[Announcement] Help after tonado hit a friend's house.

[DarkAudit]

@figmentPez and I (and maybe a few others) are friends with a cosplayer known as Took (tumblr here). Last week, the tornadoes that hit Elmer, OK clobbered her family's house. As of now, this is the repair situation:

Updating the house situation,
The entire west side (where my room, my aunt’s room, dad’s room, and the family room and the room are) needs new dry wall, new windows and new carpet. We need a completely new roof and there will be a lot if electrical work.

At this point, all I really know to do is pass the digital hat (@Dave, could you help us set up a hat to pass? ). I don't have any information about any physical goods they need right now. Pez talks to her more than I do, and may have more information about their immediate needs.

 

[figmentPez]

Sorry I've taken so long to reply here. I'm dealing with a lot of anxiety myself, and my head is a difficult place. @Gusto follows her on Tumblr as well. I don't know if he talks with her besides that.

Took is an amazing person. She's one of the most caring individuals I know. She's been there for me with good advice on more than one occasion. She suffers from a lot of anxiety, though. She's thought about joining Halforums more than once, but has trouble joining new groups, even online. She's had to take several breaks from Tumblr in the time I've known her, just because of getting overwhelmed.

I don't know what she needs. This is a pretty devastating loss to her. I don't think it's sharing too much to say that, like many people with anxiety, she has trouble feeling safe. Among what was lost was some amount of artwork, both her own, and comissions she's bought from various artists. I don't know how much she's lost, but in addition to fixing the house, she's lost things that can't be truly replaced. I also need to check in with her to see if her work computer survived. She makes money as an artist, and I'm pretty sure that's been a big chunk of her spending cash.

I really can't say enough about how wonderful Took is. My head is kind of swimming, so I'll just list some cool facts:
- Took loves lizards, snakes and all sorts of scalies. She helps out with animal rescue when a scaly friend is being mistreated and needs to be taken to better hands.
- Took is a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, and shares a birthday with him
- She loves comic books, and her favorite characters include The Lizard, Doctor Strange, Namor, Superman, Electro, Ms. Marvel, Doctor Doom, Green Arrow, and many more.
- Her other fandoms include: Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Dragonball Z, The Last Unicorn, The Legend of Zelda, and so much more. Took is a nerd supreme.
- She has a Corgi named Cookie, and a tortoise shell kitty named Merrill Tolkien.

Plus, Took is flippin' gorgeous:

Spoiler

I don't know what to say. Any questions?

 

[Dave]

1. Find out what she needs.
2. Find out if she WANTS help.
3. Find out if something wider reaching like a GoFundMe would be better.

I'm more than willing to help out by giving her a platform, but with my traveling this Friday to El Paso there's nothing I can do other than that. If she has that sort of following a GoFundMe would probably be the better option as it has a wider reach where more people than we humble few can help.

 

[Gusto]

I talk with Took now and then, yes. She's one of my favourite Tumblr peeps.

Keep me apprised, guys. I'd like to chip in a bit to this after hearing the news, if she wants it, but I'm busy with my own household stuff for the next few weeks at least and maybe be kinda spotty on the forums as a result.

 

[drawn_inward]

Elmer, OK!

Weird. My best friend from grade school moved there when we were in 5th grade. I went to visit him one summer, and it's no-man's land down there. I think the senior class had two kids that year. She probably knows the Middicks.

Oh, and sorry about the tornado.