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sugar-grigri · 6 months

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What would happen if we killed death ?

Here we are, Chapter 150, so let's not waste any more time and get straight to the analysis.

This chapter is rich, incredibly rich, both in what it says and in the way it is presented. This time I'm going to tackle the visuals directly in the first part of the chapter.

As you've probably gathered by now, this chapter deals with the evolution of Denji's dream, as the title clearly indicates.

What's interesting is to see how it plays out visually. The alleyway is a visual element that has been used several times by Fujimoto to signify a period in Denji's life, his childhood.

It metaphorically represents not only an unhappy childhood and loneliness, but also the gap between a needy child ignored by society. Worse still, he is excluded. When Denji emancipates himself, the focus is on passers-by, on others. As Denji symbolically leaves the alleyway, he realises that he is now part of society. His dream of a normal life should be understood as a desire to live in a community, among others, and to make friends with them.

In other words, getting out of the alley is Denji's lifelong dream, the key to his self-fulfilment and to a certain path forward.

It's a metaphor that Fujimoto loves once again. In this illustration, for example, Aki and Power are heading towards the light while Denji is still in the shadows. Bathed in light, Aki and Power represent both a key to Denji's happiness and fulfilment, just as the light represents the end of a journey: their destiny, the end of their own lives.

This illustration is extraordinary because Denji's gaze is fixed backwards, towards the alleyway, focusing on his flaws and his past. He is unaware, because he is not looking at them, that the key to his fulfilment has already been found, that he is in the process of leaving the alleyway. What's more, even if this means the end of Power and Aki's existence, they are serene, as if they know that happiness, even without them, will await Denji.

That's my first comment, so let's move on to what's happening in terms of action and dialogue.

Nayuta focuses on ordinary life, which helps Denji realise that he has reached it. It may seem odd that Denji is only just realising this now, but he is someone who operates by the senses. Moving away from the alley visually helps him realise his emancipation, as does seeing these ordinary people.

But above all, if Denji didn't entirely realise it, it's also because he wasn't happy in this ordinary life, as the last arc showed. Torn by the fact that he was no longer Chainsaw Man, Denji didn't realise that he was ordinary because he thought that was what would make him happy, and as he wasn't, he didn't think that his dream had been achieved for some time. It may sound complex, but once again it makes a lot of sense when you realise that Denji is someone who functions by sensation.

But it's even more subtle than that: Denji had realised that he was getting closer to his dream, but that wasn't why he allowed himself to dream about something else. And that's precisely where the power of this chapter lies: it's by starting to dream of something else that he reconnects with his identity, because the contract between him and Pochita is the pursuit of a dream. In other words, Denji was not only Chainsaw Man to protect Nayuta from the public hunters, he was no longer Chainsaw Man because he no longer allowed himself to dream. Until then, Chainnaw Man was an empty shell.

When Denji says he wants to become Chainsaw Man, he means he now wants to dream.

We come to the figure of the raven crushed by Denji as he runs: what does it mean?

One possible interpretation is that we don't know. I'm not saying this to clear my name, but because I think that's its real symbolism. In the West, the raven is generally a sign of bad omens, whereas in other cultures, such as Japanese or Celtic, the raven is the symbol of a god, the sun in Japan. Even if we could associate the raven with the metaphor of light coming out of the alleyway, the fact remains that it is not an animal that is appreciated or venerated in Japan, notably for the fact that it is a vulture that picks through rubbish.

It's this ambiguity that the raven represents, something that can't be pinned down. It's interesting, because by trampling on it, Denji turns to another dream, is it a good omen or a bad one? No one knows whether claiming to be Chainsaw Man will help Denji find happiness.

That would be one possible interpretation. But for the sake of completeness, there is one last one.

When I say that symbolism is hard to establish, it's only when I refute an obvious one. Let me explain: whether it's Bucky and his death, Yoru and Asa's death, the birds and Yuko being killed by Fake!CSM, and finally that raven. It's obvious that not only the raven but the bird in general represents death but also the end of a period, an era, a cycle.

Not only do the birds mark the end of one cycle, they also signal the beginning of a new one. Bucky's death opens Part 2, Yoru marks the beginning of Asa's second life, and Yuko's death ushers in the arrival of the most mysterious character in Part 2: Fake!CSM. The Raven marks the beginning of a new dream.

I think we need to be more subtle in this analysis and see it through to the end. Asa and Denji both do the same thing, they either crush birds or they give death to death.

It seems impossible but just as the bird that is supposed to fly in the skies is rarely found under our feet to be crushed. Asa and Denji are the two champions, the two candidates to prevent Death, and little by little the birds mark the cogs in a mechanism that is being put in place: the confrontation with Death.

My various interpretations can add up, and when they do, they lead to one question: when we give death to death, what happens? Is it necessarily a bad thing ?

The fact that the birds symbolise a link with death is correlated with the fact that Denji loses his family and his dogs when his flat burns down. The destruction of his home represents the erasure of Denji's landmarks, what he had built up, returning to the cause of departure, since we are at the beginning of a new era, a new cycle.

The relationship with death is correlated by Barem, who not only intends to fight it but also sees it as a common denominator for all species.

I love the play on words that the flamethrower hybrid introduces: "I figure killing Asa wouldn't fire you up that much", it really supports Barem's desire to arouse Denji and get him to react.

But all that aside, there are other things to relate. Not least with our other protagonist: Asa.

To return to the metaphor of the alley, visually and symbolically, she's the one who joined Denji in the alley. She's not just a symbol of Denji's step towards others, but also a symbol of others' step towards him.

Fujimoto encourages us to reread the chapters using the key vectors of the dog and the cat.

This line is the centrepiece.

Not only does Barem support the death once again of Denji's family, his dogs and his cat, but it's much more subtle than that. They are the key to a love that is not only universal, but also the key to Asa and Denji's happiness, and to their ability to bond with other species. When Denji wanted to save Asa from the falling devil, he told her straight away to think of cats and dogs.

They are also a symbol of progress, Asa bonding with her cat after the death of her mother, while Denji bonds with Pochita after the death of his father.

They are also what unites the two protagonists of Chainsaw Man: a cat with Asa and a dog with Denji. Just as Fujimoto likes to emphasise the influence they have on each other, whether it's Asa who places Denji between the criminal and the cat or how Yoru will behave like a dog because of Nayuta.

So what does Barem's line clearly mean? What I find incredible is that every time Barem tries to put Denji against the wall, he always unconsciously provides an element of the answer.

At their first meeting in chapter 140: Barem tries to present Denji with a dilemma. Asa Mitaka or Chainsaw Man? The answer is unconsciously found in the two fingers he plunges into Denji's nose: both.

Here again, Barem thinks he has Denji pegged, it's not Asa that matters to him but his dogs and cat. But note the plural, Denji only has one cat, Meowy. Now we make the connection: Asa represents the cat. She's also important to Denji.

If you're not convinced by Barem's unconscious response, then here again you can see a parasitic gesture in the fact that he knocks Denji down. Who else always falls at the wrong time? Who fell when their family was also dying? Well, yes. Barem's only point here is that even if Asa and Denji don't know each other very well, they don't really need to, given their similarities.

Once again, Barem thinks he's cornering Denji when he doesn't realise that he's just included Asa in what he's saying. Once again this is symbolic writing, with elements of foreshadowing and denouement of the characters subtly placed in Barem's lines. Barem likes to make prophetic announcements, as he is also a believer, but his message escapes him because he is not aware of the work in which he finds himself.

But that doesn't help us to understand what happens when we kill death ?

The characters can't guess at the omens that lie ahead. Just as their own message eludes them.

The only thing we know for sure that these birds are announcing is the end of an era and a new era.

The answer is so obvious that it escapes us. We have seen the resemblance between these two protagonists, their families, their losses, the destruction of their homes, their landmarks. We could say that this would be mourning.

But moving on despite the end of all these cycles, without knowing what lies ahead. Isn't that just growing up?

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moibakadesu · 2 months

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Okay, here we go, my interpretations and rambles about the 4th anniversary art. I know everybody is doing that right now and a lot of my thoughts might be the same as a lot of other people's, but the brainworms are active.

Let's start that it is brilliant that they went with a funeral theme for the 4th anni and to top it off they released it on the 4th of April. As a lot of you might know, 4 stands for death in Japanese (and various other asian countries), as it is pronounced the same.

My initial prediction for the art was, that it would be the funeral of the prisoners themselves and that we would see them lying on the frame of flowers (chrysanthemum, white lilies and white roses, all traditional funeral flowers). But as it turns out, we have the prisoners attending the funeral of their victims, so to speak.

So of course we have everybody in classic funeral attire, and sadly that doesn’t make for a lot of variety for the guys, sans the shoes, some buttons and different seams and pockets, but they all look splendid in it (and it stops Fuuta from combining it with some ridiculous fashion choices), so I can vibe with it.

For the girls we have of course a bit more to look at in terms of different clothes, the ones who are still visiting school in their respective uniforms, although in dark tones to fit in the whole composition, and Mappi with a simple dress as well as Kotoko with a chic blazer and trousers combo.

The wardens take the role of the priest who would attend a traditional Japanese funeral, how very fitting. Everybody is very pretty. I do still prefer akka’s art, but kee did a very good job capturing everybody as well.

Now the really interesting part is of course how everybody is holding their bouquets. I think the general consensus is that they stands for the victims, or in a wider sense the emotional stance that each prisoner has in regards to their murder. Let’s go in order from left to right.

Mikoto: Very prim and proper. I am in the camp that thinks that Mikoto committed the murder, not John, but also that he genuinely doesn’t remember anymore (due to stress-induced amnesia etc.). So it makes a lot of sense that he holds it in the most neutral and normal way possible. He doesn’t know the victim, he doesn’t have any particular feelings regarding it that he can remember.

Kazui: Holding it very lightly, but not as careless as if you would have to fear it falling to the ground. Maybe symbolic for the lack of emotional commitment in his marriage, due to being homosexual? Somewhat fitting to the lyrics of Cat, “let’s keep it simple”, keep it casual, these feelings are not real and very fleeting.

Shidou: Oh, he is interesting. He is holding the flowers exactly like you would a young baby, proper head and body support with both his hands and arm, while being very gentle with it. Further evidence that his murder ended up being one of his sons. As I assume ending up braindead after an accident and Shidou having to give the okay to use him as an organ donor.

Fuuta: My angry little ginger. And his anger shines through, what are you gripping your flowers so tightly for, little man? He is holding it almost like a weapon, very much the hero of justice with his sword ready to strike. I find it interesting that he is the only prisoner not smiling. I thought maybe because he is the one who is the most terrified about what his actions have led to? He was deeply riddled by remorse from the beginning after all, as much as he didn't want to admit that.

Haruka: Oh Haruka, what are you doing? His is … interesting. My theory is still that the murder he is actually is in Milgram for is a suicide, and the way he is holding the flowers does a good job in supporting that thought. He is holding the bouquet upside down, with not much apparent care for its state, some petals falling on the floor, and more importantly, on himself. I think this might represent how he has little to none self-worth and care for himself. Another thing I did see a japanese fan on Twt talk about was the meaning of an upside down bouquet. Apparently there is a superstition about holding flowers upside down, so that they … absorb water faster. This is both a good way to show Haruka’s innocence about the world as he would possibly believe such a thing as well as … very grim, as I think he drowned himself.

Yuno: Similar to Shidou she is holding her flowers a lot like you would an infant, and … well, that speaks for itself I would say. There is no ill feeling or disrespect towards the unborn life, is what just not meant to be with her.

