#...is my wordplay too subtle?

[rottmnt-residuum]

Part 6 of Arc II (Part 32)

the elevator music is kokomo btw sksksk

⇇ | ⇽ | index | ⇾ (censored) | ⇾ (gore)

#rottmnt #rottmnt leonardo #residuum #rottmnt residuum comic #c #g #tw ptsd #me. naively: this sequence will only take four parts at most! easy #wrong #characters actually have to react to things and you know #have character #i blame my drafting process #also i realized that my natural dry wit and sarcasm a leo joke does not make #this boy is all puns and wordplay #and i am not naturally punny #...is my wordplay too subtle?

[valerieofavonlea]

I think we as a fandom are overthinking the terms of the duel too much

So I just went through and reread most of Taravangian's chapters for a different theory, and something really stuck out to me, especially in RoW.

We were given some frankly kind of vague terms at the end of RoW between Dalinar and Odium, and with a long wait in between books, what else are we supposed to do other than pick apart every tiny detail and theorize? I have some thoughts.

This might get a little rambley so buckle in.

Let's establish a few things, and then I have a point, I promise. I know everyone is focusing on the draw, on not making a plan for if no one wins, because of Wit's story. That makes sense and could be obvious foreshadowing. But Dalinar in the moment kind of threw out everything Wit had carefully prepared and put together very simple terms. I still don't know that there's a whole lot of room for a draw with the terms we have, nor does Todium imply a draw when he's reviewing the deal, but a victory:

"The way to win was to make sure that, no matter the outcome, you were satisfied. Odium should never have entered a deal he could not absolutely control. 'It can still be done,' Taravangian realized, seeing the possibilities -so subtle- that his predecessor had missed. 'Yes... Dalinar has set himself up... to fail. I can beat him.'"

I'd also like to point out how Odium operates, as stated on at least two separate occasions:

"Should we write... a contract?" "Our word is the contract. I am not some spren of Honor, who seeks to obey only the strictest letter of a promise. If you have an agreement from me, I will keep it in spirit, not merely in word."

and

"This isn't some deal with a Voidbringer from your myths, where one tricks the other with some silly twist of language."

Now it is unclear if this is a Rayse philosophy or something the shard itself is bound to, but it is interesting nonetheless.

Now, onto my main point. Taravangian is a scheming, conniving character who spent four books paying chess, outsmarting and manipulating, and very very carefully planning. His arc in RoW is quite interesting then, as he gets dumber and dumber, he begins to see less value in the intelligence. For all his smarts, all his planning, he has managed to save just one city out of an entire planet, landed himself an execution as a traitor, and burned countless potential allies.

"Smart Taravangian has proven insufficient. Smart Taravangian has failed. He hasn't just been made intelligent. He's been given a coin and a curse. Intelligence on one side. Compass on the other. When smart, he assured that compassion was the curse. But was it really? Or was the curse that he could never have both at once?"

By the end of RoW, Taravangian has become so much a being of pure emotion that he's constantly attracting spren, and he has become the perfect vessel for a shard of pure emotion.

The old Taravangian would have chosen the scheming, the wordplay, outwitting anyone and everyone he could have. The old Taravangian would have reveled in a tiny tiny loophole or trick of wording only he could see, but he got a whole lot of nowhere with all that scheming.

"Odium had bet so much upon Dalinar being his champion. Now that was in chaos. The god bragged about his plans, but Taravangian knew firsthand that you could plan and plan and plan, but if one man's choices didn't align to your will, it didn't matter. A thousand wrong plans were no more useful than a single wrong one."

So, what if he is leaning all the way into the passion thing now rather than the intelligence he was chasing for most of his life? Because the scheming and trying to overthink didn't work out that well for him, but the emotion, the feelings, that's what got him this power (and the capacity to save everyone). So the question becomes, are we as a fandom approaching the duel incorrectly, trying to think too hard about loopholes and the specific wording, when this new version of Todium would be more likely to use an emotional approach? Something to think about.

#stormlight archive #stormlight #cosmere #rhythm of war #taravangian #odium's champion #kowt speculation #brandon sanderson #series; stormlight #sam says stuff

[kotopeachii]

my persona 5 ocs: the crow's nest (aka a glorified pthieves hate club)

warning!!!!!

this post contains spoilers, as well as every other post related to this one.

by clicking the "read more" button, you are agreeing to spend a good few minutes reading my walls of text and thus giving your soul to me forever and being forced to read even more text in the future.

will you sign the contract?

cool, thanks.

the crow's nest is an au of mine featuring my (very cool!) ocs about our favourite goro akechi creating and leading his own ragtag group of outcasted teenagers to help take down the phantom thieves! through a bit of online chatting and human experimentation, akechi manages to gather SIX whole allies!

let's start with the first one, who isn't actually an adolescent outsider, but akechi's cute coworker.

that's right. a robot cat. with cannons built into his arms. akechi felt the same way, don't worry.

his name is lysander. like akechi, he was made to be a hitman sneaking around in the metaverse. but unlike akechi, he was made by rich people. then he was given to even richer people to turn him into a killing machine that makes snide comments every now and then.

as you might expect from a robot, lysander is very robotic. unemotive, dedicated to his routine, unable to grasp concepts like wordplay and human phrases, starts speaking in a southern american accent when magnets are brought near him-- that's just a lysander thing, actually.

akechi's not the biggest fan of his new coworker. he's a great assassin, so akechi's just a bit jealous of him. he's not a very good conversation partner, so akechi's rather bored of him. but he's a cute kitty, and you wouldn't hurt one of those, would you?

lysander uses both weapons and a persona in the metaverse, and for the people who have absolutely no clue as to how a robot could have a persona (probably because they haven't played the earlier games. no shame to you), i have an explanation.

but i don't remember it. whoops. maybe when i make the post about the infodump about their deal in the metaverse, i'll have recalled it. for now, just trust me, there is canon lore that supports this possibility.

it's not like they're ALL robots anyway. onto our next—fleshy—ally!

this is roxy okanoue. the witty and playful yet formal and intellectual girl akechi met on a forum, the leader of the Official Phantom Investigation Team (the lame OLD name), and the most passive aggressive asswad you will ever meet.

roxy puts up the front of a fun-loving, good-natured girl who's just living out her youth, but it's a little too late for that to be her truth. around her team, which she considers private time, she's much more jaded and quick to irritate. she really values her role as a leader, but any criticism towards her, genuine or not, will get a "haha, you're so funny" or a slight jab at your self-image.

her and akechi verbally agreed that they would both lead the crow's nest, but neither of them actually do. it's a subtle back-and-forth consisting of backhanded comments and not-really-compliments that tend to derail the serious group discussions.

meet bunki kuboyama, the shujin academy newspaper club member so unpleasant that the only other member considers him dead to her.

