I....what? He Looks So...sad. I Suppose I Would Be As Well, Were My Eyes Off Kilter So.

I....what? He looks so...sad. I suppose I would be as well, were my eyes off kilter so.

Poor mite.

-Simon Blackquill

hi simon, has it ever occurred to you that athena's and her mom's surname can be read as a pun on the word "psychology"? and with them being psychologists... you see where i'm going with this.

The cheeriest of cheesecakes,

Be careful who you point this out to. I've found not everyone likes it when I observe out loud how their name ties to their job or their nature. It seems the others are either oblivious, or it's something they've all agreed not to mention, leaving me in the dark. I will admit it took me longer then I'd like to admit to notice that trend in Cykes-sama, but others i picked it up at once.

One miss Oldbag seemed especially upset by the comment, and I believe she missed the point entirely. Gumshoe seemed outright flummoxed.

Respectfully,

-Simon Blackquill

Apologies for the lengthy delay in responses, readers, life has been quite busy of late. I will get to the last few asks in my inbox soon.

That said, it has come to my attention we are on the tail end of a so-called blackbright week, and am curious how the lot of you see us.

As such, I must open Pandora's Box, and answer any questions any of you have about our relationship to eachother.

With apprehension,

-Simon Blackquill

Prosecutor Blackquill,

Assume you were at a bar or diner and engaged in a debate that threatens to spill over into violence. How would you diffuse such a scenario? If push comes to shove, how would you handle the ensuing brawl?

Having served time in prison, you're likely no stranger to unprompted fisticuffs. There must be something you can impart, even if it's just some amusing anecdotes to serve as an example.

(That is, if you did not stoke the flames to begin with for a laugh. Not that I would assume such a thing.)

Sincerly,

A Wayward Stranger

Wayward Reader,

Intriguing. There were, as a matter of fact, several times when I did indeed stoke the flames for a laugh. It is quite amusing to do so, and fairly easy as well. What is more difficult is fanning the flames so others are fighting, but do not take swings at yourself, implying that it is another opinion, or stating the things they do in fact say, but only behind closed doors. If I feel that something should, instead, be diffused, it would depend on what the conversation is about, but making the other person feel as though they are listened to and their opinion is valid is key. I may still state my disagreement, but I would wish for the other party to feel as though they have been heard, given a fair chance to speak, and is still respected despite the fact that I believe them to be wrong. I may have no respect for them at all, but we are deescalating. There are topics I will not do this for, but as a general rule, people wish to be heard, and shutting them down will only anger them further.

As for how to handle unprompted fights, I find that going for weak, less protected points are the best option. People go for the face rather readily, and it is indeed venerable, the nose in particular. Other weak points include the gut, groin, and instep. There are more still, but those are the most obvious, and while they are often more protected, it is harder to protect all at once. If you are not experienced in fighting, then there will be a learning curve. There is also stance, balance and size to keep in mind, but those are considerably harder to discuss over a text-based platform.

As for anecdotes, I have several, most notable is the time I pressed that fool Engarde into a violent rage by giving my honest thoughts on his show. Tripe, and inferior to it's predecessors. fanning his rage continued, I particularly liked when I said I wouldn't pay a nickel for his performance. In his rage, he came at me with a good deal of adrenaline, but distinct lack of foresight. I dodged, and he happened to barrel right into one Furio Tigre. The results were quite enjoyable to watch.

Amused,

-Simon Blackquill

Hi Prosecutor Blackquill,

You asked to see my see my sketch of you so here it is! Specifically it's just just a half-body of you in Link's champion shirt from Breath of the Wild. I was gonna add the Master Sword but I realized I didn't want to draw your right hand sooo.... I left it out. Probably never gonna finish it but it was fun!

(Was also gonna add Taka but got distracted and forgot)

-Sun

Sun,

Thank you for sharing with me. As I suspected, I do indeed look fine dressed this way. Your art skill is a fine thing as well, and I encourage you to continue. If you need inspiration, I have some ideas, but draw what you like. It will become terribly dull otherwise.

-Simon Blackquill

Dear readers.

I understand there has been quite a bit of radio silence lately, and uncertainty as to why that is.

Apologies. The fact of the matter is that our house has been quite busy of late, and will, indeed, soon no longer be our house.

We are moving.

We will still be in the same city, but our hunt for a new building is over. Our remaining spare time will likely be spent packing.

Apologies for further delays caused by this.

Regards,

-Simon Blackquill