#he keeps being a metaphor for society lol

[bluastro-yellow]

it would have been too on the nose but I like to imagine Harry pestering Kim about how [person they just met in Martinaise] is "just like him fr T_T"

#off the charts empathy run #queueue #I like that you can see yourself (Harry) in a lot of the characters #tommy. cuno. cunoesse to some degree too. steban. titus... #lely too and not just the hanged man #disco elysium #pointless microblogging #or like. someone said that they deduced that Harry was mourning a daughter (the child Dora aborted) simply by noticing #that there's a lot of girls with missing fathers (annette. lily. cunoesse probably. the working class woman's daughters) #that's cool!!! #I like to think that Harry and his mirror neurons would probably think similar things #he keeps being a metaphor for society lol

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

wild blue yonder

the tardis can regenerate itself...... !!! I mean, wait we knew that already kjhkjh but I just connected the dots now that... that means The Time Lords mined and mauled the child just to make their cars better, as well. Damn...

in classic who u used to have to use ur imagination to pretend everything wasn’t a wobbly set... now u have to use ur imagination to pretend everything isn’t a greenscreen :/

"is that who i am now?" the shocking thing isn’t that he is gay (that’s what donna interprets) the shock to himself is voicing how horny he is lol

Someone is gonna say gravity and that's gonna be fucking weird

"it would take trillion years to get that far” chills!

"no one is ever been this far. till us. and this ship" colonialism fiction dna shining thru

“you little streak” <3

"she'll move on" "not shaun, he'll go to that alleyway every year..." \ten at the alleyway to see rose parallel....

Ghost aroma!!!

blue and orange motif....…………… 13 aesthetic moments.... [13 and Swarm coded? / aka entropy/life coded?/donna and the doc...]

“maybe there's a tribe and they worship it… (…) time passes and the city falls... and there's the tardis" beautiful!! I'm could do somth w/ re: w/ the doctor and their companions. (eyes emoji)

"it got complicated" UNDERSTATEMENT OF A CENTURY #2

"The notion of shape is strange." "it limits" literally current architecture theory

This is so nofna solar system-core

love a classic “anti matter hates matter” story

[the no-bodies…?....cousins to the the could have been king ... with his army of never wheres…?]

This feels very [doctor trying to figure out their body in each regeneration] [intentionally?] this is so end of evangelion poster-core

"it’s strange enough my face coming back, but not this big" / [metaphor for reboots?]

This episode is like the clamoring for us to get a castrovalva 2 escher-like world again next season

"that's not gonna work either" i love these idiots

"why does it have to be one last trip?" rtd ringing moffat / gatiss / gardner / etc and being like like -

ok but follow this reasoning: if the doctor is the same person bc they keep their memories (as the show makes a point of.... constantly) ... and if the memories make the person ... then indeed an entity that copies the memories is the same person, is it not? Where do we draw the line between who’s “real” and who isn’t, in this scenario?

A CREATION I DEVASTATED / literally watched WoM two seconds before this w/ ten all "everything i do just makes it happen" sdjsdkf this is what i mean when i say the doctor has never Processed anythingggg since that Bottom Pit moment

"it wasn't your fault" "i know! (but it stil sucks!!!)" me at therapy like

"WHY DOES HE NEED YOU?" me, Pavlovian tone: because he is lonely...

“when something is gone, it keeps existing” → highlight this!!!! this is gonna be the new thesis statement about Grief!!! this is gonna be The Point for the next 4 years lol

It's very fun to watch this after marath6ning all of ten's era bc it's like... that boy never processed any of that shit. did 11 process shit? did 12? 12 maybe a little but really i think they just got even more trauma (bill ): ) dkdksks and don't get me started on 13. basically what im saying is the doctor Never did get a break on between waters of mars up until now... [and i guess to go further never did get a break after since like....... freaking ghost light skskskskkjkj seven is still There. we don't think about that enough.]

Donna being a clone fucker is not a headcanon ever thought i had but im glad its been confirmed now "donma doesn't think she"s stupid" im sure rtd has launched this exact same rant on so some unwilling family members while browsing ao3 "stop copying and make up your own minds" social commentary / commentary on reboots again / core "individualism > society" dr. who 101 messaging

The not things are kinda.... cute? skdksk if they weren't murderous they look like ppl to hang out w/ and play videogames......

"what do you want?" "you tell us" fundamental doctor-companion dialogue....

"love letters don't travel very far" put a pin on that...

ok.... ARGHGHGHH LET ME THINK THINK THINK skskks me failing at CBT be like

What if the doctor is from our universe. what then the doctor being like we have to mill ourselves immediately feels very 13

this is like "what if turn left and midnight but they go through it together this time <3" fic "where the walls are thin and anything is possible" eyes emoji

"that copy was 99% donna" so maybe re:earlier... what the show is saying between copy vs real is that it's all about the x factor, the 1%....

CONCLUSIONS! lived up to the hype! i think it's a bit 13-era vibe in that it's clearly influenced by all the prestige space-base-isolation scifi we see in the ~cinema now every year. the aesthetic is hitting that vibe (and going to the root, there's also a very clear Alien influence). kinda wish we had more one offs just like this one :( bc i feel the other 2 specials have too much Work to do, so there's not enough time to do.Fun like lore and character stuff. Execution wise is very successful. the switcheroos work. the callbacks work. there's a lot of character stuff happening ("I just realized I'm still working through that!") but it doesn't interfere w/ the adventure itself. My one grip is there's a couple shots that do feel too green-screen-y, but overall the ep is visually amazing. def only a story you could do now. also I love that the NMDs were like "rtd is gonna retcon the timeless child!!! everyone hated it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and he was like "cool. now watch this" lollll king moments. rare moments where it feels like we live in the best timeline.

#i think there's More stuff to analyze in this one but i need some time to Digest It #and some rewatches #dw spoilers #wild blue yonder #dw

[rosemorningstar]

Related to the ongoing theory that Dibella is Azura or at least an aspect of her, is the idea that Mara became Mephala and Kyne became Boethiah. We have this trinity of Aedra close to Lorkhan/Shor and then we have this trinity of Daedra who defend/enforce/encourage his will after he is gone. If you squint there’s some other similarities between the members of both groups.

Mara is the goddess of Love and family aka connections between people. Mephala manipulates those connections to her own ends and encourages her followers to do the same. Mafala is associated directly with Clan Mothers of Khajiit society who keep tabs on all knowledge in their respective clans. Mephala is theorized by some to be the Night Mother. I think the Night Mother’s “origin story” of killing her children for Sithis is a metaphor for Mara becoming Mephala. From being the wife of Auriel and nurturing his children selflessly to becoming an associate/Wife of Sithis/Lorkhan who challenges/uses them instead. Something like “I raised you but now I cast you into the void/world to fend for yourselves”. Lastly Mephala is prayed to in matters of gardening at least perhaps connecting her to Mara’s role as a fertility/agricultural goddess.

