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Market trip~ (part 2 - end)

After buying everything on the list, they opted to enjoy some delicious crepes before heading back. :>

Fan art of @hpowellsmith's Crème de la Crème

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Say that again? I'm sorry. I got distracted by your little mannerisms, how you pronounce certain words, and the way your eyes light up when you talk about something you're passionate about, and started day dreaming about spending my life making you laugh, and feel loved and cherished

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Mehmed cg x All Laia(s)

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Dracula a Love Story characters and their historical counterparts

Vlad - Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler and Vlad Dracula (Vlad Țepeș), was a 15th-century ruler of Wallachia, notorious for his brutal punishment methods, particularly impaling his enemies. He defended his realm from the Ottoman Empire and became a national hero in Romania.

Mehmed - Mehmed II, also known as Mehmed the Conqueror (Mehmed bin Murad), was the Ottoman Sultan who famously captured Constantinople in 1453. Historically, Mehmed II clashed with Vlad Dracula during campaigns in Wallachia, adding political depth to their enmity.

Radu - Radu III, also known as Radu the Handsome, was the younger brother of Vlad the Impaler and historically served as a ruler of Wallachia under Ottoman control. His rivalry with Vlad is well-documented, as Radu supported the Ottomans while Vlad opposed them.

Sultan Murad - Murad II was a formidable ruler who expanded Ottoman control in the Balkans and fought against various European coalitions. His campaigns laid the groundwork for the later conquests of his son, Mehmed II.

Gjerg Skanderberg - Gjergj (Gjergj Kastrioti), commonly known as Skanderbeg, was an Albanian feudal lord and military commander who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire. Skanderbeg's legacy as a defender of Christian Europe against the Ottomans is similar to how Vlad Dracula is viewed by some in Romania. Both are celebrated as national heroes who fought for independence and freedom in their respective lands.

Erzsebet (Erzsi) - Erzsébet Báthory (Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed), also known as The Blood Countess or Countess Dracula, was a Hungarian noblewoman from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, infamous for allegedly torturing and killing young girls. She is considered one of the most prolific female serial killers in history.

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Complete the MM Glasses Series

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I retouched my old MM fan art.

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Hello~

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Hello, I finished fan art after a long time~!

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At last.

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As When I Wrote a Tumblr Post

I was starting to write a response to an ask about my use of similes, and I was starting to explain how important Spenser, Milton, and especially Homer was to my use of simile in my prose, but then I got caught up in thinking about how I use classical references to make jokes that amuse at least me.

So then I figure I would amass my ten favorite Greek and Roman jokes from my games for you.

Learned jokes about classical and early English literature is at the very heart of this whole gigantic thing I'm writing here, which should be no surprise, because that's what I teach when I'm not writing interactive games.

All I can hope is that the reader either really enjoys a narrative voice that is a little obsessed with such things.

At any rate, much--perhaps even most--of these jokes will be invisible to a character with low Culture. Or, as in several examples below, the joke changes depending on whether you have high or low culture.

Here they are, my top XI classical jokes. Plus, one bonus. Some come from previously published games. Many come from my current game, Tea and Scones.

I:

"Honestly, I think you should just endure."

"You mean like the fellow chained to the rock with the vulture eating his liver out," moans Marmaduke.

*if culture < 35

"I have not seen that film as yet. Sounds a bit gory. But certainly, if that helps you. Like the liver fellow. Just endure."

*if culture >= 35

"Yes. You are a modern-day Prometheus, if that helps you steel your nerves. Just endure."

II:

You ponder Buck's words, rolling them round and round in your mind, turning like

*if culture > 45

            Ixion upon his wheel, to bring a classical simile into things.

*if culture <= 45

            a pinwheel, or a merry-go-round, or, let us say, some sort of carnival tilt-a-whirl.  But it is no use.  If he were trying to communicate something specific, the project was a failure.

III:

There is a moment in The Iliad at which the great Greek hero, Diomedes, filled with valor by the might of Athena, flings his bronze spear at the Trojan hero Phegeus.

The spear streaks across the battlefield as Diomedes emanates fire from his head, and strikes true, puncturing his armor, transfixing his foe, and sending him on a one-way trip to the underworld.

