Empress of Mars: Undisputed @zebratron2084@awoo.space

===== KITTY ALERT =====

Eeyup. One of the cats has definitely mastered the leap from the side fence to our windowsill.

Fortunately, it's Sugarfoot—a very well-behaved young lady, and the one we like best. We're probably gonna cave in and get a guest bed and litterbox soon. There is no more pretending She Does Not Live Here.

@hystericempress *high five* Damn straight, sis. I'm mostly playing these days to the inside straight of "What if Parallax actually finds an audience and we get to do this for real?" That'd make this whole saga feel like a real big win—and the thought HAS crossed my mind that there are a lot worse things than a nice, quiet, contemplative exile... I wouldn't be the first person to do their life's best work in one.

Still. In the immortal words of St. Marjorie: "It's an ending. That's enough." :)

I wouldn't go back. And if I can't find another damn portal to the Otherworld in NEW ORLEANS of all the damn places, I wasn't cut out to be there in the first place.

And I am, as soon as we get some mundane paperwork in order, about to marry a dragonwitch. And we are followed everywhere by black cats. That's... a lot to walk away from this whole disaster with.

I'll be OK. Beats rabies. ❤️

I guess the best way to sum up my mood lately is... last 20 pages of an obnoxiously allegorical kids' fantasy. The kind where the kid ends up back in reality and it's a big parable about Growing The Fuck Up, and isn't it lovely that you had this experience, and you'll treasure it forever, but now it's time to go work in a bank and listen to your mum. :p

It's still a happy-ending kind of disenchantment. I'm not, like, being tormented by the fairies anymore. But still: disenchantment.

@JulieSqveakaroo Don't worry, hun, the dragoness has a major Morale+ power-up in store for me. Big Cat Lady Energy is coming as soon as she gets another burst of drawing inspiration. Procure safety glasses and prepare to guard your eyeballs. ^_____^

#moodsnapshot
#wordsofwisdom
#asabovesobelow

Despite that little ray of sunshine just now... I'm actually doing pretty good in general, FWIW.

NOLA finally made up its mind to be sunny again today, the social opportunities are rolling in, Peg has been mischievous and "endearittating" in ways that EXACTLY fit my relationship goals, and while they make my throat all scratchy, my life is full of kitties.

And I'm dreaming less and less of my estranged sisters, and more and more about delightful monsters. Maybe I'll become one!

@LeDiva (And FWIW, we're still using you as the #1 inspiration for the kitty hero of Parallax-α. That's not necessarily _entirely_ a compliment, but it's a definite sign of success at Catting. ❤️)

@LeDiva "FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS! YOU CAN REACH YOUR GOALS! SHE'S LIVING PROOF. CATFACE! CATFACE!" 😻

#OneHeterochromiaShortOfACatra

@Aradia What I'm getting from this is that I'm supposed to tell you where the boys are hiding? ;O

And I've pretty much given up on ever being anything more than a faintly feminine old long-haired scruffy dago creep anywhere but here.

*ding*

(MORALE: 50)

Where usually I get nothing back except dead silence.

*ding*

(MORALE: 40)

Ah, there, we're back to baseline. I can handle a 40. Don't even know what to do with a 100.

Even if that's never going to be me.

*ding*

(MORALE: 90)

Because I'm getting old.

*ding*

(MORALE: 80)

And I'll never be cute.

*ding*

(MORALE: 70)

And I already blew up the one social circle that could have given me any hope of achieving these things.

*ding*

(MORALE: 60)

I just saw a random Redditor describe Catra from She-Ra as "transition goals" and suddenly my morale stat has gone back up to 100.

I think I have the honor of having just been present for the invention of a whole new manspreading technology. The guy at the cafe table next to me is somehow manspreading *at* me.

He's got himself turned to the side in his chair, facing right at me instead of his table. With his legs crossed. Thus putting him roughly 0.5" away from me. In a cafe that was not otherwise crowded.

I'm not even mad. The precision and ingenuity with which he's invading my space is kind of amazing.

@Phorm WATCH IT IN FRONT OF THEM! STAND UP ON THE TABLE! THE REVOLUTION STARTS NOW! JOIN THE HOMESTARMY! LEND ME FIVE BUCKS!

AND IT'S NOT ABOUT THEIR BOARDGAME!

*two of them run around screaming for ten minutes*

NEW HOMESTAR!

*runs around screaming for about ten minutes*

@LexYeen@snouts.online Haha, just wait until Peg finishes her current art project... More tiger than y'all can handle! 🐯 🐯 🐯 ❤️

===== KITTY ALERT =====

Yup. One of the friggin' cats has figured out how to leap in through the window. *sigh*

Heck. I'm not even mad. That's amazing. But I would still kind of like her to leave.

Today's mood. Disconnected but okay with it. Feeling old; not minding as long as I live long enough to finish the damn comic. Getting some first glimmers of a healthy social circle to rebuild with here. Life is full of cats. And a witch. No other magic, no more that comes from me. It's okay.