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quicksilverster · 7 days

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Lost in the Pages

Between Two Tomes

#art #books

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quicksilverster · 17 days

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Bedside table reads:

One book that’s lived here for two years

One short story collection where I didn’t like the first one and never continued

One interesting non-fiction one that I’m never in the mood for

One big fat classic I’m genuinely excited to start but haven’t

One extremely readable, plotty page turner that I started yesterday and will finish tonight

One library book that I need to return

One I’m actually reading properly- my ‘main’ book

What are you reading?

Shop / Instagram

#r: art

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quicksilverster · 20 days

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Ohio Total Solar Eclipse

#man wish i was in ohio #r: sky #eclipse

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quicksilverster · 20 days

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I think the best advice I ever got to stop myself from getting in my head over issues i was having with a partner/friend was “Are you deciding on ultimatums in your relationship without the other persons knowledge or consent? Are you having conversations in your head where the other party is a projection you supply the responses for? If so; you have done this person a huge disservice in not allowing them to answer on their own terms. You have done so much architecture around this problem in your mind that is impenetrable for anyone who was not there when it was being built.”

That shit really changed my life and honestly? I think made me a nicer person to be around.

#r: tips #life #hm #interesting #never thought about it this way before but #hmmm

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quicksilverster · 20 days

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#ayo #pjo #percy jackson #rick riordan #r: books #r: tv shows #interesting shenanigans

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quicksilverster · 20 days

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youtube

At All Costs Animatic/Storyboard!

I haven't even watched the film lol, I just got really attached to the concepts floating around and the gorgeous song

#r: art #r: disney #AAAAAAAAAAAAAA #favs <3 #we were robbed #ASHA AND STARBOY WAS MEANT TO BE

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quicksilverster · 1 month

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my friend suggested that my Athena does the weird owl head tilt thing which is incredibly correct and real

dis one ^

#definitely athena #r: classics #greek mythology #the odyssey

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quicksilverster · 1 month

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okay so I was doing a Research™️ about ancient Greek etymology as one does and I found some Things that made me want to Violently Claw My Arms Off please allow me to force feed you my discoveries

So there are 2 words for "not" in ancient Greek, depending on the context: ou and mē. Having introduced himself in the Cyclops episode as " ou tis", or No-man, he then stabs Polyphemus in the eye. When Polyphemus' brothers come to check on him, they say this:

"... surely no man [mē tis] is carrying off your sheep? Surely no man [mē tis] is trying to kill you either by fraud or by force?"

Right after this, after the other cyclopes ditch Polyphemus, Odysseus's inner monologue goes something like this:

"Then they went away, and I laughed inwardly at the success of my clever strategem [metis]." (pronounced mEH-Tis)

Now, there's a difference between mē tis and metis. [mē tis] (pronounced mEH-Tis with a space between the syllables) is the literal translation for "no man". Metis is a word for extreme intelligence/cunning, which is something Odysseus is famous for.

Now, there are several examples of abuse of metis/intelligence in the Odyssey, but I think the juxtaposition between [mē tis], or the concept of anonymity, and metis, or extreme intelligence, is REALLY interesting. Odysseus's adoption of the title "No-man" was characteristic of metis--it was a really smart move that simultaneously hid him from the cyclops and avoided any future consequences. It was a highly effective strategy all wrapped up in a nest little package with a bow on it.

But when he revealed himself as Odysseus of Ithaca, effectively throwing off No-man (anonymity and [mē tis]), that was characterized as idiocy--he's essentially doxxed himself, and now he's doing to (spoiler alert) get tossed around the Mediterranean by Poseidon for the next 10 years.

This is really interesting because it lets you see the parallels/codependency between metis(intelligence) and humility. When Odysseus refused to allow himself to go unnoticed (hubris) he suffered for it. BUT when he declined instant glory/satisfaction (kleos) in order to achieve the long term goal of survival, he was rewarded with Athena's favor (pay attention. This part is important).

And this situation repeats itself MULTIPLE TIMES in the Odyssey--the EXACT SAME THING happens near the end of the book, with the suitors. When. Odysseus is dressed as a beggar and the suitors/Antinious are abusing him, he ACTIVELY CHOOSES not to react--he doesn't stand up and rip off his disguise and start hollering "TIS I, ODYSSEUS OF ITHACA! FEAR MY WRATH"

No. He sits there patiently and waits. He plans and schemes and quietly orchestrates their downfall without alerting them of it. Why? Because he learned his lesson the first time this happened. He buried his rage and adopted what was, according to Grace LA Franz, a more feminine form of metis, weaving a web of destruction for his enemies that ultimately resulted in their total annihilation (see Weaving a Way to Nostos: Odysseus and Feminine Metis in the Odyssey by Grace LaFranz). His patience allowed him to win the whole prize--no questions asked, no 10-year-long-business-trip strings attached--just the sweetness of a full victory. And he is, once again, rewarded with Athena's favor--both in the battle with the suitors and in the aftermath (cleanup/reuniting with Penelope).