bunki is the one with all the attitude. where roxy is subtly malicious, he will not hold back on ranting to you about just how unflattering those colours are on you. he's very keen on voicing every thought of his, actually, which means he expresses a lot of—frankly, unwanted—opinions. it doesn't even matter if he wasn't in the conversation before, because he is now. and god he will not shut up.

akechi isn't fond of bunki's nosy nature, and especially not how much he insists he tells him about his private life outside . but bunki's failure to grasp the concept of fun makes him good for serious discussions where he brings in his actually good ideas, and he's within literal inches of the real phantom thieves, so akechi won't curbstomp him. not today, at least.

another one of bunki's good traits is that he's observant with a good eye for details, which makes him a plausible navigator in the metaverse. but that's another post for another day.

next is chifuyu oishi. he was born in a back alley dumpster and raised by feral dogs.

okay, not actually, but it would explain a lot about him. chifuyu is loud, aggressive, and his temper is as foul as spoiled milk. however, if you're trustworthy in his eyes, he'll have an undying and unconditional loyalty to you, as well as the impression that you'll always answer his pleas when he pesters you about his latest big bang burger craving.

unfortunately, akechi turns out to be the main target of said pestering because he's a "rich, famous celebrity or some shit like that, yeah?", and thus has to pay for his meals. akechi feels like he could really be doing something better with his time, but... whatever stops the bomb from going off, i guess.

chifuyu's fixation on combat makes him a useful asset in battle, at least. he's good at following commands, except for the ones telling him to take it easy, meaning he gets injured. a lot. nothing he's not used to, though.

introducing the girl who would probably be very upset to learn that she needs an introduction since she expects everyone to know her already, kiyoe hino!

kiyoe comes from a family of old wealth. you can tell, because she brings it up in every sentence. she's excessively prideful with lots of badges and trophies and medals in all kind of competitions to justify it. kiyoe likes to believe that she's composed and elegant like a princess would be, but if one dares to question her she will become extremely upset and petty.

akechi finds that she's rather hard to work with, seeing she has a tendency to follow commands from nobody but herself, but all it takes is a bit of bargaining and boot-kissing and she's willing to help out. it's not something akechi wants to do, but he has to, otherwise he's lost an ally. and knowing kiyoe, if she's not in the crow's nest, she'll probably try to find some way to take the phantom thieves down herself, disrupting the others' plans in the process.

that said, she definitely could if she tried hard enough. kiyoe isn't the best at managing her emotions, but she is cunning, calculated, and a good strategist. her intelligence is a great weapon if used correctly.

and last, but not least, is etsumi fukunaga. she's an ex-ballerina with a personality as fragile as a flower, making you wonder how she wound up with these guys in the first place.

well... "fragile" can mean two things in her case. either delicate, dainty, and precious... or very, very unstable.

etsumi is a sweet girl, sure. she's soft-spoken and a good listener and an obedient teammate. but put any pressure on her, and she will crack. it's difficult to have a productive conversation with her because it can never be her fault, she's the victim, and she only ever does good. etsumi also has a tendency to think aloud, and her thoughts are... violent. graphically so.

but akechi actually likes her. her crying can be annoying at times, but she's extremely dedicated to eradicating the phantom thieves, follows orders without resistance, and it's quite obvious she looks up to him.

etsumi's previous experience in the art of dance makes her a capable fighter (and an elegant one, at that) as well. she also offers good morale, seeing as she's the only one on the team without a stick up her ass.

if you've read this far, it means you gave me enough time to suck your soul from your body. it's mine now, and now you have to read more oc posts in the future.

i sure hope that's not something you'll complain about. i hope you enjoyed learning about them, and thank you for your time! bye now

#persona 5 #p5 #persona 5 oc #p5 oc #persona #persona oc #goro akechi #he is the star of the show here! #oc: lysander #oc: roxy okanoue #oc: bunki kuboyama #oc: chifuyu oishi #oc: kiyoe hino #oc: etsumi fukunaga #the crows nest au #so many tags... hghabd... #koto.txt #koto.png

[todayiwrotenothing]

I got a tattoo yesterday! George Antony (empireofdirt.tattoo on instagram) does gorgeous abstract flash so I got one of his swirly pieces that I requested a sneaky subtle poets of the fall reference be added to. My particular flavour of autism means I don't automatically take stuff literally but I can always see the literal interpretation, which is good for comedy and wordplay. I was listening to skin recently and had a thought..

I am very socially awkward when meeting new people but I love it when I find out really random things I have in common with someone new. The tattoo artist is an autistic adhd child of divorce with a biochemistry degree and a tattoo referencing his birthday. Me too!

Done at Shall Adore in Shoreditch.

#tattoo #poets of the fall #potf

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

My Balls by Your Favorite Martian

Ray William Johnson is one of the great poets of our time, the John Lennon of the YouTube age, and nowhere is this more evident than with the breathtaking masterpiece that is “My Balls.”

Check out the first verse’s heartfelt lyrical content, a desperate plea to get a lost loved back:

Baby girl, you left me

Oh no, we broke up

And it's been a while since we last spoke

But I need another chance, can you give me that?

'Cause there's something in my pants that could win you back

It’s a display of raw emotion that is universally relatable; we’ve all been in a similar position to “My Balls” at one point or another.

I wanna be your man again

But you left me like I'm Jennifer Aniston

And I know you said you'd never call

But girl, you ain't seen my balls

These lines could be chalked up to merely clever wordplay, but I think that is greatly underselling the genius of “My Balls;” the comparison to Aniston is clearly meant to imply the girl our narrator is trying to win back is, in fact, Brad Pitt.

And then we come to the chorus:

You-you-you-you ain't seen my balls

You-you-you-you ain't seen my balls

You-you-you-you ain't seen my balls

You ain't seen my balls, you ain't seen my balls

You-you-you-you ain't seen my balls

You-you-you-you ain't seen my balls

You-you-you-you ain't seen my balls

You ain't seen my balls, you ain't seen my balls

Bob Dylan wishes he could achieve even half of the impact that “My Balls” does. This is poetry, pure and simple, unrivaled and unmatched by any living artist. “My Balls” really carry a lot of depth and meaning that may not be evident at first glance, but a closer examination of “My Balls” reveals profound wit and brilliance.

Let me single out the top 5 most profound lyrics of the song:

5.

My balls are so awesome, don't get me started

They're so damn big

How big are they?

They're so big, it's really obnoxious

4.

And how can I be subtle

When my balls chase Indiana Jones through a tunnel?

3.

And everyone at Disney World keeps telling me

That Epcot Center looks at 'em with jealousy

2.

I, I got what you need

And you said you'll never call

But girl, you ain't seen these balls, here we go

1.

My balls are so epic but I ain't boastin'

'Cause they have an effect on the tides and the ocean

And when the sun's right, they might cause

A total solar eclipse of my balls

This clears the entire discography of the Beatles and I will never hear anything this good again. Music peaked here and it’s been a steady decline since.

In short, My Balls are amazing. The song’s good too. 4.5/5.