Muu: Holding her bouquet behind her back, just like she does not want the fact that it might in fact have been her fault behind her victim act. Could also go very well with how she most likely did hide the box cutter out of sight until she struck.

Mahiru: She is holding her flowers very gently, delicately, with a lot of love, of course, it’s Mappi after all. Maybe almost a bit too close to her, if she is not careful she could crush or squish them easily. As it is in line with how destructive her relationship ended up being.

Amane: Oh Amane, the disrespect, haha. Carelessly discarded behind her. Sinners are worthless and need to be punished, right? Nothing wrong with quite literally stepping over dead bodies. The little girl is quite savage, I have to give her that much.

Kotoko: She is a bit hard for me to read. Her grip on the bouquet is concealed, does she maybe not want to admit how tightly she is holding on to it as a parallel how she does not want to admit to her sadistic tendencies, because it is after all always for justice, nothing else. Hmmm.

#milgram #haruka sakurai #yuno kashiki #fuuta kajiyama #muu kusunoki #shidou kirisaki #mahiru shiina #kazui mukuhara #amane momose #mikoto kayano #kotoko yuzuriha #es milgram #milgram theory #moi rambles

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lu-is-not-ok · 11 months

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Do you do psychoanalyzing on other characters besides Yi Sang and Hong Lu? If so I’d like to hear you talk about Don and Faust, and why you think they share 2 egos (Telepole and Fluid Sac)

I mean! I can certainly try! Hong Lu and Yi Sang are just. I guess my field of expertise??? Since I care the most about those two??? But I can certainly try to analyze some other characters, though it might not be able to be as specific and detailed as I am when analyzing my favorites. Hope you understand!

Now then. Let's do this. Under cut we go as usual.

Fluid Sac

Let's start with the one we know less about, aka Headless Ichthys. In fact, we know... very, very little about Headless Ichthys.

Due to Meursault being the one to write the logs about this abnormality, we only get information on its physical characteristics, such as it having lost its head, and that there's something inside its sack that is said to bear resemblence to either a flower or a human nervous system.

That's it. That's all the definitive info we have on this abnormality. We can assume that it has Some religious significance due to its name, Ichthys, being the name of a religious fish symbol, but that doesn't help too much.

There is something interesting I want to note here, and that's the thing inside its sack. The fact that it's unclear whether it resembles a flower or a human nervous system is interesting... Because that mimics what Lunacy looks like. While Lunacy is described as rose-shaped by its Inventory description, the full Lunacy icon can also be interpreted as a brain on a brainstem.

I suppose, if you wanted to dig deep enough, the implications of it containing a symbol akin to Lunacy and having lost its head could could be interpreted as the abnormality being a symbol of a descent into madness. Which, honestly, that's the best I got from what little we have.

Because of just how little lore we have on the Headless Ichthys, unfortunately I can't go too in depth on Don and Faust with it in mind... But I'll still try.

Fluid Sac is a Gloom E.G.O, and though Gloom is one of those Sins I'm not entirely sure of, it does seem to represent taking actions due to one's built up negative emotions.

The main base E.G.O examples we have are Snagharpoon, which has Ishmael follow her compulsion to keep searching for "That bastard", and Land of Illusion, which implies that Hong Lu retreats from reality into his own dream world under heavy emotional stress.

As such, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Fluid Sac signifies something that caused horrible emotional stress to both Don and Faust, which would then kickstart their descent into madness. In more specific terms, this would be heroic delusions for Don and single-minded mad scientist-esque pursuit of knowledge for Faust.

As a brief sidenote, this would align quite well with the visual design differences between the two. Though the E.G.O outfits they wear are extremely similar, all the way down to both of them having green tints in their hair and fin decorations in the exact same spots, there are two notable differences.

One - the shape of the weapon. Don's weapon is shaped like a miniature Headless Ichthys clutching onto a perfectly round sack-orb. It looks almost more like a toy rather than a weapon. Faust's weapon is not only shaped almost perfectly like Headless Ichthys's sack, it also seems to have the same properties, as it bursts during Faust's Awakening attack animation.

Two - the article of clothing that mimics the Ichthys's hand-flippers. For Don, it's a cape-like piece of clothing that looks more like something you'd see on a kid's hero costume. For Faust, it's seemingly anatomically-correct recreations of the flippers that are attached to her jacket.

Both of those I think reinforce the idea of Don and Faust indulging in their methods of madness. Child-like obsession with heroism for Don (using toys and costumes), and endless scientific pursuits for Faust (only someone studying the abnormality closely could replicate its anatomy in this much detail).

It's a bit hard to tell anything from their dialogue lines as they are somewhat generic (my unrelated theory on that is that Fluid Sac is one of the first E.G.Os designed, based on its dialogue lines not having much to do with its abnormality, and due to its attack animations being uncharacteristically sparse in actual frame-to-frame animation), but they do seem to work as good reflections of Don and Faust in general.

Their Awakening lines seem to reflect their general attitudes, with Don's being jovial yet quick to resort to violence, and Faust's being self-assured and seemingly trying to predict all outcomes.

Their Corroded lines on the other hand could be a reflection of their attitudes after their descent into madness began. Don's single-minded "...Crush them." could be a reflection of how she views morality as black and white, and thus believes all that she considers 'villains' should be crushed by her. Likewise, Faust's line here implies that she's willing to do anything, even leave herself completely empty by 'disgorging everything', if it means she reaches what she's looking for.

Looking at the Sin Resources, both Faust and Don require Gloom and Lust to use Fluid Sac, and while Don also uses Pride, Faust uses Envy instead.

I already mentioned what I think Gloom means for Fluid Sac, and I think it being a requirement further reinforces it here. Both Don and Faust need to be acting under severe emotional stress to start their descent into madness.

Lust as a sin seems to represent acting according to one's desires, or more specifically, indulging in them. It also tends to have slight spiritual connotations in Limbus, making it the Sin of acting for the sake of some form of personal fulfillment as well.

Using it for Fluid Sac would make sense with the descent into madness interpretation. For both Don and Faust, their forms of madness are them overindulging in something they find personally fulfilling - heroism for Don, science for Faust.

Don's unique Sin requirement here is Pride. I already went into detail on what Pride as a Sin means in Limbus in the Dimension Shredder post, but to recap, Pride represents actions taken for their personal benefits, while ignoring their negative consequences on either other people or oneself.

This very much represents Don's madness quite well. Her heroic acts are rooted in what she personally perceives as doing good, and she completely ignores the collateral damage that she may cause in the process. Her willful ignorance of the harm she inflicts on others is one of the main things that led her to her personal form of madness.

Faust's unique Sin requirement here is Envy. Now, I won't go into detail on Envy just yet, as it's better saved for Telepole, but in very basic summary, it represents actions done in reaction to other people and their actions.

While there is still much we don't know about Faust, the inclusion of Envy as a requirement for her Fluid Sac implies that the root of her madness actually comes from someone else. There's not enough info for us to speculate on more details... but something tells me this might have to do with a certain Faustian Bargain, if you catch my drift.

So, that's Fluid Sac! For something with so little to dissect, it ended up leading to quite a good bit of analysis anyway! Call me Game Theory cause I'm about to put MatPat out of a job.

Telepole

Alright, let's once again start with the abnormality itself - Alleyway Watchdog.

The funny thing is that the Watchdog has the opposite problem to the Ichthys, as while the fish had very little lore, the Watchdog has a decent amount, but it's written by Yi Sang and as such it's hard to tell how much of its logs are facts, and how much is Yi Sang being Yi Sang and projecting onto the dog.

If there is one thing that is a definitive fact, it's that lack of being able to control oneself and being unable to tell who is controlling who is a recurring theme for this abnormality. The fact that it's unclear if the dog is in control of its own actions calls back to it, and the further muddling of what actually is in control of it only further adds to that theme.

It's unclear if the charred person on its back is controlling the dog, or if it's simply along for the ride unable to do anything to stop it, or if it is also under the control of something else. It's unclear if electricity is what is directly controlling the dog, or if it's something Yi Sang is projecting onto it due to his own experiences.

With that in mind, let's look at the three Sinners who have this E.G.O - Don, Faust, and Heathcliff. Now, I won't be looking at Heathcliff's case too closely, since this is meant to focus on Don and Faust, but I will be bringing him up when talking about Telepole on a general level, so that we have the biggest sample size possible.

In this case, having the Telepole E.G.O would imply these three have some issues when it comes to control, whether it's they themselves lacked control in their life, or whether it's their own degree of perceived control isn't as it seems. Since neither of those three have had their Cantos released yet, it's impossible for me to tell what exactly is going on here, but this is something to keep in mind.

Now, let's talk about Envy, as that's the Sin damage that all of the Telepoles deal. Envy appears to represent actions one takes as a reaction to what others do. This can take any form, whether it's revenge or following orders or being provoked or anything really. What's important here is that the action taken is a Direct Response to someone else.

The only base E.G.O that deals Envy damage is Heathcliff's Bodysack, which represents his impulsive and likely violent reaction to whatever Cathy did to him.

This all fits very nicely with the nature of Alleyway Watchdog, and Telepole E.G.O as a whole. The Watchdog's actions are all reactions to something else controlling it. Likewise, those using the Telepole E.G.O have their actions be influenced or even controlled by someone else.

Their Awakening lines (since there's nothing to analyze when it comes to their Corroded howls I don't think) all reflect a certain part of their personality, potentially implying that something about that is due to the influence of someone else.

Heathcliff's line expresses his impulsively violent tendencies, Don's ties back to her blind heroism, and Faust's has a clinical, detached feel to it.

As for Sin Resources, both Faust and Heathcliff use Envy, Wrath, and Lust, while Don exchanges Lust for Gloom.

Envy as a Sin Resource here once again ties back to the themes of control, implying that for all three, the actions they take are not entirely Just their own. Whether it's provokation or suggestion or something else, for all three of them, their actions are being encouraged, if not directly controlled, by someone else entirely.

Wrath is... hard to analyze. Partially because on first glance it seems to act as a shorthand for fire damage, and partially because no base E.G.O deals Wrath damage. My best guess based on other E.G.Os is that Wrath represents actions done out of self-righteousness. It's the "I deserve to do this, I DARE to do this." of Sins, in my opinion.

It's not necessarily tied to literal anger, as its name might imply, but rather a deeper reason that usually leads to anger - that being the idea that something should or shouldn't happen simply because you wish it so. After all, the most common reason for anger is for something to not go your way. Think children throwing tantrums over their toy being taken away, or a gamer smashing their keyboard over getting outplayed.

With all that being said, Wrath being used for Telepole could have several meanings. It could represent defiance, the idea that the Sinners act out because they believe they deserve better than the person trying to control them. It could also represent temptation, falling under someone else's control or provokation due to believing that they deserve something they don't have or to do something they can't without falling for it.

Now onto the more unique Sin resource requirements. Faust and Heathcliff both require Lust, a Sin representing indulging one's desires and seeking personal fulfillment. This would fit both Heathcliff and Faust, as their Telepoles seem to allude to the things they are already impulsive about - mindless violence for Heathcliff, and pursuit of knowledge for Faust. The actions they are being controlled or provoked to do are things they already wish to indulge in. Perhaps in their case, they are specifically being tempted into doing something, rather than being directly forced.