This really reinforces the idea in the Odyssey that Odysseus's defining characteristic is not just his intelligence--it's his ability to learn from his mistakes. He used what he learned at the Lotus Eaters Island against Polyphemus--the Lotus Eaters drugged his men, so he drugged Polyphemus. He used what he learned from Circe and Polyphemus against the suitors--Circe used false sweetness and honeyed words to lure his men into a trap, so that's exactly what he did to the suitors. His hubris on Polyphemus' island cost his whole crew their lives, so he intentionally left well enough alone until the right time. He didn't just learn from his failures--he turned them into BATTLE STRATEGY.

i don't care what anyone says that is completely totally and objectively awesome

#odysseus #r: classics #greek mythology #the odyssey

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quicksilverster · 1 month

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actually the fact that odysseus knew he'd be gone for 20 years makes the gears in my brain turn. You kiss your son goodbye knowing you will miss every milestone of his. He will be a grown man and will not remember you. You will be a father only by title. Your wife will lay alone in your wedding bed, she will wake and see the side you've slept on is empty. You won't hold each other for a long, long time. Your parents may not even be there to welcome you back. You know you will return, but the war stretches on and on. Your comrades fall. Your ships are on fire. Your best warriors are nothing but ashes in an urn. But it's eventually over, you can go home. But still, there's more time left. First it's a storm. It's winding up in strange lands. It's hunger. It's temptation. Your men grow weary. You have twelve ships and then you have one and then it's only you on a single timber. You know you will return, but everything has gone so horribly wrong that you can't help but wonder if the fates fooled you. Everyone you know is either dead or are living again. You are the only one stuck in between. Neither dead or alive. You sit on a beach staring out to the sea from the moments the birds sing til the sun dips over the horizon. Every day is the same - you sit on the stones and weep, you trek the shores, during the night you're in her bed. Your skin is cracked and sunburnt, your beard long and tangled, your hair etched with more and more silver hairs. Your eyes are dull, sunken. Your bones ache when you walk, your breath is shorter. The sun rises and sets. The waves wash away your footprints. You are growing old but the island is the same. You are left behind. Your home will change and you won't change with it. In fact, everyone will change, but you will not recognize what's different. Some of the lines under your eyes will be the hauntings of war, while your wife's will be from the sleepless nights of buying you time. You flinch when you see each other. You expected to see someone else, and she expected to see no one at all. You could once hold your boy in your arms, but now it feels like he's the one holding you. The trees in your orchard have grown taller. Some of the houses in your kingdom are empty. The children that sat on your knees now have their own children on their own knees - or they lie dead, by your own hand. Who are you? Who is your son, your wife? You will get to know each other, you will change together eventually. But there will still be something off, like a brick not fitting quite right in the foundation. Off like a living man among the dead, someone who wasn't fated to die, but was supposed to die a long time ago. A dead man among the living. You will not belong, even though you are the father of your son, the husband of your wife, the son of your father, the king of your land. There will always be something missing, something aching.

And you are willing to let it all happen when you lift your baby son from the field, away from the plow.

#odysseus 😭#r: classics #greek mythology #the odyssey

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quicksilverster · 1 month

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"Good morning, Jack. How was your night?", Vardges Petrosyan (translated by metamorphesque)

#r: poetry

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quicksilverster · 1 month

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She apologized for not being able to leave the house and, pointing to the balcony, said:

"He's my only friend."

I indicated the piano and asked:

"How about this sweet soul? Isn't he your friend, too?"

– Felisberto Hernández, from “The Balcony,” Piano Stories (Eridanos, 1993)

#r: quotes

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quicksilverster · 1 month

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Albedo is a Homunculus

After analyzing the game Genshin Impact, along with comparing it to outside sources of media, I believe that Albedo is a Homunculus. I am aware that many others have also theorized this, but I’m taking it a step further. Not only is Albedo an artificial human, but he is the result of a horrific sacrifice at Khaenri’ah. Bold words, I know. But hear me out.

WARNING: This post contains spoilers for the Genshin Impact story quest “Princeps Cretaceus” (Albedo’s story quest), the story quests involving Dainsleif, Albedo’s story, Albedo’s voicelines, and for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Please continue on at your own risk.

