#relevant to the sewer chapters

[secretmellowblog]

It’s fascinating how Jean Valjean is constantly associated with imagery of being buried alive.

His literal near-burial in the coffin outside Petit-Picpus is the most obvious example of that. But it’s in the sewers chapters as well— he has to face the horror of nearly drowning and being buried alive deep underground in the filth beneath the city.

And that imagery a running motif throughout his entire storyline. His imprisonment is constantly compared to as a burial, a living death; being in prison is like being trapped and drowned underneath an enormous weight, unable to move, unable to escape, with everyone around you refusing to acknowledge you are still a living human being.

In his dream before the Champmatheiu trial, Jean Valjean had a nightmare where he’s surrounded by a faceless crowd of indifferent people, who tell him:

‘Do you not know that you have been dead this long time?’

I opened my mouth to reply, and I perceived that there was no one near me.

The core horror of Jean Valjean’s plotline is the horror of being buried alive. It’s the horror of being constantly told that he is dead when he’s still living and suffering and desperately struggling to escape—- but suffering alone while he’s buried in a place so deep that no one can hear him.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 408: Orphaned Cryptid to Billionaire Supervillain

Previously on BnHA: HE WAS BORN AN ARROGANT BABY.

Today on BnHA: Horikoshi decides he’s going to cover the rest of the AFO/OFA saga in the span of just seven pages, the majority of which are mostly just filled with lovingly detailed closeups of AFO and Kudou’s eyes. Back in the present day, Kid For One takes a couple of seconds to trample the last of the “Kacchan is OFA II or is related to OFA II” theories into the dust, and is then all “fuck it, I’ll just take him out with one last spectacularly grotesque supermove.” Kacchan is all “lol you fucking dipshit”, and he says it with such confidence that it truly makes me believe he can defeat AFO’s “ALL THE QUIRKS EVER!!” attack with his piddly little exploding bloodsweat quirk. AND IT WILL BE A SIGHT TO SEE.

interesting!

Yoichi’s name btw is written with the kanji 与 which means “bestow” or “give”, and 一 which means “one.” so basically “one who gives”, which is fitting as the creator of OFA, but also fits in with this new context of being the first “possession” bestowed upon AFO

oh yes and also AFO I guess has just torn his brother to shreds or something too. idk. I’m going to be honest with you guys, this panel has such a surreal vibe that I just sat here blinking stupidly at it and wasn’t even shocked or anything. like what. is he dreaming this?? or did he really just make a “STOP! IN THE NAAAAME OF LOVE” gesture and in doing so remove half of his brother’s jaw

ewww

idk what’s wrong with me today guys. AFO just disintegrated Yoichi, and Kudou and and OFA Tres (who apparently still doesn’t have a name???? freaking Kudou got named before you??) are literally RIGHT THERE and presumably horrified, and all I can think about is how fucking gross it is that they’re all hanging out in a fucking sewer

oh shit y’all it’s about to go down

he can’t kill Kudou right off the bat can he? does Kudou even know he has OFA yet? are we going to see him transfer it to OFA III? I’m so fucking excited omg

LOL WHAT

“weirdly matte” omg. so apparently he’s like All Might, where the “he’s just drawn differently” thing is something people actually acknowledge in-story. “yeah he actually has no pupils. that’s a real thing. technically that should mean he can’t see since pupils are what let light into your eyes, but don’t worry about that part. just know that his eyes canonically look weird to the story people as well, and everyone is creeped out by it, not just you”

yeah he’s actually blind

so he literally can’t see outside himself. way to lay those metaphors on thick, Horikoshi

(ETA: this is my “just in case my impeccably dry wit doesn’t translate well across the internet” ETA to assure everyone I know he’s not actually blind lol.)

now we’re cutting to some random city where AFO is broodingly staring at Yoichi’s severed hand because he’s perfected the art of always doing incredibly unsettling things

I cannot believe the fucking hands thing has an actual origin story. of course it does. this man has never done a single hinged thing in his life. it’s all unhinged or bust. am I talking about AFO or Horikoshi? YOU DECIDE

he’s sitting at a table with a bottle of wine holding his dead brother’s embalmed severed limb and thinking about fucking quirk shit

so your transformation from Orphaned Cryptid to Billionaire Supervillain happened almost completely offscreen huh. I’m kinda disappointed, ngl. I could have read a few more chapters about that. maybe a spinoff miniseries

WAIT WHAT

are you serious. we finally get a panel that’s INCREDIBLY RELEVANT to pretty much ALL OF MY BNHA THEORIES, only for that same panel to contradict itself ONE SPEECH BUBBLE LATER?? so what is the truth???

omg omg omg

so many fucking questions, omg. what the hell does “through research” even mean. how did he confirm Yoichi’s quirklessness, and why did he later change his mind? how the fuck can Yoichi have a quirk factor and yet not have an actual quirk. “it was just so weak it didn’t count or something I guess” okay??? how much of this is unreliable narrator vs. the word of god? how is it we’re getting so many answers and yet all I have is more fucking questions you guys