This however, is different for Don. Don's Telepole requires Gloom, which is a Sin representing actions done out of succumbing to negative emotions. This paints the actions she's controlled or provoked into comitting in a different light. Unlike Heathcliff or Faust, she isn't being tempted by personal fulfillment. No, in her case it's an expression of emotional stress. Perhaps in her case the control is much more forceful, causing her to act out, or perhaps her actions are a reaction to something bad happening to someone she knows. Either way, it's quite intriguing to note.

Unlike my Fluid Sac analysis, which I could get a little bit more detailed on thanks to touching on a facet of Don and Faust's personalities that are clearly evident, Telepole seems to more so reference their pasts, something that as of right now we simply have no access to.

I expect reaching Heathcliff's Canto will help a ton in this specific case, as it will help analyze the rest of the Telepoles thanks to being able to compare what it seems to reference in his revealed past to potentially similar events in both Don and Faust's pasts.

#limbus company #limbus company project moon #don quixote #don quixote lcb #faust #faust lcb #lcb analysis #fluid sac ego #telepole ego #ask #anon #lu speaketh #the only reason this one is longer is because i did two egos in one post

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crepes-suzette-373 · 6 months

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Garuda, Judge, Germa 66, The Divine

@sangerie Perfect timing that you bring up Garuda in your reply, because I remembered a while ago that I didn't check what Judge's current belt looks like when I made that other post and I was just about to make a new post about my findings.

---

I messed up and completely forgot to check when I made that other post. That was just more of an idle thought, though, not something I really wanted to analyse or make theories out of. This one is the (conspiracy) theory/analysis post.

Artistically this is big enough difference that I cannot chalk it off as "simplification/wonky artwork because of image size":

Plus, the "simpler" shape from the MADS flashbacks would be drawn long after the WCI arc. So this has to be a purposeful change on sensei's part.

What was it beforehand and why the change? What is the newer shape supposed to be?

So anyway, that realisation prompted me to look into Karura (the Japanese interpretation of Garuda) because I thought the current belt shape looks like the helmet Judge is wearing, which in turn vaguely reminds me of headdresses in Buddhist gods' statuary.

I think there could be connection between the two in terms of design:

Like, his hair could look reminiscent of the Karura's "fire halo".

The Karura in Japan is a being who is heavily associated with flames (which happens to also look like number 6 spirals in the statue, very interestingly). Some Buddhist teaching even say the Karura either manifests itself as flames, or lends its flames in support to other deities.

Karura's "fire halo" behind Fudou Myou'ou:

This I find to be even more curious, because in the first place Garuda is divine being, and Garuda's "holy flame" is something that purifies evil. Judge seems to be awful in every way, so why give him a nickname that's based on a holy being? Is this just irony, or is this a hint that there's something weird going on that has yet to be revealed? (something in their ancient history?)

Also, about the "69" in the skull's eyes. Even Sanji's Stealth Black/Osoba Mask belt has that "69" element, even if it's in the little wings on the sides and not the skull's eyes. Is that symbol so important that it needs to be everywhere? (to sangerie, if you see this: Niji's belt still has that 69, even much later in the cover story, it just sometimes look wonky in the art because it's too small)

That symbol is known in Japan as "two tomoe" (considered different from yin yang by the Japanese). A tomoe is that comma like shape, and the Germa one is specifically the "right curling" one, because there are versions of it that goes the opposite direction.

A tomoe is also a divine symbol, so it's very frequently seen as the "crest" of shrines. Funnily enough the origin of the tomoe symbol is actually water, but I'm not sure if sensei would go out of his way to research that. If he was using this as a purposeful symbol I feel like he's using it more in the generic divine/shrine related usage.

It's a symbol you see in the drums used by the the Raijin (god of thunder), which also was the design inspiration for Enel.

Interesting thunder/lightning connection there. It's 3, though, and not 2, so I'm not sure if this means anything.

You see that exact symbol with just two in Wano, though it's turned 90 degrees anticlockwise:

I have wondered multiple times if the Vinsmokes have connection to Wano in their past. Even literally just a few hours ago I made a post mentioning the same thing. I always worry that I'm making too deep of a reach, but every now and then I still wonder.

It also has historical connection in Japan, since a two tomoe design is a common samurai crest. I highly doubt it's related to this, but that exact "69" shaped crest is the crest strongly associated with the 47 Ronin.

The interesting thing about the 47 Ronin is that even though they're typically celebrated as heroes who defeated an evil lord even to this day, by historical accounts the 47 ronin were actually the ones in the wrong and the guy they had revenge on wasn't a tyrant or corrupt official. Still, I don't think this has any relevance.

I mean, there's nothing about Germa that suggests that "they seem evil, but actually they're secretly good".

I will admit there is a part of me that is developing a suspicion that there could be a random twist where Germa's whole point was "their motivation/end goal is not bad, but their methods is what's really absolutely disgusting" for various reasons. As in, what if their desire to conquer the North Blue is not just for greed or power, but for a bigger goal beyond it, and this "bigger goal" might not be entirely bad.

I doubt it, because so far everything that we've been shown is just nasty. I'm just automatically suspicious because the World Government labelled them evil, and I don't trust WG.

It could just be something like "they're so evil, that even demons are disgusted", though.

#one piece #conspiracy theory #analysis #vinsmoke family #vinsmoke #germa 66 #vinsmoke judge #long post

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zolupine · 6 months

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“Hey you still into bird watching?” - A thread on Betty Grof bird symbolism - crossposted on twitter!!!

I think about which birds Betty’s magic birds are and a couple come to mind. I’d personally like to think they’d change form to the following:

1.) Canaries- for a multitude of reason 1.) being that they’re some of the most similar in terms of size and shape minus the beak, but i did want to bring up the phrase “canary in a coal mine"

1a.) “⁃A canary in a coal mine is an advanced warning of some danger. The metaphor originates from the times when miners used to carry caged canaries while at work; if there was any methane or carbon monoxide in the mine, the canary would die before the levels of the gas reached those hazardous to humans.” In terms of interpretation i think thats rather clear about Betty’s fate in terms of being digested with GOLB though its a reach, something something caged within GOLB something something dying with him and becoming rebirthed

1b.) - Extra info. Canaries are song birds and individualists in nature EXCEPT when mating- possibly playing on Betty’s recluse nature with the exception of magic man and Simon/IK.

2.) Nightingales- ANOTHER bird that looks very similar to those animated, this time the beak and tail-feathers match quite well. Matching the color scheme (in terms of their bellies being brighter!) and are overall very similar in nature!

2a.) Their symbolism- nightingales have been associated with a variety of themes, including "creativity, the muse, nature's purity, and, in Western spiritual tradition, virtue and goodness." the nightingale is deemed to be ”a prime example of poetic invention occurring naturally” Though not intrinsically related to Betty herself, it could be a representation of her usage of magic and how she’s becoming less and less human, and more in tune with the nature of Ooo around her. Though birds are also associated with magic man…

2b.) “A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square” - who doesn’t love some music symbolism coupled with bird symbolism! The song itself is about the power of love, and how the “whole damned world seemed upside down” - could easily be a representation of Betty’s love for Simon :)

2c.) In more literal interpretations of the nightingale, its seen as a sign of coming striping, it’s song ushering new leaves after the winter. It’s referenced in Homer’s odyssey when a nightingale sings in the woods, spring has just begun (Odyssey 19.519). Spring is often seen as a time of change, "Every one thousand years, the Catalyst Comet mysteriously reincarnates itself and collides with Earth, bringing with it an Agent of Change." It could be interpreted as such, that her nightingales were the first signs of HER change. Though it’s a reach considering the airing date of the episode, unless it was foreshadowed like crazy. Which is totally fucking possible. Also! This next one is just for fun.

3.) Toucans - Though not at all similar in shape or size, toucans have a very interesting meaning, as well as a quote directly from Ice King himself. Also they are quite cute…

3a.) This clip [season 9, episode 3 “Bespoken For” part 2 of 8 of the elements specials], the SAME episode as “Betty's birds”- as Ice King is going “bird watching” he refers to Betty as a Toucan- as seen in the clip below.

It’s a one off line, because on ice kings bird list, a Toucan is one of the things he needs to check off. Not to mention his later reference to Betty as an exotic bird to life giving magus!

3b.) Though the Toucan has interesting symbolism, Toucans are regarded as a bird with a sacred eye, they’re seen as conduits between the worlds of the living and the dead. Which could again play into her role as GOLBETTY, because of GOLBETTY’s omnipotent nature. It could easily be implied that she’s a conduit, but less of matters of the living of the dead and more so in regards to the antiverse and the multiverse.

Ok thats all from me ^_^ I might continue this thread, but for now enjoy some bird watching :)

#adventure time #fionna and cake #betty grof #ice king #birds #toucans #nightingales #analysis #autism attack #i love birds #ornithology #media literacy #just an interpertation #not fact #magic betty #weird lady #magic lady

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aesolerin · 2 months

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hey. heyehyhey. remember that talk we had about Leper's broken sword and the symbolism of how he broke and all that

well, it gets BETTER/WORSE. and all the more interesting to think about! Wanna know what he says in DD2 when given a whetstone, to sharpen his broken blade?

like, on its surface, it seems simple: he's just projecting and using it as a way to mourn the loss of his looks due to the onset of his disease, right?

Except! (as we talked about): his sword breaking had nothing to do with his looks!(1)

after all, here he is, with his full blade in hand right before the deed that ended with both of them broken: already in his leper gear at this point, with all the symbolic weight that has. (plus just what it could mean in the mundane narrative sense, if we put all our reality warping headcanons aside for just a second, lol) he likely still considered blade still 'handsome', then, as it hasn't shattered yet, no? (and his word choice when talking about it is interesting, too - his blade didn't just break, it shattered. for all that they're synonyms, one word carries a lot more violent and explosive imagery than the other, doesn't it? that this is the word he comes up with when thinking about this moment... it has a lot of interesting implications for how he looks back on it. plus, using it as a way to describe the outcome of his actions here, even if only partially, brings some level of... unintentionality to the consequences, I suppose? i dunno the best way to phrase it, but, like: when it comes to how we use the word in the English language, people knowingly break things all time, whether metaphorically or literally; people break locks to get access to things/places otherwise unavailable to them; "you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet"; ending a romantic relationship with someone is called a breakup, etc. for all that the term implies some level of damage, it's often a controlled use of damage, or something that can be fixed back up later with few repercussions. it's not too dire or drastic for something to end up broken, I guess is what I'm getting at.

For something to have shattered, though? that's almost always implies that the damage wasn't a knowing/intended consequence. At the very least that they did more damage than intended; one would very rarely go out of their way to shatter someone's heart during a break up; if someone shatters a mirror due to punching it, they likely weren't thinking rationally when trying to rid of their reflection; a kid shattering a house's window is gonna get in big trouble if found out, whether that was their goal or not. And that's also part of it - if a person did expect they'd shatter something with their actions, it ascribes to them a level of cruelty and callousness that the word 'break' just doesn't come with as subtextual baggage.

all of which is to say; while the Leper may or may not have expected to come out of his own purge broken, it would have been FAR more self-destructive if he went in expecting it to be shattered by the end. As such, it's very hard for me to think the level of self-damage done was intentional on his part. BUT ANYWAYS. back to the actual topic of this ask xD) What exactly was it that he thought was 'handsome' about his symbolic self before this, as compared to after? Was it the full weight, even as necessary as he thought it was, of killing his own subjects in cold bloo,d and thus no longer being able to truthfully say he'd never knowingly brought harm to those from his kingdom? Was it some level of happiness or enjoyment he got out of the action, thinking such a thing made him monstrous or sadistic?

