#I do the same thing making obscure literature references

[lauramkaye]

ADHD is a learning disability. You might've been gifted but not all of us are or were. As a person with ADHD who isn't a genius or whatever exceptional stereotype you're happy to be I'm sorry if tou don't want to have solidarity with me but we do have the same diagnostic label as me and you don't get to make a new bullshit terms to escape the taint of being given the same diagnostic label for their problems as me.

....Wow, okay.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to answer this publicly, privately, address the point in a different post, or just ignore it. I'm choosing to engage in good faith with this because when I share ADHD information I do so out of a desire to help others who may be in the same boat I was in and I want to clarify if that information is misunderstood.

The post I suspect you are referring to was specifically about people who are both "gifted" (which as a label has plenty of issues but that is what's used in the field and how you will see it referred to in most literature/resources, so that's what I will use) and ADHD at the same time. ADHD and giftedness are two independent things, and a person can be one or the other, both, or neither. (A term you will often see used to refer to a person with giftedness and a disability that impacts learning is "twice exceptional," so using that as a search term may be useful if you want to read more on the topic.)

ADHD is a disability that can seriously impact learning, but it is not technically considered a learning disability. (source: Learning Disablities Association of America). It is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder, similar to the autism spectrum. ASD, ADHD, and learning disabilities such as dyslexia can coexist in the same people in different combinations and any or all can also coexist with giftedness.

This article is older but has a good rundown of some of the issues around gifted + ADHD. A particularly relevant quote: "While a misdiagnosis of ADHD is undesirable, diagnostic errors of omission are just as serious and may be even more prevalent among gifted students. This difficulty occurs when a student’s over-reliance on strengths inadvertently obscures the disability. While emphasizing strengths may highlight a student’s gifts and talents, it does not eliminate the reality of the condition and can, in fact, lead to a worse predicament in which the student distrusts his or her abilities because of the struggle to maintain them. On the other hand, if a student is allowed to acknowledge and experience the disability, he or she may learn appropriate compensatory or coping skills."

The reason I share information specifically about gifted + ADHD is that this is what I personally am, and therefore I have the most experience to share about it. The reason I want to share it is not because I think I'm a super special genius or because I don't want to be in solidarity with others who are ADHD but not gifted. The reason I want to share my experiences is that my ADHD was not diagnosed until I was in my late thirties and that late diagnosis caused me a LOT of avoidable suffering in my life. If I can spare someone else that kind of suffering by sharing the things I learned, I want to do that.

I was not diagnosed early specifically BECAUSE I was also gifted, so most of the indicators that usually lead to children getting tested/diagnosed for ADHD were either attributed to me being gifted (boredom, hyperfocusing on reading a book, one million hobbies I jumped between constantly) or masked by the giftedness (if I could do the assignment quickly in study hall right before class or retain enough from class discussion to pass the test, nobody realized/cared that I wasn't doing homework or studying.)

Which was fine, when I was a kid. But the older I got, the harder it was to keep up with things. By the time I got to undergrad I alternated between high and low GPA terms as I desperately tried to keep my scholarships and managed to keep EXACTLY the minimum GPA I had to. The level of stress and pressure got higher and higher.

I went to grad school. I made a 4.0 my first term.

The second term, I failed all my classes, was put on academic probation, had a meltdown on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere so that my mom had to drive out to get me.

I didn't go back, and I officially failed out of grad school. I had finally reached the point that I could no longer brute force past my lack of executive function with giftedness. And it was fucking devastating. That happened more than twenty years ago and it still hurts to remember even though I've had a lot of therapy since then. I had spent my life being praised for being smart and had built a lot of my identity around that; failing out of grad school felt like a blow to not just my career plans but my SELF.

The years after that got better, but I was still perpetually struggling. Everything just seemed so much HARDER than it should - I bounced in and out of debt, I constantly struggled with work deadlines, I couldn't be on time to ANYTHING, I was stressed out ALL THE TIME. I periodically just broke down and couldn't function for days. I kept making "careless errors" and "stupid mistakes" like forgetting to pay a $20 bill until it got sent to collections even though I had the money to pay it sitting in my checking account. I knew I knew HOW to do the things I didn't do and I knew I was smart enough to do them, so why couldn't I seem to manage it?

I must just... be a horrible person, I concluded. I didn't feel lazy or disrespectful or uncaring, but if I wasn't, surely I would remember birthdays and be on time for things and be able to keep my house clean and my checkbook balanced like normal people could, right?

I probably would have kept on this way indefinitely if a dear friend who was gifted + ADHD had not said "you know, the way you talk about your life sounds a lot like the way I was before I got diagnosed. Maybe you should see someone and check it out."

And I did. And I got diagnosed. And I started treatment. And it fucking CHANGED MY LIFE.

It didn't take away my struggles--far from it--but it helped me understand them, and gave me strategies to help address them, and gave me support to work around/through them. I still have to swim, but before I had weights tied to my feet and now I have a floatie to help keep my head above the water.

I want EVERYONE with ADHD to receive the supports and treatment they need to live their best lives. The information I share about the way ADHD intersects with my own personal brain configuration is meant to help anyone else out there who has a similar one. If it isn't helpful to you personally, I hope you find other sources that do and I wish you the best.

[tsukiyadori]

"Amidst Stars Spread Out Immeasurably Like Sand, There is One Star Shining Towards me"

 The Case Files of Jeweler Richard Side Story: Masago Nasu 真砂なす(Like Sand)

Finally, finished reading that side story. It took it to the last split part to actually get to the title's meaning that had been in a riddle to me for all this time. As it turns out, it's a from a song/haiku from poet Masaoka Shiki (1867–1902) from the Edo period in old Japanese and the nasu would be something like のうような or と同じくらい or 形づくる, basically a fancy way of saying 'like'.

『真砂なす数なき星の其その中なかに吾われに向かひて光る星あり』

Amidst stars spread out immeasurably like Sand, there is one star shining towards me

Which is to say, this is the origin story of Seigi's shift to calling Richard his 'shining star" in volume 12. It was just a little detail dropped in a conversation with Minoru, not explained, but probably noticeable to any observant reader as it has nothing to do with gemstones or natural phenomenon or anything he used previously.

Also.

Every time he calls him that, it's literally actually a confession basically???

I mean, that's pretty much the same thing they already did in Moonstone?? Just using a piece of more obscure classic literature that isn't so overused, like Souseki's The Moon is Beautiful. And with none of that teasing playfulness.

I still think Claire the Lune has to be right after the bulk part Masago Nasu, before its epilogue. It didn't get so much of a confirmation rather than another reference (Seigi having to realize, he's not the youngest any more, when he overeats.) And with that it's a whole string connecting it all together. But in any case, this is a direct prequel to the Overture side story. Which again is a direct prequel to volume 12. Both of them along of with v12 exorbitantly make me think of....

Series convergences (that maths thing) or the Sorites Paradox.

As in: How close do you have to get, how many grains do you have to pile up until it is basically as good or actually that same thing?

Seigi keeps insisting he's Richard's "Private Secretary". And it's his way of differentiating it from that usual stuff, to which he has clearly distanced himself more than one time. That's not the nature of their relationship, despite anyone outside thinking it could only be that. I still remember how I felt like screaming to the void when he declares as much to Jeffrey in the Otsukareta Hanashi short story (from Tsujimura-sensei's blog) that is set right after the epilogue of volume 10. (I mean, how often do you get something served that screams queerplatonic and then basically confirms it even if it doesn't use the word?)

But is it that still? (Was it that to begin with??) Does that differentiation even matter at this point? Couldn't they just go with that usual way?