BRUE?CE?CEE??!

bruce

Kudou is so goddamned hot. I hope you washed the hell out of that arm wound after getting it all covered in sewage you stupid sexy man

I can’t get over Three’s name. “idk if anyone noticed, but it’s kind of a subtle homage to another very famous superhero” Horikoshi your nap wasn’t long enough, please go home

also love how Bruce is talking shit about OFA being a puny loser quirk for wimps. how the fuck do they even know what’s going on, anyway? was there a tutorial???

oh you just had a feeling huh??? that it was “something like this”, huh??? how is it that I, who knows all about OFA because I’m from the future and have read 408 chapters of this nonsense, am somehow still less in the know than this handsome clown who doesn’t know shit but just “had a feeling”

(ETA: while editing this post I noted that Bruce is sitting in front of a computer in what seems to be some sort of medical lab, so maybe they ran some tests or something? except that only makes me more confused, because it implies they didn’t actually figure out OFA’s workings via convenient plot instincts. so then how the fuck did they figure out the transfer process?? questions)

meanwhile AFO is sitting in the panel next to him whining about how someone stole Yoichi’s quirk. excuse you. he did not steal it. it was in fact a gift

these flashbacks are all jumbled up and it’s unexpectedly fun to read, but also really chaotic

I guess he’s talking to Kudou on the right and AFO on the left

so many intense closeups of eyes in this chapter oh my goodness

Horikoshi even drew the individual goddamn eyelashes. this looks like the margins of someone’s notebook from when they were really bored in middle school

oh my god the information overload!!!

so much for AFO actually feeling emotions lol. or is he just lying to himself about why he cried. that delicious ambiguity

so we don’t even get a flashback explaining how the transfer actually happened?? to either Kudou OR my beloved Bruce?? goddamn you Horikoshi. omg I would seriously kill for more of this. make a movie about it. I want the OFA origin story prequel movie damn it

I like how AFO just sits there on a throne holding court with a single tiki torch beside him for aesthetic reasons

I can’t quite figure out how he killed Banjou and I’m not sure I really want to know. it looks very violent

friendly reminder that Shinomori is Sir Not Appearing In This Flashback because he’s the only OFA user who died of natural causes! good for you Shinomori. En probably wishes he was more like you

poor En

was Nana just taking a stroll or something one day and stumbled across this epic fight with the evilest man on the planet vs some kid in a trenchcoat, and then the poor kid got bisected and he looked at her and he was all “please eat my hair” and she was just like “ok”?

OH WOW

what a transition omg

LOLLLLLLLL

you know, part of me always wondered how All Might was so certain he’d killed AFO that he apparently never bothered to confirm it. but looking at this panel now, I can understand

fjjfdzjgf

he’s sweating so much. like “okay yeah he punched the top of his face off, this is pretty bad but I’LL DO MY BEST”

BACK TO THE PRESENT DAY AWW SHUCKS

so let’s recap. over on Kacchan’s side we have “GOTTA USE THE PAIN TO WIN!!!” haha ouch. and then over here on KFO’s side we have. whatever the fuck we just experienced over these past two chapters. so basically it’s a battle between the two most deranged characters in the entire series. glorious sweet chaos

DSFJKSLDKGJL he’s now trying to figure out how the fuck they look so much alike and whether they’re actually related

“no, that can’t be it. so then maybe... this kid grows up and then somehow travels back in time...?!” HE’S JUST LIKE US FR

so now he’s saying it’s because Kacchan didn’t have character development yet the last time, but now that he does his eyes are all Full Of Determination just like Kudou’s and so we’ve basically come full circle!

transcended WHAT? :O :D :D omg I’m kidding you guys please don’t hurt me

lol

actually the more we learn about Kudou the less I personally see the resemblance now lol. because Kudou seems so calm and collected, but Kacchan is just... [gestures to literally everything about Kacchan]

so AFO’s trying to strategize, but he can’t warp Kacchan away because the only available targets are too close and he’s still got that SUPERSPEED, BOYO so it wouldn’t make a difference. lol but if you kept doing it repeatedly it might be kind of funny though

and he can’t keep fighting him either because he’s getting his ass whooped and it’s speeding up his de-aging or whatever. well you could just give up then I guess. your call, AFO

oh was that your plan?

spoiler alert for me lol. but it’s not exactly shocking or anything since he’s dying, guess he wants to abandon ship

(ETA: just FYI for anyone reading this who’s not familiar with my dumbassery, I have currently only read chapters 1 through 374 at this point in time, before skipping ahead to 403 because Kacchan came back and I lost all willpower. I am working on catching up with the rest!)

oh so now you did come up with a strategy?

lmao what the FUCK

how much of this is going to be clearer to me once I finish the chapters that I missed, and how much of it is just plain old “nope this is all brand new zero-context BnHA bullshit” lol. this looks like every single quirk AFO ever absorbed combined into one gigantic horrifying blob that forced Horikoshi to take an extra week just to draw it

oh my god!?