Was it the calculated cruelty he was able to act with, meaning he at least partially abandoned any beliefs he may have had in kindness and empathy in interacting with others?

However you interpret such a thought process, his interactions with Jester would likely be a huge fucking wake-up call. because, let's be real, the fool would feel less than zero compunctions about calling any and all murder that happens 'sexy', and he'd be joking about it only like. half of the time. if that. xD Though, to be fair, Sarmenti would probably throw around the term 'handsome' less often. Comes a bit too close to sounding sincere, after all, could ruin his reputation as an Unrepentant Silly Asshole if the others picked up on it.

-----

(1)....Though, admittedly, Leper's phrasing in saying he/his blade was "Handsome, once, before it shattered" could just as validly be read as him having lost his handsomeness even before something in him symbolically broke..... But that take is a lot more straightforward in its interpretation, and thus much less fun for me to ruminate on for hours on end. so. ;p

What's your thoughts on all of this, if anything? You agree with any particular interpretation of it, or have an entirely different take? Do you think I'm overanalyzing this too much for DD2, where the reality warping nature of the setting might make the heroes' takes on themselves less reliable than in DD1? (if so, fair!) Just interested to hear any and all of what's going on in your noggin' after reading this!

Leper has so many layers.... so many parts of both of these games live rent free in my head, but this guy and the fucked-up clown are at the very top.

i personally lean towards the more simple 'musing on his “lost” attractiveness' interpretation. it's clear from DD1 and DD2 that Leper has a deep connection to his blade, probably considering it something of a friend or a kindred spirit. it's been with him through so much!

the term 'shattered', though, i do agree is very evocative and there's an intent to it. Leper (and the writers!) didn't simply say 'broken' for a reason. perhaps he feels he shattered himselfa fine and powerful blade in a moment of rage/weakness/self-defense/fear. it's still usable though, even in this shattered state, so Leper will keep on truckin' until his body inevitably gives out.

when the time comes and he's comfortable showing the others his Shrines, though, Jester will call his retaliation a work of art, with only the thinnest veneer of sarcasm. now there's a man who was in control of his fate! there's a man who did not roll over and die when demanded! there's a man who had the guts to do what needed to be done as soon as possible instead of taking the abuse for years and years and years! i'm sure the other heroes would also take Leper's side and assure him that what he did was right on some level, but Jester's agreement hits a bit different.

here's a funny lil interaction between the two of them i formulated with another friend:

Jester, covered in blood: you still love me right?? 🥺

Leper, for the fifth time that day: yes, i do 😊

Leper, changing his bandages: truly i am a wretched thing, a walking corpse... 😔

Jester, kissing his forehead: absolutely not, you're hot as fuck and built like a brick shithouse 😤

#ask #itsbeenliketenyearsitsprettywild #long post #darkest dungeon #dd leper #dd jester

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witchesoz · 1 year

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A queer Oz

Oz is queer. There is no denying it. The land of Oz, the world of Oz has been embraced by gay and lesbians and was included as part of the LGBT community long before this acronym even appeared. Oz-related medias have shaped the homosexual communities, and there is no better way to prove it than to point out a common term most people know by now… FOD. “Friend of Dorothy”, an expression to designate a gay man and was used very often in the second half of the 20th century in Northern America to speak of homosexuality while avoiding any of the nasty side-effects these kinds of talks could have in this time. It isn’t used much anymore, thanks to LGBT communities becoming much more open, known and accepted in more times, but it still was a very important part of gay culture and history, and a clear mark tying it all to the world of Oz, and the character of Dorothy Gale.

And when talking of the queer people and Oz, it is the 1939 movie that has to be talked about. It is THE catalyst, the landmark, the focus point of the gay connection with Oz, and one of the classic “queer movies” of the 20th century. The movie’s plot and style resonated deeply with gay people: it was about escaping a rigid, small town and an unpleasant black-and-white world, to enter into a fabulous and magical universe filled with extravagant characters and vibrant colors ; it was about a group of outcasts banding together as a group against threats and dangers ; it was about a young girl trying to escape into a world without any kind of troubles and who embraced openly the seemingly-flawed male characters she met along the way ; it was about learning that sometimes you do not need to change yourself to be who you want to be… Lines of the movie have been famously reinterpreted, such as the Cowardly Lion’s self description as a “dandy lion” or Glinda’s “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” ; and while the idea of a “rainbow flag” for the LGBT community would only arrive much later, the movie’s heavy emphasis on rainbows (and its most famous song, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”) is thought to have played a key role in the queer communities decision to pick the rainbow as their symbol. Of course the fact that Judy Garland was the main actress of the movie also helped fuel this whole thing, since Judy Garland was one of the “gay icons” of the first half of the 20th century, adored by generations of gay men that made up a good part of her regular audiences (and let’s not even get in for example the number of gay men in her personal life, or how some people theorize that her funerals being held so close to the Stonewall Riots might have had some emotional influence over the incident).

The interesting thing is that, beyond the 1939 movie, the original Oz material, the book series written by L. Frank Baum, is also extremely queer-friendly (to the modern eye at least) and has been reused as an LGBT symbol. I can’t talk of Baum’s personal stance on gay people because I don’t think he ever brought up the subject – and anyway, we are talking about 1900s-1910s America, what do you expect? But the liberal use of words like “queer” and “gay” in their original, older sense in the stories, especially when talking about the inhabitants of Oz (and particularly about Dorothy’s recurring friends) has not escaped the modern eyes. The relationship between Dorothy, recurring heroine of the Oz books, and Ozma, the girl-queen of Oz, has also been re-interpreted in the light of modern sensibilities: the two girls are stated repeatedly to be good and great friends, but their relationship as “best friends” is also depicted with a lot of proclamations of “love”, used in a broad and more innocent sense than today, and with a lot of physical contact between the two, ranging from simply hands holding to actual kisses… The fact social and friendship norms back in early 20th century America were different back then has a lot to do about how what was just seen as two girls being best friends become easily reinterpreted as a lesbian relationship in modern days. A very similar case happens with the “queer friendship” of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman.

But there is one thing we cannot forget, it is the existence in the very second Oz book, The Marvelous Land of Oz, of one of the earliest “trans” characters of modern literature, Tip “Tippetarius” that is revealed to be Ozma, princess of Oz…

Overall now you will find “Oz” included in the name of numerous gay bars, dance clubs or gay-oriented business (ranging from small gift gay gift shops to charity organizations for the AIDs crisis) ; Ozian characters and imagery often appear during Pride parades ; and the fact the Oz stories have been massively used in the world of musical theater (a very predominantly queer and gay form of media in America) keeps reinforcing this connection – the “Wicked” musical being a good example of this. And by focusing on Dorothy herself, and her actress Judy Garland, the gay community actually poured in a very strange and dual feeling – as Dorothy embodied some sort of joyful, queer-embracing, free and colorful innocence the gay men strived towards, while Garland with her infamously sad and tragic life reflected eerily the sufferings and despair felt by the very same community, with as a result the song “Over the Rainbow” becoming as much of a sweet gay ballad as an anthem of queer pain.

- - - - -

Two additional facts about “Friends of Dorothy”.

One is a cultural one: “Friends of Dorothy” might not just be a reference to Dorothy Gale, but also a nod to a real-life Dorothy, Dorothy Parker, a critic and humorist socialite who was very close to the world of gay men in the 20s and 30s (who were frequent among her personal audience as well as among the guest of her renowned lavish parties).

The second is a fun trivia: Between late 70s and early 80s, the NIS (Naval Investigation Service, future NCIS) started an investigation in Chicago about homosexuality in the military services, and upon learning of the expression “Friends of Dorothy”… took it as a literal code name. As in, they seriously believed that there was a woman named Dorothy who was some sort of central figure or secret leader of the entire network of homosexual military agents in Chicago, and started hunting down for her, in hope of catching her and forcing her to give up the name of all the gay members of the military services. And the fact this “Dorothy” figure was a mysterious and elusive one they had a hard time tracking just reinforced them in their belief that she was truly the beating heart of some sort of secret homosexual ring or gay conspiracy…

Well, actually three facts – but the third is a bit less fun. The same way the “FOD” term was used less and less as the queer communities changed, and even came to be considered as more of a “slang” than a safe euphemism, newer and younger generations of gay men actually started… half-rejecting half-breaking away from the entire Oz tie to gayness. Half breaking away because the Oz and Judy Garland obsession is perceived by some as a truly “generational” phenomenon and as being more relevant to the gay communities of the 20th than the 21st century, and the 1939 movie and books themselves are getting much less prominent place in popular culture as time passes by. But I also include “half-reject” because some people actually take offense to the whole “Friends of Dorothy” business and some younger gay activists view this whole Oz connection as an embarrassing stereotype or shameful part of the gay community past that contributes to a feeling of overall silly campy caricature of the gay man. While not going into an open debate, an “anti-Dorothy” feeling seems to appear in the 21st century gay generations… Though in parallel, the 21st century generations actually completely rediscovered and brought to light Ozma of Oz as a trans character (while she had been hidden in the shadows for most of the 20th century), and while gay men might reject the Dorothy etiquette, the lesbian elements of Oz are going strong and popular today, so maybe the “Friends of Dorothy” phenomenon is simply shifting away from men and male homosexuality to rather solidify itself again around trans and lesbians.

#oz #oz in real life #land of oz #oz books #queerness #gayness #queer #gay #friends of dorothy #queer oz

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decepti-thots · 7 months

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☕️- if you feel like it, the spectrum from deeply academic to un-canon-based in meta? You described it a bit in your various meta posts, and your views sounded interesting...

I think this kind of misidentifies the potential spectrum actually! I don't think "academic" > "based in non-canon" is necessarily a logical progression. Whether or not a piece of work is "academic" has more to do with its form, proximity to things recognised as "academia" in terms of distribution, and/or perceptions of what it means to originate "from and for fandom", IMO. All of these things are variable, too. Is something which accurately invokes critical theory enough to call it "academic"? In some fandoms, yes- and in some fandoms, maybe not. (I always go back to this as a kind of logical extreme, but Tolkien acafandom expects more than just "doing literary theory" IME to be called "academic", whereas I think if you wrote an essay in TF fandom explicitly using poststructuralist frameworks, that would count in that fannish context as "academic". The distinction is (sub)cultural as much as anything, I think, based on expectations of what an imagined baseline is.)

It is very possible to write highly academic work that is accepted as such which I'd argue is based more on cultural reception than "canonical" textual analysis, and it is possible to write using modes of analysis that are extremely idiosyncratic to fandom which are frankly reverent of the idea of Canon Lore TM. What is "academic" is something that is often distinguished by ideas about form, norms, even prestige and a perceived "legitimacy" more than close adherence to text. Similarly, if fandom has a reputation for anything, it's at least as often a slavish (even unhelpful) adherence to "lore" and "canon" in the abstract as it is a tendency towards fandom-telephone-fanon, right? (Think of all the folks out there who will write 6 hour youtube essays ignoring blatant symbolism in favour of working out the diagetic 'explanation' for things in canons where the work clearly requests a certain amount of emotional interpretation and generosity.)

