update from sparkleup

writing/post-self/mitzvot/002.html

@@ -21,18 +21,19 @@
 <p>After a moment&rsquo;s wild laughter, she stumbled back until her tail crumpled against the edge of the barstool. &ldquo;Ow! Fuck. Yeah, I deserved that one, I think.&rdquo;</p>
 <p>She moved to finish the pint on the bar, frowned on finding it empty, and shuffled away from the bar.</p>
 <p>&ldquo;So yeah, you hate yourself, and it actually feels kind of good, does it not? Hatred can fill in those cracks as easily as love. Sure, it may not leave so pretty a pattern as the&hellip;whatsit&hellip;the patina that stains a tea cup with crackled glaze, but maybe the edges of you do not catch on so many things anymore. Maybe those prickles are dulled and you bounce off everyone around you. You can ping-pong through life, then, loving everyone and loathing yourself.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The skunk stood up straight again, brushed her shirt out, and brought her tail around to rub at where she&rsquo;d bumped it against the stool.</p>
 <p>&ldquo;Good Lord, May,&rdquo; Ioan said, laughing.</p>
-<p>The skunk stood up straight again, brushed her shirt out, and brought her tail around to rub at the crimp from bumping it against the stool. She grinned widely, all that feigned drunkenness suddenly gone from her expression. &ldquo;How was it, my dear?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>She grinned widely, all that feigned drunkenness suddenly gone from her expression. &ldquo;How was it, my dear?&rdquo;</p>
 <p>Ey slouched back against the front row seat ey&rsquo;d claimed, tapping the end of eir pen against eir lower lip. &ldquo;Really, really good,&rdquo; ey said. &ldquo;Was the stumble intentional?&rdquo;</p>
 <p>&ldquo;The movement itself was,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Though hitting my tail was not.&rdquo;</p>
 <p>&ldquo;So no &lsquo;I deserved that one&rsquo;?&rdquo;</p>
-<p>She walked to the edge of the stage and sat on it, kicking her feet idly. &ldquo;It was not, but I think I will keep it in.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>She walked to the edge of the stage and sat on it, kicking her feet idly. &ldquo;It was not in there, but I think I will keep it in.&rdquo;</p>
 <p>Ey grinned and closed eir notebook around eir pen, setting it aside to stand. &ldquo;Yeah, it&rsquo;s good in there,&rdquo; ey said, leaning forward to give the bridge of the skunk&rsquo;s snout a kiss. &ldquo;I mean, the whole thing&rsquo;s good. Only note I really had is that you say &lsquo;hate&rsquo; four times in a pretty short span right after you stood up. &lsquo;That to hate&rsquo;, then &lsquo;truly hate&rsquo;, then &lsquo;object of your hatred&rsquo;, and then &lsquo;little bit of hatred&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>
 <p>May squinted her eyes shut and then scrubbed a paw over her muzzle. &ldquo;Should I make them all different?&rdquo;</p>
 <p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d keep the first two because it works as an echo, so maybe just change the third?&rdquo;</p>
 <p>&ldquo;Excellent, O great wordsmith.&rdquo;</p>
 <p>Ey laughed and tweaked her ear before hoisting emself up onto the edge of the state next to her. As always, she scooted closer so that she could lean against eir side. &ldquo;Who would&rsquo;ve thought, hmm? You getting me into theatre and me getting you into writing.&rdquo;</p>
-<p>&ldquo;It is proof that the Bălans can shove us around instead of only the other way around,&rdquo; she said, laughing.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This is still theatre! Just earlier on in the process,&rdquo; she said, laughing. &ldquo;But yes, it is proof that the Bălans can shove us around instead of only the other way around.&rdquo;</p>
 <p>Ey gave the skunk a playful shove with eir shoulder, at which she let out an outsized yelp followed by a whimper. &ldquo;So mean!&rdquo;</p>
 <p>&ldquo;Yeah, that&rsquo;s me. Meanest person you know.&rdquo;</p>
 <p>She rolled her eyes.</p>