#ford analyzes tunes and song stuff #FATASS #YFM

[theofficialpresidentofmars]

i’ve been going insane about Hamlet recently. so I’ve been a comprehensive list of everything in this play that makes me absolutely lose my mind, and here’s the list for Act 1.

- The play starting and ending with Horatio. Hamlet is the protagonist, the prince, the titular character, but it’s Horatio’s story to tell. Horatio is the one charged with recounting the occurents which have solicited, and as such he’s the first and the last of the main characters that we see. Love a good bookend.

- Hamlet’s first line (first two lines really) being a bit of wordplay. Much of this list will touch on his extensive need to pun about, and there’s no more fitting way to introduce such a character. I love his silly little lines so much

- The complete normality of the Royal Court in the first scenes. Given what this play becomes and where most of them end up before it’s over (six feet under), it’s so important to me to be able to see, as an audience, the tail end of what once was, especially given that we never get to see Hamlet prior to his grieving state. There are so many subtleties in this play that hint at the world the characters lived in before the events that happened did, and I think about them far too often.

- Hamlet asking to go back to Wittenberg, being asked by his mother to stay, and complying. God, this little moment on so many levels. If Hamlet had gone back to Wittenberg, he would’ve likely been able to grieve and move on in a healthier manner, likely being surrounded by a greater support system (than one that tells him to get over it) or at the very least a place of comfort, where he is free to express himself and pursue what he specifically likes. By staying in Elsinore, he is putting his individuality in that sense aside for the duty he owes his country (or the one he will owe the Ghost, which is still to his country in a manner, avenging treason). And of course, by staying in Elsinore, the events of the play are allowed to transpire. Also Hamlet’s relationship with Gertrude is so important to me and so often under-acknowledged, and this brief moment is again, one of the subtle few where we can draw larger conclusions about their relationship prior to the play’s events.

- The religious stuff in this text and especially surrounding Hamlet’s character and motives is also something I like looking into, and this moment where Hamlet considers that he would kill himself if it weren’t for the notion of divine punishment is also so. In less than a page, we’ve been presented with two alternate ways that the events of the play could’ve been avoided- Hamlet’s return to Wittenberg, which would’ve likely allowed him to heal and move on, and Hamlet’s suicidal thoughts, which although the worse option by far, still technically would’ve worked as a preventative measure: lives would’ve been saved. Either way, it’s just another tragic facet of his character, and the first of what will be many cries for help from this character over the course of the play.

- Hamlet and Horatio’s reunion, of course, but specifically the moment when Horatio tells Hamlet about the ghost. OUgh. Shoutout to that person who wondered if post-play Horatio ever lay awake in night, wishing he hadn’t told Hamlet about the ghost at all because I think of that every single time I read it. Horatio’s closeness to Hamlet increases greatly due to the events that occur as a result of this one line, and their relationship is just so. interesting to me from a comparative standpoint. between the events of the play and what might’ve been. but we’ll get into that later. and also Hamlet, once again, taking every opportunity to be a little sassier will always be funny to be. who said this wasn’t a tragicomedy?

- and Hamlet’s reaction to hearing that he may be able to see his father again

- Ophelia from the very beginning being told what to do by the men in her life, having her femininity and body reduced to a sexual object, being the victim of that good ol’ fashioned misogyny right out of the gate and it hits. I love Ophelia’s character so much, and it really just does set the bar straight away what we’re to expect. She’s talked over, told what to do, held to unreasonable standards by men who wouldn’t meet them himselves. It’s early days again, and I’ll get into this more later, but wow.

- Again, Hamlet’s reaction to the ghost on the roof, and specifically his threat to ‘make a ghost’ of Horatio or Marcellus should they try to stop him. It’s a grim little nod to what’s to come, and it’s an interesting little setup to both the desperation and the dedication explored regarding Hamlet and his father. Followed shortly thereafter by the ‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark’, and you’ve got yourself the equivalent of your hair standing up on end in anticipation of the lighting strike that sets the play in motion.

- ‘If thou didst ever thy dear father love (O God!) Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.’

- ‘Murder?’

- this whole scene. goodness. Every time I’ve recounted this play to some poor soul who couldn’t escape my segues into it, I’ve always gotten a reaction when Hamlet Sr reveals that the snake that poisoned him is the same one that now wears his crown. And that’s also why the previous normalcy is so important, because Claudius hasn’t explicitly come off as like that bad a guy yet. Maybe a bit of a douche for slipping into the sheets of his brother’s queen, but he’s at the very least acted onstage with nothing less than a formal and respectable air to him. But now we’ve passed the point of no return at the same time as the prince, and we can’t let the villain get away with this. Because that’s what he is, right? A villain. A murderer. And everything Hamlet’s been worried about or concerned with or thinking about prior is wiped away, trivial, unimportant, and there is no normal to return to.

- also, absolutely insane move to tell your depressed (and possibly manic?? i’ve been trying to look into the modern psychology side of things someone please help me out) son that he has to kill a guy to restore heavenly vengeance. this can’t go wrong. surely

- Horatio and Marcellus swearing their secrecy and dare I say involvement by complicity (oh, Horatio) and Hamlet deciding that the logical course of action is to. naturally. fake madness. put on an antic disposition. his decision-making process in this play is something I’d like to put under a microscope and study

I’ll update with the following acts over the next few days, and reply if I think of anything I forgot to intitially add. feel free to add thoughts :D

#hamlet #shakespeare #hamletposting

[littledigest]

Astro Observation - What astrological observations are true time and time again?

This list is based on people in my life. We've all heard, experienced, or read up on these traits, and I'm here as the billionth astrology fan to say it's all true.

👉 Rather than clean and organized, the word I'd use to describe Virgo Suns is particular. Except for one, all the Virgos I know are not necessarily organized. BUT all of them are super particular about how they do things, where they place items in their rooms, etc. If they're messy, they are method-to-their-madness kind of people.

👉 Gemini Moons are definitely talkers. Every Gemini Moon I know knows how to talk and keep a conversation going. They always have something to say and need stimulation in their lives. They like to have fun and be around other fun people.

👉 Gemini Suns don't necessarily have to be talkative, but they are social creatures. They like keeping in contact with old friends and seeing what everyone is up to. They like to spend quality time with friends and family.

👉 Capricorn Suns are surprisingly very funny. Their off-hand comments on people, life, and situations are hilarious. They can be good with wordplay, too, and have catchphrases they use all the time.

👉 Pisces Sun and Pisces stellium people want control. They don't look like they'd be controlling, but it sneaks up on you. It's hard to notice at first because they don't act dictatorially in an obvious way. It's subtle and in a more for-OUR-own-good kind of way.

👉 Taurus Suns really do love the good things in life. Every Taurus I know has absolutely no problem traveling somewhere far to get a delicious meal or a nice experience, no matter the cost. They want to drink the best stuff, eat the most delicious things, and can truly appreciate a good experience. If they want something, they don't think about practicality first; they just get it. They're always brainstorming ideas on how to make their homes even more convenient for them and have all their favorite amenities.