Kyne is the goddess of the sky and weather but also a goddess of warriors and might who carries away the glorious dead. Boethiah is also associated with warriors, namely those who depose tyrants, and rewards mortals who make their mark upon the world. Kyne gave mortals the power to kill dragons(tyrants) and Boethiah exposed the lies of Trinimac, exposing him as a murderer/god of mortality aka Orkey/Arkay. Boethiah also consumed at least part of his power; perhaps part of his role as a psychopomp where she gets to decide the worthiness of mortal souls and leaves Malacath to rule over the unworthy/the outcasts while she takes the worthy warriors. I also like the idea of Kyne avenging Lorkhan by creating the First Plot in order to deceive Trinimac thereby making Kyne-Boethiah the Prince of Plots.

Dibella is the goddess of beauty, pleasure, affection, and the arts/music/dance. Dibella’s moth totem is connected to Prophecy via the reading of the elder scrolls. Azura is associated with butterflies and roses and Dibella is the goddess of flowers albeit usually associated with Lilies above others(though there are roses on her statue). Azura has associations with music and dance via her Twilight Cantors who use both to cleanse Namiira’s influence. Azura’s realm is said to be overwhelmingly beautiful and she encourages genuine affection between herself and her followers. Azura as a triple goddess links to the three stages of a Moth’s life cycle and both link to lunar phases; Maiden/Caterpillar/Waxing>Mother/Cocoon/Full>Crone/Imago/Waning. Dibella as a beauty goddess links to Azura’s power over form.

Basically I see it as Lorkhan warning these three that his creation would eventually consume their original spheres/selves but they could survive it by changing. By becoming someone else they could remain. Again I recognize that this is all tenuous at best and is even contradicted in many places throughout canon lore but I think it’s a fun connection to make and I’ve had it stuck in my head for the last couple of months lol

#Boethiah #Azura #mephala #Kyne #Dibella #Mara #elder scrolls

[eldritch-spouse]

You keep saying Breg naturally leans more to the dominant side, but I feel like we rarely get to see that and mostly just see him being submissive? Maybe he just comes off that way because he’s so awkward lol or because as you’ve stated before we have to take charge in the relationship or things can get ugly (a little part of me dies whenever we’re mean to him tho).

Anyway on to my ask lol: I keep imagining a scenario where the roles are switched, like a setting where we’re the ones who aren’t familiar with the social conventions, how to perform certain tasks, etc. and breg is the one who has to teach us and guide us through it. Dunno what setting this would be; a breeder colony? Some AU that’s deviant from the canon? Regardless, he would 110% take advantage of that and I’m so curious about what the dynamic there would be like.

Naturally, no, you don't get to see him in dominant scenarios much. But there also isn't a push for that, generally.

The reason he's usually portrayed as submissive is because I'm going off a storyline where reader is minimally aware of how dangerous Breg can be to her if she lets him take control of most things or assures his delusions too much. The best case scenario for you is one where Breg is kept on a leash, metaphorically or literally.

Granted, there are still moments of sexual dominance, and if you don't want to see him being submissive, then stating that would probably be optimal. It's also worth taking into account that he becomes dominant, meaning the start is always somewhat awkward.

In a scenario where Breg is more dominant on a long-term basis, things aren't good for you. I definitely don't mind writing for this scenario, as it implies a number of dark things I'm always itching to picture, it's just not the most popular one it seems.

A breeder colony AU would be interesting but definitely require a lot more thought, namely around their culture and ways of life. And, of course, the way you're treated. Because, if he's in a colony and not just trying to insert himself into human society, then he clearly didn't retain that desire to enter a domestic, cheesy human relationship. You would have to forcibly adapt to a breeder's way of life.

Anyhow- If you're itching for more dominant Breg, the thing I'm finishing in regards to that poll I made a while back should give you more of a sample of that attitude.

#Bregory

[feeshies]

10 Characters, 10 Fandoms

Tagged by @pinayelf thank you :D

Magnus Hammersmith (Metalocalypse)

Real fucked up of the creators of this show to take my celebrity crush + bisexual awakening as the visual reference for a character who's always partially shirtless and wielding a knife. Also there's a 5000 year old prophecy that says his destiny is to be a forgotten loser.

2. Captain Nemo/Prince Dakkar (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea)

The gif is from the Disney movie, but my heart belongs to the original novel characterization. Genius inventor who turned his back from society, but not from marginalized people. Good at everything except for not falling down self-destructive spirals. Takes money from sunken colonialist warships and uses it to fund revolutions. Serves as a haunting metaphor as the ocean itself. Please when will we have a faithful adaptation?

3. Thoth (The Kane Chronicles interpretation)

I am specifically going with The Kane Chronicles' interpretation of this Egyptian god. Especially compared to a lot of other interpretations of him in modern media, I like how the book doesn't portray him as this stuffy "everyone is an idiot except me" kind of guy. It's really refreshing seeing an interpretation of a god of knowledge who is clearly scary-powerful and a genius, but is also the ADHD weirdo who keeps getting distracted and can't finish his projects. I also like how he doesn't brush off the protagonists because they're mortals or teenagers or whatever. The book does a great job showing how his brain works and how he thinks, which makes him a lot more effective as a god of knowledge imo. Also they made him relocate in Memphis, Tennessee? After so many British adaptations of him, it's refreshing to see a god of knowledge with a southern accent (if you listen to the audiobook).

It's so good, it almost makes up for the book's interpretation of Anubis.

4. Vivienne (Dragon Age)

I thought for a while about which Dragon Age character I should add. While there are characters I made more stuff about during my peak years in the fandom, Vivienne is the main character I keep going back to. I love her elegance, the way she's written, her voice acting, her look??? Fashion/character design in the franchise peaked with her. Also as far as a Circle character goes, I find her utterly fascinating as someone having to survive in an oppressive system and developing different/conflicting perspectives about it. I think she was a much-needed perspective and I adore her. Also now I was just reminded of the trend of people having their white mage ocs or the other white mage characters "educate" her about oppression and now I'm mad about Dragon Age bs again lol. Vivienne is the best choice for divine don't @ me.

5. Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks)

*Holds him up like a a cat* he's nice :)

I've rewatched this show (the main series - haven't gotten around to watching the new show) and every time I find more reasons to love him. He could have so easily been this brooding cynical noir type, but instead he's this ray of sunshine who sees the beauty and joy in everything around him. I'm glad he's okay :)

6. Shaolin Fantastic (The Get Down)

Putting aside my heartbreak over this show's cancellation for a second to talk about how good the cast is. I thought about choosing Zeke, but I couldn't not choose Shaolin. I love how he's introduced as this mysterious genius who was willing to fight a man in an alley for a record, but then the main crew gets to know him and he's a huge dork? He takes care of pigeons, he samples the Star Wars theme in his DJ sets, he's nice :) Also the cool big brother vibe he has with the younger characters is really cute. It would suck if this show got cancelled so the story will always end with him being forced to go back to his abuser :) that would suck.

