update from sparkleup

writing/post-self/mitzvot/019.md

@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 
 What levity the night had gained slowly faded when they returned home. True Name explained that she had barely slept the night previous and needed to do so urgently, and as soon as the door shut behind her, May's shoulders sagged and she dragged em off to the bedroom. It was still early for them to be going to sleep, but then, ey was plenty tired enough. 
 
-They settled into bed, not talking, just resting forehead-to-forehead while Ioan pet through May's soft fur. There didn't seem to be anything that either of them needed to say, or if there was, not yet something they could.
+They settled into bed, not talking, just resting forehead-to-forehead while ey pet through May's soft fur. There didn't seem to be anything that either of them needed to say, or if there was, not yet something they could.
 
-Eventually, though, they shifted to their usual spots, May tucked back against Ioan's front, and slept straight through until morning.
+Eventually, though, they shifted to their usual spots, May tucked back against eir front, and slept straight through until morning.
 
 Ey woke to the quiet sounds of True Name rustling around in the kitchen, mugs being pulled down from the shelves. Ey grumbled, wondering why she hadn't thought to set up a cone of silence, then realized she'd almost certainly left it off intentionally as a subtle way to let them know that she was up. With her memories from End Waking, she almost certainly could be quieter than any of them.
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ Ey stayed quiet. Ey wasn't sure how much to push or back off, whether or not the
 
 "That makes sense. I don't know why I thought that wouldn't be case, actually."
 
-"I have said in the past that you --- that all of those in the clade who have formed lasting romantic relationships --- have done something I was never able to," she said. "That remains true. Zacharias and I never quite rose to the level of relationship. Lovers, yes, and perhaps even in love, but never partners. It was always in private, always alone. I had an image to maintain, and that did not include having a boyfriend."
+"I have said in the past that you two --- that all of those in the clade who have formed lasting romantic relationships --- have done something I was never able to," she said. "That remains true. Zacharias and I never quite rose to the level of relationship. Lovers, yes, and perhaps even in love, but never partners. It was always in private, always alone. I had an image to maintain, and that did not include having a boyfriend."
 
 "Did you want one?"
 
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ That True Name felt such a strong need to maintain her image was more than a lit
 
 Ey didn't know what part of em was in charge of making such predictions, but the thought that May, with all her love, might try to merge down with True Name forced itself into eir mind and wedged itself firmly in place. They'd talked about how each of the three skunks were good people some nights back, but in the face of the last two days, ey couldn't think of why, what reason eir partner might even have to do so. A lingering need to force her to experience her own resentment? Or to feel that desire? A desire to help her become a better person, whatever that meant? A fit of pique?
 
-Or, no, that wasn't it. It all fell back to the same problem that had been at the forefront of eir mind for months now: that need to fix things. Ey worried that May might merge down with True Name to make her feel better not necessarily because that's something she might want to do, but because, in the wake of the most recent merge, it's all ey could think to do in order to fix this friction. 
+Or, no, that wasn't it. It all fell back to the same problem that had been at the forefront of eir mind for months now: that need to fix things. Ey worried that May might merge down with True Name to make her feel better not necessarily because that's something she might want to do, but because, in the wake of the most recent merge, it's all ey emself could think to do in order to fix this friction. 
 
 So silly. It made no sense, and yet this sudden image of True Name as the type of person who might have a relationship, who now had decades of memories of dating Debarre in the form of End Waking, seemed to have set off a runaway train of thought.
 
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ They lay in silence for a bit. Ey didn't know what May was thinking about, but e
 
 "We will, Ioan. It would be unfair to all of us not to." May lowered her snout again and tightened her grip around eir middle. "Do you want me not to? You are allowed to say yes."
 
-Ey sighed and placed a kiss atop her head. "I don't know, May. I need way more time to think on it."
+Ey sighed and placed a kiss atop her head. "I don't know. I need way more time to think on it."
 
 She nodded. "I will give you all the time in the world."
 

writing/post-self/mitzvot/020.md

@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ She smirked. "You mean beyond the fact that I just told you I am having trouble
 
 "It is," she replied slowly. "But these are more comforting to work with. They had their fights, as I am sure all couples do, but even those are full of love. I do not--" She sniffled, shook her head firmly, then stood and bowed. "I need to go for a walk. Thank you both."
 