👉 Leo Suns are very ambitious people. Ever since they were younger, they felt they had to BE someone. They are not passive receivers of anything and will put in the work for what they want. Milestones in life happen either quickly or "on time" for them because they are always on their toes looking for what they have to do next in life to be on or ahead of the curve.

👉 Virgo Suns put themselves out there. Their actions are not held back by inner demons, even if they have a lot of them. If something needs to be done, they'll just push through and do it. They also like to get all the small details of the day out in the open (calculating the costs of tolls while planning for a trip and choosing from the menu online before going to a restaurant).

👉 Like Geminis, every Virgo person I know can TALK. They pick up social cues very easily and can usually make friends easily. They insert themselves into social circles and seem to live life as it was meant (at least in my eyes).

👉 Libra Suns have an aggressive streak in them. It's not expressed all the time, but you can sense it from them. They literally remind me of roses: feminine and nice to be around but also thorny. They are charming socially and are generally well-liked. The Libras I know are very into aesthetics and art (Venus) or law and politics (Scales).

👉 I have two different experiences with Scorpio Suns. They can either be extremely private, honest, and have high integrity, OR they have a falseness to their personality (which is another manifestation of how private they are).

👉 The "false" Scorpios act in ways that don't seem genuine to themselves (too many shallow pleasantries). This might be a way to keep a distance comfortable for them and to keep control of the situation. Or, maybe they are just trying to be nice, but others sense their more honest, intense interior so it just seems ingenuine.

👉The high-integrity Scorpios can sometimes be too honest and real that they become controversial. Not concerned with making things palatable to other people.

👉 Sagittarius Suns are adventurous and modern people. They are adventurous with places they travel to, foods they eat, people they associate with, etc. They also tend to have refined tastes and want the best quality. These are not nostalgic people; they look to the present and future more than the past.

👉 Another thing about Sagittarius people is that they have an opinion on everything. They're definitely critics.

👉 A lot of Aquarius people don't like expressing emotional outbursts because emotions are temporary, and they like doing things that are lasting and worthwhile to them. This is why so many Aquarius people are into serving humanity and seeing everything from the perspective of the group, because if you whittle everything down, doing things for the greater good is the only thing that really matters (at least to Aquariuses).

👉 Cancer Suns are very emotional and nurturing people. They are good at taking care of people and animals. Sometimes it's emotionally, sometimes it's materially. A lot of the time, Cancer Suns give too much of themselves to other people that they don't take care of themselves. This could breed resentment. But they still feel that obligation to give more of themselves.

👉 Aries Suns and Aries Moons are tough; they can stand their ground and fight back. Aries people are also a little quirky and goofy too. They can be very high-strung, especially in youth, but they're usually pretty lighthearted and funny. Aries people shamelessly act just like themselves, which gives them an air of innocence.

#astrology #astrology blog #astrology post #littledigest #natal chart #birth chart #astro observations #astrology observations #sun signs

[myreygn]

Peekaboo!

summary: Phichit visits Yuuri in Hasetsu and it brings back memories from Chicago. Memories, a catchphrase, and something else.

an: my second commission for @wertzunge 💛 thank you so much for commissioning, i apologize for the wait and i hope you like it!

wordcount: 1380

¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸¸♫·¯·♪¸¸♩·¯·♬¸¸

“He has a very cute accent” is the only thing Mari has to say when Phichit retreats to his room to freshen up a little after the long flight. When Yuuri asks her if that's all, she shrugs and lights herself a cigarette.

Yuuri doesn't know why he's surprised at her lack of enthusiasm; it's not like she's usually a bundle of energy. Maybe he expected things to be a little more exciting, because Phichit is visiting his family’s hot spring for the first time and that’s a special occasion, but he soon realizes how ridiculous that thought is. Phichit isn't a celebrity. Phichit is Phichit, his friend, whether they're in the USA or in Japan or anywhere else in the world. And his family doesn't do a happy dance, but his parents are as friendly as always and Mari even offers Phichit a smile when he returns from his room (maybe she does it to appease her brother, but it doesn't matter, because a smile from Mari is a high honor whatever the circumstance).

The whole visit is nothing special, in the best way possible. They talk like always, they laugh like always and even though Phichit runs through town like an excited tourist, they visit Yuuri’s favorite places just like they visited places back in America. Skating in the ice rink is more fun than usual, but it’s no different from skating with Phichit in Chicago and Yuuri catches himself thinking how much he missed his friend at the most random moments.

“Phichaboo!”

He for sure didn’t miss this.

“Stop it! Don’t say that!” Yuuri giggles softly at the sight of Phichit emerging from the water, shouting his stupid little catchphrase. He remembers his first evening in Chicago when he was sitting on a bench alone and this smiley Thai boy appeared behind him out of nowhere with a happy ‘Phichaboo’ and nearly gave Yuuri a heart attack. The little wordplay was fine and funny enough as an icebreaker early into their friendship and Yuuri honestly thought it was really cool of Phichit to just walk up to a stranger and say something so silly. The problem is that Phichit just won’t stop saying it.

“Why though? It’s my thing!” Phichit grins. “I don’t ask you to stop talking about Victor all the time, do I?”

“Talk about- talking about Victor is not my thing!” Yuuri feels his face burn and he has to fight the overwhelming urge to descend into the water when his friend giggles softly. “And even if it was, at least it’s not as annoying as having your own version of Peekaboo!”

Phichit mock-gasps, pushing a good amount of water straight into Yuuri’s face - luckily, they have the hot spring to themselves, otherwise this probably would’ve thrown a very unprofessional light on the Katsuki family. Not that Phichit cares about such banalties as professionality. (Not that he’s wrong to not care. Yuuri often wishes he could do that.) “Annoying?!”

Right now, he wishes that Phichit would never leave again. Damn, he missed this.

“Would something annoying make you laugh like this?!”

He for sure didn’t miss this.

“Stahap!” An embarrassing squeak escapes his mouth and Yuuri frantically grabs his friend’s wrists, pushing them away from his tummy. “Don’t tickle me!” Okay, he’s lying. He did miss this, a little bit, but still!

Phichit laughs and obeys, but there’s a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. Tickling has always been a way for him to calm Yuuri down during their time in Chicago. Too many new people at once? A few subtle pokes to his midsection to keep him in the here and now. A failed jump during practice and negative feedback from the coach? Some squeezes to the hips never hurt nobody. Just a rough day in general? Time for a full on tickle attack once back in the dorm! And similar to the catchphrase, which Yuuri at this point refuses to even think, there’s no stopping Phichit, even after being friends for quite some time now.

“You’re so childish!” he mumbles, hugging his torso and playfully glaring at Phichit.

“That’s bold coming from someone who blushes when I say ‘Phichaboo, here comes the tickle monster’.”

Enough.

“AIEE- Yuhurihihie!”