7. Nozomu Itoshiki (Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei)

I think he's funny and pretty and I hope he gets therapy.

8. Bella Goth (The Sims)

Weird to add a Sims character maybe, but not doing so would be a disservice to the chokehold this woman had on me as a younger player. 10 year old me broke my copy of TS2 because I fucked up the game files by trying to get Bella back.

9. Benny (Fallout: New Vegas)

I knew I had to pick a FNV character. I considered Silus, since he's interesting for a Legion character. But in the end I went with Benny. He has the best aesthetic, and his evolution from "the guy who shot you and instigated your protagonist's whole plot" to "pathetic little guy who agrees to help you take down the system because everyone sucks--and also he's into feet" is some masterful character growth.

10. Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold (Once Upon a Time)

This show is a mess, but the scene where he beats that man with his cane was kinda hot. Also you can't make a man 1. the most powerful force in the universe, 2. somehow still pathetic, 3. have that hairstyle, 4. trying to be a good father and partner but always failing because of his own selfishness, and 5. Scottish, and not expect me to enjoy him. Robert Carlyle put his entire rumpelstussy into that performance.

[hopefull-mindset]

Nagito is definitely more complex than some people give him credit for. He's also pretty tragic when you think about it.

Like he's been through horrible things, to the point that it's almost too outlandish to take seriously (which is something that bothers me but that's beside the point), and has become desensitized to tragedy. He has no control over his own life or even his own mind and body considering his medical conditions. And deep down all he wants is a normal life without his luck, but he can't have it, so he latches on to this hierarchical ideal of hope and talent as a way to cope with it.

And he is selfless in the sense that he doesn't value his own life and will readily sacrifice himself for his perceived greater good, but he still has his own agenda.

He's not really a good person but he's not really a bad person either, he's just fucked up.

Also I can't help but wonder if his obsession with hope overcoming despair is a projection. That it's him secretly/subconsciously hoping (heh) that his own life could improve, even if he doesn't think he deserves it.

Anyways sorry for rambling he drives me insane (affectionate).

No, it’s okay. I can see you want to start a conversation so I’ll give you a conversation to build off your points! Your speech pattern reminds me too much of my own, so it feels like I’m talking to myself LOL. A good rambling is always never not welcome, whenever I do it’s too organized to call a ramble though.

With the outlandishness of what Komaeda has experienced, it’s always topped off with his own casual speech pattern. It’s pretty hard to take seriously when Komaeda is speaking about it like he’s talking about the weather. His desensitization to what he had gotten used to as daily life has created this depressing yet self-centered view of living.

Now, self-centered? I know what you’re thinking, “but Komaeda’s view of the world is incredibly giving” and “Komaeda’s self worth would never let himself be the center”, and yeah that hasn’t changed, but take two steps back from being in Komaeda’s mindscape and you’re able to view the fact that a lot of what Komaeda uses to process the world is based in his own experiences. Everyone knows that it’s a coping mechanism, but what does that entail in reality? I can tell you.

Komaeda has experienced more misfortune than the average human being should ever be exposed to, so he’s chosen to cling onto this idea that everyone else also operates on hope and despair the same way his luck has put him through his entire life. He’s chosen the ultimates to be apart of these views because the talented are considered to be the pinnacle of human life in society’s collective, something unattainable unless you were born with it and the utter hope of a society’s future, so it makes it easier for Komaeda to justify what’s happened to him by making sure they stay up on that metaphorical pedestal, and that keeps him down there. His beliefs are distorted because they don’t align with how reality actually works; It’s why he treats them like he does because his belief in them is based in shallow, exaggerated societal expectations, so he’s going to treat them as nothing more than their talent.

This is exactly what I meant by self-centered. This type of belief does not consider anyone else as individuals with feelings or wants, and purely for his own religious-like faith in that this is what is going to save him and if not, he would gladly be the martyr to its cause. It’s either going to save him or destroy him, and what we’ve seen, has only destroyed him. Like you said, this doesn’t make Komaeda a good person, but it doesn’t make him a bad one.

If Komaeda does not have confidence in his luck, then all of that will crumble. So if any of you were boggled by his relationship with his luck, there you go. He doesn’t think it deserves to be a talent among the ones he idolizes, but he believes in it because it’s what he’s known all his life.

Like I said, this will and has destroyed him. In UDG and Chapter 0 of sdr2, it’s gotten to a point where he’s visibly confused himself while still in full confidence of an even more warped idealistic system, and seeing hope for himself (reminder that the entirety of first game was on TV) wasn’t enough, he wanted to direct it happening himself and see it up close with Komaru, a normal girl, to cause even more hope.

Even though I have personal problems with the anime as a whole (yes, even the OVA), as the OVA has mentioned, what would really make him happy and help him is a normal life, not some grand thing like absolute hope. However, he doesn’t see any worth in that because his life has always been not normal and there’s no great Hope waiting for him if it does become normal. It’s never going to happen either so it’s no fun entertaining the impossible for him, even as optimistic as he goes on to be about terrible situations.

Ugh, too many words. Too much to say. This is not the time to talk about this, but Komaeda what happened to your perception of your own bodily autonomy?

Besides the fact my head hurts having to put that into words, I agree with your points and I hope I covered everything? I always accidentally do that when I’m trying to talk about one thing at a time.

#danganronpa #sdr2 #nagito komaeda #komaeda nagito #guys I don’t like having thoughts #it’s too hard #sdr2 analysis #sdr2 meta #I wasn’t really planning on going this hard with analyzing his behavior but oh well ^.^” #is it too late to ask you guys to read No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai- *GUNSHOT* #SIGHH is it also too late to talk about the ironies with Izuru and Hajime and their dynamic with Komaeda in depth? #guys I think I’m going blind in my left ear and taste in my right