In Ouverture the topic of marriage gets brought up by a Sri Lankan woman, Seigi dodges it, but there is no way he hasn't considered it. It's cut short by an interference by Richard. Seigi and Shimomura have a phone conversation and Shimomura treats his work as the same as a Jeweler, Seigi corrects him, his job title is 'private secretary' and he's stubborn about that, but also by this point, as Shimomura points out, he's doing effectively that very same work. Saul makes sarcastic implications about that job title in Masago Nasu, only for Richard to cut him short and basically muzzle him. But Seigi even has to and does agree. He even reiterates that fact in v12 by his own accord, his work is now essentially the same as Richard's as a jeweler (though he says he's still a sort of lesser Richard.) And 'private secretary' which really is his very Seigi-roundabout way of naming their nature of relationship that also just makes sense only to them. And the analogy to their relationship is palpable. It's been a running trope since at least Diamond that they look like a couple, but they have piled up a lot more of things that make it look just like that. And short stories like the Itsuka Operaza de actually depict the details from an outsider's eyes with more details, which almost feels like the narrative is trying to make a persuasive case.

And then there's Masago Nasu's main point. Saul telling them the story of his and his wife Masago, over whom he sing-sangs another ancient love poem, including a word that means sand and is her name. And he warns them, they are so similar, their headspaces are similar, it's like their souls are twins, so they are prone to not talk about some things, because they simply already know. But if tragedy strikes (Masago dies by the machineries of Truck-kun), you may be left with the regret of not having said enough that you loved them, when you had the chance. And there's the whole chess play, with Richard first being in a clear lead, but then bang, Saul drove him into checkmate, things aren't always going the way you think they will.

And Seigi has bullocks of things to say, but doesn't manage while it's probably super simple actually (he even basically concludes this in Clair de Lune!) while also not, but also he probably wouldn't ever use it that way, because as he already says in Sardonyx it feels like it would become trite to say it like that. Also, he's probably scared in a few ways about that on top of it. Not being able to say anything is 'salvation' to him. But also, Richard's waiting for that. Although clearly he very much knows already what it would be, because in all the numerous roundabout ways Seigi has long since said it, more than just a trillion times, but still apparently thinks he hasn't, but kind of also, he knows Richard knows (because he kinda always knows what he wants to say). But despite that, Richard looks very much like he wants to hear that. (At least that interlude in v12 and many other spots has him always look like internally sighing.) So he waits for Seigi to get there. (And even keeps any external interference away for him at that.) But what's worse, Seigi knows that. But still fails to, at this point, mostly because he keeps dodging the easy ways that are.

Couldn't they just settle for that usual thing? It really does undeniably look very similar. It would be simpler.

But where's the beauty in that trite simplicity? Why round up the convergence value, if you can have a beautiful endless irrational number?

(And there is still undeniably something still different. Or why make the point that they are sleeping in different hotel rooms or still have their own floors in the Sri Lankan house so clearly?)

It's a convoluted something, but unlike any other case of can't they just open their mouths and talk turkey?? It doesn't feel like there will be any miscommunication drama to be had here whatsoever.

Oh, I dig this dodgy roundabout way of all sorts of coded analogies, context-sensitive, but to outsiders entirely incomprehensible metaphors and talking around the bush while also having zero of the bad consequences not talking straight typically has in that old trodden infuriatingly stupid trope. I so dig it.

.... But I still also want to shake Seigi a few times though. Just because he says he'd wait a hundred years until you are both just bones in your graves; don't have this way too patient poor tsundere wait so long for it. Get it over or just settle on that there is no need to do this talking between you and don't tease the poor fellow so much. :<

In any case, quite curious where this is going to go towards in the next volumes. There seems to be little plausibility that this doesn't get picked up as a theme one way or another, me thinks.

Less than a week left until v13~

[abstract-mogai]

requests are OPEN!

[requests in queue]

hiiiii!! i'm abstract and this is my mogai/liom headcanons blog!! we are a monocon median system who is the host of a polycon endogenic system! we are bodily almost 21 and our system/coining blog is @idealism-world

i use we/us and i/me interchangeably and we are transmasc nonbinary :3 we're new to the mogai/liom community as a whole but i'm having fun so far hehe

i'm also alterhuman, specifically God. i am not god from any particular religion and i think ppl who do kin from religions are weird and disrespectful. affirmations in inbox are welcome but only from those 18 or over. i don't consider my godliness to be nsfw in any way but i'm very uncomfortable with minors seeing me that way.

I ❤️ MASS LIKES/REBLOGS

this blog runs on queue, which posts once a day - sometimes it will run out

whitelist - BUNGOU STRAY DOGS, danganronpa, persona series (especially 5), chainsaw man, needy streamer overload, ensemble stars, homestuck, doki doki literature club, borderlands

blacklist - real people, dsmp, hazbin hotel/helluva boss, south park, paraphiles (even the nonharmful ones- not that kind of blog!), god kin/alterhuman/gender related things for kin/alterhuman reasons. (if it’s just for the character that’s fine, but seeing others refer to themselves as God upsets me! the same goes for anything higher than god - angels are completely fine though!) split attraction for minors (i'm an adult, so i'm not personally comfortable completing these requests)

you can request - any labels that fall under mogai or liom! so sexualities genders kins systems alterhumans disorders disabilities Any of that is fine!! up to 7 labels per character per post, multiple characters per post, ships (but not proships), platonic relationships, any other type of relationships, obscure labels (the more obscure the better, but they have to have flags or else i can't make them!)

you can request mogai after dark labels but only if both you and the character are 18 or over and they will be tagged as #min/ors dni (without the slash). minors please blacklist this tag if you haven't already.

dni - anti-endos, radqueers, proshippers, zionists, anti-contridicatary labels, anti self-dx, anti mogai and fakeclaimers.

[amemenojaku]

Character ask prompt: Marisa?

General opinion/How much I care about them: 13 years ago I got into Touhou and Marisa immediately became my favorite... T_T I mean what's not to love? Her personality is one of the most interesting in the series, she's got a memorable design despite being so simple, she interacts with so many other characters in so many fun, different ways... She's a perfect character both for new fans because there's a lot of surface content to enjoy, and for old-time fans too thanks to all her hidden layers. Eventually Reimu stole her place in my heart for fav protag but I'm still very fond of her... Back then her coolness was what I liked most but I think nowadays I'm more interested in Marisa the hardworker, with her struggles and the times she fails but gets back up and how her character has matured over the years. Also she definitely played a part in my wlw awakening and it's so funny to see I'm not the only one in that situation lol

A ship I love: Reimari... Basic, but it's popular for a reason! I like it most as a deep friendship that slowly evolves into a comfortable romance, where they don't use any label like girlfriend or dating etc. Well I also love the angst and the fluff, but thinking about them just peacefully living their lives the same as ever, except with that added new level of intimacy, it's what fills me the most with warmth. It makes me sooo mad that none of those yuri polls that were everywhere a few months ago had reimari in their brackets. Where do you think your favorite yuri fanartists began...... Anyway I like a few other Marisa ships too and I feel like mentioning Marisa/Narumi and Marisa/Kosuzu especially because they never get any attention...

A non-romantic relationship that I love: With Rinnosuke :) He's taken care of her for so long it's sooo sweet. Their dialogues together are fun, I love the uncle/niece energy. I miss CoLA so much..... ZUN mentioned it in a recent livestream though so surely it means he's gonna write more of it!!! (delusional)

The NOTP: Rinnosuke again, not much to say here (I like unrequited past Rinnosuke -> Marisa's dad)

My biggest headcanon about them: I... think she's a descendant of Jacketko from Dolls in Pseudo Paradise... on her dad's side...... I know I'm not alone in this, I've seen it thrown into the void a few times both here and on twitter lol. The implications are so tasty it's insane.

An idea for a fanwork I would like to make/see about them: This is more reimari than Marisa-centric, but I've had this idea for a few years of a comic where a Reimu and a Marisa from different parallel universes end up together in the same Gensokyo, and have to find a way to set things right again. It's based on a very detailed and very bittersweet dream I had once... I just need the energy and self-discipline to work on it... haha...

Something that makes me think of them: Konpeitou!! And a bunch of more obscure things... like Meiji literature references again...