Yuuri just smirks and continues to squeeze up and down his friend's sides, making him cackle. He has always known that Phichit is ticklish too; a poke here and there has showed him, but really tickling him… it just never came up. And at least in the beginning of their friendship, Yuuri admits to himself, he was too shy to initiate something like that. But now? Oho. Payback time!

“Eek! Yuuhuri! Whyhyhye?!”

“Why?! You made fun of me!” Yuuri mock-gasps and scribbles over his friend's tummy. “How very dare you!”

“Buhut you cahahalled mehe chihildish! Ahand I sahahaw you bluhush, so I juhust said the truhUTHAHAHA!”

“Good spot, huh?” Another squeeze to Phichit's hips, drawing a loud cackle from him. Yuuri grins. Why deny it, he's having fun with this! Especially because Phichit has only squeaked and giggled up until now, which is cute and all, but not really what Yuuri was looking for. Now, he's found the spot to get real, full-blown laughter out of Phichit. Real, full-blown, incredibly infectious laughter. Yuuri has to really keep it together so he doesn't giggle alongside him - Phichit would tease him endlessly about it!

Apropos teasing…

“Peekayuu, here comes the tickle monster!” Gosh, it even makes him blush when he says it himself, but it's totally worth it for Phichit's indignant squeak. He resorts to tickling his friend's sides again so he can speak.

“Nohoho! Thahahahat's my cahahahatchphrahahase! Yohou cahan't hahahahave it!”

“What are you talking about? I've never heard you say Peekayuu before. You always said… ah, damn, I forgot. Oh well, let's just use my version from now on.”

“Lehehet's nohot! It's PhichahAAH!”

Yuuri can't help it, he just has to laugh with Phichit when his hands find his hips once again in order to prevent him from finishing the sentence. (Mainly though in order to hear these endearing cackles again, who is he kidding.)

He only stops when Phichit taps his wrist - a signal they established back in Chicago to signal that one (Yuuri) has reached his limit. Yuuri immediately takes his hands off amd even though Phichit's eyes are shimmering with obvious joy, an anxious feeling creeps into his chest. What if that was too much? What if he has overwhelmed Phichit? What if he's mad at him? What if-

Phichit interrupts his spiraling train of thought by splashing water into his face and when Yuuri looks at him, he's laughing. (He's laughing. That's good. They're good.) “You’re unbelievable! First you tickle me, then you steal my catchphrase! What's next, do I have to sleep on the street now?” Phichit tries to make an angry face, but the twitching of the corners of his mouth betrays him. “The audacity!”

Yuuri feels like a heavy weight is being lifted off his chest and he allows himself a little smirk. “I just felt like you needed to pay a price for the time in Chicago. And also a lesson on catchphrases.”

“A lesson?! Phichaboo is perfect!”

“Peekayuu sounds better though.”

“Maybe in the ears of an amateur!”

“Okay, okay.” Yuuri grins and gives Phichit a pat on the back. “How about Phichayuu? As a compromise?”

“That’s an entirely new word, I don't know if- okahay, okay!” Phichit swats Yuuris fingers away before they can wiggle into his side more. “Phichayuu is okay.”

They both laugh, then Phichit smiles at Yuuri. “Can I be honest for a second? I'm really happy that you were confident enough to tickle me.”

“Huh?!” Yuuri feels his face flush and the look he gives Phichit must look absolutely dumbfounded, because it makes his friend snort with amusement. “W-why?”

“Because it shows me that you feel comfortable and safe with me, so, thank you!” Before Yuuri can respond, Phichit's genuine smile morphs into a wicked smirk. “Also, it means we can have equal tickle fights now and be silly and have fun!”

“Didn't we have fun before?!” Yuuri squeaks and Phichit laughs.

“More fun!”

More fun. More fun sounds good. Yuuri looks at Phichit's wide smile and smiles back. He missed this.

#rey writes #yuri!!! on ice #tword fic #yuuri katsuki #phichit chulanont #ler!yuuri #lee!phichit #ticklish!phichit #commission

[kuwdora]

Multi-fandom Fic Recs

January 22 - What’s an underloved fic you loved in a fandom you don’t post much about? -@sargassostories

Oh, what a fabulous prompt, ty!!! I used to write so many recs back in the day and I’ve watched so much tv and read across so many fandoms over the years so this is far from comprehensive in terms of fandom reading spread. But it’s a good way to warm my reccing muscles up again. I always have more recs or can usually find some places with recs about that fandom.

Humor and Heart

Just Hear Those Slay Bells Jingling, Santa Clarita Diet. Abby/Eric. ~3k. Abby comes home from college on a break and just wants some time with her boyfriend but she just had to tempt fate. Laugh out loud perfect characterization.

Pain and Painting by foxtwin. Blackadder. Blackadder assists Prince George as he takes on a new hobby. This is one of the funniest, punniest wordplay fics ever. Blackadder fic writers are on another level!

Feel me like a steel knife by violet_pencil. Star Trek: Lower Decks. Mariner/Tendi. ~7k. Mariner is a trigger-happy baby and her heart is right between Tendi's sharp white teeth. The Mariner POV is incredible. I felt like I was joyriding through her brain.

Not a synonym for impossible by Siria. Elementary. Improbable was not a synonym for impossible. Joan and Alfredo discuss Alfredo’s crush on Miss Hudson, this is so cute.

Lest they be angels in disguise by singlecrow. Good Omens. Crowley, but Aziraphale/Crowley. 856 words. Buzzfeed, July 2019, "Top Five Off-the-Wall Theories About the Scary Instagram Plant Man.” Includes Instagram posts and internet gossip in this fic. 😂

There's a Fine Line Between Coincidence, Fate, and Jonathan Carnahan by celli. The Mummy. 483 words. Ardeth/Jonathon. Jonathan puffed up with outrage. "I will squander my fortune where I damn well please." 😍

This Dynamic

if loving you kills me by saiditallbefore. Wheel of Time. Nynaeve/Egwene. 642w. Nynaeve's eyes are warm and brown and full of life: so different from earlier, when Egwene had thought she was gone forever. ❤️🔥❤️

Finding Grace by Destina. Kings. Jack/David, Michelle/David. Post-series/futurefic. ~1300w. David's soul has three parts, and without all three, he is incomplete. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Porn

Gifts, Smiles, and Fingers by @daerienn. For All Mankind. Molly/Margo. ~200w. A single Tootsie roll can have a lot of impact.

Meet Me In My Dreams by LiraClayr007. His Dark Materials. Lyra/Will. Post-canon. 200w. It had been almost ten years since they’d said goodbye forever and closed all the doorways, but Lyra knew what Will looked like. He’d aged in her mind, day after day and year after year; she didn’t know how she could know, but she was sure he looked exactly the way she pictured him.

Learned Arts, by darthjamtart. Elementary. Moriarty/Joan. ~400w. Explicit. Jamie knows how to be subtle, but rarely bothers. Not with this.