[elevatortheory]

barry being autistic is just really funny to me its like a joke but also the idea of him being real rep is very special to me too i have talked about this a lot SORRY i like discussing it . i like saying things . barry as an undiagnosed adult makes perfect sense because obviously john sr. and fuches would not know or understand any of that and would not bother to really look into it further than "hes shy" -> "hes depressed" . and also him being genuinely really dumb when the mainstream Consumerized autistic character has to be exctremely smart and catty and quick-witted and sarcastic . they have to still function in society and still be extremely intelligent to make up for it and theyre obsessed with science and cars and whatever the fuck . <- i know there are characters who arent like this in media but i specifically am talking about the MainStream CONSUMERIZED form of quirky cute uwu autism thats gotten popular the past few years . the kind where all you have to do is be a bit awkward and be a bit obsessed with something . while barry is sincerely dumb and doesnt understand simple questions and doesnt comprehend relationships and is so gullible and so stupid and the only "skill" he has that "makes up for it" is the skill that also results in him being alienated and In fact is a trait we as the viewer dislike him for . barry being awkward and nervous and oblivious is a very specific part of his personality most noticeable in s1 but as time goes on and he starts to seem more "normal" it can still be viewed as masking via the scenes where his "mask" (version of himself he tried to build) cracks and hes just as awkward and weird and oblivious again . his behavior from tricky legacies to the wizard is one specific moment of that to me . functionally hes a "savant" in that hes extremely dumb with one specific skill/interest that hes exceptionally talented/knowledgeable about. though i dont know if id consider that FULLY because he isnt like. his special interest isnt guns lol but he does have lots of odd little fixations and traits and those fixations are also heavily linked to his PTSD and father issues/abandonment issues and his need for validation . well anyways barry being very messy and fucked up and flawed and his mental illnesses/disorders contributing to it and they create lots of real long-term problems in his life which , though exaggerated or shown in different metaphorical ways, can be very accurate to what real people w/ those illnesses/disorders and even real veterans and survivors of war and stuff go through . but even then we get direct proof that barrys awkwardness and shyness wasnt caused BY the war or by john sr. or fuches because he was already like that as a child. and also i just like to use him as an example of how things can be canon by being inferrable and implied in the text without having to be directly stated . you make a character who is extremely awkward, terrible at relationships, cannot understand tone, rhetorical questions, or metaphors, who is extremely gullible to the point it gets him into serious trouble SEVERAL times , and who is finally again i keep bringing up the rain man comparison AGAIN he is compared to raymond from rain man, possibly the most well-known autistic character (and movie related to that) in america i would think . so like . at that point its canon without them having to explicitly state it at all . what was the point of this. oh barry is just good representation of a severely mentally ill person and a good commentary of how society and organizations can fail mentally ill people . and sally also i would like to talk about sally one day but i need to rewatch early s4 for that probably .... . i am very mentally ill and i like talking about how it can be shown in media (thumbs up emoji) . i dont know if any of these words form a coherent sentence

#rio rambles #i am also genuinely stupid and gullible and dont have any friends and cant navigate relationships . so he is special to me #like just seriously fucking dumb . doesnt understand references or rhetorical questions or metaphors . #will look up at the ceiling if you say the word gullible is written there . #no friends LOSER! #sorry this is the only “headcanon” i have for the show that i actually “care” about . with actual detailed reasonin g . #the rest (bisexual barry) (nonbinary barry) (lindsay being lesbian) are all just jokes to me . lighthearted #barry #<- sorry. saving it for myself

[solarcitymelodies]

No, you know what, I am still thinking about how Trillo and Suede accidentally created one of the heaviest handed metaphors for gay relationships ever.

The whole sentient puppets thing could like, super easily be a metaphor for marginalized groups. Yes. But literally 90% of the cast is already openly Jewish (in fact it seems like the show takes place in a world where Judaism is the main religion??) so. It's not about that, specifically.

More likely than not Jonathan Geffner was just pulling the classic "what if ventriloquist dummies are sentient and considered a minority"-- a trope that has somehow been done enough times for me to call it a trope-- but even though it obviously wasn't meant to be a metaphor, it can still very easily be interpreted as one, and it makes me think about stuff, yknow?

Like the fact that Suede's family doesn't speak to him anymore solely because he lives with Trillo?? Not even just because they're friends. It's because they're partners. I believe they also described it as "canoodling" which is just.. yeah. I'd say correct me if I'm wrong but nobody else watches this dumbass show so why bother lol.

And it's not even that puppets can't leave their ventriloquists, or some other in world magic system logic!! It's been stated SEVERAL times that Suede can literally leave whenever he wants, but he chooses to stay.

And also canonically, in this world, puppets can literally come to life from the love you put into your art, the love you put into your performances-- is it too far of a stretch to say Suede is quite literally made from love and dedication? And is that not the gayest thing ever in the entire world??!?!?!

This man was created from pure passion and care for the art and and with all of this love in him he decides that he needs to stay with the person that brought him here. Through every single up and down. With all the love he was made from he chose Trillo over and over and over, even at the cost of losing his family, even at the cost of being shunned from society, even at the cost of his freedom-- but he never really felt trapped. Not if he gets to be with him.

This is why I keep saying this show is fucking gay. Yes their relationship is sometimes a little ambiguous, yes they're very affectionate, and it's about that too! But its also about the fact that they 100% on accident made the entire show a metaphor for being outcast from society for being in a gay relationship. So. Thanks Mr. Geffner!

#ventriloquism #trillo and suede #im feelin real crazy this morning so take this

[grimalkinmessor]

Since we are talking about Yhe Undone and The Divine - first I need to tell you "The power I placed inside of you? It ties us closer than you can imagine" drives me insane 24/7, and second - what does it exactly mean? Can All for One read Yoichi's thoughts, or is he being metaphorical? And what are your hcs for canonical reasons for whole "give your younger brother metapower, it definitely won't backfire"?

That line references AFO's speech from the vestige world in the chapter Hero Saturated Society (idr the number 😶‍🌫️), and also in some of the new chapters, i.e. ShigAFO vs. Star and Stripes, AFO vs. Hawks & Endeavor & Tokoyami & Jiro.

We already know that Quirks are tied directly to the user's soul/mind, enough so that it leaves an impression that lives on in another user if stolen or given away. We know that this is how All For One was able to take control of Tomura's body even though he was physically nowhere near him—and also that AFO sees no difference in those vestiges and the person they're based on, because he repeatedly refers to himself and the vestige as one and the same.

So his line of "The power I placed inside you ties us closer than you can imagine" is a direct reference to the fact that he's left a vestige of himself in Yoichi by forcing a Quirk into him. Even if All For One takes that Quirk back (which he will eventually find that he can't) he's confident that it will have both the vestige of himself AND Yoichi inside it. Thus tying them together forever :)

Plus—in canon, Izuku is regularly able to interact with the One For All vestiges and even feel their emotions and thoughts. He even mentions something about getting vague feelings from All Might, who isn't a full vestige yet. People who share a Quirk are canonically psychically linked, and All For One, the King of Quirks, would absolutely know this. He will be able to feel Yoichi's feelings and even some of his thoughts, and Yoichi will be able to do the same to him :3

As for my hcs for "giving my brother a Quirk totally won't backfire" is because everything that we learn in canon about Quirks and how they transfer or linger are things that All For One has already known for (presumably) a long time. He knows that he leaves a vestige behind in the Quirks he, uh, bequeaths unto others, and that through this vestige he can sort of 'possess' people, or at least force them into doing what he wants.