It's why articulating what makes meta "academic" and what academic analysis does or doesn't get to be "meta" so hard. It's partly a judgement passed on any given work by the consensus of fannish norms in whatever cultural fandom. You can paint some broad strokes (meta has to meaningfully originate from within and be intended for fandom folks, academic work has to engage with something clearly originating from a framework culturally recognised as academic), but. There's no clear answer. I do think some things (hyperdiagetic analysis that treats characters as somehow existing independent of their texts for fannish transformative purposes) are clearly outside any academic framework, like there are types of analysis that are distinctly fandom-derived that are of no real use to academia. Or external observations of fandom as subculture that are clearly not for the in-group (even when produced by members of that ingroup) that are clearly not meta. But at the risk of chickening out of an obvious answer, it's so contextual. The lines are blurry! I routinely read a peer-reviewed journal that started as a literal Tolkien fanzine! They still produce an actual fanzine in addition to that! Are the works in that used-to-be-a-fanzine meta? If they aren't, when did they stop counting? If they are, do we consider peer-reviewed journal articles for e.g. Transformers "meta"? What's the difference? It's an interesting question, more interesting I think than setting up that imagined spectrum.

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recurring-polynya · 1 year

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I have to say, I'm in awe at the level of detail you're including in your fics! I can't think of another author who seems to know their source material so well. Do you have any tips on researching/plotting fanfiction with lots of detail?

First off, thank you very much!

The first thing that popped into my head when I got this ask was the very flip answer of, "It's autism," and then I happened to mention to my husband that I had been asked for tips on writing with great detail and he instantly replied, "you mean, be autistic?"

As I said, that answer is very flip, but I do want to preface all of this by saying this is simply how I am. Everyone's autism is different, but this is how mine is, and I feel a little disingenuous giving tips when in fact, this is just how my brain freestyles. I think that at some level, you gotta write the way your brain tells you to. If reading these tips makes you feel deeply tired and discouraged, that's okay! Intricate, finely crafted writing is just one way to do it. If it doesn't work for you, find another style that does!

Anyway, even though all of this comes pretty naturally to me, I think there are definitely ways to build those detail-oriented creative muscles, which I will describe in nauseating detail below the cut.

Zooming in and zooming out To start! There are two ways to interpret the phrase "fanfic with lots of detail": 1) Stories that include a lot fine detail, which includes stuff like rich descriptions, settings you can feel, and interesting worldbuilding 2) Stories that are well-constructed, incorporating themes and symbolism, consistent characterization, subplots, and fitting well into canon or a larger series. I care a lot about both these topics, and the more I think about it, the more I think that you have to do both in concert.

This is an insane metaphor and if it means nothing to you, just ignore it, but I write like I program. (For the record, I am a basic bitch who loves object-orient programming) Your individual functions (the scenes of your stories) need to be well focused, do what they are supposed to do without scope-creep, and have well-defined dependencies on other functions. On the other hand, the higher-level parts of code (your overall plot) need to make good use of these scenes, to call the right things at the right time.

Put another way, the building block of your story is a scene. The scenes are the part your reader remembers. They should be interesting on their own, and but they also need to fit into the larger context of your story. You should know what each scene is intended to do, both in terms of advancing the plot (or for example, being a breather scene for pacing, but it should be doing *something*), and what it's doing emotionally-- is it funny? is it sad? is it foreshadowing a conflict? is it giving character information?

Then, on the other hand, you need to know how your scenes are fitting together, and that your various character and plot arcs are getting their beginning, middle and ends, and that you're devoting the time and space of your story to the things you care about.

Stay organized How do you do that, though? So, for me, writing individual scenes is an exercise in improvisation. I usually know the basis of the scene and, depending on how far along I am in the fanfic, I may or may not have a few things that "need to get done" in the scene. For all my fanfics above 5-10k words, I keep an ancillary outline/notes document. Some people like to outline before they start, and if that's you, that's great! If you hate outlining (that's me!), I still recommend outlining what you have already written. This will allow you to get a bird's eye view of your story. If you are dividing your fic into chapters, I strongly recommend having a chapter-based outline (you can have other outlines, too, you can have as many outlines as you want). Have a brief description, probably a phrase, about every scene of your story, on its own bullet. I also record the word count. This allows you to see how much "stuff" is in each chapter. You can also use color formatting or anything else you like to keep track of stuff like subplots or perspective changes, to make sure things are spaced properly throughout the overall fic. You can also do little "breakout" outlines, for individual plot threads, for example, if you find that easier to look at. If you do this as you go, you can also see where you might have too much heavy stuff in one part of the fic, and you might move something, or inject a lighter scene.

Basically, when I first come up with a fic, I have a few key scenes in mind. I made a real rough outline, then go write. Then I come back and fill in what I did on the outline. Looking at the outline helps me realize some more scenes that I need, and I go do those. Going back and forth helps flesh out the story.

Make any other kind of lists or diagrams that help you to visualize or think about your story as a whole. I will very frequently make a timeline for a fic. I've had some stories that take place over weeks or months, and this helps me figure out how long it's been since two characters last saw each other, or what day of the week things should be happening on, or what the weather should be like, or if there are any holidays that might pop up (I love incorporating holidays in my writing). If I have a story that takes place over a few days or a week, I'll make a list of what happens every day. You can't put too much stuff in a single day, and it also helps me fill out scenes because I can say "oh, they can talk about this over dinner" or "this character might think about everything that happened while they are trying to fall asleep."

You can also use any sort of organization aids you need for sub-parts of your fic, too! I have made family trees. I have a big spreadsheet of minor characters I use in my usual settings, including which stories they appear in, and any important facts I've dropped about them, or what the kanji of their name means (because I always spend a bunch of time making up names and then immediately forgetting what they mean).

Basically, you should make a chart/diagram/visual aid any time:

a) you're having trouble keeping track of something in your head, or b) because you want to.

Always lean into the urge to make an organizational aid. It is time you are thinking about your story in a new way, which can lead to inspiration, or just to a better understanding of this thing you are building.

Know your source material Revisit the canon material early and often. You gotta. I don't care if you don't like canon or you aren't planning to stick to canon. You should know canon. In fact, especially if you plan to diverge from canon, for whatever reason, read the part with care and think deeply about what it means to replace one character with another. If you don't like a part, think about why. It's possible it's "because the writer rushed it" or "the writer thinks differently than me about xyz topic", but take the time to consider the possibility that you have missed something. The most insight I have ever gotten about my characters comes from reading the parts where I don't understand why they do what they do over and over again and trying to make meaning out of it.

For Bleach in particular, whenever I am writing a story that takes place within a distinctive part of canon (which is to say, not a timeskip), I take the time upfront to re-read the relevant parts of the manga and usually to watch the anime episodes as well. I know a lot of people hate the anime and refuse to watch it, but for me, it's a brain exercise in perceiving the same story a different way. The anime has voice acting, it has movement, it has a soundtrack. Sometimes they'll add something that drives me nuts and it's helpful to think about why. Take, for example, episode 46, which is Renji/Momo/Izuru/Shuuhei's Academy Days Trauma Field Trip. In the manga, the purpose of the field trip is to practice konsou and there is one casualty. In the anime, they go to fight dummy Hollows, and a bunch of students get slaughtered. I like the manga better precisely because it's smaller scale. There is no expectation of combat. Seeing one classmate gruesomely murdered in front of you is more than enough to traumatize me, thanks! The anime slow-panning over a bunch of blood-soaked corpses is overkill. It cheapens and depersonalizes the scene. You're welcome to disagree with me on this, because that's not the point: the point is me closing in on what I want to focus on in my take on this scene.

Taking many, small visits to canon is generally more fruitful to me than re-reading/watching entire arcs. On the other hand, that is nice to do with less of a concrete goal in mind. A rewatch of a random part often spurs my creativity, or I'll notice some new thing that I hadn't noticed before or forgotten about.

Nurturing your relationship with canon really builds on itself. The more you have thought about, the more you can keep in your head, the more appreciation and understanding you will bring every time you revisit it. Now, for some people, reading and re-reading the same work of media may sound like an enormous drag and as I said before, if that's the case for you, don't torture yourself. This process of gaining a really deep understanding of a piece of literature is incredibly rewarding for me and the fact that it informs my fanfic is more of a side benefit. I would just do this for fun.

Going on deep dives So, one exercise you can do to help become more detail oriented is to go on little scavenger hunts in canon. I highly recommend doing this in Tumblr-post format, because it gives you some structure, and also, you can share it with your friends. I am telling you, people love this stuff.

Basically, pick some detail of canon that you're interested in, or ask yourself a question about a character or setting or object, and then try to find the answer. I have the full Bleach manga digitally on my iPad, which makes it very easy to take screenshots as I go. Here are some examples of ones I have done:

Lieutenants' Badges: What are they made of? Zanpakutou Open-Carry Laws Where did Rukia's TYBW scarf come from?

You can also do these as a mixture of canon and historical research, like the time I decided to design a winter Shin'ou uniform.

An extra cool thing about making these is that the other very cool people on Tumblr who care deeply about these things will reblog them, often with their own cool thoughts and ideas attached. Some of those people may end up becoming the eventual audience for your fanfic, OR you might see your idea showing up in *their* fanfic, and that's superfun, or at least it is, to me.

A little goes a long way You don't need to be super detailed about everything, because that would actually be incredibly tedious to read. What you want to do is to be detail oriented on a few things. And to that end, focus on the stuff you care about or the stuff you happen to know a lot about. I like to think about how cities work and how people live their daily lives and interact with each other, so I write about that a lot. Other people are very interested in geography and like to draw maps and design ecosystems and weather. This isn't really my jam and I don't mention it, and I doubt anyone has noticed. I go into a lot of detail on clothing and food, but not so much on music, because I like to listen to music but I don't know very much about it and don't really care to learn. Sometimes for plot purposes, you'll have to do some research on something you don't care that much about, and you don't need to go overboard, just put in what you need for the story's sake. On other hand, if you love monster biology, go ham on describing Hollows. I tell you, your joy will be infectious, and your reader will come away saying "that writer sure knows a lot about claws" and they will NOT notice if perhaps you skimped a bit on describing the Los Noches HVAC system.

Microdose on learning Speaking of friends, if you have social media that you check every day, find people to follow who post the sort of historic/cultural/science stuff you'd like to learn about, or who do interesting analysis of your favorite media. Find a dinosaur-a-day Twitter account. Watch YouTube videos about Victorian fashion. Instead of doing deep research on a particular topic, just add small doses of stuff you're interested in into your daily feeds. You'll learn stuff you didn't know you didn't know and it will give you a more well-rounded, organic understanding of certain topics. If you ever get particularly interested in a particular post, use it as a jumping off point to doing some of your own research.

Diversify your hobbies I write, but I also draw, which exercises a different part of my brain, and also requires me to pay attention to different things than writing does. I will give a very concrete example. When I was making banners for my story a little in love now and then, I didn't want to do just solid color kimono. I looked up some traditional kimono patterns, and it turns out that there's a lot of seasonality and symbolism to them, which I got really into. You can probably pinpoint exactly the time that happened in my fanfic, because afterward, I got really into describing what patterns people are wearing all the time. I also got into kanzashi (hair pins), because, again, when you're drawing headshots, you want to add a hair ornament, and once you know about it, you want to write it. Doing different hobbies that engage different senses forces you to think about things in different ways, which will show up in your writing.

Also, read/watch/listen to a diversity of stuff, and pay attention to what makes things feel a certain way. When something appeals to you, try to figure out exactly what it is that you like about it. What details stick out to you? I'm watching a period fantasy kdrama right now where one family has extremely characteristic eye make-up. I'm reading a novel that takes place during the Napoleonic wars that devotes a tremendous amount of energy to logistics and supply. I pay attention to the judges on Bake-Off because it helps give me better understanding of why flavors make you feel a certain way.