Kacchan hovering there bravely facing all this is giving me Gandalf “you shall not pass” vibes and I’m LIVING FOR IT

so either AFO is going to kill Kacchan for the second time right here and now, or he’s going to fail and turn back into a squishy evil baby fdslfjkls

love how All Might is all “DODGE IT YOUNG BAKUGOU!” thanks for the warning, champ. doing his part

more exploding bloodsweat closeups. are these just going to be a mainstay of Kacchan fights from now on

“are you stupid?”, when faced with [gestures to the entirety of the previous page], is possibly the best line ever uttered by anyone in the series. even better than the polite “coming through” uttered only seconds before it

ah man. you love to see it. he literally doesn’t even care. HE ALREADY DIED ONCE TODAY, AND IT CLUED HIM IN TO THE FACT THAT HE’S A MAIN CHARACTER AND ACTUALLY IMMUNE TO DEATH. sorry AFO it’s curtains for you. CURTAINS

[copias-sewer-rat]

MDNI warning for this blog (check the ratings)

relevant links: Ao3 | x | taglist | my art

⛧Copia

Against the Forces of Heaven and Hell, just us (Good Omens inspired fic/ unfinished fic) - ao3 Chapter I | Chapter II | ANEX I | PRIMO art | SECONDO art | TERZO art

Twerking [GN/suggestive] - ao3

⛧Cardinal Copia

The Blood Droping from the Dark Rose Is Always the Sweetest (unfinished fic) [F!reader x Cardinal Copia/MDNI] - ao3 Chapter I | Chapter II | Chapter III | Chapter IV | Chapter V

⛧Terzo

Nothing...yet

⛧Secondo

In His Image [f!reader/MDNI] - ao3Chapter I | Chapter II | Chapter ||| | Chapter IV | Chapter V

'Hannibal' Secondo x FBI agent [GN/MDNI] - ao3

Injured foot [f!reader/MDNI] - ao3

⛧Primo

Nothing...yet

COLLABS

XXXMAS 2023 (MDNI)

- Primo (@copias-sewer-rat): Naughty Presents - Ao3 - Secondo (@molly-ghuleh): Ungrumpify Your Papa - Ao3 - Terzo (@ghulehunknown) - Mistletoe'd - Ao3 - Copia (@bupia) - Treasure Hunt - Ao3

SCENARIOS (Ao3)

- Hunter's Moon (beast x hunter papas/based on Bloodborne) [GN/gore] - Final survivor x slasher papas [GN/suggestive]

ASKS (Ao3)

- Papas with a reader with gastrointestinal problems [GN] - Papas comforting a reader when told they grew without a father [GN] - Papa's dealing with a stressed reader [GN] - Papa's with a reader who suffers from insomnia/nightmares [GN] - Papa's during Christmas [GN]

[jazzypizzaz]

oh fuck yeah I'm finally at the infamous sewer chapter

I've genuinely been looking forward to this all book and I didn't realize it was so late in the story?? the timing is actually hilarious... epic barricade battle just concluded, characters we've gotten to know dying tragically left and right, setting up for a dramatic conclusion pieces all in place, but. ole Vicky grinds everything to a halt to expound on Paris's rivers of poop

yessss rant about civil engineering and waste management to me Victor. tell me more about how valuable humanity's literal shit is. yes yes I understand the thematic relevance. we castoff our saving grace, we cruelly throw away what will nourish the rich soil of life, etc etc. the wretched indeed!

[dolphin1812]

I have so many questions about this chapter title (“In the Case of Sand as in that of Woman, There is a Fineness which is Treacherous”). How is it relevant when there’s not even a woman? Why the random misogyny? But I will say that the randomness of this moment of misogyny is a bit comical.

Hugo’s description of quicksand is very long, paralleling its slow torture for the person (or even the horse, as he points out) caught in it. One slips in gradually and slowly realizes there’s no escape, just as Hugo “drowns” us in sentences on the subject rather than in the “earth.” All of this is to show the real peril Valjean faces in this ocean of waste.

Hugo’s concern with drowning after his daughter’s death in that way is pervasive throughout the novel, but there’s something both terrifying and tragic about how he talks about drowning here. Like his daughter, Valjean risks drowning, already a horrible death. And yet Hugo sees Valjean’s possible fate as being even worse, drowning without the comfort of nature. The horror aspect is effective as a way of raising tension from a purely literary standpoint, but it’s also painful to know he’s thinking of his daughter’s death and imagining how it could have been worse.

It’s both dark and somewhat comical that the bad smell of the sewer is enough to remove grief? But it suggests that Valjean could die unmourned as well (while emotionally, Cosette’s love for him disproves that, it’s true that she doesn’t know where he is and wouldn’t be able to mourn over his body). 