This might even have worked with Yoichi for a while, until Second and Third came to get him out of the vault and he passed One For All on to Second. Then there would've been two vestiges in the void vault to combat All For One. We don't know how long it took to lock the AFO vestige away, but we know in canon that his vestige is most likely what's behind that vault door. (Gotta love Yoichi's pettiness in vaulting his brother right back lmao—"Let's see how YOU like it!").

Yoichi is someone I see as having a lot of willpower though, so Yoichi's escape from the vault and subsequent defiance is from what I assume is Yoichi getting some hope back and fight his brother's vestige back long enough for him to get out and far away. After that I imagine it was a collective effort between Yoichi, Second, and Third to play keep away until Yoichi ended up passing OFA on to Second.

In conclusion: All For One didn't think giving Yoichi a Quirk would backfire because he never thought Yoichi would be able to get out of the vault and get help, much less pass on the Quirk. And even if it did become a problem, he had to have assumed that he could just take it right back. No one had ever come across a Quirk that could pass on other Quirks before, other than All For One, so why would he assume that he wouldn't be able to get it back? He thought he had complete control over the situation, and, if Second and Third hadn't shown up, he would've been right :/ Kinda scary to think about lol

#asks #anonymous #afofa #the undone and the divine #all for one #shigaraki yoichi #bnha #boku no hero academia #first one for all holder

[zarinthel]

For the DVD meme, would you mind doing it for the most recent chapter (on SV) for Indelible Stains? I'm a huge fan of Shion and I feel like that chapter is like the climax of the Shion's time in Soul Society, so I'm really curious about what went into it!

chapter 13, crocodile tears

i struggled a lot to write chapters 10-13 because instead of just casually having events happen i actually needed to "keep track" of "the entire rukia rescue arc" which was a nightmare due to how many moving pieces that arc has. in the end i really did off screen large portions of it under the perhaps optimistic idea that people would simply know what happened. im not interested in doing a canon rewrite.

for example renji is completely off screen. why? because hes got nothing to do with shion. so hes still there, doing his canon stuff, but thats got nothing to do with me. yay!

moving on to the actual chapter. so the important part of this chapter is that this is the chapter where shion gets his bankai. so it needs to feel like that. it needs to be intense, and important, and a relfection of everything thats made shion who they are. so it starts in shion's head. an empty white world. this is important, because in addition to being a metaphor for some inuniverse stuff, this is also, and i am so serious right now, me referenceing /Bleach/. thats why the story is called Indelible Stains. were about to do the opposite of bleach. yes. its a joke. sorry.

the tousen scene. i really liked stringing it all together. showing stuff that shion's been working on for chapters and chapters, decades and decades, all come together for their truest purpose. showing shion fulfilling wishes while at the same time turning them against themself, against everthing theyve worked for.

'i am grateful'. you know, miyako is grateful too. thats how shion gets you.

thats how ryuketsu got shion.

shion's bankai is based on the 4 noble truths. suffering. so he cant have something like that if he doesn't suffer.

people's bankais aren't just "what they believe in" but what they /are/.

urahara first meeting. lol. urahara's faults are that he believes in soul society, that because /he/ would never missuse evil research it wont be misued. that its more important to uphold laws than to uphold justice. that authority should be respected above all personal morality.

his flaws are funnier than aizen's but no less damning.

writing the rest of this chapter was fun. mutilation of the self brought on by the fact that soul society is incapable of understanding what it even means to be cruel. and soul society's doom brought on by the fact that they don't considers shion's century of cruelty as a shinigami lieutenant threatening.

his bankai form...

soul society has stained him, and so he's going to smear that blood all over the white walled city.

<3

#meta

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 2x18 Profit and Loss thoughts (I'm re-watching, so there are possible future spoilers)

"Or maybe I'm an outcast spy." "How could you be both?" Lol, Bashir not realising when Garak is actually telling the truth

Love how Garak loudly announces to everyone that his lunch with Julian was enjoyable

"Being shot at by your own people goes a little beyond politics." "We take our politics very seriously." 

I love the way Garak talks using the clothes metaphor

I also love how Quark can pretty much follow Garak's meaning

Quark, bless him

"If anyone tries to harm her, they're going to have to deal with me." "What're you going to do, short change them at the dabo table?"

Wow Quark really is in love

I've never quite got how, with Garak being in exile, he keeps doing things on behalf of Cardassia. I understand why of course, just not how he can contact the people who hate him, and why they give him jobs to make him seem legitimately working for the government.

Quark's anti-Odo precautions <3

Quark is a very good manipulator. And I absolutely hate the way he treats her as a bargaining tool, a replacement for latinum in this instance. He's seeing himself as good - or at the very least, less-Ferengi - because he's not asking for profit in latinum, but doesn't see that he still has a price and it's honestly worse!

She sure as hell better shoot him

YES GIRL

Noooo, don't say it was an accident!

Ugh, ick, I want this to be a dream he's having while in a coma from the phaser or something. Don't actually be in love with him when he's treating you like an object

She sounds so unhappy as she says "Yes, Quark. I'll stay."

I thought Bajoran prisoners were already supposed to be released?! Surely if the Cardassians admit to having them, they should be released anyway under the treaty! So an exchange is unnecessary and giving into the Cardassians

Quark's speech about how Odo doesn't feel love reminds me of McCoy and Spock in Requiem...

"I will tell you about every underhanded deal, every lying scheme, every dirty trick.... my brother Rom's involved in." Hah!

"Do it for me." Quark actually believes that asking Odo like that would work? My goodness.

"For all the years we've known each other. For everything we've been through together. You say you know me better than anyone else? Well, I know you. Sure, sometimes we're on opposite sides, but that doesn't mean that we aren't close." THESE TWO I SWEAR

I do like the Ferengi begging posture, different gestures from different planets are interesting

Garak nooo

"You've never been right about anything" XD I'm pretty sure Garak's gonna kill Toran tbh

"Some people should never be promoted." GARAK

Even having seen this to the end I still don't have a good grasp on Garak and his motivations

Of course she can't stay, you idiot, the Cardassians want to kill her! That's just been made very evident!

"So all I have to do to get you back is wait until Cardassia becomes a free and democratic society?" Gosh, this episode has had some real zingers of lines, hasn't it? XD

"And I love Cardassia. Which is why I had to do what I did." That... actually makes sense. Thanks Garak.

#ds9 #ds9 profit and loss #ds9 2x18 #quark #garak #andi watches ds9 #WSB

[aloeverawrites]

Merlin spoilers under the cut and tw for mentions of sexism and toxic relationships. Also this got long lol

I like merlin as a queer reading of hiding your magic/hiding your identity but there can be amazing feminist readings from it as well.

