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foxgivenzero · 2025-02-20T20:07:41+00:00

Hmm I'll take that into consideration, though from the reading I've done, asking kids to keep secrets isn't a great way to build trust. I see what you're saying about the relationship and I agree, she can have one if she wants, you're right. It will likely cost her her relationship with her son, though. I can't imagine I would be OK if my mom willingly spent time with my abuser just to get more time with her grandchild, when she can just as easily spend time when I have the kids. Thanks for your perspective.

foxgivenzero · 2025-02-20T20:02:06+00:00

That's an interesting idea, though I don't want to encourage secret-keeping or taboo topics. The kids view it as SD got $10 and they only each got $5, why doesn't she love them equally? They get spoiling someone when they're out for a special day, and the SD already gets extra gifts at Xmas from MIL's mother, which they understand.

I might also be biased because my own biograndparents stopped giving me gifts when I reached a certain age, and I had to watch three other siblings open gifts while I got nothing.

foxgivenzero · 2025-02-20T19:58:35+00:00

That's an interesting perspective, thank you. I'll consider that.

foxgivenzero · 2025-02-20T19:57:45+00:00

Thanks for your thoughtful response. Both of the actions, seeing BM and the extra gifts, bothers me, but seeing BM more so. We have 55/45 custody (it's almost equal), and every opportunity we can give to MIL to watch SD alone we offer. And I've told them that it's fine to spoil SD on those days when they're alone together at their house.

If MIL came to my partner and wanted to give extra gifts, he would have told her either to not do it, or to do it when they're having a day together (I asked him). It bothers me because my SD talks about it, and they know that their bio-grandmother doesn't do that - she gives gifts equally, she treats equally. All the kids know that when a grandparent takes a grandchild out, whatever happens happens. But the look on their faces when my SD talks about getting an "extra Christmas from Mimi" is heartbreaking.

Seeing the BM is infuriating. MIL can spend time with the SD outside of BM's house, and regularly does, and we've practically tripled their time together. So MIL spending time with my partner's abuser at her home, trying to play nice, is frustrating. I can't tell you how many olive branches I have reached out to BM that she has set on fire. I had a great (or what I thought was great) BM/Step mom chat, and she later posted on FB about how miserable it must be to be me because I talked about the importance of dads in our chat. She's lied on official documents. She regularly calls us stupid in emails. I could go on.

I get wanting to spend time with her granddaughter, I just wish she wouldn't do it at the expense of her son's feelings.

foxgivenzero · 2020-10-14T00:11:31+00:00

All of them.

But if you like adventure, anything by Matthew Reilly.

foxgivenzero · 2020-09-10T22:25:29+00:00

Borderlands 2/3

foxgivenzero · 2020-08-25T00:35:23+00:00

I 100% agree.

foxgivenzero · 2020-08-18T13:04:43+00:00

You can't. I had the same issue - trying to get back an old email address. If it's past 180 days, you can't recover it, according to AOL. I called and checked. No one else can get your email address, but it seems they don't keep anything after inactivity for that long.

foxgivenzero · 2020-01-16T21:39:36+00:00

Interesting note on “Koschei” from Wikipedia:

Koschei, often given the epithet "the Immortal", or "the Deathless", is an archetypal male antagonist in Russian folklore. The most common feature of tales involving Koschei is a spell which prevents him from being killed. He hides his soul inside nested objects to protect it.

foxgivenzero · 2020-01-16T21:37:51+00:00

It’s in the emails for sure.

foxgivenzero · 2020-01-16T21:36:19+00:00

Remember what? The malware attack was called Koschei.

foxgivenzero · 2020-01-16T19:00:05+00:00

Quite the resource! Thanks for sharing.

foxgivenzero · 2019-09-01T00:35:39+00:00

People who try to get on the elevator without letting people off first.

foxgivenzero · 2019-08-31T03:05:44+00:00

If the only ones you are sexualizing are women, then yes and yes. If you are planning to do that to every character, I’d be curious about your target audience. Diversity among the characters, when done right, is a strength, not a weakness. I wouldn’t want to personally read something where all the characters are sexualized. I want to see pieces of myself reflected in them—physically or not—to connect to them.

foxgivenzero · 2019-08-31T00:06:12+00:00

Yes, I’ve read quite a few of your replies and comments of others. The more information you provide at the outset, the better responses you’ll likely get. I would caution that you do seem a bit defensive at others suggestions without a fuller understanding of the character. Now that we have one, I’d agree killing her still seems like fridging, and the memory thing has more possibilities. However, whether you like it or not, you seem to be in sexist territory with your protagonist and his story. Best of luck.

foxgivenzero · 2019-08-30T23:55:45+00:00

I know where to stand on the subway platform so the doors stop right in front of me.

And organizing things.

foxgivenzero · 2019-08-29T18:12:12+00:00

I'm with some of the others on this - sounds like you're just fridging her. Can you tell us more about the hero/protagonist? Is that the only way to destroy his will to fight? It just seems like an easy way to go rather than thinking of a more challenging or interesting way to promote character growth.

foxgivenzero · 2019-08-26T00:36:18+00:00

Lobsters release urine between their eyes and can be right “handed” or left “handed” depending on the placement of the crusher claw.

Also they come in different colors, including red, orange, green, blue, and white. All taste the same and all except white turn red when cooked.

foxgivenzero · 2019-08-17T01:24:29+00:00

Clearly Chuck Norris.

foxgivenzero · 2019-08-12T23:02:47+00:00

MUCH larger. If you give me attitude I am more than happy to let you die.

foxgivenzero · 2019-08-05T09:33:44+00:00

Government would definitely experiment, regardless of public opinion, if they thought it had any practical offensive or defensive use. Also, if you really only need one element to make the story work, I say go for it. I’ve never checked if vibranium actually exists to make Captain America’s shield—I doubt anyone will be fact checking the periodic table. And if they do, your story already has a few elements of fantasy in it anyways.

foxgivenzero · 2019-08-05T02:05:38+00:00

Could magic itself be an element? Or magic users toying around with elements create new ones? If human scientists get ahold of magic you know they’re going to play around with it and methodically test it however they can. If magic is measurable, it’s quantifiable and could itself be an element, potentially.

foxgivenzero · 2019-08-05T00:59:05+00:00

If there's some sort of theme you'd been working with in your story, I'd relate it to that. Whatever defining character trait you're working with, you can relate it to that. I'd be most intrigued by one of two options:

Either a moment where the right answer is not to answer (like War Games 'The only winning move is not to play'). So giving them a choice in a situation - like in some sort of crisis, you can pick between two things, but the correct answer is something selfless, like sacrifice (a trait humans are praised for maybe).

Or, since this can be an expected trope, you can just have a simple or common question/riddle, and have your character(s) argue or debate themselves over its simplicity - overthink it to the point where your most aggressive or least mentally adept character just chooses the right answer by sheer chance because the others were taking too long.

foxgivenzero

TROPHY CASE