Back at university, you did not give much thought to this moment, but now, you think you have a better sense of what that Homer fellow was all about.

True, fire does not literally emanate from your head, but in all other ways, you emulate the feat of Diomedes, as the walking stick you throw flies true, across the opera house.

IV:

"But you haven't heard what I have to tell you.  You will realize why I need you when you hear the details.  It will be a simple matter for you to solve, whereas I am wholly helpless."

"As I say, you must fend for yourself.  I wish it were otherwise, but there we are.  Would you kindly remove yourself from my leg?"                                  

"No, I shan't.  Like Lykaon before Achilles, I supplicate you!  Mercy!  Mercy!"                

"If you recall, Achilles slew Lykaon, not heeding the supplication in question.  You ought to reread your Iliad."                                     

"Did he?"                                           

"Yes.  The supplication in question was not a wise idea."                                         

"Oh."  Marmaduke loosens his grasp and stands up.  "You certainly know your classical mythology."

V:

#"What's in the violin case?"

"I'll bet you'd like to know," he says.  "You know the story of Aolus and the bag?  It's like that."

"That's Homer," says Vyv.  "The bag of winds or something.  You have to open the bag to let the winds out.  No, wait a moment.  It's the other way."

"That is familiar," you say.  "The bag of winds is too tempting to open and then they open it, and there's wind inside, which frankly they should have figured out because it is called the 'bag of winds.'"

Ten:

The corridor is decorated with classical scenes of service, like Ganymede being abducted by Jupiter to eventually be made the cupbearer of the gods, the messenger goddess Iris pointedly and respectfully not partaking of the sacrificial meat of the major gods, and Hebe spilling the divine nectar and being given a dressing-down and a lecture on the subject of carelessness by Juno.

As always, your nostrils flare as you recognize the frankly gauche mixing of Greek and Roman figures in the same scene.

VI:

The tactical choice here is not a complex one.  You strike him as hard as you can with your fist.  It is a tried-and-true approach.  The thought bypasses your brain entirely, and comes entirely out of a conversation between your spine and your hand, as you sock him as hard as you can.

Scores of great authors have groped for the way to describe, say, Achilles spearing some unfortunate Trojan, or Macbeth slicing his way through some or other thane with his broadsword.  But this particular blow, if a Homer or a Shakespeare had been present, could only have been described by the bards in question with a single syllable:  "Wow."--or its equivalent in Ancient Greek.

VII:

“And then I shall defeat you properly."

"Oh," you say.  "Really?"

"Quite," he says, "There shall be songs sung about the things I do.  You may have heard of Achilles dragging the body of Hector around the walls of Troy.  That will be an idle picnic at the park compared to what I do to you."  He walks away from you slowly and furiously, fists clenched.

VIII:

The two of you approach a small, vine-covered restaurant, one of those new novelty eateries.  It is named "Polytropos," serving Greek feasts "Fit for Odysseus Himself Upon His Return" as the sign proclaims.  The whole place is themed after The Odyssey, and the walls and ceiling are festooned with grapevines and garishly painted plaster gods and goddesses….

Your waiter, dressed like a cyclops, places a basket of complimentary lotus root crisps on the table.  Before anyone can speak, Aunt Matilda orders the Octopus Supreme Platter for everyone to share.

IX:

"Yes, of course," you say.  "Really, you should be thanking me.  Imagine--a brutish ruffian is after you, hoping to treat you in a most unmerciful manner.  You have insulted his pride, heedless of the consequences.  You shall defend yourself against him, come what may.  How bold!  How unyielding.  Your name shall live forever."

“Gosh!” says Marmaduke.

*if (((culture >= 47) or ((persuade + culture) >= 75)))          

You are like Theseus braving the minotaur, or Heracles wrestling the lion, or Pompey the Great.  You are, or will be, Marmaduke the Great, in the eyes of many.”

*else

            "You are like that Roman fellow holding the bridge in the face of opposition," you say.  "The name eludes me at the moment.  Horace Sublicius?  Horatio Sulla Decimus?  Something like that.  Roman sounding."      

            "And this is your argument that my name will live forever?" Marmaduke says.