[djarins-cyare]

Get to Know Me (tag game)

Thanks @burntheedges and @sydneyinacoma for the tags! 💖

I guess I don’t post much about myself on here, so behold the mystery of Jyar’ika revealed under the cut (because I waffle and didn't wanna take up y’all’s dashes)…

Ahh space to include GIFs (*is happy*)...

1. Were you named after anyone? Hmm, that’s a sneaky way to get a name reveal outta me. Alright, I don’t mind… apparently one of the hosts on Blue Peter (the longest-running children’s TV show in the world - you’re not getting an age reveal outta me too!) had a baby just before I was born. Why my parents were watching a children’s TV show I have no idea, but this host evidently wrote/sang some kinda song on air about calling her baby daughter Jemma with a J not Gemma with a G. So I was named after a terribly trite and obscure TV reference that nobody will ever remember. You may call me Jem if you wish, my friends all do, and if you’re bothering to read this then you’re in that category.

(If you're wondering about the GIF, the show was always broadcast live and they had several pets. The outtakes are numerous.)

2. When was the last time you cried? I think I’m weird… I don’t tend to cry? Or only if I’m really really upset. Maybe I’m Cameron Diaz in The Holiday? So yeah, I can’t actually remember 🤔.

3. Do you have kids? Nope, although it’s a fairly recent decision to not have them. I spent much of my life assuming I wanted kids until I realised I had been conditioned by society to think I did. Since I started considering what I genuinely want and need in my life, I’ve never been happier! I'd make an exception to adopt a certain little green guy, though.

4. What sports do you play/have played? Ugh, I hate questions like this. Nope, I’m a lazy asshole and now you all know it 🫣. I mean, I activity-hopped throughout my school years (gymnastics, karate, soccer), but these days I live in front of a computer. My exercise is lugging 24 bottles of water up 4 flights of stairs twice a week.

5. Do you use sarcasm? I’m British. Sarcasm is my mother tongue.

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people? I’m the least observant person ever! So voices a lot of the time, I think. Pretty sure that’s why something clicked inside me as soon as Din Djarin spoke his first on-screen words.

7. What’s your eye color? Depends on the light, but somewhere between dark blue and grey.

8. Scary movies or happy endings? I’m an absolute wuss when it comes to scary movies, so I don’t put myself through that. Also, the literature student in me desperately wants to point out that these things are not mutually exclusive, as you can have scary movies with happy endings, so a more appropriate ‘either/or’ scenario would be tragedies or happy endings. But either way, I will say no to the former and yes to the latter. I dislike making myself feel scared or sad – I consume fiction (in all formats) to feel good, so I’ll always look for the positive. I’m currently experimenting to see if I can write a massively angsty fic, and it was supposed to be done by the New Year, but I’m struggling. I will also have to include one of those open-ended ‘maybe it could work out after all’ epilogues. I just can’t leave my characters in pain.

9. Any talents? Not sure what constitutes a talent… I can sing, play guitar, write a longass Din Djarin fanfic that people seem quite keen on, uh… cook, I guess (though I rarely bother), understand quite a few languages (less proficient at speaking them). I’m sort of a jack of all trades, master of none. I would say I have a talent for procrastination – I can complete a whole workday and get barely anything of substance done!

10. Where were you born? In a village outside a town in Surrey, England. It's only about 30 miles from London. Lots of trees. Very dull. I left as soon as I could.

11. What are your hobbies? Writing is my main obsession, specifically Din Djarin-related, of course. Also reading (same genre). Throughout my entire life I’ve enjoyed stories in all formats – reading, writing, watching, listening, proofreading the fuck out of them – so if it’s a good yarn, I’ll have a good time.

12. Do you have any pets? Not currently, my landlord won’t allow it. I used to own 3 rats who were the most adorable boys and so smart – they knew their names, responded to commands, liked to snuggle. When I can finally buy my own place I’ll probably get a dog, as I like pets that listen to you, even if only sporadically. I had a very non-communicative chameleon once. He was called Minion. He was not a good minion.

13. How tall are you? 5’4. Not tiny, but sometimes I have to go up on my tippytoes to reach stuff.

14. Favorite subject in school? English literature (see hobbies question above). When I got to university and enrolled on an English lit/lang degree, I tried to take as many literature courses and avoid the language ones. It wasn’t until years after graduating when I started proofing/editing and writing more seriously that I developed a respect for all the mandatory language courses I had to do. I also liked media studies and film studies; you can guess why. Psychology was interesting too, it’s good to understand human nature if you want to write realistic characters.

15. Dream job? I wish I could write novels for a living. It’s a goal as well as a dream. I know a couple of authors who’ve self-published via Kindle Direct Publishing (I proofread/edited for one of them), and they were successful enough to turn that into their careers. They keep encouraging me to try, although I’m currently in my ‘obsessed with Din Djarin so just writing fanfic to develop my authorial voice’ era. When my obsession wanes, as obsessions inevitably do, I’ll hopefully feel ready to write something original and take my shot. But I’m not pressuring myself, and right now I’m happy attempting to entertain the Mandalorian fan community. I feel safe here 💖

Now I know I’m supposed to tag people since that’s the point of a tag game… but I’m that autistic kid in the corner who is too shy and worried about tagging people who might not reply. So I’m foregoing tags today. But, if you’ve bothered to read this and you haven't already played: TAG YOU’RE IT! That’s me tagging you, please take it seriously and thank me for your tag in your own post (I will be genuinely thrilled if anybody does this, and I’m sending advance love to anyone who does – you don’t know how much it means to someone autistic to have the decision-making element dealt with for them). So go on, now it’s your turn!

[wooshofficial]

Okay okay okay okay. Okay okay. I’m kinda delirious right now but I figured this out BEFORE I was delirious so I can say that this was well thought out.

Anyways!!!! Hello fellow gay people in my computer with an unhealthy obsession with bones, I wanna talk memes. Specifically, the whole concept of how Muir uses memes in the Locked Tomb series and how they go a lot deeper than you think they do. Spoilers for Nona the Ninth below, you have been warned.

So. Memes. On the very most basic level, the memes are there for shits and giggles. For audience appeal, recognition, whatever. People see the funny words in the funny sentence and go “oh shit I know what that is!!!!” and it makes them laugh. This is the lesbian meme series for a reason, and that’s perfectly valid. Tangentially, it will date the series as the decades pass- as our culture moves beyond the little references put in these works, we will view them less as funny and more as a pinpoint in our history; a way archive our culture in those decades. The future readers will go oh, they still found miette funny back then and move on. This happens to all literature over the years, it’s only natural.

But what if I told you there was more?

Here’s what we know about the lore for this series:

The Resurrection was 10,000 years ago

Earth was largely the same as our earth until Jod became a tree fucker necromancer and nuked everything, and then our timelines separate

Jod used the Internet (more likely a streaming service like Twitch or Youtube) to get his message out there, so he would probably be aware if not invested in meme culture around the time

Jod is the only person with memories from the before times

Jod literally had to reinvent human culture and society from the ground up

And here are the memes used in Harrow and Nona (as many as I can find, there may be more, and if you know of them, tell me!):

You Are Like Little Baby, Watch This (said by Mercy when training Harrow)

Guess I’ll Die (said by Teacher in the false retellings)

The Cool S (referenced by Ortus in the false retellings)

The two “ur mom” jokes (I don’t exactly remember where they are in Harrow just know there are two)

None Pizza with Left Beef (referenced by Jod when talking to Harrow)

8 Mile Lyrics (Jod making fun of Wake)

Bring Me To Life (Jod making fun of Wake)

Miette (referenced by Gideon when talking to Phyrra)

For $2000 I Will Stop (referenced by Jod when explaining the death of earth to Harrow)

Then Perish (in the epilogue of Nona somewhere, I don’t remember where)

Thats a lot of memes. Like, a lot of memes, and they’re used by a variety of different characters, with Jod saying a good amount. Some of those memes are obscure enough that you’d have to be invested in internet culture to know about. But that’s the thing: it makes sense for those memes to be there. From a world building standpoint, they’re a part of casual conversation, used regularly and idiomatically. And from what we know about Jod, he was a part of internet and meme culture, so of course when he’s rebuilding language and society from the ground up, his way of speaking and use of memes is gonna slip in. After ten thousand years, things we (as the reader) and Jod (as the only person who knows what a goddamn meme is) consider “memes” are going to be part of human language and culture without classification that separates them from normal speech. It also explains certain terms used for common objects- Jod was a kiwi, so he’s gonna speak like a kiwi, and society speaks like him.