Let’s begin with the definition of a homunculus: Dictionary.com states that a homunculus is, “an artificially made dwarf, supposedly produced in a flask by an alchemist.” For starters, Albedo is shorter than a lot of other characters, and is around the same height as Xiao, who is frequently teased for his short stature.

This checks the box of a “dwarf”, though it’s not in the strictest definition of the word. Regarding Albedo’s origins, very little is known.

In Albedo’s Story 3, some information is given: “Albedo has no memory of any blood relations. From birth, he was already adventuring deep within domains with his master.”

His master, the alchemist Rhinedottir is also described as, at least to Albedo, “his only kin.”

Rhinedottir talks often about alchemy in Albedo’s story, especially chalk. She says, “ ‘From soil was birthed chalk.’ “ and “ ‘Chalk is the spotless soil, and was used to make primordial man.’ ” in Albedo’s Story 5.

Rhinedottir then tells Albedo, “ ‘The chalk: that is you.’ “ If Albedo is ‘the chalk”, then he was used to make primordial man. Or more likely, he was created from chalk. The rest of the story practically confirms this by saying, “His master was not his birth mother, but Albedo has no doubt that his life stems from her nonetheless.“

For more connections between Albedo and chalk, his title is literally “Chalk Prince” in German and his story quest title is also “Chalk Prince” in Latin.

So, Albedo = chalk

Ok, so Albedo was created by Rhinedottir. Yaaaaay… but… how? Alchemy is no easy business, no matter how simple. Creating a human being must require a lot of power and work. So how did Rhinedottir create Albedo?

It has been stated in Genshin Impact that Albedo practices Khemia, an advanced form of alchemy that originates from Khaenri’ah. He learned this from Rhinedottir. For those who don’t know, Khaenri’ah is a civilization that was brutally destroyed 500 years ago. Dainsleif comes from there and witnessed its destruction. In the same story quest where this is revealed, it is also stated that the Traveler witnessed the fall of Khaenri’ah. Needless to say, it was a history defining moment that wiped out an entire civilization. The exact details of how it was destroyed aren’t known, but given how powerful Khemia is, it could easily be the cause of its destruction.

Now let’s switch gears to a different universe: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. This is also a world full of alchemy, but this one has rules, the main one being: NO HUMAN TRANSMUTATION. The reason for this law could be the result of many incidents, but it could most directly be related to the law of equivalent exchange.

In FMA, the law of equivalent exchange rules over EVERYTHING alchemists do. In order to do something, something must be given in return. When the two main characters of the show, Ed and Alphonse Elric, attempt to bring their mother back from the dead, they cannot offer anything of an equivalent value. This results in Ed losing an arm and a leg and Al losing his entire body. Instead of their mom, they get an incomplete mass of limbs, gunk, and overall disgusting substances.

Yet in the FMA world, several homunculi exist, like Lust, Gluttony, Greed, etc. However, they are only able to exist because of something called a Philosopher’s Stone. The stone allows alchemists to partially bypass the law of equivalent exchange. How? Because the stone is made up of millions of souls. Those souls are used as payment instead of the user losing something.

Genshin Impact does not run on the same exact rules as FMA, but even in real life everything has an equal and opposite reaction. This logic applies to both of these worlds.

Now, I propose my theory:

Albedo is Rhinedottir’s creation made up of the souls of the people that died in Khaenri’ah.

We’ve already established Albedo as a homunculus and that in the FMA universe, immense sacrifice is required to create a homunculus. It’s not too far of a stretch to believe that Albedo was only created as a result of the destruction of Khaenri’ah.

“But what about the timeline?” Well I’m glad you asked, random person.

Given how Dainsleif has survived for over 500 years, is it really so unlikely that Rhinedottir also survived? And regarding Albedo’s age, the homunculi in FMA don’t age because their energy is powered by the Philosopher’s Stone, so why couldn’t Albedo work in the same way? Plus, maybe Rhinedottir found a way to store the souls from Khaenri’ah to use at a later date.

This could also explain Albedo’s fear of losing control on himself. At the very end of his story quest, he says, “If one day, I lose control… Destroy Mondstadt… Destroy everything… Can I rely on you to stop me?” If Albedo’s very existence stems from the deaths of many people, it’s no wonder he holds so much power. That, along with the dangerous form of alchemy he practices, spawns a high possibility for more death.

FMA goes to great lengths to show how powerful the homunculi are, with each of them possessing a unique ability, like creating armor. Albedo may hold similar power, just we haven’t been able to see it yet.

With that fun theory out there, here are a few minor details to note.

In FMA, each homunculus has an ouroboros somewhere on their body that signifies their status as a homunculus. Here, we can see Greed’s tattoo.