Domina, Spartacus, Illithya/Lucretia, power struggle, submission “Domina,” Illithya whispers before pressing her lips against Lucretia’s bare, inner thigh.

Kissing Girls, Leverage, Parker/Sophie Devereaux, falling, twirling Parker used to think that kissing was a lot like falling. Sometimes, if she knew she was in complete control, if she had all her safety equipment ready to catch her, if she could see exactly where she was going to end up, then falling was more thrilling than sickening. Kissing too.

Impossible Words, Doctor Who, Jack/Ten, the l word He still can't say it, the words. Those words that make everything so impossibly complicated. He digs his fingers into Jack's skin, feeling it give, knowing he will leave bruises there, visible in the morning.

Caged, Mario Games, Bowser/Peach, kidnap Don't tell anyone, but Peach doesn't entirely mind being kidnapped.

Not Charity Work, Better Off Ted, Veronica/Linda, mentoring Veronica's hair is spread over the pillow, her face flushed and sweat covering her skin. "I'm an excellent mentor."

Soup on the Wall, Star Trek AOS/Star Trek: The Original Series, Chapel/Spock. dream, pon farr, crash To be certain, it was not Ambassador Spock's idea to be ferried to New Vulcan aboard the Enterprise.

Three Sentence Fictionathon (not always 3 sentences, still excellent micro-fics!)

Any, any, Cards Against Humanity as played by nonhuman species by archersangel. Star Trek: Voyager. Tuvok, post-canon.

Boimler and Mariner, Ill-Advised Decisions by silveradept for my Star Trek Lower Decks prompt of “look what you made me do!”

The Expanse, Avasarala/Amos, flirting by vialethe. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Narnia, if Narnia were written by Tolkien by arveldis. 😂 AND LASTLY:

These two ficlets are based on this prompt:

Based on this Tumblr Post where Sirens lure sailors to their death with offers of hot garlic bread, fast Wi-Fi, and $1000 Amazon Gift Cards.

An Informational Sign on the Coast by fallen_stage.

Netflix and Kill by syrena_of_the_lake

More Kuwdora Recs

+350 Porn Battle Recs, grouped by fandom, lots of crossovers and fandoms (dreamwidth)

+100 multi-fandom recs, grouped by whatever I read at the time and Yuletide reading marathons over the years (dreamwidth).

Even More Recs

Linky's Rec Post - A recs post by Linky on dreamwidth about communities that feature curated recs for fanfic, fanvids and art.

#kuwdora recs #fic recs #january posting meme #january posting meme 2024

[indexcard]

top 5 poems and why

i've got a memory like a goldfish for poems (except for dorothy parker's "resumé" which i have been able to recite perfectly for the last ~15 years) so i'm just going to do a top 5 ranking of my last 5 saved poems (i.e. i loved them) from my beloved poets.org daily email

alchemy horse - natalie diaz: i am mostly drawn to poems because of their exquisite language, and i don't have a poet's eye, so i don't pay much attention to form, but the form of this poem, good LORD!!! this poem captivated me because it literally sparkles like a night sky. the language is of course also stunning, arresting even. keep meaning to get my hands on her book because of this

poem without love - tarifa faizullah: the same way an ugly new car can ruin the elegance of a street photo, i often find that too much contemporary language can bog down a poem for me. this is a great example of a poem that is unashamedly contemporary and yet is neither corny nor instantly dated. i'm charmed and moved by it.

evening - jeremy radin: apart from finding some of the sentiments expressed in this poem, ha ha, relatable, i just like the elegant and simple language, the subtle wordplay.

to the sea - anis mojgani: love poetry!!! timeless! possibly the most earnestly romantic thing i've read recently, unfortunately this does make me feel feelings.

though from here i can't smell the smoke - allison hutchcraft: another one where i really like the language and the imagery it evokes, the fittingly apocalyptic drama of it.

#questionnaire #poetry

[albaitross]

(why are all the back-alleys full of gods and stuff?) / continued! - @drolliic

it takes a while for Moppy Kid to respond. longer than what would be polite as per most humans' etiquette standards, but May has seen worse and stranger - both by human and non-human standards. so she remains relaxed in her seat, watching patiently. in fact, the dragging silence is nice, an opportunity. it's free reign to simply observe.

and she observes... that Moppy Kid is truly deserving of that moniker. gosh, that hair! so curly! so, so much like a mop! an iconic, perfect match for the descriptor of a 'mop of hair' and such! does he style it? is it natural? wow, so moppy! maybe she should have the column be about his hair routine instead...

unfortunately, the train of thought has to be aborted with his reply. not that his reply is disappointing in any sort of contrast. curry and coffee... just like on the menus of this cafe. oh, is this kid actually being trained to take over the place in the future? the mundane answer is likely no, because maybe he's just another teenage part-timer and of course, he has to learn how to make anything on the menu if he's working here -

ah, but what's life without assuming the most dramatic things about it? or rather, her own life always likes to make random dramatic turns, so she might as well take the initiative on it.

(and... if she's being a teeny bit more honest, there's this edge she's been feeling—

logically, it's probably because of the whole, well. fucking demiurges and their pointless tunnel visions for power - the one that hovered right over shibuya earlier in the week wouldn't be the first nor last of its kind. in any case, since something clearly not-normal happened recently, the strangeness in the air could be easily attributed to that event, the aftershocks and remnants.

gut instinct says she needs to prepare herself. somehow. with anything.)

"oh, is it really so secret?" May pouts and puts on her best, cringe-worthy cutesy voice. "come on, it wouldn't hurt to give a hint or two at least, right? right? there's nothing sacred in this modern era, and truth be told, no one thinks food is any more sacred either now! give into your little vices and i'll give you 5 yen?"

she punctuates the end of that absurd act with a pause, a snort, a witch's crackle of a laugh, and a return to the lazy posture of a journalist with questionable ability and unquestionable unreliability. she leans against the counter, propping her chin onto a pair of entwined hands as she smiles bemusedly at the teen barista.

"my joking aside - aren't you quite the wordsmith? very poetic of you to frame it as an exchange of secrets, mysterious yet so businesslike. you might be a good writer in the future, if you polish yourself." the woman hums a light note, a touch of something thoughtful to it. "let's see then... a deal, secrets for secrets... well, as long as i retain the unfettered right to refuse divulging whenever, then sure, what's the harm? alright Moppy Kid, you have a deal—"

she finalizes her words with a snappy clack of her teeth bared into a cheerful grin, and the barest touch of honesty - an inhuman sort, spoken but not heard, more a sensation. it's shaped like a spark and echoes like the concept of determination itself, feeling like light and the sheer innateness of all things, burning both with a soft brilliance akin to sunlight and the firm sharpness of words being etched onto a contract, a promise; a 'honesty' of the soul itself.

which, to a normal human, means nothing. too fleshy to feel such subtle, immaterial things. it's just a habit for her to ensure that her words bear weight, bear force - she's had too many encounters with the fae and the divine and the demonic and the whatnot, all with their own brands of horseshit wordplay.