Uther and Gaius's dynamic kind of reminds me of that terrible guy who never listens to his wife and then offers a half-hearted apology after everything blows up in his face. Meanwhile Gaius just gives him the eyebrow tm but forgives him as he considers it his duty to stand by him no matter what. (If I have in the past yelled at my screen 'listen to your wife Uther' , well that's my business-)

He would have helped so many magic users by rightly letting Uther die but he never does because that's his friend.

It's the turning your back on oppressed people like you for a relationship and then calling you out on it.

And being known for always speaking your mind but actually always going along with what he wants and not challenging it too much.

And it's telling your ward to do the same thing, to serve no matter what and sacrifice themselves when need be. To see themselves as less important and to base their identity around another person. Continuing the toxic pattern.

It reminds me of how conservative women raise their daughters to believe that their meaning in life is marrying a man and serving him. to frame their identities around relationships that might be abusive.

I'm not saying that Arthur is the irredeemable husband in this scenario, he is better about magic and wouldn't want Merlin to actually see himself as less, showing how 's different from his father. Whereas Uther made decisions about Ygraine without consulting her, Arthur has made sexist statements but when he was challenged by Morgana and Gwen he respected the women's choice to fight for the village. He's been raised to accept these oppressive systems but when he's challenged on it he actually thinks about it. (And there's the symbolism of him improving greatly after conversations with Gwen.)

He's more like the husband who doesn't fully appreciate what his wife does for him or understand it.

And there's also the idea of heteronormativity saying that you have to keep secrets because men and women can't ever really understand each other. Don't tell him about your period, or your worries, don't act like a full human in front of him. Never be seen without your make-up.

That really reminds me of Gaius always imploring Merlin to keep things secret.

So yeah I think if Arthur had gotten to chance to really know about all of these things he would have appreciated them and been able to grow more as a person. The social and emotional segregation of men and women stops everyone from getting to know their friends and themselves better, it's stops growth. It sucks.

And then there's all the other metaphors as well, like the non-magical societies being ruled by Kings whereas the magic users have High Priestesses and Goddesses, and all of Merlins most powerful magic enemies being women.

There's the history of real life witch burnings and misogyny.

There's the nature as feminine and man-made things as masculine which is a common metaphor.

And there's the people having the option to learn magic and some being born into it, that shows how men's behaviour can get them labelled as "not real mean" and punished with misogyny if they interact too closely with "feminine" things. eg. doing drag. Whereas for women their gender identity is a part of them and not something you can opt out of. With this reading Gaius kind of reminds me of a trans man, in that he's doesn't use magic but his past of being close with it still gets him the side-eye, and cis men sometimes not seeing us as not real men because of our pasts.

There's so much to unpack and I should probably organise this rant at some point lol.

#merlin #literary analysis #intersectional feminism

[niteshade925]

Would you say the mandate of heaven is something like a social contract theory? Something like "you keep up your end of the bargain (peace, land, rice) & we'll keep up ours (you don't get overthrown)"?

Sort of, if you put it that way, but also not really. I would say the major difference is that while social contract is supposed to be between government and citizens, "mandate of heaven" is ideally supposed to be between ruler and his subjects (the people), contained within the concept of Heaven (remember that Heaven also includes the natural world). This goes back to the whole "did history really happen accordingly", which I talked about a little bit in the other post. So the reality is the "mandate of heaven" is still tailored for a system where there are rulers, nobility/elites, and subjects, a society with strict distinction between social classes.

The Confucian text Xunzi (《荀子》; compiled during the Warring States period, or 476-221 BC) does say it outright (twice), but it was more of an advice/caution to the ruling class (btw if you look at ancient Chinese philosophy, a lot of them are actually advice for the ruler, and this includes Dao De Jing/Tao Te Ching/《道德经》; that's another thing to keep in mind, historically these books are not meant to be read by commoners such as you and I lol):

“马骇舆，则君子不安舆；庶人骇政，则君子不安位。马骇舆，则莫若静之；庶人骇政，则莫若惠之。选贤良，举笃敬，兴孝弟，收孤寡，补贫穷。如是，则庶人安政矣。庶人安政，然后君子安位。传曰：‘君者、舟也，庶人者、水也；水则载舟，水则覆舟。’此之谓也。故君人者，欲安、则莫若平政爱民矣；欲荣、则莫若隆礼敬士矣；欲立功名、则莫若尚贤使能矣。” -- 《荀子·王制》

My (rough) translation:

"If the carriage horse disturbs the carriage, then the lord shall not sit comfortably inside the carriage; if commoners disturb the rule, then the lord shall not sit comfortably on the throne. If the carriage horse disturbs the carriage, then comfort the horse; if commoners disturb the rule, then give them benefits. Choose those who have merit and ability to be your officials, select those who are loyal and dedicated, promote mutual respect and affection, adopt and care for orphans and widows, and aid those who are poor. Do accordingly, and commoners shall not disturb the rule, and when commoners are pacified, the ruler shall also sit peacefully on the throne. According to popular sayings, 'the ruler is like a little boat, and the commoners are like water; the water may carry the boat, and the water may overturn the boat.' That's what this saying means. If the ruler wants peace, then he must attend to the affairs of the country diligently and love his people; if the ruler wants prosperity, then he must observe etiquettes and treat the shi with utmost respect; if the ruler wants great achievements and a great reputation, then he must value those who are virtuous and use those who are capable." -- Xunzi, "The Rule of a True King"

The metaphor of the boat and the water was passed down through time and became shortened as "水能载舟，亦能覆舟" or "水可载舟，亦可覆舟" ("the water can carry the boat, and the water can overturn the boat"), and they all mean the same thing, although historically it had slightly different meanings to different social classes. For the rulers, this was a word of caution and a reminder of what they should be doing, because they are "the boat". For the shi elites, this was the kind of advice they should be giving to the rulers. For the commoners, this phrase was more of a phrase of empowerment than anything else, because they are "the water".

So your second sentence is roughly correct, but keep in mind that in reality, although peasant rebellions are common at the end of dynasties when rulers and officials became corrupt and oppressive, and many peasant rebellions did at least weaken the power of the ruler, most actually either ended up being crushed and/or with shi elites taking over as the main players. The only three commoner-led peasant rebellions to have succeeded were the Anti-Qin revolts (ended in peasant and rebel leader Liu Bang establishing Western Han dynasty), Lulin Rebellion (ended in peasant and rebel leader Liu Xiu establishing Eastern Han dynasty; btw idk how Wikipedia got this wrong, but it's Lulin and not Lülin), and Red Turban Rebellion (ended in rebel leader Zhu Yuanzhang establishing Ming dynasty; he was the most interesting since he wasn't even a peasant, he was a beggar). All three rebel leaders then established new dynasties, and the dynastic cycle continued, until it finally ended with the end of Qing dynasty in 1912.