The fact that one’s supposed to throw off any additional weights in quicksand doesn’t bode well for Valjean, who’s carrying another person.

[penname-tbd]

i'm gonna be a bit of a hater for a sec so take this with a grain of salt. the more i study the technical aspects of writing, the less impressed/enchanted i am with stories that are absurdly long. like, yeah, of course this story is 800 pages/a million words/etc. when the author added an unnecessary aside to literally every sentence, or went on a chapter-long tangent about a minor side character's nephew's dog, or added a big interlude about the parisian sewer system. it certainly takes dedication to write something that long, but i'd be more impressed by a ridiculously long story that actually utilized economy of language and narrative relevance than one that's just putting as many words on the page as possible.

[pilferingapples]

An Ongoing Effort to Index This Blog

You’re probably here for reference material! Here’s a tag list to hopefully make finding that easier!

Before I get into the tag lists, a note on my Editorial Policy, such as it is:  I truly appreciate corrections, warnings about bloggers/writers operating in bad faith, etc! But if you’re contacting me with actionable info please come off anon or leave me some other way to get hold of you, so I can follow up if I need more info! I’m happy to keep a convo private if asked, I just need to be able to verify my sources. 

Also: I will delete asks about donation campaigns. I'm sorry, but I've been getting spammed with scam accounts and I can't keep up with the rest.

That out of the way! The tags!

(I had all these linked before accidentally deleting this post once; it's going to be a While before I can repair those links. If you want to find any of these , just go to pilferingapples.tumblr.com/tagged/name of tag and it should work!) Les Miserables Specific: -BrickClub: former readthroughs - LM X.X.X (as in: LM 1.2.3): chapter specific tags -Fandom 101: stuff that’s hopefully useful for people just starting to look around ; if there’s something not here you think would be useful, let me know! -Fashion,or:  Canon Era Fashion : what it says on the tin - Les Misereference: a general tag of all kinds of things , if you just wanna binge canon-era reference - (Character) relevant: references and commentary specifically relevant to one character.  Note that this includes “barricade relevant”, “Amis relevant” as a group, and, yes, “sewer relevant” - (character) talk: discussion of a character/concept , like “ Grantaire Talk”  or “sewer talk”  -what’s the meta for:  a general catchall tag for analysis discussion; mostly older stuff- Paris in Canon Era:  historical info for the True Main Character ; incl. sewers, schools, etc  - maps : They Are Maps - FRev :  goofy fannish stuff and silliness about the French Revolution - FRENCH REVOLUTION: actual historical/ analytical posts about the French Revolution (NOT when Les Mis is set, but hugely influential!)  -Women in the Revolution: what it says! historical /analyses stuff about women in various revolutions and uprisings, though mostly the 1830s and the Frev.  Romanticism Specific:  - Actual Romantics : stories and histories on members of the French Romantic movement -Four People and a Shoelace: specifically about the Petit Cenacle/Jeunes France crew -Hugolania: trivia and random Hugo homages/commentary/fandom stuff. Because Hugo always  had a fandom. more, doubtless, as I think of them! Adaptations: - Les Mis Stage : things about /from the stage musical  -Les Mis Dallas, Dallas Les Mis :  the 2014 Dallas Theater Center modernized production -Les Mis 2012 : things about/from the 2012 musical movie  -Shoujo Cosette: the 52-episode anime; characters from this sometimes just get tagged SC(character)  -Les Mis Arai:  the multivolume manga - Other Adaptations : what it says on the tin , including other musical adaptations, movies, and tv shows  Fanwork Specific -(Character) art:  exactly what you’d expect  - Canon era fic :..again… - Modern AU : rarely needed, but sometimes! -Fic Rec, Ficrec-what it says  Character/ Group/ Ship/Pairing tags, when not just a character’s name : - The Pontmercy Friend: Marius  - All of Them : the Amis as a group -Most of Them: ALMOST all the Amis as a group -Poetry Smash: Bahorel and Prouvaire  -Justice and His Tutor: Enjolras and Feuilly  - Bini!, Bini:  Joly and Bossuet  - OMST3K: J/B/M, for reasons - Power Trio: Enjolras, Combeferre and Courfeyrac  - Party Trio: Joly, Legle , and Grantaire -To Watch Faith Soar: Enjolras and Grantaire Ships Ahoy:  any content focused on romance  (these are NEVER EVER Ship Tags): - Owl and Wren : Valjean and Cosette - Para Bellum: Bahorel and Gavroche

[poryphoria]

ohh hang awn did i srsly never post any of the refs i made for artfight this year on here?? DAMN!! nice memory on ya mori

WELL!! lemme start with these two cuz ive been wanting to give a better synopsis of bleeding hearts on my main anyways. (a similar synopsis exists on both their artfight pages and the fic page- however just in case my tumblr followers don't touch that stuff cuz I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING!)

in summary: bleeding hearts is my goofy little crossover named after the dove breed (for thematic relevancy!) in which blue baby gets bucked outta the basement and straight into Nevada. luckily they end up in the best place a sentient corpse possibly could- the zombie-infested sewers! it's mostly a written fic tho i do post art here sometimes, once again here's the link to the first chapter if you wanna read it!! the other basement kids may make appearances eventually.... but the focus is blue n crackpot bc they're my faves and if NO ONE ELSE IS GONNA PUT EM IN A SITUATION then BY GOLLY I WILL!!!

the next chapter will be up.... EVENTUALLY! in the meantime have some more doodles of them pleek...i insist...!!