"—provided you go first, that is. divulge the secrets of good coffee for poor ol' me, and i'll tell you something worth your while. like..." the woman tilts her head, thinking. "ah, yes. i can teach you a trick or two to better protect that head of yours, including your incredibly curly mop of hair. unless you're not the superstitious type? i hope you are. my tricks run on stuff like the power of love, friendship and faith, you see."

#ic ; #au | watcher amongst the expanse ; #drolliic #oh god this got so long big f ICSGYCSCUCSSCYGC #sorry may just Really wanted to talk about akira's hair for some reason

[classpect-crew]

The Bard of Time, In Brief(s)

Let’s be fair: the Bard gets a bad rap, and I’ve already expanded upon the Destroyer Classes a bit here, but today I want to dive into a specific Bard to show you just how many interpretations you can spin off of one Classpect. Remember: Sburb loves wordplay and irony when assigning Classpects, and the strongest associations of each half of your Title (outside of the established abilities of your Class and Aspect) are generally ones that inspire a particular turn of phrase. A Maid of Time who has a lot of time on her hands is, quite literally, “made of time.” Of course, Aradia already beat me to the punch with this joke, but it’s a good example of what I mean.

This speaks to me on a personal level, because after diving into what it could actually mean to be a Bard of Time, I think this might be the funniest, most self-referential Classpect I’ve ever identified with—which means it’s perfect. Naturally, since brevity is the soul of wit, I will be brief: I am a musician of no small talent with an impeccable sense of rhythm, as well as an amateur poet. Beyond that, I gave myself the middle name Taliesin after the timeless bard—Shakespeare wasn’t the first to hold that title—because I have an ego the size of Jupiter and I love the romance and drama of setting myself up with a legacy to fulfill. So, let’s take a deep dive into the Bard of Time, from both my personal perspectives and a more general analysis. To hell with brevity—on with the show!

On a surface level, the Bard of Time is “one who inspires the destruction of death, certainty, and Time itself.” However, we can expand this list ad nauseum by interpreting many different functions and associations of Time—but I’m getting ahead of myself. The two Bards we’ve seen in the comic start out with an unshakeable faith in something that shapes their personalities and worldviews. Now, this could simply be a function of the Aspects of Hope and Rage, which are represented by enduring faith and eviscerating doubt, respectively. We really only have two Bards to analyze, and their Aspects are direct opposites. Still, it’s something to consider. Bards are a Passive Class, and their interactions with their Aspect usually come in the form of inspiring the Aspect itself, or its destruction, in others. I truly believe that the word “inspire” is as crucial to understanding the Bard as “destroy,” and this also has many, many possible interpretations.

The Bard can be considered a Buff/Debuff Class, though this is a bit misleading. As we’ve seen with Gamzee in particular, the Bard can become deeply affected by the whims of their Aspect. Destroyer Classes seem to be spawned into sessions with far too much of their Aspect; unlike Rogues, their purpose is not to diffuse their Aspect to areas of low concentration, but rather to destroy it outright and make room for its opposite to reign. We see this very clearly with the Princes: Dirk was part of a session rife with romantic drama and one identity crisis after another, which would have prevented anything from getting done until he intervened. Eridan’s destruction of the Matriorb, the symbol of the session’s Hope, broke the trolls out of stagnant passivity and ultimately led to the joint creation of the new universe. Bards tend to have a more subtle effect on their sessions. Their influence ripples out in unpredictable ways that can be the catalyst for, in ironic Homestuck fashion, both the failure and success of a session.

The Bard of Time will be part of a session with far too much Time. This could indicate a lack of urgency in other players that leads to a cascade of unproductive and damaging choices, since there’s “plenty of time,” or it could mean that the Bard’s allies are far too wrapped up in the implications of fate and certainty, leaving them paralyzed by inaction or even determined to spend the session fucking around based on the assumption that they’re already Doomed. They may assume, incorrectly, that their Will has no bearing on the session, much like Aradia before her maturation arc. It’s helpful to note here that the Maid is the Active inverse of the Bard. The Maid begins as a subservient to their Aspect, and then grows to heal their relationship to it, culminating with the ability to create it for themselves. The Bard starts out heavily influenced by their Aspect’s opposite, and later inspires the destruction of the most negative relationships of their Aspect in others, and in their session at large.

In addition to correcting these broken relationships with Time, the Bard would also be well-equipped to invite the destruction of damaging patterns, which can range from unhealthy habits and addictions to karmic cycles spanning time and space. Perhaps they choose to get sober, and that choice ripples out and inspires others to do the same. (This has happened in my own life, and I’ve had at least half a dozen people reach out to tell me that speaking publicly about my sobriety encouraged them to break their addictions, too.) They may also invite the destruction of the “Doomed” label given to both individuals and broader Timelines, which could be extremely beneficial to others—but could also, in theory, lead to a Timeline cursed by everlasting stasis, like a terrifying form of limbo. Given enough power, they may even be able to invite the destruction of Death itself. I’ll leave this power’s implications, both awe-inspiring and horrifying, to you, dear reader.

“That is not dead which can eternal lie,

And with strange aeons even death may die.”

#classpect #classpect analysis #homestuck #bard of time #bard class #time aspect #wow this took about…3 hours or so #i should probably eat something

[franciskirkland]

Hiya Mr. France!! Me yet again

What are your primary communication styles. Are you direct with what you want, or do you give hints? 👀

And in terms of humor, what are your favorite types???

Bonsoir, mon ami! 😊

Interesting question! When I was younger I used to be such a little coquette - not a liar, but a tease - and I expected my husband to know my intentions from my body language and expressions. I soon found out that men are the furthest thing from mind readers!

Arthur is rather blunt. He prefers directness in communication and it took a little while for me to catch on, but I did; many, many years ago. Now we are completely straightforward with each other and we try to say exactly what is on our minds. Honesty is the best policy, non?

I like witty humour - wordplay, double entendres, the occasional pun. Of course, my personal sense of humour can be a little risque. Arthur's can be too, though when he's being dirty it's usually more subtle 🤭

À bientôt!

- François😘💖🌹

#merci! #aph france #hws france #roleplay blog

[doodletae]

"still life" by rm - mini lyric analysis

I'm still life, but I'm movin' Just live now, goin' forward, yeah A still life that does not stop, keep my flower blooming again

finally time for me to ramble about kim namjoon's stellar wordplay and lyricism :D

already namjoon sets up the seemingly paradoxical nature of this song with that first line "i'm still life, BUT i'm movin'." the word "still" can refer to something's continual action, like "life is still happening", but it can also be used as an adjective, like something is calm and peaceful. when a river is still, it's not moving.

so in the first line, namjoon presents the statement "i'm still life, i'm still living and existing and life is pretty stationary right now" then juxtaposes it with "but I'M moving, i'm the one going forward." yet then he says "a still life that does not stop" implying how no matter how "peaceful" a still life may feel it's always moving through time

Still nonstop life Shall my flower bloom again

you're always moving and your external world is always moving too, so it's easy to feel you're trapped in the same mundane routine everyday. it's a "nonstop still life" and you're just racing to catch up to where you were ten seconds ago. and let's not even start on how this is perfectly visualized in the still life mv where namjoon is on a train, meaning even if he stays still, he's still moving forward with the train, and if the train stops, he's confined to that space for how far he can move forward. i knew the mv would slay, but i didn't know it was gonna be a whole freakin artistic metaphor so props to the producers behind that one.

also super cool how namjoon mentions flowers in these lyrics and he asks "shall my flower bloom again", probably referencing his title track "wildflower". if the wildflower is supposed to represent him, then it's like he's wondering if this nonstop still life will allow himself time to grow and develop.