X:

You hesitate, just for a moment. *if culture >= 40 Like Aeneas, his sword lifted high above the prostrate Turnus, or Pyrrhus standing like a painted tyrant above the frail and helpless Priam. That's the way you hesitate. But then, like those warriors of old, the moment of indecision passes away, and you act. *if culture < 40 You hesitate, as when Duddles, having eaten eight already, holding his hand above the plate with the very last berry scone, looks about the room, his will poised between "take it" and "I probably shouldn't." But then, like Duddles, the moment of indecision passes swiftly away, and you act.

XI:

The corridor is decorated with classical scenes of service, like Ganymede being abducted by Jupiter to eventually be made the cupbearer of the gods, the messenger goddess Iris pointedly and respectfully not partaking of the sacrificial meat of the major gods, and Hebe spilling the divine nectar and being given a dressing-down and a lecture on the subject of carelessness by Juno.

As always, your nostrils flare as you recognize the frankly gauche mixing of Greek and Roman figures in the same scene.

Bonus:

"I love you," you say to the the mirror.  "It doesn't matter what anyone else says.  I love you."

"Thank you," you say to yourself, hugging your arms around yourself.  "That means a lot, coming from you."

"I appreciate you, and I see you, and I know how hard things can be.  You've got an ally in me."

"This gives me the strength to go on."

"Ignore the brickbats of society.  Be true to yourself.  γνῶθι σεαυτόν, in the words of the ancient Greeks."

"Right, right.  Well put."

"Thank you."

Perhaps Shakespeare is more your cup of tea? I've written up a similar discussion of my use of Shakespeare in my games here (albeit for patrons).

If the precise nexus where great literature and interactive fiction is where you live, might I tempt you to visit The Noble Gases Club? Become a member, read what I would call a panoply of mini-essays on game design and matters of literary interest, and play an absurdly long demo of Jolly Good: Tea and Scones.

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Regards to crownys race, I really like how they don't feel white (to me) when interacting with the trio, especially bc everything in relation to whiteness is mentioned by Lorcan about him and by him, which gives the vibe of the other 3 being people of color, which is rare, it does kinda change in relation to the family, they feel heavily white to me and by reading your asks about it, I headcanon my Crowny as a mixed Asian+white male and the one whose features do not pass as white, which plays a role in Prudence disliking him even more and Crowny being seeing as a sexless undesirable romantic prospect (as Asian men often were seeing thnx to the media), I just love imagining the kid Prudence hates the most is the one is more like her (in the hands of man who doesn't seen them as their own people and addicted to pills) and is also the one that tickles her not internalized racism, but also her being woc and marrying the asshole would've been seen as a big accomplishment, and it's no wonder she stayed.

Hmm you see maybe it’s because I don’t play the game much so I’m not really in it but I always saw the crowns in my head as having my skin color that it brownish olive toned

In terms of race, it is a bit of a controversial subject on assigning specific traits to a specific skin color because it can easily fall into stereotypes. I’ve seen minorities say that they are referred to as “white” in a disparaging way they act certain ways (i.e don’t speak slang) which can enforce the old notion of:

Nonwhite = backwards, archaic, uneducated

White = educated, literate, sophisticated

I’m born in latam but I’ve gotten called “Canadian” which is short hand for white because of certain ways I act that aren’t the norm. Which isn’t meant to be a compliment but I’m also too non-Canadian to be seen as Canadian by others due to my love for my ethnicity

I guess the crowns could be seen as more white because they are a) a founding family and in the western world that is rare for North America b) have no specific culture ties but those can be explained away.

The crowns could be brown and be a founding family even during times of slavery and discrimination in the 19th century as the town isn’t truly connected to the outside world. As for the cultural ties, it’s basically a metaphor for a complete breakdown of the family unit. Cultural ties many times are used to reinforce community but the crowns have none of that. That’s not to say white people have no culture it’s more that many times when they don’t in fiction people default to white. As someone who grew up second generation immigrant I can say that it’s easy to lose cultural ties overall in a foreign country that promotes assimilation (even if they say they don’t) you have to really try

Just word vomit I’m sorry for rambling 😭