Sunday, February 16th, 2014 09:57 pm (UTC)From:It's a long story how everything came out and how everyone started comparing notes but suffice to say that was his MO. Take a character that was special to a person. Repeat their words, changed juuuuuust a little bit, to make them sound like his. Wow, you really GET me, you UNDERSTAND! That's how you earn their trust. And then, subtly but firmly, push for smut.
Or just waltz into their verse and take over. Either/both, good enough.
He creeped out one person so badly she can't even stand the thought of working with her RP character anymore, and this was something she'd been really into, doing costumes for, going to Cons, that sort of thing.
He's spoiled everything and everyone he's touched. And seeing him interacting like this with you, when I/we have seen more of the REAL Thom than we'd ever care to, well, it's more than a little sickening.
A "silly romantic" wouldn't pick off a room of trauma survivors one by one for customized smut. Someone "lucky to have" his wife wouldn't be trolling the internet for vulnerable women (and sometimes men) to seduce.
Sometimes it's not about judging, but about facts. I do appreciate your open mindedness, you sound like a good person. Just the type he'd go after, too. Someone who tries to see both sides of an issue, and (don't take offense) doesn't come down hard on one side or the other. Someone who maybe doesn't have clear, defined boundaries. A genuine person will appreciate that. A predator like him will take advantage of it.
no subject
Date: Sunday, February 16th, 2014 10:48 pm (UTC)From:So what I mean is... is it possibly fair to say that maybe I was one of the people he didn't do that to? That maybe when he was talking to me, he really didn't have any underlying agenda. That doesn't make anything you (or anyone else) went through less real or significant, and it doesn't mean that your feelings are invalid or that you shouldn't feel how you do.
I wonder if there's something about all this that I'm not getting and maybe never will get because of the whole Asex/Aromantic thing, but I'm also wondering this- Imagine a predator who poisoned everything he touched, seduced everything he came into contact with. Then picture a not-really-person who literally could not be seduced or poisoned, and that not-really-person became friends with him, then found out all of these awful things. When everyone around him cast him out because he was blighting everything, wouldn't the N-R-P have twice the defense against it (since they knew it existed and to watch out for it, but they were also unable to be afflicted)? Maybe the person won't even try at that point. And maybe if the N-R-P says "You have done a terrible thing, but that doesn't change the good times we had" and the N-R-P doesn't go anywhere.
I don't really know what I'm trying to say there anymore. I hope I didn't imply that you're trying to make me feel one way or another, because I know you're just telling me your side of the story, and that definitely does deserve to be heard. I actually haven't yet heard anything out of him, I really haven't. So right now, I have no idea where his mind is. I hope you understand why I'm like this- I just get these messages (yours is the third) that are replies to his comments, so there is no other side at all which is why I feel like it would be the height of unfairness if I decided anything. I hope you get what I'm saying. I mean, if suddenly people came to me and said things about you and I hadn't heard from you in months, I wouldn't just... you know?
no subject
Date: Saturday, March 1st, 2014 12:45 am (UTC)From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: Monday, January 23rd, 2012 03:00 am (UTC)From:There is also the "other warm body next to you" element of relationships; I dunno if it appeals, but, it's big to me.
How do I translate... Dammit. You know more about our barely-shared language than I do. How do I translate to myself?
But you're right; simple alone time is a precious resource. But... those who do not share your "non-switched-on-ness"... we desperately need another. M, F, Z, we need another. (Or more than one.) But what is important is the neeeed. It drives us absolutely (fscking) nuts.
jeez. I should try and imagine someone who is gender-neutral in my story. maybe then I can grasp it. :( Would that be exploitative? Should I avoid that? It's hard enough writing people who are actually comfortable with their sexuality. |P
Babble. Babble. Babble.
no subject
Date: Monday, January 23rd, 2012 03:24 am (UTC)From:jeez. I should try and imagine someone who is gender-neutral in my story. maybe then I can grasp it. :( Would that be exploitative?
NO. No it would not be. And you know what? Seriously, f*ck those c**ts who are all "BAAAWWWW if you write about another something then it is exploitative but at the same time BAAAAW ALSO because we don't get represented!" Pretty much all of them are white women who are guilty about their whiteness so they need to make everyone else feel bad. Write it. Do it. Someone is going to complain. They always complain. They can go bawl on SF_Drama about it. "WAAAH! The only way to positively depict a person of color is to depict them as white people! WAAAAH!" I wish they'd all get cancer of the leukemia of the bird flu and drop dead. >C iMad.
no subject
Date: Monday, January 23rd, 2012 04:10 am (UTC)From:I'll try not to screw up.
I've got a Senior dragon who is most of the way there, but it might need to be one of the kids. The dragons (The Ryujin, the True Dragons, as opposed to the Wyrmblood, the half-dragons) have a more ...refined interpretation of why to make offspring than mere biology.
no subject
Date: Monday, January 23rd, 2012 04:37 am (UTC)From:Well, I'd be DEAD, for one. Dead at birth.
Sappiness deleted.
I appreciate A LOT your being my online friend. Thank You.
no subject
Date: Sunday, February 16th, 2014 06:39 pm (UTC)From:So much so that...
Well, you know what you've done. So does everyone else.
no subject
Date: Sunday, February 16th, 2014 06:44 pm (UTC)From:Warm bodies are a dime a dozen, aren't they? Nothing means anything, it's just a warm body.
no subject
Date: Monday, January 23rd, 2012 03:08 am (UTC)From:I think part of me considered it to be abrasive.
no subject
Date: Sunday, February 16th, 2014 06:46 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: Sunday, February 16th, 2014 06:38 pm (UTC)From:Quick! I said I loved you for god's sake, now marry me before my mask falls off. This pretending to be human is wearing me out!
I had almost been going out with the friend. We met at a New-years Eve party. we played risk,she crushed us all, i offered to rub her feet.
I'm sure the "friend" thought you WERE going out, and was absolutely flattered that you dropped her like a pancake onto a plate and went whistling off to her friend like she never existed.
We've seen 2 versions of this story, now. You're a piece of shit in both of them. Even though you're trying to portray yourself otherwise.