[protectoroffaeries]

everyone always talks about hugo's digression about the parisian sewers but i felt like that part was much more bearable, interesting, and plot-relevant than the nineteen fucking chapters about Waterloo

[noforkingclue]

No Questions Asked (Laszlo Kreizler x reader) Chapter 11

No Questions Asked tag list: @fandom-lover-4, @ajeff855, @booksarekindaneat, @greeneyedblondie44

Everything tag list: @greenrevolutionary, @byebyebreezywrites, @spngingerbread21, @layazul, @lov3vivian, @simonsbluee

“You thought this would’ve been in the papers.”

You bit into your apple and waved it at the blackboard.

“Three missing children, all from loaded families. Press love this shit.”

“It hasn’t exactly been out of the press.” Said Moore

“Yeah, but this is multiple missing children,” you said, “But I suppose their parents were rich enough to keep it hidden.”

You ignored the disapproving glares of the others in the room but you were curious.

“Three dead children,” you said, “And all girls. Miracle they managed to keep this to themselves.”

“Why?” Moore said, “Worried that another serial killer is on the loose?”

“Who wouldn’t be.”

You took another bite of the apple and hoped off the table. You approached the blackboard, slowly chewing on bite. You looked at the names in the board and pursed your lips. You glanced at Moore and said,

“Bet the press are all over this now.”

“Yep. The families are none too happy. You don’t sound like you particularly care.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” you shrugged, “I’m sad the children are dead but at the same time, they wouldn’t lose sleep if my children died.”

“So you think they deserve this?”

“Didn’t say that.”

“Then what are you saying.”

“Alright,” Howard stepped in between you and Moore and glared at the two of you, “This arguing is getting us nowhere.”

After a tense couple of seconds you sighed and nodded. You took a step back and continued to eat your apple. Moore continued looking at you before shaking his head and turning his back to you.

“Happy?” you asked Howard

“Not really.”

“But it’s better than nothing.”

“Have you managed to find anything out,” Moore said, “Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“All people are talking about is the second body,” you said, “Murder makes people talk but only about the body. If people know anything they’re keeping very tight lipped about it. Then again, these things take time and I thought I told you that. People ain’t very trusting.”

“And yet they trust you.”

Kreizler’s voice cut through the tension and you looked over at him.

“Thought we’ve been over this,” you said, “And I see that you’ve re-written ‘sewer’ on the board.”

“I believe it’s relevant.”

“Why? Some sort of twisted symbolism? The children are an extension of their parents and belong in a sewer, something like that. I’m sure you’d be able to explain it far more elegantly than I ever could.”

“You seem resentful.” Kreizler was as calm as ever

“Just don’t like serial killers.” You muttered

“Who does?” said Howard

“But what type of person would do this?” you said, “Kill children then dump their bodies in a sewer. And that they’re in their nightdresses. Some sort of sick pervert?”

“Not necessarily.” Said Kreizler slowly

“Someone close to the families then?” you asked, “But I thought you said that there wasn’t a link between them.”

Kreizler looked up and made direct eye contact with you. An uncomfortable feeling coiled in the pit of your stomach but you refused to look away. It was as though Kreizler could see right into your soul, through your carefully crafted disguise. For the first time since coming to New York you genuinely believed that someone could see the real you. However, you weren’t about to let Kreizler see that he was getting to you.

You still needed to be paid after all.

“So what we have is a child killing potential serial killer who preys on wealthy families specifically at night?” you said

“Looks like it.” Said Moore bitterly

“So where do we start?” you asked

“With the families,” said Kreizler, “We need to visit the families.”

[estellamiraiauthor]

The Stars May Rise and Fall: The Annotated Re-read (Chapter 29)

Welcome back to Chapter 29, where the nicest thing I can say about Rei’s shitty attempts to (not really) take care of himself is “at least he doesn’t live in a sewer and sleep in a literal coffin”!

…seriously, I created this disaster boy and even I’m frustrated with him here. Arrrgh!

As always, spoilers (including spoilers for chapters beyond this one) under the cut!