For that matter, if you're reading up on something that really catches your interest...try it? I started writing about pickles and then I went to the international grocery store and bought, like, twelve kinds of Asian pickles, and ate them? I took (1) trail aikido class once, and it turned out it was very Not For Me, but the experience gave me a lot to chew on. If you're writing some sort of Lord of the Rings journey through the wilderness thing, go for a hike, even a small one, and think about what you think and feel and notice?

Check when you're not sure... I don't know if it's because I have anxiety or if it's because I spent 15 years working in engineering and software where people will challenge you on anything and everything, but I double check things compulsively because I want to be sure. If I'm not 100% sure what a word means, I look it up before I use it. I'm usually right, but sometimes I'm not and I not-infrequently learn new stuff this way. I am constantly googling whether people habitually drink milk in Japan or how much a katana weighs.

This may seem like a pain, but it's honestly a good habit to get into. It sucks a little to find out you're wrong, but finding out on your own is such a low stakes, non-threatening way to find out you misunderstood something, as opposed to loudly showing off your ignorance in the middle of a party, say. Go back and re-read the chapter and make sure the character said what you thought they did. It's worth it.

...but don't sweat it too much I was very hesitant to get into writing anime fanfic because I am American and I don't speak Japanese or know much about Japanese culture. I jumped into it anyway, and I try to learn as much as I can and do my best to be respectful if nothing else, and overall, it's been a really rewarding experience. Part of what makes this process a little easier is that most of my writing takes place in Soul Society, a place that is similar to various historic eras of Japanese history, but also it's not. Sometimes, I'll find a bunch of interesting stuff about Edo-era lamps that slots right into what I'm writing, and other times, you just have to be like, fuck it, there's a treadmill in the Squad 10 gym, for some reason. Also, seriously, it's just fanfic, and you are not under obligation to be 100% accurate to history or to canon. One of the light novels, for some reason, goes to the length to tell us that there is no curry in Soul Society and I refuse to give up curry, even though it does cause me a small amount of psychic damage every time I write about it, knowing I am Technically Wrong.

Don't make your reader do as much work as you did Another caveat is that, in doing research, you are going to learn A Lot about a topic, but you need to avoid showing off. The point of learning stuff is to make your world feel real and accurate and lived in. Throwing around a bunch of new vocabulary words you just learned is going to do the opposite of that. Extra detail should go towards making the reader understand the story more, or to sharing cool facts that you learned. It should not be about upping the difficulty rating of reading your story.

Keep it in character One aspect of character-writing is how they interact with the world and what they notice and the way they speak. The characters I write more commonly are very detail-oriented. Byakuya, like me, is autistic, and will give far too much detail on any given topic, whether his listener wants it or not. Rukia and Renji are former street urchin/grifters and career soldiers, so they are ultra-observant by necessity. They don't always verbalize these things, although they do with each other, because they tend to think about things the same way and they used to run grifts together and it's a bonding thing they do. Akon, Kira, Momo, Hisagi: nerds who be nerding. Maybe this is a personal interpretation, but I think Ichigo has a bit of a poetic soul, and I often have him notice symbolism in things, or to see through to the heart of a person. Yumichika is obsessed with aesthetics and thinks about people's looks and presentation contantly. Ikkaku, on the other hand THINKS ABOUT NOTHING, except sometimes fighting. His head is almost completely empty at all times. If he notices a thing, it was probably by accident. You gotta dial your detail levels up and down, and focus in on different things depending on which character you're writing. Also, think about the voice of your narration, and try to avoid going into a scholarly or formal voice, unless your writing really calls for it.

That was so much. If anyone made it all the way down to the bottom of this, I hope it helped!

#writing advice #long post

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baeddel · 1 year

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because i'm playing Bloodborne i can't just write down my thoughts on my computer without getting up to change the HDMI cable around, so i've been taking notes on paper. like a neanderthal. so far my page goes like this:

Flaubert—St. Anthony—'who sees' cannot be St. Anthony in Neb.'s city—but Anthony is 'focalizing' still?

Bloodborne—Gilbert—we misremembered—thinks he can 'die human', already sick—seems important lost use of legs! the scourge!

Symbols—repeating in a bicameral way, w/out knowing their importance—of flowers, virgins cf. Uzumaki

to expand in order:

Gerard Genette proposes the concept of 'focalization' to deal with the fact that 'who speaks?' and 'who sees?' is often different, in a way that isn't captured by the term 'point of view.' basically, we can see through the eyes of a particular character within the story even when they aren't narrating in first person; we understand that the narrator is still conveying their interpretation.

well, throughout Flaubert's Temptation of St. Anthony we are obviously getting St. Anthony's interpretation. in fact, most of the time St. Anthony is also the one speaking. when he isn't speaking we get a lot of explicit descriptions of his reactions to the things just described.

Then many things appear which he has never seen before—black hashes, jellies, the color of gold, ragouts in which mushrooms float like nenuphars upon ponds, dishes of whipt cream light as clouds.

And the aroma of all this comes to him together with the salt smell of the ocean, the coolness of mountains, the great perfumes of the woods. He dilates his nostrils to their fullest extent; his mouth waters; he thinks to himself that he has enough before him for a year, for ten years, for his whole life!

this keeps going as he passed through temptations which strain ordinary perception:

He beholds at one glance, the two ports (the Great Port and the Eunostus), both round as circuses

later there is a long sequence where St. Anthony wanders through a enormous palace belonging to Nebuchadnezzar and encounters fabulously gory scenes:

On the pavement below crawl the captive kings whose hands and feet have been cut off; from time to time he flings them bones to gnaw. Further off sit his brothers, with bandages across their eyes, being all blind.

eventually this elevates to descriptions of the entire city, the entirety of which St. Anthony cannot possibly be the observer:

From the depths of the ergastula arise moans of ceaseless pain. Sweet slow sounds of a hydraulic organ alternate with choruses of song; and one feels that all about the palace without extends an immeasurable city—an ocean of human life whose waves break against the walls.

actually, it occurs to me that Flaubert—or is it Lafcadio Hearn, the translator?—does insure against this boiling over of the perspective, confining the description to what 'one feels' would be true about the entire palace, as though you could guess something like that. later on, the return to St. Anthony's person is called out to help us stick the landing:

Anthony, from afar off, reads all these thoughts upon his brow.

i have nothing to say about it really, just an interesting use of narration.

on the second point, a minor correction to my big post; the player is actually misled about what illness Gilbert has. Gilbert does have the beast plague—we know that because he turns into a beast later. but he explicitly says he doesn't have it: "I can even die human." he says this because he believes that "their [Yharnam's] blood bought me time." he obviously came to Yharnam to seek blood healing from the Healing Church for whatever illness he had, and he thinks it worked. it didn't work; it gave him the scourge and its about to kill him just like it did everyone else in Yharnam. on the second playthrough we can understand the tragic irony in this line of Gilbert's, which on the first playthrough is a red herring.

Gilbert is the only character with a cough that i can remember, so that's probably his original illness. tuberculosis, why not? his other symptoms are side effects of the Healing Church's blood ministration, i believe. he can no longer use his legs. he blames his TB for this, as if to say 'thats how bad it's gotten now', but this is a widespread problem in Yharnam and appears to be an iatrogenic effect of blood ministration.

Gilbert's misunderstanding of his own condition reminds me a lot of Terrare. when Terrare was dying he got in touch with his old doctor and confessed to him that once upon a time, a long time ago, he swallowed a little golden spoon, and he believed that it was now stuck in his intestine and was killing him. it only made sense to him that he would die because of something unusual he ate, since his unusual eating defined his life so much. when they performed an autopsy on him they did indeed find the little golden spoon he talked about. but that's not why he died—he died of TB, like everyone else.

on the last point, there are repeating motifs in Bloodborne. some of these are: small white flowers, blind or veiled female figures, the spade (as in playing cards), perforation. there are lots more than that. these reoccur all over the place: statues, gravestones, architecture, the design on the reverse side of a wheelchair, and so forth. they also have cosmological importance; kin grow out of small white flowers ('lumenflowers') and flowers also have some relationship with the Great One named Flora, blindness is generally important in Bloodborne, from scourge symptoms (bandaged eyes) to blindness or blindfolding promoting higher forms of knowledge (Byrgenworth & the Choir both use it), and women are obviously important to Great Ones for their fecundity. the Spade i don't totally understand, but it represents Communion in the Choir cosmology. finally, perforation is seen on the Amygdala head and on some important otherworldly objects.

regular Yharnamites producing secular textiles cannot possibly know all that stuff, since not even all factions within the Healing Church know about all of it. further, we encounter them with as much frequency in the Chalice Dungeons (ruins of 'classical' civilizations). the implication, to my mind, is that these symbols work a bit like Oedon, expressing themselves through the creative activities of mortals who are ignorant of their origin and significance. they repeat the lexemes of the cosmic language over and over, never learning their true meaning. that's why it reminded me of Uzumaki—people start to, for example, make spiral-patterned pottery, ignorant of their role in the cosmic drama of The Spiral and its will.

it occurs to me that this implies a concurrentist or at least occasionalist theory of causation. Mr. Saito makes spiral pottery because he liked them, but Mr. Saito was also wholly and entirely making spiral pottery because The Spiral willed it. this is how many medieval Christians understood the relationship between God and Nature. i wonder if it has a parallel in Japanese thought?

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cosmic--static · 2 years

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mk after getting dumped back into the "listen to the amazing devil way to much each day" phase, i gotta finally share my interpretations(analysis maybe?) of The Horror and the Wild Album. i'm gonna line the song youtube in the title of each song so that you can listen to it if you haven't heard it!

It's a little wordvomit-ty so be warned, this is gonna be a long one.

everything's below the cut!

Overall, the whole album seems to be about relationships of some sort and feelings for others (not necessarily the romantic kind!). I've seen other people say it's about love n stuff like that too so.

The Rockrose and the Thistle

Starting off with the plants in the title!

Cistus, or as we know it here, Rock Rose, is known to have certain medicinal properties! It can help with healing small external cuts and also help uplift your mood. Also, Rock Rose is said to symbolize strength, most likely because of its hardiness.

In terms of its properties, Thistle is also pretty good for your health, including being good for the immune system and bone health. As for its meaning, Thistle also seems to represent strength and courage.

Something probably unrelated but interesting I noticed while looking for information on both plants is that they both can be found in Mediterranean countries

Right off the bat, there's no "music". To me, it sounds more like winds howling at the top of a cliff or something, which fits with the first few lyrics "When you call to me asleep // up the ragged cliffs I scramble".

"A single thread hangs limply down // and I breathe not now, not now // and I find you all unwoven // trying desperately to sew // and I know the kindest thing is to leave you alone"

This song sounds like the narrator has just found someone they love grieving. Whether they are grieving a loved one, or perhaps the loss of a piece of themself, they are grieving and it isn't pretty per se. They're falling apart and the narrator doesn't know how to give comfort to this person, or the person isn't receptive to it. Despite all that, the narrator will stick by this person's side "and you'll wail, you'll scream, but I'll never stop // 'Cause it's all that I have left"

Then, "I wake and hear you calling // and up those cliffs I climb // and I find you with a thimble weeping // May I, I ask, may I?" The narrator is now being let into the person's walls, the next lines have the person give the narrator the thimble " 'Cause you've no clue how to sew" to sew them back together.