But also, there’s still more. The thing about memes is that they are online, said by someone at some time. Those memes have a pinpoint date to when they were said and went viral. And Jod can do a lot of things, but Jod cannot see the future, and Jod cannot reference things that did not happen before he nuked earth. Meaning because of the memes used in this series, we can almost very nicely pinpoint the year the Earth got nuked. And y’all fucking KNOW I did the research on this one.

The youngest meme on this list is, funnily enough, the miette reference in Harrow the Ninth. That tweet was made in March of 2019, but didn’t really go viral until later in the year, so that gives us somewhere between late 2019 and early 2020 for the world to go kaboom, since there are no mentions of Covid 19 or some sort of pandemic. But Muir could very well reference goncharov in the next book (I don’t think she will, considering the time it takes to write, edit, promote and publish books) and that would only move our timeline up by a couple years, and since it’s the last book in the series, that’s the final marking we have for the timeline. Similarly to Jod, Muir cannot reference what hasn’t happened (yet). This was probably entirely accidental on her part, but it’s still fun and super fucking cool!!!!

Anyways. I am so normal about this series, I hope you enjoyed my little dissertation on meme usage in it. I’m gonna go pass out or something.

[kogameh]

Some extended translations notes for episode 1

(Or moreso why certain things are translated as it is, because, uh, I put a lot of thought into these subs...)

"Crash through every obstacle."

Now this is the most important one. It IS the series' tagline and Hitto's catchphrase and you WILL be hearing it a lot. HKsubs and most summaries used "overcome the difficulties". D-rights used "Crash your adversity" (this is still the ONLY official English translation we got for Crash lmao) which, imo, both are fine as it is but if we look at the original sentence in Japanese further-

逆境を撃ち破れ uses the 撃 kanji instead of the more common 打ち破れ.

There's DEFINITELY a "crash" pun that needed to be made here, and D-rights' translation definitely went with that intention in mind. But I also don't want it to sound overly quirky like you see with hissatsu lines and all and prefer it as a proper motivational quote, so, yeah.

Uh, now that you know the breakdown/context/etc, with that in mind, I went with "Crash through any obstacles". It sounds both cool AND motivating, and the obstacles could apply to both the actual objects or struggles Hitto would face. There are def other ways I could go like "Crash through any hardship", "Break through every difficulties" etc, but I mainly wanted to avoid something too cheesy or too dry but still applicable in most situations? Yeah.

But eh, this could be just me though. You're always to suggest me something better that fits my description for it. Plus the quote can still be flexible if I eventually decide to do that. (Mainly keeping the "Crash Through Every"!)

Whatever the fuck Koutarou was reading

This...was frankly the hardest part to translate in the entire ep orz. Unfortunately, I lack knowledge of Japanese proses and stuff so googling his entire reading yielded nothing--however, some lines did appear to reference so actual literature and idioms.

"The mountains may have burned, but the birds...scorch themselves for their beloved children..." - This line supposedly references the lyrics to a folk song? It is a slightly different lyric though as it originally says 山は焼けても山鳥ゃ立たぬ 子ほど可愛いいものはない ("The mountains may have burned, but the birds didn't stand up, there's nothing cuter than a child"?). I can't be sure if this is an obscure song or not as googling a similar title is not giving me songs with the same lyrics. But eh. At least you know what Koutarou is referencing.

"Thou one shall not be lost like the fading mountain…like a parent who continues to feed into their child's greed." - OKAY THIS ONE IS FUNNY. Apparently the latter half was a reference to a proverb that originally says 子故に迷う親心 (A parent's mind is lost because of their child) which -- refers to parents that worry or spoil their child too much? OBVIOUSLY Koutarou is throwing shade at Hitto here as he didn't want to be "that" kind of parent towards his son so I did take some liberties with "feed into their child's greed" to emphasize that, rather than literally translating the phrase word by word haha.

"...destroy everything here marble-lously."

OKAY BEFORE ANYONE STARTS RAISING PITCHFORKS AT ME, YOU NEED TO DO THAT TO KODOH FIRST BECAUSE HE WAS ACTUALLY SAYING A PUN IN THIS SCENE.

I think these excerpts from B-Daman wikia explains the original double meaning well:

There's just sadly no elegant way to translate his lines into English without making it sound meme-y. I COULD translate the line literally like the image above but will that give you the same damage of hearing a stupid pun spit out from his mouth? Idk. My reasons for not literally translating this are not that convincing but I do hope you feel anguish knowing that Kodoh's debut line was a stupid damn pun. God. WHY IS HE MY OSHI.

"Rattlebrain"

One of Konta's catchphrase, "ガチャガチャ" / "gacha gacha". I think the MEANING Konta explained (as shown in the third screenshot) is important here, as originally he said 何が出てくるがわからない ("You don't know what's gonna come out") as it's obviously referencing to the randomness of actual gachas. I think going with translations like "fickle-minded" or "reckless" should work fine, but I will emphasize the fact that a) most people are often confused when he started saying it, implying that its not a common word or made up by Konta b) I do want to reference the "gacha gacha" as in the "shakey and clattering" onomatopoeia and the RNGs of real gachas. So yeah. Rattlebrain it is. I think it still delivers the same energy and intention that I mentioned. Plus my friend (Double) said "it's like Hitto's brain is a tin with marbles rolling around in it." WHICH, IS AN APT COMPARISON, ACTUALLY. And hence why I went with rattlebrain. Yeah. ~~~

An afterword: Crash's first ep is not the most complex to translate, but it does introduce some mainstay lines that you will hear a lot throughout the series (and may possibly be constantly mentioned in the fandom) and I think giving memorable, in-character translations is especially important when it comes to catchphrases and such.

It's those phrases where its double meaning and wordplay could be easily glossed over in most contexts (and I don't blame anyone if they do haha) but I personally do want to deliver the accurate intention and personality with these lines, hence the breakdowns. This is where having any familiarity with the source material is important, especially when you're translating an older show instead of an ongoing one. I mean, do you REALLY think me, the Crashhead here would gloss over such details? No.

And...yeah! I hope that was a helpful read? I'll emphasize that my translations are not perfect, but at the very least I want to put all my heart into them since, Crash is a series I hold close to my heart...over anything else, haha.