#asks

[booksandchainmail]

Pale 7.4

Ah, so it looks like Alexander has his own plans. And he says they've been ready for five years... I'm trying to think if there's anything on that time scale. Can't think of anything now.

Not wild about him referring to Nicolette in the past tense. That's one of the major complicating factors about this for me: if Alexander wins, what happens to those one the other side? I can see the ordinary students, especially the younger ones, being okay. But Nicolette was his apprentice, and she openly defected from him. I'm not sure how to keep her safe through this.

"Three tears from five years ago"... one from each traitorous apprentice? Hmmm. Went back to Nicolette's interlude, she was hurt at age 10, spent 2 years before meeting Alexander, is 16 now. I suppose five years ago could be when she joined him (and the other apprentices were already there).

... or I could read the next paragraph. Yuck on both sides.

"Those precious futures and realities that can be described as fixed by the Threads, by the Hours, by the Blade, by the Bough, and by the Pale."

Title drop! So the Pale is some kind of prophetic or fate-tied thing? Actually: do these correspond to awakening items? Threads is woven object, Hours is timepiece, Blade is knife, Bough is living thing, which makes Pale either the skull or the coin? I'm inclined to say skull, since those are pale. Morbid for a title.

I want to say it's creepy how Bristow's Sight apparently gives him a dossier on everyone he meets and how much they're worth, but that feels hypocritical given what Verona and Lucy's Sight shows them

And oh, I do not like Alexander and Clem interacting. I suppose there's a symmetry to it, if he suborns Bristow's tenants in exchange for his apprentices. But it looks like what the girls said to her is working at breaking Bristow's hold.

She really missed having what her parents had, where her dad would look after her mom after a bad day, running a bath and stuff, or her mom would do little things for dad. That, to her, was love.

... yeah <3. Also, I don't think this is the answer either of the other two would give. For Lucy, maybe about backing her up? Not sure for Verona. Doubt she knows herself.

Lucy and Verona did their own very specific things when they were tired and vulnerable.

and neither of those things are deescalation

they told me they wanted me to work with Bristow, as a prelude to my work with them. My recruitment was contingent on joining them.”

ah. So more extortion than a bribe. This sucks!

You would be agreeing to be part of a broader network. The kind of thing Alexander wanted to build, but this wouldn’t be held together by metaphorical shoestrings, gum, and implicit threats from an Augur who has studied your vulnerabilities. There would be certain duties expected every year, dues to be paid, but rewards in kind. Help, communication, networks, a sharing of books and libraries.

honestly sounds like a good idea. Issue is the guy running it. Both of the guys trying to run it.

“We’re thirteen,” Verona protested.  “This sounds worse than paying taxes.”

libertarian Verona

“One way to look at it would be to ask if a poor leader is worth enduring for a little while, if it means bringing civilization and society to ramshackle territories.”

... civilization is a bit of a loaded word to use here.

You can invite people in, you can ease the restriction or invite people in as part of your payment, if you can’t pay your thrice-a-year dues.

this feels like a trap. Make access to Kennet the collateral, then ensure they can't pay their dues

Verona threw another sock at Lucy, for no apparent reason.

lol

Nicolette trailed off. “Are you okay?” Avery asked.

Really like that Avery is approaching Nicolette as, if not necessarily a friend, not an enemy.

"That was more of a work relationship. But it was… we could talk the entire time we were working and it felt like we could keep going for hours longer, but we didn’t, so I always looked forward to the next joint project. We found excuses to do them. I think it was the same with her.”

awww.

"He’s wronged students, denying them their education and disrupting this natural order.  He wronged us, attacking our town for petty reasons, and this follows naturally from all of that.  He deserves it."

Thinking about how the other two described Lucy as having a strong sense of injustice

Either it complicated Bristow’s stay here, or it complicated their own.  They could leave, he couldn’t.

good situation to be in, setting up a conflict you can retreat from and the other person can't

Avery took some satisfaction in slamming the door in Shellie’s face.  The exterior of the door broke away, hit the floor, and dissolved into glowing lines.  Leaving just the side of the classroom.

fun that their safe haven is being in class, like an incredibly high stakes version of various school games that only take place during passing time

#booksandchainmail reads pale #pale #wildbow

[blackberry-gingham]

Logan, Toad, and Kurt bby for the ask game >;))

Alright PHEW finally doing these, sorry lol. Someone else also requested toad so I'll do Kurt and Logan for now but toad will be up next ;)

Gotta use a cut bc you know me and my long ass speeches lol

Logan/Wolverine

Favorite thing about them

Hard to say tbh, but I think it's a mixture of his aesthetic with his tough guy look and cowboy/lumberjack outfits as well as his personality

I love any character with a deeper/inner animalistic nature, especially if it's a masculine character. Lots of room to explore the metaphors behind masculine energy and it's extremes clashing against a civilized society. That's kind of it tbh lol

Least favorite thing

THE FACT THAT HE CANT TAKE AN L IN THE DATING REALM AAAAAAAAAA

He dates around so much as a coping mechanism to deal with his own feelings of insufficiency, so in that sense it makes sense- but still, it's a little annoying when he's C O N S T A N T L Y pushed up against Jean, who can be just as bad sometimes considering she has cyk already. Like smh, at least let wolverine pursue a relationship he can actually ACHIEVE instead of this like "I'm so sad nooooo" plot snsksksk

Favorite line

Anytime in the cartoon when he says something along the lines of "oh yeah, well do you have THESE" and then pops his claws like he's insecure and trying to prove himself. That's always hilarious and definitely doesn't happen literally every other episode hahaha

BrOTP

Another oof, lol. I always picture him more as a loner, but if I had to assign him a best bro- it's pretty close between either colossus or nightcrawler, maybe with some favoritism towards colossus. Just two strong asf, indestructible asf dudes being bros

OTP

Well, I've moved away from my wolverine obsession now lol, so I can let him have an in-universe otp. Gosh, I want to say Storm the most. I love their dynamic of calming feminine energy soothing the masculine SO so much 😭

The only thing that keeps me from raving and screaming over this ship is that I really dislike how their relationship makes Storm out to be his PAAAAAINFULLY obvious B plan, second to Jean sksksk. If their relationship was the first stop instead of the love triangle, I would never shut up lmao

nOTP

Dnsksksksk there's not a lot of ships I don't support, but him and sabretooth, him and jubilee (I've never seen this thank God, so hopefully it's not a thing), and him and nightcrawler (Kurt is MINE 👹👹)

Random HC

He can purr, but not in a cat way. It's kind of like chuffing or soft growling

Unpopular opinion

I honestly think the only opinion I could consider as unpopular would be that I don't like shipping him with Jean or Kurt lol.