We open this chapter with what will be the final screw in the coffin of Bara’s revenge, mwa ha ha! when Teru’s band shows up to an event to promote their album to find a line reaching around the block and a poster (designed by Rei) much larger than the one for the omnibus CD Bara’s band was selected for. This will be the last passing mention of that CD OR Bara’s band in the book, by the way. They’re just not a threat anymore. 😁

The event itself features a bunch of stupid questions that used to honestly drive me crazy back in the day. Who cares what the band’s favorite clothing brands are? I want to know about the underlying angst beneath their lyrics, dammit! LOL But there is one person who has apparently gotten wind that SOMETHING is up regarding the bands future… good for her for asking the hard-hitting questions?

And then we move on to December 23, the former Emperor’s birthday. *sigh* I miss the former Emperor, not only because he was a peace-loving, grandfatherly figure, but because his birthday was on December 23, which was a much more conveniently placed national holiday than the current Emperor’s birthday.

As mentioned in the book, when neither December 24 or 25 fell on a weekend, a lot of people would celebrate a Japanese-style (I.e. couple-centric) Christmas on the 23rd. In 2000, the 23rd was a Saturday and the 24th a Sunday… so fairly easy for people to celebrate. That also makes the 23rd a great date for an in-store event to celebrate the launch of Teru’s album!

This was completely coincidental, by the way… I’d already decided that Teru was going to take Rei out of town for Christmas Eve, so I Googled the relevant calendar and… boom. Hello, plot point!

So, it’s vaguely mentioned in passing that Rei is also getting ready to go out as Teru is preparing for the event. This isn’t SUPER unusual; Rei does go out, maybe not quite as often since he’s been working on the album having a lot of bad pain days recently, but the album is finished, and if anything Teru would be happy that he’s feeling good enough to have plans of his own. 

As always, anything that’s not explicitly on the page is not canon, and each reader is free to fill in the blanks on their own, but I think he’s going out here to buy or to pick up the pendant he’s eventually going to give to Teru on New Year’s Eve. He doesn’t intend it to be a goodbye present at this point—maybe just a Christmas present or a “good luck with the record deal, I support you” present… but of course that all changes, and what happens here is definitely what pushes Rei over the edge.

A couple of reviewers complained about the way Rei didn’t take very good care of himself, but honestly I don’t really know what they expected from a Phantom retelling. At least he doesn’t live in a sewer and sleep in a literal coffin? IDK. But I did try to show that not taking care of yourself has consequences. I don’t think it’s anything super dramatic that happens to him here: he’s just pushing himself too hard, not using the right mobility aids in the right way, and he falls badly on the ankle that’s not in great shape to begin with. Someone gets concerned and calls an ambulance, and I imagine Rei protests but he literally can’t get up so… he ends up in the hospital and they call Chizuru to come and get him.

I don’t think it’s particularly significant that Chizuru is still listed as his emergency contact instead of Teru… probably just not something you think to update without a specific reason. As to why Chizuru isn’t available… well, it’s the Emperor’s birthday/Christmas Eve weekend, she says she’s not in Tokyo, and Teru hears a man’s voice with her on the other end of the line… I think she finally IS moving on (which honestly makes it pretty shitty what Rei sort of indirectly does to her too… she’s totally going to feel guilty and go back to taking care of him full time, but I also think her partner is understanding and she eventually gets a happy ending, too.)

So she calls Teru, and Teru thinks he can take care of it before his event, but he has trouble finding the hospital and then it takes longer than he expects and he ends up being late.

I’ve written before about my loathing and fear of hospitals, particularly Japanese hospitals… things have gotten much better as younger generations of doctors and nurses have come in, and as younger generations of patients have started to demand more in the way of things like informed consent, second opinions, and mental health considerations, but ESPECIALLY at the time, being hospitalized felt like being in prison… and for Rei, of course, hospitals are also going to be associated with a lot of trauma.

So, the asshole doctor here is probably the single worst human being in the book. There are definitely a few things that could be considered microaggressions or unconscious bias… no one considering the possibility that Teru might be queer, Kiyomi and Seika being awkward around Rei, Teru thinking it weird that Seika chooses to live in Koreatown. But none of those are **consciously** discriminatory… this doctor most definitely is. He doesn’t speak directly to Rei—i.e. the actual patient—the entire time, assumes Teru is a “caregiver” and even when he says he’s not keeps talking to him like he is, etc. etc. Needless to say, he was based on many, many shitty doctors I’ve seen here, and was actually pretty cathartic to write.

Don’t actually put too much weight on this guy’s medical advice, by the way. I did as much research as I could, but it was all internet-based. Unlike with the music stuff, I didn’t have any firsthand sources to ask about medical details. Also, he’s a jerk.

So, once Teru sees that Rei is not badly injured, some of his concern sort of turns to annoyance. The person he loves is hurt, and Teru himself is late for the album launch event, and all of this was PERFECTLY PREVENTABLE… or maybe not. But if Rei had been using a crutch and wearing an ankle brace and had STILL gotten hurt, I think Teru would’ve been a little more sympathetic.