-And with that, she stepped from the sim.
+And without another word, she stepped from the sim.
 
 May groaned and crossed her arms on the table, resting her head on them. "I do not know what to think about her. I do not know what to think about any of this."
 

writing/post-self/mitzvot/022.md

@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ End Waking blinked, taken aback. "She actually told you about Zacharias?"
 
 "Agreed," Debarre said. "But as you were saying, she was having trouble?"
 
-"Yeah. I wasn't expecting her to get completely taken out, but May did kind of force it on her all in one go. She lasted a few days, but I think she was maybe pushing herself pretty hard to appear strong. She crashed really hard yesterday and, despite a pretty pleasant morning, had to step out to Arrowhead Lake, and when she came back, she looked like she was about ready to start yelling at us. May was also trying to stick around as long as she could, I think, since she crashed almost immediately. We made it through the night, but she couldn't even speak this morning."
+"Yeah. I wasn't expecting her to get completely taken out, but May did kind of force it on her all in one go. She lasted a few days, but I think she was pushing herself pretty hard to appear strong. She crashed really hard yesterday and, despite a pretty pleasant morning, had to step out to Arrowhead Lake, and when she came back, she looked like she was about ready to start yelling at us. May was also trying to stick around as long as she could, I think, since she crashed almost immediately. We made it through the night, but she couldn't even speak this morning."
 
 "That's a shitload to have to deal with, yeah."
 
@@ -64,11 +64,11 @@ End Waking nodded. "She did mention being torn, yes. She wanted to kick her out
 
 "And how're you taking it?" Debarre asked. Something about Ioan --- eir posture, eir face, something --- made it seem like this was the question ey was dreading the most.
 
-There was a long silence before Ioan answered. "It's really getting to me. I don't even know why, either. I think it honestly would help True Name in the end if it were just May merging down, but having that be the case with her memories of us together feels like...well, it kind of makes me jealous. Those are our memories that we made together. Our fights and good times, our affection--"
+There was a long silence before ey answered. "It's really getting to me. I don't even know why, either. I think it honestly would help True Name in the end if it were just May merging down, but having that be the case with her memories of us together feels like...well, it kind of makes me jealous. Those are our memories that we made together. Our fights and good times, our affection--"
 
 "Probably most of the memories, there," Debarre stage-whispered, getting a smirk out of Ioan.
 
-"Yeah. Our affection and our sex, too, for that matter. Suddenly, True Name has all that. I think it also started grating on me because of how real End Waking's was. It wouldn't just be a library for her perusal, but she will have actually lived them. She will have actually--" Ey frowned, as though digging for the words.
+"Yeah. Our affection and our sex, too, for that matter. Suddenly, True Name would have all that. I think it also started grating on me because of how real End Waking's was. It wouldn't just be a library for her perusal, but she will have actually lived them. She will have actually--" Ey frowned, as though digging for the words.
 
 "She'll have actually loved you, maybe?" Debarre guessed.
 
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ Douglas nodded. "Well, that bit I believe. Think that contributed to her overflo
 
 "Almost certainly, yeah. Correct me if I'm wrong, End Waking, but while I don't think it's solely tied to external events, they can have an effect on it."
 
-The skunk nodded. He'd started panting in the heat of the sun, so it took him a moment to reply. "It just comes over us like a wave. Some of us more quickly than others. It is slower in onset for me than for either of them, I believe."
+The skunk nodded. He'd started panting in the heat of the sun, so it took him a moment to reply. "It comes over us like a wave. Some of us more quickly than others. It is slower in onset for me than for either of them, I believe."
 
 Debarre chimed in. "I usually have a few days warning. I've gotten mine already and was planning on heading out today, but we both wanted to come, anyway."
 

writing/post-self/mitzvot/023.md

@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
------
-
 Sure enough, once they made it back to the forest, End Waking leaned over to nose at Debarre's cheek, pulled his paw away, and looked off into the woods. Whenever it was time for him to ask Debarre to leave, he'd go through a little swell of anxiety.
 
 "I am sorry, my love. I know that it is not the easiest on you that I always do this."