The Rock Rose and Thistle both symbolize strength, endurance, loyalty, and such, this song, to me, is about that exactly. Grief and loss are terrible to try to get through, but it's easier if you have someone you trust to help pull you back together.

The Horror and the Wild

I am normal about this song(lie). I have always listened to this song and thought of it as becoming more than what was expected of you. Being better than the adults in your life as a child thought you to be. It's the coming back to old family members who belittled you for something or another and showing them how you were successful not because of them, but because of your own strengths. It's being better than the things people say behind your back. ANyway, to the actual song.

"They thought us blind (we were just blinking) // All the stones and kings of old will hear us screaming at the cold"

"Think of all the horrors that I // Promised you I'd bring // I promise you, they'll sing of every // Time you passed your fingers through my hair and called me child // witness me, old man, I am the Wild"

These parts feel a lot like the realization that those people didn't believe in you, and the anger towards them that they thought so little of you. "How bold I was, could be - will be -- still am, by god, still am" You were strong before, you are strong now. Everyone is strong and the fact that you can't stand up against people sometimes doesn't make you weak.

"Welcome to the storm, I am thunder // Welcome to my table, bring your hunger"

This is someone standing up for their younger self. This is someone saying that they are more than just their parent's child. This is the dinner scene from Arcane where Jinx shows that she isn't Powder anymore.

Wild Blue Yonder

The lyrics for this one are hard because they intertwine so often.

"Without you(you) I'm stronger(you told me I was younger) I'm no longer (that I was) // Filled with wonder // How wrong you were"

I love how this song sounds more like a conversation at times. We start off with what sounds like reminiscing on old selves/relationships/conversations. Almost like laughing at how absurd things seemed years later.

"Let's wander, till the fuckers demand an encore // Flirting (wasn't flirting) // At the back of a bookshop // Come and rip off my socks like you're blasting the locks off of a bank vault. // Halt! // This time we're done for"

It's hurried love, love that both partners know won't last but are having fun indulging in. Like a little summer fling or something. The song is upbeat and fun sounding but there is an air of melancholy. The Greek word for love, Ludus, fits perfectly. It's a playful love.

There are parts of the song that sound genuinely affectionate or have that "falling in love" feel, almost turning the overall feel into a falling in love with your summer fling and just wanting to have a good time now so you won't regret it later.

The overlapping and talking over each other adds to the sense of unfamiliarity, but there's enough flow to show that they aren't complete strangers

Welly Boots

Welly Boots! Basically, they're just rain boots from what I gathered (correct me if I'm wrong). The beginning of the song talks about an oncoming storm and someone who has lost their welly boots.

"What's it like, the children ask? // It's just like falling snow, I am above you, // And I love you, don't you know // That I'll be with you all along, as long as you are kind // To those who are not strong and cannot find their scarlet welly boots"

I've always attributed this song to losing someone. Not necessarily loss as in death, but it could be a friendship that fell apart, the strained relationship between a once happy family. Any kind of loss.

"If only you could hear my voice // But you are screaming far too loud to hear me swear // Just because I left doesn't mean that I'm not still there"

All of our relationships affect us in some way. The impact of a relationship doesn't go away just because that relationship is gone. Pieces of those people and those relationships stick with us.

"And when you scream I’m not alright // And throw my picture at the wall // ‘You were supposed to be my light // And keep me safe against them all // How could you leave me here' you’ll scream // And louder, I’ll scream back to you from that unknown // And say // I know you’re strong enough to do this on your own"

This is the part that makes me attribute this song to loss. When someone you are close to leaves you, things may feel hopeless. The screaming back from the unknown that you are strong helps some people keep moving. To get back up and move forward. Moving forward doesn't mean forgetting.

There's a time skip in the song and the person still misses the person they lost. They feel hopeless again but

"Just when you're about to give up every hope you have you turn around // Perches by the stairs, someone's gone and left behind // A brand new pair of scarlet welly boots"

Welly boots are lost in the beginning of the song, introducing the loss. But welly boots are lost or left behind at the end only to be found by someone else. I can't really decide if "you can help others that are experiencing loss to help heal" is actually what I get from that, but it's what I'm going with for now. It calls back to the beginning also with "as long as you are kind //To those who are not strong and cannot find their scarlet welly boots".

I also love the beat drop after "Just because I left doesn't mean that I'm not still--" [Guitar and Drums kick in] "--there" Its completely unexpected when first listening to the song because it's so mellow and from the Rockrose and the Thistle we know the Amazing Devil isn't afraid to do a whole song that's mellow and practically a monologue.

Farewell Wanderlust

This song is filled with stuff about self-love, or the lack thereof. Self-loathing, bad anxiety, imposter syndrome.

"You don’t know it yet, but I’m the cupid of things // That you just didn’t get, that you struggled to say"

"Every time that you fumble, I’m the laugh from the back // When you think about him, my wings start to flap // When you make a mistake, my feet lift from the floor // And when you lie there awake every night love, I soar"

Every time there's a mistake, they start to feel good about themself, they feel like they might fit in, there's a voice in the back of their mind that says they aren't good enough. This is a struggle with self-worth and trying to convince yourself you're good enough.

"Farewell Wanderlust, you’ve been oh oh so kind // You brought me to this party but you left me here behind"

The wanderlust blocks out the anxiety, the self-loathing, and such, allowing you to do something without overthinking it, but when the high from wanderlust wears out, everything else creeps back in. Panic, anxiety. People ask the person if they're alright in the song, and at the first opportunity, they leave even if it might seem rude.

"I promise you I’m not broken // I promise you there’s more"

Welcome to the turning point of the song. The stomping down the anxiety, battling back against the hatred. This is saying I am more than this.

"Goodbye to all my darkness, there’s nothing here but light // Adieu to all the faceless things that sleep with me at night // This here isn’t makeup, it’s a porcelain tomb //This here is not singing, I’m just screaming in tune"

I love the last few lines of that quote so much. I love the "I'm not singing, I'm screaming in tune" because it feels like it's saying this is my story, I am screaming out my feelings even if they don't fully make sense.

Fair

The way this song feels like a letter to a loved one pouring your feelings out because you can't articulate them. Because you struggle to be sure of yourself, but you're so sure of them.

"And he adores her, he watches her get dressed as though she’s hurtling through time // Oh darling please be mine"

Have you ever fallen in love with your best friend? Yeah. This song feels like that. The growing up together and not noticing when exactly it happens, but eventually realize that you could just, exist in their presence forever.

"Oh how oh how unreasonable // How unreasonably in love I am with everything you do"

Send this song to the best friend you're in love with challenge!

There are so many small lyrics that just scream best friends. The jokes, the being comfortable with each other.

"I’ll spend my days so close to you cos if I’m stood here // Then I’m stood here // And I’ll stand here // I’ll stand here with you"

Back to just being able to exist in their presence. Yeah. This is Philla, the Greek word for love that involves friendship. Friends to Lovers type beat. This is staring at someone and smiling and deciding that this is the person you're going to love.

That Unwanted Animal

The stark contrast between this song and Fair is mind-blowing. Everything clues me into thinking that this is an unhealthy relationship, toxic love, and just generally obsessive love. The imagery is violent most of the time and the animal is fear-inducing.

"You try so loud to love me // But I cannot seem to hear."

It sounds like a relationship that no longer is love. As the song goes on, things get more and more negative, then "the creature creeps inside"

"The scratching grows so loud // Because that unwanted animal // Wants nothing more than to get out"

I would say that the creature, the animal, is the unspoken feelings of both the people in the relationship. It's clawing its way between them, things are unpleasant.

"Be good to me I beg of him ... // ... And he replies 'no no, not I'"

In short, the relationship isn't great. As the song progresses from the beginning, things get more and more negative, violent, and toxic.

Marbles

"I’ve held your hand since nineteen seventy nine, // You were in a band - still am - yeah but back then you had hair and your smile was so sublime // And I chipped my teeth on every joke you cracked"

This is an aging love. Growing old together but still loving each other and having fun. There's so much banter in this song, but so much affection. People changing together and poking fun at each other but still finding each other attractive. That's what makes this song beautiful. It's like hearing about someone's parents or grandparents who still very much love each other.

"The flat we rented was a palace for my queen // If by palace you mean that asbestos and beans from a tin, and the gin that we brewed in the bathtub // You sang ‘do you think I’m sexy’ And oh god I really did."

"And I'd sink to the floor, what’s the point anymore, // And you, you’d reply with a glint in your eye // (And you, you’d reply with a drink in your hand) // Saying ‘I don’t know, but I’m here, I’m all yours, dear heart don’t cry’"

We get playful, we get caring and loving. This song has it all. It's like reminiscing while sitting on your roof to watch the sunset. I love the familiarity of it.

Battle Cries

For our last song, I'm starting with a line from the middle of the song.

"This isn’t a break up dear heart, it’s a season finale."

It's a breakup song. Not in the typical sense of a "breakup song" where they're salty and stuff, but rather they've figured out that they're better just as friends.

There's so much these two people have gone through together, they're happy with each other, but not in the romantic sense. There's a lot of reassurance and uplifting in this song.

Along with the platonic love, I also see it as two people who have been through a lot, finding comfort in each other

"But that creaking you hear in my bones is not pain, it’s applause"

#I started this at 3am #its now 8am #the amazing devil #TAD #joey batey #madeleine hyland #the horror and the wild #the horror and the wild album #music #pov i make analysis of a whole album at 3am #my computer is almost dead now #almost 2.5k of my wordvomit #cosmo rambles #ty to crei for being my dot connecting buddy as we looked through the lyrics of the whole album

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cosmicharmonyoc · 1 year

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warning: what follows is a way too long analysis of With My Tail To The World by patricia taxxon as a den song. and its written kinda badly bc im so sleepy but oh well <3 woe, oc playlists be upon ye

i guess to start - the entire sound of this is SO den. the energy in the synths. the way its pushing forward. there's this bright exciting energy to all of it and it's so so den!! me and den r both stimming to this song :3 and then the way the synths get a bit darker in the chorus but keep up that energy.... OUGH its so cool

ok so lyrics time

You would know me if you saw me on the road / I’m imposing, I’m explosive, I’m precocious, I’m the most

den's whole personality that he presents to the world is the MOST - enthusiastic and silly and energetic and optimistic and positive. now that he's on the elpis, he's crafted a version of himself that is impossible to hide, who is loud and bright and loving.

Can you sing along? / I don’t hold you to the best, but / Can’t you see the lines and dots? / Don’t you feel as if you’re missing something?

a lot of things here. a) can you sing along - music - cosmic harmony. music is a big theme for the story and just :3 . b) this is starting to get to how den perceives the world. he's an artist, and a lot of how he interacts with the world is through that lens. he interprets the world by thinking in terms of art - can you see the lines and dots?

I’m a skeptic of the senses, I don’t think you’ve broke / The terror found in relishing pretention, I don’t think you’ve spoke / To any of your characters, purveyors of your barriers / The scariest it gets is far behind the world you know, so...

ok i wont lie and pretend i understand any of this ghjk i love the lyrics so much though!! what i do think happens here is like... den's this character who calls identity into question. in a story all about identity and figuring out who you want to be, den is all about like... purposefully crafting the Self. im still trying to figure out what this verse means but there's something going on with den calling the world into question - by looking at it through an artistic lens, deconstructing everything. "the scariest it gets is far behind the world you know" is very fun coming from him in his relationship with honeycomb - den is part of this weird, magical, and sometimes scary world that others dont know about.