Now, I do understand what Rei was thinking. He was having a good day, and there haven’t been many of those lately. He’s worried that he IS going to need more help and more support as time goes by (which, he is… I mean, that’s partly just aging and partly what happens when some parts of your body have to overcompensate for others, but it’s understandable that he struggles to accept that). And so when a day comes when he feels like he’s gotten a little bit “better” again, he wants to go back to the way things were “before”… but of course he wasn’t really taking the right measures to keep himself safe in the first place, so that kind of backfires.

And this is when I think Rei decides that he has to leave Teru… because what he’s feared has now actually happened. His disability has DIRECTLY hurt Teru’s career. Of course, that’s not really true. It wasn’t (only) his disability, but his failure to take care of himself that led to the fall. Rei doesn’t really see that, though… that yes, he did cause Teru to be late for his event, but it was his STUBBORNNESS that caused it more than anything else.

So after the event, Teru comes home and decides to spoil the surprise of his little romantic getaway a day early, because he doesn’t know whether Rei will want to go, or be able to go. He offers to take the wheelchair that’s been in Rei’s bedroom forever but Teru has never seen used… and that would probably be a really smart choice at this point (aside from Teru’s passing concern that he wasn’t expecting this and hasn’t booked accessible train tickets or hotel room, but accommodations could probably be made) but of course Rei refuses… sigh. Even though I wrote this, it’s kind of frustrating to see him blatantly refuse to learn, even when the universe pretty much slapped him in the face with a lesson a few hours earlier.

He does want to go, though… maybe he’s not 100% sure yet, but definitely starting to think that this will be their first and last trip together. 😭

[foolbo]

1, 3, and 5 for the ask game!

1.) best book is hard because i was one of those guys that read a full book every day for a while so ive read many but heres some ive really enjoyed off the top of my head: hell followed with us by andrew joseph white, the hunger games by suzanne collins, and i fell in love with hope by lancali

3.) you might be able to guess from the last answer but im a big fan of dystopia. i read a lot of fiction in general its rare to see me with a non-fiction book

5.) any of the 3 ive already listed. i think anyone who has the attention span for it should 100% give les mis a read as well. i read the completely unabridged fahnestock/macafee translation but there are a bunch of abridged versions that cut out victor hugos side tangents about things that have no plot relevance. but then again the 50 pages about the parisian sewer system and the waterloo chapters and the bead rant and the layout of the bishops entire house are all very important

[violasgamingpalace]

The thieves guild level in Thief Gold is like Impressively terrible?

Like "Hey, we added in three new levels for our rerelease of the game!" Makes you imagine they're gonna have cool gimmicks and show off things that they couldn't work out at first.

So when the briefing goes "I have to break into a casino, and steal something two rival gangs are fighting over" you get really excited! A big massive casino? Will I get to do some gambling minigames maybe? And rival enemies??? I could throw a noisemaker arrow and have them get into a fight and slip away in the confusion, how fun!

And then the Casino is two thin boxy rooms where it's impossible to walk through without getting into a fight with two guards and having all the gamblers run away.

And then the two rival gangs? They're identical in every way and they don't fight each other! You just walk through a truly Awful sewer system to break into two separate mansions bc one has a key and the other has the item. It's, again, impressive how terrible "Casino speakeasy with rival gangs" set-up just is NOT lived up to.

I didn't even dislike it that much though, the base mechanics of Thief are really fun and work great, so I still had an alright time, even if that chapter was bad. But probably one I'm gonna skip on replays.

Anyway, that was my review of mission 6 from the 1998 video game, Thief Gold. Keep following this blog for all the most relevant video game posting.

[whennnow]

"Household Sewing with Home Dressmaking" Book Review

May 27, 2021

[Image ID: a photo of the brown cover of "Household Sewing with Home Dressmaking" on top of a grey cutting mat.]

If you spend enough time in online costuming communities, you will inevitably hear about Bertha Banner, author of "Household Sewing with Home Dressmaking," a sewing manual originally published in 1898. It's not for nothing that it is so widely referenced, either - the 1890s are a popular decade in the costuming community, so having a primary source about sewing practices in that area is invaluable, and it's also just packed FULL of information on all sorts of sewing topics.

"Household Sewing with Home Dressmaking" by Bertha Banner is available on archive.org for free to view and download! However, a simple web search will also bring up ways to purchase a physical reprint of the book, like the one I was kindly gifted by my aunt.

The preface gives us some fun cultural context about how women "these days" just don't know how to sew anymore, so this manual was assembled to help teach women about "'mending, patching, and darning'" and also some simple dress making. There is also a short glossary at the beginning with some terms relating to geometry and textiles, and an index at the end.

The first few chapters deal with basic hand stitches (how to make them, what to use them for, how to hold the needle and fabric, etc), decorative stitches, and smocking; "Plain Sewing" which includes undergarments and household items like pillowcases; "Seams, Bands, Gussets, Tucks and Bindings" which is all of that and seam finishes; and "Fastenings" which discusses different types of fasteners, how to attach them, and when to use them.