[radiant-reid]

hi cate! this question is kinda weird but what names do you think spencer would give his kids? i always thought he would name after a book character or a someone important to him

~ 🍰

oo i have been thinking about this for way too long and this made me feel like that one tiktok-er who predicts baby names for famous people so we're going to do it her way because i literally love her videos so much

here are the criteria:

most important here is the fact his last name is Reid which is one syllable. now, my last name is also one syllable and i can't think of anyone who hasn't married into the family that has a one-syllable first name. but why is this important? because one-syllable first names sound strange (imo) with one-syllable last names so i think spencer's kids would all have to have two or more syllable first names. the last name factor is also why i'm ruling out names that end in an 'ed' sound so the kid's names don't end in the same sound

not super super popular names. since we're going off the vibe of spencer's name which is at 315 for boys in the USA last year but it's still a name that's not odd to hear. i think preferably in the range of #100-1000

the out-there factor is a big one. spencer's not going to be calling his kids anything like mackinsleigh, anything southern like sally-kate or anything that's a noun like 'brown couch'

boys names as girls names and last names as first names. i don't really have a reason for this but i think both are just his vibe.

old money/preppy because that's kind of the vibe he gives off and it's also the vibe his name gives off. although, i'm not going to rule out a nature/indie name

book character names !! great minds think alike and i agree with you completely on this

names with nicknames, but not names that are nicknames. because i think way back when JJ started calling him Spence he felt like he fit in but i think he would want his children to have names that suit them when they're adults

Another thing we have to address is the BAU naming and god-parenting rules. i personally think his kid sharing a nickname with one of the team members is better than just straight up sharing a first name

girls names: (because he's a girl dad™)

Matilda this is the front runner for sure and it ticks lots of boxes. obviously, it's a very famous book character name who loves reading and could visually be spencer's child. it's got enough syllables, it ranks at 466 in the US, it's preppy and Tillie or Mattie are such cute nicknames

Beatrice off the top of my head, there's the Shakespeare and asoue character. common but not too common and Bea or Trixie are cute nicknames

Eleanor edging into too-popular territory but the advantage it has is that her nickname could be Elle like former BAU team member Elle

Maisie maybe it's too nickname-y since most of the other names are fuller, but it's a very cute name, it's popular enough and it's in lots of literature so it makes the list

Madeline popular enough, literature references, a very 'full' adult name with lots of nicknames

Attie hmm, so it sounds too nickname-y but Scout is only one syllable and attie would be short from atticus who's also from tkamb. it's on the rare side but it's not too obscure

Tatum a surname as a first name which is also traditionally a boy's name and it's got the right popularity and it's old money

Payton/Peyton old money but still preppy, unisex and popular-ish

Sawyer not my personal favorite but it's a traditional boy's name with the right popularity ranking and it's preppy so it makes the list

Elliotte differing spelling from the boy's version on purpose and its preppy

Aspen I've been saying this for so long but Aspen has Pen or Penny as a middle name which would be an ode to Penelope

Darcy it's both bookish, a surname as a first name and a boy's name as a girl's name

Sloane mostly because it's a personal fave but i think it would be cute

Violet another name matching a literary character's that I think would be a good fit

Poppy or Pippa grouped together because I've got the same thing to say about them. they're kind of nickname-y as first names but I could still see him calling his daughter either one

Eden oddly biblical but it's a really pretty name and I think it sounds good with Reid as a last name

Zara or Zoe same vibe, both sort of popular and both cute

Morgan points because it's both a unisex name and a surname that would also repay Derek Morgan for naming his son after Spencer without actually calling his kid Derek

Mabel it's just got the same vibe as Spencer

boys names (which are so much harder)

Atticus maybe a little too directly related to the character but it's got the preppy and literature vibe

Ethan both for his friend and for the son Alex Blake lost and i think it's something Spencer would use to honor them

Hugo it's got the literature references and it literally means 'intellect' like what could be more fitting?

Louis pronounced the correct way (loo-ee not loo-is)

Milo it's in lots of books and i think it's a really sweet name

Lennon here's my out-of-left-field pick but it's a last name (obviously) as a first name and i don't think it's too weird but i could be wrong

Aaron i'm here to break the rules I created... but i think Aaron rather than Dave, Luke, Matt, or Derek because Spencer very rarely calls Hotch by his first name and imo it's a much nicer name

Bennett/Beckham they're other preppy baby names that are surnames as well and they have nicknames as well

Mason i think it's a surname? but it fits the vibe

if you have any ideas, lmk and I'll add them to the list !!

[feferika]

No one asked this, but here is an analysis of one of my favorite One Piece arcs strictly from a literature and film fanatic standpoint...

PART ONE: TRILLER BARK

Thriller Bark is the first favorite! Because it shows some of the unknown literary prowess of Oda sensei that many people probably would overlook (simply from it being so obscure with the references).

Now, the first obvious reference that this arc brings up is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

We know just from a glance that all of these monsters are not quite what they seem from their stitched up appearances. Unlike the stereotypical take on Frankenstein’s monster of the bolts and thunder, we have the truly gruesome amalgamations and chimera-esc creatures truly rising up to greet us.

While these creatures are very comical in appearance, there are also extremely horrific looking moments with them.

Much like Victor Frankenstein, Hogback and Moria do not truly comprehend how their monsters can affect other people. Entire lives are being uprooted for the sake of these monsters that are mutilated for the sake of science and their own personal goals.

We see some of this through the unhinged use of Cindry’s creation which very much mimics the Bride of Frankenstein’s story in many ways.

While she is not solely created for the same purposes as the Bride of Frankenstein, she is still created for the sole desire of another person.

Her disjointed personality shines through in her actions that are very disparate from the original person. Simply put, they are not the same person at all despite having the same appearance. The entire essence of the original Cindry is lost in this creation and becomes a purely physical satisfaction.

These are also highly comparable to the 1932 film White Zombie for the smitten notions and the morally unacceptable actions of the lead character who sought to empower the women for his own. Which is also where we possible gain Cindry’s overall design from.

While many of the overall aesthetic of the arc is reflective of stories like Dracula by Bram Stoker and its many iterations in media, it is also fair to say it is overall taken from inspiration of all of the classic monster films and their aesthetics.

The Post-Thriller Bark moments with Dracule Mihawk, Perona, and Zoro merely expand upon this notion and further solidifies these references

For heaven’s sake, his name is basically Dracula! Anyways, I digress...

Now, let’s take a step back for a moment and analyze Hogback’s name for a moment. Hogback is a geographical term to signify an odd strata formation generally in mountains.

The name was probably chosen for the rough and jagged appearance, much like the person and his creations. Since these formations look much like the stitching of the creations, I find it a very fulfilling name for our doctor.

So, what about Gecko Moria’s name? What makes his name so unique?

Well, many of us who have seen the Lord of the Rings may remember a place called the “Mines of Moria.” However, many of us may not be aware of the origin of the name Moria itself.

So, J.R.R. Tolkien was a fan of many older forms of literature and is known for his work in transcribing many words for the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) from older forms of English that we would not be privy to today without his and others’ efforts.

One of the literary works that Tolkien took inspiration from was a Norwegian story called Soria Moria Castle (or Soria Moria slott). Now, I have read this story before and I absolutely adore it, but many of us may have never read it. So, I will briefly explain it. 

The main character, Halvor, is a good for nothing son who longed for something else in life. He was led astray by a man to set out at sea and is LOST. He gets off his boat and finds a castle.

Hmm. Strange. I think I remember Luffy and the Strawhat crew getting lost at sea and stumbling upon a mysterious castle through the ghost and fog.

Anyways, many things happen as Halvor is in this mysterious castle.

First, Halvor is warned about a three headed troll living on this land.

Second, Halvor is asked to wield a sword.

Third, a marriage deal is offered to Halvor with multiple women involved.

Fourth, there is a time where the parents of Halvor find their own son unrecognizable until a series of events later.

The story continues with more series of events with weddings and travel using magic, but what is important is that many other elements of the story shine through in this One Piece arc.

So, while many can chalk this arc up as being purely classic monster aesthetic, there is clearly more going on here than we first realized.

So, now we know why the name Moria is relevant. But what about Gecko?

In Japanese, Gecko means “Moonlight.” Which that alone feels fitting for a man that revels in the shadows for his malicious intentions.

Now, it would be folly of me to chalk all of these references up to solely one Norwegian folktale since many of these comparisons can be shared with the story The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells.

This is a story of a shipwrecked man who details the actions of the doctor on the island who creates human hybrid amalgamations using animals.

Many of the animal amalgamations mentioned in the story are also featured in this comic itself. For instance, the character recounts how he looked upon creatures that resembled “swine” much like our beloved Lola’s monster form. There is also mention of an ape-man, rabbits, sloth-creatures, hyena-man, etc...

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY! He mentions a leopard-man! Even a puma-man!

HE ALSO MENTIONS... DARE I SAY IT... DOG-MAN!

Anyways, it’s mostly about the animal-human hybrids. That’s what you need to gather from that story.