Can you sing along? / She was looking like a summer / Can’t you see the lines and dots? / And in turn, beget the sun within her

here we start to get a look at den and creation and the Self and his relationships with the space squad. specifically aria. the word sun is in there, i have to :p the idea of seeing the lines and dots - den's art - in order to create the sun within her - DEN IS A NEBULA AND ARIA IS A STAR! nebulas create stars! aria's identity exists without den of course hehe but there's this interesting thing going on where like... den uses his art to show people who they are in his mind. his painting of honeycomb is a prominent plot point - the way den uses his art to turn people into these bright and powerful symbols. and in terms of his friendship with aria, he definitely does something similar - helping her to see herself as a bright burning star, the way he does. helping her to create herself.

You think you know the mistress, well / You see me as I am, but... // Can you see me with the lights off? / The quale I brought to class? / Articulate the beauty of a flower held behind my back

and here we get into the complicated nature of identity - den is a deeper person than that loud energetic optimistic self he presents. its an authentic version of himself, but that light isn't all there is to him. den is optimistic but not entirely naive, energetic but not out of control - he is a force of creation to be reckoned with. idk quite how to describe any of this lol but if we're looking at the self as a creation, den is basically saying here "there's more to me than my surface". and of course turning the lights off here - den has light powers! he's in control of the lights! and so there's this question of. who is he when the lights are off? when he changes the colors? can you see him beyond the surface level paint?

I’m that doggie in the window of your church / Every Sunday, you could see me if your muzzle formed the words / Think absurdly in the evening, think concretely by the dawn / Think along the lines you recognize, but never dared to walk

den fursona when. also den comes from a conservative christian family and so there's something so fun here about him challenging the values and standards of that culture!! and that last line... there's a LOT to it but one thing worth mentioning is like... how much den plays with gender. he's technically cis but he's Cis+. he's fucking with gender and doing what he wants - he recognizes the lines and is walking with them and turning them into absurd concepts :3

ok, last verse before its the chorus again, so final new lyrics to analyze!

Can you sense the gold within a Friendship saved? / Can you lens the lurid lines belied inside On A Clear Day? / Can you grab the squalid square laid bare amongst a Desert Rain? Can you nab the stained stripes entwined a meek Untitled 8? I say!

so With My Tail To The World is about the artist agnes martin, and all of the lines here reference her works. this song actually made me consider making den's art more abstract, which i think works well with his character!! this is just. PERFECTLY how den views the world. all of these abstract art pieces that are easy to dismiss as being simplistic are reflections of the world!! this is questioning those same things about identity and the world and art - can you see the world in these paintings? can you see how i see the world? this verse is just... an anthem for den's view on art and the world and WAUGH I LOVE IT. also this verse is so fun to sing out loud lol. also fun fact Friendship by agnes martin is this giant grid of gold and just... i think its perfect for den's friendship with aria hehe

#den #cosmic harmony #space squad #this is not well written ghjk im bad at #describing why its a den song #it just is #it just vibes #lyric analysis

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astr0-st0ner · 2 years

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im not usually interested in astrology but some uni classmates i hang out with got me CURIOUS about my birth chart. so here are my big 3: aquarius sun (12th house), aries moon, aries rising. pls tell me what does it mean 🙏🙏🙏

Thanks for sending me the ask!

I won't make this super detailed and I'm keeping in mind you said you aren't super into astrology.

Glossary of Terms

Signs are the 12 signs of the zodiac.

Houses are not planets or planetary bodies, they are more a concept. They are also broken down into 12 sections, each house symbolizes part of your life.

Your RISING SIGN tells us the SIGN your FIRST house is in. That sets up a layout - for you, your first house (rising) is in Aries. Depending on the house system used, that will often mean your 2nd house falls in Taurus, 3rd house falls in Gemini, etc.

What does your Rising Sign even represent?

The rising sign (aka ascendant) describes how you come across to the world, the first impressions you make, your "mask" (not in a negative sense).

Some a lot of people actually identify more with their Rising Sign. Perhaps you've read about Aquarius and you don't really feel like it describes you, or only describes a part of you... Look to Aries!

Aries Risings are the children of the zodiac in my eyes. Aries is the 1st sign and it aligns with your first house. Aries is known for its youthfulness, boldness and spirited, fast-paced nature. An Aries rising will be like a spark - the lighting of a match.

Your Sun sign = your basic identity, your sense of self, your "highest" self. You may grow into this sign as you grow older. Aquarius is the quirky humanitarian. Eccentric, perhaps an oddball, but rarely do they care.

Your Moon sign = your emotional self. Sometimes people say they felt more like their Moon sign as a child. You also have an Aries moon (the sign of Aries is powerful in your chart!) which means you are passionate AF and won't let things that are important to you go easily. You'll fight REALLY hard. Sometimes you'll fight too much. But your emotional states don't last too long.

I also have the Aqua Sun/Aries Moon combo and I think it's one of the more extreme sun/moon combinations. Aquarius Suns are known to be kind of "detached" and "unemotional", so pair it with a very emotional and hyperactive moon makes it a little weird, haha.

If you're still curious and you don't want to pay someone for a reading, Google exists. ;) Look at what others have to say about the Aqua Sun/Aries Moon/Aries Rising combination. Also, entering your info at astro.com will draw up your chart. There's a section on that site... go to Personality--->Astro-Click Portrait and it offers you much more detailed interpretations of all of your placements.

I hope that wasn't too confusing. It sounds like you have a pretty cool birthchart! 🙃

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spaceheelies · 1 year

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Do you attempt btw to explain in the paper why Marsh seems obsessed with the fact that Robert is blonde blue eyed and white? While The Beetle envies his whiteness?

tbh if people are interested i would love to post the paper somewhere and make it available so people can read it! i would love to be indulged in my mad ravings about what robert holt represents, and the historical context of the 1890s that likely informed his characterization.

i think the emphasis on holt’s white skin, fair hair, and blue eyes is pretty self-explanatory and you are definitely onto something. in my interpretation, the beetle’s 2 main victims - holt and marjorie - are stand-ins for pure white british masculinity and femininity respectively, both at risk of being tainted by the threat of the hypersexualized foreign Other. although, there is a good case for british norms being threatened from the inside as well, since holt is already in dire straits before the beetle appears due to recession/the failure of his government, and marjorie has been enabled by the men in her life to act beyond the social use-value of her gender (i.e. they have “let” her be a #girlboss). marjorie’s blonde hair is emphasized a lot too if i recall.

it’s very telling that, despite coming from Egypt, the beetle is given no definitive racial identity. holt describes it as basically a mish-mash of racialized non-European characteristics (“beak-like nose”, “blubber lips”, etc). i’m pretty sure sydney atherton just dubs the beetle “the oriental” or “my oriental friend” due to its racial ambiguity, which makes it kind of a universal avatar for orientalist stereotypes and a fear of racial mixing. “the orient” at the time basically just meant any place that wasn’t western europe or the americas. the beetle coveting holt and lessingham for their undiluted whiteness and using mesmerism to render them powerless is a gothic reversal of the relationship between the english and what is supposed to be a colonized subject. there would be something very unsettling to the victorian reader about these white men being exoticized and subjugated the way colonial subjects in foreign locales typically were. to me it’s reminiscent of, say, southeast asian or north african women being described in exotic or sexualized terms like “caramel skin” or whatever. there was a lot of anxiety around colonial reversal in Egypt in particular due to constant revolt in Egypt and the Sudan that had started basically as soon as British occupation did. a Mahdist uprising that resulted in significant british military defeats and the death of a prolific general named Charles Gordon was still ongoing when The Beetle was published in 1897. Cairo was also a popular destination for sexual tourism the likes of which Lessingham partook in, and that in itself was a source of anxiety about like libidinous non-white temptresses preying on our innocent white British men, and potentially sending them home with venereal diseases. some sources even equate the beetle’s mesmerism to a metaphorical form of syphilis

i think it’s also worth noting how holt’s english identity seems to disintegrate after contact with the beetle. when he breaks into lessingham’s house, paul basically tells him “i can tell you’re english by your facial features”, but changes his story and tells champnell at the end of the book he couldn’t tell what nationality holt was, symbolically stripping his british identity from him. there’s a whole lot of obvious dehumanizing of holt as well. marjorie even says she can’t tell holt is a human being at first when he’s found lying in front of the lindon residence, because he’s caked and mud and has - perhaps significantly - scraped most of his (white) skin off escaping from lessingham’s house.

like is it obvious how i could have written a 20 page paper on this man and how dirty everyone did him. i’m bouncing around my enclosure rn anon you opened the floodgates

#the beetle #screaming at the wall #long post

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booksandwitchery · 2 years

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Part II: Sane Occultism

After I finished devouring the Wicca for Beginners book by Thea Sabin (which, as I stated earlier, was wonderful until the uber theistic woo-woo stuff) I decided I had to keep digging; I felt possessed with a need to find meaning in life-- something to keep me grounded, I suppose. I felt (and to a certain extent, still feel) untethered and lost. I must have purchased at least fifteen books to start (special thank you to The Open Book for having a storewide 50% off sale) and now I’m probably at 30+...

But I digress. The next book that I began was called Sane Occultism by Dion Fortune, which was a hard did-not-finish for me, but nonetheless held some solid writing and ideas that resonated. These ideas were the following:

1. Despite the stereotypes associated with the word, “we can define occultism as an extension of psychology, for it studies certain little known aspects of the human mind and the mind side of nature.” Note: Still thinking that much of occultism is pseudoscience and conjecture, but I found it interesting that Fortune defines the term this way.

2. “Experience of the rarer forms of natural phenomena brings the conviction that their influences, in a subtle way, and little understood fashion, affect normal human life very much more than is realized.” -- In other words, though it is hard for many of us to admit, there are still things about life that science has not been able to explain yet, and these phenomena might just impact us more than we know.

3. “The astral plane is simply thought into existence by the composite imagination of the globe, and we are freed from its dominion when we realize its subjective nature.” For those curious, the term astral simply means “having to do with a substance, unperceivable by the senses, that is believed to pervade space and to constitute a nonphysical body belonging to each individual.” Now, I take Fortune’s words here to mean that the astral plane is unknowable, we cannot fathom its mysteries because of the constraints of our intellect--we can, however, interact with and interpret unexplained phenomena according to our own flawed, subjective human experience. I guess this would be a good time for me to state that it’s important not to take theosophy too seriously--we’re only human and we’re all just grasping for meaning wherever we can.

4. “We have to distinguish between the symbolic expression of abstract ideas and the actual delineation of concrete objects. There is no god of Israel to fight in battle and snuff up the savior of burnt offerings, but--there is a logos, and the nature of the logos can only be apprehended by those who can meditate in an empty shrine.” This one gave me chills honestly, because it suggests (rightly, I think) that many belief systems fail to admit that much of their doctrine is founded upon symbolism or archetypes more-so than actual concrete existence; for example, Wiccans may claim to worship the god (sun) and goddess (moon) --but aren’t they actually just worshiping facets of deity according to dualities because this is easier for humans to grasp? And similarly, aren’t their beliefs in various cultural pantheons just facets of nature, anthropomorphized to psychologically assist them with feelings of closeness to it? When we can truly grasp this idea, it’s much easier to see how connected all world religions are--how connected we all are, really.

5. “’As above, so below,’ has ever been the maxim of the occultist; it is a clue which will take us safely through the labyrinth, and to it we must cling. There is no religion higher than the truth. It is better to endure the torture of uncertainty than to believe a lie.”

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