Following that is a whole section on mending, including various methods for patching and darning different textiles and holes.

Next is two chapters on technical textile information - fibers, weaves, dying methods, finishes, usual fabric widths, fiber qualities... a wealth of information on how late Victorians made, used, and understood textiles. Fascinating stuff, if sometimes incorrect or no longer relevant.

Then we get to the garment sewing chapters, which is what we costumers are really here for. Tips for cutting fabric, sewing garments, identifying and solving common fit issues, finishing seams, boning bodices, and more. And last but not least, a whole chapter on skirts with a section on pockets.

For all the memes about "finishing in the usual manner," there is SO much information in this book, it's incredible! It was, of course, written in the 1890s, so terminology is different and language has changed, but if you're willing to do some research and trial-and-error, you can get a lot of great sewing information from a primary source!

It's still easy to see how this would have been useful for home sewers when it was published, though. The book covers everything from the most basic 'how to hold a needle' to more complex sewing and mending, to technical textile information that would help them make informed choices.

Stay warm. Stay safe. Stay healthy.

[prolix-principality]

Angel Network - SpinnerDolphin

Oh I very quickly got into this series, it’s so compelling and well-crafted!

https://archiveofourown.org/series/1364311

Lucifer/Good Omens/Neverwhere/Supernatural/Murder Mysteries: Crowley, Lucifer, Aziraphale, Chloe, Trixie/Beatrice, Mazikeen, Castiel, Dean, Raguel/Rags, Sam, Watchie/Watchdog (a Hellhound), Islington, Linda, Ella, Belial (OC?), Adam Young, Jack, misc characters 11+ works; 111+ chapters; 500,000+ words. ~ Aziraphale keeps a list. Islington, caged beneath London (Check the locks upon leaving). Raguel, LA (be certain his rent is paid). Michael, Heaven, but adores Earth (keep away from bulls). Castiel, alternate universe (don't ever go to that horrid place). and, lately, Lucifer Morningstar, LA, who seems the sanest of the lot. It's all very confusing. Amenadiel, LA, is also on the list, but Aziraphale reported to Amenadiel in the Rebellion and, well, some things are too strange for him even to tolerate. Crowley's just tired of flying over the Atlantic. And turns out his boss? Well, he's kind of alright. ~ Warning: footnotes, food/alcohol, violence/murder/gruesome bodily injury, dead/mangled bodies (human & otherwise), various minor character/animal deaths, off-screen kidnapping, decapitation, non-graphic discussion of people being eaten/loss of limbs/skinning, discussion of sex, (Lucifer canon-typical) police, brainwashing/memory tampering, kids in danger, seizures/medical scares, magical compulsion/threatening plants, misnaming/mispronouned, possession, excrement/sewers/unsanitary, “brat” (affectionate), brief animal abuse/car crash/insects/fire, various isms/phobic language, micro-penis jokes, (brief) gambling/drugs/theoretical incest/metaphorical beastiality/necrophilia/pedophilia/slavery/native genocide/suicide/vomit/rape mentions, minor confusing typos ~ Podfic Available - Hope4Tomorrow ~ Note: though the following canons are not necessarily largely relevant to the overarching story they are still featured: BBC Sherlock, Pirates of the Caribbean, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

[undeadorion-archive]

Have you ever enjoyed a piece of media that so many people had the same lukewarm over-repeated take about, to the point you wonder if they even read/watched/played the thing or if they're just repeating something they heard before?

I don't mean the way Fandom(TM) will wildly misinterpret and represent things in the way only fandom can. I mean you mention that thing anywhere and some absolute rando will come out of the woodwork to mention The Thing to you.

There's 2 that I run into far too frequently.

RENT -- "Lol that's what you get if you don't pay your rent!" Did you even pay attention? Or did you just hear some poor people saying "We're not gonna pay!" and decide to mock them? Cause the whole catalyst for that song is the reveal that someone who had allowed them to stay in the building FOR FREE for a whole year, a former friend who used to LIVE WITH THEM, and USED TO BE POOR, had made a promise to never charge them. Then suddenly announced "Yeah, I'm gonna need you to not only start paying rent, but you also owe me a year of back pay."

Les Mis -- "The sewers part is sooooo long, amirite?" Or how to say you never actually read the book without saying you never read the book. Is the sewers section long and unnecessary? Yes. It's about 10K words over the course of 8 chapters. 2 chapters of which are actual plot. But that's nothing compared to the 19 chapters and 22K words about fucking Waterloo. About 1/3 of a chapter is even plot relevant, describing how Thenardier came to save Marius' father's life after the battle. It's about 750 words worth of actual plot. The sewers, at least, helps paint a picture of the desperation of trying to navigate them and involved a main character. Meanwhile the Waterloo chapters add nothing and just exist to explain a tiny sub plot and connection between two minor characters.