So, what about some of the other characters? Ones like our precious Ghost Princess Perona?

Well, there is no REAL evidence to what she is in reference to other than the idea of ghosts, poltergeists, and spirits often being entities that mock and toy with others. For instance, most western depictions of ghosts like the three bullies in Casper or some of the small-fry ghosts in GhostBusters.

I like to think of Perona’s ghosts as more of an Inkwell Era reference.

Which is also what I pertain to most of Brook’s enchanting humor. So, think cartoons like Betty Boop and you have the general idea of what I’m talking about.

Perona is also very characteristic of the idea of women who reside over the horror media and truly reign on it. We’re talking Elvira, Vampira, Morticia Addams, etc... Horror Queens to put it simply.

But this neglects some of the later iterations known as Scream Queens which over the years have gathered a more gothic punk aesthetic such as in The Return of the Living-Dead, Underworld, or even in REPO! The Genetic Opera...

So, yes. Plenty of horror aesthetic. Which is why we are hounded by zombies and can laugh throughout the entire arc. Since, that’s what classic horrors and cheesy modern horrors are all about.

Of course, Perona’s style itself is more reminiscent of Gothic Lolita culture, but I doubt any of you need little ole ME to point that out.

Why, we have grown up with that representation in many other forms over the years in anime anyways.

It would be odder if Oda sensei DIDN’T touch upon such a cultural iconic look.

So, yes. Perona is great and I adore her. But there are more characters to talk about! Like Brook! Who I have mentioned at least twice now!

Why the name? Why the violin? Why the gentleman look? Why anything?

First, I would like to point out that a brook is a small stream. Streams are known for a multitude of meaning, such as a stream of music flowing or a stream of silly words... Brook is a skeleton man with the power of BOTH and he has a flowing way of working with his soul.

So, then there is the gentleman look. He is specifically supposed to be a man of the past and look contrarian to the people of the present. Giving him a classic gentleman look carries this effect out perfectly and further exemplifies the classic horror setting of this arc.

So, what about the violin? Violins are one of the most performed classic instruments for horror stories but also for uplifting songs because of the varied range it has for musical prowess. Plus it’s an instrument that is easy to carry around and has a long lineage of usage. Perfect for a gentleman who has been around for a long time.

Brook’s introduction brought about plenty of classic tips of the hat to how to ward off evil spirits in a multitude of cultures.

Salt is often used for repelling a variety of supernatural beings, as well as being an ill-omen when spilled.

Crosses are generally used to ward off spirits of “unholy origins” like vampires and demons. Creatures that are created against God.

Garlic is used to ward of vampires.

Omamori (amulets) are used to ward off bad omens and offer protection.

Juzu (prayer beads) and others are used to prayer for resolution to suffering.

We also see glimpses of Ofuda (slips of paper) from Usopp like this one...

The Nobori (vertical flag) that Usopp carries says “悪霊退散/akuryou taisan” which essentially means “evil spirit/demon dispersal”

Usopp and Chopper in general have a very Van Helsing appearance to hunt/ward off the monsters. Van Helsing being the Dutch monster hunter from Dracula... Anyways!

This story arc would not be complete without discussing our dear Kuma. The man with many a shrouded mystery around him and even some analysis on him that I have which may delve even further than Thriller Bark. So, at this point if you are not caught up beyond Thriller Bark, then I would stop reading from this point on...

So, yes, Kuma. The bear symbolism is all there, I do not need to cover that part. What I do what to cover though is the other part of his name. Bartholomew is a name with a multitude of meaning in this story.

We all know that Oda sensei is very clever in his usage of historical pirate names throughout the comic in a variety of means. Bartholomew is no exception in this regard. Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts is the pirate figure that Kuma borrows a name from and that is where the similarities between the two ends.

Instead of taking on a particular personage after the pirate, instead his imagery is more similar to one of the Apostles of God.

We know this from Kuma’s very upstanding way of talking and acting, as well as his manner of carrying around a Bible (which has multiple variants throughout the series and is an arguable discussion).

However, I would like to propose that many of the actions that occur with, around, by Kuma, etc... Are all also very synonymous with legends about the Apostle of God himself.

For instance, his physical appearance is reflective of the common depictions of Bartholomew the Apostle as a man with dark skin and curly hair. He is also a person known for being skinned alive and beheaded for his death sentence.

I believe it is also no coincidence that the cross-esc symbol is a reference to this comparison. Even the way his ability works appears like one who is warding off evil.

One could say he’s... hands on...

Anyways! I love this arc and I really hope that other people like my analysis of it and have their own thoughts to share. I do acknowledge that much of my analysis could be my own opinions and not the truth, since most of this is not confirmed by Oda sensei himself. But! I still think it is worth sharing and worth talking about because that’s what literature is all about! Talking and discussing and making your own takeaways from it!

So, try not to be horrified by my... lengthy amount of words and pictures here...

Stay tuned for PART TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[clairelsonao3]

Happy STS, Claire!

What is something that makes its way into everything you write? A character type, a scene, a trope, anything?

Is there something you really want to include in a story at some point, but haven't had the chance yet?

And do you ever hide easter eggs in your writing, even if chances that anyone will find them are low?

Happy STS, thanks for the ask, Elli!

Romance, or elements of romance, seems like something I'm incapable of leaving out of anything I write. It's probably why I've realized I may not be cut out to be a literary fiction writer, despite my MFA, because I just want to write about girls kissing cute boys, and that sadly just is never going to be regarded as serious enough to win me the Nobel Prize for Literature. Sigh. It's so unfair. (And whump, of course, although romance has historically been easier to work into most stories than chains, whips, and shackles, not that I don't try).

One of those things -- an impersonation gambit -- I finally did get to incorporate into Ch. 25-26 of GSNBTR. There are a couple of whumpy things I'm dying to include, but I may get to include them before the story is finished. If not, I'll incorporate them into the sequel or a side fic or something. (Don't wanna give them away here, though!) A few other random things I've been wanting to write about forever (in no particular order) are thieves, turn-of-the-century NYC, gutterpunks, international intrigue, Central America, and Antarctica. Maybe all in the same story.

I LIVE for Easter eggs, the nerdier the better. The Adored is absolutely littered with references to country rock legend Gram Parsons (up to and including the surname of the male MC), but he's never actually mentioned. The funniest part is that it's a YA novel, and the chance that any contemporary teen reader will ever pick up on references to an obscure country rock singer who died back in 1973 is slim to none, so it really is all purely to entertain myself (and maybe my dad, lol). And in GSNBTR, I keep managing to stick in references to Bob Dylan, despite the fact that in this universe, his career never technically existed, and he's probably still living in Hibbing, Minnesota, and retired from working at his family's appliance store. But as a protest singer, I feel like somehow, his spirit still informs this particular dystopian universe. And again, no one is likely to pick up on them anyway, so I figure, why not go nuts.

[deathbyvalentine]

Science and Seances Diary Entries Commission

Entry One:

They say all inventions come from a unfulfilled need. I need my husband. Not in a silly practical way, all bills and deeds and picking up the children. I need his voice, lulling me to sleep. I need his arms, holding me fast. I need his breath just touching my neck when he bends over me at my desk to place a cup of tea beside me. People keep telling me to give it time. That slowly the pain will pass and my world will go on all the same. I want to scream and tear my hair out at them. I don’t want my world to go on. It is not my world if he is not in it. I am not grieving. I am biding my time. I will not move on. I will not heal. I have never met a problem I could not overcome when I put my mind to it and I do not intend to start now.

Entry Two:

My research has become most engrossing. My primary concern (time) has been much allayed. It seems that in all the stories, how long a loved one has been dead is of no concern at all. This soothes me immeasurably. I would have never have forgiven myself if I had missed a window due to something as mundane as funeral preparations and crying.

