A DISTANT SOIL: The Ascendant Chapter 2 Page 16

WARNING: Tasteful nudity and sexually-oriented humor in tomorrow’s installment. If that’s the sort of thing that bothers you, I know you’ll be back tomorrow.

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14 Comments

  • Arlnee

    no, not Voldemort. The other one. And I’m not about to spoil that one because that an awesome reveal.

    We really do need an edit button, btw. Or I do, anyway 🙂

    /wishlist

  • Colleen

    LOL!

    I have never met a real-life manipulatrix who did not have an inordinate interest in messing with other people’s clothes and hair.

    I guess it’s some sort of control issue thing.

    I remember a really awful woman I had the misfortune to deal with some years ago, whose opening volley the few times I met her was to rag on my appearance.

    Once she announced in front of a group of colleagues “You’d be pretty too if you wore some makeup and nice clothes.”

    And I knew I was in trouble.

    Manipulative people try to negate other’s self esteem and turn them into pets.

  • Arlnee

    You know what I like hearing? “You have such a nice smile… if only you’d lose weight/put on makeup/dress up/not be so opinionated/etc.”

    I’m reminded of this line I read years ago in an issue of Fish Police, at the height of its popularity: Steven Moncuse was talking about his old art teacher–the kind who goes around telling you how you’ll never amount to anything–being an “ugly, misshapen little troll… but only on the inside.”

  • Colleen

    YEOWCH! LOL!

    I completely forgot about the “opinionated little woman” dig.

    We’d be so much better off if we didn’t have mouths. Then we could just be warm and nurturing receptacles for other people’s needs.

    Well, there’s a dream to dream.

  • scribblerworks

    Oh, man… and I live in Hollywood where that sort of thing is rampant. Way too much evaluation based on “image”. There’s so much I could say to that, but won’t (it’d be off point).

    But Bast definitely is ready to treat those she considers inferior (including Liana, even though she’s a potential avatar – she’s a half-bred variant) as toys to play with as she likes.

  • Colleen

    Merry Christmas, Allan! Consider her wrapped and delivered! LOL!

    @scribbler. Don’t restrain yourself. I don’t think it’s off point at all.

  • scribblerworks

    Oh, in my case, it had to do with a major medical decision. Being so overweight, my doctor asked me to consider gastric bypass. But it’s serious surgery and it has MAJOR inpact on what you can do afterwards. I was weighing all those factors, considering the reality of my personality and if I could stick with the restrictions.

    A good friend – who I’m aware is very affected by image issues – tried to sell me on it ENTIRELY on “You’ll look good, and then people will take you seriously.”

    First off, I don’t really have a problem with people taking me seriously when I want them to (except maybe her). And secondly, the Image God has never had a hold over me.

    Yet, it was as if she thought this was the most important appeal of the matter.

    (I decided against the surgery — at least for now. I’ve definitely had ups and downs on the weight since then — up right now, due to inattention during depression and lack of exercise. But “image issues” would never tip the scales for me. It’s the last thing I’d consider – even if it is often the first reason considered in Hollywood.)

  • Carla Speed McNeil

    EE HEE HEE, no, noooo, Seren, don’t make D’mer stop teasing Liana. They’re funny, and high drama needs some earthbound stuff. That’s why the hobbits are so important in Tolkien.

    I had a boss (my very LAST day-job boss) we called the Spitting Cobra, after a Matt Groening joke that described her perfectly. She’d smile and say nasty things so quickly you couldn’t respond appropriately. “Good morning! My, what an ugly shirt. I mean it’s ugly ON YOU. Now REALLY, there’s no reason to be so sour THIS early, what is the rest of your day going to be like?”

  • Colleen

    Scribbler: Is there anything more difficult to deal with than those who “mean well”?

    Carla: HoHo. Oh, yes my dear.

    After I went a few rounds with Madam Mask of Faux Concern, she turned to me and said in her best New Age Passive Aggressive, “You have such anger.”

    Bast would never stoop that low, though. She’d enjoy it if you got pissed.

  • Arlnee

    oh yes, the “you take everything so personally” gambit. Cousin to the “can’t you take a joke” comment. It should die in a fire.

    btw, your comment made me spit coffee on my keyboard. I’m sending you a bill.

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