On a real note tho, uuuuuh I wish we got to see some actual character behind him instead of him being regulated to "Angry Little Dude Who Stabs Things" all the time. That has its place, sure, but a well done character arc in mainstream media would be cool too

Song I associate with him

The one I love - REM

The concept of using romantic "love" solely as a means of distraction from your problems in life is very him. In fact, this is possibly the only song I can comfortably associate with wolverine, bc anything else I can think of just doesn't fit his personal style sound wise

Favorite picture

These ones lol. Any of the rare, goofy art is PEAK quality, but the really emotional stuff is great too

Kurt/Nightcrawler

Favorite thing

I like him when he's faithfully and accurately portrayed as a Catholic, that's pretty great! I also like him for his introverted and empathetic personality of course. I would marry that man irl, no option for divorce in a HEARTBEAT 😩🤞🏻

I would say same as wolverine in that I like exploring the potential animalistic nature behind him, but he doesn't really have that tbh, so if I do that at all it's more like in my head and for fun. Sometimes tho.

Least favorite thing

Fjejskskks when his current writer gets disrespectful with portraying him according to his faith. I hate that shit man, like FR.

Aside from that, I REALLY don't like his early days in the comics where he was like this creepy as fuck flirt like ?!?! Idk how to describe it other than he somehow managed to make WOLVERINE look like a nice, polite guy

Favorite line

Any of his theological stuff from the animated series, bc I can't lie, that stuff was SHOCKINGLY accurate on the theology

Although, if I could just copy and paste all his dialogue from the animated series point blank period, I'd do that too lol. He has surprisingly interesting things to say about mutant existence and his own experiences and his interactions with other characters- I just wish he had more episodes 🥲

brOTP

This has no basis in the comics, but I imagine him and Toad as like unlikely, but solid bros. Toad is like "hey, another guy who looks like a freak, we could bond over our misery" and Kurt would take the opportunity to try and lift mort's spirits, maybe see a bright side instead of getting so downtrodden about being physically mutated

Healthy and supportive friendships 👍🏻👍🏻

Although, also him and rogue tbh. I like their psudeo siblings dynamic plus the difference in cultures adds some entertainment

OTP

Me, obviously lol. My ride or die f/o, to be completely honest

nOTP

Basically everyone, bc I'm a bitter ass bitch. Sorry 😪

Random HC

Kurt can also purr, but that's boring so I'll also add that I think he gets more mutated as he ages. Like thicker fur, slightly longer ears, slightly harsher facial features, that stuff. He won't let on, but it gets to him a little

Also one more for free: he is the younger one between him and rogue. She will introduce him as her little brother at every opportunity possible, just cause lol

Unpopular opinion

Probably that I like him best when he's a staunch catholic, to be honest

Song I associate with him

TAKE MY HAND BY CHIEF GHOUL WHICH YOU SHOULD STREAM. GO. DO IT. STREAM IT NOW FOR MOODY FALL AND SOUTHERN GOTHIC VIBES.

Favorite picture

I'm ngl, anything that makes his face nice and dynamic and pointy is pretty good. I like seeing artists not afraid to make him look non human as possible without getting too crazy, but of course you can always get me with any of the particularly goofy art too.

Come ask me again after I get my God Loves, Man Kills comic tho- that's the one that inspired X2 and I'm told it's a banger. This panel alone got me losing my shit lmao

#thank you smokey !!!! #mwah smokey my beloved #nightcrawler #wolverine #marvel hc #ask game

[cielsosinfel]

books what i’ve read recently:

The Route of Ice & Salt by José Luis Zárate (tl. David Bowles): This is a novella written from the PoV of the captain of the ship that carried Dracula to England; it’s also an exploration of the alienation and self-repression of the gay man and how society creates monsters, convinces us of what a monster is. This took me several months to finish despite being only ~140 pages... it’s just written really heavily. It’s a really good novella, but the combination of written in the same style as the original Dracula’s epistolary form, except even more purple and metaphor-driven, and the absolute pit of isolated depression the MC is in the whole time wore me down lol. It speaks to just how well the author gets across his protagonist’s emotional state. He’s the captain of the crew but, for fear of his crewmates realizing the loneliness of sea drives his thoughts not to women back on land but to the men laboring under his authority, he keeps himself even further apart from the rest of the ship than the average captain would.

He’s so extremely horny through the whole book and DRACULA is horny throughout the book, giving this dude nightmares about fucking giant, rotting human-sized rats (literal rat fuck). But it’s horny thoughts conveyed in the most purple prose ever (really lovely at times though, and it flows super well, the translation is amazing.) I feel like the ending was rather abrupt, but this is epistolary and by that point the protagonist has truly lost his mind as much as his crew has lost their mortality and will, so it makes sense. Overall would rec this with the caveat it’s probably not as centered on Dracula and vampires as Dracula fans it’s advertised toward would like.

Alternative Alamat, ed. Paolo Chikiamco: This was an anthology of SF/F written by various authors from the Philippines. I ended up not being able to get into any of the stories though, they all just kind of dragged for me. Such are short story anthologies.

(CW for age gap adult/teen relationship discussion here?)

Let’s Go Karaoke! by Yama Wayama (pub. Yen Press) /  和山やまの「カラオケ行こ!」: I read this one-shot manga on the recommendation of a friend and I am so fucking glad I did + that the library had it, it’s so cute. The premise is thus: Satomi, the star of his middle school choir, is preparing for the final concert before he graduates, while struggling with his voice changing and cracking. One day he’s accosted (literally) by an older man named Narita. Satomi is whisked away to a karaoke box and coerced to teach Narita to sing better-- so he can avoid the fate of losing in his yakuza family’s karaoke contest, where the worst singer gets a tattoo from their sadistic, wannabe-tattooist boss (who has perfect pitch, of course).

This entire comic is extremely cute. And EXTREMELY funny, and the translator(s) did such a good job translating the jokes to English (though they couldn’t quite get across just how cutesy Narita will talk in the original Japanese). Satomi and Narita have this incredibly weird but thoughtful and sweet relationship, and seeing it progress and crash and burn and rekindle is just <33333 Satomi grows from being terrified of Narita, to hiding behind Narita for protection from other scary yakuza, to outright missing Narita’s company and wanting to see him when he’s nervous about his own concert... And Narita’s a complete weirdo with a skewed perception of what’s normal and has 0 tact, but he’s trying his best to show he cares about Satomi... It’s sweet!! It’s really sweet!!!!!

Also my friend said it reads like a BL and quite honestly it doesn’t just read like one, it’s like as close to being BL without outright saying so or making the relationship explicitly romantic (and the author’s written BL with large age gaps before so...) I’ve seen multiple professional reviews of it on Japanese sites describe it as プチBLww and the ending def feels like a set-up for it going to an actual romance since they meet again after Satomi’s in college... 

TL;DR It’s really good, I would actually love a sequel tbh. 

#reading log #i read a bunch of poetry too that i have nothing to say on #mine poste