That does seem to be the only thing all the literature has in common however. Each culture has a different method of communing and indeed, a different definition of communing. I do not wish a ressurection - I have read several horror novels in my youth that have given me quite the terror of the idea of moving corpses. I simply wish to talk. To contact. This at least seems easier.

I cross referenced common themes and rituals to see what they had in common. Those that only had one reference, I eliminated. I was left with five elements that were present in each and every one of the reports. I deduced that this would be the ideal ritual - one composed from the strongest parts of the collective consciousness.

I have much to prepare for. Much to gather, much to consider. I intend to continue logging my experiences. The difference between science and magic, after all, is simply language. I may be dabbling in the unknown but I am a scientist down to my very core.

Entry Three:

I wonder why smoke or mist is so common in these spells? Is it that obscuring the sight better enhances other senses? I do not know, but my lungs are rather suffering due to the various smokes I’ve been testing. Sage is the opposite of what is needed - all seem to agree it banishes spirits rather than hosts them. Ash however is a little too thick and makes it hard to continue the preparations. A middle ground has been found with willow - a tree that has captured my fascination long before I began this endeavour. As a child they always seemed somewhat melancholy to me, the weight of their grief tilting them towards the ground, as if longing for their grave.

I seemed to have slipped towards the poetic there, I do apologise. Back to the scientific. I have decided on which runes to use, which colour of chalk, which energy source seems strongest. All these tiny details are the difference between success and failure. On such pinheads are revelations made.

Entry Four:

As the solstice approaches, I have been deep in thought. I wonder if I have been too cautious in my goals. I am confident with the application of my intellect talking to my husband is entirely possible. But I think I want more. I want to sweep away the veil that separates us. I want the world he inhabits and my own to overlap. I want our senses to find nothing lacking. I want distance to be an illusion.

I see no reason why this should not be possible. The principle remains the same, it is just on a much grander scale. Multiply the amount of the ingredients, the amount of power poured in, the number of words. Any decent scientific principle is replicable on a larger scale - that’s how it becomes an accepted theory. An apple does not drop only once. It drops every time somebody’s hand relaxes a little too much.

The solstice is tomorrow and I am in a frenzy with preparation. The children have been sent to my mother’s, the servants have been given the day off. Tomorrow, this house will be the stage to a theatre of science and spirits, joining hands. And I shall be reunited with my love once more. May god bless me. May god bless him, too.

[kidpunkjunk]

second boonecade post of the day im replaying fnv and thinking abt them so hard. arcade never ever making boone feel dumb, he never laughs at him when he doesnt know what arcade would consider basic knowledge, he never makes boone feel bad for having to ask a lot of questions. he never makes boone feel /less/ for not knowing /more/. im sure people dont really give you too much shit for not being super smart in the mojave bc its the fucking WASTELAND. but like... 3 intelligence...assholes will always be assholes, even if it makes them hypocrites. but then again i dare you to call the first recon sniper an idiot.

the idea that he would be nervous and guarded right off the bat when meeting arcade bc hes so smart (smartest in the mojave canonically) and people who arent nearly as smart as arcade have probably talked down to him the moment the realized hes not too bright .... so he expected arcade, ESPECIALLY arcade, to act the same like on god this man is haughty i would too. but he wouldnt, he would never. thats the followers whole deal, thats his whole deal, to help people. to not judge people on predispositions and things caused by nurture/environment . the wasteland is harsh and brutal and unforgiving. theres no nationwide enforced school system and the ncr doesnt require their soliders to review shakespeare and learn about the likelihood of hereditary traits (or what hereditary traits are at all)

but yeah yeah. aracde just calmly, in a nonjudgmental tone, like it was no skin off his back, explaining everything and anything boone doesnt understand. he knows he uses ten dollar flowery words and obscure analogies and references long lost literature. he knows that he doesnt make sense to the average nevadanite. i made that word do you like it. he has no issue explaining his tangents, even if he has to do it more often for boone. and im sure he wouldnt mind using normal words rather than flexing his thesaurus knowledge when talkin to him. hes a kind man ! hes a nice man ! he wants to talk and wants people to hear.

also DONT LOOK AT ME... carla was probably the same way ... growing up on the strip she mustve talked in a very unique and flowery way as well ... and oh she loved boone so much she'd make sure he understood everything she said. i love carla/arcade parallels so much THEYRE BOTH FROM A BETTER TIME... their desire for a better life, their prickly closed off nature, they both could talk for miles, both are goddamn knockouts. i have no doubt in my mind that arcades similarities to carla (at least what we know of her) drew boone in, that they would ease his worries and lower his guard just a bit, just a bit easier than the other companions...

i LOVE rambling on tumblr... arcade would never make boone feel stupid. he would be so kind and understanding and patient with him. hand in hand? boone would never make arcade feel annoying. insists that he loves hearing him talk, loves letting him fill the silence, that he could never get sick of hearing his tangents, even if he doesn't quite understand. theyre puzzle pieces that fit so perfectly.

[girderednerve]

i had to read a romance novel for class so i reread lord of scoundrels and then i wanted to post what i said about it in a place i could find it again, so long ramble below cut. content warnings for discussion of racism and glancing references to depictions of intimate partner violence

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase is a classic of modern romance. It’s very well-written, sharp and witty with convincing chemistry between the main characters; it follows the typical structure of the romance novel, complete with third-act crisis; its romantic lead is plausibly the platonic ideal of the “asshole duke” trope. It’s also wildly racist. It does a funny sidestep around its racism, though: all the on-page racism is directed at Italians, as though the various comments on olive skin, dark hair, a prominent nose, and an over-emotional disposition aren’t also commonly directed at people of color. In effect, this choice minimizes modern racism, by implying that the same thing happens or recently happened to white people, while obscuring the social process of racialization and reproducing racist assumptions about people of color. It was unpleasant to read but interesting to consider.

The “asshole duke” trope requires a romantic lead who is brooding, authoritative, and rude or violent (although only in very specific ways; certain kinds of violence are disqualifying for a romantic hero). It is also absolutely essential that his abrasive personality is the result of some childhood trauma, usually an abusive father or absent mother. The lead character must draw this information out of him and help him begin to resolve his trauma in order to cement their relationship. Her wit, intelligence, independence, social competence, emotional capacity, and all other qualities are proven, in this sort of novel, by her ability to fix him. Lord of Scoundrels is absolutely one of the blueprints for this plot, and it’s very well-executed here, although in this case a lot of the duke’s trauma comes from his father’s racism. (The main character, of course, is the very rose of English beauty.) There’s an intoxicating power fantasy at play, and one which is inextricably married to the logic of abuse. 

I love romance novels and I love reading romance novels and I love arguing about romance novels. This novel produced in me a lot of argument. The reason I like Lord of Scoundrels so much is that it is very good at what it sets out to do and what it’s doing is both objectionable and influential, which makes it an excellent discussion piece. Romance novels are in several places touted as potentially feminist or liberatory—after all, they center women’s pleasure, women’s agency, women’s interests, the domestic and emotional spheres neglected by more canonical literature; “by women, for women” was a popular tagline for some time—but they are also in many respects foundationally conservative. That’s true in Lord of Scoundrels: it frames racism as cruel and distasteful, but every character who has racialized features is also over-emotional and flighty in a familiar, racist way; its heroine is a “bluestocking,” who is clever and independent, but she falls into a deeply traditional marriage without protest, as though no other meaningful options existed, after making several sly digs at other women along very sexist lines.

Lord of Scoundrels' formulaic plot is not a weakness, exactly, but a strength; it comforts its readers with an expected outcome, leaving them plenty of space to worry instead about social rules and social reproduction, or, I guess, immerse themselves in the fantasy, and it frees the author to entertain herself with embellishments and specifics. Like many other regency romances, it takes a deep rather than an expansive interest in historical background, furnishing meticulous details of dress and decorum while neglecting nearly all social context. This approach to history, too, fascinates me; this fantasy of extravagant heterosexuality and its accompanying expurgated idea of the past seem to me mutually reinforcing, although I find it difficult to articulate exactly how.