OKAY ONE MORE THING.

Gimme no name 'cause I'm untitled (Oh, yeah) My life is on display, still life, still life

I want to escape the frame of this canvas (Oh-oh)

a big theme in indigo is about namjoon grappling with his identity in the midst of all these expectations people have about him and namjoon ingeniously introduces the metaphor of a painting to describe this. he mentions how he is "untitled", a moniker often given to pieces of art that don't have a name (which is also how he describes himself in "wildflower"). the term "still life" can be used to refer to "still life drawings" which are what the name implies: drawings of inanimate objects in the natural world. if namjoon sees himself as a "still life", he is quite literally trapped on a canvas in a painting where nothing moves. one might also speculate that he no longer wants to be seen as just an "artist" or be identified only by his "art" since heaven knows that literally describes the last 10 years of his life. it calls back to "Yun" where he sings "i want to be a human before i do some art"; namjoon is perhaps trying to reclaim his status as just another human being living life amidst all these people throwing all their expectations onto him.

The shadow cast over me by yesterday and tomorrow

also the way the line "the shadow cast over me by yesterday and tomorrow" perfectly encapsulates both a person's regrets about the past and their worries about the future, like *chef's kiss* brief and brilliant poetry

I just calmly livе errtime (Oh-oh) 24/7, yeah, baby, I’m on timе I just live every minute and every second of today

and also i love the subtle imagery implied in "baby, i'm on time", which could literally mean he's punctual, but i get the picture of him standing on top of time, like maybe on the second-hand of a clock, so that he's moving forward with time itself and not pausing to think about the past nor worry about the future. he is fully in the moment.

okay that's it for real.

#kim namjoon #lyric analysis #kpop #indigo #bts rm #i didn't even include everyone's fave line “life is better than the death i'll prove it” #i feel like that one speaks for itself #but yeah leave it to namjoon to make me overanalyze a few phrases in a song :D #kpop songs #song analysis #song lyrics

[lunasohma]

#hexorcist bakery au playlist (for fun) + some thoughts on song

↳ [ #bakery au 💕 ]

[ bakery au tag ]

Just a collection of vague vibes. Full of cheese, sap, and sweet. In progress, most definitely.

It actually got soooo long!!! Lots of stuff.

Song is such good inspiration. Bite-sized story chock full of words, allusion and metaphor, imagery, wordplay, pun and idiom, rhythm and rhyme. Emotion and dialogue, too!

Catchy, snappy, witty, so, so fun. Or it can devastatingly break your heart!

Nothing like a earworm!

And direct or obtuse, tone varies so, so much.

So subtle (not!! lol) (years in the making, as life goes!) but music has always been working me through the creative process. Not the whole of it, of course, but it is a very major part.

Lately, I’m so excited to create! Feeling kind of restless! And very eager to find more things to love in earnest. A lovely loop that I’m trying my best to balance now. There is so much good art! How can you keep up?

So, if you ever find yourself stuck, please turn to others’ artworks and all the things you love, and steep yourself in it!

It may straighten things out in your mind! Even without you knowing it right away.

Immerse immerse immerse.

Song, especially, is very easy to do so with.

Let’s dance, play, and sing along :-)

All the luck to you and your work!!

#bakery au #my post #writing #art #thoughts #have some bops!

[fzzr]

Monogatari Read-Along Re-Watch — Kizumonogatari

Inspired by some others on tumblr, I'm going to read each Monogatari novel and then watch the anime adaptation arc by arc. I don't have anything in particular I'm looking for, just wondering what the differences are and how the two compare. Since the English box set of the novels put Kizumonogatari ahead of Bake, I'm doing Kizu first.

Novel

I've read a lot of first-person fiction recently, and Koyomi's narrative voice feels like it's coming from deeper inside him, somehow. It's not quite stream of consciousness, but more like stream of reminiscence. Rather than just recounting what happens, Koyomi is recalling it, commenting on his memories as he processes them. This gives us an extra layer of insight into his emotional state, as he both describes what he felt at the time and how he feels about his actions then in retrospect.

Another fun feature is the language and wordplay. Obviously it's not always possible to directly translate the Japanese puns (and I'm not qualified to judge if it did) but there's a sprinkling of English language tricks that only work in writing, which I'm given to understand are a pretty good equivalent. A lot of what gives Koyomi his unique voice is the way his mind skips between the focus of the moment and small distractions, which often take the form of these language games.

The dialogue between the characters was great, too. This is just as I expected, since dialogue is arguably the thing that made Monogatari into a phenomenon. Nearly every character has Koyomi on the back foot in conversation at some point (or almost all the time) and the interplay with his mind-state makes the dance of jokes and jabs that much more engaging.

This was my first time reading anything by NISIOISIN and it really was a treat. I'm definitely looking forward to what else I can learn about the characters beyond what the anime had time to show.

Movie

As a movie with different artistic direction and production processes than the TV anime, it's aesthetically quite different from the rest of the series. As is often the case, this manifests in more detailed character designs and intricate movement. Kiss-shot and especially Tsubasa are at their very best in Kizumonogatari. It also features five action scenes of varying length, and these definitely benefit from the extra animation time. Oshino Meme spends relatively little time in motion in the TV series, so getting to see his character come through in his actions, fight scene and otherwise, was much appreciated.

The issue for me arises when looking at what's missing from the movie. The TV series jumps through hoops to capture Koyomi's (and other viewpoint characters') internal mental state. The movie doesn't take us nearly as deep into Koyomi's head. This lets it be more subtle with conveying where he is mentally, but it cuts us off from a lot of his actual thought process. His thought process is what defines the entire voice of the novel and this feels like just too big of a thing to give up.

Kizumonogatari makes great use of the strengths of the movie format, and I did indeed like it more this time with the context of the book to make some parts hold together better. It's just that the great tradeoff of time constraints associated with that strength were allowed to run counter to what makes Monogatari what it is at an even higher level.

Conclusion

Kizumonogatari has always been my least favorite part of the series, and that hasn't really changed. However, reading the book has given me a new appreciation for this important chapter. I wish the movie had been able to capture more of it.

#monogatari #kizumonogatari #anime #original post #monogatari read-along re-watch