Anyway, romance novels! I love them! They’re often terrible but not the way people say they are!

[biboocat]

The Summing Up by Somerset Maugham, 1938. This is a literary memoir in which he shares his experience regarding literature, theater, creative writing, literary criticism, philosophy, and religion. I wasn’t familiar with some of the authors and philosophers he referred to, but overall it’s edifying for those interested in the writing life and fans of Maugham

Memorable quotes and excerpts:

It must be that to govern a nation you need a specific talent and that this may very well exist without general ability. p3-4

His explanation why ordinary lives rather than famous ones make the better subject for writing makes perfect sense. p6 (see photo)

If he (the reader) has the patience to read what follows he will see that there is only one thing about which I am certain, and this is that there is very little about which one can be certain.

His typist’s unsolicited grammatical corrections of his draft of Cakes and Ale are hilarious. p19-20

He speaks of 3 elements he strives to accomplish in his writing: lucidity, simplicity and euphony. The analysis of obscurity in writing is interesting and scathing. p30-32

The following excerpt is redolent of Graham Greene. I read a fragment online that Greene reviewed The Summing Up in 1938, but I couldn’t read the article due to a paywall. Even if Greene had taken Maugham’s observations to heart and used them for his novels, it doesn’t take away from Greene’s execution of this theme in his novels.

I think what has chiefly struck me in human beings is their lack of consistency. I have never seen people all of a piece. It has amazed me that the most incongruous traits should exist in the same person and for all that yield a plausible harmony. I have often asked myself how characteristics, seemingly irreconcilable, can exist in the same person. I have known crooks who are capable of self sacrifice, sneak thieves who were sweet natured and harlots for whom it was a point of honor to give good value for money... It must be a fault in me that I am not gravely shocked at the sins of others unless they personally affect me, and even when they do I have learnt at last generally to excuse them. It is meet not to expect too much of others. You should be grateful when they treat you well, but unperturbed when they treat you ill. ‘For every one of us,’ as the Athenian stranger said, ‘is made pretty much what he is by the bent of his desires and the nature of his soul.’ It is want of imagination that prevents people from seeing things from any point of view but their own, and it is unreasonable to be angry with them because they lack this faculty… There is nothing more beautiful than goodness, and it has pleased me very often to show how much of it there is in person who by common standards would be relentlessly condemned. I have shown it because I’ve seen it. It has seemed to me sometimes to shine more brightly in them because it was surrounded by the darkness of sin. I take the goodness of the good for granted, and I am amused when I discover their defects or their vices; I am touched when I see the goodness of the wicked, and I’m willing enough to shrug a tolerant shoulder at their wickedness. I am not my brother’s keeper. I cannot bring myself to judge my fellows; I am content to observe them. My observation has led me to believe that, all in all, there’s not so much difference between the good and the bad as the moralists would have us believe. p55-57

His view on religion starts on p242. And restarts on 261.

[hergan416]

Dorian Gray chapter 9

Is SOOO dense. So many historical and cultural references, many of which have been been modified by Wilde to make slightly different points. From countless Ancient Roman emperors, to various Renaissance era poisonings that may or may not have been actually factual (apparently there is a debate Wilde would have been aware of that Elizabethian literature exaggerated many of these for use in plays, but Wilde decides to treat them all as historical fact) to Roman Catholic popes, Shakespeare, global cultural and artistic achievements (Dorian Gray could maybe compete with the Brittish museum for stolen artifacts), rich jewels and witty commentary at balls and gatherings.

It's honestly hard, without the same education as Wilde to understand it all. [In fact, because so many of these references include veiled hints at homosexuality throughout history, an annotation actually prints Wilde's response to an accusation that he's hiding what boils down to a gay agenda that wouldn't be noticed by masses because of his superior education. His response basically boils down to "this is not that obscure it's required reading at Oxford."]

Like...everyone can go to Oxford. (Please read heavy sarcasm.) But of course...he's really concerned with Society with a capital S ("In my young days...one never met anyone in society who worked for their living" says Lady Caroline Pontefract in A Woman of No Importance, quoted in annotation 36 to this chapter). And so any educated person would see what he's meaning, what's the problem?

I want to tackle this chapter, but I Googled SO many things in the process of reading it that I couldn't keep it straight without like 2 spreadsheets and a flowchart. And honestly, this is for fun. I don't want to do all that.

My impression, however, is that Dorian Gray is stuck consuming the past. He looks to ancient nobility, either in literature or actual history, his own noble heritage, art and musical traditions, purchasing much of it regardless of extravagant cost, and holding it all away. Most of this stuff is either a florid description of what information about these topics was available in the field guides of the day. And espcially the historical figures are controversial, either their histories were re-written by the winning side of history, or at the very least they were popular with some and not others. Popular with the people and not the senate, for instance, or had reigns marked by scandal.

Since this chapter is meant to show the decline of Dorian Gray, while maintaining his popular facade, I think this is enough. How many rich, important, crappy people are there, and how important is it to distinguish them? Is it not enough to say "Dorian Gray had been poisoned by a book."?

[momowho34]

okay but why do artists title things Like That. 

why is it that every time an old artist titled their paintings it would be something like “the one with the orange cup on the chair in the windowsill with the sunlight filtering in and a little bit of red in there somewhere.” I mean points for clarity and specificity. its so weird like i could be sitting here thinking “hm what’s that one painting of the girl in the pearl earring” and then look it up and its just. it’s literally titled “the girl and the pearl earring” what. no special title? no artistic wordplay? it’s like they finished the painting and were like “all of my creativity has been drained :/” and wrote the description because why not? my favorites are the one with obscenely long and specific titles, even for this trend, like “king john henry mcdowill hubenstuber mijorgindididan the 74th out on a sunny day with his hunting dogs.” Some of them are very simple and its like what! where is your creativity! where is your symbolic language! what the fuck

meanwhile on the other side of the spectrum you’ve got instrumental musicians with zero description or discernment of what the fuck is going on and they just expect you to Get It. everything is titled “concerto 5th string instrument 7th fret” and that’s just. that’s the title of the song???? there are no descriptives??? I know it makes sense to instrumental people that understand that stuff but you can listen to “5th concertio cello A” and its the most boring thing with very little substance but then look at “6th concerto cello A” and its the most banger song you’ve ever listened to in your fucking life. where is the distinction? where is the flavor?? like “oh my favorite beethoven piece was 17th oingo boingo instrument name random selection of letters” you have told me nothing. net zero information. if you hum it for me I will have a better idea of your general taste in music then that jumble of words you just said. all i know is that all of tchaikovsky’s music absolutely boinks but with beethoven its like. girl is this going to be an epic fast paced angry song grrrr or an oh i am the wilting petals of a dying flower song? because the title is literally the same! somebody tell me what the 

and don’t even get me started on literature freaks (of which i am one) that are the most pretentious thing ever. you look at a book and it’s titled “the great battle of 1220″ but its actually about office jobs or whatever and one of the characters references a battle of some kind eventually and that’s it that’s the only connection. oh haha yeah i see the funny silly little connection there author, but you also just made me read 600 pages to get there. edgar allan poe titled things in a pretty boring way but at least he left you with some idea of what the fuck was going on. no. fuck you. this is illegal. i miss being six and opening up a picture book titled “uncle bert and his lovely farm” like yeah does it sound boring? sure. does it give me a general idea of what the fuck is going on? yes. i know these complaints are dumb and i love giving my works obscure titles and i know that’s what the descriptions at the back of the book are for but ugghhh. 

i love art and i love instrumental music (even if i know jack shit about it) and i certainly love literature, but guys we’ve gotta cooardinate more there is a balance to things i promise. literature is like all symbolic and pretentious its all “teehee my title is obscure and symbolic oh im so smart” and art is like “you get whats on the fucking tin leave me alone” and instrumental music is like “i need to have everyhting organized specifically by strings or whatever and if there is a single characteristic in this title im going to cry.”